Korg is asking for your thoughts on a Mono/Poly Remake.

[aciddose]

BONES:

1. How many ms20 minis do you own?
2. How many will you buy?

I will buy at least one for ~$1000 if they create either a version at normal size without a keyboard (1/4 sockets) or potentially a bit more if they replace the semi-modular panel with a touch-screen and provide an input matrix on the back panel. If they were going to use smaller 1/8th jacks I wouldn't mind banana instead: still a huge pain but more physically robust than 1/8 jacks.

The majority of the weight of the originals is in the PSU transformer and other components that don't exist at all in a modern version.. I'd expect the modern version to be approximately 5 kg, although being ultra-light would be of zero benefit since it would reduce the stability of the chassis without the keyboard.

This puts a dollar value on our opinions.

[Richard_Synapse]

I stumbled up on this on Korgs Facebook page asking about if you want a Re make of the Mono/Poly

https://www.facebook.com/KORGusa/photos ... =3&theater

The FB page references this article:
https://reverb.com/news/6-synths-in-need-of-a-reissue

While I agree with the article mostly, the vintage Mono/Poly as well as the Polysix are not that expensive, not even close to a Jupiter-8, Memorymoog or OB-XA - so not sure why a remake would be needed. Unless Korg manages to make it dirt cheap, then it could be interesting perhaps

Richard

[aciddose]

While I agree with the article mostly, the vintage Mono/Poly as well as the Polysix are not that expensive,

That's exactly where I'm coming from with my suggestions. As it is... the mono/poly is actually a huge beast with its keyboard and panel designed as in the original.

They could cut the size by half without the keyboard. Since it's a digital keyboard anyway, what exactly is the difference between using a MIDI/USB controller? Unless Korg is wanting to get into the business of selling controllers I don't see the point.

In addition the panel is over-sized on the original due to being fit to the key bed. Without the key bed the panel could be spaced and arranged differently and the size might be reduced to as little as 33% while using full size knobs, text, sockets and only minimally reduced spacing.

I don't own a mono/poly or have any accurate measurements on knob spacing (mid point + edge to edge) so if someone could provide those numbers that would be very helpful. At a glance it appears the spacing is significantly higher than 1" edge-to-edge.

So... I think to motivate me to buy a product like this (I'm not certain I'd be interested to begin with) they'd need to have some pretty capable filter-routing (ext I/O) and parameterization features added to the original on top of solving the numerous size/ease-of-use issues.

[v1o]

First off - again: that has nothing to do with Behringer's cloning capabilities; it's a simple matter of demand. As for the Model D, they make hundreds of units a day, and still can't keep up with the demand - that should tell you the ammount of orders they've already got...

You miss the point. It’s not a demand issue it’s a supply issue. Behringer haven’t proven that they can deliver. They promised retailers a certain quantity of stock of the Model D and thus far have not been able to deliver that amount of stock to the market. There are still retailers who didn’t receive their initial allocation of units.

It’s a recurring theme with Behringer they have several products which are either severely supply constrained or miss their launch dates by years even. Remember their motorised midi keyboard controllers, they missed their launch date and eventually they launched late with several bugs and issues.

As for Uno, I'm sorry, but that's completely bull. It's only 50-60 Euros more than a Volca around these parts. The other synths cost at least 100 Euros more. So it's actually in Volca price range - but feature-wise, there's simply no comparison. As for sound - Timbre Wolf level?!? Are you on something?!? 'Cause otherwise, you need to talk to your ENT doctor immediately!

The UNO costs £200. Microbrute costs £250. Monologue costs £200. The Korg Volca units cost £110-120. The Volcas are nearly half the price.

[BONES]

If my thumb hits a neighboring knob it means the knobs are not spaced widely enough.

If your thumb hits a knob, it means nothing. Hitting a knob with your thumb doesn't affect anything, it just makes you a bad shot. Spacing is as much about the style of knob as anything. e.g. The knobs on Uno are at your ideal 25mm spacing (centres, the way an engineer would measure them) but the knob are probably 20mm in diameter so they are very, very close together. But it doesn't matter because there is just a single row of them so there is plenty of space above and below for your fingers and thumb. They certainly feel better in use than the knobs on MicroMonsta, which are on 30mm centres and are only about 12mm in diameter. Being able to fit your thumb between them doesn't improve their usability at all.

The point I am trying to make here is that you can't generalise on stuff like this, there are too many variables. Good design breaks rules, it doesn't conform to them. Despite appearances, I enjoy programming and playing my Uno far more than I ever did with my one-knob-per-function Monologue because the Uno is simply better designed (and gives better results, which is no small part of its fun factor).

They could cut the size by half without the keyboard. Since it's a digital keyboard anyway, what exactly is the difference between using a MIDI/USB controller?

