The Korg Monopoly (part 1)

[senordonkeyoatey]

Wow, I picked one of these up at a garage sale for $50 recently. This old couple was cleaning out their basement and I guess this had belonged to their son. They didn't know what they had, and neither did I until now. Two dead keys and some dirty pots...I hope it's not too expensive to fix. Then again, can I complain? BTW, I'm not a keyboard guy, I just like garage sales.

[Dectheboner]

Hey man i could do with you coming to my house to teach me about synths :)

[mr4y]

Korg Monopoly? What's this? A Korg edition of monopoly?

[geox19801]

"Hello,i have one monopoly but it makes some background noise only when i´m play .

do you think what could be?"

could you help me please??

[geox19801]

Hello,i have one monopoly but it makes some background noise only when i´m play .

do you think what could be?

if you can help me

thanks

sorry for the english.

[skizofrenik]

hey what s hthe music we hear at the beginning ? it rocks !

[AutomaticGainsay]

@skizofrenik Thanks! It's an Automatic Gainsay song called "What You Bought," and you can see the video here on this channel, if you look for it!

[skizofrenik]

@AutomaticGainsay Oh thank you ! My brother has bought a Korg Monopoly few months ago and its so amazing . Take care !

[samaanartist]

I'm on the verge of buying a Mono/Poly BUT a few things are putting me off. The whole battery leaking thing......is this likely to happen? Is it ok to buy one which has had the battery replace with a Lithium battery? Also, is it ok to buy a reconditioned one?

[AutomaticGainsay]

@samaanartist The battery leak thing is a problem with the Korg Polysix, not the MonoPoly!

[Baldknob71]

Awesome.

I have the Vsti version.

Hours of fun!

[HypeRhymz]

We need to get back to anolog synths

[1FuZzToNe1]

2:20 reminds me of some Edgar Winter sounds OOooh Yeaahh Funky times! haha thanks for this post man

[1FuZzToNe1]

how long does it take for the oscillators to warm up?

[AutomaticGainsay]

@1FuZzToNe1 The standard 15 minutes!

[TWMusicBerlin]

look whats korg making today, nothing but plastic shit =(

[samuraipizzacat29]

ha - related videos "monopoly man goes bankrupt"

[sapient110]

this thing is sooooooo fun to play with

one of the best sounding synths i ever played on

[geox19801]

hi,

a bought a Doepfer MCV4 to work with my korg monopoly but i can,t get figure out to put this dam thing to work

could you help please.

[IoniaUpload]

How much would you say one of these are worth?

[AutomaticGainsay]

@IoniaUpload It dependson where you are, I suppose... but the MonoPoly has been consistently undervalued in comparison to some other synths. It's functionality and versatility exceeds MANY synths, especially monophonic ones. Honestly, it should be worth more than an ARP Odyssey... but the Odyssey has a much stronger historical base.

[ancientoceans]

your demo and playing really do this amazing keyboard justice. i knew very little about non-modular analog synths until i watched this, you do such an interesting job explaining it. thanks man.

[AutomaticGainsay]

@ancientoceans Thank you, and thanks for watching!

[MothershipOracle]

@ancientoceans owned a mono/poly since the late 80"s, ....bought it for just £175! what a jem of a synth! the only downside (especialy for gigging!) is the weight! it sure does weigh in, but i think its worth it! as we know, any quality instrument normaly weighs in!

[TheElPajero]

Thanks for the wonderful video and its sequel! I'm hoping to buy one too, analog's always analog. :)

[xtremehikers2000]

big deal, i got a cheapo casio for $300 that does all that, besides you play like crap!

[AutomaticGainsay]

@xtremehikers2000 You paid $300 for a Casio? Well, there's your first problem. Your second problem is that you don't realize that your Casio doesn't do anything this synth does. Not even one thing. Okay, I'm exaggerating. I'm sure it turns on, and has keys. But the important thing is that you, however inaccurately, find your Casio to be at least as good as this keyboard... and that's all that matters.

