KORGmonotron DUO Analog Ribbon Synthesizer

Zero learning curve, just put the batteries in and start messing around! The design is simple to understand and looks sleek, while the device itself is pretty light this is definitely not a toy. These are great for someone interested in music production, sampling, or just having fun by making sounds. If you have a kid with a passion for music or electronics I think this is a great investment because It’s a cheap and available way to be introduced to the fun of making music! There are endless possibilities to what you can do with this device and use it with, I especially like how easily the device can be disassembled and modded because of the open solder pads! I highly recommend you give this little guy a shot.

If you want to use this with a mono mixer, you MUST use a stereo breakout cable (or other solution to connect only one stereo channel to a mono output) to connect to a mono mixer, etc, or you WILL fry the VCOs. The Monotron Duo simply will not tolerate the stereo pins being bridged at all, this likely includes the stereo to mono adapters that bridge the stereo signal (still not sure how that fried the VCOs and nothing else). The filter circuit will still work (I guess that's a consolation prize for not fully understanding why in the manual it says not to use a mono connector on the output). I just had to order a second one along with a breakout cable (luckily my delay did not fry but I got one for that as well), but this still gets 5 stars for what it is.

It's kind of a toy, but also kind of a proof-of-concept for Korg. The Monotron duo is awesome. It's about the size of an old audio cassette case. The knobs are responsive, but a little wobbly. The ribbon is great - very responsive, and it's easy to use. You can make some fun and funky sounds with this. There's a little button on the left shoulder of the unit that selects between continuous and several quantized modes. The two oscillators are controlled with a pitch knob (labeled VCO1), and the second oscillator is tuned relative to VCO1 with the VCO2 knob. This actually caused great frustration for me, because they were not perfectly in-tune on my unit when the VCO2 knob was straight up and down - it had to be a little bit to the left. This no doubt has to do with the analog circuitry and cheapness of the product, but the imperfection was annoying enough that I sent it back.The VCF sounds fantastic, and the cross modulation knob adds a lot of character to the sound.For those who have seen the original Monotron, you'll notice that there's no LFO on this unit. You're trading the LFO for the second oscillator and the quantization button. The result is a much more musical machine, but the tradeoff is real.You also get an aux in jack, which allows you to run external audio through the excellent filter.I said this was a "proof-of-concept," and it is - where the concept is, "A ridiculously affordable and fun analog synth that proves people want analog synthesizers, so Korg can go on to make tons more at other price points with different features." It *seems* like this device made other instruments, like the Volca series and the Minilogue, possible. And for that, I am tremendously grateful. And I really like this product. But having returned the unit I purchased, I would not buy another since I purchased the Volca Keys instead. The bottom line is that if you can afford this unit or the Volca Keys, you want the Volca Keys. But this is an excellent toy and a surprisingly fun instrument, if seriously limited in application.

I have been eybe-balling these Korg ribbon synths for a long time, but felt they were (are) overpriced at $70-$100. It just so happens this Monotron Duo was 50% off for $36, so I bought it without hesitation.On its own, its nothing more that a really cool toy. It beeps, it bloops, and it makes a lot of fun sounds and noises. Yes, you can peck Mary Had a Little Lamb, bit the micro keys dont make it easy.I am using a 1/4 adapter to feed it through my guitar pedal chain, and that is where the fun really kicks in. With the use of fuzz, delay, tremelo and reverb - this fun toy becomes something pratical and useable for recording and performing. It becomes an endless source of reteo sci-fi sounds and other auxiliary noises.Personally, I feel the Monotron Duo is worth exactly $36. At that price, I am incredibly pleased with it, but I would be less enthusiastic if I paid retail price. If you are on the fence, I say grab it while it's 50% off. I'm glad I did.

Most people seem to view this as a toy and it sort of is but you can absolutely use it as part of your music making process. The limitations of the instrument are what make you get creative with it. I've never had a hardware synth before and after playing with this very basic one I ended up getting into larger, more complex hardware setups with the Korg Volcas and an OP-1.The 4 modes (ribbon, major, minor, and chromatic) make it easier to play melodies if you have something particular in mind. The controls are quite basic but I love the sounds you can get out of them. An impressive range. You can also input any line level sound source into the aux input and use the filters to manipulate it. That's always fun.For me this is a great tool for recording ambient drone music. Everyone has their unique way of playing the Monotrons and that's mine. It is addicting and for me it was a gateway into the world of proper hardware synthesizers.