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Synths & Keys 693

Synthesizers, keyboards, drum machines, samplers and MIDI controllers for playing, programming and creating electronic music. Whether you are buying a first synth, a digital piano to learn on or a groovebox for a live set, this page explains the main types and helps you choose. Many of these instruments can be played in our Rotterdam showroom.

Synthesizers

Synthesizers

210 products
Drum Machines & Samplers

Drum Machines & Samplers

86 products
Keyboards & Pianos

Keyboards & Pianos

83 products
Controllers & MIDI

Controllers & MIDI

244 products
Other Instruments

Other Instruments

35 products
Keyboard & Synth Accessories

Keyboard & Synth Accessories

35 products

Highlights

What people are playing now

AKAI MPC Sample

AKAI

AKAI MPC Sample

In Store  • 3+ pcs.
1–3 days
€379,00
OXI Instruments Oxi One Black Edition MK2

OXI Instruments

OXI Instruments Oxi One Black Edition MK2

In Warehouse
3–7 days
€839,00 €899,00 -6%
OXI Instruments E16

OXI Instruments

OXI Instruments E16

In Warehouse
3–7 days
€399,00 €449,00 -11%
Benidub Benidub DS01 Dubsiren

Benidub

Benidub Benidub DS01 Dubsiren

In Store
1–3 days
€179,00
AKAI Professional MPC One G2
New Arrivals

AKAI

AKAI Professional MPC One G2

In Store  • 2 pcs.
1–3 days
€780,00 €849,00 -8%
All best sellers →

Popular synth & keyboard brands

All brands →
1010 MusicAJH SynthAKAIASMAlesisAlphaThetaAnalog SolutionsAnimal FactoryArtiphonArturiaAtoVBastl Instruments

Start here

Which one do I need?

Four kinds of instrument live here. They look alike but do different jobs.

Synthesizer

Builds sounds from oscillators, filters and envelopes. Every knob changes the sound itself.

Good if you want to design your own sounds.

Makes sound by itself? Yes.

Synthesizers →

Drum machine, sampler or groovebox

Makes beats and plays back recorded sounds, with a sequencer to build patterns and whole tracks.

Good if you want to make music without a computer.

Makes sound by itself? Yes.

Drum machines & samplers →

Digital or stage piano

Weighted keys and realistic piano, organ and electric piano sounds.

Good if you play or are learning piano.

Makes sound by itself? Yes, most have speakers or a headphone output.

Keyboards & pianos →

MIDI controller

Keys, pads and knobs that play and control software instruments in your DAW.

Good if you already produce on a computer.

Makes sound by itself? No, it needs a computer or another instrument.

Controllers & MIDI →

First setups

Three ways to start

What a first setup usually needs besides the instrument.

Category guide

Synths & keys explained, category by category

Electronic instruments are grouped by what they do. Here is what you will find in each part of the range, and the product types inside it.

Synthesizers

210

A synthesizer generates sound electronically instead of playing back recordings. Keyboard synthesizers have keys built in; desktop synths pack the same engine into a compact box that you play from a MIDI keyboard or sequencer. Semi-modular synths are wired internally but let you reroute signals with patch cables, a natural step toward modular. Drone synthesizers focus on evolving, sustained textures, and gesture synthesizers respond to touch and movement rather than keys.

Keyboard SynthesizersDesktop SynthesizersSemi-Modular SynthesizersDrone SynthesizersGesture Synthesizers

Drum Machines & Samplers

86

Drum machines produce drum and percussion sounds with analog circuits, digital synthesis or samples, and arrange them with a built-in step sequencer. Samplers record and play back any sound, from vocal chops to field recordings. Grooveboxes combine sampling, synthesis and sequencing in one unit, so you can write and perform complete tracks without a computer.

Drum MachinesSamplers & GrooveboxesDrum Synthesizers

Keyboards & Pianos

83

Digital pianos recreate the feel of an acoustic piano with weighted, hammer-action keys and sampled or modelled piano sounds, a good choice for learning and daily practice. Stage keyboards add organ, electric piano and synth sounds, sturdier builds and the outputs needed on stage. Portable keyboards are lighter, often battery-powered, with built-in speakers and learning functions.

Digital PianosPortable KeyboardsStage Keyboards

Other Instruments

35

Backing track players run multitracks, click tracks and cues for live bands and solo performers, so the show runs the same way every night. Next to them are experimental instruments: dub sirens, theremins, electromagnetic and resonator devices and other tools for sounds a keyboard cannot make.

Backing Track PlayersExperimental Instruments

Buying guide

How to choose a synth or keyboard

Six things to compare before you buy, whether it is your first instrument or your fifth.

