71 thoughts on “Korg Announces Monologue Programmable Analog Monophonic Synthesizer”

1. Cool instrument and i like that Korg stays true to the more “financially normal-little money” customers. What i miss however is the big brother of the Minilogue. I think it`s pretty certain it`s comming, question is when and how much it will cost. If it`s affordable my Minilogue will have to grow or be sold…

2. Don’t want to dismiss this instantly but to me it sounds a bit thin? Maybe it’s strengths lay elsewhere?

   1. The filter is 12dB 2-pole.

      1. Maybe that’s what it is.

      2. So is the filter on the MS-20. Sounding ‘thin’ has nothing to do with the filter at all.

3. I´m disappointed..maybe my expectation was too high?

   1. How could this “not meet your expectation” when yesterday you didn’t know it would exist?

      1. The teaser makes expectations….

      2. did you not see the post about the November first announcement last week??

      3. perhaps you dont understand what the word “expectation” means? it doesnt require foreknowledge of anything in particular… for example, you can have an “expectation” that you will eat lunch today, without knowing that your car will break down and you will be stuck on the side of the road, therefore not fulfilling your expectation of eating lunch even though you didnt know your car would break down…

         thats just one tiny little example

         1. Um. It only takes a few seconds to develop an expectation. I see “Korg”. I see “Monologue”. I see “299”. I’ve got expectations based on those three snippets. Nobody said expectations have to be all that reasonable.

            For me the demo met my expectations pretty accurately.

   2. Yes it was too high. Just because a manufacturer says a new product is coming does not mean it is going to be the product of your dreams. That said, teasers are dumb. The intended user would find out about this synth regardless of a teaser.

4. well done korg.

5. Finally someone had the idea to invent a new monosynth!!!! YAY!!!

   1. arturia?

      1. Sarcasm?

         1. well,,,
            the monotron started all this analog portable (or low cost)
            but as far in last year they are not first, but I would say a better job

6. Well done! Now we are waiting for the PolyLogue 61 8-Voice polysynth ~U$999,99, Korg 🙂

   1. You know, I’m not really even looking for this, but a 61+ key 8-voice Korg analog poly in this line for $999 would be a killer. I like it.

7. So dissapointed.. Was waiting for a new Electribe with special features or a bigger synth (in every way)..

   If the pricetag is under 300 euros might still check this out.. The audiodemos sucked (like they always do).

8. I think the real shame with this, like the Minilogue, is the fact that there’s only one destination at a time for the Lfo.

   If there was another Lfo with more flexible routing, and perhaps Cv inputs for at least the pitch, cutoff and amp then it would be a superb buy. I like my minilogue very much but often find myself patching through a filter in my Eurorack for more flexibility.

   The lack of proper wheels is also a bit of a buzz kill.
   Sure that the target price point plays a large part in what goes and what stays but I’d rather have paid another £100 for the Minilogue to have an extra Lfo and mod wheels.

   Ho hum!

   1. You can motion sequence all the modulation you want.

      It far outstrips a dozen lfos.

      1. Up to 4 parameters, which last time I checked was less than a dozen 🙂
         And unless you set the tempo really slow you’re not going to get super slow shapes that aren’t necessarily tempo synced for those long slow Berlin School drifts.
         Don’t get me wrong; it looks really nice, but based on my frustrations with Minilogue that single Lfo could use a sibling or be routed to more than one place at a time.

         1. Slow Berlin school is most definitely not what this was designed for.

            Maybe you should look in 5U.

   2. Check out the amazing iOS app midiLFOs… hook up yer iPhone or iPad and you’ve got 4 SUPER powerful lfo s

9. I don’t really need one….but you know…that red would look so cool next to my old SX-1…

10. From the Sweetwater review: “… the patches are all very modern sounding…”
    Well, here comes the 2nd disappointment… even if from the promo I already understood it wasn’t meant for the nostalgic synthheads… 🙁

    1. Yeah its really a shame that there is so little synths that appeals to nostalgic synthheads in the marketplace. 😉

       1. I am not complaining about the synth, I just heard the presets and to my ears they are awful, but I guess that is inevitable, if you want to sell something to today’s new recruits… And I think that if the iconic synths of the past had these kind of presets they wouldn’t have become iconic in the first place…

11. dude this is rad..and for only 300 dollars.. compare this to the ea-1 to see how far things have come.. sign me up.. I noticed it says it requires 2.5 watts to run.. does this mean it will be able to power via USB?

