KORG minilogue

[Sacred Synthesis]

I suppose Korg could have offered a full-sized Odyssey for much less than $1,600.  That wasn't my main point.  By making the instrument an odd 86%, they only kept a re-issue from being identical to the original, which makes no sense.  So close and yet so far.

[Sacred Synthesis]

Keep in mind that you can also still get the full-sized MS-20 kit. The 1,000 exemplars were definitely not more popular than the more affordable mini version.

That Korg charged $1,300-$1,400 for an instrument that still had to be assembled was shocking.  if it didn't sell like the Mini, it's because people didn't want to bother assembling it or risk doing it badly and possibly voiding the warranty.

[eXode]

I suppose Korg could have offered a full-sized Odyssey for much less than $1,600.  That wasn't my main point.  By making the instrument an odd 86%, they only kept a re-issue from being identical to the original, which makes no sense.  So close and yet so far.

I would have liked a desktop at that size though.

That's at least one thing Roland got right with the Boutiques.

[NemoSynth]

The major reason why there are so many synths with mini-keys is because there are so many new type of synth users who are not good at playing keyboards, like producers and track makers, or guitarists and drummers etc. It's not just price and space issue, but more of a marketing result to make synth friendly to wider range of customers who were interested to play a synth but were afraid of normal keys because they don't have good skills to play.

Also, I'm also not oversimplifying the trend of recent neo-analog synths as a mere nostalgia. As I wrote before, it's a sense of nostalgia that evolved into new fashion, like stone washed denim jeans that looks old but very stylish. May be people are getting tired of everything-possible-digital-synths, and everything-you-can-search-digital-information-society for so long, and prefer the limited but intuitive sensitive aspect of analog synth warmth.
Nowadays simple things like iOS apps are preferred than complicated workstation synths.

[DavidDever]

I had an opportunity to spend a bit of time with this recently, which might have tempered my previously negative view towards its sound quality...as my profile shows, I'm pretty familiar with the limitations of entry-level polysynths, which can either be embraced or escaped, depending on your perspective.

The minilogue's 2-/4-pole filter is pretty good, though it does not compensate for resonance level, which in some cases might end up a bit noisy when the resonance is 50% or so (as a lot of my patches are) due to the reduced noise floor. Double-saw or double-PWM patches are punchy with a bit of extra grit on the top end; for some, this might be all you need to know.

The VCOs open up a lot of possibilities as far as cross- and ring-modulation; the sawtooth wave is also sweepable by shape, though this precludes a traditional VCO1 saw + VCO2 PWM square patch as the PWM is global across both oscillators.

The envelopes do click (thump) a bit, which can be addressed with judicious use of the post-VCA HPF; similarly, as the LFO does not offer a sine wave as an option, there remains a fair bit of thump at both extremes when using a triangle wave as the modulator (by comparison, the Prophet '08 / Tetra / Mopho's triangle wave does not create nearly as audible an artifact).

And while it's nice to have a built-in delay, the problem lies with the fact that it's not sweepable (as with the Evolver / Prophet-12 / Pro-2), which is itself a missed trick. It would also be nice to see another LFO, or two, or three (env re-triggering). As others have pointed out, it has a propensity toward being a bit noisy.

The waveform display (I hesitate to call it an oscilloscope, as the timebase changes freely) can be switched off in favor of a parameter view (very handy when editing patches), or simple program-number-only view.

All in all, it's probably an excellent piece for someone who probably hasn't laid hands on an analogue synth in a while, though for those of us that might own a better-specified analogue unit (DCOs or otherwise), the limitations in modulation routing might be crippling-or not, if you like a challenge (or feel like soaking it in reverb further down the signal chain).

And I think that the minilogue's analogue voice itself would make, with better noise floor, more extensive modulation and control capabilities, an excellent-sounding synth voice as part of a larger device. It's just not all there yet, though I found myself lusting after a twin-layer, eight-or-more-voice unit with some patches.

I did not spend any time with the arpeggiator (seemed a bit wonky, compared to the better implementations I've seen) or the sequencer....

[cr73645]

I got one a few days ago... I tried it three times in a row (consecutive days) and it grew on me. I'm now really excited for what it is: a great mini-sized analog synth.

Overall quality is good, with a poor touch only on the lever thing (which is nothing more than a loose metal piece inside - seen it on a video with that guy that cracks synthesizers inside out). Loving the size of the keys in comparison with regular mini-keys. Knobs feel good, as does switches.

One thing that should be noticed is the background noise that can be heard with some units. The unit I tested had a very noticeable noise. I'm not talking about the noisy delay, but ground noise from the unit. Even with the noise, I decided to get one myself, and for my happiness, it doesn't have any background noises.

