The Stylophone is one of the most charming instruments ever made: a pocket synth you play by touching a metal stylus to a metal keyboard, with a buzzy voice that has been instantly recognizable since David Bowie put it on "Space Oddity". It is also cheap, simple and a little limited, which is why so many owners eventually ask what to get next. Here is what the Stylophone does well, where it runs out, and the best Stylophone alternatives for each direction you might want to go.
The short answer
The Stylophone S-1 (about $25) plays one note at a time with a stylus. If you want more sound shaping, step up to Dubreq's own Gen X-2 or a Korg monotron. For beats, a Pocket Operator. For chords, the HiChord. For a real polyphonic synth, the Korg volca keys or Roland S-1. For a pocket instrument that plays chords and melody where every key is in key, GLIDE (ours).
- What is a Stylophone?
- Is a Stylophone worth it? Is it hard to play?
- Stylophone models: S-1 vs Gen X-2 vs Theremin vs Stylosette
- Stylophone alternatives compared
- Stylophone vs Otamatone vs theremin
- Which one should you get?
- Stylophone FAQ
What is a Stylophone?
The Stylophone is a tiny electronic instrument invented by Brian Jarvis of Dubreq in London in the late 1960s, and on sale from 1968. You play it by touching a pen-like stylus to a printed metal keyboard, which completes a circuit and sounds a note. According to Dubreq's own history, David Bowie's "Space Oddity" (July 1969) was the first pop song to feature it, and that buzzy, slightly nasal tone has been a novelty-record and indie-band favorite ever since.
Dubreq still makes it. The current Stylophone S-1 is a real analog synth: Dubreq describes its "unique analog sound", and it has a 3-way octave switch, a vibrato switch, a built-in speaker, a headphone jack, and runs on three AA batteries.
Is a Stylophone worth it? Is it hard to play?
For about $25, yes, as long as you know what you are buying. Dubreq's manual promises "no musical ability required", and that is fair: the keys are laid out like a piano, you can slide the stylus for swoops or tap out notes one by one, and it is tuned at the factory with a tuning control on the base.
Where people run out of road:
- One note at a time. Dubreq calls it a "monophonic buzz". You cannot play a chord, so it is a melody instrument only.
- Every key is a chromatic note. The 20 keys include all the sharps and flats, so it is easy to land a note that clashes with the song you are playing along to.
- One sound. Three octaves and a vibrato switch, but no way to shape the tone or save sounds.
- Precision. A stylus on a small strip is great for slides and less great for fast, accurate melodies.
Stylophone models: S-1 vs Gen X-2 vs Theremin vs Stylosette
Dubreq's current range. Only the S-1 is easy to find at a consistent US price (about $24.95, checked October 2026); for the others, check US retailers like Guitar Center and Sweetwater, since prices vary.
| Model | What it adds |
|---|---|
| S-1 | The classic: stylus, 20 keys, 3 octaves, vibrato |
| Gen X-2 | Filter, LFO, envelope, analog delay, CV in and out |
| Stylosette | Cassette-shaped, finger-touch keys, delay |
| Theremin | Antenna and slider instead of keys |
| BEAT | A stylus drum machine, not a synth |
Gen X-1 vs Gen X-2: the X-1 is no longer sold, and Dubreq's page for it now points to the X-2. The X-2 keeps the two-octave stylus keyboard and adds CV and gate jacks for patching into modular gear, an octave switch and an expression strip. If you love the Stylophone sound and want more of it, the Gen X-2 is the natural upgrade. It is still played with a stylus.
Stylophone alternatives compared
The right alternative depends on which limit you hit. Here they are by price (US retail, checked October 2026):
| Instrument | Notes at once | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Korg monotron | One | Analog filter tweaking |
| Otamatone | One | Laughs, and a real ear workout |
| Pocket Operator | Pattern based | Beats and chiptune loops |
| GLIDE (ours) | Up to 8 | Chords plus melody, always in key |
| Korg volca keys | Three | A first real analog synth |
| Roland S-1 | Four | Serious sound design on the go |
| HiChord | Chords | Playing chord progressions |
Korg monotron
Analog ribbon synthThe closest cousin. The monotron series are pocket analog synths with a ribbon keyboard you slide a finger along, a built-in speaker and battery power. The DELAY adds a gritty analog delay and is about $69.99. It is still one note at a time, but with a proper filter to twist.
Otamatone
Novelty synthThe singing eighth note from Japan. You squeeze the stem to pick a pitch and press its cheeks to open the mouth for a "wah". There are no note markers, so its makers suggest marking notes on tape with a tuner. Hilarious, and hard to play in tune. The Regular is about $42.99 and the Deluxe about $84.99.
