I’ve grown to love little battery operated synthesizers. There’s something about them that make them fun and desirable but they have to be useful too. I do have a Casio VL-1 and a Stylophone. So, it’s no surprise that I jumped on the pre-order list for a Korg Monotron as soon as I heard about them.
As soon as they had one available, Sweetwater made sure they put one in the mail for me. When the package arrived at my door, I quickly ripped open the box with excitement. I kind of felt like a little kid on Christmas but who can blame me? It’s a real analog synth in the palm of your hand!
For such a small piece of equipment, the Monotron has a huge sound. While it only has one oscillator and a single filter, it can make some terrific noises. If you like making all sorts of crazy blips and beeps, the Monotron is definitely something you’ll want to look into. You’re not going to find another real analog synth cheaper than it’s street price of $60.
While it is full of awesome, the Monotron does have a few drawbacks. Korg did go a little cheap on the output of this synth but that’s not surprising considering the price and it’s size. On the back of the casing is a headphone output that is a little on the noisy side and it’s also not very loud. Also, using your finger on the ribbon controller can be a little difficult since it’s kind of small. You’ll want to get a hold of something like a Nintendo DS stylus to use instead.
Despite a couple minor issues, I definitely recommend the Monotron to anyone wanting to add a little analog sound to their life. If you’re good with a solder iron, you may want to open up the casing and start poking around. It seems that Korg has done a decent job at labeling different points on the circuit board so that you can easy modify things.
I have a feeling, though, that the Monotron may be a little hard to find for a while. Since it’s so cheap, I’m betting that stores might have a hard time keeping them in stock. At this point, I don’t even think Sweetwater has finished filling their pre-orders yet.