littleBits Electronics Synth Kit

I just received this and got to putting things together immediately. I love it, I think it's a great idea, but I had a number of issues with the product right off the bat. There doesn't seem to be enough connector cables, first off, to do anything mildly complex, and I feel a push-button would be handy as well for a drum synthesizer (I noticed the lack in the parts list, so I ordered a pressure sensor, which has worked alright. Great for other fun noises, too!). Secondly, the magnets don't hold together quite as well as one would hope, so occasionally, pressing on a key or turning a knob makes loud noises in the speakers as the connection breaks. Lastly, the octave selector on my keyboard has a bad connection somewhere, so it's always at the lowest octave (maximum resistance) unless I push on the variable resistor just right. Unfortunately, this being the main HMI in the package, it handicaps the kit rather severely. I'd love to be able to recommend the kit, but due to the issue with the magnets, I feel I can't. Great for learning, but frustrating if you want to have a working project in the end. The broken part was a huge letdown, too. UPDATE: There are mounting boards available that I was unaware of, so if you have an issue with your project coming apart too easily, a solution exists. Also, the customer service was very helpful. Getting the defective part replaced was quick and painless to say the least. I'd still recommend getting extra connectors and some sort of push button along with this product, but it seems the remainder of my gripes have been addressed. Very likely to pick up a few additional pieces.

Great! Powerful little synth and teaching tool. On the speaker/sound out module the 1/8th inch audio out seems poorly soldered and cuts in and out. One of the keys on the keyboard module is not working. Great price, great product, poor build or inspecting. Is that why it was on sale (shady)?

I just love this super-simple modular kit. I'm a musician and analog synth enthusiast, so this is more than just a great toy to me. I've been making some awesome little sounds come out of this kit. It has everything you need to get started with some cool sounds. It's easy to use, takes all the guess work out of connections by using magnets and fits-only-one-way connectors. It comes with all the synth essentials: 2 oscillators, filter, envelope, delay, keyboard, sequencer, mixer, noise, speaker with headphone jack (which silences the speaker output that you can also just detach). The included manual provides a good primer for theory and history of analog synths, as well as a bunch of project ideas and easy-to-follow illustrations of suggested configurations. You'll definitely want to have some free table/desk space to layout your setup, everything stays connected on flat even surfaces, but quickly pulls apart on uneven surfaces. I recommend picking up a precision screwdriver kit from the bargain bin at the hardware store for manipulating the various knobs that are close to the board -- although the tall pot knobs are easy to handle, some of the knobs that sit closer to the board are tight and hard to turn without an extension of some kind. I think beginners/kids would like this kit, but it also holds up to regular analog synth users.

When I bought this as a gift for Christmas, it turned out one of the pieces wasn't working correctly. I requested a return and Amazon quickly sent another kit, all with working pieces. It's a great product and fun for kids and adults who like making music, or just like to annoy the rest of their family. The headphone function is definitely a great feature!

A lot of fun and educational, but not worth the price

Purchased the kit as a Christmas present for one of my daughters. Even the basic circuit with an oscillator doesn't work. Checked that the random (white) noise generator works fine in the same configuration. Used my portable oscilloscope on both oscillators... No output whatsoever. For a basic collection of electronic components neatly packaged into a kid-friendly kit this is bit of a disappointment. So much for educational value. Contacted the manufacturer, will see if this can be resolved... Hopefully quick enough. Will update my review when/if I get response from the manufacturer. EDIT: Customer service responded very quickly. After some back and forth around troubleshooting the problem the power supply was deemed defective (one of the connector pins is not making a good contact with attached components). The replacement is in the mail.

Funciona muito bem.

I have now bought two of these synth kits. They're great fun... Especially adding more oscillators and modulating the filter with multiple oscillators and rdm/noise bits. There is a way of combining the 4 step sequencers together to make 8 and even 16 steps... The parts required to extend the sequencing capabilities are not that easy to get and seem quite expensive at the moment. There is news of some LFO bits coming out soon that will be a definite purchase from me if and when they arrive.... Fingers crossed!!!

Veramente divertente. L'ho comprato per mio figlio che si è appassionato alla musica elettronica. Con questo kit si diverte e impara le basi. Manuale in inglese, ma è scritto benissimo.

Très jolis petits modules de synthèse sonore. C'est bien soigné, c'est de qualité. C'est ludique certes mais ça sonne superbement. Mon fils de 6 ans prend un grand plaisir à fouiller et sortir de belles matières .

Seit es das Synthkit Pro gibt, USB Audio, USB und DIN Midi sowie 2 CV In und Out Bausteine plus 2 Mountingboards, hat das LB Synthkit tatsächlich den 'Status Modularsynth' errreicht. Jetzt kann man das Synthkit wirklich als Instrument spielen und mit anderen CV/ Gate Modularsynths verbinden. Damit wirklich echte Spielfreude aufkommt, benötigt man aber min. 2 Synthkits. Der VCO arbeitet auch als LFO, was mit mehreren VCO's deutlich den Spielspaß erhöht. Ich finde es reizvoll, innerhalb von Sekunden ein neues Layout erstellen zu können und dabei auch unkonventionelle Schaltungen auszuprobieren. Mittlerweile gibt es auch den Protobaustein bzw. sogar ein Prototypen-Set, das eigene Schaltungen integrieren kann, Fachwissen natürlich voraus gesetzt. Der Korg SQ1 Sequencer besitzt sogar einen Littlebits Ausgang, den man über 3,5mm Klinke mit dem Protobaustein verbinden kann, auch ohne extra CV-Baustein. Der spielerische Umgang macht den Reiz aus, fehlerhafte Bedienung ist fast ausgeschlossen. Vorsicht, Suchtgefahr, morgen kommt mein drittes Synthkit, dann werden auch mehrfach modulierbare, leicht gegeneinander verstimmte VCO's möglich (Schwebungen).