KORG "monotron DUO" Analogue Ribbon Synthesizer

[MarioWars]

"Duo" is written in the same font as "Mono/Poly" :D

[CalumPMSmith]

Monotron duo? Duotron, surely.

[hhanslie]

L0L can i hav dat preset plzzzz!

[YAGUARETE77]

filters do not sound like ms 20 ms or 10, also has no fat, the character or strength of true analog synthesizers is a toy for children

[NuclearLullaby]

This sounds like my stylophone a bit at first

[GranulatedStuff]

no midi..big mistake

[MarctheDarc]

I dont get why korg insists on ruining all their new products with goddamned useless built-in speakers. They take up space, eat power, cause unnecessary noise/interference, increase cost etc. Think, if it wasnt that damned speaker, there would be room for a resonance pot on the Monotron Delay, instead of fixed resonance. The Duo would have had room for a LFO etc.

I love how Arturia beat Korg to the real analog mini synth everybody have been asking for with the MiniBrute. Getting that instead!

[MrTRYTOO]

@MarctheDarc

ur right but its 50 vs 500 euro...

[MarctheDarc]

@MrTRYTOO Yeah, there's really no contest there - the Monotrons are great sounding tech in a toy-package, the MiniBrute is a real synth! I feel, and alot of people agree with me, that Korg should move forward (not backwards) and start putting that tech into a more useful package (instead of toys with a built-in speaker whose only purpose is annoying the others in the schoolyard).

I'm merely enjoying the fact that Korg now got beat eventhough they had a huge lead, only because they didnt listen!

[bloodySunday77]

@MarctheDarc (a) The power the speaker eats is almost zero. Noise is inherent on such a simple, cheap analog circuit. The extra cost is also almost completely insignificant. Plus, it's a fun addition that can provide its own funny and weird character if you want to. It's the same case with the Stylophone: the little speaker clips easily, but that's the major fun part and it plays a huge difference on the sound.

[bloodySunday77]

@MarctheDarc (b) All the other additions you say (resonance, LFO etc) were definitely not left out due to chance. Each of the 3 Monotrons has specs that have been very, very, very carefully planned not to coincide by the people at Korg's marketing department. Each one has different capabilities, and in order to get them you are seriously thinking of buying them all (meaning: 3 times the profit for Korg).

[bloodySunday77]

@MarctheDarc (c) The Minibrute costs more than 10 times this. Plus, it faces heavy competition by other analog synths at that price range. Therefore, it's hardly anything to go gaga about, especially compared to the Monotrons...

[MarctheDarc]

@bloodySunday77 (a) however minor the changes it doesnt alter my base argument, the fact that even just removing the speaker without adding anything or reducing cost, would still make this a better product. Thus it cant be said to be anything but utterly useless and redundant!

(b) you just collaborated my 2nd argument - Korg thoroughly doesnt care about the quality or useability of their product!

(c) it's hardly 10x the price when you need 3 monotrons to get even close, and it IS 10x the synth!

[bloodySunday77]

@MarctheDarc (a) Yes, it actually does make it redundant. If it annoys you for some weird and silly reason, well, don't look at it.

(b) No, it's completely the opposite, assuming you know how to read. It's completely irrelavant to the QUALITY of the product - we were talking about its FEATURES. As for useability, any company who would like to sell their product would do exactly the same. If you would like something different, make your own company and experience financial failure.

[bloodySunday77]

@MarctheDarc 10x the synth? They are extremely different. How can you even be putting them in the same sentence???!? Are you completely crazy? As for the rest, you are not making any sense at all. If you need a proper synth, you buy a proper synth, not a funny little instrument. Every tool has its place, assuming you know what to do with it, which as a gear snob you obviously don't.

[MarctheDarc]

@bloodySunday77 Actually you turned it that way 'round and i just answered in kind. Originally i was just musing the fact that now Arturia, of all, more or less built exactly what people have been asking Korg to build for ages, thus gaining "first mover advantage" (look it up). I know plenty about making a business, and i've seen time and again how it's a bad idea to not listen to the public.

I like alot of Korgs products (my rig is almost pure Korg), but i really loathe those built in speakers!

[dvibe]

@MarctheDarc Can't you just open it up and remove the speaker?

[MarctheDarc]

@dvibe Sadly it's not so simple. There's several parts of circuitry involved in adding the speaker, most of it an integrated part on the print, among others the speaker amp and the splice switching the output between the jack and the speaker. Each bit adding unnecessary noise and harmonic distortion.

And maybe you'll say "F it, it sounds fine", and that's cool too. I just have a hard time understanding the choice on Korgs behalf when they so willfully degrade their products.

[tomsawyersucks]

FUCKIN SICK!!!!!!

