Kickstarter is a great place to find interesting new hardware, and there are plenty of projects that might be of interest to synthesizer enthusiasts. Recently, two Kickstarter have succeeded with both the Dato DRUM, a friendly circular drum machine, and Drumboy & Synthgirl, a 24-bit drum machine and a wavetable synthesizer, respectively, reaching their funding goals.

Dato DRUM

Dato describes the Dato Drum as a playful drum machine made to be enjoyed by humans of all ages. It features a hands-on visual sequencer that makes it easy to explore rhythm, while the circular shape is perfect for collaboration. It has an eight-sided shape with the sequencers arranged in circles, making it easy to see the entire rhythm simultaneously. Dato Drum also features four drum voices, each with its own drum pad and eight-step sequencer. Different samples can be used for each voice, and hands-on sliders make pitching these up and down easy. While it might look like a toy thanks to the colorful design, it has MIDI and sync connections for other instruments, as well as a USB port for connecting it to a computer and updating samples. According to Dato, every knob has one function, and since there are no menus to get lost in, it is ideally suited for budding musicians of all ages. The Dato Drum launched with a Kickstarter goal of $33,934, which it quickly surpassed. Shipping for campaign backers is expected to start in September of 2025, so check out the official Kickstarter page for more information or to back this project.

Drumboy & Synthgirl

Randomwaves started a Kickstarter campaign for a 24-bit drum machine and a wavetable synthesizer called Drumboy & Synthgirl, which immediately blew past its $1,000 goal. Drumoby is an advanced drum machine with 1/63 quantization across eight bars and eight measures. It offers features like complex fill generation, dual filter channels as well as a robust effects processor. 

Synthgirl features dual 256-step wavetable oscillators that make it easy to produce complex sounds similar to those from Serum or Massive VSTs. The pocket synthesizer also has dual channel filters, a powerful effects processor, and a reverb engine. 

The production phase for both gadgets will begin in November 2024, with the shipping phase expected in February 2025. In addition to one or both of the gadgets, backers can also get their hands on early access to the source code and a hacker add-on kit to connect the Drumboy and Synthgirl to a computer and customize the firmware. For more information, visit the official Kickstarter page.