    1. USB is 2.5W at 5V. This thing runs on 9 volts.

12. I just wanna know if I should get the black or the dark blue????

    1. i would go for red, only korg color that is unique
       i have blue and silver in the other sequencing korgs (ms2000 and radius)

13. Sequencer and motion sequencing look interesting and I’m a sucker for a fast lfo applied to pitch/filter. Price is reasonable too, korg will
    sell shedloads.

14. I have a Korg MS-20 Mini, and a Korg ARP Odyssey, plus an Arturia Minibrute and Microbrute SE, plus a Novation Bass Station 2. So I don’t need another small monosynth. I’m probably going to sell the Minibrute, Microbrute and Bass Station, and was hoping for a 61 key version of the Minilogue, or a re-issue of a classic like a 2600 or a Quadra. Maybe they will come out in NAMM or Musik Messe next year. But the Monologue is a bit of a let down. Having said that, I like the Black King Korg.

    1. I’m glad I didn’t sell my Bass Station 2, I did sell my MS20 but would buy the rackmount if I found a good price for it. Bass Station 2 covers a lot of ground. Jettison an Arturia.

       1. The BS2 was the first synth that popped into my head upon reading this. It’s perhaps a lot smoother sounding than this and lacks a sequencer but is definitely in the same price point. It’s definitely got more low end than the monologue.

          1. BS2 has a 32 step sequencer with 4 memory slots

15. I just pre-ordered the red one. Although that blue does look classy… hmmm…

    It will replace my Volca Bass. I love my Minilogue, so I’m all in on this.

16. Sounds good. I’m glad they are being aggressive. So sick of old school style synths.

17. Keyboard Mag already has the review up.

    http://www.keyboardmag.com/gear/1183/korg-monologue-first-review-and-video-preview/60433

    Short version – it is very different sounding from the 4 voice.

18. can this replace my trusty minibrute I wonder, will it accept midi and send CV/GATE?

    1. Looks like midi in/out + USB midi but no CV, just sync in/out

19. Korg is SO on the ball in what they are coming out with! Now I wonder what Novation has up their sleeves?

20. Didn’t really care for the minilogue but definitely pre-ordering this one.
    Double Acid with my volcabass! 😀

21. i was hoping (like many ) that the teasers for this announcement were for a full-blown version of the Minilogue with full size keys and lots more voices and knobs…and Korg went the other way hehe shame

22. i think i’ll be chucking my microbrute to trade up for this, well done korg this looks sounds awesome!

23. wonder how well it will sell?
    is arturia micobrute sells that well?

24. it looks cool, love the case, but I have 2 volca basses, I paid 250 on ebay for both and I am using them with a midi thru like they are one big 6 osc monosynth to make basses or acid glitches… why do i need this? btw you can have multiple destinations on the volca lfo so… I’m planning to do the same with 2 volca keys I bought a couple of weeks ago, I’m going to run them from a midi buddy to use them as a 6 voice poly, total cost of the project 300 so I’m not getting the minilogue…

25. I’m genuinely an anti-minikey snob and have this sonic ground covered already in my own studio, this release is a non-starter for me personally but it looks like good fun for folks who like inexpensive stuff with knobs that comes in colors!:) Great stocking stuffer, I can already see the eBay listings in 20 years…”Rare RED Korg Monologue, only 1200 made! $1495. or best offer!” I hesitate to call it un-professional, because any tool you use to make money can certainly be professional but I’ll gladly pass on this.

26. This is awesome. People who are already into synths are going to want more EGs and LFOs and stuff but this will be the first synth a lot of people buy and these are gonna be everywhere. Sounds great too. I like that it sounds like they kept more bass under it when you crank the resonance. The minilogues sound way, way better that people give them credit for. I’ll be looking forward to the maxilogue.

