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Synthesizers and music production gear are more affordable than ever before, and now, it's possible to get some truly powerful and inspiring devices even under $500. So if you're on a budget and looking for the next addition to your setup, or if you're looking for a gift for a friend or loved one, don't fret—you'll be able to find the perfect thing without having to break the bank.

In a recent article, we discussed some of our favorite gear that you can get for under $200; but today, let's expand that range a bit and point out some of the most exciting deals to be found in the $200–500 range.

Powerful and Portable: Dreadbox Typhon

Dreadbox's Typhon hybrid synthesizer, which launched earlier this year, combines the Greek company's penchant for thick analog sounds and Sinevibes's ethereal, high-quality DSP effects. The first batch sold out across the globe, but they've reappeared just in time for the holidays.

The Typhon is a serious synthesizer in a small package—its analog synth engine is streamlined on the front panel, giving immediate macro-access to filter cutoff, envelope depth, and oscillator signal routing. In other words? All the controls you'll want to wail on when you're playing it.

Paired with this great-sounding analog synth is a vibrant stereo effects engine from Sinevibes that features over 14 unique and high quality reverbs, disortions, delays and more that can be chained together to create pedal-board-like combinations for endless fun. What makes the effects even more enticing is the fact that you can easily run an external signal into the Typhon and use its analog filter and built-in effects on other gear, making it one of the most powerful portable effects processors in its price range.

The Typhon is also equipped with a 32 step sequencer that boasts probability, glide, and MIDI note recording, as well as three enormously flexible modulator tracks that enable you to send LFOs, randomness, or envelopes to virtually any parameter on the Typhon. These features enable the Typhon to be a completely standalone instrument, making it an ideal companion for anyone on the go, or for someone who has smaller spaces to work in.

The Typhon seems like it has a little bit of something for everyone—it could be your new favorite effects processor, standalone analog synthesizer, or a powerful portable sequencer.  It's endlessly flexible, and Dreadbox have been tirelessly working to add even more features to the Typhon as time goes on. In fact, since its release, they’ve already added four new effects engines and sequencer functions, and have more updates announced that should keep them busy well into 2021. Our most anticipated feature is audio over USB functionality, which will allow the Typhon to work as a rudimentary sound card, as well as open new possibilities for tablet based setups.

Exploratory Effects: Koma Field Kit / Field Kit FX

For DIY enthusiasts, circuit sniffers, and generally curious folks the Koma Field Kit and Field Kit FX are guaranteed hits.  These two portable electro-acoustic workstations are chocked full of wonderfully flexible and fun tools that can inspire anyone to experiment with sounds and objects around them in new and interesting ways, and a perfect excuse to break up the tedium of quarantine!  Though not new, these are still a blast and well worth a look.

In the flagship model, the Field Kit, you'll find a CV controllable AM/FM/SW radio, interfaces for sensors, switches, DC and solenoid motors, a mixer perfect for piezo microphones, and a handy manual titled "50 Ways to Use the Field Kit"—and at over 100 pages, it has a wealth of information on using, or abusing, your Field Kit. The Field Kit is designed in such a way that all of the available tools interact together in fun and interesting ways. So use a piezo disc and a jar full of sand to create strange white noise, or scan through the radio with the help of sensors, use a solenoid to tap on cans or send marbles plonking around in a shoe box...the possibilities are only limited by your creativity and whatever's laying around in the immediate area that can make noise! 

This system of using electric devices to amplify and manipulate naturally occurring sounds to create new ones is inspired by Musique Concrète, a technique of composing sounds born out of the ingenuity of early sonic explorers who used tape loops, found sounds, and musical objects to push the boundaries of sound and music. And as a logical extension of this inspiration, Koma followed up the Field Kit with a new model based entirely around manipulating your sounds even further, the Field Kit FX.

