MicroKRAP (Korg MicroKorg)

Member Name: brunocrosier

Product:	Korg MicroKorg
Date:	01/07/08 (130 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: portable

Disadvantages: way too expensive for what it is

The microKORG is one of the best selling synthesizers worldwide and has been used by several electronic bands such as Enter Shikari and Massive Attack.
The box simply contains the tiny 2kg microKORG itself, the vocoder microphone, power supply and manual. Users may at first be surprised by exactly how small the product is if they haven't seen it in real life before. It has only 3 octaves, and the keys are reminiscent of those found on a toy keyboard. One thing is for sure; don't expect to be playing any Bach or Beethoven on this baby, as it is almost impossible to get any articulation or expression in the cheap, plastic, weightless keys.
The preset sounds that are supplied are the epitome of mediocrity. On the other hand, the modulation wheel on the left of the keys is extremely handy and easy to use. However i felt that apart from the modulation wheel, it was very hard and complicated to change any of the attributes of the sound - mainly because the unit is so small that there is no space for the adequate amount of knobs a decent synth would need.
Next comes the vocoder. I was extremely let down by this feature. I found that the microphone was cheap and useless, and you can easily find a much more effective and easy to use vocoder software at a lower price.
Finally there is the completely pointless LED screen, which is capable only of showing 3 digits. Surely one would expect much better quality than this when paying a price of £350.
I wholeheartedly warn you to steer clear of this product. The microKORG is useful only when playing live sets due to its light weight, and is admittedly easier to use when plugged in to a laptop or PC.
So in conclusion, i think you're better off avoiding this product - and instead you should look in to software synthesizers such as MASSIVE by Native Instruments and FL Studio by Imageline. These have the bonus of greater power and they are also easier to use!

Summary: invest in software synthesizers - they're cheap, easy and more powerful!