Polyphonic vs Monophonic Synths Under $500
What This Decision Actually Changes
Simultaneous notes
Polyphonic synths play more than one note at a time. Chords. Pads. Harmony.
Monophonic synths play one note at a time. Bass. Leads. Authority.
Sound character
Monophonic synths often sound thicker per note. They put all their effort into one job.
Polyphonic synths spread their circuitry across voices so you can do more things at once.
Playing style
Polyphonic lets you use both hands like a civilized pianist.
Monophonic expects one finger at a time, or a sequencer doing the hard work for you.
Price-to-feature ratio
At the same price, monophonic synths usually give you more sound-shaping per voice.
Polyphony costs money. Reality is cruel like that.
Choose Polyphonic If
- You want to play chords and pads
- You plan to accompany yourself or other instruments
- You want one synth that can do leads, bass, and chords
- You come from piano and instinctively use both hands
- You want to hold notes down without something dropping out
Choose Monophonic If
- You mostly want bass or lead sounds
- You already have something else handling chords
- You want the thickest possible single note
- You plan to sequence rather than play live
- You want maximum sound design per dollar
60-Second Decision (No Overthinking Allowed)
- Need more than one note at a time? → Polyphonic
- This will be your only melodic instrument? → Polyphonic
- Mainly want bass? → Monophonic
- Have a sequencer or plan to use one? → Monophonic is fine
- Want piano-style two-handed playing? → Polyphonic
- Care more about raw thickness than chords? → Monophonic
- Pairing with other gear that already handles chords? → Monophonic
If you answered "yes" on both sides, congratulations. That's normal.
What to Buy
If You Chose Polyphonic
Korg Minilogue$300–400 used
4-voice true polyphonic analog. Knob-per-function. Built-in sequencer. Oscilloscope.
This is why everyone keeps recommending it.
Behringer DeepMind 6$450–500
6-voice true polyphonic analog. Built-in effects. Patch memory. Full-size keys.
More voices, more polish, less mystique.
Korg Volca Keys$150
3-note paraphonic analog. Battery-powered. Built-in sequencer. No keyboard.
Paraphonic means it plays three notes, but they share one filter and envelope. Not true polyphony. Still extremely useful if your budget is yelling at you.
Where to Buy
Sweetwater · Reverb · Guitar Center · Thomann
If You Chose Monophonic
Korg Monologue$250–300
Analog. Battery-powered. Oscilloscope. 25 mini keys. Sequencer.
Simple, focused, and very hard to mess up.
Behringer Model D$250–300
Analog desktop module. Semi-modular. No keys.
You will need a MIDI controller. It will not magically grow one.
Arturia MicroBrute$250–300 used
Analog. 25 mini keys. Semi-modular patch bay. No presets.
You will recreate sounds from scratch. That's the point.
Where to Buy
Sweetwater · Perfect Circuit · Reverb · Thomann