27. Korg is just KILLING it these last few years bc they are listening to the market, and catering to a reasonable price point.

28. wow how did Synthtopia miss the Aphex angle on this story: http://pitchfork.com/news/69473-korg-announces-new-synthesizer-with-aphex-twin-presets/

29. first impressions, looks cool, sounds ok, (12db filters? hmmm, ok….will give it a shot though)…. man oh man, I wish the eschewed the mini keys on this…. looks like it would be a nice complement to a minitaur for variety on a desktop….

30. 300 bucks for a two OSC mono with wave-shaping, modern connectivity, battery power, a step sequencer and 100 preset slots? A sequencer you can transpose? One shot envelopes? Motion sequencing? Microtuning? Audio rate LFOs?

    Who could possibly complain about this?

    1. >>”Who could possibly complain about this?”

       You’re new here?

       1. 🙂

          Not so much a complaint but E-E is a bit of a head-scratcher for me.

31. looks nice and probably a good bang for the buck synth. but seriously? another monosynth? they could make a proper multiformat sequencer or a proper and simple sampler or some oldschool efx box or something completely new…but another monosynth…waste of money, parts, knowledge and ideas imo.

32. “The power of microtonal music is evident in the work of Aphex Twin, who has come onboard as advisor for the implementation and also to offer scales, sounds and sequences as part of the factory presets. All players are encouraged not just to use these Aphex Twin-created scales, but also to create their own scales and explore their own world of frequencies.”

    Very awesome of Korg to hook up with RDJ and implement easy microtuning.

    1. Lol, I dont care about Aphex Twin :S

       1. Good for you!

33. Will this and does the Minilogue have remote editing, via the USB port ?
    – An iOS App or Lemur, TouchOSC, CTRL, MIDIDesigner… ???

34. Preset walk through: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b11KWTHoGXo

35. Doesn’t leave a bad impression at all. Its not a toy, its the true stuff.

36. The full keyboard MTS microtonality is an absolutely killer feature that will make this a top choice.

    Also glad to see the step sequencer is finally transposable, the lack of which made the Minilogue’s sequencer essentially useless.

37. Does the new Monologue come with a magnifying glass?

38. Looks cool, especially the microtuning feature. Finally, a synth manufacturer that recognizes that some people (like, say, 5 or 6 BILLION of them) might want to hear something other than equal temperament. Tsk tsk, though, on only offering a low pass filter — definitely a big disappointment — wish there was at least a high pass.

39. I love all these affordable analog synths. Currently I’m using a Monotribe piped through a microBRUTE for a 2 oscillator, gritty synth (my pseudo-modular system 🙂 ). This would be a nice addition to that sound stack…

    My one request to manufacturers: Please release desktop/rack versions of these! I have too many keyboards and not enough space for more (and, tbh, I’m tired of adjusting to the action of a new keyboard every time I buy a new synth). The presence of a keyboard on this makes it a tough sell for expanding my setup. Just chop the keyboard off!

40. Well, I love Korg for bringing back analog but is this something I need, no. I could just go buy a 4 voice minilogue. I was hoping for an 8 voice Minilogue with 61 full sized keys. Would love to see Korg bring back the Arp Quadra with some cool real time effects, advanced real time arpeggiator… and please.. 61 FULL SIZED KEYS… please?

41. I think it sounds very raw and aggressive (I like that), and the programability and patch savig slots are a real plus. microtuning is fine, but Im not sure if it makes sense, when its used together with other synths that dont have the same microtuning. normaly, Im not into this cheap boxes, but this one is charming. sound, functions, size and prize make it a round package

42. Check out ‘Lingus’ from the album ‘We Like it Here’ by Snarky Puppy – particularly the solo by Cory Henry on the King Korg (about 5:00 in). This is why small mono synths like Monologue can’t compete with a larger keyboard in terms of pure creativity and playability. I know you can use them to lay down tracks into a DAW but for real jamming, I’d prefer a Black King Korg – or wait for Korg to bring out a larger analogue poly. https://youtu.be/L_XJ_s5IsQc