{"id":13635,"date":"2024-12-07T20:05:48","date_gmt":"2024-12-07T20:05:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topat10.com\/?p=13635"},"modified":"2024-12-07T20:05:48","modified_gmt":"2024-12-07T20:05:48","slug":"seo-korg-microkorg-2-review-better-not-best","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topat10.com\/?p=13635","title":{"rendered":"SEO: Korg MicroKorg 2 Review: Better, Not Best"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Introduced in 2002,<\/span> the MicroKorg<\/a> became one of the best-selling synthesizers of all time. But a lot has changed since then. In the last 22 years Korg has actually tried to update this early 21st century classic a few times, but they haven\u2019t caught on the way the original did. The oxymoronically named MicroKorg XL, the MicroKorg S<\/a> (which added speakers and not much else), and the MicroKorg XL+<\/a> (just a MicroKorg XL with a facelift) all failed to usurp the OG. But Korg is hoping the MicroKorg 2<\/a> will be the true successor to the crown.<\/p>\n

The MicroKorg 2 is an improvement on the original in almost every way, that much is clear. What\u2019s less clear is whether or not Korg has a winner on its hands, or if the MicroKorg 2 is an uninspired attempt to cash in on a classic. There are so many great smaller synths these days, I’m not sure that this will be the answer for everyone.<\/p>\n

Modern Sound<\/h2>\n

One of the biggest changes from the original MicroKorg is the sound engine. At its core, the MicroKorg 2 is a virtual analog synth (it’s digital but aims to sound analog), just like its predecessor. But the scope of its sound-shaping power is much broader. In addition to standard waveshapes like sine and saw, the MicroKorg 2 has a configurable noise source and access to a library of PCM samples that can be used to add a transient to the start of a patch, similar to what you might find on classic \u201980s Roland synths like the D-50<\/a>. The MicroKorg 2 also has three oscillators (instead of two on the original) and a continuously morphing multimode filter.<\/p>\n

The MicroKorg 2 is also a multitimbral synth with double the number of voices (eight versus four), compared to its predecessor. This gives it the ability to create complex layered patches (say, an arpeggio and a pad simultaneously) or lush expansive chords. Add to this an expanded six-slot mod matrix with many more sources and destinations, plus a broader selection of effects, and you\u2019ve got an instrument that clearly outclasses its namesake.<\/p>\n

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