Korg Mono / Poly
The Korg Mono / Poly is a four-part monophonic analog synthesizer that was produced by Korg between 1981 and 1984 and was widely used in the 1980s.
The synthesizer can be switched to a polyphonic mode if required . All four oscillators share the same filter and amplifier stage . Korg tried to build a musical instrument for monosolists as well as for flat players, which allowed polyphonic playing, but did not go beyond the price range.
technology
Like the Korg Polysix , the Mono / Poly cannot be played with velocity . The four SSM2033 oscillators work with triangular, sawtooth and square waves with pulse width modulation .
The KORG 24 dB filter (SSM2044) works less brutally than the Moog ladder filter, which is known for its roughness. To achieve the filter character and for the ADSR envelope generator , very complex integrated circuits were built in for the time .
The envelope generators work with very short access times. This can be used to produce very percussive, harsh sounds. What distinguishes this instrument in particular is a series of modulation interventions, which can be switched on the hardware side on the user interface. This makes its sound pulsating lively and very distinctive compared to the simpler structured synthesizers of the time. Envelopes switched to the pulse width, the extensive LFOs (Low Frequency Oscillator) or its very sound-shaping SYNC and cross modulation options make its sound unmistakable. It is worth mentioning that the sync and cross functions are assigned a special area called "Effects". Korg thus laid the foundation for the later combination of sound generation and signal processing in one device.
For example, a sound called "GROK" was presented, which at that time was only heard from a swelling SYNC / CROSS sound from significantly more expensive and complex modular synthesis systems. The integrated arpeggiator can be seen as an innovation .
The feel of the Mono / Poly can be seen in the dark blue sheet steel housing , framed by veneered wooden sides and a wooden support. Its keyboard has 44 standard size keys. Each parameter is controlled via its own switch, wheel or rotary potentiometer . Changes to the sound are made quickly and intuitively.
Due to the lack of a sound memory, Korg supplied empty, printed layouts in which the parameter values could be entered by hand. Being able to give each of the four oscillators different waveforms, footprints, pulse widths and levels shows its potential. Particularly noteworthy are the CV (Controlled Voltage) inputs and outputs on the back of the device for connecting analog rocker pedals or analog sequencers . The tempo of the arpeggiator can be set by its own input, e.g. B. be synchronized with drum computers .
meaning
The Mono / Poly was an affordable synthesizer in 1982 at around DM 2,400. Polyphonically playable synthesizers such as the Roland Jupiter-8, Oberheim OB-8 or even the Moog Memorymoog were considerably more expensive due to the very complex electronics and, moreover, very prone to failure. It appeared ahead of important models such as the Yamaha DX7 , Roland JUNO-60 and Korg M1 and therefore soon fell behind. It was also very difficult for the Mono / Poly to step out of the shadow of its "brother", the Korg Polysix . Its affordable price, six-part polyphony and storability were major trump cards when making a purchase decision in the early 1980s.
In the shadow of the Korg Polysix, with 64 memory spaces for sounds but few possibilities for sound generation, the memoryless Mono / Poly only experienced a new discovery some time later, at the beginning of the 1990s.
In 2020 Behringer launched a replica under the name "MonoPoly".
Web links
- Product information on the manufacturer's website
supporting documents
- ↑ Dirk Horst: Synthiepop - the soulful cold. Synth pop stories. Books on Demand, Norderstedt 2010, ISBN 978-3-8423-3422-9 , p. 26.
- ^ The best NAMM show in Years. In: Keyboard. Vol. 33, No. 3, 2007, ISSN 0730-0158 , p. 130, literally: 80s lead snyth., The Mono / Poly.