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Tag: Korg minilogue

  • The Best New Synths from NAMM 2018

    The Best New Synths from NAMM 2018

    Each year I cover the most intriguing synthesizer announcements from the NAMM show in Los Angeles. Maybe sometime I’ll actually attend, but the costs involved for little old TabMuse also pays for a bright and shiny new synth, audio interface, or music computer. Priorities simply matter.

    korg-prologue
    The Korg Prologue in all its glory. Photo copyright Korg.

    If you are interested in reviewing our previous NAMM dispatches, please check out the links for 2017, 2016, and 2015.

    The Hybrid Analog Beast of the Korg Prologue

    This year’s NAMM lacked the copious amount of synth product announcements of previous editions. One exception to this rule is the Korg Prologue. It features a hybrid architecture with two instances of the analog oscillator design from the Minilogue as well as a digital “Multi Engine” oscillator.

    This Korg’s singular LFO rapidly became a meme among the synth grognard community. It does provide a unique sound quality, beyond the Minilogue (or even the Volca Bass and Volca Keys). Check out the demo video for additional insights.

    The Prologue comes in two versions. The $1,499 model sports 8 voices and 49 keys, while the $1,999 model features a 16-voice design and 61 keys. Black is the only color – as it should be.

    Personally, I feel both models are priced $500 too high, considering they’re essentially part of the Minilogue/Monologue family. Considering my already hearty supply of Korg synths in the studio, I’m likely not in the market for the Prologue. Still, it looks to be a great product worthy of further exploration.

    The Waldorf STVC String Synthesizer of your Creamy Dreams

    While Waldorf’s new Quantum synth is arguably more powerful, I hold a soft spot for their STVC string synth, also announced at NAMM 2018. When I shared my review of his iOptigan app with Waldorf’s Stefan Stenzel, designer of the Streichfett, he mentioned the soon-come announcement STVC. Essentially a Streichfett with a keyboard and vocoder, the STVC brings an immense cool factor to the synth marketplace.

    126 programmable patches get you sound surfing quickly, plus you are able to save your favorite patch tweaks to 12 memory slots, similar to the Streichfett. The Vocoder circuitry features gender modification (always a treat), and a full polyphonic carrier signal. The STVC is expected out soon at a street price of $899.

    My Streichfett rivals the Moog Sub 37 as my favorite piece of gear, so you need to consider picking up the STVC.

    The Studio Electronics EX+Box is a Must for your SE-02

    The Roland SE-02 is arguably the best piece of kit in their Boutique series. Featuring a full analog design from the folks at Studio Electronics, its sound quality is top notch. However, many synth aficionados complain about their small knobs. Enter the EX+Box.

    Essentially a breakout box for the SE-02, the EX-Box provides a VCF knob without the digital stepping that hampers cutoff tweaking on the Roland unit. All the audio connections are accessible from the box, with the added benefit of ¼-inch connectors and more. It’s expected to be out in two months at a price of $89. In short, this is a must buy for SE-02 owners.

    Well, that’s it for this year’s NAMM digest. Hopefully it inspires you to pick up a new synth. Thanks for reading!


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  • Three NAMM 2016 Synths that won’t break the Bank

    Three NAMM 2016 Synths that won’t break the Bank

    Each year, the NAMM show serves as a second Christmas for musicians both in attendance and watching from afar. This year’s edition didn’t disappoint, with a wide array of innovative products being introduced. The synthesizer world saw many new intriguing models, with the growing Eurorack scene well represented.

    Three NAMM 2016 synths piqued my interest, each for different reasons. None are priced higher than $500, so they share that feature in common. If you don’t have the budget to pick up one of the new Dave Smith/Tom Oberheim analog polysynths (the OB-6), Arturia MatrixBrute, or the Yamaha Montage, hopefully one of these designs does the trick.

    Let’s check them out.

    The Korg Minilogue offers Great Analog Sound on a Budget

    Korg arguably won the price-performance ratio battle at NAMM 2016 with the debut of the minilogue. The new synth actually hit the street a few days before NAMM; surprising many with its polyphonic analog sound and deep feature set, all at a price under $500. Featuring a four-voice architecture, 16-step motion sequencer with Active Step, a cool oscilloscope display, and sync, the minilogue brings a lot to the table.

    Here’s Korg chief engineer, Tatsuya Takahashi, giving an overview of the minilogue.

    The 37-note keyboard suffers from mini-keys, but just use another keyboard as a controller if need be. An aluminum casing and a wood back panel give the synth a more robust feel.

    Korg minilogue
    The glorious Korg minilogue. Copyright Korg.

    When you consider the popular Volca series, it’s not surprising Korg was able to produce the minilogue at this price point. I use my Volca Bass and Keys together as a poor man’s analog polysynth, and they more than hold their own against the Moog Sub 37 and the quite evil Waldorf Streichfett. Still, Korg needs to be commended for the minilogue’s accessibility and robust feature set. Boom!

    Korg brings FM Synthesis to the Volca Series

    Takahashi-san — rapidly becoming this era’s synth engineer star ala Moog, Oberheim, or Smith — also introduced Korg’s upcoming Volca FM synth on the NAMM floor. Adding FM synthesis to the Volca series is a no-brainer, and the new synth is actually compatible with Yamaha DX7 patches using MIDI SysEx.

    Here’s Tats demoing the new Volca, courtesy of the folks at Sonic State.

    FM synthesis has long been known for its programming difficulty. I never enjoyed working with it until using a FM synth plug-in back in the halcyon days of Quarkspace’s Node in Peril album. The sonic possibilities of real-time parameter tweaking using this plug-in opened up a new world of sound far beyond the clichéd e-Piano patches for which FM is typically known.

    The Volca FM provides this level of parameter control with the added benefit of motion sequencing. Since I’ve already invested in two Volcas (Keys and Bass), a Monotribe, and a SQ-1, the Volca FM will probably make an appearance in my studio. No news about a release date, but you can expect the street price to be around $159, the same cost as the other synths in the series.

    Make Noise 0-Coast serves as the Gateway to Eurorack Modular

    Make Noise continues to build a reputation as one of the bright lights in the growing Eurorack scene. While I’d love to invest in one of their Shared System kits, its price point is probably a bit too high considering my current budget constraints — replacing my music computer and audio interface remains paramount.

    Thankfully, at this year’s NAMM the company introduced a desktop semi-modular synth called the 0-Coast (pronounced “no-coast”). The street price is slated to be $499 when the single voice synth hits the market later this year. The 0-Coast offers a taste of Make Noise’s innovative module collection, with a simplified parameter setup, and serves as a perfect entry point to the world of Eurorack.

    Check out Music Radar talking with Make Noise’s Tony about the 0-Coast.

    I’m considering purchasing a 0-Coast instead of the minilogue. Already owning a ton of Korg gear, as mentioned earlier, the Make Noise desktop synth offers the chance to visit new sonic vistas, and slowly dip the old toes into the Eurorack pool. The device should pair nicely with the SQ-1.

    This look at three innovative, yet relatively inexpensive, NAMM 2016 synths hopefully offers hope for a new addition to your studio without breaking the family budget.

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