Korg Minilogue vs. Monologue – which one is better for you? Whether you’re doing your research to get your first true analog synthesizer, or you are looking to expand your existing analog synth collection with one of the Korg analog synth solutions you’ve come to the right place. In this article we’ll compare these two devices and take a closer look on their main differences, similarities and all their pros and cons, photos of my units included for your convenience! Let’s dive right into the topic!
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Korg Monologue vs. Korg Minilogue – full specification comparison
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Mono vs. poly synth
The main difference between the Korg Monologue and the Korg Minilogue, is that the Monologue as the name suggests is a monophonic synth, while the Minilogue is polyphonic. So what does this mean?
Monophonic synthesizers can only generate one note at the time – this means that using a mono synth, you won’t be able to play chords, and when you try pushing two keys at the same time, only the one that’s been pushed last will sound. Korg Monologue works just like that.
Korg Minilogue on the other hand, is a 4-voice polyphonic synth. This means that using it, you’ll be able to play up to 4 notes at the same time, which will enable you to play full chords with addon bass notes without trouble!
Although there are some valid arguments about advantages that monophonic synthesizers may have over polyphonic ones, in this case the Korg Minilogue objectively gives you much more creative freedom with its four-voice polyphony capabilities.
If you’re considering getting the Korg Monologue, there are some things you can do to make it sound somewhat more like a polyphonic synth would. A great tip here is to experiment with complex fast-paced sequences and external effects, such as long-tail reverbs and delays!
Mono or Stereo?
Korg Monologue and Korg Minilogue are mono synths in terms of their audio outputs – they both feature a single monophonic 1/4-inch TS output.
What this means for you, is that neither of these synths will output sound in stereo, and for any kind of wideness or stereo-fullness of the sound you’ll have to rely solely on external audio effects (be it audio FX in your DAW software or external FX processors).
When it comes to the Korg Minilogue XD, the situation is different. In comparison to the Monologue and the regular Minilogue, it features a built-in digital FX section and a stereo pair of 1/4-inch outputs (L/MONO and R). I’ll come back to the Korg Minilogue XD later on.
The mysterious “audio in” input is present on both Korg Monologue and Minilogue. It essentially allows you to put other external audio sources through your Korg synthesizer (you can use a guitar, mp3 player, a microphone or any other audio device). Using this neat feature you can achieve lots of surprising and quite unique sounds!
Build quality
My experience with Korg Monologue in terms of its durability and build quality is overall great. The device is solid and well-built, and in my testing unit there weren’t any loose or creaky parts that I could complain about (and I wasn’t the first owner!).
Bonus points for the metal front plate finish, the wooden back panel and tightly seated metal switches.
All the switches on the Monologue have a nice and firm “click” to them which makes it really satisfying to mess around with its settings when tweaking settings and bringing about your creative sound creations.
All the knobs on the device feel high quality. The PROGRAM/VALUE knob moves in small steps you can feel when turning it, while most of the other parameter knobs move smoothly throughout their range.
The knobs themselves are also pretty firm and they allow for very precise settings control (such as setting the sequence tempo with accuracy up to 1 bpm).
All these things apply to the Korg Minilogue, as pretty much the same components are used there when it comes to its outer shell and setting controls. You won’t find any compromises when it comes to build quality in any of these devices.
The power supply
It is important to mention here, that when it comes to some retailers, your Korg Monologue might not ship together with a power supply.
So, which power supply should you get for your Korg Monologue or Minilogue? The official power supply compatible with both Monologue and Minilogue is the Korg KA-350. You should definitely check if your unit will ship with one before purchase.
If you cannot find the KA-350 in stock, you can use one of many popular alternatives. Before making a purchase, cross-check the voltage, polarity, connector size and current rating against the original KA-350 specifications.
In my studio, I’ve used a custom power adapter with adjustable power output, which I found compatible with both the Korg Monologue and Minilogue after setting it correctly to 9V.
Keyboard size
There is little to no difference in key size between the Monologue and Minilogue series. The main difference lies in the size of the keyboard, or rather, the number of keys available.
As a piano player with some years of experience I found the Monologue keys to be very pleasant to use, albeit of course nowhere close to a “real-deal” weighted keyboards of modern electronic pianos. Nevertheless, these keys feel really nice and I’d say they are on the lighter side of what I’ve experienced when it comes to analog synths.
Korg Monologue features 25 slim keys, while the Minilogue has 37 slim keys on board. This makes sense, as the keyboard on the polyphonic Minilogue needs to be suitable for playing full 4-part chords with its 4-voice polyphony capabilities.
Keys on both the Korg Monologue and Minilogue are velocity sensitive. This means that you are able to assign synth parameters to the key velocity parameter, which gives you even more creative freedom.
Both devices also are able to send the key velocity data over their standard MIDI outputs.
The USB connection
Sadly, Korg Monologue and Korg Minilogue are not able to carry audio through their USB connection.
