Korg microKORG Synthesizer with Vocoder Reviews

I love this little synth. All of my friends grew up with this in highschool,this synth has endless possibilities I can't even name everything you could do.
It works great for fill in sounds as well when composing a song

Installed the upgrade and the synth went from a 7/10 to an 11/10! Thanks Korg for this!!!

The Korg microKORG is an excellent synth. Having remained in production for over 20 years, its status as a constant is determined by its sound and ease of use. I haven't messed with the factory presets but designing your own sounds is a breeze with the intuitive knob layout. The sound engine sounds very natural. I wouldn't say analog because resonance on the filter is markedly digital but there are countless analog-like tones to be had. The oscillators don't start at the same phase with each key press, which makes this much more analog sounding than digital. The polyphony leaves something to be desired because, when making layered patches, you only get two notes. The ring-mod on oscillator two is quite good and, so far in every application I've used, ring-mod-sync seems to be more pleasing than sync on its own. The effects give a nice stereo dimension to the sounds and, on a synth of this stature, four mod-matrix slots seems to be just enough. I can't recommend key-tracking LFO 2 enough for really cool analog-FM style tones. Getting a tracked LFO speed for each note does so much for creative sound design. The microKORG has definitely remained in production for as long as it has for a reason.

It surely is a great synthesizer of course, but my main interest in this was the vocoding abilities of the keyboard. I was wanting to expand into more modern vocoding styles, such as that found in "Hide and Seek" by Imogen Heap or "woah" by The Eden Project, and my DAW didn't seem to get there. This keyboard fit exactly what I needed and more. The level of customization is almost overwhelming, both in the synthesizer and vocoder sections, and its just small enough that I can sit in bed and jam out with some headphones attached (granted I needed an adapter to make the regular aux cable connect, no big deal though). Definitely would recommend, both fun for groups wanting to test it out and for personal use.

I will echo all the pros & cons already mentioned for this groundbreaking instrument. It is NOT a toy! For those wanting to learn synth basics the matrix is very well laid out. However I would find myself getting lost on which horizontal line I was working on. So I cut a couple of quarter-inch white magnetic strips that run the length of the parameter choices to serve as an underliner. They are easily slid when repositioned. Yeah that might be a piddly fix for some but it speeds things up.

So far this synth has been really fun to use and very versatile. I will say though, for someone like me who hasn't used such a dynamic synth before, there definitely is a learning curve. But if you put the time into learning how to use it, you will definitely enjoy it.

Still figuring a lot out, but this is fast becoming my new favorite musical toy. So many options and sounds to choose from and create. I will never get tired of playing with this instrument. Thanks to Josh at Sweetwater for his input.

No complaints so far. I can see why this is still such a popular synth.

You've probably read multiple reviews already and have heard the sounds. For a synth competing at this price point, within the "entry" group, it is majorly rewarding. Too many cool features to get rid of it for a more expensive true analog. I had bought two midi controllers after getting this, and ended up using this one because I like having more keys on my studio desktop where this is not too selfish on the real estate. I've also loaded on some third party developer patches which sound exceptionally good. I love this synth for the retro patches and bass. I produce electronic and retrowave and find myself coming back to this one because it's so quick to use and edit patches, and with midi it makes mapping everything on a DAW a snap. The smaller keys took some getting used to, and although I'm used to full size keys, I appreciate its compact nature. I power this unit with a rechargeable power block designed for guitar FX pedals and small devices. This one runs just fine on it as a 9v dc so I never have to scramble to plug and unplug this. The only thing I would change is to have more classic sounds...there's no brass patches stock! I'm not at the level where I can edit the wavetables by sound and create a warm, bitey brass sound, so that's one thing I would change...probably about it. All small things. Even though I recently picked up a DSI Proph 6, the microkorg is the trusty, familiar friend that you can rely on to sound great live and in a mix. It definitely has a place in my home studio.

Don't let the size (and price) fool you - this is a SERIOUS synth! The microKORG is simply a piece of gear that EVERY musician should own. What makes it such an amazing instrument is that it behaves like an analog synth in that you can completely tweak the waveforms and filters to create your own unique sounds. If you're interested in learning to program, you will be thrilled by its capabilities. And aside from the basic analog-style waves, there's a huge bank of digital sounds, effects, and a vocoder.

