Korg Monologue (Silver)

The Korg monologue Silver is a compact analog synthesizer with an easy-to-play 25-key keyboard and advanced step sequencer. The monophonic instrument features two analog oscillators with three waveforms each, which are capable of waveshaping and also offer noise, a ring modulator and hard oscillator sync. After both tone generators have been level-matched with the mixer, the lush basic sound ends up in the resonant lowpass filter, whose sonic characteristics are reminiscent of the extremely biting IC35 filter from the Korg MS-10 (1978). This is followed by a simple but productive distortion at the end of the signal path; this is also where the oscilloscope function of the OLED display is located, which always shows the final waveform in real time when no menu functions are accessed.

Modulation & Sequencer

The loopable attack/decay envelope is permanently assigned to the amplifier and can additionally modulate one of three destinations. The LFO can additionally be switched to one-shot mode and even covers the waveshaping of both oscillators with its destinations, which creates a liveliness that one would hardly expect from such a clearly arranged device. Instead of a pitch bend wheel, there is a small fader that does the job with flying colors. The Korg monologue Silver sequencer has a storage capacity of 16 steps per pattern including slides (303 says hello), but additionally records four different parameters on the fly (parameter locks).