A History of Inspiration and Obscurity
The first fully portable hybrid synth, the 1978 Wasp, introduced synthesis to musicians on a budget. The Wasp’s tone was thick and biting, but its frail housing and conductive copper plates made it difficult to play. After its release, the Wasp received a 25-key movable keyboard, external audio input jack to its filter section, and oscillator and audio input mix controls. According to tradition, fewer than 100 of these devices were made, making them among of the rarest commercial synthesizers, which now sell for a fortune on the collectors’ market. That unit influenced David A. Stewart, Chick Correa, Keith Emerson, and Rick Wakeman, and the Behringer Wasp Deluxe recreates its sound.