The size makes it convenient to carry around, and perfect for use as a MIDI controller for your soft-synths. I've found the portability, along with the optional battery power, makes it a valuable songwriting tool as well.

In the spirit of an unbiased review, I'll mention a couple of minor shortcomings. It would be handy to have a bank of presets along with a user bank. Creating sounds means essentially overwriting a factory preset. Cheap batteries will last you only a few hours, so if you want to use the battery-power option regularly, invest in some rechargeables. Personally, I don't like layout of having the patches organized by genre, but that has no bearing on what you actually save to each bank - I would just find it more useful to have patches organized by type (pads, strings, bass, etc.)

...astounding. I don't think a synth that's twice the price can touch it. I spend time with this thing every day, and I continue to uncover new capabilities and sounds. It begs to be tweaked and the sounds are quality you'd expect from Korg. I took the time to write a lengthy review because I think a great instrument inspires people to play, and the micoKORG does just that. This could easily be your first or last synth - I think it could have real value to musicians at all levels. If you're on the fence about one of these, do yourself a favor and pull the trigger - you won't regret it!

I dunno where to begin with this. I've had my mK for about five years now, and it's been one of the most surprising synths I've owned. I'll start with its drawbacks, to help out potential buyers. The keys are obviously small, and aren't the strongest if you play harder. The vocoder is slightly watered down from the one in the MS2000. And the filter just never seems to get high, squelchy resonance. But apart from that, I have no other complaints. It feels pretty solid, and all the controls are very responsive. Many of the factory patches are fantastic, and are great jumping-off points. Once you get the hang of it, creating new patches is really not that bad given the number of parameters available through the modeling engine. Rough, distorted patches are brutally abrasive, and softer, mellow pads sound great throughout the whole filter. I can't recommend this highly enough for those new to synths, or even for someone that just wants a desktop powerhouse.

This lil synth is monstrous!!! My 1st one grew feet some years ago & walked. But then I got a 2nd one... BEASTLY synths!!! Keybass patches are BEEFY!!

I don't think people understand how legendary this synth really is. It has caused a revolution of other synths following in its footsteps. So many awesome new synths are modeled after the microkorg cause synth manufactures know that the micro korg is beast. If you are into synths this is a classic and i highly highly recommend this synth to anyone. I think its perfect for newbies and as an ad on. Classic synth sounds! I have both analog and digital synths and a pretty impressive collection and the micro org is one of them!

SO MUCH BANG FOR THE BUCK. This is a great analog modeler. The sounds and the flexibility are outstanding. The learning curve is not that steep. It is very intuitive to use. The only thing that would make this AN ENORMOUS GIANT OF A SYNTH...would be......wait for it.....here it comes..........scroll down....



FULL SIZE KEYS........yeah.

This thing is a band member in it self.

With the ending of LCD Soundsystem's will to carry on as a band, the simple music revolution that they played that final night, seemed to cut through the years of their lives and decisions that got them so far. At M.S.Garden those five nights, one can see in the wonderful documentary "Shut Up And Play the Hits," that the stage is littered with all sorts of synths, most notably the Moog Voyagers and in one set, about four or five microKORGS. Not the XL version, just the quaint little humble one that I know me and a lot of my friends, who began their music careers far away form the city and scenes I was raised on, yet call this little (almost) toy synth.

But as toy-like as it seems to the initiated, it is a powerful and seriously diverse synthesizer. I kept one around my studio for years and when bored or uninspired, I would fiddle with it. I would control it with midi from my workstation or monosynth and blend the sounds into something beautiful. Sadly, I lost mine a while ago. It was a casualty of carelessness for someone who took some audio equipment from a friend and I guess tossed my little microBRO into the sack on the way out. Not to derail a review by any means, I just wanted to point out how no matter how far I distance myself from who I was and how "simple" and "entry-level" people think this synth is, I always would prefer to have one in my lap in the studio, bus, or snug in my backpack. I spent hours fine tuning these patches and would even upload them online to help others and hopefully start a shared community of ideas.
One day I'll finally suck it up and buy another one. It's really that good, intuitive, and unique enough that I so actually seriously miss it. I have, in the years since, been able to find some nice synths for sale, but I'm always hoping to see one of these bad boys in a corner somewhere, just sitting and waiting on me. There is also a newer model called the "XL" that I haven't the pleasure of trying yet

