Dubreq Stylophone 350S Polyphonic Electronic Organ

The Stylophone, which came onto the market in 1968, is a simple synthesiser whose sounds are called up with a stylus on a metal keyboard. Engineer Brian Jarvis from the English company Dübreq Company originally designed it as a children's toy, but it was then used by musicians such as David Bowie, Jean Michel Jarre, Kraftwerk, Pulp and Marilyn Manson. Over three million units were sold in ten years and the Stylophone became a cult object. It was available in four different versions: Standard (S-1), Bass, Treble and 350S. Production was discontinued in 1980 and resumed in 2008.

The keyboard is not played with the fingers as usual, but with a metal stylus that is connected to the electronics inside by a cable. There is a resistor under each of the 20 keys and they are all connected to a voltage-controlled oscillator. As soon as the metal tip of the stylus touches a key, the previously interrupted circuit is closed and the corresponding pitch is emitted depending on the resistance value of the key.

In the early 1970s, Dübreq developed the 350S, a polyphonic synthesiser. It is considerably larger than the standard model and can be played with two styles. Instead of 20, it has 44 keys and offers settings such as wah-wah and delay effects, woodwind, brass, strings and a volume control.