[Andrij09]

@AutomaticGainsay Marc, your video is perfect, you are explaining this so good with such passion - you have my admiration. I appreciate your solid reactions regarding many silly and negative comments. I hope, I will see from you new interesting videos with analog synthesizers!

[AutomaticGainsay]

@Andrij09 Thanks for your kind words, and for watching! There is a Yamaha CS-50 video on the horizon somewhere! : )

[Flipjunkie1]

i always called it korg mono-poly i just assumed thats how it was said

[AutomaticGainsay]

@Flipjunkie1 I was never entirely certain until I heard the promotional recording Korg made for the product. In it, they pronounced it like "monopoly." I think I had called it a mono poly before that.

[efitzpat2011]

My school has one of these, but it has some issues... i tried playing it a while back, but when you start playing, it'll randomly change pitch (in half steps) and then you can only play it for a minute or two before it slowly dies out and stops sounding completely... any suggestions?

[AutomaticGainsay]

@efitzpat2011 Well, I'd suggest taking it to a qualified tech, if it was yours... I suppose you should tell the same to your school!

[sacredgeometry]

@efitzpat2011 do you know about subtractive synthesis? cause it could be working if the envelopes are lfos are set to do that.

[Nuckabean]

@efitzpat2011 Buy the "broken" synth off of them for a couple hundred bucks and get it repaired by a proper tech! Where are you located?

[TheJezzka01]

@efitzpat2011 i think maybe you have the lfo's and maybe arpeg on, maybe................

[eingang]

in case you did not know. this is a korg mono/poly!

[salvadory]

Between this and your ms20 i can safely say youre a lucky lucky bastard

[AutomaticGainsay]

@salvadory Well, I actually don't possess either of them any more! They are both fine synthesizers, but my tastes lie elsewhere.  : )

[salvadory]

@AutomaticGainsay lie elsewhere where? please dont tell me soft synths???

[AutomaticGainsay]

@salvadory Ha ha, no. I consider myself very very very lucky to possess an ARP 2600 and a Minimoog... two synths whose sounds perfectly fit all of my analog synth needs.

[salvadory]

@AutomaticGainsay now im really jealous-! My only analog claim to fame is i once owned a mellotron until it got ruined in a flood in 1991- ive owned alot of old gear but not a minimoog or arp2600- alas i still have an arp axxe- a prodigy- a satellite- a micro korg 700(pretty much my most used synth if you can beleive) by the way your videos are great!

[cfov]

I wish I never sold my years ago. The best analog synth I ever owned. Too bad they want an arm a leg for them on Ebay.

[NotNotOminous]

I didn't know you could play it by yourself.

[gamma526]

is it wired that i red it as mono-poly?

[AutomaticGainsay]

@gamma526 Actually, no. I used to pronounce it that way, too... until I heard the Korg cassette demo of their own synth, where it was pronounced in the way that I pronounce it in this video.

[emdotambient]

@AutomaticGainsay Of course, you know, whatever production company Korg hired to do the English cassette demo might very well have gotten it wrong. It's not like there's never been a misunderstanding between one language and another ;)

[AutomaticGainsay]

@emdotambient Ha ha ha shhhhhhh. ; )

[HelloNewYorkCity]

bill gates used to have a 'monopoly' but got sued

[CiaranPaulRoche]

Brilliant synth...

[pogsquatch]

Great demo- great synth. How much do you think a true analog 4 oscillator synth would go for new these days ?

I picked up 2 of these thru my local music store for $35 total in 1991. When wavetable synths hit the scene in the early 90's, everyone who had bought one of these traded them in for next to nothing. My local store took in so many of them the boss just wanted to "get rid of them."

[w0rmaster]

@pogsquatch I am green with envy, sir.

[Andrij09]

Nice demo, guy. Your explaining is interesting and you have talent for this. I lerned many new things from you about this synthesizer. Best regards from Chemnitz, Germany.

[KevinDolin]

@Andrij09 Go back to Germany, this is America.