All in all, it's a modern classic. Efficient, tiny, and likely going to be very sought after in the coming years. Buy one now and maybe our daughter's daughter's will take pictures near it to seem retro and cool. It was an easy and magnetic intro to synthesis for me and I believe in the educational value provided in learning to program it (even as a digital monitor) the approach is a logical introduction to the sounds being created beneath their hands.

Some Negatives: parts break easily, the vocoder mic can only bend a few hundred times before...short hollow keys feel fragile and are prone to chipping, the writing on the sticker that makes up the interface uses a font that is about 6 times smaller than I think any human can read in the dark, The primitive 80's digital alarm clock can only mimic so many "letters" and I use that world loosely, to represent what parameters you are actively changing which in considering the previous issue, you better hope you have some great presets to fall back on; which finally brings me to the main complaint, and that would be how almost insultingly bad the even typically bad demo patches are when you first try it out. If the machine was not so completely filled with the voices, I imagine more people would be inclined to experiment. Online community are amazing at publishing alternative voices for these machines, so definitely take advantage of the help you have.

I recommend this guy very highly, I loved him back when, and even if I don't get a chance, a time, or another, then I know that the time I spent with the instrument was a profound and enjoyable part of my life.

So, yes, in shot I recommend this synth to anyone, anywhere, anytime.

I love this thing. I went to a Guitar Center and tried it at the recommendation of an employee, and it was the most fun I've ever had with a keyboard. I'm not a piano, keyboard or synth guy, but after an hour of playing I was addicted; my friends had to almost literally pull me away from it so I'd stop (we were on vacation). I kept thinking about it over the next few days, and I finally caved and bought one from our good friends here at Sweetwater.

This little synth/keyboard is a powerhouse in a tiny package. It has 128 presets, which some say is "limiting" but seriously, I doubt anyone actually uses every single slot for a completely unique sound. And if they do, Korg has some beautiful workstations available that they can check out! I tried pretty much every single sound (except vocoders, more on that in a bit) and I was really impressed with a lot of the presets. My two favorites were A15, a synth lead that sounds very similar to the lead tone on Subdivisions by Rush, and B61, an awesome layered arpeggiator with a creepy sound to it. The microKorg comes with a booklet that details all the presets it comes with. I haven't memorized names, just preset numbers. The amount of detail you can put on any one sound is really deep, not to mention the fact you can layer sounds together. It's an awesome machine that I can't wait to use live, I'm still writing with my band and finding ways to implement it. The awesome thing about this keyboard is that it runs on ac power AND batteries, so just in case your power goes out, or if you're traveling, you can still play it. Just plug in a good pair of headphones (requires 1/4" adapter)!

On to some cons, unfortunately. The keys can feel pretty stiff, if you're a professional player, you're gonna hate the size and feel of the keys. I don't mind them because I'm not a pro and I'm not playing crazy stuff (yet). The supplied gooseneck mic has a good sound to it, but in my experience, the actual flexible gooseneck part is utter garbage. It is too weak to stay in position for very long, and under stage heat, I can imagine it would flop down even more. I recommend buying an MKAdapter (Google it) and a gooseneck adapter, and using a high quality condenser or dynamic mic (condenser mics require a 3.5 mm adapter). I personally ordered a Blue enCORE 100 to use with it and it sounds awesome, but I feel like I'm not using it to its full potential because I have to hold my mic in my off hand which should be using the mod wheel/pitch bender. Until my adapters come in, I'm not going to be using the vocoder much. But if the supplied gooseneck mic works for you, use it!

That's my opinion of the microKorg, I feel like it's a solid product: Well built, affordably priced, and doesn't skimp out on sound quality. If you are looking for some inspiration, or a little something to spice up your live sound, I would highly recommend buying this product; I already love mine to death!

Played with this for 15 minutes at the music store and was instantly hooked! I'm not a keyboard player (play guitar) but have been wanting to add a synth to my repertoire. As soon as I save up I'm getting it!