FM Groovebox: Elektron Model:Cycles

Model:Cycles from Elektron is an FM groovebox that delivers a range of sounds, with both drum and tone-based algorithms. Using an inventive approach to FM synthesis, the Model:Cycles can produce drum tracks, bass lines, melodies, and chords with ease—making it great for everything from ambient soundscapes to heavy-hitting drum patterns. It breaks out of the menu diving paradigm often implemented on Elektron devices for direct hands-on control over the parameters. Instead of being able to edit every single parameter, Elektron opted for a stripped-down interface with one knob per function. These dedicated hands-on controls lend themselves to performative and expressive playing. An LCD screen gives direct visual feedback of the parameters you're currently editing with values and neat glyphs for each parameter.

The six onboard FM algorithms with 64 factory presets give users a jumping-off point to start laying down sequences. These algorithms include Tone, Chord, Kick, Snare, Metal, and Perc, each with a specific sound and character. These are monophonic, except the chord mode. Get full control over everything from pitch to delay and reverb send to a volume control that distorts as you push the control to the upper regions. In addition to the global controls, each algorithm has four macro controls that are algorithm-dependent. These range from FM ratio to chord inversion to additional modulation envelopes.

Groovebox and Drum Computer: Roland TR-6S and TR-06

Roland is known for its grooveboxes and drum machines, making a name for themselves with a wide range spanning 40 years. Their TR-606 drum machine, with its companion bass synthesizer, the TB-303, was originally made for bass and drum backing tracks for guitarists. They did horribly at this.

Modular Companion: Make Noise 0-CTRL

0-CTRL is an analog stand-alone sequencer from Make Noise that is inspired by the early capacitive touch controllers and sequencers by Don Buchla and Serge Tcherepnin, including the highly-revered MARF, TKB, and others. An outgrowth of Make Noise's own Pressure Points and Brains modules, 0-CTRL is a long-awaited missing link for the brand's excellent semi-modular synth 0-Coast (which in itself is another excellent option for gear under $500), and there are certainly some aspects of the design that truly make them best friends. However, the sequencer's overall compatibility with Eurorack signals makes it so much more than a dedicated controller for 0-Coast, rendering it a great candidate for a centerpiece in a variety of setups. So if your setup revolves around a modular system, desktop semi-modular synths, or anything else with CV/Gate inputs, the 0-CTRL will no doubt make a fun and inspiring addition to your rig.

This only covers so much of what 0-CTRL can do, and of course, there is much more to be discovered as you spend more time with this sequencer. And while it doesn't provide many channels and preset-saving found in the digital sequencers, it compensates for this through immediacy of workflow, and design that rewards creativity. If you are contemplating getting a portable interactive controller for your setup, this might be exactly what you're looking for.

Shape-Shifting MIDI Control: Sensel Morph

Selecting the right MIDI controller is never easy. One has to think in advance about what the controller will be used mainly for, whether it needs to have keys or pads, faders or knobs, or something more advanced like a multidimensional XYZ pad, or maybe even MPE compatibility? Well, the good news is that there is a device that to some extent has it all—Sensel Morph.

Morph is an adaptable multitouch controller that can change in appearance and behavior with a simple swap of a silicone overlay. The controller is designed to be flexible, and that means that it can seamlessly integrate into most workflows. That can be observed even from the selection of overlays Sensel offers. There is a music production overlay with a micro-keyboard, grid of pads, sliders, and knobs, a dedicated two-octave keyboard overlay, a drum pad overlay, a Buchla Thunder-inspired one, and these only cover music-centric overlays. You can also get a QWERTY-style tactile keyboard, overlays for video editing and gaming, and a customizable inventor's overlay. Morph recognizes its overlays very quickly, meaning that you can comfortably swap them mid-performance. Moreover, you can bypass the silicone overlays altogether and simply use the controller's multitouch surface by parsing the HID data it produces with software like Max/MSP, Pure Data, etc. Another important feature of Morph is its durability and its ability to withstand quite a bit of pressure, so you can use it with mallets too.

