Dear Mark: Six years melt into NOW! I just got a minilogue & I'm in love! I'm a drummer & am missing a few brain cells in my keyboard-playing region, but I totally adore getting lost in this cute little silver sound-ship, it's like a fingers-to-ear endorphin feedback loop! Anyhoo... here to say thanks for your AMAZING channel, words can't express how much I love your enthusiastic gift of synthtastic awesomeness. I'm going thru your "lessons" with my minilogue running thru a Korg KP2 & I'm like "whoah, this is deep & super fun, I think I love you!"🥰🙏
Thanks ,now i know why saw is called saw over the shape and triangle ect ,Im glad I know the osc-shape, them plug ins when u do It with mouse ,I always thought are they a step above the korg m.
I absolutely love my Minilogue. This synth is destined to be so popular that I make it a point to run in exclusively through outboard gear so I'll have a more personal sound. The MS2000 was one of my all time favorite synths and this is pretty much a real analog MS2000. I bought this thing as soon as I heard and read over the feature set. :-)
Marc: I bought one of these when you first uploaded these demos which turned out to be incredibly instructive for me; a complete novice to synths of any kind. So, I just wanted to say, many thanks for your effort. It’s been a lot of fun learning the Korg mini with your help👍
Hey, a year ago I've watched this series while waiting for my shipping of my first ever synthesizer, the aforementioned Minilogue. Thank you for basically teaching me synthesis, lmao
Marc Doty totally sold me on this synth, and being now an owner of it it truly is great synth to begin on, the oscilloscope allows you to see exactly what your doing great for pads, lead and a little bit of Bass. Thanks for your awesome synth overviews man, they really are next level! Keep it up! :D
I've been waiting and hoping you would do a series on this bad boy. Not only did you do one, and kill it, you addressed the "click gate" scandal and put an amazing spin on it. I'm sold. Just got rid of my JDXi for this guy. Really enjoyed it but I jumped the gun too soon. This is $500 (more well) spent.
I bought mine around three weeks ago and so far I've put it away, only hoping to get the time to touch and play it. Eager to discover what I can do with it. One of the most terrific things wanted to do with it was to try imitating the synth part from Fink Floyd's Mudmen, and I succeeded. There are so many marvelous things one could do with such a gear. And so little time to work on it... Thanks for the video, Sir. :)
Great first review of the Minilogue, I like the way you put out the strength of every synth which is under your hands! (I remember Odyssey, lambda...) And the capacities are really huge without even touching the Filters or FM/SYNC/CROSS
I just came back to this video to make sure I gave it a like ;) ... no, seriously, I love the tone of this synth! ... and the presentation in this vid is in tune with it... can't wait for the filter part! yum!
+catonlsd3 Thank you! Filter should be out on Monday! Unless you're a supporter of Automatic Gainsay on Patreon... the people there are watching it today. :D
Revisiting this video again 9 months later because this is such a cool machine (and you do a great job on reviews). This would make a much better monosynth than the monologue. Korg kinda dropped the ball on that one.
There's no doubt this is a modern classic! Fingers crossed a full 5 octave 8-voice version is in the works.. with a separate waveshape LFO per oscillator. One LFO is never enough.
I absolutely love the sound at 9:17 when he raises the octave on the first oscillator! I instantly got an OK Computer vibe with a dash of Aphex and VGM. I want it! Tax refund hype!
+AutomaticGainsay can I ask you about a certain background noise I have on the headphone output? If you put on headphones and just turn up the volume quite a bit, without playing..do you hear anything going on?
Thanks Marc. Re: clicking. In my old analog setup I used to get the click now and then. I usually lifted the attack a few cents and the click disappeared. Fast attack sometimes make my old Pro1 and Multitrack click unless I slowed the attack slightly. FWIW.
Great video, Marc! We won't mention the background agai.. oops. Anyway, great stuff. I played this machine and liked it, although I haven't placed an order on it. I think the next poly synth I am going to save pennies for begins with OB and ends with 6. Funny, the oscillators on this sound great, although they don't really remind me of the old Korg analog oscillators (like on the Mono/Poly and Polysix). Maybe close to the Mono/Poly, but definitely not as thin as the Polysix. I got to know those synths really well way back when.
+Bill Vincent Ha ha... that background. I hope people know that I had already made the second video when before this "issue" arose! At least it's not as intense. Anyway! I understand your desire for an OB6. I'll be doing that one soon! These oscillators are really unique in timbre. I've not really heard anything like them before, let alone from previous Korg products!
+mistertestsubject Yes, it is reminiscent to me of the DSI Pro 2... which is one of my favorite synths. It adds so much character and uniqueness to the analog sound, though!
Good video, 1 question though. I enjoyed the tip about changing the pitch of 1 oscillator to get 2 notes. I am pretty new to all of this, is there a quick way to calculate how much to adjust the pitch to figure out when you've got it tuned to a note that is still somewhat in tune, and which note it is.