[Andrij09]

@KevinDolin I am in Germany:-).

[TheScooteryt]

I'm not harsh on many synths but i disagree.. its notoriously thin.

[alunmauve]

I think I regret selling my Mono Poly more than I regret selling my Juno 106!

Oh, and then there was the Sequential Circuits Prophet 5... with the curtis chips :' (

[AutomaticGainsay]

@alunmauve You should regret the sale of the Prophet, then the sale of the MonoPoly. As for the Juno, you shouldn't regret the sale of it. The voice chips were going to go anyway.

[rolandsh1000]

@AutomaticGainsay

The Juno106 might not compare as well to the Prophet or the MonoPoly, but it shouldn't be dissed because of the voice chips, as they can be fixed!

search youtube for 80017a repair!

[AutomaticGainsay]

@rolandsh1000 All I was saying was that they are going to fail. And they are. It's not that they can't be replaced, it's that you'll have to replace them.

[rolandsh1000]

@AutomaticGainsay Good point!

[Desmaad]

@AutomaticGainsay Hrumph! I think the sound of the Juno 106 is well worth the maintenance costs.

[AutomaticGainsay]

@Desmaad Well, that's the important thing!

[KevinDolin]

@alunmauve Gay whores are expensive, sometimes you just need to sell your gear when you need the next fix of cock.

[alunmauve]

@KevinDolin Really? I never knew that Kevin. Well, I suppose we should all thank you for sharing such personal experiences with the rest of us, however inappropriate they may be.

[KevinDolin]

@alunmauve You're quite welcome, gay homosexual.

[Pied777]

I had the choice between buying this synth for 900 $ or a Roland JX-8P w/ PG-800 for 500 $. I choose the JX-8P and tho' it is a very great synth in my opinion I still regret cuz I should have bought both !

[crazeeborg]

Excellent demonstation way up and fav

[AutomaticGainsay]

@rrmd2007 You should have watched part 2... in that one, there's a well-choreographed fight scene, some special effects, and cameos by celebrities. Oh, and also: you might have learned something.

[juankenon]

@AutomaticGainsay

I like the cut of your jib

[Cds56]

@AutomaticGainsay "Oh, and also:"

[str3123]

I followed your instruction on my monopoly VST and I finally realized that there is a HUGE difference!

[AutomaticGainsay]

@str3123 Ha ha, weird. I spend a lot of time telling people there is a difference, and everyone thinks that I'm just being an elitist snob. Thanks for a little extra proof. : )

[str3123]

@AutomaticGainsay Hahaha, I already know there were a big difference. Just never heared that it was so H-U-G-E ! Unfortunately, digital stuff will be NEVER same as analog. You may have a good result with some plugins by waves, nugen, iZotope or similar but it isn't the same thing...

[Goth108]

@str3123 i sold my digital synths (microkorg and alesis micron) and started collecting analog stuff now, it's really worth it!

[str3123]

Nice demo!

[AutomaticGainsay]

@str3123 Thanks!

[pacific707]

Hey - you give a great demonstration!

[Himandhisfriend]

does anyone know where i can get one

willing to spend up too 500 pounds

any help would be great!!!

[AEpooptube]

ebay man. they sell for about $800-900 USD from bidding auctions. i know a guy who could get you a REALLY nice condition one for $1000 USD. let me know if you want his contact info. he is in japan

[AutomaticGainsay]

Thank you!

[zealbound]

My dad actually found one of these thrown out behind a thrift store! It was beat up but played well; and I foolishly sold it on eBay years ago.......

[simon12332]

@zealbound veeerrry foolish haha:(

[Leesycool]

Kwl 2:25 is pretty kwl

[AutomaticGainsay]

Wow, thank you for the compliments! It can't be anything less than fantastic to remind someone of Hyman or Sear! : )

[blauwolfenduro]

thnx 4 dis

[igorpan]

Its was maybe great instrument 30 years ago...but now there are 1000 VSTis that work better than that synth

[AutomaticGainsay]

Define "work better." Certainly software synthesizers often have more functionality, but there are sacrifices made in sound quality and direct interaction. There is more to a synthesizer than just what functions it has. I've used a number of insanely powerful synths which had very little musicality and had crappy tone.

