Lookin to get my first hardware synth (been using software synths for years) but don't wanna spend too much money, I want somethin that sounds quite fat to suit the hard hitting electro tracks I make. Spent months looking, considered quite a few synths but narrowed it down to the small but mighty microKORG, and I just can't decide which one to get. I prefer the look of the original one but favor the new XL with its software editing of patches through the USB, dead handy.
Dunno, what do you think I should do, get the original or the new XL version? Also, does the new one still have the same sounds as the original?

they are both bad-ass synths for the low price. If you got the money, get the new xl. I have been thinking about getting one myself.

But 'm goning to thailand after the summer. so i have to wait.

the music store that i go to raised the price of the old microkorg from 250 to 340, i'm not chuffed at all, kinda hard to buy that shit when ure on £50 a week but if i could i'd go for the old one

Brill, I'm thinking of getting the XL one, just seems more appealling, mindu i wish they'd left the design of it similar to the original... wicked tunes you got by the way, top class stuff



Yeah, at Digital Village (UK) its £332.99 for the old one n £379 for the new, I dont mind spending a little more if the new one is better, why wud u go for the old one though?

i have an MS2000R which is far better because you can see all the parameters and there is no annoying dial system. the original microkorg uses the same engine.

The new XL is a good synth but most reviews comment that the design sucks, looks more like an old 70's electric piano and it is very plasticy, the MS2000R rackmount is smaller and made of hard metal and more sturdy but has the same polyphony as the original microkorg but for hard electronic music thats not a problem.

korg need to update their electribes, there has not been any good grooveboxes released buy anyone in a while. You would think with technology getting better an all in one groovebox would be at its peak now.

I want a new hybrid analog/digital music making box that does everything (synth, sampling, mastering, etc) and syncs up to a laptop and thats all you need, nothing more. We shoud be at that point now. MIDI is dead.

Yeah, I know what you mean about the microKORG being tricky to edit sounds with only a few dials, thats why i favor the XL cause of its USB software editor. And yeah, the XL does look shite, really prefer the original design, but surely its the sound that counts?

OK, i've thought about it long and hard n I'm beginnin to lean towards the original model, I know both have their ups n downs but the XL does look really tacky. I guess I want a synth that i could use live and the as the XL has less dials, i think the original would be better.

I own both.

the original is phat and beasty! very good for bass and leads. once you get your mind around not needing a digital display to tell you what you're doing you're set for alot of synths (analogs primarily!).

original micro shares the same sound engine as the ms2k.

the xl version shares the same sound engine as the radias if i can remember correctly. that's where all the formant shit comes from.

both are beasts!

test them out in your local music shoppe if you can and then decide

Gonna be getting the original microKorg tomorro morning, I did like the XL and will probably get one later on but for now the original suits me fine.

Cheers guys

Nice. Have some fun. and make some cool noise.