As for the poster above, the clicks are related to the envelopes. They're extremely fast, and to get rid of the clicking, you'd have to fine adjust the sound to have just a tiny bit of attack and release on both envelopes. It's strange, yes, but might be fixed with firmware updates, considering that the envelopes are digital.

Sound-wise, the only thing that reaaaally bothers me is the noisy delay. They should've added another 50-100 dollars on the price and bring a decent digital delay - or, even better, no delay at all and use that space for more synthesis related features (2nd LFO?).

Although it isn't the best ever synthesizer, I think it has some unique characteristics to its sound that I like a lot. I was traveling and I just didn't have the space, but fitted it inside my dispatched luggage with no box or anything - it survived intact (!) - this is just how much I wanted it.

Cheers!

[DavidDever]

As for the poster above, the clicks are related to the envelopes. They're extremely fast, and to get rid of the clicking, you'd have to fine adjust the sound to have just a tiny bit of attack and release on both envelopes. It's strange, yes, but might be fixed with firmware updates, considering that the envelopes are digital.

Yes, I'm familiar with the phenomenon–judicious use of attack and release did not solve the problem. The obvious way to demonstrate this is to set the display to show parameter values (rather than the oscilloscope), then gradually change the AR values from 0 on either or both envelopes. You can clearly hear the attack and release phases, then click-click-click as you trigger additional notes. It's just not natural.

I suspect that this is ultimately a firmware bug (if not a bad choice), and it is definitely exacerbated in DUO or UNISON modes. Honestly, I have yet to meet anyone who actually thinks that clicky envelopes are a preferred behavior, and I also distinctly remember this issue existing in early s/w versions of the Waldorf Q until it was "fixed".

[cr73645]

Yes, I'm familiar with the phenomenon–judicious use of attack and release did not solve the problem. The obvious way to demonstrate this is to set the display to show parameter values (rather than the oscilloscope), then gradually change the AR values from 0 on either or both envelopes. You can clearly hear the attack and release phases, then click-click-click as you trigger additional notes. It's just not natural.

I suspect that this is ultimately a firmware bug (if not a bad choice), and it is definitely exacerbated in DUO or UNISON modes. Honestly, I have yet to meet anyone who actually thinks that clicky envelopes are a preferred behavior, and I also distinctly remember this issue existing in early s/w versions of the Waldorf Q until it was "fixed".

Maybe I'm doing something different, but setting portamento to 0 and auto (with legato trigger) is doing the trick for me. I'm getting no clicks with this + AR adjustment.

I've explored the clicks with a few sounds, but it is certainly undesired behavior.

[eXode]

Adam Borseti keeps doing great demos with the Minilogue:

Hi NRG Funk Jam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYjmt6jJuWw
Patches 3 (Choir/Brass/String): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbOhNjhz9yo
Patches: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5fS75_ZRKA

This makes me even more sad that Korg hasn't made a 6 or 8 voice version in either a desktop or a full size keyboard.

[proteus-ix]

Adam Borseti keeps doing great demos with the Minilogue:

Hi NRG Funk Jam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYjmt6jJuWw
Patches 3 (Choir/Brass/String): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbOhNjhz9yo
Patches: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5fS75_ZRKA

This makes me even more sad that Korg hasn't made a 6 or 8 voice version in either a desktop or a full size keyboard.

I bought the Minilogue as my first hardware synth last January, just couldn't get it to sound good, so I sold it a few months later and got an MS-20 instead.  Couldn't have been happier with that decision.  The ML just has a noisy, buzzy sound to it that I don't think cuts through mixes or really stands up to careful listening.  I have heard some good *music* made with it, but in every case I keep thinking "I wish they would record this with another synth".

[proteus-ix]

Nowadays simple things like iOS apps are preferred than complicated workstation synths.

I have a few thousands worth of synths (ok who am I kidding, a few worth of DSI alone, ha), and I still find myself getting lost in iElectribe for longer than I "should".  People want to get back to making music, not the constant distraction of ONE MILLION PATCHES AND EVERY ATOM IN THE UNIVERSE SAMPLED IN 12 FORMATS!  That's why I love DSI - the focus is on quality sound and design that gets you making music, not battling driver mismatches and loop digging the bottomless hole of the internet.

[eXode]

Adam Borseti keeps doing great demos with the Minilogue:

Hi NRG Funk Jam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYjmt6jJuWw
Patches 3 (Choir/Brass/String): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbOhNjhz9yo
Patches: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5fS75_ZRKA

This makes me even more sad that Korg hasn't made a 6 or 8 voice version in either a desktop or a full size keyboard.