Keys and feel

Key count decides what you can play. 25 or 37 keys suit bass lines, leads and production; 49 or 61 keys give room for two hands; 88 keys match a full piano. Synth-action keys are light and fast, semi-weighted keys add resistance, and hammer-action keys imitate an acoustic piano. Aftertouch and MPE add expression after a note is played.

Voices: mono, para or poly

A monophonic synth plays one note at a time, ideal for bass and lead lines. A paraphonic synth plays several notes that share one filter and envelope. A polyphonic synth gives every note its own voice, so chords and pads sound full. Multitimbral instruments play several different sounds at once.

Analog, digital or hybrid

Analog synths shape sound with electronic circuits and are valued for their immediacy and character. Digital synths offer wavetable, FM, sample-based and modelled sounds, usually with more voices and presets for the price. Hybrids combine both. Neither is better in general: choose the sound and workflow you enjoy.

Sequencer and workflow

A built-in sequencer or arpeggiator lets an instrument play patterns on its own, which matters if you want to jam without a computer. Step sequencers are quick for drums and bass lines; pattern-based grooveboxes chain patterns into songs. Check how many tracks and steps you get, and whether knob movements can be recorded.

Connections

USB-MIDI connects to a computer with one cable; 5-pin DIN MIDI connects to other hardware; CV/gate links to modular and vintage gear. Some instruments also send audio over USB, so you can record without an audio interface. Combining several devices? Check for clock sync and audio inputs.

Size and power

Desktop units and compact keyboards fit a small desk or a backpack, and many run on batteries or USB power. Full-size keyboards and stage pianos need a stand and more space, but give the most playing comfort. Think about where the instrument will live before choosing the size.

Glossary

Synth terms in plain words

The words you will meet on product pages and in manuals.

Oscillator
Generates the raw tone, usually a sine, saw, square or triangle wave.
Filter
Removes or boosts frequencies to make a sound darker, brighter or more resonant.
Envelope (ADSR)
Shapes a sound over time: attack, decay, sustain and release.
LFO
A slow oscillator that moves other settings in a cycle, for vibrato or filter sweeps.
Polyphony
How many notes an instrument can play at the same time.
Sequencer
Records or programs a pattern of notes and plays it back in time.
Arpeggiator
Turns a held chord into single notes played one after another.
Aftertouch
Pressure on a key after it is pressed, used for vibrato, brightness or volume.
MIDI
The standard language instruments and computers use to send notes and control changes.
CV / gate
Analog control voltages that set pitch (CV) and trigger notes (gate) on modular and vintage synths.
DAW
Digital audio workstation: music software such as Ableton Live, Logic Pro or FL Studio.
Sampler
Records sounds and plays them back from keys or pads, with tools to slice, pitch and loop them.

FAQ

Questions we hear in the shop

Ask us for gear advice
What is the difference between a synthesizer and a MIDI keyboard?

A synthesizer makes its own sound. A MIDI keyboard makes no sound by itself: it plays software instruments on a computer or controls other gear.

Analog or digital: which should I start with?

Both make good first synths. Analog is usually more hands-on; digital tends to give more voices, sound types and presets for the price.

Keyboard synth or desktop synth?

A desktop synth is the same instrument without keys: smaller and often cheaper. Add a MIDI keyboard or a sequencer to play it.

What else do I need to hear it?

Headphones or studio monitors. To record into a computer you also need an audio interface, unless the instrument sends audio over USB.

How many keys do I need?

25 to 37 keys are enough for bass, leads and production. Choose 49 or 61 keys to play with two hands, and 88 weighted keys if you play or are learning piano.

Do I need a computer to make music with these?

No. Synthesizers, drum machines, grooveboxes and digital pianos all work on their own. Only MIDI controllers need a computer or another instrument to make sound.

What is a groovebox?

An all-in-one instrument that combines a drum machine, a synth or sampler and a sequencer, so you can build and perform complete tracks without a computer.

What is MPE?

MIDI Polyphonic Expression. An MPE controller sends pitch bend, pressure and slide for each finger separately, so every note in a chord can move on its own.

Can I try something before I buy it?

Yes. Everything marked “In Store” is in our Rotterdam showroom at Oude Binnenweg 38 and can be played there.

Rotterdam showroom

Buying synths & keys at Volt Music Store

Volt Music Store is an independent shop for synths, modular, studio and DJ gear, with a showroom at Oude Binnenweg 38 in Rotterdam since 2022. Our synths & keys range covers 693 products from 99 brands.

Everything marked “In Store” is on the shelf and can be tried before you buy. In-store stock ordered before 15:00 on a working day is dispatched the same day, and delivery in the Netherlands is free above €150. We also run free events in the showroom, from workshops to brand evenings.

AddressOude Binnenweg 38, 3012 JE RotterdamOpening hoursMon 12–16 · Tue–Fri 10–18 · Sat 12–16 · Sun closed
Shop what’s in storeUpcoming events

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