Introduced in 2002, he MicroKorg It became one of the best-selling synthesizers of all time. But many things have changed since then. Over the past 22 years, Korg has tried to update this early 21st century classic several times, but they haven’t managed to capture it the way the original did. The contradictory name MicroKorg XL, the MicroKorg S (which added speakers and not much else), and the MicroKorg XL+ (just a MicroKorg XL with a facelift) failed to usurp the OG. But Korg hopes that MicroKorg 2 He will be the true successor to the crown.
The MicroKorg 2 is an improvement over the original in almost every way, that’s clear. What’s less clear is whether 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 little synths out there today that I’m not sure this is the answer for everyone.
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 digital but intended to sound analog), just like its predecessor. But the scope of its sound-shaping power is much broader. In addition to standard waveforms like 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 a transient to the start of a patch, similar to what you can find in the classics. Roland synthesizers from the 80s like the D-50. The MicroKorg 2 also has three oscillators (instead of two on the original) and a continuous transform multimode filter.
The MicroKorg 2 is also a multitimbral synthesizer with twice as many voices (eight versus four), compared to its predecessor. This gives you the ability to create complex, layered patches (for example, an arpeggio and 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 have an instrument that clearly surpasses its namesake.
Photography: Terrence O’Brien
The really impressive thing is that it manages to be much more powerful, but also much easier to program than the original. While the big knob and genre-based patch navigation remain, gone is the obtuse system where you’re forced to search for parameters on a giant table when trying to tweak presets or create a sound from scratch. The MicroKorg 2 is far from a controller by function, 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 creating patches in MicroKorg 2 is really fun. This is definitely not something anyone would have said about the original.
Not great navigation
However, genre-based patch navigation seems outdated. It was questionable in 2002 and now it seems downright strange. The way it’s divided (four categories with eight banks and eight programs in each bank) seems unnecessarily complicated. Additionally, of the 256 slots, only 64 are reserved for user patches, which is annoying for people who like to customize them for live shows. That said, if there isn’t a giant knob with the words “hiphop” and “trance” around it, is it really a MicroKorg?
Photography: Terrence O’Brien