By the Zonagirante.com team @spinning zone
Cover art by Zonagirante Studio
There are times of the year when everyone feigns happiness and buys without thinking. We, who are... professional holiday haters, We declare that the only thing that unites us with the rest of humanity is the desperate consumerism…and the music.
So, with that profoundly unsentimental spirit, but recognizing that musicians are also minimalist humans with material desires, we've put together this list. Because if there's one thing that makes us all equally happy, it's the strange, portable, and playful sound.
Here's our selection of 8 real, low-budget sound toys for experimenting, composing, recording ideas, or ruining the Christmas silence.
Teenage Engineering Pocket Operator PO-35 — “the voice made toy glitch”
A pocket-sized vocal sampler that turns whispers, babble, and phrases into robotic loops with glitch effects. It looks like a 90s calculator, but it's a sonic chaos machine. Ideal for those who enjoy turning innocent phrases into cosmic screams and shattered rhythms.
Addictive, portable, and perfect for ruining Christmas carols.
Otamatone — “surrealism with vibrato”
The Otamatone is that anomaly in the form of a musical note with a face, which emits whining sounds when you "strangle" it.
It's not useful for showing off virtuosity, but it is for to experience absurd bells and elicit involuntary laughter. Behind the joke lies room for real sonic exploration.
It's the closest thing to an instrument that came out of an LSD dream.
Stylophone Beat — “pocket drum machine”
Mini drum machine. Raw sound. Simple interface. Total portability.
Ideal for anyone who wants to make beats on the bus, in the office or in the bathroom (we don't judge).
It puts groove where there shouldn't be any. And we love that.
Behringer JT-4000 Micro — “portable chaos synth”
This mini synthesizer is awesome because it's tiny, but full of electronic madness.
LFOs, arpeggiator, sequencer, and useful presets for experimenting anywhere.
If you want to add weirdness to your demos, this is your portable gremlin.
Electro-Harmonix Nano Looper 360 — “layers, layers, layers”
A small and reliable looper for recording layers of guitar, vocals, beatboxing, spoons, cats, or whatever you can think of.
360 seconds in total, intuitive organization, clean sound.
It's useful for both practicing riffs and improvising psychotic drones.
M-Audio M-Track Solo — “Record ideas before you forget them”
Nothing kills inspiration like saying "I'll record it later" and then... after may never arrive.
This simple and inexpensive interface allows you to capture riffs, vocals, acoustic guitars, loops, nascent ideas…
It's not glamorous, but is essential. It's the "anti-forgetfulness" gadget.
Piezo contact microphone — “microphone objects and surfaces”
This small piezoelectric sensor converts anything solid in instrument: a table, a wall, a window, your acoustic guitar, a cardboard box…
It's used for recording textures, Experimental percussion, industrial environments, mysterious noises.
Suggested brand: Piezo Contact Pickup (there are several similar models).
Perfect for those who believe the whole world is an impromptu recording studio.
Blackstar Fly 3 — “instant sound for jam”
The mini-amplifier that looks like a toy, but responds like real equipment.
Two channels (clean and overdrive), ISF intelligent equalizer, built-in delay, emulated output for recording or headphones. Battery operated.
It's useful for practicing riffs anywhere, no excuses.
Ideal for the nomadic musician, the urban guitarist, or for making noise where nobody asked for it.
And just in case…
If at this point you want to give one as a gift, treat yourself to two, or Buy them to ruin domestic peace, We don't judge you.
Sound chaos is also an embrace.
Happy holidays (in its distorted and portable version).