Morph's flexibility extends into its connectivity too. Like many other MIDI controllers, Morph connects to computers and compatible hardware via USB, however, it is also equipped with Bluetooth, and if your setup allows for it wireless MIDI, this is a compelling option. This makes it a great choice for mobile setups, as connecting the controller to your music apps via Bluetooth eliminates the need for adapters. Of course, if you need to connect it to hardware with DIN-style MIDI inputs, then using a MIDI-USB Host opens up the Morph to considerably broader territory.

While Morph is certainly not meant to substitute a keyboard, it certainly offers a new framework for interacting with electronic musical instruments. The silicone overlays are particularly suited for expressive articulations like slides, and vibrato enabled by Morph's MPE support. They may require a little getting used to, but what you'll gain is totally worth it. Altogether, it is a controller that fits perfectly for the traveling lifestyle and changing needs of many modern musicians.

Command Central: Arturia Keystep Pro

When it comes to the delicate balance of functionality and affordability, few controllers can top Arturia's Keystep. Both the original and the recently released 37-key variant offer simple but powerful sequencing capabilities and convenient connectivity options, including 5-pin MIDI, USB MIDI, CV outputs, and analog clock sync I/O. But given the long-standing success of their powerhouse Beatstep Pro sequencer, Arturia felt the keyboard-based sequencer paradigm could be pushed even further.

A Brain for Your Whole Studio: Korg SQ-64

As modular synth enthusiasts, we were thrilled to hear about the recent announcement of Korg's new SQ-64 sequencer: a desktop device poised to offer central control for virtually any kind of electronic music setup. With the ability to connect to computers, MIDI hardware, and a whole host of CV-capable devices, the SQ-64 is sure to be great for modular artists, dance music producers, and anyone who needs to tie their setup together.

SQ-64 is, you guessed it, a 64-step sequencer. Each of the melody tracks (of which there are three) offers sixteen patterns of up to 64 steps each, while the drum track offers sixteen sub-tracks of 64 steps each. These can, of course, be manipulated in a broad range of ways—you can change the selected active steps, change sequence direction, and much more. And perhaps best of all, these sequences can be communicated to other gear in a variety of ways. Each track on the SQ-64 has its own MIDI channel and can be used to control gear via 3.5mm MIDI connections or USB—and in fact, the melody tracks are all polyphonic. The melody tracks also have three analog outputs: a CV, gate, and programmable modulation output that can be freely routed to any destination in your modular or semi-modular gear. The drum track offers eight gate outputs, perfect for triggering drum voices in your modular system or analog drum synths, or for triggering external modulation processes. It even includes Korg's standard audio sync in/out jacks, so you can easily synchronize it with Volcas, your old Monotribe, and other Korg gear.

Of course, there's more to this device that just straight-ahead sequencing. With creative sequence modes like reverse, random, and the esoteric "bounce" and "stochastic" modes alongside its ability to act as a keyboard-like MIDI controller, the SQ-64 is a heck of a bargain, poised to compete with long-standing favorites like the Arturia Beatstep Pro and others. If you're looking for a rugged, compact tool to tie your whole studio together, look no further than the SQ-64.

Creative MIDI Utility: BASTL MIDI Looper

Looping isn't a new concept in electronic music. From the early days of crafting tape loops through the development of early sequencers, and up to the modern day with DAWs like Ableton Live, clever manipulation of loops and repeated material is a viable method of music composition. Typically, we think of looping being done with previously captured audio material, and it will often be processed further through the use of effects, playback speed, overdubbing, and layering other loops to build compositions and apply variation to the same sonic motif. But because an audio file is effectively the final representation of that original sound, this begs the question—what about looping with MIDI? Historically this has been easily done in DAWs, but now Bastl's MIDI Looper offers a convenient hardware solution to this idea.

Of course, there's no end to the list of inspiring and affordable gear—this is just a list of a handful of things that we've found fun and inspiring recently. But if you look further, you'll find that $500 can get you a lot in the modern world of music production...so whether you're into modular synths, drum machines, keyboards, or DAW production, no doubt there's something out there that is perfect for you.