I bought the Minilogue as my first hardware synth last January, just couldn't get it to sound good, so I sold it a few months later and got an MS-20 instead.  Couldn't have been happier with that decision.  The ML just has a noisy, buzzy sound to it that I don't think cuts through mixes or really stands up to careful listening.  I have heard some good *music* made with it, but in every case I keep thinking "I wish they would record this with another synth".

Let's agree to disagree then. I think Adam's demos are great and showcase a lot of musical timbres out of it, timbres that I haven't heard from most of the other demos that were made in conjunction with it's release. Of course tastes will differ and that's fine. Perhaps you prefer harder/driven sounds? The MS20 is quite a characterful synth with a screaming quality to it (I like the MS20 too) while the Minilogue I would say is different.

As a side note it's a little funny that you describe the Minilogue is noisy as the MS20 mini was critiqued for that very same reason (to the extent that several users returned theirs), but YMMV.

[eXode]

Adam Borseti keeps at it. Not a spot on Vox Humana sound obviously but impressive nonetheless considering it's limited specs.

Vox Humana style: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Bq5BBSZu3U
Multi Tracked Vangelis style: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFKEeM_A1ew

[BobTheDog]

For me the Monologue sounds pretty good, the "patches 3" video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbOhNjhz9yo ) has some great stuff in it.

[proteus-ix]

Adam Borseti keeps doing great demos with the Minilogue:

Hi NRG Funk Jam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYjmt6jJuWw
Patches 3 (Choir/Brass/String): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbOhNjhz9yo
Patches: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5fS75_ZRKA

This makes me even more sad that Korg hasn't made a 6 or 8 voice version in either a desktop or a full size keyboard.

I bought the Minilogue as my first hardware synth last January, just couldn't get it to sound good, so I sold it a few months later and got an MS-20 instead.  Couldn't have been happier with that decision.  The ML just has a noisy, buzzy sound to it that I don't think cuts through mixes or really stands up to careful listening.  I have heard some good *music* made with it, but in every case I keep thinking "I wish they would record this with another synth".

Let's agree to disagree then. I think Adam's demos are great and showcase a lot of musical timbres out of it, timbres that I haven't heard from most of the other demos that were made in conjunction with it's release. Of course tastes will differ and that's fine. Perhaps you prefer harder/driven sounds? The MS20 is quite a characterful synth with a screaming quality to it (I like the MS20 too) while the Minilogue I would say is different.

As a side note it's a little funny that you describe the Minilogue is noisy as the MS20 mini was critiqued for that very same reason (to the extent that several users returned theirs), but YMMV.

Oh I don't need to convince anyone to share my opinion - that just leaves more of the synths I like for me!    Adam is definitely a good player, and coaxes some good sounds of out the ML, but I *still* don't like it (even if I ignore the fact that I wouldn't like his music anyway).  I do like hard/driven sounds, but I also love soft, glassy FM chords, airy Eno-esque pads, and all kinds of stuff.  But I have yet to hear any demos or music with it that I like, or where I think it sounds good, and I tried for months to get something I liked out of it; contrast that with the Volca FM, which consistently blows me away, or the OB-6 which really just can do no wrong, but does so much very, very right.

[Sacred Synthesis]

I don't often get a chance to play a synthesizer other than one I own, but we recently bought a Korg Minilogue XD for my wife, who is a K-4 music teacher.  After considering her needs and the available instruments, I settled on this model.  It's an impressive little thing and can create a broad range of sounds, moreso than I had expected.  It's brass capabilities were very satisfying (that's a go-to test patch for me).  And now here's the "but."  But, in my opinion, it doesn't come close to the warmth of the Prophet '08.

I've read that the Japanese sawtooth wave form is quite different in character from the American/European one, and now that I've heard it for myself I would agree.  I'm sure some people would prefer the former, bit I find the DSI/Sequential tone much more to my liking.  I would describe it as closer to the vaunted Moog sound - different, but in the same direction of having a well-rounded slightly darker hue.  The Korg tone is the thinnest perhaps that I've ever heard, and it takes some getting used to.  If I remember correctly, the MS-20 has a similarly tight and narrow voice.  However, I did like the Korg's polyphonic portamento; it works much better than that of DSI/Sequential, in that it's quite predictable and musical.

I don't think I would bother to apply my coveted keyboard/module/stereo panning technique in this case, but it would be possible, since Korg offers a Minilogue XD Module.  And it's obviously possible to control the same module with my Prophet '08, but I doubt I'll do that either, unless my opinion of the Korg quality significantly changes.  It's too bad, because I had been considering the Korg Prologue.  I guess I'm hopelessly in love with the DSI/Sequential sound.  It does ring of a musical home.

I've only just started with this instrument, so if any one experienced can offer a few methods for warming up the Korg sound, I'm all ears.

