Skull_001 is a tiny pocket synth for unleashing your inner electro goth

When you think of a synth, you likely picture someone standing behind a bank of knobs and blinking lights, trying to look cool. But Skull_001 (€49) eschews such conventions, instead cramming an 8-bit synth with 16-step sequencer into a playing-card sized package styled to look like a skull mask. There’s no piano keyboard – instead you get an eye-searing blinking light in the nose cavity, two tiny joysticks where eyes are usually housed, and a row of five buttons atop the skull’s toothy grin. It’s all a bit odd and macabre, but nonetheless makes pleasing noises; and the project’s home-brew nature has – suitably – resulted in a synth stripped back to the bone.

Craig Grannell Contributor

About

I’m a regular contributor to Stuff magazine and Stuff.tv, covering apps, games, Apple kit, Android, Lego, retro gaming and other interesting oddities. I also pen opinion pieces when the editor lets me, getting all serious about accessibility and predicting when sentient AI smart cookware will take over the world, in a terrifying mix of Bake Off and Terminator.

Areas of expertise

Mobile apps and games, Macs, iOS and tvOS devices, Android, retro games, crowdfunding, design, how to fight off an enraged smart saucepan with a massive stick.