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Korg Mono/PolyArticle from Music Technology, November 1988 |
As analogue synthesis enjoys a return to popularity, yesterday's synths are becoming regular topics of conversation. Rob Norman rediscovers voltage control.
On the eve of the arrival of the DX7, Korg unveiled an analogue synthesiser that attempted to combine features of mono and polysynths in a unique performance instrument.
"The Performance section of the Mono/Poly is about the most comprehensive I've seen on any instrument, ancient or modern."
The envelopes are standard of the ADSR format, and one is provided for each of the VCA and the VCF. This is useful in producing the more complex and imitative effects.
"With the oscillators mixed out, the arpeggiator can be used to trigger the filter envelopes in an endless variety of semi-random effects."
The arpeggiator is a (much lamented) device that was over-used in the mid-'70s by the likes of Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze and Jean Michel Jarre - probably the main reason nobody builds them into keyboards anymore. Admittedly, next to an eight-track MIDI sequencer it seems a very restricted facility indeed, but it is capable of producing many desirable effects you'll find hard to obtain from your state-of-the-art MIDI sequencer. The Mono/Poly's arpeggiator is particularly flexible and is capable of far more than any arpeggiator effects I've heard on record. Why? Firstly, it can be clocked from a dedicated LFO (MG2) or an external pulse for syncing with other analogue machines. Secondly, the arpeggios can be swept up, down or up and down over one octave, two octaves or the full range of the VCOs. One of my favourite applications is to mix out all the VCOs and turn up the VCF resonance until the filter oscillates to produce some neat (if not unique) percussive sounds. Using the arpeggiator to trigger the envelopes, an endless variety of semi-random effects can be produced, especially by introducing filter modulation clocked independently by the other LFO. In this configuration the effect is defined by up to 16 parameters. The range of sounds covers bubbling, dripping, twittering, tinkling, crackling and much in between that defies onomatopoeic description.
Selecting Poly mode means that the four VCOs are triggered one at a time in rotation. If different waveforms, registers and levels are set for each VCO, complex patterns can be created that largely get away from the mundane up and down sweep of a mono arpeggiator. The results are more like those of an old analogue sequencer, though rather more unpredictable and considerably more dynamic.
Another section of the front panel is labelled "Effects". This section controls the synthesisers cross-modulation and frequency modulation. The latter can be clocked by MG1 or swept by the VCF EG. Cross-modulation is often quoted as being useful in "fattening-up" a sound. I've always taken this as a euphemism for making your synth sound like a helicopter, but I know there are Mono/Poly users who find this section indispensable when it comes to dirty lead sounds.
Other facilities include a Hold momentary switch (which keeps the note sounding at the sustain level set by the ADSRs) and Portamento, which can give dramatic results in Poly mode. A chord memory function, whereby the shape of a chord of up to four notes can be played using single keys is also provided.
For my money the Mono/Poly is a powerful synthesiser with few compromises and one or two unique features. These allow certain effects to be created that are peculiar to this instrument. It may not have the sweetness of tone of the Minimoog, but is capable of rich, and when required, gutsy lead sounds. As far as flexibility is concerned, it's superior to the Minimoog but, as is invariably the case with these old analogue instruments, has a character of its own. You won't get the power of a Minimoog bass out of the Mono/Poly, nor will you get that distinctive Minimoog lead sound. But then. I've never seen a Minimoog with an arpeggiator.
If you want a Mono/Poly don't go to Korg. Secondhand, you can expect to pay between £100 and £200 for one that's in good nick. Although the synthesiser has been reinvented several times since the days of voltage control, few machines of any generation will give the kind of power per pound that the Mono/Poly does.
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Retrospective (Gear) by Rob Norman
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