Korg Minilogue, Monologue Get Major Updates

Korg has released major updates to the minilogue & monologue keyboards.

The system updates, available as free downloads, include new features, general improvements, and bug fixes.

Here’s what’s new with monologue 2.0:

  • support for active step feature
  • new microtuning presets DC001-DC003 (as on minilogue xd)
  • display original value
  • the new slider range parameter
  • added option to turn off oscilloscope display
  • increased granularity of MIDI filter setting
  • support for MIDI set position messages
  • misc bug fixes

Here’s what’s new with minilogue 2.0:

  • support for the microtuning feature (as on minilogue xd)
  • display original value
  • new slider range parameter
  • increased granularity of MIDI filter setting
  • support for key trig feature (as on monologue)
  • unified motion view display with minilogue xd
  • support for MIDI set position messages
  • misc bug fixes

See the Korg site for details.

32 thoughts on “Korg Minilogue, Monologue Get Major Updates

    1. The Korg site is definitely extremely bad, one of the worst for a big company. Stuff just not working and mysterious blank pages is what they have most of the time there. Maybe it works with some specific browser, but I think probably their server’s underpowered and/or they implemented the whole thing using some very inefficient system on the backend that just bogs down the server continuously. They desperately need someone competent to come in and redesign the whole thing from scratch and actually test it, including on different browsers. They also need to just set up a plain vanilla ftp server with folders for accessing updates and manuals, even a tiny server running on a cell phone processor would be able to satisfy worldwide demand.

  1. Wow, they did it! I was wondering if we’d ever get microtonal support on the Minilogue. Nice to see that they still care about the original units.

  2. Fantastic to see these updates. Way to go, Korg.

    Still hoping for a way to lock the ‘transpose latch’ mode so it doesn’t get reset when receiving a stop/start from an external sequencer.

    1. Right?! I have been searching for a way around this bug, you’re the first person I’ve seen to have noticed it?! How?! It’s terribly annoying, have you found a solution as of yet?

  3. The people who complained about not being able to turn the oscilloscope off are so infantile. I would have rather seen them focus on giving us some cool feature instead of something pointless.

    1. As an owner of a Korg Prologue 16 (I briefly owned a Minilogue.), I despise the oscilloscope display and would pay to be able to turn it off. I find it to be nothing but a gimmick and completely disruptive to the synth’s workflow. Considering the screen is so tiny, it would be much more useful to display current / saved parameter values, patch name / category, etc.

      1. It may have less value with so many notes playing…I wouldn’t know, I only have the Monologue. It os very helpful to me because ot helps me visualize the changes I am making and I can create patches much easier and faster because of it. Plus, it makes me want to try to create certain shapes and hear the sound that it will make. I have arrived at some cool stuff this way.

        1. Fair enough. I see how that can be useful. Especially when learning about the raw oscillators and how modulation effects the shape of the wave forms, etc.

      2. ‘Despise’ is kind of harsh – but I don’t see any value to using an oscilloscope with synths, unless you’re a tech calibrating it. For everybody else, it’s eye-candy that can only distract you from using your ears to make patches.

        1. Yeah, I guess that might have been a little harsh, but it truly drives me nuts that I can’t disable this feature. Especially on a flagship synth like the Prologue.

  4. My Report:

    Minilogue updater for Mac works and the new Microtonal feature is totally dope. 12 user writable scales, very easy to retune while playing. Any patch can refer to any scale. Perfect implementation.

    Despite claim the installer works in 10.11 and up, it runs fine in older MacOS versions.

    The Korg USB-MIDI Driver is NOT required. I do not have it installed. The installer works fine without it.

    GREAT JOB KORG! This is the best synth ever.

    1. Except for the keys designed for people with tiny hands.

      Why can’t they do a $600 ‘logue that’s got real keys? I don’t need the width of the Prologue synths, but they’re losing my money with the mini keys.

      1. You post that over and over in every single thread. I’ll respond by reposting my previous responses since to continue going over this time and again is what Hell must be like.

        I hate 6.5″ piano keys. They are too far apart. They were only stretched to that size because the obese piano mechanism forced it, not because of ergonomic reasons. Previous keyboards had smaller octave widths, from 4.5″ to 6.25″. 5.75″-6.25″ is the sweet spot. 6.5″ is simply too large. Those that advocate for it have limited experience with keyboards, excepting persons with exceptionally fat fingers.

        Now the tiny mini keys at 5.375″ that are common are too narrow but more importantly too short. The slim keys on the Korg Minilogue at 5.5″ is pretty tight on the width, but the longer length makes a huge difference and the keyboard is actually playable. Loosening it up to 5.75″ would be a improvement. Going below 5.5″ is getting too small.

        As it is the keyboard is playable and the size compact.

        Of course they do sell a full (ie too fat) size version, the Prologue, so for those cursed with enormous fat fingers, that keyboard is available and those people should stop complaining and buy that instead.

        The DX7 had 6.25″ octaves and it made it really playable, also they have a light touch that allows really fine control of velocity, without being flimsy. In the 80s and 90s a lot of synth actions were that width and it was great. At some point there came this, dare I call it fetishism, about 6.5″ and weighted mechanisms. I do understand that piano players feel they want something that is as close to what they are used to as possible for digital pianos. But for synthesis in general a heavy weighted wide mechanism was never a design advantage of the piano, it was a side effect of the complex mechanism, one that had to be learned to dealt with by players. It also contributes to issues such as carpal tunnel. Piano technique, with large motions, is very different from clavichord, harpsichord, and synthesizer technique. A good part of this is due to the differences in key weight, but obviously there are other elements, such as that the clavichord has polyphonic aftertouch.

        I’ve been done with 6.5″ keyboards for decades, and doubly so for the fully weighted ones. They are terrible, clunky, poor range, poor velocity control, and contribute to carpal tunnel. Just as you won’t buy anything smaller than 6.5″, I won’t buy anything larger than 6.25″. We’ll see which market segment is more important. Most likely neither!

        1. Can we at least agree that the mini keys on synths like the microKorg and JDXi are an abomination?

          They fail to take advantage of the muscle memory of skilled players, and they’re challenging to play for everybody else, because your fingers can get stuck between the keys.

      2. “Why can’t they do a $600 ‘logue that’s got real keys?”

        You know, there’s a thing called Minilogue XD Module, which has no tiny keys and you can hook it up to your favorite set of keys. 😉

        1. Thank you, JOE! The market demands and supports populist elements first; that’s where the bulk of the sales are. I idly ‘hate’ plastick-y key actions, but I got over it. There are some great options. Example: the M-Audio Hammer 88 gets great reviews for piano feel and does zones like a sincere controller should. If you have even one higher-end synth, you may already have the right controller for things like the Mono- & Minilogues. If I needed a new hardware synth at this point, I’d be all over a pair of XD modules like Taz on a canned ham. You know, for that 8-voice goodness.:O I also vote Yes for OLEDs. I’d prefer something at least a bit larger, but they work for me because they’re insanely crisp.

      3. Dude, get the Minilogue XD Module version and use your own midi controller. If you want u can get a no frills one and just sit the XD on top of it.

  5. This is a firmware update
    Not a hardware mini or slim key update ?

    Nice work Korg
    Wish i still had mine now

    Big oooops

    1. KaitM, the trick is you do NOT go to the Support or Downloads sections of the site. That’s for discontinued products.

      You go to products then synthesizers. Then scroll to the picture of your synth, click on that. Then scroll to the bottom of that page and look at Support and also the News section which says what the latest updates are. For your XD it’s system 1.11 released 6/28.

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