Korg Microkorg 2 37-Key Virtual Analog Synthesizer And Vocoder

A new origin.

The microKORG, one of the most iconic and recognizable synths in the history of music, revolutionized the music world with its unique form factor and unmistakable sounds, making it an industry standard for musicians everywhere. Used in countless legendary performances and recordings, its legacy spans more than 20 years. Renowned and loved by musicians, sound engineers, producers and gadget buffs everywhere, the microKORG has now evolved to a more powerful, more flexible and richer level - the new microKORG2.

While retaining some of the iconic aspects of the original , including the convenient portable size, easy to play mini keybed, the large dial for selecting program genres or the vocoder with dedicated mic, the microKORG2 offers a completely new, powerful sound engine, many more useable programs, a visually astounding user interface, and so much more.

The microKORG2 features a gorgeous 2.8-inch full-color IPS LCD display that not only makes editing incredibly easy and intuitive, but brings immediate information and instant gratification as users can visually shape and “see” their sounds. As well as a powerful vocal processor with harmonizer and hard-tuning functions, the microKORG 2 also features a loop recorder that makes it the perfect production and performance tool for today’s diverse music world and beyond.

Beloved by musicians worldwide, its intuitive interface and powerful, rich, diverse sound make the microKORG2 the ideal synth for anyone ready to explore the magic of synthesis.

A new standard: the microKORG.

Unparalleled user experience

The microKORG2 retains the iconic one-knob genre selection for intuitive sound browsing, as well as the five dedicated edit knobs to quickly manipulate your chosen parameters on the fly. The bank selection concept is also expanded with a new categorization system so you can capture the changing sounds of each era, including Classical, Modern and Future.

The microKORG's control panel gets a vibrant makeover with a 2.8-inch color display. Visually edit sounds with animated parameter guides, keeping all five knobs in clear view for stress-free tweaking. Want to see the sonic impact of your edits? A single touch transforms the display into an oscilloscope, letting you watch your sound come alive.

Bridging the gap between power and playability, the microKORG's revamped interface unlocks advanced sound editing with surprising ease. Familiar to veterans, intuitive for newcomers, it lets you explore sonic frontiers without losing the microKORG's signature workflow.

Newly designed vocal processor

The original microKORG was well-known for its easy to use vocoder with a dedicated mic and one of the reasons for its unfading popularity.

The microKORG2 takes this concept to the next level and features a brand-new powerful vocal processor. In addition to vocoder effects, this new vocal processor features industry-standard hard-tune pitch correction effects, along with a harmonizer that lets you pitch-shift and layer the original vocal sound. You can also apply reverb, delay and other effects to the vocal processor’s signal output.

Enjoy playing the microKORG 2 with the dedicated gooseneck mic that sports a metallic neck, to get the vocals you’ve dreamed of live or in the studio.

Inspiring loop recorder

The new microKORG features a loop recorder, which lets you create backing tracks by looping and overdubbing given parts of music, making it the ideal tool for on-the-go live performances. The three dedicated buttons—record, play/stop and undo/redo—make loop recording super simple for anyone.

The recording and playback settings can easily be modified thanks to its easily accessible dedicated menus, so any player can get started making music right away.

Of course, the microKORG wouldn't be complete without its built-in easy to use arpeggiator.

Use the loop recorder and arpeggiator to craft layers of sound and discover where your unique performance will take you.

Travel through time with new synth sounds

Expanding the iconic sound palette, the microKORG2 introduces a genre-based Category and Bank selector, providing quick access to an incredibly diverse range of sounds within Classic, Modern and Future categories. The genre-based Category and Bank selector lets users quickly find sounds that will fit any genre without endless and tedious preset browsing. The three Banks feature eight genre Categories, each offering eight preset Programs, and you can save up to 64 Programs in the User Bank for your own personal favorites.

The microKORG2 is a virtual analog synth that models analog circuitry. One of the characteristics of a virtual analog synth is that there are no physical restrictions in terms of how the circuitry is laid out, which gives you a wide canvas to create your own sounds so you can go beyond the classic, modern and future eras.

The microKORG features virtual patch functionality in a compact form, offering the patch functions that users are already familiar with when creating sounds using analog circuitry.

Quickly and easily create deep yet detailed sounds while checking the patching on the onscreen graphical interface.

microKORG's iconic design updated with a modern look

The basic design of the chassis, control panel layout, green silk printing, knob shape, and other iconic microKORG features have been retained, but the design has been updated for a modern look.

The new gorgeous 2.8-inch color display is placed in the center, and the entire control panel is recessed one level to enhance the immersive experience of playing and creating sounds.

The body is painted in an exquisite metallic color that complements the three-dimensional shape, and the side panels are coated with a black stone-grained finish that creates a rugged appearance for comfortable, secure, long-lasting use.

Massively enhanced effects

To expand the scope of the synth sounds as far as possible, Korg has developed three series of effects including nine new types of modulation (with dynamics effects), six types of delay and reverb. These three series of effects can be independently switched on/off, and you can adjust the wet/dry ratio of the effects separately.

The signal is routed through the effects and output to a two-band parametric EQ with adjustable low and high bands, so you can adjust the final character of the sound. Users can create sounds from start to finish with the new microKORG alone, without needing an external mixer or effects processing.

Mini keyboard that’s small but easy to play, with a natural touch

With the microKORG2, we’ve adjusted the distance ratio between the black and white keys to make chords easier to play. This is a “natural touch mini keybed,” with a touch that’s designed for playing fast phrases. The box-style keys feature a high-grade feel, making it easy to play glissandos as well.

The 37-key keybed features an octave shift button in just the right place and can be invaluable for live performance, so you can focus on your playing without worrying about the settings.

Performance on the go

The microKORG 2 is easy to carry, at only 54.2 cm (21.3 in) wide and weighing 2.1 kg (4.6 lbs; without batteries and mic). The instrument can be powered via the included AC adaptor, but can also be powered via six AA batteries, giving you the freedom to play the microKORG2 anywhere.

BLINKSONIC°

BLINKSONIC° is a project by the french designer and musician Sylvain STOPPANI, which mostly offers virtual instruments based on Native Instruments’ REAKTOR software.

The 2D graphic design of his plugins are seeking to establish an interactive link between the musician and electronic sound devices, through various symbolics, illustrations and abstract icons.

Since 2015, the BLINKSONIC° catalog has continued to grow and acquire a certain recognition for both the artistic richness offered in terms of sound and music, and more generally for the very elaborate appearance of its GUI interfaces.

Sylvain ended up attracting the attention of KORG, looking for a designer to create the screen interface for the successor of the microKORG2.

This resulted in a collaboration in which the main goal was to develop a visual language to instantly understand the available synth parameters and make the microKORG 2 an editing and live playing experience, as fun and accessible as possible.