[LPF83]

I don't often get a chance to play a synthesizer other than one I own, but we recently bought a Korg Minilogue XD for my wife, who is a K-4 music teacher.  After considering her needs and the available instruments, I settled on this model.  It's an impressive little thing and can create a broad range of sounds, moreso than I had expected.  It's brass capabilities were very satisfying (that's a go-to test patch for me).  And now here's the "but."  But, in my opinion, it doesn't come close to the warmth of the Prophet '08.

I've read that the Japanese sawtooth wave form is quite different in character from the American/European one, and now that I've heard it for myself I would agree.  I'm sure some people would prefer the former, bit I find the DSI/Sequential tone much more to my liking.  I would describe it as closer to the vaunted Moog sound - different, but in the same direction of having a well-rounded slightly darker hue.  The Korg tone is the thinnest perhaps that I've ever heard, and it takes some getting used to.  If I remember correctly, the MS-20 has a similarly tight and narrow voice.  However, I did like the Korg's polyphonic portamento; it works much better than that of DSI/Sequential, in that it's quite predictable and musical.

I don't think I would bother to apply my coveted keyboard/module/stereo panning technique in this case, but it would be possible, since Korg offers a Minilogue XD Module.  And it's obviously possible to control the same module with my Prophet '08, but I doubt I'll do that either, unless my opinion of the Korg quality significantly changes.  It's too bad, because I had been considering the Korg Prologue.  I guess I'm hopelessly in love with the DSI/Sequential sound.  It does ring of a musical home.

I've only just started with this instrument, so if any one experienced can offer a few methods for warming up the Korg sound, I'm all ears.

I was a little "meh" on it when I first got mine, because up against Sequential stuff the raw tones of the oscillators aren't in the same league to my ear.  For some strange reason, I was hoping it would be great for bass, and it turned out not to be (but then again my Rev2 isn't the best at bass either... trying to be as good as the P6 or OB-6 at bass is a tough act to follow for any synth).

But where it earns its keep many times over for me is the sequencer -- just the sheer "playability" of the sequencer (not just for notes but for the 4 "motion" tracks) and how it encourages experimentation.   And then all the FX options, and the fact I can have my cake and eat it too, combining modulation (chorus, ensemble, etc) with delay and reverb, all three simultaneous (and I think Korg's FX are pretty good).

It still took a couple of weeks to really win me over.  For some reason it doesn't inspire me to create lots of patches like the P6 does.  So I decided to try some aftermarket sounds which turned out to be a lot better than the factory presets...  then I decided to buy a custom oscillator (Pluck by Tim Shoebridge), and I started having some real fun with it at that point.  I think the ability to add aftermarket sounds and FX is a huge benefit of the Minilogue/Prologue line, and I highly recommend experimenting with these, many can be downloaded free of charge.

So mainly I ended up using it in a supplementary role in the music creation process, to create repeating background sequences or to put some movement / atmosphere behind the stars of the show.  It will never be my goto machine for leads, or basses, or stringy pads (although it can do them), but as an "arpy thing" machine with great FX, it was so worth the money and I don't think I'll ever sell mine.

As for the Prologue, I'm sure it probably sounds better than my XD and of course has more voices, but it doesn't have that magical little sequencer in it so I don't think I want to give up precious space for a full sized synth for one.

[Sacred Synthesis]

Then you would agree that the Minilogue XD is thin sounding?  By itself, it sounds decent.  If you work with it exclusively for some time, your ears adapt and it begins to have a satisfactory tone.  But put beside a Prophet '08 - for example - it definitely pales.  I would guess the MS-20 has a similar tone.  I say all this because I want to like Korg and would like to add a Korg instrument to my set up, but not deafly. 

[LPF83]

Then you would agree that the Minilogue XD is thin sounding?  By itself, it sounds decent.  If you work with it exclusively for some time, your ears adapt and it begins to have a satisfactory tone.  But put beside a Prophet '08 - for example - it definitely pales.  I would guess the MS-20 has a similar tone.  I say all this because I want to like Korg and would like to add a Korg instrument to my set up, but not deafly.

Yes, I agree the raw tone of the oscillators is not in the same league as the Rev2 (which I assume is very close if not same as Prophet '08 in raw osc tone), and even further behind the P6 and OB-6 in overall oscillator richness.   But it makes up for it in other ways, especially once I start mixing synths in, so if there was a bang for buck contest it might actually blow away any other hardware I have.

That said, I always start sound designing or song writing on another synth first.  I don't really expect a synth at that price point to fully compete with my other hardware.  What it does though, for the price and considering the cost per voice of other VCO synths, is kind of staggering really.

[LPF83]

Another potential use for your new XD:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx4KhcSNBew