Korg Monotron Series

[mcgraham]

Got the Monotron and Monotron Duo the other week - THOROUGHLY enjoying them both. The Duo in particular is a great instrument. The original Monotron is an excellent outboard analog synthesis tool.

People might call them toys, but their sound is anything but. Also they have particular quirks and idiosyncrasies that you would associate with real instruments, so it's as much about learning 'what happens when you ... ' as it is about just touching the ribbon strip.

Felt the need to post this just because of how much I'm enjoying them. Planning on doing a short YT vid to explain what I'm doing with them.

Anyone else enjoying them?

[BetaFunk]

Couldn't agree more. I wouldn't go anywhere without my Monotron and (along with my Kaossilator) it certainly made a wet caravan holiday sometime ago a lot better than it might have been!

Look forward to seeing the vid.

[thisnameistaken]

I've got the duo it makes some really gnarly sounds.

[BigRedX]

I've had a Monotron since they first became available. Great fun. However my favourite self-contained electronic instrument is the Tenori-On which has the advantage of being a compositional tool as well. These days I'm heading away from the more conventional electronic instruments to things like Bleep Labs' Thingamagoop and BitBlob.

[mcgraham]

The Bleep Labs Nebuluphone (sp?) looks AND sounds amazing! Onboard programmable sequencer?!? arpeggiator? multiple VCO shapes? MENTAL!

Tenori-on looks really cool. I'm really wanting something it, as I'm hearing (at least in my head) a lot more sounds where a sequencer is needed, where the sonic 'movement' and progression within the song comes from tweaking the settings rather than changing the notes per se.

[GarethFlatlands]

I haven't found the monotron on it's own to be very musical but it's a very good tool for learning about how basic synths work without downloading a VST and getting bogged down in 50 controls. It's also good for noise making and filtering external sounds so overall, well worth the £40. I'll check out the other ones mentioned but I know the tenori-on is very expensive. Might be time to get a smartphone and some synth apps.

[Spike Vincent]

I'm a great fan of the Monotrons,less so the Duo,but it's fair to say my electronic output is not exactly musical...BTW,if you're paying £40 you're paying too much,£34 seems to be the going rate now.I've spent far too long trying to get all singing all dancing mega complex synths to go bleep,something simple is far more creative.

[Spike Vincent]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1350893065' post='1844629']
I've got the duo it makes some really gnarly sounds.
[/quote]

Especially if you feed it through a ring modulator and half a dozen overdrive pedals...

[Spike Vincent]

[attachment=121995:post-9862-0-51808000-1344372894_thumb.jpg]

[mcgraham]

Nice rig! Any chance of a bigger picture?

I think these are a great introduction to analog synthesis and makes you realise what it can offer over/instead of digital synths. For example, I absolutely LOVE the sawtooth on the Mono. If I could have that sound on a keyboard I'd be immensely happy. Similarly, the two oscillators on the Duo can be tuned to the same pitch octaves, but then blend in cross-mod to get additional filth and mild detuning. The filter reeeally breaks up and screams on both, but the Duo takes the prize (IMO) for how it behaves when oscillators are blended together w/ cross-mod... stupendous.

[Truckstop]

Are the monotrons any good at bass?

Alex

[mcgraham]

Yes. They are [u][i]fantastic[/i][/u] at bass. If they didn't look so much like a toy and I didn't need to retune to utilise the keyboard for different songs in different keys, I'd happily do a gig with one.

[Truckstop]

Excellent! That's good to know!

The band's doing a few pop songs and regular bass and effects isn't quite cutting the mustard. Bit of Velcro on the beater and it should be fine.

Truckstop

[BigRedX]

It depends what you want to do. They will produce some fantastic low-pitched sounds. However trying to play a tune on one is only marginally easier than doing it on a Theremin. IMO if you want bass synth with predictable notes get something with a proper keyboard.

[Truckstop]

Well the Monotron appeals because of it's size and cost! I'll probably get one anyway seeing as they're so cheap and if it doesn't work I'll end up getting a Microkorg like I've wanted for years.

Dont suppose you know of any other decent synths of a similar size?

