Stylophone Keyboards / Synthesizers
Offers
Reviews
Stylophone Keyboard / Synthesizer Reviews
 |
Stylophone Original Pocket Synthesiser
by pippylongstockin As popularized by Rolf Harris this pocket sized electronic organ produces a quirky sound. It's essentially a metal keyboard which when touched with a stylus pen creates a synthesized sound. It takes 4 AA batteries which last for hours and hours of use. It has a pitch control knob on the bottom of the organ which allows you to ... toggle your pitch from very high to very low. It's a nice feature but A. it's a wee bit difficult to turn B. It's a little bit difficult to turn and play at the same time. Not as easy as tuning a guitar. The metal key strips get a bit mangy after a while of use but you can clean and continue relativity no problem. If they do get dirty it will almost definitely affect connectivity. The connecting pen with the metal tip completes the circuit and produces the unique sound. Be careful not to yank it out hard- it's only connected by two thin wires. Two very nice features (although not sure if original or an additional update) are the ability to plug in your MP3 player via mini-jack to the Stylophone and use it as a mini speaker. The volume of the organ is very loud considering it's size. The other feature is you can plug a set of earphone/headphones into the same jack and eliminate having to limit the volume in consideration to others. Remember the Stylophone isn't the pleasantest of instruments to hear for long periods at a time. A couple of other setting are: The Vibrato button - A Wah-Wah control which turns your notes trembling & wobbling giving it a different effect. It's good to turn on when your emphasising tragedy in your playing. You also have a 3 notched switch at the front which again gives you 3 different sounds. One sounds quite deep and tinny, one quite neutral and the other higher and sharper in pitch. It's great for travel purposes. When your board in the back of a car or for novelty purposes and in genuinely produces a unique sound. Read the complete review |
 |
Stylophone Original Pocket Synthesiser
by pumfster I've always been a big fan of a good gadget, and if it has that retro feel then twice the fun. So knowing this my wife bought me a Stylophone for Christmas a couple of years ago. So what's all this fuss about the stylophone I hear you all cry? Well for those of you that don't remember, Brian Jarvis originally invented the ... stylophone in 1967 and production ran until 1975. They originally became popular partly because Rolf Harris acted as the spokesman for the company distributing them, and it regularly featured on Rolf Harris shows for many years afterwards, and I remember seeing him using one when I was young, and so that would have been well into the eighties. A stylophone also featured on the famous David Bowie song "Space Oddity" further adding to their appeal, as well as several songs from the influential electronic band Kraftwerk. After many years of anonymity, apart from the few hardcore electronic music fans that kept them alive, the son of the original inventor Ben Jarvis hooked up with the toy company Re:creation to relaunch the stylophone for a new generation. So what exactly is the stylophone? The stylophone available today is very similar indeed to the original models, and is basically a very retro looking little musical instrument, almost as if it were made of Bakelite. Looking like something out of an American 1970's video, the device is simply a little keyboard style thing with metal keys laid out, and is played with a little metal stylus. Each note is represented by a different area and is simply numbered from 1 to 12, with semi-tones marked as halves on the top of the keyboard. Touching the metal stylus against the relevant part of the keyboard plays a specific note and a sound is played. The sound that a stylophone produces is very difficult to actually describe! For those of you that have heard them, you will know exactly what I mean, for everyone else I would say that it is a very electronic sound, akin to something from an old style computer in the 80's. It really is a unique and quite weird sound, which adds to the appeal for me. The stylophone uses 3 AA batteries, which are not included when you buy this product, but they will last you ages. I've had this for a couple of years now, and only changed the batteries once in that time. You will also need a small crosshead screwdriver, as the battery compartment is screwed shut. The packaging is identical to the original 1960's version of the stylophone, which just adds to the retro feel of the instrument. So what features does this musical instrument come equipped with? Well firstly it comes with everything that the original did all those years ago - That was simply a tuning control, a volume control and a vibrato option. The tuning control is in the form of an easy to turn knob on the rear of the device, and can be