New Korg: MONOLOGUE ..... analog monosynth for 299

[VanHaydn]

Very Cool synth..Im loving it compact and great sound..just chopped the keys off mine

[bloodsample]

I made a demo of the Monologue processed by OTO Machines BAM.

[BONES]

MicroBrute does PWM. It may have "one" oscillator in terms of pitch tracking, though it generates foldable triangles, a quasi multi-saw, pulse and subs. While it can't do sync or ringmod or actual detuning, it easily sound thicker than one oscillator normally does.

You know that's nothing special. The SH-101 was doing the same thing in 1982 and Roland used it again in the Juno 106 and others. It sure as hell doesn't make up for the lack of Hard Sync or Ring Mod.

The Monologue's real party trick is the digital sequencer, which is super-charged compared to the one in the Minilogue. If you want to, you can use it as four custom LFOs and/or an arpeggiator. The possibilities dwarf the MicroBrute's patch bay. At first glance, Monologue looks like it's been stripped to the bone but the reality is they trimmed all the fat and bulked up the muscle to make something even better.

What makes the Monologue better is that it is trying to be the best synth it can be, it is not being hamstrung by the need to appeal to a bunch of crazies who won't accept anything that isn't 100% analogue. It's mix of analogue and digital is well judged and, frankly, if it was twice the price of a MiniBrute it would still be better value, just because it has a patch memory. A synth without the ability to recall sounds is just a pile of junk.

[sprnva]

Quick question about MIDI and the Monologue. I've skimmed the manual and it looks like the MIDI channel is a global setting.

I was thinking this might be good to pair with my 0-Coast, but can I sequence the 0-Coast with the Monologue sequencer and play the Monologue without the keys also playing the 0-Coast?

Edit: reading a thread on GS it seems this can be done by setting the keyboard to Local so it doesn't send MIDI. However it seems it's not possible to have the sequencer work in Local mode and send MIDI out via the keys.

[BONES]

I haven't tried this and the Monologue hasn't been out of its case since we got back from Europe. Sorry I can't be more helpful but the easiest way to stop the Monologue from reacting to the keys is just to turn the volume down to zero. Changing the setting to Local is comparatively clumsy and only makes sense if you want to control the synth engine via MIDI and play something else at the same time.

[sprnva]

Turning the volume down wouldn't work as I want to use both synths. With the amount of keyboardless desktop synth modules out these days it would be nice to be able to use the keys on the Monologue to play an external synth while using the sequencer to play a bassline or whatever on the Monologue.

Being able to sequence an external synth while playing along on the Monologue isn't a bad start though, it would just be nice if it was a little more flexible. Not sure what the chances are of seeing this in an update. I see Minilogue owners are still waiting for some of the improvements made with the Monologue to be added to the Minilogue with a software update.

[funktoons]

i'd rather spend another $200 on an MS20 mini which has more features, flexibility, and that just SOUNDS much ruder & chunkier from the demos i've watched. mind you, i can't afford ANYTHING right now, and i tend to be a total cheapskate, but when it comes to investing in gear, i'd rather have something with long haul potential than as a quick fix. i'm just not liking what i've heard out of the minilogue one bit. it almost sounds like a casio to me.

[poonna]

i'd rather spend another $200 on an MS20 mini which has more features, flexibility, and that just SOUNDS much ruder & chunkier from the demos i've watched. mind you, i can't afford ANYTHING right now, and i tend to be a total cheapskate, but when it comes to investing in gear, i'd rather have something with long haul potential than as a quick fix. i'm just not liking what i've heard out of the minilogue one bit. it almost sounds like a casio to me.

But it's the Monologue we're talking about here, right? Not the same thing as the Minilogue you mentioned.

[BONES]

i'd rather spend another $200 on an MS20 mini which has more features, flexibility, and that just SOUNDS much ruder & chunkier from the demos i've watched. mind you, i can't afford ANYTHING right now, and i tend to be a total cheapskate, but when it comes to investing in gear, i'd rather have something with long haul potential than as a quick fix. i'm just not liking what i've heard out of the minilogue one bit. it almost sounds like a casio to me.

Then you are not hearing the right demos. The Monologue is way better featured and far more capable than the MS20. For a start, you can actually save your sounds, then there is the amazing sequencer and oscillator SHAPE control. Monologue is also half the price of an MS20.

If you are confusing it with the Minilogue, then you'd be right about it not being capable of "ruder & chunkier" sounds but the Monologue is a different beast and it does "ruder & chunkier" much better.

[solidtrax]

I know I am very late to this party, but I bought my monologue just a while ago.

I'm incredibly surprised that this synthesizer has so much to offer for such a great price. You sit down with it and after a week, you're actually quite used to the menu structure and the excellent user interface.

I just didn't get used to the sound quickly. Don't get me wrong, that's more because it's so versatile, beyond my expectations really.

So much so, that I thought I'd create a sound bank for it, make two videos and write a little review. I'll only post the review (of monologue with firmware 2.00) here and perhaps way too late to mention, but I think this is a monster of a synthesizer.

Review: https://solidtrax.nl/korg-monologue-review/