The Melancholytron is a book and a synthesizer, developed around a single emotional state — melancholy. It comes as a large, coffee-table-style book of 72 pages containing stories, illustrations, and poems that explore melancholy from different angles, alongside a brief introduction to the phenomenon and its translation into sound.

The included synthesizer features 25 non-velocity-sensitive keys, 5-note polyphony, and approximately 300 shades of melancholic sound. Each preset consists of individual samples for each key, with a minimum of 25 samples per preset. Some presets extend across a wider range of octaves through additional sampling.

The sounds are shaped using eight real-time controls — Darkness, Context, Waiting, Linger, Clouding, Stress, Weight, and Focus — adjusting qualities such as weight, brightness, darkness, depth, and the way a sound emerges and lingers over time. A looming volume slider allows for gradual swells and careful placement within a musical context.

Connections on the back include MIDI In, MIDI Thru (configurable as MIDI Out), mono jack audio output, and 9–15V DC power input.