Gearnews lists mono synths under $500 for leads and basslines

Gearnews published a roundup of monophonic synths priced under $500 on 19 October 2026, aimed at leads and basslines. The list features the Behringer Model D, the KORG monologue, the Arturia MicroFreak, the Novation Bass Station II and the Dreadbox Erebus and Hades reissues.

The Behringer Model D is an analog Minimoog replica with three analog VCOs feeding a ladder filter, plus a high-pass mode the original lacked, a dedicated LFO, MIDI control, poly chain and patch points for modular gear. Gearnews lists it at $249 and 199€, noting that more than 25 units cost as much as Moog's own 2022 reissue.

The KORG monologue pairs two VCOs with a new drive circuit, a 2-pole filter and the waveshaper and ring modulator from the minilogue. It has 25 keys and a 16-step sequencer with Motion Sequencing, which records knob movements, and a Slide function for 303-style basslines. Its list price is given as $399.99.

The Arturia MicroFreak is a hybrid synth with a 21-mode oscillator spanning virtual analog, wavetables, sample playback and granular synthesis, including models from Mutable Instruments and Noise Engineering, plus a vocoder. A paraphonic mode plays up to four notes, alongside an analog state-variable filter with SEM heritage, a modulation matrix and a 64-step sequencer, at $349.

The Novation Bass Station II, on the market for over a decade, is called a modern classic by Gearnews.