[Syntpop]

Hello and thanks for this upload! It is always a pleasure to se such a beauty!

I have the vst-version of this one and I have played the real one back in the 80`s.

The vst-version is really good! The sound quality depends on your soundcard and speakers etc. The vst-version has much more possibilities. It is more a matter of the feeling of touching this machine for real, the smell, the wood, the knobs..something a vst never can beat not even with a good midikeyboard!

[Desmaad]

@AutomaticGainsay I concur; some of my favorite synths have only one oscillator!

[blauwolfenduro]

@igorpan dont think so .-dsp-based sound cant compare to true analogs!!

[AnalogNostalgia]

Your shit "VSTis" cannot even come close to actual analog circuitry, your software digital bollocks is all finite calculations, it just won't cut it the way analog does. Well besides that, honestly if your considering a Mono/Poly it's damn worth it i see them going for around 600-750$ honestly that's ridiculously cheap considering what it is.

[NEILVANCE]

Thank you for another great demo!, the MonoPoly has all way been a fav synth of mine, They fetch so much money today, They are a gem.

[AutomaticGainsay]

They really are. It's the synth I most often suggest when people are looking for a powerful analog monosynth for less money. As far as I've seen, they're still selling for less than they're worth!

[maccagrabme]

Sounds like a lot of us need counselling for selling old classics like this for peanuts! ;)

[UnchainTheNight1]

so it has a maximum of 4 voices? or 8? not much of a polysynth if you can only get 4 note polyphony by using only one oscillator. than again, you can do a lot of things with just an oscillator(learned that watching your sh-09 video).

[AutomaticGainsay]

Well, it depends on what you need a polysynth for. Many don't actually want an analog polysynth. 4 voices is enough to define all of the basic chords. ; )

[UnchainTheNight1]

yeah, plus like you said in the video, there is a lot of functionality for each oscillator

[molekulaTV]

Thanks again for the job body!

[tuckerplowden]

why is there a skull lol ahhaha

[AutomaticGainsay]

PRETEND YOU NEVER SAW THE SKULL

[tuckerplowden]

what do you think is the best synth to start with im a fast learner and can learn stuff fast lol ahha also do you think a good price for a mono/poly

[AutomaticGainsay]

It depends on what you're looking for in a synth!

I would pay $1000 for a MonoPoly, and that would be consistent for it's functionality... the good news is they often go for less than that.

[wcub4]

How close is the VST version sounding to the original version?

[AutomaticGainsay]

While software versions of synthesizers are excellent tools, and often more functionally powerful than the hardware devices they emulate, the experience of using and playing a hardware synthesizer is quite different, and as a result, the way you play it is different. In addition to that, it is very difficult to emulate the variety of aural results you get from an analog device.

[devmiles]

should i get a studio electronics SE1 or a Monopoly?

[scaryfishdude]

Now THAT'S a synth!

[dustytretch]

could anyone recomend a synth like this in a 700 dollar price range around 400 pounds i live in the uk

i have looked at synths like micromoog oberheim ob 1 roland juno

it has to be analog and look good thanks

[IPOXstudios]

Look into the Yamaha CS-15. Watch the videos on here...I think this guy actually did a comparison between the CS-15 and the KORG MS-20...the CS-15 won overall. I found one on Ebay for around $550 USD. Good Luck! :D

[dustytretch]

thanks my budget has gone down a bit to about 400 dollar but i checked it out seems good found one for about 200 dollar but missing a knob but i found athew other synths that look gd a obeheim ob x without the keyboard and a taurus 2 without the pedals but there under 150 dollar thanks for the recommendation ill look into yamaha a bit more

[WolfgangAmadeusF]

Great presentation,YOu're the man!!!

[AutomaticGainsay]

-Thank you!

