Electro Harmonix Mini-Synthesizer

Back in 1980, this pocket-sized powerhouse from Electro-Harmonix brought raw analog synth tones to musicians who wanted something portable and punchy, slipping easily into a gig bag like a trusty sidekick.

It's a monophonic subtractive synth with a single analog VCO pumping out pulse waveforms, complete with an octave divider for sub-octave growl, dedicated LFO for pulse-width modulation, and a resonant lowpass filter you can tweak via sweep start/stop, rate, and resonance switches. Membrane button keys handle input, paired with sliders and toggles for phase shifter effects (in/out and rate), filter modes, and contouring, all feeding a built-in speaker or 1/8-inch mono out—runs on 9V batteries for true go-anywhere vibes. The compact plastic case keeps it lightweight at under two pounds, with no-frills build focused on fun over finesse.

Vintage hunters love its snarly, Moog-inspired bite through an amp, though many note the quirky construction means checking for membrane wear or speaker glitches on used units—still a gem for lo-fi leads and experimental jams.