Image courtesy KORG, USA.
Looking for all the world like it was inspired by the Gakken SX-150 synth, but packed with Korg analog electronics, the monotron has to be one of the biggest surprise announcements from a major vendor in recent memory. The tiny has the filter from the classic KORG MS-10 and MS-20 and is called a “real analog” synth.
It’s also likely to be very hackable, though we’ll know more about that soon. I think we’ve found the stocking stuffer of 2010, and it’s only March.
Pricing: MSRP US$85
Availability: August 2010
(note: this is official information from KORG USA; for some reason some other dates and prices are floating around)
Specs:
- A ribbon controller for vibrato, glide, and pitch
- Circuitry: one voltage-controlled oscillator, one voltage-controlled filter, one low-frequency oscillator.
- Controls: five knobs, one switch.
- LED blinks with the LFO.
- Same voltage-controlled filter circuitry as on the legendary KORG MS-10 and MS-20 semi-modulars – now, if we could only convince KORG to give us a monotron Pro with more of the MS in it.
- Runs on two AAA’s
- External audio input (updated) for filtering any external input – awesome. (Thanks, arne/styrofoammusic!)
Official product info:
Monotron Page @ KORG
Videos:
Via Engadget, MusicRadar, Gizmodo