something new from Korg on the way

[hurricane hugo]

not the greatest announcement I've ever heard

[Synthoid]

I'll add a "meh" to that as well.

[ABECK]

Hey look, a synthesizer, only smaller.

[GovernorSilver]

KingKorg is 5 octaves - that's not small.

 

I'm unclear as to the differences between this new Dark King version and the earlier King Korgs though

[Doerfler]

hopefully a better keyboard action like Studiologic added with the Sludge.

[Synthoid]

KingKorg is 5 octaves - that's not small.

 

Not new either. Some black paint and maybe a few new features, but meh.

[Song80s]

KingKorg is 5 octaves - that's not small.

 

Not new either. Some black paint and maybe a few new features, but meh.

 

Might as well join the ' i crowd '. Hook up your favorite keyboard/controller. Get the apps, etc, etc.

[J. Dan]

Strikes me as slightly humorous that the special edition with the big announcement is that it's the color most other manufacturers would have made it to begin with.

[Song80s]

Strikes me as slightly humorous that the special edition with the big announcement is that it's the color most other manufacturers would have made it to begin with.

 

The Odyssey rack is a nice but needed move, IMO.

 

The marketing for this product launch looked low budget. I did not expect

anything ' big' or expensive.

 

Is Korg trying to market to the dance crowd/millenials ?

Are they following Roland marketing ?

 

I am curious about their strategy. It looks like the products are low to moderate budget

stuff.

 

the " i " stuff is more interesting to me, at this point.

[GovernorSilver]

Is Korg trying to market to the dance crowd/millenials ?

 

Here's some reading if you really want to catch up:

https://www.attackmagazine.com/features/long-read/the-democratisation-of-synthesis-korg-designers-on-the-making-of-the-minilogue/

 

Tatsuya Takahashi - the whiz kid with the English accent - is the guy who changed Korg's direction. He is a millennial, and probably the most influential in the synth industry.. Korg's re-entry into the analog synth market started with him. He would have been about 26 years old when he was hired. I read in an earlier interview that he makes house/techno music himself. He designs instruments for himself, and his tastes just happens to be in line with those who buy the products he's designed.

[vonnor]

hopefully a better keyboard action like Studiologic added with the Sludge.

+1

[Song80s]

Is Korg trying to market to the dance crowd/millenials ?

 

Here's some reading if you really want to catch up:

https://www.attackmagazine.com/features/long-read/the-democratisation-of-synthesis-korg-designers-on-the-making-of-the-minilogue/

 

Tatsuya Takahashi - the whiz kid with the English accent - is the guy who changed Korg's direction. He is a millennial, and probably the most influential in the synth industry.. Korg's re-entry into the analog synth market started with him. He would have been about 26 years old when he was hired. I read in an earlier interview that he makes house/techno music himself. He designs instruments for himself, and his tastes just happens to be in line with those who buy the products he's designed.

 

aha. Now I am geeked out.

 

I thought Korgs ' new ' president was most influential. Maybe its these 2 guys.

 

And this remark is revealing ; " a bit like an ongoing conversation with the circuit. The Minilogue required more of this because it was a completely new circuit and it was very needy the first prototype was a rebel. But we had a sit down and talked over what might be upsetting him "

[Bill W]

KingKorg is 5 octaves - that's not small.

 

Not new either. Some black paint and maybe a few new features, but meh.

 

And probably STILL doesn't have aftertouch.

[burningbusch]

Is Korg trying to market to the dance crowd/millenials ?

Are they following Roland marketing ?

 

I am curious about their strategy. It looks like the products are low to moderate budget

stuff.

 

You've got it backwards. Korg pretty much invented the space with the MicroKorg which came out in 2002. It was, and still is, a hugely successful VA having sold what? 300,000 - 400,000 units. Everyone has been trying to replicate that success with minikeys. So too with the Volca line which gave everyone access to analogs at a $150 price point. Again, hugely successful and that was "Tats" starting point as a synth designer at Korg.

 

I was in a music store the other day which had a wonderful assortment of the latest keyboards, Montages, all the Nords, a Minimoog D and all the very latest Roland stuff. I asked the manager what's selling and he just said the Minilogue is still hot. It came out right before last years' NAMM and has been largely on backorder ever since. Expect the Monologue to follow suit. It has an aggressive sound and pretty unique feature set, high build quality, entry level price and cool colors.

