Stylophone S2

Back in 2012, this mini beast took the Stylophone legacy to pro levels, packing dual oscillators and CV control into a sleek metal slab that David Bowie himself would have nodded at for its spacey vibes.

It's a true analog subtractive synth with two voltage-controlled oscillators plus sub-oscillators for thick bass tones, feeding into a British-style 12dB/octave state-variable filter and a single envelope generator. An eight-waveform LFO spans 14 octaves for wild modulation, while the 37-note printed circuit keyboard—three full octaves with +/-2 octave shift—works with the included wireless stylus or your fingers thanks to its larger keys. Battery-powered and ultra-portable at 308 x 120 x 26 mm under 1kg, it features a brushed aluminum control disc lit by blue LEDs, plus 3.5mm aux in for processing external audio, 1/4-inch line out, headphone jack, trigger in, CV/Gate, and USB. Power, volume, and auto-tune buttons sit right on the edge for quick tweaks.

Serious players loved its fat, playable sound and modular-friendly ports, calling it the ultimate pocket synth for experimental rigs—though the premium price kept it a collector's gem rather than a mass hit, and good ones are scarce now.