Great video: well worth the wait, and re-sparkled my interest on the Minilogue (it has been all over the place, so I started getting bored). Your videos are interesting enough: please don't put the flashing overlay: it is awfully distracting. Can't wait for the next episode. Cheers! :)
+Philip+ The next episode has a diminished version of the irritating flashing overlay (oh, wait... actually, it's an underlay!)... but I promise it'll be gone by the third. Thank you! Yes, I wish I had gotten one earlier so that I could have been on the rising curve of Minilogue excitement!
+AutomaticGainsay I think patience is a virtue, and since the Minilogue is going to be around for a long time (I'm guessing at least a decade, as the Microkorg) getting it a little bit later is no big deal. Just to prove my point: I got out of software synths into analogue because of your Volca Videos almost a year after they were published. So, keep up the great work, and it will stand the ups and downs of new hardware hypes. ;) Here in Europe I started to see it on some catalogues last week, but haven't had the chance to meet the beast in person. I think I saw part of your hand going bellow the "underlay" at 03:55, so I though it to be an overlay. ;) Cheers!
+Philip+ Thank you very much! Yes, I am always surprised at the enduring popularity of those Volca videos! Well, the actual background is "cut out" of the video, so my hand disappeared because that part of the video is gone... but your assumption was perfectly reasonable!
+Anders Panders I do find myself playing organ-ish stuff with it without the filter! :D Yes, it's a lot of fun, and each knob turn brings a pleasing sound... a rare quality in synths!
+AutomaticGainsay more importantly it's potentially dangerous to some people, it might be wise to put a "contains flashing images" warning up front, just in case.
+TheRealFieryBiscuits I have somewhat intense reactions to certain types of flashing lights myself. While I can see that this effect is irritating, it doesn't fit the criteria for the sort of flashing that is a problem for people with photosensitive epileptic issues.
Marc! Have you seen the Critter and Guitari Organelle? I know its not exactly your cup of tea, as it is very digital, but I wanted to know what you thought about it aside from this point
+tblv9300 Well, hmm. I guess I'd say that while you can make standard-sounding traditional analog sounds with it... it's not very easy to get vintage tone out of it. But that being said, it has its own unique and inspiring tone, so that's not very important. It is, however, really good at creating some sounds that sound like actual acoustic instruments... which totally baffles me! It's a really unique "character synth" that is very powerful to boot. I've never really experienced anything like it.
I've spent a few hours with my friends' minilogue. It does a few things really well - the osc's timbral shaping and ringmod+xmod function in such a cheap synth are gold. But it is rather rough around the edges, with some odd omissions. No random generator, let alone a flexible Sample&Hold, one LFO and only one mod path per destination(in 2016!), the steppy pitch lever etc, but the worst offender are the EGs and their lack of definable trigger behavior. It not only gimps it's monophonic mode, it severely limits it's abilities as a general musical instrument, sadly. Here's an example of what I'm talking about: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-uF2F6MhWIm4.html The EGs also produce clicks much more than they should; at unwelcome points in the parameter range. Moral of the story = cheapness doesn't buy refinement. Not a problem for FX and drones, sure...but the rest is somewhat straightjacketed. I hope a software update can address this to the satisfaction of classic analog synth enthusiasts, because they overlooked this important aspect in the rush to release, and this synth definitely has potential. A more thoroughly spec'd 'pro' version w/ a full 5 octaves and no menu dives would be nigh-impossible to resist. So while it does the snapshot 'analog sound' more convincingly than an MS-2000 ever could hope, the MS-2000 by design is a much more useful instrument, digital or not. As it is, welcome to minilogue...sort of the Poly-800 for the 21st century. OK... well, a bit harsh of a comparison as it's definitely got a lot more than THAT ever did - but it is cutting some rather tight corners on the way to deliver it's goods.
+shaft9000 These days I don't get much into "what this synth should have." I can think of a billion "classic" synths that lack the things that everyone says are "missing" in modern synths. I don't believe every synth should have every function... synths, to me, are instruments... not production suites. I don't need certain functions, and other people don't need other functions, and the thought of every synth having "everything everyone needs" is, well... just basically software. I know that for many, software is inspiring their "this should have THIS" sort of vehemence. But I'm not on board with that. I love S&H as much as the next guy, but it is so not necessary I can't even believe it. Anyway, the point is: if you want everything, you PAY for everything... which I think is a little bit of what you're saying. "The EGs also produce clicks much more than they should..." Well, that's true. The EGs produce clicks. So... what does that mean? Is it bad because it prevents the synth from doing normal function? Well... kind of... but not really. It's so easily fixable, too. I think the biggest problem with the clicks is that they are not normal and not expected. They have never once come between me and an intended sound... and I know that's a little subjective. But I think the uproar is ridiculous. Certainly, the LFO COULD have more routings... but to have that expectation in a synth with ALL of these AMAZING features, and then feel cheated... well... I can't go there with you. When it comes down to it, I'm the wrong guy to talk about "modern expectations" in regard to analog synths. I look at synths as musical instruments, not as DAW attachments or EDM generators or Sequencers or Triggerers or whatever. I play them with the keys and engage in synthesis, and that's all I really care about. At the end of the day, this is an astoundingly powerful analog synth for basically free. On top of its extensive functionality, it has a great and unique sound. It does things many analogs don't do, and it sounds unique when it does them. Most important of all, when you turn knobs, you always get pleasing outcomes... and that's pretty rare in synths. It's special, even with its quirks and idiosyncrasies... and that's my takeaway from it much more than the somewhat laughable outrage I'm seeing in some forums, etc.