 

Roland's stuff is largely backward looking. The plug-outs and Boutique series all replicate earlier synths. Korg has done that too with the MS20 and Odyssey, but most of their synths designs are new.

 

Busch.

 

 

[Song80s]

 

 

You've got it backwards. Korg pretty much invented the space with the MicroKorg which came out in 2002. It was, and still is, a hugely successful VA having sold what? 300,000 - 400,000 units. Everyone has been trying to replicate that success with minikeys. So too with the Volca line which gave everyone access to analogs at a $150 price point. Again, hugely successful and that was "Tats" starting point as a synth designer at Korg.

 

I

Roland's stuff is largely backward looking. The plug-outs and Boutique series all replicate earlier synths. Korg has done that too with the MS20 and Odyssey, but most of their synths designs are new.

 

Busch.

 

 

good info. I felt that Korg was selling truckloads of a synth. I was not following VA.

 

Success breeds more success. Low price sells, etc, etc. Korg gave these 2 talented guys the budget to keep things flying high.

[Bucktunes]

[video:youtube]

Just take my money. NOW! I can't wait to play this in my iPad Pro.

[aronnelson]

The monologue looks great. I just wish it had more keys. I like to use my instruments as-is and I just realized the monologue has less keys than my CS-01.

[ElmerJFudd]

Meh.

 

I guess since the Sledge looks good in black, Korg had to buy the same dress?

 

[video:youtube]

[dougb415]

[video:youtube]

Just take my money. NOW! I can't wait to play this in my iPad Pro.

Picked it up today, along with the Rev 1 skin. Having some fun with it, been a lot of years since I last messed with one.

[DulceLabs.com]

Is Korg trying to market to the dance crowd/millenials ?

Are they following Roland marketing ?

 

I am curious about their strategy. It looks like the products are low to moderate budget

stuff.

You've got it backwards. Korg pretty much invented the space with the MicroKorg which came out in 2002. It was, and still is, a hugely successful VA having sold what? 300,000 - 400,000 units.

 

Best selling synth of all time, I believe.

[ElmerJFudd]

they're iOS apps are good, some of the best written for iOS. so if that's your scene, then yeah. it's a cool announcement.

 

The monologue in multiple colors for $300 + $13 for the power adapter (sold separately?)

I dunno who this synth is for. I guess for whatever crowd is collecting these mini synths. Bedroom producer types and DJs no?

 

The King Korg does look better in black, BTW. Still not as cool as the DM12 - both at $999. YMMV

[Daniel Heslop]

I am actually interested in the monologue.

I have a deep hatred for manufacturers making these two octave keyboards, but with the low E lay out and the price, I can forgive it here. (I'd still prefer 2 1/2 or 3 octaves though)

 

As for the hope the king korg has a better keybed...here here! if it is the same as the Kross (and I think it is) it leaves a LOT to be desired alright.

However the black (i.e. normal looking) King Korg is a limited item, so I'm not giving it a second thought, or even a first thought for that matter.

[David Emm]

A Trident MkII (or "ARP Quadra MkII") with some modern amenities would be a winning instrument, IMO. Its not hard to make a case for a smart 4-section synth. The Roland JD-Xa is on the right track, with an analog section and a ROM-ish digital section, but it stops too short at just 4-voices each. I like seeing CV/Gate options on any otherwise 'digital' synth, so I get the feeling that the market would embrace a new "Trident MkIII" that could behave like a workstation minus the sequencer. I like having a lot of the main goods in a central box, but having found my early niche with a MIDI star-network, the image of a central 'board controlling 4 outboard toys has a pleasant echo of memory to it.

 

 

 

[CowboyNQ]

Meh.

 

I guess since the Sledge looks good in black, Korg had to buy the same dress?

I really wish Korg had made the KK black in the first place, like a "normal" keyboard. It's red-headed-step-sister-fugly in that champagne colour.

 

Although that is part of its charm (the keyboard, not your step-sister).

 

[brenner13]

I inherently gravitate toward the strange and unusual and prefer the original champagne King. Although not as much now since Krome has become available in that hue. Would'nt kick either of these lovelies out of the house, myself.

Oh, and I prefer redheads.

[stoken6]

Oh, and I prefer redheads.

 

No Nords in your sig? Oh, I get it - you're playing them in secret, so the other boards don't get jealous.

 

Cheers, Mike.