An analog synthesizer creates sound with electronic circuits: oscillators, filters and amplifiers made of real components. A digital synthesizer calculates the sound in software on a chip. Some digital synths imitate analog circuits ("virtual analog"); hybrids combine digital oscillators with an analog filter.
Analog is loved for its warm, slightly unstable character and hands-on knobs. Digital wins on range: more voices at once, sound types analog can't do (wavetables, FM, samples) and hundreds of presets.
Analog vs digital at a glance
| Analog | Digital | Hybrid | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sound source | Circuits | Code on a chip | Digital oscillators, analog filter |
| Character | Warm, alive | Clean, huge range | A bit of both |
| Voices | Often 1 to 4 | Often dozens | Varies |
| Models at Thomann | 185 | 187 | 27 |
| Median price | $639 | $779 | $1,124 |
Counts come from the 399 keyboard synths and desktop modules Thomann had in stock on October 19, 2026, sorted by how their descriptions describe the sound engine, so they're approximate. Behringer alone makes 52 of the analog ones, which pulls the analog median down.
Analog synths
Korg Monologue, $318
A monophonic analog synth with 25 keys, a 16-step sequencer and battery power. #6 of 213 general synthesizers.
Korg Minilogue, $531
A 4-voice polyphonic analog synth with 37 keys, so it can play real chords, and a 16-step sequencer. #10 of 213 general synthesizers.
Digital synths
Roland SH-4d, $591
A digital desktop synth with 11 oscillator models, including Roland classics like the SH-101 and Juno-106, plus wavetable and FM. #7 of 147 sound modules.
Korg Wavestate Module, $680
Wave sequencing with up to 120 voices: moving, evolving sounds no analog synth can make. #9 of 147 sound modules.
A hybrid
Arturia MicroFreak, $323
Digital oscillators with many synthesis methods through an analog filter, with a touch keyboard. #3 of 213 general synthesizers.
Questions
Do analog synths sound better than digital?
Not better, different. Analog has a warm, slightly unpredictable character; good digital synths can get close and do much more.
Which is better for a beginner?
A simple analog mono synth teaches synthesis fastest because every knob does one thing. For playing chords and many sounds, start digital or with a polyphonic analog like the Minilogue.
How we measured. Every keyboard synth and synth module Thomann listed as in stock on October 19, 2026 (399), sorted by the sound engine named in the product description (virtual analog counted as digital), converted from euros at the European Central Bank rate. Products show today's price and rank, updated every night.
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Denis Kataev runs AudioFu. Every night the site records the prices of more than 38,000 instruments and studio tools at Thomann, and he writes about what those numbers show: what got cheaper, what just arrived, and which discounts are real.
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