used to tune it in with other instruments being played together, or for the more experienced or clever user, can be used during playing to change the tone of the sounds being produced. The vibrato button is very self-explanatory and simply toggles between a steady note and a note of rapidly changing pitch. The volume control is on the side and is of a standard rotating disk style. However this new and improved model comes with far more options than just these. Next we have the button on the front, which changes the sound all together. There are 3 options and it is difficult to describe the different tones, but it ranges from a very metallic hum at setting 3 to a more "normal" tone at setting 1. Again this can be used for different types of music or for the better user, to change midway through a song to give the impression of a key change. There is also a headphone socket so that you can compose and practise away without annoying everyone around you. A common complaint with the original stylophone from annoyed parents was that the sound drove them mad, and to be fair you will either love or hate the sounds that the stylophone produces. So onto possibly the best new feature of the stylophone, and that is the ability to connect an MP3 player to it. This is a great little feature, as the speaker of the stylophone is actually quite good, and so without much effort you can play along with your favourite songs. The stylophone will play over the top of the music from the MP3 player, and this is by far the best way of using it in my opinion. In addition, you can get the music for quite a few songs on the Internet, and as the keys are just numbered, you need no prior musical experience or knowledge to get into the stylophone, which is what makes it such a good little instrument in my opinion. So would I recommend the Stylophone? Well I'm sure you have already guessed my answer to this one already. The stylophone is a great little instrument and a great way to get kids into music without hours of practise. It is also a great little gift for the more geeky adults (such as myself) who love little gadgets or love anything retro. The way that they have kept them looking and feeling exactly like the originals, and at the same time modernising the features it possesses is very clever indeed. It is available online on many websites, and also in high street gadget shops retailing at around the £14.99 mark, which is a bargain for a little gift. It is also stocked in some of the bigger high street shops such as Debenhams and Marks and Spencers in the run up to Christmas, again costing in the same ballpark. Thanks for reading this, and it will appear on Ciao under my same username. Read the complete review |
|
|
Stylophone Pocket Electronic Organ
by professorlamp The Stylophone is a small (slightly larger than handheld) musical instrument, it's not a serious thing but it does what it does, and it does it well. It's played via an attached stylus(hence the name I believe!) and by pressing the keys with the pen/stylus, there are several different sounds that can be chosen via a waveform selector, ... you can add vibrato to the notes with the flick of a switch and the range of pitch can be increased with the turn of a knob recessed into the back of the Stylophone. It's powered by battery or a 9v adapter (if I remember correctly, neither were included) and has a headphone jack so you don't annoy everyone around you with whacky BEEEEP sounds. ***Sound*** The grating square waves produced out of it's tinny speaker are what I refer to as 'nostalgia'. I feel as though a trip down memory lane to the era of Sonic the Hedgehog and Zelda happens each time I play with this little thing. Obviously it's only a toy so don't expect an antique synthesizer to jump out of the box, however, if you just want to make silly sounds reminiscent of the gameboy and sega era then this is definitely for you. Obviously the cheap'n'nasty sound of this little unit has little use for most peoples repertoire but I think the Stylophone company realise this also. For some new sounds that are amusing and not costly I'd go for this before anything else (they also have a drum machine released in their catalogue). ***In Use*** The amount of entertainment attained from this device definitely outweighs the cost, this can easily keep you (a 21 year old man) amused just as easily as it could your niece (a 3 year old). I found the stylus to be easy to manoeuvre and didn't really struggle with any aspect of the Stylophone, it's definitely anybodies instrument. ***Summary*** If you're looking for a cheap piece of fun, then you've found it. Read the complete review |
Stylophone Keyboard / Synthesizer |
||
|---|---|---|
|
4 reviews Manufacturer: Stylophone / Keyboard / Synthesizer / Type: Electronic Organ |
|
|
10 reviews Keyboard / Synthesizer / Brand: Stylophone |
|
| Stylophone Keyboard / Synthesizer Recommendations 1 | ||
| dooyoo Results 1 - 2 of 2 | ||
