S-1 Stylophone Pocket Synthesizer

The stylus approach feels surprisingly precise for such a tiny box, and that scratchy retro tone is exactly the David Bowie vibe I was chasing. I've lost an hour already just sliding between the octaves, and the compact size means I can jam on it at my desk without annoying the whole office.

The stylus glides across the metal keys so smoothly, and the S-1's built-in sequencer makes it stupidly easy to lay down a retro loop. It's tiny enough to toss in a jacket pocket, yet the analog sound has real character. I've been messing with it every night since it arrived.

I was worried the metal body would feel cheap at this size, but it's surprisingly solid and the stylus glides across the contact strip with a satisfying scratch. Took me an afternoon to get the vibrato knob to do what I wanted, but once I did, the retro tone is pure fun for messing around on my desk