Teenage Engineering Pocket Operator
Pocket grooveboxCalculator-sized loop machines with a speaker, running on two AAA batteries. The PO-33 K.O! is a sampler with a built-in mic; the PO-20 arcade makes chiptune. About $99 each. They come without a case. Great for beats, less suited to playing a melody live.
GLIDE
Pocket synthFull disclosure: this one is ours. GLIDE keeps what makes the Stylophone fun (pocket size, a speaker, instant sound, slides between notes) and removes its two big limits. It plays up to eight notes at once, with a bottom row that plays chords in the current key, and scale lock maps every key to a note in your scale, so there are no wrong notes. Hold a key and tap another on the same row and the note glides between them, the same swoop you get by sliding a stylus. Tilt the device for vibrato, roll new sounds with Randomize, and hold fn+K so it listens to a song and retunes to its key. Rechargeable, built by hand in small batches, $119.99 (checked October 2026).
Korg volca keys
First real synthKorg calls the volca keys a "simple three-voice analog synthesizer", with 27 keys. About $149.99. The step from toy to a synth you can grow into.
Roland AIRA Compact S-1
Pocket polysynthA four-voice synth with 26 rubber pads covering a little over two octaves and a rechargeable battery good for about 4.5 hours. About $269.99. Note that it has no built-in speaker, so you need headphones.
HiChord
Pocket chord synthSeven chord buttons and a joystick that switches a chord between major, minor, seventh and more, plus a looper, drum machine, speaker and USB-C battery. The aluminum edition is $320. Our Omnichord alternatives guide covers it and other chord machines in more depth.
Stylophone vs Otamatone vs theremin
Three "fun" electronic instruments that people often weigh against each other:
- Stylophone vs Otamatone. Both play one note at a time. The Stylophone has printed keys, so you can find notes; the Otamatone has none, so you play entirely by ear. The Stylophone is easier to play a tune on, while the Otamatone gets more laughs.
- Stylophone vs theremin. A theremin is played without touching anything, by moving a hand near an antenna, and is famously hard to play in tune. Dubreq's own Stylophone Theremin uses an antenna plus a slider and costs several times as much as the S-1.
- Stylophone vs synthesizer. The Stylophone is a synthesizer, just a very simple one: a single oscillator with a vibrato switch. Our guide to what a synthesizer is explains what the extra knobs on bigger synths do.
Which one should you get?
Stay in the Stylophone family if
- You love that buzzy sound and the stylus itself.
- You want filters, delay and patch jacks: the Gen X-2.
- You want a gift under $30: the S-1 is hard to beat.
Move on if
- You want chords, not single notes: HiChord or GLIDE.
- You want to play along with songs without hitting wrong notes: GLIDE.
- You want beats: a Pocket Operator.
- You want a "real" synth to learn sound design: volca keys or Roland S-1.
If your plan is mostly playing tunes you already know, a scale-locked instrument removes the hardest part. Our page on playing music without lessons shows how that works on GLIDE, and you can try GLIDE in your browser at the bottom of this page.
Stylophone FAQ
Is a Stylophone hard to play?
No. The keys are laid out like a piano and you touch them with a stylus, so you can pick out a tune in minutes. The catch is that it plays one note at a time and every key is a chromatic note, so playing along with a song in tune takes some practice.
Is the Stylophone analog?
The current Stylophone S-1 is analog: Dubreq describes its unique analog sound. The Gen X-2 and the Stylosette are analog too.
Can a Stylophone play chords?
No. The Stylophone is monophonic, so it plays one note at a time. For chords in a pocket instrument, look at a chord synth like the HiChord or a pocket synth like GLIDE, which plays up to eight notes at once.
What is the difference between the Gen X-1 and Gen X-2?
The Gen X-1 is no longer sold. The Gen X-2 keeps its analog sound and stylus keyboard and adds CV and gate jacks, an octave switch and an expression strip.
How much does a Stylophone cost?
The Stylophone S-1 is about $25 in US stores (checked October 2026). Dubreq's bigger models, like the Gen X-2 and the Stylophone Theremin, cost more and vary by retailer.
What is a good alternative to a Stylophone?
It depends on what you want next: the Stylophone Gen X-2 or a Korg monotron for more sound shaping, a Pocket Operator for beats, the HiChord for chords, the Korg volca keys or Roland S-1 for a real synth, or GLIDE for chords and melody where every key is in key.
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