Cables, ports and connectors. Who can be bothered? It's an extra device I simply don't need all the time and it's nice to have options. e.g. What if I am already using my controller to play a VSTi and I need to play a second part? That's why my stage set-up is one MIDI controller (Rise 25) and a hardware synth with a keyboard (Analog Keys or Ultranova). As much as I love MicroMonsta, on stage it will be sequenced from my PC, I won't play it at all. OTOH, because Uno has a keyboard, I will definitely play it live, as well as sequencing it.

Unless Korg is wanting to get into the business of selling controllers I don't see the point

They've been in the controller business for ages and have quite a range of them. It would be interesting to know what the sales split between desktop Odysseys and keyboard Odysseys is. Korg have that info and I'm sure it will inform their decisions on such things. All you can say is that you prefer a module but you don't speak for anyone but yourself (obviously, neither do I).

BONES:

1. How many ms20 minis do you own?
2. How many will you buy?

I'd need at least a dozen so that I could super-glue all the controls when I got a sound I wanted to use, which is to say zero. None. Zip. Zilch.

This puts a dollar value on our opinions.

No, it's you putting a dollar value on your dreams. I live in the real world so I make decisions about things I can actually buy. That's why in the last 18 months I've spent more than $5000 on new hardware - JP-08 (+K25m), Minilogue, JU-06 (+K25m), Monologue, Rocket, KeyStep, Pulse 2, Rise 25, Analog Keys, MiniLab Mk II, MicroMonsta, Uno and a couple of different audio I/Os. You'll notice it's a good mix of full-size keys, mini keys and no keys at all, which gives me more than enough experience with each to understand which are more valuable to me. What I mostly see from you is speculation based on perception and bias.

[Shiek927]

Why? It's just a ROMpler. I loved my microX but it is easily outclassed by any half-decent VSTi. A Prophecy VSTi, on the other hand...

I love workstations/PCM synths. They are my favorite kind of synthesis and used predominantly in my favorite genres .

[idfpower]

The UNO costs £200. Microbrute costs £250. Monologue costs £200. The Korg Volca units cost £110-120. The Volcas are nearly half the price.

Check Thomann: Volcas are 135 E, Uno is 198 E. Around here Volcas are around 140 E, while the Arturias, Korg and the like are well over 300 E. Volcas may be half the price in your country, but not everywhere.

As for Behringer's supply capabilities, it's one thing to fill an order of 100 units, and another to make 100000 units... the key point is: ppl order them, that's why they had that huge backorder issue in the first place. Did it occur to you that maybe it's actually their strategy, in order to make sure every singe unit actually sells? Uli B. is the kind of guy who will take risky, unconventional decisions as long as it makes money, so I wouldn't be surprised if it's actually part of their market strategy. But again, this has nothing to do with my initial line, which was about their "reverse engineering" capabilities - something they do know a thing or two about...

[aciddose]

BONES: I'm sorry you've wasted so much money on stuff you have to justify to yourself by going totally off-topic in a thread about a mono/poly remake.

[AnX]

he sold half that stuff a few months later anyway

[BONES]

I love workstations/PCM synths. They are my favorite kind of synthesis and used predominantly in my favorite genres .

What? Nobody ever chose to use ROMplers, they did it because that's what was available and/or most convenient. And even a free VSTi sampler is going to be able to do way more and better than any ROMpler. After all, the Triton only had 64MB of samples.

[BONES]

BONES: I'm sorry you've wasted so much money on stuff you have to justify to yourself by going totally off-topic in a thread about a mono/poly remake.

Pardon? I went off-topic responding to a question you asked me about MS-20 (which is not Mono/Poly) and that's somehow my fault? Very interesting.

And yes, sold the Korgs, sold the Rolands and I'm about to sell the Pulse 2 if I can find a buyer. I didn't lose a lot of money on any of them and I did take the Monologue to Europe last year so it did its bit. You gotta try things for yourself.

[AnX]

I did take the Monologue to Europe last year

this man knows how to treat his synths, martini's on the Riviera

[Harry_HH]

I did take the Monologue to Europe last year

this man knows how to treat his synths, martini's on the Riviera

French or Italian - or perhaps English Riviera?

[monomaker]

I will buy at least one for ~$1000 if they create either a version at normal size without a keyboard (1/4 sockets)

You seem to be describing the MS20M - https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/korg-ms20m-sq1

I'm not desperate for a MonoPoly, they would have to add more CV inputs at least to get me interested, I wish they'd make microtuning standard on their poly synths. DSI is far better in that department. Still, I wasn't desperate for an Odyssey either but the price point and desktop form factor made it irresistible, maybe they could persuade me.

[AnX]

I did take the Monologue to Europe last year

this man knows how to treat his synths, martini's on the Riviera

French or Italian - or perhaps English Riviera?

As England decided to leave the EU, we can leave Bournemouth out