KORG minilogue

[Sacred Synthesis]

Meaning, why wouldn't I MIDI the Minilogue to a full-sized keyboard?  Because I'm looking for an independent full-sized analog mono synth, that's all; normal-sized keys with a long keyboard.  Otherwise, I'd get a Sub 37 and be done with it, but even 37 keys is too short a length.

[eXode]

I think Korg have been very clever. As far as I can tell, actual units are shipping to dealers (at least in the U.S.) as we speak which means that they'll be available pretty much immediately. Many vendors that announce new gear at NAMM often have their products coming out in the following 3 - 6 months.

[Paul Dither]

I think Korg have been very clever. As far as I can tell, actual units are shipping to dealers (at least in the U.S.) as we speak which means that they'll be available pretty much immediately. Many vendors that announce new gear at NAMM often have their products coming out in the following 3 - 6 months.

Indeed. And at the same time they minibruted the polysynth market as Marc Doty said earlier today.

[BobTheDog]

Having watched the video I predict they will sell shit loads of these things.

The side-chain mode was interesting, never seen that before on a synth.

[Strange Quark Star]

What an elegant and interesting design.

I particularly like the delay's features like high-pass filtering and variable output routing. Very clever and useful.

And they really did put a $500 price tag on it! It's now basically a simpler, fully analog microKORG with a nice interface and better keyboard plus a couple of nifty new features.

[Paul Dither]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmuStA0OtRU&feature=youtu.be

[Sacred Synthesis]

More in-depth demonstrations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGeHKF_DrrA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzNiQfqkirE

[Paul Dither]

Got my hands onto one today. Very good built quality - amongst the best in that price category and even beyond, since the pots are mounted to the chassis, not the PCBs. It definitely has its own sound, it's not just a polyphonic MS-20. The shape mode offers some unique timbres for the triangle and saw waves. It reminds me a bit of the Minibrute - not necessarily in terms of sound, but uniqueness. It can sound modern, but also very old (think Radiophonic Workshop). The delay is indeed noisy, which adds a bit of vintage flair. It's pretty easy to handle right away. The short keyboard (not key size) makes sense. If there were more keys, you'd be tempted to play more than 4 notes, so that decision is absolutely fine. Although the display doesn't look super expensive, it still looks better than the one on the Sub 37. The oscilloscope is quite helpful and definitely more than just a geeky add-on. Make no mistake though: a Prophet-6 still sounds like a Rolls Royce next to it, but one shouldn't expect any wonders here. It still sounds great and will get you covered from strange experimental sounds to 80s pads. The only thing I missed was Sample & Hold. Otherwise, this is a steal. But maybe the competition is strong and there's something else coming up, since Korg announced this way early. Maybe they're afraid, once all the NAMM news are out, this will easily be overlooked, although I really can't imagine that this could be the case.

[dslsynth]

From the demos I have heard so far it sounds very good. One thing I will be very interested to hear is how well it sounds compared to Prophet-6 and Mopho x4.

I really love the idea of a wave shaper on the analog oscillators. Feel inspired, DSI!

Also I look forward to see Korg combining their software synthesizer experience with new analog designs for adventures into hybrid designs in the spirit of the Evolvers.

Anyone knows what the filter is from? Same as the MS20? New discrete design?

[Paul Dither]

From the demos I have heard so far it sounds very good. One thing I will be very interested to hear is how well it sounds compared to Prophet-6 and Mopho x4.

Well, like I said, the Prophet-6 sounds like a Rolls Royce next to it, definitely more hifi and weight.

Anyone knows what the filter is from? Same as the MS20? New discrete design?

No idea. It definitely sounds different from the MS-20 filter. Everything is said to have been built from scratch.

[dslsynth]

Well, like I said, the Prophet-6 sounds like a Rolls Royce next to it, definitely more hifi and weight.

Good news! So Prophet-6 still got an edge over Korg.

[eXode]

Anyone knows what the filter is from? Same as the MS20? New discrete design?

If I recall correctly, Korg stated that it was a new design based on OTA's. Overall the whole philosophy behind the Minilogue was to make something new, and by not being constrained by old designs was a factor that helped making it cheaper.

[Paul Dither]

Well, like I said, the Prophet-6 sounds like a Rolls Royce next to it, definitely more hifi and weight.

Good news! So Prophet-6 still got an edge over Korg.

Yeah, definitely. But the minilogue is still a damn fine synth, especially at this price point. Plus you don't see many poly synths with ring modulation, which is a big bonus here.

[DavidDever]

I also had a chance to check the Minilogue out at a local retailer today - odd thing is, I'm not as enamored of it as I thought I would be (even though my brain tells me that it should at least be as capable as a Mono/Poly); it seems to suffer from the same weedy sound that the Monotron / Monotribe do (this may be a consequence of the limited power supply rails). The bass end is tipped up as well; I checked this through a different set of monitors just to make sure....

It's very lightweight (I've had college textbooks that weighed more), and seems to be solidly built, likely perfect for the entry-level market at which it is aimed.

