WEB VERSION / SUBMIT DESIGN / DISCUSSION

This is a list of synthesizers and related hardware you can build on your own. All designs are open-source including firmware. Submit designs which is not in list and discuss your building experience.

1. ATtiny Punk Console — ATtiny85 implementation of Atari Punk Console
2. Aciduino — Roland TB-303 step sequencer clone aimed for live interaction
3. Ambika — Multi-voice, hybrid synthesizer. Descendant of Shruthi.
4. Anushri — Analog monosynth with a lo-fi digital drums
5. ArduTouch — Arduino-compatible music synthesizer
6. Arpie — Compact, highly-functional, MIDI arpeggiator
7. Beam Catcher — Analog light-based synthesizer
8. Bread Modular — Affordable, compact modular synth platform
9. Coron DS7 (DS8) — Percussion & drum synth
10. Drone & Drama — Simple Teensy-based drone synth
11. DrumKid — Lo-fi aleatoric Arduino drum machine
12. Echo Rockit — Compact synth/effect processor
13. Faderbank 16n — 16 faders MIDI-controller compatible with modular world
14. Fasma Festival — Yet another Teensy drum machine with clock sync
15. Flounder — Teensy based USB midi keyboard + controls + stereo audio
16. Grandbot — Generative, pattern-based MIDI arpeggiator
17. Hidden Sound Explorer — Electromagnetic fields analog transducer
18. Hog — Double-voice analog monophonic synthesizer with two oscillators
19. Hypjolin — Cross-modulating ultra-chaos generator
20. Kastle — Lo-fi, pocketable modular synth
21. Keep — Self-modulating analog synth based on the ancient XR 2206 IC
22. Kelpie — Portable polyphonic digital synthesizer
23. LMN-3 — OP-1 inspired DAW-in-a-box
24. Le Strum — Compact and simple yet funny MIDI strummer
25. Lil' mono — Simple east-coast style analog synthesizer
26. Lunchbeat — 1-bit percussion sounds and a sequencer
27. MIDIbox — MIDI hardware platform
28. MIDIvampire II — 4 voice drum machine that is powered from the MIDI data line
29. Matrix sequencer — Standalone MIDI sequencer
30. Meeblip Micro — Hackable monophonic synth
31. Meeblip SE — Hackable monophonic synth
32. Meeblip Triode — Hackable monophonic synth based on ATmega32
33. Mega MIDI — MIDI-compatible Sega Genesis/Megadrive synthesizer with real sound chips
34. Mini Dexed — FM synthesizer closely modeled on the famous DX7
35. MiniMO — ATtiny85 mini modular system
36. Mixtape Alpha — Credit-card sized ATmega328 4 voice synth
37. Moduleur — Double-voice analog modular design with a touch of digital magic
38. Mozard — Arduino, Mozzi -based, 6 engines synth
39. Multi — Generative sequencer with swappable synth engines
40. Mushsynth-8 — 8-voice polyphonic drone synth with a touch keyboard
41. N32B — Hi-res macro MIDI controller
42. NESizer2 — NES 2A03 chip controlled by ATmega328 with battery backed patch memory
43. NSynth Super — An experimental physical interface for the NSynth AI algorithm
44. NTH synth — 8-bit hackable mono synth
45. Nano minipops — Korg Minipops drum machine made around Arduino
46. Noise Toaster — Simple, full analog noise synth
47. NoiseLab — Analog noise synthesizer
48. Norns shield — Dynamic instrument, creation platform and musical computer
49. Nyblcore — Tiny ATtiny85-based sample player device
50. OP-Synth — Modular micro analog synth
51. OTTO — Digital groovebox with synths, looper, samplers, effects and a sequencer
52. OpenDeck — Platform for ultimate MIDI control deck building
53. Ottopot — Hi-res USB-MIDI controller
54. Overcycler — Polyphonic hybrid single cycle / analog synthesizer
55. POLY555 — Polyphonic, analog, square wave synth based on the 555 timer
56. Paper Bits — Small, modular synthesizer system. Voltage controlled, stripboard compatible.
57. PicoStepSeq — 8-step MIDI sequencer
58. PicoTracker — Low cost music tracker platform
59. Pikocore — Hackable, lo-fi music mangler based on the Raspberry Pi Pico
60. Plinky — 8-voice polyphonic touch synthesizer that specializes in fragile, melancholic sounds
61. Polaron — Digital drum machine based on Teensy 3
62. Polykit X1 — Full analog, semi modular synthesizer
63. Portable synth — OP-1 style portable groovebox based on Teensy 4
64. PreenFM 2 — Beloved old FM synthesis in small, modern DIY box
65. Protean — CMOS-based motion texture source
66. Quantum DJ — Electromagnetic noise to 1-bit sound converter
67. Real SID shield — Digital interface to SID chip of Commodore 64
68. Roundabout — Compact, CMOS-based, patchable synth
69. S54 Liv's Synth — Hybrid mono synth with full analogue signal path
70. SC1000 — Portable digital scratch instrument
71. Shruthi — Hybrid synth with digital generators and swappable analog filter boards
72. Sigma-6 — Low-cost digital mono-synth
73. Sound Lab Mini-Synth MkII — Full analog descendant of Sound Lab Mini-Synth
74. Sound Lab Mini-Synth — Full analog legendary MFOS design
75. Spires — Laser arpeggiator
76. Teensy Audio FX — Playable effects modeled on the Teenage Engineering PO series
77. Teensy Beats Shield — Handheld audio sequencer in PO style
78. Totoro — Cheap and easy to solder 2 oscillators synth on single IC
79. WTPA2 (Where is the party at 2) — 8-bit audio sampler kit
80. Wee Noise Maker — Pocket size sampler/sequencer with DAC, headphone amplifier and audio input
81. Wirehead Freaq FM — Dual-voice, 2 operator, 8-bit FM synth in Volca form-factor
82. Wirehead Mutant — 8-bit, 2-oscillator subtractive Arduino synth for generative techno in Volca form-factor
83. YM2149 Synth — Little chip that was used in various retro arcade machines and consoles now ready to serve
84. Yowler — Compact and versatile noise/drone synth
85. ZeKit — 4 voice paraphonic synth
86. Zeptocore — Player and synthesizer, featuring stereo playback
87. Zynthian — Open platform for sound synthesis & processing
88. x0xb0x — Full reproduction of the original Roland TB-303 synthesizer, with fully functional sequencer

upd: 2025-12-15