[Goth108]

digital music is the try to imitate real music.. it gets close and still will never ever be the same in sound and handling, no matter how many digital plugin shitters join any charts

[danitills]

Till´s Korg Monotron:)  <<<my clip

[chubchellios007]

i need thisss if i dnt have this i will dihrtu5yurtuyer7uj6hrtegymjnht­bgyhtngbrvfecghjgfdftghuijrfrg­hfddgghjuhfgghjghjkhgfdghjbjib­frvijobnwecjvnrgiuhelrijcnlrut­hv;okjen;vlirujvn;elwkvnkorjvn­;oskvkosrnflvjnr;ojkbn;fknobko­wnfg;boknjrw;ogbkjwr;bijsrklbn­d.ofkgbndjkon;bkdrnb;odkprjb'p­kdrbldkrtmb/lkrmb/ldkrmb/gmtb/­lkfmb/m/lftkbm/okftnb/ldktjbn/­ldtknb/lftkmnt:Lknjmft;lkbnmf/­tln;mrt/;blmnf/bnfbl;mft:BLNjr­t/dklm;tdjnl/kbdmtnbklmfty/bkl­njdrtb/kjnt/lknjb/dtlknmd/lrtk­bmndt/bkln;md/klntyknthkn/dtmn­dkmndk;klh

[irishremixes]

@Mateu ive watched videos from all the monotrons and it seems that the normal monotron is just as good at making the effects but the others can get a few more so as the 3 are the same price it would be safe to go with either one.

[MarioWars]

when is this thing going to be released?

i've been waiting forever ;_;

[kellyssa3]

This thing sound really good. It's 100% analog circuitry like all the moog synth. But it's a toy because it's too hard to play with the ribbon and unfortunately there's no midi in for connecting a external keyboard.

[robotica808]

These are great, but you really need to make the ribbon controller bigger and a bit more responsive.

[Bluddyshadowhell]

at least we know how dub step is made

[77Tom77Tom77]

This can't be considered as a gimmick but just as a sythesizer! Modding possebilities, audio filtering or using a modded Monotron family just as a modular synthesis system. The right thing for creative people!

[Theotim92]

Back to analog is the best idea when it comes to synths ! Fed up with digital and VA synths...

But if Korg could make a real analog synth with 2-3 VCO and full implementation (lfos, vca, vcf, ring mod...) that would be great, around 500-600 euros like MFB do !

Nowadays we should have efficient and affordable analog synths.

Korg is on the good way but go ahead and make real machines instead of this kind of toys.

[darkhunter513]

@Theotim92 this cant be conciiderd a sythesizer but just as a gimmick

[drum4life42]

I have the Monotron classic and I love the thing, there is only two things that I wish they would have done. #1. Made it 1.5 times bigger than what it is. #2 put in a bigger speaker in the bigger model* But Ive alomost blown out my speakers because of it, lol. I cant beleive the bass that this thing can generate! Sick

[IteratedIntegrals]

Buy both and run the Duo through the Delay. Smart.

[Brondashi]

@IteratedIntegrals that can be done? it's the first thing that popped into my head when i saw these!

[IteratedIntegrals]

@Brondashi The Korg website says the Delay's aux input lets you apply filter and delay to any audio source. So connect a 1/8 inch stereo cable from the headphone output of the Duo to the aux input of the Delay and there you have it!

[Brondashi]

@IteratedIntegrals happy days, ill be snapping a pair of these up when my local equipment shop gets them in :D

[MrJumboshrimp7]

delay seems better sounding



[Benjy3634]

@MrJumboshrimp7 Only thing though, its filter have no resonance knob!

[GeoDelGonzo]

Cross modulation sounds hot!

[EnvelopeGenerator]

A lot of the classic analogue synthesizer companies of the 70s and 80s have been ruining their names by pumping out crap digital and VA synths for years, but KORG are making analogue affordable and quirky and just plain fun again with the Monotron and Monotribe series, and they sound amazing. Goddamn, I want a Duo so badly!

[TheShledge]

@EnvelopeGenerator

Moog STILL makes analogue synths. Although whether digital is crap or not is debatable.

[EnvelopeGenerator]

@TheShledge Of course, and they're a fantastic company, but I did say "affordable" - I had to sell two of my synths to buy a Moog Little Phatty! I didn't say that digital was inherently crap either, just that most of the formerly respectable synth manufacturers have gone down the road of crappy, uninspiring digital workstations in the last couple of decades.

[neonwind]

@EnvelopeGenerator Spot on comment!

[willy3toes]

@EnvelopeGenerator and yet they don't bother adding midi!!!!

i mean surely one guy in korg would say "hey, if we put midi on this, it will cost a little extra but EVERYONE would buy one!!!

[9Mateu]

which is best?

monotron - monotron duo - monotron delay? :D

[gorillabiscuits]

@9Mateu collect them all! I got the monotron and plan on getting the duo and delay :)

[AliothSenator]

@9Mateu Buy both.They're gonna be cheap as cheeseburgers.

[kos278]

@9Mateu Ive got the first,regular monotron. And I want the two new ones too. they all rock.

[sambamamba2000]

@9Mateu

matter of opinion.but i think the monotron delay is most interesting.

[MaxSynths]

@9Mateu The Monotron duo seems more interesting.

[houseband239]

@9Mateu duo imo

[Alxasaurus]

@9Mateu All three of them XD

[willy3toes]

@9Mateu duo

[modgemtb]

@9Mateu there's only one way to find out.... :D

[FSK1138]

please release another monopoly analog synth -- korg is the best

[bergermuzik]

YEAH! =D

[narudh]

FUCK THAT SOUNDS GREATER THAN I MAGINED. korg should come up with 1v/oct CV version or MIDI.