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Product Information
Technical Details
| Item Weight | 95 g |
| Product Dimensions | 15.2 x 5.1 x 7.6 cm |
| Batteries: | 2 AAA batteries required. (included) |
| Item model number | MONOTRON |
| Number of Keyboard Keys | 16 |
Additional Information
| ASIN | B003DX96TW |
| Best Sellers Rank | 2,041 in Musical Instruments (See top 100) |
| Shipping Weight | 200 g |
| Date First Available | 9 July 2010 |
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Product Description
Product Description
Powered by two alkaline AAA batteries, the compact monotron can be held in one hand. Although small enough to easily carry with you, the amazing monotron is packed with KORG's legendary analog technology, generating thick and powerful sounds. Concentrating on the most important sound parameters, the controls have been streamlined as much as possible. The panel contains only five knobs and one switch. With this level of simplicity, now anyone can easily enjoy the world of analog synthesizers.
Product Description
Features the same classic analog filter found in the legendary Korg MS-10 & MS-20 Filter any external source using the audio input jack Inspiring, easy-to-play ribbon keyboard Intuitive, fun-to-tweak controls Full-fledged, true analog synthesizer: VCO, VCF, LFO LFO can modulate either pitch of filter cutoff LFO Rate knob features cool LED visual indicator. Battery operation and palmtop size equals true portability Internal speaker/headphone jack lets you enjoy the sound anywhere - alone or with friends!
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
It's a small sturdy box with a touch sensitive strip - those keys are just printed on it as a guide. The five pots (knobs) are small but turn smoothly and feel solid. Remaining are a volume dial, a three way switch and two 3.5mm ipod size audio jacks, one for aux audio in and one for headphones out, there's also a speaker. In black and white with some curved and some square edges it looks very stylish and a bit retro.
It's a simple analogue synth. A continuous sawtooth tone is generated when you press on the strip - the strip covers an octave and a bit and can be adjusted over a wide range of frequencies using the pitch pot. The tone is fed into a low pass filter, it's cutoff point adjustable with one of the pots and the aggressiveness of it's resonance with another. This filter is also applied to any sound coming in from the aux in, although when using an aux a high filter resonance will lead to hissing.
Lastly there's a low frequency sawtooth oscillator which can be used to affect the filter cutoff point or the tone pitch, the LFO rate and intensity are adjusted with the final two pots - there's a red led that pulses warmly each time the LFO ticks over.
This is my first analogue synth or filter and it's different from any software synth or filter I've used - richer and far more interesting to tweak around. It makes Forbidden Planet style sounds from sonorous sci-fi engine to resonant howling. The LFO also makes for lovely pulsing bass and even kick drum noises.
It isn't a great way to make a melody, it is possible to get the right pitch using a stylus (not included) as the width of the keys is less than half the width of a finger and you must hit the centre of each key.... Read more ›
It's a simple analogue synth. A continuous sawtooth tone is generated when you press on the strip - the strip covers an octave and a bit and can be adjusted over a wide range of frequencies using the pitch pot. The tone is fed into a low pass filter, it's cutoff point adjustable with one of the pots and the aggressiveness of it's resonance with another. This filter is also applied to any sound coming in from the aux in, although when using an aux a high filter resonance will lead to hissing.
Lastly there's a low frequency sawtooth oscillator which can be used to affect the filter cutoff point or the tone pitch, the LFO rate and intensity are adjusted with the final two pots - there's a red led that pulses warmly each time the LFO ticks over.
This is my first analogue synth or filter and it's different from any software synth or filter I've used - richer and far more interesting to tweak around. It makes Forbidden Planet style sounds from sonorous sci-fi engine to resonant howling. The LFO also makes for lovely pulsing bass and even kick drum noises.
It isn't a great way to make a melody, it is possible to get the right pitch using a stylus (not included) as the width of the keys is less than half the width of a finger and you must hit the centre of each key.... Read more ›
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
By Bill D
Amazon Verified Purchase
Bought at Amazons suggestion when searching for a replacement for my Theremin, I was sort of expecting a stylophone with knobs on (literally), but was pleasantly surprised to get all that and more.
As the description says it's a basic oscillator circuit with an LFO that can be switched to either the pitch control or the filter. The note is controlled by a touchpad which is nice for smooth glissandos but makes actually staying in tune without a stylus (I use a plectrum) and a steady hand nigh impossible (much like a theremin I suppose).
For all its simplicity the range of sounds available is amazing, from simple beepy-boopy sounds to surprisingly complex, sweeping textures. Going way past the "useful" ranges of the LFO and filter produces some really amazing (and some amazingly bad) weird harmonics and overtones too.
Plugging in a sound source lets you use the filter (either with or without the LFO) to modify other sounds (simple synth loops work best, but you get interesting effects from drums and other more complex sounds too).
All in all - if you like your old-school sounds, or just like having knobs to twiddle, this is a brilliant little toy that you might even find some use for as a serious tool...
As the description says it's a basic oscillator circuit with an LFO that can be switched to either the pitch control or the filter. The note is controlled by a touchpad which is nice for smooth glissandos but makes actually staying in tune without a stylus (I use a plectrum) and a steady hand nigh impossible (much like a theremin I suppose).
For all its simplicity the range of sounds available is amazing, from simple beepy-boopy sounds to surprisingly complex, sweeping textures. Going way past the "useful" ranges of the LFO and filter produces some really amazing (and some amazingly bad) weird harmonics and overtones too.
Plugging in a sound source lets you use the filter (either with or without the LFO) to modify other sounds (simple synth loops work best, but you get interesting effects from drums and other more complex sounds too).
