Best Cheap Synthesizers Worth Buying

The Teenage Engineering PO-28 robot is a calculator-sized 8-bit synth with live play, a sequencer, micro drums and punch-in effects. It is the cheapest serious way to learn step sequencing and pattern chaining, and it runs on batteries with a built-in speaker.

Best for: curious beginners, travel jams and chiptune sketches.

• Pros: very low cost, genuinely fun, fits anywhere.
• Cons: exposed circuit board, tiny buttons, a lo-fi sound that will not suit every genre.

The Korg NTS-1 mkII is a build-it-yourself digital synth kit that snaps together without soldering. It has an 18-key multitouch strip, an arpeggiator and sequencer, a multimode filter, three LFOs and excellent built-in effects, and it can load custom oscillators and effects.

Best for: producers who want a tiny, hackable synth and effects box beside their laptop.

• Pros: great effects, expandable, very portable.
• Cons: the touch keyboard is for sketching rather than real playing, so pair it with a MIDI keyboard.

The Behringer TD-3 recreates the classic 303-style bass line: an analog VCO with saw and square waves, a resonant four-pole filter with accent and envelope controls, a 16-step sequencer and built-in distortion. It is the cheapest route to authentic acid squelch.

Best for: acid house, techno and electro producers.

• Pros: true analog sound, distortion built in, many colour options.
• Cons: monophonic and single-purpose, and the original-style sequencer takes practice to program.

The Roland S-1 is an AIRA Compact tweak synth inspired by the SH-101, with snappy basses and leads, a polyphonic mode for small chords, onboard sequencing and effects. Its compact body runs on batteries and fits in a laptop bag.

Best for: anyone who wants authentic Roland character in the smallest possible box.

• Pros: classic SH sound, surprisingly deep features, battery power.
• Cons: small knobs and a tiny keypad, so long editing sessions are fiddly.

The Roland J-6 is a four-voice chord synth built on a JUNO-60 style engine, with 100 chord sets, arpeggio and phrase styles, and a 64-step chord sequencer. You press one key and get a full chord voicing, which makes it a brilliant idea machine.

Best for: producers and songwriters who want lush chords without strong keyboard skills.

• Pros: classic JUNO pads and chords, instant song ideas, sync and MIDI.
• Cons: limited sound editing, and not built for playing melodic leads.

The Behringer Crave is a semi-modular analog synth with a 3340 VCO, a ladder filter with low-pass and high-pass modes, a 32-step sequencer and a patch bay. It sounds big and is the most affordable way to learn patching before you think about Eurorack.

Best for: learning analog synthesis and patching on a tight budget.

• Pros: fat analog tone, patch points, solid sequencer.
• Cons: no keyboard, and Behringer’s build quality and support are more variable than Roland or Korg.

The Yamaha Reface CS is an analog-modelling synth with 37 high-quality mini keys, eight-note polyphony, a phrase looper and built-in speakers. Its slider-based panel makes sound design approachable, and it runs on batteries for playing anywhere.

Best for: players who want a small synth they can actually play, with speakers built in.

• Pros: excellent mini keybed, eight voices, speakers and batteries.
• Cons: no preset memory for your own patches, and mini keys are still mini keys.

The original Korg minilogue is a four-voice analog polysynth with 37 slim keys, 200 presets, an oscilloscope display and a 16-step motion sequencer. Newer models exist, but the first minilogue is often the cheapest true analog polysynth you can buy, especially used.

Best for: anyone who wants real analog chords and pads at the lowest possible price.

• Pros: genuine analog polyphony, knob-per-function panel, plenty of presets.
• Cons: only four voices, slim keys, and no digital oscillators like the later xd.

The Novation Bass Station II is a full analog monosynth with two oscillators, a sub-oscillator, noise and ring modulation, and Classic and Acid filter types. Its 25 full-size keys, arpeggiator and sequencer make it a proper instrument rather than a box you program.

Best for: bass and lead sounds from a synth you can play with two hands on full-size keys.

• Pros: huge, flexible analog tone, full-size keys, sturdy build.
• Cons: monophonic, and the top of the cheap tier.