Korg Minilogue

[deastman]

Why would anybody buy this? Unless you are trying to throw away money for no good reason, why wouldn't you buy ANY VST on the market, or rather, several of them, instead of this? Did you hear the factory presets in the video above? What does this do that probably all commercial VSTs can't do? Why wouldn't you buy Omnisphere 2 instead of this?
(Yes, I know, "analogue", "cool", "retro", yadda yadda yadda... Any demos that actually sound remotely better than any commercial VSTs, and doubtless most free ones?)

Im guessing youve never had a decent analog in your studio for a few days.

I think you would see that its not splitting hairs here, they are two different beasts.

Why get paint when you can use Adobe Illustrator? Why play golf when you can play wii golf? Why write a letter when you can email.

different things. on paper it's all math I know, but in the real world, ones and zeros sounds different than voltage and what not.

I'm not sure if any of you are serious or not... are you seriously saying that there is something so different about analogue synths that you can hear it? Have you any double blind studies you can show me to prove your point?

I'm not going to debate the relative merits of software vs. analog, but there is something to be said for a physical, tangible instrument which you can sit with in your lap and just play directly without requiring a computer. It's a physical, tactile experience.

[IncarnateX]

I'm not sure if any of you are serious or not

...compared to "seriously" bumping into a hardware thread about a hardware synth on a hardware forum starting a software vs. hardware debate?

I see your problem

[tehlord]

That guy SeamlessR on Youtube.

He says FL is the best DAW on the market and Sytrus is the best FM synth on the market.

He also says it's all he's ever used.

[Uncle E]

Why would you use anything else when you've already found the best?

[Wormhelmet]

I am definitely a fan of that Team and Takahashi in particular.

he's such a dreamboat.

First and foremost humble and knowlegdeable. Complete opposite traits than those of the standard KVR expert. Secondly making a synth is not just about making a synth to him. It's a call of life and a philosophy. Finally it seems like the result of it all is great. Still waiting for my unit to arrive but I have absolutely no doubt that I will get bang for the buck. I want Takahashi for president.

That was a great interview with him. He's got that mojo for sure. The enthusiasm is evident everywhere. He should be very proud of this one, yet still comes off as humble. Korg has a great team.

He animates the inanimate and gives it a personality. Yes, he will be one to watch for new creations.

Designers that are players and understand what it's like to be limited on funds and have to get in a creative space. What more could we want?

Anyone that hasn't put their hands on one to at least try it if they are in the market for an inexpensive analog poly, should at least demo it at a local music shop.

As far as software to hardware and analog sounds to software emulations, if you are buying hardware, you already get it. If you are questioning why ever buy hardware when software can do the same or better for less money, stop listening to mp3 clips and trying to make software comparisons. Sit down with a real instrument. It's for the player more than the listener. It's something the experience will always leave me feeling like words can't exactly describe the interaction between hands, ears, electronics.

I can get the same feelings from VA in hardware too. More so if I don't try and compare it to real analog. VA is VA and the sounds you can get are great. With hardware gear, it's that tactile response. Something a mouse doesn't translate. Why I have a bucket of patch cables. Plugging in a real cable, twisting a real knob, moving a real slider. It's knowing the electricity really flowing under the fingers.

This is something that could be achieved for me by controllers, but I would have to have the controllers like you see on Synth Project site. That guy gets it for sure, but has the ability to make the software into a tactile experience.

[tehlord]

Why would you use anything else when you've already found the best?

Well it's easy to make the judgement when it's all you know.

[olikana]

since they fixed the triggering of voices in 1.11 firmware the clicks are a not an issue anymore (before it was an unplayable click fest).
overall it is a stellar polysynth that does it all. good for everything from bass to leads to pads and makes for a good midi controller too. keyboard is more than playable and responsive. knobs are solid . if you're cramped for space like me it is a good choice. step sequencer sends midi notes to sequencer but not the motion values , if motion values are CCs then hopefully those can be sent out too in future firmware.
I ain't keen on the silver so I hope someone comes out with some overlays. or maybe korg willl even release it with different color versions if popular.
I give it a 9 out of 10.

[Branis]

my major gripe at the moment is the LFO always retriggering on note press. is there not an option to have it free running? can 't the option be added in a firmware update?

Set the LFO Key Sync to OFF in Program Edit, button 3. See pages 33-35 of the manual for more details.

[deastman]

since they fixed the triggering of voices in 1.11 firmware the clicks are a not an issue anymore (before it was an unplayable click fest).
my major gripe at the moment is the LFO always retriggering on note press. is there not an option to have it free running? can 't the option be added in a firmware update? you'd think it would be there as default.
overall it is a stellar polysynth that does it all. good for everything from bass to leads to pads and makes for a good midi controller too. keyboard is more than playable and responsive. knobs are solid . if you're cramped for space like me it is a good choice. step sequencer sends midi notes to sequencer but not the motion values , if motion values are CCs then hopefully those can be sent out too in future firmware.
I ain't keen on the silver so I hope someone comes out with some overlays. or maybe korg willl even release it with different color versions if popular.
I give it a 8.5 out of 10. a definite 9 if the LFO issue can be amended.

There was a firmware update? I totally missed that!

[olikana]

my major gripe at the moment is the LFO always retriggering on note press. is there not an option to have it free running? can 't the option be added in a firmware update?

Set the LFO Key Sync to OFF in Program Edit, button 3. See pages 33-35 of the manual for more details.

ah I seee. gotta press button3 twice for the "Key sync" option to show.
thanks.

[Stupid American Pig]

I like to use sytrus in Reason so that I can play the best vsti in the virtual hardware. Its pretty awesome.

[IncarnateX]

I like to use sytrus in Reason so that I can play the best vsti in the virtual hardware.

Me too.

[D-Fusion]

[IncarnateX]

So my minilogue finally arrived last week. Simply a great synth. Cannot add much to the positives already reported by others. Best value for my money ever.

After all the clicking madness around here (which turn out to be farts of nothingness), I am actually surprised that the worst problem is the noise from the delay. It sounds nothing less like a bit chrusher at normal levels, so you have to be a real glitch fan to use it, imo. You can beat the noise at very subtle delay levels but at these setting, it is more effective as an old spring reverb, because you can hardly hear the delay tales as such.

Anyway, though it is a polysynth, my first impulse was to test its synth bass potentials. Bass is always the first priority to me. With the ability to use voice 3 and 4 as subosc one or/and two octaves below in mono mode or detune in unison mode, there are a lot of options. Using the shapers can really vary the sound as well. In this respect, the minilogue delivers most of the classics and much much more.
Here are some recording of my fumbling with the sequencer, some bass sounds and some controls.
Sorry for the misleading test titles. They were supposed to be much more clicky but it was hard to reproduce the infamous error, so the clicks must be enjoyed at a subliminal level given they are there at all.

https://soundcloud.com/incarnatex/clickmydick
https://soundcloud.com/incarnatex/suckmyclock
https://soundcloud.com/incarnatex/clickilyclop

Cheers

[Uncle E]

They were supposed to be much more clicky but it was hard to reproduce the infamous error, so the clicks must be enjoyed at a subliminal level given they are there at all.

It's possible that Korg is now shipping Minilogue's with the new firmware that fixed the click.