The ugliest synth you own

[alexwasashrimp]

Okay, we have discussed the most beautiful synths, but what about the ugly ones? The point of limiting it to synths you currently have is to prevent shitting on what other people like and encourage shitting on what you like despite the looks.

I have a suspicion the design has a big influence on whether I’ll buy a synth because I don’t have any truly ugly synths. The worst one I own is the BS2, its design is okay, it’s just that all the other synths I have (even the ES-1 mk2) look better:

Judging by modern Novation stuff like the current Launchpad generation and the Circuit Tracks/Rhythm, they have finally hired much better designers. But again, I can’t call the BS2 ugly either.

Please send your ugly ducklings that become beautiful swans once you start playing.

[darenager]

This, sounds fantastic though. But generally I can’t stand synth design that doesn’t have proper panel design, with quirky glyphs and meaningless symbols everywhere, wonky text, crappy fonts, skewed design etc. I don’t have a problem with artistic looking designs, but you better be good at art or it just looks like the back of a schoolboys maths book.

[swanage_fan]

i raelly like the look of the BS2 but i wish they’d give it a refresh, as the limited edition AFX Station and the Warp one looked a lot nicer.

the ugliest synth i owned was probably the Analog Keys. plasticky, poor use of panel space

[Uzinusa]

@swanage_fan

the ugliest synth i owned was probably the Analog Keys. plasticky, poor use of panel space

So much is in the eye of the beholder, as with so many things. Try as I might I can’t find this ugly

[Oxenholme]

Probably this thing. BUT tbh I’ve grown to love my green Aira collection and they’re definitely among the most fun and immediate instruments I own.

[catbox]

It is long gone now, but my first synth was a Korg X5D. I wouldn’t call it a beauty. (But did love it though.)

[trytykee]

I had this box. Isn’t it ugly?

[craig]

I hate everything about it!

(I don’t own it tho)

[Fin25]

I’ve still got one of these somewhere in my loft. Everything about it is just slightly off, like the keys are just slightly sticking out, the panel graphics are dreadful and it just gives off this real sort of parts bin midi controller vibe. The weirdly bulbous joystick is fucking awful too.

Of the things I don’t own, I think Roland are pretty much incapable of making something any better than hideous to look at generally. Can’t even look at the MC101 and TR6S, they look like windows 95 at the wrong resolution.

Hideous.

[Microtribe]

Christ on a stick thats awful. Who let that happen?

[Fin25]

Fucking BASTL mate.

Absolute animals.

[captain8]

Nord lead, love the synth can’t stand the red
mc-101 completely agree with Fin on my 101

the whole native instruments skittles revolution that has seeped into everything makes me sic

[darenager]

Yeah the Aira/MC/TR look is a bit shite, not generally a fan of RGB LEDs in everything, I suppose MC-707 and TR-8s are the least ugly in that range, the Aira minis and some of the boutiques look alright too. I think Roland has a long history of some nice looking stuff and some absolute munters at the same time.

[DaveMech]

Basically looks like some sort of tamagotchi

[BLKrbbt]

I was going to say the same about the TR8S but I think I’m in love. She’s beautiful to me.

[dcsux]

Don’t own it. But fuck me.

[BLKrbbt]

I love it!

[Microtribe]

There’s tons of fugly synths around. I dont own any. Life’s too short for owning ugly synths.

[LCVL]

[Leonsarmiento]

Synthesizers are like Picasso’s, I found them ugly… Until I started to find all of them beautiful machines.

But that SOMA that is a piece of wood with metal buttons no. That thing is ugly.

But their Pulsar