I did not get this from Sweetwater, but rather a second-hand model from a brick and mortar store. I have an R3, but it gets a little confusing with menu navigation, and the sound is kinda lackluster for the price point. After messing around with the demo model in the store, I can say that I prefer the microKorg over its successor. The menu layout is much more clear cut, and the pots used for adjustment feel more solid than on the R3. Overall, I am pleased with the microKorg, the only complaint is a lack of usb, but seeing as how this was made before usb in music became popular, I can let that slide and just refer to the midi setup guide and run midi through one of my controllers. Definitely a solid investment.

First off, the synth sounds are amazing and really easy to program with the layout. I didn't like the wave limitations, so I started using this as a midi controller. It's PERFECT for easy use of plugins, because you can scroll through preset banks with ease using the program type knob and buttons on the left side of the control panel. This makes my digital synthesis a lot easier to get into, because I don't have to click on the mouse to get from preset 3 to 77, instead I'm there in a flash with this controller. Not to mention, the keys are great. I have really big fingers (can't use a blackberry) and this thing is great. The action is perfect, I can tap my pointer and middle finger on a key and it registers the different notes no matter what the speed. A great synth and midi controller. Vocoder is pretty awesome. For being almost all plastic it's pretty tough, I knocked it off my desk a few times loading gear onto different desks a few time, still goes 100%.

Even beginners can make amazing sounds with this synth. This is my first real synthesizer so I don't have much to compare it to, but this synth will stay with me for quite awhile. It's easy, lightweight, and affordable. You would be insane not to buy this synthesizer.

Right out of the box this thing has the sounds YOU are looking for, no matter what genre you dabble in. Into hip hop? This is Dre in 37 miniature keys. I promise, as you click through the presets, your expectations will be quickly exceeded. And you haven't even started editing yet.

Simply put, for short cash you are instantly dropped right into the midst of the analogue synth game. This is hardly a 'beginners' piece- sure the keys are small... but stop crying. It's 400 dollars.

Buy it.

The microKORG is one of the best steals out there right now. It has amazing standards I just started playing keyboard about a year ago. but this took my little skills and turned me into a professional. I can add serious texture to my band. anyone looking to improve the sound of their music(wether that be in a band or as a solo musician)should give this baby a try you have nothing to lose. GO GET IT BYAAAH!!!!

I bought this after a few weeks of its release. It was one of a kind. The whole look was attractive. I was hooked on the looks alone. Very compact and it's a Korg. The sound is superiror as expected from Korg. For a small package, it packs plenty. The portable, sleek design is beautiful. The sound is truly powerful that for such a tiny thing, this can compete with the big boys. Beware of immitators, just stick with the microKorg!

When I started playing synthesizers 10 plus years ago this was my first. I still have it, still use it, even with synthesizers I now have costing 6 times as much. If you're new to synthesizers this is a must have!

When I started playing synthesizers 10 plus years ago this was my first. I still have it, still use it, even with synthesizers I now have costing 6 times as much. If you're new to synthesizers this is a must have!

so far so good eveything sounds good on the new keyboard

I'm still getting acclimated to everything this synth can do. I'm really enjoying it. It is very good for the amount of money I spent on this board.

I have owned my microkorg for three or four years now and so far I have gotten nothing but joy from it. Once you learn how to fully use all the controls you can do pretty much anything with this synth. The only negative I have to say is I wish that there were more LFOs and a better control of the delay. After owning this for so long its only recently showing signs of its age.

when i first pulled my microkorg out of the box 4 years ago- i fell in love. from the wood sides to the old school radio shack knobs it screamed vintage fun and 4 years later im still having fun with it!
i'm currently using it as my reason controller (im a mouser so i only need it for key inputs and some knob tweaks). but its also great for the synth engine and sounds... i love dialing in a sound and then revamping it completely then cranking it through my monitors. not to sound like every other review but for a tiny keyboard this thing packs punch. i would have no qualms about using this as a lead keyboard at a live show... there are a few vintage key sounds including a wurlitzer/rhodes sound that surprised me with their realism. i own a 68 wurli 200a and if im not too keen on traveling with it so if i need to replace its sound- a few knob tweaks and the microkorg does the trick! having owned several korg electribes, i found the user interface very comfortable and easy to navigate. pitch and mod both have their own wheels and right above is the octave control, volume and tempo just like a normal keyboard. this may not seem like such a big deal but with the microkorgs minikeys i can actually play with both hands AND dial knob tweaks while controlling modulation (i do have a full octave reach with my hand so results may vary!)...
i can get into all the experimenting ive done with the vocoder but i'd take up too much space.
to sum this all up- this was one of the best purchases i have made for my project studio. you wont be dissapointed. trust me!

