Pretty Experimental

If you are creative enough, you could do anything with this. Overall, good build quality and interesting history

From Gear Setup

Best non-expensive pocket analog synth in the universe

I saw Bowie play it a couple of years back and was totally captivated. Asmall analog stylus-operated keyboard with a single oscillator which is controlled by a metal plate with 20 keys printed directly on the synth electronic board, the keys are played with the stylus. it's got three different organ sounds plus an optional vibrato mode which sounds like a spooky haunted house and is deadly for some drone behind tracks. It's got a tuning knob allows you to tune it or do pitch-bending effects which sound mad. Headphone jack output and a built-in speaker with volume control and an audio input to mix your music with the synth and have them both coming out together from the speaker! Not expensive and endless amount of groovy electronic fun

It's gimmicky

Doesn't capture the essence of the original it's based on. Construction feels cheap. The plastic protector on it took the ink it was protecting right off when I unwrapped it! I'll probably use this in a few places for ear candy and then gift it to someone else. May consider trying to find myself an earlier Dubreq model instead. Love Stylophones in general as a concept though.

It's up to you

So - the eternal question: are you after: a) world superstardom, the invention of whole genres, groundbreaking electronic music pioneering, musical chameleonism, acting, mime artistry, art connoisseuerdom, video artist hobnobbing, internet pioneer, musical maverickdom, sex symboldom, massive critical respect and commercial success

OR

Painting the odd Royal; presenting a programme about sick animals; doing the odd cartoon; playing the didge on the wackier Kate Bush records; being a registered sex offender?

You see, as everyone knows, both David Bowie and Rolf Harris made extensive use of the Dubreq Stylophone. So, with this tool in your hands, it really is up to you. It's what you make of it, ladies and gentlemen.

Here's a tip though; DI it, whack it through some ghostly reverb, and you've got a sort of uniquely characterful 'space surf' theremin for about £20. 'What's that? A vintage synth of some sort?' people ask me. If only they knew.

Good gimick

I have three of these which I received at one time or another for birthdays or christmas. I say it's a gimmick or a toy as I don't think they sound that good personally and they are not very responsive.

They have three inbuilt sounds and you can get soem interesting sound when ran through additional processing, like stomp boxes or effects units

Why Not?

Bought this at the MIM in Phoenix, AZ. Cool tones until the vibrato quit working and the wire to the stylus broke! Kind of a glorified toy, just wish it was built better.

Ace

fun to carry around and sounds decent with a bit of EQ and some spaced-out FX. It's a classic come on...