[Brainbox97]

i've got a monopoly its a great game

[HyperSonic707]

@Brainbox97 but do you have the special korg edition? its a few hundred dollars more, and is easily affected by temperature

[karimnn]

This is awesome keyboard, 4 OCS! By the way there are more videos on YouKeyboard.

[columbo71]

Korg "monopoly" ?? followed by the korg "Snakes and Ladders" and the Korg "Backgammon" ;-)

[gothicsakura82]

you mussed the korg dungeons a nd dragons he

[Desmaad]

Mind you, it refers to the device's uni and poly modes.

[rezisehtnys]

Hey don't know if you remember me or not, but I finally have enough for a M/P. And I have two questions I forgot to ask you. First one is, in relation to a piano what is the note range of the M/P? Reason I ask is since the SH-101 can only reach down to what would be the last F on a piano and makes important notes impossible to reach, I wanted to make sure the M/P isn't the same in that respect. Also, can you route the VCF EG to oscillator pitch? Thanks, and awesome videos. =D

[kino1820]

sounds like my atari games

[skinnypuppy1]

this is a great synth I got mine at a pawn shop for 250.00 killer deal, the guy didn't know what he had!!!

[TheMCMXXL]

By all respect - i had myself four Polysix and they get all beaten by Software. They may sound all different to Software and they are very usable, but they are technical crap. Korg was in its best time "Beginners el-cheapo" and that you can clearly see in the internal design and parts which were used.  It reminds me on early computers - mostly all based on a design around a 6502 or Z80 with the difference of different operating Systems. Synths were there no exclusion.

[F0nkyNinja]

Korg Mono  Poly, not Monopoly :P

[AutomaticGainsay]

Well, that's what I used to say. But if you find the original audio demo released demonstrating the MonoPoly, you'll hear Korg's own spokesman say "MonoPoly" over and over again. I'm not going to argue pronunciation with them about their own product. Are you? : )

[THESonicMMM]

I've had my Monopoly since 1982... and still use it! Mostly triggered by my BassStation's CV output though. MIDI to CV control ROCKS!

[hartig1967]

the perfect synth! thnx for sharing!!

cheers

[danz409]

OMG! how much would a cheap verson of one of these run?

[leonkennedy74]

Cheap? LOL, never gonna happen man. I've been looking.

[danz409]

well when i say cheap, i mean off brand, dosnt have to be korg. just any type of solid state sythisizer would be nice to play around with.

[SimbaLogic]

£800+

& probably broken too.

ULTRA-RARE

[yermyahu]

I really like your videos, BTW - that includes the ones on Sonicstate. Me thinks someone is pulling my leg - about the Mono/Poly I parted with 10 years ago...perhaps I'll be proven wrong.

[yermyahu]

This will be my last post - I'm also the one who wrote the info for the Korg Mono/Poly in Wikipedia - I think you'll find it quite useful. ;]

[yermyahu]

Oh, and if anyone ever finds a Mono/Poly with Anglo-Saxton runes on the bottom panel...that one was mine.

[dontpunchgrandpa]

my friend owns ur old keyboard.

[yermyahu]

If you find one...DON'T let go of it! Or let anyone sucker you into selling it like I did...actually in my foolishness I practically gave it away! No wonder this was President of Korg Mr. Mori's favorite synth. It makes the most chaotic, and ambient drum sequence splurps, trickles, farts, dongs, bangs, whistles, and yowls with the different OSC settings, FXM and Arp. It was the only synth I ever owned that made me laugh! Have a good delay processor handy.

[yermyahu]

And to think I sold mine for $100 in 1999...I've suppressed my regret, believe me. I bought mine for $350 from Chris Youdell at Analog Modular in 1995 when I was only 17. I wanted a Minimoog and he personally suggested the Mono/Poly - for budget, reliability, and overlooked potential. I've played a Minimoog - and all it did was make me miss the Mono/Poly even more.

[AutomaticGainsay]

I bought my Micromoog from Youdell.