Also, the triangle wave strikes me as a bit odd in its behavior (I had to check the state of the front panel controls to make sure I didn't have osc sync on), as it plays an octave lower than the sawtooth or pulse waves.

The vintage delay is easy to use, but is a bit of a one-trick pony (both a plus as well as a minus).

Downsides? The small keys are OK (they're not mini keys), and I really missed the ability to modulate just one OSC (not both) independently of the other. There is very sparse labeling on the front panel, which I do understand as being a consequence of the manufacturing process.

Bottom line? It's the type of synth I'd buy and return within a week for a refund - not unique enough to want to keep around, and not fat enough to want to run around with to gigs with, in spite of its convenient size. For similar money (if you can get past the digital tone generation), the Roland System-1 is a better option (or the System-1m if you want some patchability) - in fact, I'm sure I've owned or heard VA synths that sounded more "analogue"...time to track down a Tetra or two, to be honest.

[NemoSynth]

I'm also sure that Tetr4 is a better choice, but marketing-wise perhaps minilogue will sell a lot I think, analog polysynth at $499.

[eXode]

I think it's amazing what Korg has done. A hands-on polyphonic synthesizer with some interesting features at a very competitive price, but for me the biggest deal breaker is actually the polyphony, and in some ways the keyboard (or rather, lack of a module).

[NemoSynth]

I see some of you saying 4 voice polyphony is not enough, but then what about Tetr4 or mopho x4?? I read a minilogue developer's web interview here in Japan in Japanese language, and the chief engineers said that having more polyphony like 8 voices would make it more like a product more oriented for keyboard players with playing technique, but 4 voice architecture would be not just minimum enough for playing but also suits well for production purposes where playing technique is not fully required.

I see this as a new sense of balance in product design, may be also the reason why there are so many synths with mini-keys. 4 voices and mini-keys are not just cheap, but also user friendly for new types of non-keyboardist musicians, like producers and track makers. Although it got no after touch, no modulation matrix, no normal sized keys, the minilogue's gonna sell a lot, because no analog polysynth at this price range existed before in the entire synth history.

[eXode]

I see some of you saying 4 voice polyphony is not enough, but then what about Tetr4 or mopho x4?? I read a minilogue developer's web interview here in Japan in Japanese language, and the chief engineers said that having more polyphony like 8 voices would make it more like a product more oriented for keyboard players with playing technique, but 4 voice architecture would be not just minimum enough for playing but also suits well for production purposes where playing technique is not fully required.

I see this as a new sense of balance in product design, may be also the reason why there are so many synths with mini-keys. 4 voices and mini-keys are not just cheap, but also user friendly for new types of non-keyboardist musicians, like producers and track makers. Although it got no after touch, no modulation matrix, no normal sized keys, the minilogue's gonna sell a lot, because no analog polysynth at this price range existed before in the entire synth history.

Well, I've owned both the Tetra and the Poly Evolver Keyboard. My own opinion on the matter is that Dave really nailed it back in the 70's with the "5". Of course it has a lot to do with playing style, but the ability to do at least an octave bass plus a 3 note chord is important for me as it's the kind of chords I enjoy doing.

I would have loved seeing the Tetra/MoPho voice as a 6 or even 8 voice keyboard with more hands-on control. The Prophet 08 has a sweet sound but I really loved the ability to make it dirtier/edgier on the Tetra (and the sub-oct helped too).

I have thought a great deal about getting some sort of analog poly, and for that I need 6 voices at the very minimum, hands-on control is a plus. The only real options for me is either the Prophet-6, the Prophet'08 or the Futuresonus Parva. The Parva while great on paper is still very new and seem to have some teething problems, I will be following it with great interest though. I think both the P-6 and P'08 are some of the best designed instruments in terms of hands-on control.

I'm curious to learn if there's anything else coming out that will rival Korg's offering. I guess we'll know in a couple of days.

[Razmo]

I really do not believe, that anything else will come out, that will compete with the Minilogue... at that pricepoint it's very unlikely unless either Roland or Yamaha has something up their sleeves, which I really don¨'t think they do.

In my opinion, the hype around the Minilogue is a result of the pricepoint... it really does not offer anything extremely unique when you look carefuly at the specs.

Personaly I'm really in conflict with myself about buying it... because what will it deliver, that my Prophet '08 cannot exept for some FX that I can add externaly anyway? ... Crossmod and Ringmod... My Prophet '12 can do this... The more I think about it, it will not really add much to my rig... but it sure is tempting because of the price, and I'm sure they'll be selling A LOT of these ... will probably be hard getting one I guess, untill sales has fallen a bit.

Personaly I'm looking for something unique... something I do not allready have, with an analog part... so I actualy switched more to the Waldorf Kassettenspieler to be honest.

[eXode]

I really do not believe, that anything else will come out, that will compete with the Minilogue... at that pricepoint it's very unlikely unless either Roland or Yamaha has something up their sleeves, which I really don¨'t think they do.

Perhaps not from a price point perspective, but price isn't everything.