Stylophone Revives Mini Synthesizer With $30 Price and New Colors
Stylophone has reissued its Mini synthesizer for $30 in three colors, including pink, with stylus and built-in speaker.
The refreshed Mini remains small enough to attach to a keychain or hang from a car dashboard, Engadget reported. It has as many keys as the larger Stylophone, comes with a stylus for playing and includes built-in speakers. A full-sized Stylophone can fit in a pants pocket, while the Mini is about the size of a credit card. Engadget said there do not appear to be many changes beyond the color options.
Stylophone's CEO said, "in the age of AI, we wanted to make something simple, fun and real," according to Engadget. The report said that mission appears to have been accomplished. Despite its size, Engadget described the Mini as still more or less a real-deal Stylophone. The technology is about as simple as it gets, which has helped keep Stylophones budget-friendly, the report said.
The Stylophone has been around since the 1960s. David Bowie used one on "Space Oddity" and wrote much of the song on it, Engadget reported. The White Stripes, Kraftwerk, Blondie and Pulp have all used the device on records or during live performances. The Beatles also played with a Stylophone while recording "Old Brown Shoe" during the Let It Be sessions, though it did not make the final mix.
The new Stylophone Mini costs $30 and is available now, according to Engadget.
Editor's Summary Stylophone has reissued the Stylophone Mini, a $30 credit-card-sized synthesizer that keeps the larger model's keys, stylus and built-in speaker and adds a new pink color. The Mini, first introduced in 2010 and discontinued for years, is on sale now. Its history includes David Bowie's "Space Oddity" and use by acts such as Kraftwerk, Blondie and Pulp.