Musikmesse 2013 Rumors – Are These New Korg Synths Too Awesome To Be Real?

korg-groovetribe

Here are a couple of rumors for Musikmesse 2013. While Korg has not made any Musikmesse announcements, at this point, the above image seems to show a set of micro groove boxes. Could they be new members of the Monotribe line? Or something completely new?

If the Korg ‘Microgroove’ line looks interesting, how about the Korg Micro-Preset:

korg-micro-preset-synthesizer

The Korg Micro-Preset appears to be an analog minisynth that combines hands-on knobbiness with a ribbon controller.

Unfortunately, both the mini groove boxes and the Micro-Preset appear to be unofficial 3D renders. Check them out, though, and let us know what you think!

via Juraj, matrixsynth, Simon Underhill

47 thoughts on “Musikmesse 2013 Rumors – Are These New Korg Synths Too Awesome To Be Real?”

  1. I can tell you these are definitely no renders. They are very real 🙂 Drum machine, bass machine and synth. All analogue with built in sequencers and midi. Syncable with Monotribes.

  2. I am excited to see more hardware coming out this year…maybe these kids will start leaving their laptops at home and actually start performing their tunes!

    3. Lol..that means that they’d have to be able to play and I’ve yet to meet any dance music kid who could play their way out of a wet paper bag. That goes tenfold if it’s some hipster from a hipster mecca like Williamsburg or Portland…

  4. Korg, living in the past. Micro knobs, micro keys and micro products for micro budget. Well, it’s just another kids toys but nothing really serious here.

    1. It is my belief that when it comes to music there is no such thing as kids toy. I find it to be a very limiting approach, to not be able to turn anything that produces a sound into a valueable instrument. Also what’s wrong with kid toys, I’m happy to call every instrument I own a kids toy, from my two dollar shaker to my three grand guitar I have blast with the shit I create, like a kid would. When you lose your child like wonder when making music it just turns into work.

      1. Limitations are good, they force you to find creative ways to get the most out of the gear. I love my pro gear, but I think some of the recently released “toys” are a refreshing development because they bring that essential element – fun – back to the table. Gear snobs can go ahead and disregard the cheap little table beasts available today, but tomorrow some kid might blow your mind with a rig full of these toys.

    2. It’s funny to read these comments here in 2017. The Korg Volca line was & is a huge success and the subsequent Monologue & Minilogue synths have changed the game yet again. They also re-released their famous MS-20 with all 3 filters and MIDI. how cool is that! Korg just keeps batting 1000 when it comes to new analog products.

      I’ve got the Volca Bass, Beats & Keys and I can tell you that they are definitely not toys. they have grown-up functionality and a grown-up sound. They are inexpensive but not cheap.

      I’d love to see a contemporary re-issue or re-imagining of the Micro-preset.

  7. You mean “check out these IMMATERIAL 3D RENDERS OF SYNTHS YOU CAN’T touch and let us know what you think.”

    Oh Internet, you’re such a tease *blush*

  8. Honestly, as time goes on I find myself using my workstation level synths a lot less and I blame that 100% on these “toys”. Sometimes you just need a quick, interesting noise or bassline and don’t want to dink around menu after menu in some megalith synth. Also, back when all I had was a Kurzweil K2000, EVERYTHING sounded like a K2000. Every part of every song came out of that one synth. These “toys” are a breathe of fresh air for those that are stifled by the sometimes overwhelming complexity of more modern workstation type synths. Just sayin… 😉

  9. if those little boxes are true analog with a sequencer built in , no screen menus
    and a lot of knobs and faders

    im def in

    *please make a polyphonic analog micro synth

  10. these look good enough to eat.
    don´t seem to be renders them little boxes. not impossible but very difficult to pull off the materials this well and companies don´t bother to go that far.
    the keyboard is obviously a render.
    totally stoked and it really makes me respect korg more. the middle box looks just like a middle finger to roland somehow.

  13. They look nothing short of amazing. Life is so much better when you ditch the box (read: DAW) and get back to making music with ones hands. It’s the paralysis of freedom that is the problem. When you have near infinite choices (like inside a DAW) it’s actually harder than when you have limits (always the case with hardware). And this Korg stuff looks like great hardware. If they are only renders, maybe Korg will take notice and produce something similar. I would put nothing past Korg now. They have shown a willingness to take big risks, even when their detractors say they are not “innovating”. There’s a world full of new digital gear, but products like the MS-20 were in very limited supply, until Korg put it back into production. Reviving a 30 year old design is actually kind of revolutionary . . . who cares if they aren’t “innovating” with that move. It was still brave.

  17. surely Korg wont relauch the Micro Preset, I have one and only keep it for sentimental reasons (and because I’m a big fan of early OMD) but it’s very poor in comparison to the MS20

    1. OMD is exactly what I thought of when I saw the Micro-Preset. It would be the only reason I got one, but still, having THOSE sounds.

  20. I want that micro preset keyboard with ribbon controller, please make it have midi so you could control other synths with the ribbon, I would buy it just for that, let alone yummy analog sounds it could make!!!

  21. just sold my 4 monotribes – tons of stuff coming to replace them – this months and next
    ——————
    i would really love a korg sq10 mini and a nintendo ds20

  25. I was going to make a semi-snarky comment about how lacking all of these little boxes still are when compared to the work required to make a PIANO sound even halfway decent. Then I considered how I just used a NanoPad to trick up a canned beat and had a good time at it. Rats, another good argument turned into pudding by facts.

  28. i love everything about those three boxes they look SO. much fun. EXCEPT! the ribbon instead of keys.

    I guess if I can plug a keyboard into them then it doesn’t matter it’s just extra flexibility and he ‘keys’ are alot bigger than the monotribe and would be easier to play than the electribe rubber buttons.

    but I find the ribbon on the monotribe useless for proper sequencing. actually I’ll go buy that keyboard hack now!

    the synth looks rocking mad too very modular, I could see many more mods being sold and patched in. but frankly the boxes look way more fun!!

  29. Roland needs to stop making digital piano/arranger crap and take advice from korg. Like when korg reissues something we get the ms 20 mini, when roland reissues someyhing we get the mc 303

  30. Oh! I just noticed the absolute BEST thing about these boxes! All cable inputs are on top! So you don’t need desk space out the back for them! You can cram them up right against each other! I’m already positioning these things in my studio! After that though I HAVE to stop looking at this site. Korg is getting ALL my money 🙁

  31. These apparently are real. From the top: Volca Beats, Volca Bass, and Volca Keys. The first two seem to be somewhat inspired by a couple relatively popular Roland devices.

  33. While the Volca Keys has me pretty excited for sure, that micro-preset synth is something I MUST know is real and hear!

  37. I think the “ribbon controller” is just a music holder strip. There are two holes above it for the wire stand. Just like the original has. As to the reality of this particular device; no idea. It looks different to the original but then so would a render. The other three seem real enough and Korg has sold a few container loads of the “mono” devices, and will likely do the same with the MS20 mini, so I’m sure they would happily make a bunch more analogue boxes. Only have to wait a few more hours to see….

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