This little piece is a blast. It's got useable sounds right out of the box, from Acid House to early 80s Synthpop, to 90s techno. There are presets like "Slippy Pad" and "Domin8r" that harken back to Underworld and Joey Beltram. The synth itself physically is small, but you can slip it under your arm and take it places with you, so it goes great with a laptop. The wood panels are great conversation starters, as well. Also, the sounds fit very well in a mix, and the arpeggiator will inspire you with its techno-repetition. I've actually A/Bed this device with several synths from the old days, like the Roland JX8P and KorgMonoPoly, and it holds up quite well against those, and has digital effects to spruce up the sound. It also stays in tune, by golly! This is great as your first synth or your last synth. Absolutely no regrets.

I bought this thing out of a desire for a synthesizer to be used in conjunction with a sequencer/sampler and my acoustic drums. I have no patience for anything (I'm a DRUMMER... I HIT things...) and I haven't managed to be frustrated by this. All these reviews said "blah blah the interface is horrible... you cant edit things! it's hard to use!"

If I can use it, you can. Read the manual. It's not that hard to figure it out.

Yeah, the keys are little plasticy garbage, but I'm not a keyboardist. I bought it for the synthesizer, not the keyboard.

The sound is unbelievable, and I'm satisfied with my purchase.

Can't believe this synthesizer has been discontinued

very tiny keys, synth sounds are not as organic and controllable as expected. I would not recommend this for a serious musician for studio or performance.
A refund would be great but it is too much trouble to return on line purchases. I should have researched this more and looked at more reviews before purchase.

When I got my MicroKorg I spent hours on end playing with it, learning new techniques at each turn of a dial. The synthesis architecture is very easy to learn, and you can edit any parameter you desire in real time with a twist of a knob.

This is definitely a lesson on the cliche of "Good things come in small packages." The array of sounds you can create is absolutely incredible. I have timbres that are as synthesized as they come, really phat Moog-style basses and leads, odd, shimmery pads, etc. but thanks to the DWGS waveforms, I have good emulations of bells, organs, guitars, even a cello! It's amazing how thick you can make the sounds, too. There's a unison detune mode for that purpose, but even if you're only operating in monophonic mode, you can detune and add chorus and it's like, "Wow." [I know, I know, "wow" is totally ambiguous, but you'll have to try this synth out to believe it...]

If sound effects are more your style, I hope I won't offend any purists by saying that this baby is just as good as an old EMS rig if not better. With 4 virtual patches, two LFOs, and two EGs per timbre, you can create some really psychedelic sonic textures. Need ocean waves? noise+LFOs=Ocean. Whale song? Just tweak some waveforms to respond to an EG, then filter it to add murkiness and add delay for distance. Birds? Alien ray guns? You get the idea. No good electronic musician should pass this little jewel over for anything, not even one of those gigantic powerhouse synths [I shall not name names...] The MicroKorg is definitely a worthy addition to any sonic arsenal.

A great addition to my keyboard collection. Lots of room to sculpt your sound.

I love the Vocorder and can't wait to try out the sound editor on my mac.

I've had it for two days and can see it will take a while to explore all the creative juice this thing has to offer.

I've just had this a couple of days, and I've started modifying some of the sounds - most of the presets sounds fabulous, but some could use some modification.


Everything from a fat Moog sound to some nice ring modulated sounds are featured here, and the vocoder is worth the price of the synth almost on its own.


The keyboard is a bit small, but as I'm a guitarist, I'm using PK5 pedals to control this so it really doesn't bother me too much.


All in all, worth every penny and more!