MicroKORG

The microKORG is a MIDI-capable virtual analog synthesizer/vocoder from Korg featuring DSP analog modelling. The synth/keyboard is built in such a way that it is essentially a Korg MS-2000 with programmable step arpeggiator (MS-2000 has only six simple patterns), a less advanced vocoder (8 bands instead of 16 bands found on the MS-2000), lack of motion sequencing (MS-2000 had three motion sequences), lack of an XLR microphone input, and in a smaller case with fewer real-time control knobs.

The microKORG was released in 2002 and is still in production as of 2017^[update]. It is considered one of the most popular music synthesizer in recent history, with estimated 100.000 units sold as of May 2009. In September 2007 Korg released a limited edition of the microKORG with reverse-color keys although the functionality was otherwise unchanged. At NAMM 2008, a successor called the microKORG XL was introduced. Available since early 2009 it uses MMT Multi Modeling Technology from Korg's newer and more powerful Radias/R3 synthesizers.

The microKORG uses DSP technology to emulate the sounds of an analog synthesizer using firmware. The fundamental unit of sound is, in Korg's terminology, a "timbre". This is generated with a pair of multi-function oscillators. Two timbres can be combined to create a four-oscillator "layer". This can be used to create more complex sounds, although it halves the polyphony from four notes to two. A single timbre can be played in four-voice. Oscillator one (OSC1) can produce one of several fundamental waveforms, including saw, square, triangle, and sine waves. Alternatively, OSC1 can produce a vox wave (for simulating human vocal cords), white noise, and one of 64 different digital waveforms that were created by harmonic additive synthesis. Some of these 64 waveforms were originally featured in the Korg DW-8000 digital synthesizer of the mid 1980s. The second oscillator (OSC2) is limited to saw, square, and triangle waveforms.

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