Truckstop

[mcgraham]

BRX, you right when it comes the standard Monotron, but the Monotron Duo is quantised to the notes of the keyboard. You can also change whether the ribbon keyboard is quantised in chromatic, major, or minor scales, or just a standard ribbon controller. Really really useful.

I'll put an audio clip together for you just to show some basic bassline functions.

One cool thing you can do with the original Monotron is use the sawtooth LFO to create a kick-drum sound at any tempo you like. Instant kick drum for playing along with, or a metronome, etc.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1354214045' post='1883765']
Dont suppose you know of any other decent synths of a similar size?
[/quote]

What do you want to do with it?

Analogue synth sounds with a proper keyboard? - IMO the MicroKorg is the smallest worth bothering with. For something full-size look at the Nord Lead.

Weird unpredictable noises? - anything from Bleep labs.

[mcgraham]

[quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1354214045' post='1883765']
Well the Monotron appeals because of it's size and cost! I'll probably get one anyway seeing as they're so cheap and if it doesn't work I'll end up getting a Microkorg like I've wanted for years.

Dont suppose you know of any other decent synths of a similar size?

Truckstop
[/quote][quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1354214343' post='1883770']
What do you want to do with it?

Analogue synth sounds with a proper keyboard? - IMO the MicroKorg is the smallest worth bothering with. For something full-size look at the Nord Lead.

Weird unpredictable noises? - anything from Bleep labs.
[/quote]

http://soundcloud.com/mcgrahamhk/monotron-duo

Here's a clip with the Monotron Duo using the chromatic quantised mode. I've tuned it based on where I know C 'should' be, but rest assured you can tune it as little or as much as you want.

My playing is not stellar, and I probably could show you a few more sounds in there, but for an off-the-cuff recording it shows you what you can do. I've started with just one VCO, then cross-modulation using the other, plus some filter and resonance action. I've then gone to both VCOs running in parallel, then further introduced cross mod (where VCO1 and VCO2 are sounding, AND VCO2 is modulating VCO1) - some crazy dirt sounds to be had in there.

Little bit of Jackson 5 thrown in for good measure.

[Beer of the Bass]

The monotrons look very cool, but I keep wondering when they're going to extend the line with a proper keyboard monosynth. If they were to make something relatively small and simple and affordable with a couple of octaves of keys (sort of like the 90s Novation Bass station, but MS10 flavoured), I reckon they'd fly off the shelves.

Edited November 29, 2012 by Beer of the Bass

[mcgraham]

I totally agree that I too would want one, but not sure how cost-effectively they could manufacture a synth with keys. Not sure it could even come in under 100 quid.

If you're willing to put in a little bit of practice time, the ribbon controller is a great compromise for a super-simple portable instrument.

[BigRedX]

Keyboard mechanisms are the thing that still cost lots of money and would prevent making a cheap Monotron with a "proper" keyboard. Also the diminutive size keeps the price down.

mcgraham - your Monotron demo is very impressive I certainly couldn't do anything like that with mine which lacks the chromatic switch.

[LawrenceH]

OTOH a Casio mini keyboard costs £35 - I'd have one of them at twice the price if they sounded like that monotron!

[mcgraham]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1354225681' post='1883957']
Keyboard mechanisms are the thing that still cost lots of money and would prevent making a cheap Monotron with a "proper" keyboard. Also the diminutive size keeps the price down.

mcgraham - your Monotron demo is very impressive I certainly couldn't do anything like that with mine which lacks the chromatic switch.
[/quote]

Cheers BRX! It's the Monotron Duo you want - they sell them down at Millenium Music in Hockley. They're actually in store.

They've got the Monotron Delay in now as well, which I'm after to go with my Minitaur for added delay plus ribbon effects.

[Beer of the Bass]

Yeah, it's true that an actual keyboard would push costs up. I'd imagine my hypothetical basic keyboard monosynth would be more like a couple of hundred quid, which would still be less than the Moogs and the like. I do quite fancy the idea of getting hold of a monotron and fitting it with one of these though;
[url="http://www.midi-hardware.com/index.php?section=prod_info&product=MINICV"]http://www.midi-hardware.com/index.php?section=prod_info&product=MINICV[/url]

[Truckstop]

@McGraham

Very cool!!! Sold!

Alex