Building upon the success of the original microKORG, first released in 2002, Korg has upped the ante with the new microKORG S Synthesizer/Vocoder. With a familiar form factor, the microKORG S now features a built-in 2+1 speaker system, which provides power well beyond its body size. The exterior has been revamped with an elegant white motif, while internally, the sound presets have been updated to incorporate a breadth of modern genres for a new generation.
The newly added speaker system offers stereo operation with clear imaging, plus a subwoofer capable of generating a good amount of low end for its size. The speakers are contained within the chassis, and deliver vibrations to your fingertips, creating a tangible effect for inspiring performances. Korg also increased the memory of the instrument to 256 presets, with 192 carefully chosen preset programs including clearly defined and punchy leads, electric pianos that sound great in an ensemble, and powerful and solid basses. Additionally, there are 64 user presets that allow you to create and save your own creations without overwriting the stock presets. A favorite select function allows you to assign up to eight of your favorite programs for immediate recall during live performances.
The instrument carries on with the original feature set, including the ease of selecting programs of a desired musical genre, editing sounds, and utilizing the vocoder with the included miniature gooseneck microphone. The microKORG S is also battery powered, which allows you to perform anywhere. The synthesizer section of this analog modelling synthesizer offers 2-part multi-timbre architecture (Split/Dual Mode) and a maximum of four voices. The basic structure includes two oscillators plus a noise generator, which feeds a multi-mode filter with 24dB/oct LPF and 12dB/oct LPF, BPF, and HPF. There are two envelopes, two LFOs, and four virtual patches. The Vocoder section offers up to four voices of polyphony with a structure that includes a single oscillator plus noise generator, a single envelope generator, and two LFOs. There are eight channels for the vocoder and each channel features individual level and panning, as well as a formant shift function.
The effects section boasts modulation effects such as flanger, chorus, phaser, and three types of ensemble. There are a number of delay options including stereo, cross, and L/R. An EQ is provided to fine-tune your sound creations. The onboard arpeggiator offers six types including Up, Down Alt 1, Alt2, Random, and Trigger.
The microKORG S features 37 mini-keys that offer velocity sensitivity, and five real-time control knobs, and an On/Off button for the arpeggiator. The instrument includes dynamic and condenser microphone inputs, making it work with a variety of microphones, and there’s a ¼" line input for routing external sounds through the filters and effects. For outputs, the instrument offers L/Mono and Right ¼" outputs and a stereo ¼" headphone jack. MIDI In, Out, and Thru allow the keyboard to be set up and controlled in a studio environment for external sequencing from a MIDI interface or control from other synthesizers.
The microKORG S is a great choice for someone’s first synthesizer with its easy-to-understand layout and battery-powered operation that allows you to perform anywhere. Seasoned professionals will like the depth and breadth of the sound engine and will appreciate its small size but huge sound, not only in the studio as a sound module, but for live performance applications.