Arturia PolyBrute 12

Twelve analog voices, two oscillators each, and a keybed unlike anything else in production: FullTouch tracks finger depth continuously, from first contact to the key bottoming out, per note. Combined with morphing — every patch is two sounds, and every note can sit anywhere between them — the PolyBrute 12 responds less like a preset box and more like an acoustic instrument.

The Morphée touchpad and ribbon add two more continuous controllers; CV, MIDI and USB connect it to everything else in the studio.

This is the most expensive instrument in our synth department, and the keybed is the reason. Play one before deciding it is excessive.