Ahead of the 2024 NAMM Show, being held January 25-28, 2024 in Anaheim, California, Korg has announced a new microKORG minisynth.
Unlike previous updates to the original microKorg, the new microKORG is a major redesign, with a new sound engine, an improved user interface and new capabilities. The design retains the original’s form factor, large program dial and vocoder. The basic design of the chassis, control panel layout, green silk printing, knob shape, and other iconic microKORG features have been retained, but the design has been updated.
The new microKORG features a 2.8-inch full-color IPS LCD display that’s designed to streamline editing. It also adds new vocal processing features, a harmonizer, a loop recorder and more.
The original microKORG was known for its easy to use vocoder. The new microKORG adds a powerful vocal processor, with pitch correction effects, along with a harmonizer that lets you pitch-shift and layer the original vocal sound. You can also apply reverb, delay and other effects to the vocal processor’s signal output.
The loop recorder lets you create backing tracks by looping and overdubbing. The three dedicated buttons—record, play/stop and undo/redo—make loop recording simple.
Korg says that the mini keyboard has also been updated to improve playability.
Updated Sound Library
The new microKORG introduces a genre-based Category and Bank selector, providing quick access to an wide range of sounds within Classic, Modern and Future categories. The genre-based Category and Bank selector let you quickly navigate presets. The three Banks feature eight genre Categories, each offering eight preset Programs, and you can save up to 64 Programs in the User Bank.
Expanded Effects
Korg has developed three series of effects, including nine new types of modulation (with dynamics effects), six types of delay and reverb. These three series of effects can be independently switched on/off, and you can adjust the wet/dry ratio of the effects separately.
The signal is routed through the effects and output to a two-band parametric EQ with adjustable low and high bands, so you can adjust the final character of the sound.
Pricing and Availability:
Official details are still to be announced, but the street price for the Korg microKORG 2 is expected to be around $700 USD.
On the Korg site not find name “Korg microKORG 2”, really version TWO in the name?)
Anyway, like this new synth!
Well, Non crystal digit screen is a plus
Hopefully it will be enough to access the inner engine better
Cool, Korg slamming back again into the future with remakes
Not stoked about the lack of program slots. No reason to retain that setup when they memory and screen to deal with more has gotta be a given.
can it still be battery powered?
Yes.
it can still be battery powered
If you would have shown me the microKorg on the first day it came out 20 years ago or whenever it was and told me it was going to be one of the best-selling synthesizers of all time I would have been utterly mystified. Terrible, confusing interface that made even simple programming cumbersome, and a giant knob taking up all that space simply to what? To change banks of presets by genre? As usual I overestimated people and didn’t realize countless musicians were going to just use those stock presets like a keyboard you buy at Best Buy and call it good. I didn’t get it then, and I don’t get it now. But hey–knock yourselves out.
Agreed. First time I used a Microkorg went instinctively to the big knob thinking it was the filter and when it changed presets I was flabbergasted. This synth is just a digital preset machine with a few parameters to change. This should come with a midi controller adding like 10 knobs.
It’s a fully programmable synth and controllable from the front panel.
Yes, going straight for the big knob to control the cutoff really shows your synth programming abilities 🙂
Whether you like or not the fact of the matter is there are plenty of people who have made good music with device. If it’s not for you move on. Exercise your freedoms…..
So you feel your programming abilities are not appreciated?
Presets are great, the music doesn’t care.
i really don’t get the hate for the OG micrikorg’s interface
it has the absolute best interface i’ve experienced on a synth
– the form factor is perfect
– it’s battery powered
– the small knobs feel great
– the giant knobs are super satisfying and snappy
– the matrix menu imo makes perfect sense imo and i find it very muscle memory friendly
– every feature is a knob turn and a couple of clicks away
– the keyboard is spongy sure but fun to play
– you can increment/decrement input values by +-1 with the buttons
– it’s indestructible and cheap especially second hand
– it sounds awesome
10/10 fun factor
it’s so tactile never even used the presets
man i love the microkorg
….nooo….they removed the wood sides? :O
this is my favorite form factor for a synth besides eurorack. I enjoy the mini keys and the size of the overall machine. glad to see they made another version . I would love another version of the microkontrol as well as an all analog poly version of the microkorg. glad they didn’t kill of this form factor.
Needs either to be $100 cheaper or have 12 voices at keast.
or 128 voices
It is kinda surprising considering it’s digital but it’s double the voice count of the first one, double everything.
What would be cool is if this was backward compatible with the original Microkorg and MS-2000 patch library. Regarding the price… Remember that the ASM Hydrasynth Explorer is a VERY capable and expressive pro synth with multiple screens and a great build quality and it lists for $599 so that is something to consider. I think Korg may have a challenge marketing it at the current list price.
Will there also come a VST plugin of this?
There’s a new video from Loopop comparing a prototype of the new Microkorg to the old OG model.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgDOT5n7NkY
I hope this is useful to somebody out there. Take care!