All in all - if you like your old-school sounds, or just like having knobs to twiddle, this is a brilliant little toy that you might even find some use for as a serious tool...
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Hmmmmm... a distinctly tricky one, this. Essentially, there's nothing *wrong* with this tiny wee gizmo... which might lead some to think my 2-star review is a bit churlish... but even at the giveaway price, I just wonder whether it'll ever find a usable niche in anyone's serious music-making.
For a start, I'd urge anyone considering buying one of these to have a look at the dimensions. It's 15cm long. Which isn't very long at all (it's about the same size as, say, a scientific calculator). This means that the internal speaker is tiny, the 'ribbon' is minuscule, and the rotary controls are even smaller. Being the shovel-thumbed man-beast that I am, this made adjusting anything accurately almost impossible for me... while actually trying to use the ribbon strip melodically (or even trying to isolate an individual note with any accuracy of intonation) was a frustrating waste of time. Forget that fact that this has a piano keyboard printed on it; you'll never, ever coax a TUNE out of the swine (even using, say, a stylus from a PDA).
And secondly... lord, it's a flimsy bit of kit. 'Kinder Surprise' build quality, really (and I'm talking about the chocolate egg, here - not the toy inside...).
So while it *does* do everything it says it will, the limitations in the execution render this device - for my purposes, anyway (adding some nice, chewy analogue synth lines to some lo-fi bedroom indiepop) - a complete non-starter.
Forewarned is forearmed and all that.
For a start, I'd urge anyone considering buying one of these to have a look at the dimensions. It's 15cm long. Which isn't very long at all (it's about the same size as, say, a scientific calculator). This means that the internal speaker is tiny, the 'ribbon' is minuscule, and the rotary controls are even smaller. Being the shovel-thumbed man-beast that I am, this made adjusting anything accurately almost impossible for me... while actually trying to use the ribbon strip melodically (or even trying to isolate an individual note with any accuracy of intonation) was a frustrating waste of time. Forget that fact that this has a piano keyboard printed on it; you'll never, ever coax a TUNE out of the swine (even using, say, a stylus from a PDA).
And secondly... lord, it's a flimsy bit of kit. 'Kinder Surprise' build quality, really (and I'm talking about the chocolate egg, here - not the toy inside...).
So while it *does* do everything it says it will, the limitations in the execution render this device - for my purposes, anyway (adding some nice, chewy analogue synth lines to some lo-fi bedroom indiepop) - a complete non-starter.
Forewarned is forearmed and all that.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By cricklewood
Amazon Verified Purchase
There two ways to look at the Korg Monotron.
On one hand, you could get a true analogue synthesizer (with VCO, LFO, VCF control) that fits in your backpack easily for £40+. But on the other, £40+ is a lot of money to get a small little box that generates sounds. Some people call it a toy, but this is a very sophisticated one. A well trained ear may find the Analogue synth to have a fatter, richer sound than a digital one, but personally, I only care about the sounds it makes to satisfy my fetish for synthesized noise.
Also, this is my first synthesizer and I feel the Korg Monotron is a great introduction for me to learn how to manipulate the waveform to my liking. The keys are just their for aesthetics, it is pretty difficult to play a tune with it.
Another feature the Monotron has is the ability to be used as a filter. Just simply plug in a sound source into the Monotron and you can manipulate and bend the sound via the knobs. This such feature is enough to be considered as a tool for the creative musicians.
On one hand, you could get a true analogue synthesizer (with VCO, LFO, VCF control) that fits in your backpack easily for £40+. But on the other, £40+ is a lot of money to get a small little box that generates sounds. Some people call it a toy, but this is a very sophisticated one. A well trained ear may find the Analogue synth to have a fatter, richer sound than a digital one, but personally, I only care about the sounds it makes to satisfy my fetish for synthesized noise.
Also, this is my first synthesizer and I feel the Korg Monotron is a great introduction for me to learn how to manipulate the waveform to my liking. The keys are just their for aesthetics, it is pretty difficult to play a tune with it.
Another feature the Monotron has is the ability to be used as a filter. Just simply plug in a sound source into the Monotron and you can manipulate and bend the sound via the knobs. This such feature is enough to be considered as a tool for the creative musicians.
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4.6 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fun to play with
Really fun to play with, i'm new to analogue Synthesis so i thought a small analogue synth like this would be a good choice as i'd know if it'd be worth buying a full size... Read more
Published 15 days ago by Alex
5.0 out of 5 stars
we-wo
a small box but what sounds does it make.....its dead good nolonger guitar solo's but monotron solos......good price and zen
Published 1 month ago by J. F. C. Harrigan
5.0 out of 5 stars
underestimated
if you have decent headphones and understand basic analogue synthesis you can create immensely deep strange and out right weird sounds with this, also being able to use the filter... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Henry
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great
Bought for my husband who loves it. Don't be fooled it's not a very small keyboard! Excellent piece of equipment. Very much appreciated by those in the know.
Published 7 months ago by k f
5.0 out of 5 stars
Synthesizer
Got this for my son, he is really pleased with it. The service was great.My son is a budding DJ and this has spured him on to getting DJ decks.
Published 12 months ago by MrsB
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great sound making device
This is a fantastic box for making your own sounds and once hooked up to a decent mixer etc: will sound very powerfull. Read more
Published 19 months ago by TechMan
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not half as much fun as you might expect
I bought this thing as a gift for myself last year for xmas. I could not wait to have it. After initial disappointment with sound quality I began to enjoy it a little but then used... Read more
Published 19 months ago by P. Perhac
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