The USB connection on both these synthesizers is for MIDI communication with your computer, not audio. This means that you can easily use either your Monologue or Minilogue with your DAW software as a simple MIDI controller.
Automatic tuning on both devices
Both Korg Monologue and Korg Minilogue automatically tune their analog circuitry, and you can also trigger tuning manually if needed.
If you’d like to tune either synth manually, hold SHIFT and press REC while in Play mode. The tuning process takes around 15 seconds to complete.
Audio FX
Korg Monologue does not feature any on-board FX besides its built-in analog drive distortion, so if you’d like to add a reverb, delay, or any other effect to your sounds you have to rely on either your DAW software FX or external audio processors.
The basic Korg Minilogue can offer you only its simple (and quite noisy) delay section. It doesn’t feature any additional audio FX besides that.
If you’re interested in an alternative with an extensive set of almost 50 different audio FX built in, you should definitely check out the Korg Minilogue XD.
Korg Minilogue vs. Minilogue XD
The “XD” version of the Korg Minilogue, is essentially the upgraded Korg Minilogue with a digital audio FX section and updated front panel controls.
This is quite an advantage for people who are not keen on plugging their synth to a sophisticated chain of external effects right off the bat, and prefer to quickly mess around with their sound creations using internal audio FX.
Having a quality reverb accessible on your analog synth is a great thing by itself. Korg Minilogue XD goes even further beyond offering you a total of 49 audio FX to choose from.
While the Korg Minilogue is a true analog synth, the Minilogue XD is an analog-digital hybrid as it features a third, digital oscillator on-board.
The other notable differences are slightly different control layouts, different filters used in both devices, the filter on the Minilogue XD having a drive switch and being only a sharp 2 pole filter vs. the 2/4 pole solution on the original Minilogue, Minilogue XD featuring a joystick with an extra control axis instead of the classic pitchbend and a dedicated portamento knob.
Minilogue XD also gives you the full set of 16 sequence step buttons that the Monologue had, yet were removed from the original Minilogue.
Number of available presets (and user presets)
When it comes to the number of presets that these devices have to offer, the situation is as follows:
- Korg Monologue – 80 factory presets, 20 user presets (100 total).
- Korg Minilogue – 100 factory presets, 100 user presets (200 total).
- Korg Minilogue XD – 200 factory presets, 300 user presets (500 total).
In all cases you are able to edit, delete and overwrite each of the factory presets to store your own sounds.
The sequencer and waveform display
When it comes to great features that all the devices in question share, it’s impossible not to talk about the 16-step sequencer with motion sequencing capabilities (automation support), and the small OLED waveform display that shows you the actual waveform of the sound you’ve generated in real time, plus other parameters you’re able to edit. Quite a nifty feature!
The Korg Minilogue also features a 16-step note & motion sequencer, however on the Minilogue there are only 8 buttons on the front panel to control the 16 step sequence. Can get tricky at times.
Can you use the Monologue/Minilogue as a MIDI controller?
Yes, both Korg Monologue and Minilogue can easily be used as MIDI controllers, as they are able to send and receive MIDI signal (with velocity info) through their MIDI output ports, and the simple USB 2.0 connection port in the back.
All you need for sending MIDI signal from your Korg Monologue or Korg Minilogue to your computer is a standard USB printer cable.
Although Korg Monologue is a mono synth, this doesn’t affect the MIDI control signals sent from the device via the MIDI or USB connection. This means that you are able to control polyphonic synths inside the DAW software of your choice, using the Monologue as a MIDI controller. With Minilogue the MIDI control features work exactly the same.
Battery power
One of the advantages that the Korg Monologue has over the Minilogue is that Monologue is able to run off battery power. It requires 6 AA batteries, and its battery life is advertised as somewhere around 6-8 hours.
Although I haven’t tried to run my Monologue on batteries, it’s certainly a nifty feature to have, if you’re keen on plugging in your headphones and crafting some sounds on the go, or with headphones on in your bed.
| Korg Monologue on Ebay: |
| Korg Minilogue on Ebay: |
| Korg Minilogue XD on Ebay: |
The conclusion – which one should you choose?
To sum it all up, the Korg Monologue seems to be a great choice if you value portability (smaller size, can run off battery power), and it also is a great and relatively cheap entry point for everyone who’s interested in jumping into the analog synthesis without worrying about putting a strain on their wallet.
The Korg Minilogue is a step up from the basic Monologue monophony. If you’re considering one, it’s also worth looking at the Korg Minilogue XD, which adds a third digital oscillator, a much stronger built-in FX section and several other improvements.
Are any of these good for beginners? Yes. The Korg Monologue, Minilogue and Minilogue XD are all great choices for a first analog synth.
They offer you an extensive set of tools that let you create an almost infinite number of sounds, unleash your creativity and dive into the wonderful world of analog synthesizers for a really good price.
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