But yeah, I would suggest the MonoPoly to anyone who is looking for the intersection of great sound, massive functionality, and low price.

[francolamuerte]

Marc Doty is a great person. His knowledge and the way that he show thing are great!

Marc, your voice is also like a great cup of coffee! I'm not an english speaking person (i speak french), but your explanation and demonstration are very dynamics, so I understand very well what you say.

Merci beaucoup Marc pour tes excellentes démonstrations!

Cheers,

Franco La Muerte

Québec-Canada

[Pitacle]

Chu bin d'accôw'. ;)

[treeZon1]

ta geule l'hosti d'quebeqoi...lol...va don chier...

JOKE...shte niese man

[francolamuerte]

Ton humour est particulier en tout cas.

[AutomaticGainsay]

Thank you very much, I'm flattered!

[dirtycoffee22]

how does this compare to the korg r3?

[SpacehotelMusic]

Love this synth, been looking for one for a ages to add to my gear... the search goes on! Good vid!

[TAWDIGITAL]

Nice video, just picked one of these up, look forward to noodling with it.

Cheers!

[AutomaticGainsay]

Happy noodling! Thanks for watching!

[deadendkid1968]

Thanks for the info...I bought one for $25 and I thought that it didnt work...but after it warms up it plays...I want to Ebay it...needs a bit of cleaning...but from what they seem to be bringing near $1000 US.

[fo2sh90]

i think it will be better with trance and electro etc...

[fo2sh90]

how much !!!! :(

[markix88]

I love mono/poly. One of my favourite synthesizer...great demonstration i love it!

[petemacdo]

WANT ONE!

[lodnaellid2]

The access virus TI is better!!

[onezeroeightzero]

i am sorry but you talk complete and utter tosh, though the TI is an excellent VA

[lodnaellid2]

it IS better, its a fact!! It's the best instrument in this galaxy!

[onezeroeightzero]

you talk through your bottom.........the ti is more capable obviously, but that does not make it sound better.

[lodnaellid2]

Dude this thing is from 1981-28 years old, the access TI is so much better, it has better sounds and you can control it 100% !

Just google it...

[onezeroeightzero]

it depends what you want from a synth. The TI is an excellent synth, but the Solaris will probably be even better, but they are essentially software driven digital approximations of an analog synth. Excellent as they are you cannot compare the old to the new, and if you don't understand that you need to google a little more yourself.

[sanshuz]

What is meant by not modular?

[AutomaticGainsay]

Modular synthesizers are synthesizers where the various components are separate and unconnected... you make the connections yourself. It allows you to have a very great deal of flexibility and control. The MonoPoly is not modular, but it allows you a huge amount of flexibility and control.

[Szartard]

WANT.

[DaLobsta]

is that a human skull in the background? badass lol

[icloo]

Peek-a-bee!

I see monopoly!

[nujazzelectro]

really really cool synth, this is the first one I ever bought!

[davcar23]

I wonder why Korg didn't keep the 4 osc. idea for all his other synths/workstations afterwadrs.

[AutomaticGainsay]

Well, honestly... four is too much. Korg probably only went with the four in this instance for the sake of the polyphony.

[JargMarbin]

why is there a real human skull in the background?

[AutomaticGainsay]

I'm sure I don't know what you mean. ; )

[JargMarbin]

i love this synth

[Antiks72]

Retro coolness. The old stuff is better.

[pichunters]

Hey! I really like what you do. I kinda do the same but its more Live Impro, comme and check it out on my channel sometime!

Cheers!

[pmsan29]

what an awesome look this monopoly has. Kind of a medieval meets modern approach. And the sound on this board is FATTTT!!

Now i know what too add to my wishlist, thanks for the vid!

[gianlucagostini]

hey, your video is very good, and your english is clear!

[AutomaticGainsay]

Thank you very much!

[modman1234567]

DUDE you think you can make my some type of cool logo or theme song music?

[teateateateateatea]

見てるだけで欲しくなります！

[AutomaticGainsay]

Translation please!  : )