NanoZwerg

Back in 2010, this pocket-sized powerhouse punched way above its weight, delivering full analog monosynth tones from a footprint smaller than most pedalboards—perfect for squeezing into tight setups or sparking ideas on the go.

Its single VCO pumps out triangle, sawtooth, square, and pulse waves across four octaves, beefed up by a sub-oscillator with two octave drops or switchable white noise for extra grit. The star is the 12dB/oct state-variable multimode filter, flipping between lowpass, highpass, bandpass, notch, and self-oscillation, with cutoff modulated by ADSR envelope, LFO, or even VCO output for wild FM-like tricks. Hands-on knobs cover tune, mix, PWM, glide, and a built-in 128-step sequencer, plus CV/Gate patch points for modular integration and an audio input to process external signals. MIDI in and USB keep it sequencer-friendly, all packed into a yellow 140x130x35mm desktop unit made in Germany.

Owners loved its fat basses, versatile leads, and surprising depth despite the single-osc setup—often calling it a steal compared to pricier rivals like the Doepfer Dark Energy. A few noted the gentler filter slope trades bite for warmth, but that's part of its charm in the Zwerg family of affordable analogs.