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It was presented in 2002. that MicroKorg became one of the best-selling synthesizers of all time. But a lot has changed since then. In the past 22 years, Korg has actually tried to update this early 21st century classic, but they haven’t caught on to the oxymoronic name The MicroKorg XL MicroKorg S: (which added speakers and not much else), and MicroKorg XL+ (just the MicroKorg XL with a facelift) all failed to master the OG.But Korg is hopeful MicroKorg 2 will be the true heir to the crown.
The MicroKorg 2 is an improvement on the original in almost every way. What’s less clear is whether or not the MicroKorg 2 is an uninspired attempt to cash in on the classic. There are so many great little ones out there these days synths, I’m not sure this will be everyone’s answer.
Modern sound
One of the biggest changes from the original MicroKorg is the sound engine. At its core, the MicroKorg 2 is a virtual analog synthesizer (it’s meant to sound analog), but its range of sound is much wider waveforms such as sine and sawtooth, the MicroKorg 2 has a configurable noise source and access to a library of PCM samples that can be used to add at the beginning of a transient section that sounds like classic 80’s Roland synths D-50. The MicroKorg 2 also features three oscillators (instead of the original’s two) and a continuously variable multimode filter.
The MicroKorg 2 is also a multi-timbral synth with double the number of voices (eight versus four) compared to its predecessor, allowing it to create complex layered patches (say, arpeggios and pads at the same time) or lush extended chords a six-place mode matrix with many more sources and destinations, plus a wider selection of effects, and you’ve got an instrument that clearly superior to its namesake.
Photo by Terence O’Brien
What’s really impressive is that it manages to be a lot more powerful, but also a lot easier to program than the original. While the big button and genre-based patch browsing are left, there’s no longer that obtuse system where you have to search for parameters in a giant way. on the table when you’re trying to tweak presets or create a sound from scratch. The MicroKorg 2 is nowhere near a single function button, but the 2.8-inch screen and contextual buttons make it much easier to find your way around.
In fact, I’d go so far as to say that it’s actually fun to build patches on the MicroKorg 2. That’s definitely not something anyone would ever say about the original.
Not a great cruise
However, the genre-based navigation seems out of date, and the way it’s broken down into four banks and eight programs in each bank seems unduly convoluted 64 are reserved for user patches, which is annoying for people who like to customize live shows. That being said, if it doesn’t have a giant button around it that says ‘hiphop’ and ‘trance’, is it really a MicroKorg?
Photo by Terence O’Brien
