More new table-top toys from Korg

[Mark Hammer]

Yeah, yeah, I know this is a stompbox forum.  However, the various small-scale synths coming from Korg these days, often with price tags lower than your average commercial pedal (Danelectro excepted), are often amenable to use AS pedals.

That said, I stumbled onto these new releases from Korg: http://www.korg.com/volcaseries  

Plenty of provocative demos of the three units in the series on Youtube.

[wavley]

Yeah, yeah, I know this is a stompbox forum.  However, the various small-scale synths coming from Korg these days, often with price tags lower than your average commercial pedal (Danelectro excepted), are often amenable to use AS pedals.

That said, I stumbled onto these new releases from Korg: http://www.korg.com/volcaseries  

Plenty of provocative demos of the three units in the series on Youtube.

I have the monotron, monotron duo, and monotribe (my bassist has the delay) and I LOVE LOVE LOVE them!!!

If there weren't other things I'm begging my wife to let me buy right now I would be all over these.  The keys is first for me, I sync my monotribe to an old Boss DR-55 so I can make more complex beats and the 55 has memory, I've gotten to where I can program a bass line on the fly which will be easier when I get around to adding midi in and out, so having a polysynth that I don't have to drag my JUNO-106 or SK-20 around would be awesome for me.

[Mark Hammer]

One of the Canadian music store chains has the Monotron Delay on special for $40 right now.  I may just pick one up for myself.

[wavley]

One of the Canadian music store chains has the Monotron Delay on special for $40 right now.  I may just pick one up for myself.

It really is a lot more fun than it seems from looking at it.  They are have their little quirks that make them fun, I like running my duo through my space echo and my original through the input on the monotribe.  There are a surprising number of great sounds you can get out of their limited number of knobs.  The tribe and the duo actually play in tune, the others are great for theremin type noises.

[petey twofinger]

i just built a minimum theramin / delay ... really diggin it , although it is a bit noisy at times .

i had NO idea this product ( monotron delay ) existed . i am totally getting this as soon as i score some play cash , what a value ... and hackable too .

thanks for the info guys .

[Strategy]

Korg's Monotron and new VOLCA series are bringing low cost electronic music to the masses. Last time this happened in the early 80s when Roland issued the TB-303 and TR-606, it didn't really catch on - but less than 10 years later these pieces of gear helped spawn the techno, house, rap, electro, etc. These sounds that are still used today making the originals notorious collectors items. I really think the completeness of the VOLCA series and their cost accessibility is going to make them classic for a new generation that has grown up on illegally techno music software, some of them will be ready to ditch that for a real drum machine or synth and this will be the new way into that world.

I understand the VOLCA machines are imminently moddable, like the Monotron -- but haven't seen any mod links yet. I understand the Volca's are just shipping now in July so it's probably too early but I expect to see mods almost right away.

Strategy

i just built a minimum theramin / delay ... really diggin it , although it is a bit noisy at times .

i had NO idea this product ( monotron delay ) existed . i am totally getting this as soon as i score some play cash , what a value ... and hackable too .

thanks for the info guys .

[Mark Hammer]

Picked up a Monotron Delay this evening.  A lotta fun for $40, I have to say.  Looking forward to hacking it.

[akc1973]

Really dumb question, guys. But what could I do to my guitar signal with the monotron delay?

If I was to plug my guitar into the unit (via a suitable pre-amp), what sort of effects could I obtain?

[wavley]

Really dumb question, guys. But what could I do to my guitar signal with the monotron delay?

If I was to plug my guitar into the unit (via a suitable pre-amp), what sort of effects could I obtain?

A really nasty delay and a really resonant low pass filter

[Mark Hammer]

"Do" is a qualified question.  There's obviously nothing you can work with your foot, and no stompswitch.  As well, the aux in seems to overload easily (I had a hard time NOT overdriving it with my Bliptronic 5000 this morning).

HOWEVER.  The delay is equivalent to a Rebote 2.5, and if one hacks the filter to more fully replicate an MS-20 by adding a Resonance control, you have a serious sonic toy.

The Delay model forfeits a few additional controls available on the standard Monotron, but it seems like they can easily be added, provided one is comfortable and capable at modding surface-mount boards>  The Monotron schematis can be seen here: www.korg-datastorage.jp/Manual/monotron_sch.pdf
and the monotron delay can be seen here: www.korg-datastorage.jp/Manual/monotron%20DELAY_sch.pdf

If you want to go whole hog, the Monotron Duo (two oscillators) can be seen here: www.korg-datastorage.jp/Manual/monotron%20DUO_sch.pdf

This generally looks like a job for 30AWG teflon-coated wire, of the sort we used to wire-wrap with.

[Mike Burgundy]

looking forward to these. In stores in EU mid-September, apparently.

[drolo]

That Volca Key Looper looks like millions of tons of fun ...
Damn you GAS, Damn you !!!