+AutomaticGainsay I think you miss his point. I don't see much if any "outrage" in "forums". People are pointing out what they want and are not getting. This is exactly what pushes manufactures to produce what we want. The clicks are cool to you and that's fine. The problem I have is after playing my rev2, nothing comes close to it's instantly pleasing tone. To me it's even better then my miniD. Some of us are very spoiled. The biggest complaint I can think of when it comes to anything Korg are the actions. But that's totally subjective. For my fingers, nothing but a dx7 mk2 will do.
Mr. Doty, I realize this is subjective, and perhaps silly, but I'd like to hear what you think about the Minilogue vs. the DSI Tetra 4? Especially regarding the basic sound/quality of their oscillators? I'm looking for an inexpensive way to get some analog polyphony, and I really wanna like the Minilogue, but from these videos its oscillators seem to sound so plastic-y and cheap, and almost, well... digital. Honestly, it keeps reminding me of those toy Casios from the 80s. Maybe some lo-fi ADC -> mp3 conversion diminished the sound/tone quality? I guess I should just go play one myself. But a Tetra 4 I don't have access to.
I haven't really played any of the DSI DCO synths... so I can't comment! The fact is, though... people, myself included, get carried away using the wave shaping functions on the Minilogue. If you don't, you can get totally normal analog sounds.
This thing has great features and build quality for the price! But I'm not sure I'm too taken with the way it sounds. To me, its a little lifeless. Might have to go to the local music store and have a little play myself. Great video though! Thanks Marc.
Dude! Keep doing what you do. If I hadn't already bought one of these and fallen in love with it I'd be going out right now and buying one. Actually there's a voice in my head (monophonic thankfully) which is telling me to get another one.
do you still own a minilogue? and why specifically? i personally love this synth thinking about getting it, just the key size is the main drawback for me I feel like.. Thanks Marc!!!
I do still own it, yes! Well, I endeavor, whenever possible, to retain the synths that were given to me by manufacturers, and this is one. However, that's not the only reason. I was greatly charmed by its interface, functionality, and sound... and I think it is a unique and very useful synthesizer. Of course, as a person who has spent my whole life with full-sized keys, I would always prefer full-sized keys... but Korg's "slim keys" are better than the wretched "minikeys," and they suit me just fine. After a moment of playing, I rarely remember that they are small.
+Maxi Deni I'm sorry, but you're going to have to be more specific in order for your post to avoid being dismissed as subjective or trolling. What does "sound much better" mean?
+AutomaticGainsay The comment was specifically related to Minilogue. I prefer analog but Minilogue sounds too bright with poor lows and midrange equalized up too high, reminds me a bit of Roland JD-Xi that I had. I prefer dark sounding synths with "vintage"flavour.
+Maxi Deni I think we all love dark sounding vintage flavor, its just that its hard to get a vintage 4 voice poly for $500. Ive got mostly vintage synths but the Miniloque is very unique in its own right.
Okay, now we're cooking. Then yes, Maxi... I agree. The Minilogue doesn't have a particularly vintage tone overall. Certainly, you can take it somewhat in that direction, but I would say that if you're looking for dark vintage tone, the Minilogue probably isn't what you want. That being said, I also favor dark vintage tone. It's what I want more than anything... and yet, I've had a GREAT and inspired time with the Minilogue... because it has a tremendous amount of character of its own that is its own sort of inspiration. I don't get caught up in trying to interpret its analog aspect. To be honest, sometimes the danged thing sounds like a DX7... and even so, I have a blast with it. But yes, I see what you mean.
+AutomaticGainsay I dunno, some days I personally feel a bit cheated by Korg. Like, isn't the whole point of buying analog, the analog sound? Don't get me wrong, I want to love my beauty, and I do occasionally get some especially pretty sounds from it, but the general tone is like a 1991 PSA. I guess I'm just ambivalent...
so much words about turning two knobs) yes, knob PITCH actually regulates pitch, wow unbelievable, and when you begin to turn it the pitch changes, this is magic
Gosh, you're right. I should have NEVER made this video. And somehow, 33,914 people have watched it without feeling the way you did! It's a good thing you're setting them straight!
All you have to do is move the attack and/or release knobs away from their most extreme positions, and it goes away. You can still have a very quick attack and release --- immediate, basically --- if you want, but you also have the option of using the click as a additional transient if you want. I actually prefer it because of this. It just makes it more versatile.
