Grid interfaces and open platforms - the instrument as interface
Monome creates adaptable, minimalist sound instruments built on principles of openness, transparency, and community collaboration. Their blank-slate approach eschews labels and predefined functions, allowing users to imagine and define each device's purpose through software and scripting. Everything from hardware schematics to firmware is open-source, fostering a vibrant ecosystem of user-created applications.
Signature$800
An open, tactile instrument with sixteen by eight keys and decoupled warm white LED backlighting. By default does nothing; connected to a computer or module, it becomes sequencer, sample cutter, or polyrhythm machine.
Signature$1,500
The largest grid format with sixteen by sixteen keys, enabling more complex musical interactions. The grid that launched an entire category of performance controllers.
Signature$900
A portable, open-source sound computer running Linux with Lua scripting and SuperCollider DSP. Many sound instruments in one: sample-cutter, polysynth, granulator, algorithmic drum machine, and hundreds of community scripts.
Signature$1,100
Four high-resolution optical encoders ringed with decoupled warm white light. 1024 ticks per revolution for incredibly precise continuous control with dynamic visual feedback.
$280
A scriptable USB-CV-ii Eurorack module that speaks, listens, and remembers bits of text. Bridges norns and computers to modular synthesizers with CV and i2c communication. Discontinued as of October 2025.
$480
An algorithmic ecosystem Eurorack module with live coding capabilities. A dynamic, musical event triggering platform that executes user-composed scripts through a text interface.
🇺🇸 US · $300-$600
Critter & Guitari creates playful, handcrafted electronic instruments that combine professional audio capability with tactile, toylike interfaces. Founded on a belief that instruments should be immediately accessible and inspire experimentation, their designs feature colorful wooden enclosures, maple keys, and intuitive controls that encourage musical exploration.
🇺🇸 US · $999-$2,199
Moog designs synthesizers as expressive instruments fostering physical connection through tactile controls. Bob Moog's 'toolmaker for users' principle prioritizes playability and the iconic warm analog sound of voltage-controlled oscillators and the legendary ladder filter. Each instrument is handcrafted in Asheville, North Carolina with through-hole construction.
🇸🇪 SE · $299-$1,699
Elektron creates bold and enduring electronic music instruments designed to unlock creativity. Rooted in Gothenburg's industrial harbor culture, their instruments combine cutting-edge technology with intuitive, performance-oriented workflows. Every device is engineered to the highest standards, assembled by hand, and built to last with a three-year warranty.
🇯🇵 JP · $99-$200
Korg champions the democratization of synthesis, making professional-grade analog instruments accessible and affordable. Under designer Tatsuya Takahashi, the company embraced portability and playful interaction, believing music-making should happen anywhere - from campfires to train rides. Their instruments feature intuitive knob-per-function layouts that reward hands-on exploration.
![Work Louder - Nomad [E] 2](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Fproducts%2Fwork-louder-nomad-e-2.png&w=3840&q=75)
🇺🇸 US · $200-$400
Work Louder creates modular keyboards for digital creators with a philosophy of 'all work & no play' - making professional tools that feel playful, versatile, and above all else, creative. They believe people do their best work when it doesn't feel like work at all, blending the desire for innovation with a willingness to break from convention in a product category typically seen as a mere plastic shell around a motherboard.
🇸🇪 SE · $59-$2,199
Teenage Engineering creates high-quality, well-designed electronic products with a 'no fuzz' philosophy featuring simple geometry, basic color palettes, and intuitive functionality. Their design draws inspiration from vintage portable electronics and Nintendo's Game & Watch, blending retro aesthetics with cutting-edge technology to make professional music tools feel like beloved toys.