KORG MONOTRIBE

Limited · Post by **Limited** » Wed Apr 13, 2011 3:16 pm

Pokelok wrote:^ Unless you're dependent on quantized notes Although I think it will be fun recording sequences in Flux mode at lower tempos and then speed up.

Yeah exactly, this is one possible way of application. Done some cool fast & smooth arpeggio stuff this way.

@Limited:
- If you record a sequence in Flux mode with all 8 steps active, what happens to this sequence if you remove steps in Active step mode? Will it continue it's 1/2-bar travel? Or isn't Active step and Flux mode available at the same time? Will Flux recorded sequences "disappear" if you enter Active Step mode?

No, active step and flux are completely independent. Active Step will just leave out everything (synth&drums) in the sequence which isn't activated on the 8 buttons. AS is just about holding the AS button and then activate or deactivate steps and has no effect on quantisation, notes whatever.

- Does the filter follow the keyboard in any way/mode, or is it only controllable with the LFO and filter knob?

As far as I see (heard), filter isn't controllable via the ribbon.

ShannonS · Post by **ShannonS** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 4:50 am

My web version is coming along, the drums way off and the sequencer has a few bugs but it is usable. Click the screenshot to give it a try:

kimu · Post by **kimu** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 1:56 pm

Hi ShannonS.

very goog jobs!!

Aciphecs · Post by **Aciphecs** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 2:52 pm

Great little app there! Tons of fun, thanks

McHale · Post by **McHale** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 7:56 pm

ShannonS wrote:My web version is coming along, the drums way off and the sequencer has a few bugs but it is usable. Click the screenshot to give it a try:

I love your site and have been busy playing with a lot of the stuff on it all day. I'm having a problem with Retro6 though. When I click on it, it tries to install JAVA every time. Even after I let it uninstall the latest version and reinstall it. As soon as it's done, I go out, click on the picture again and it tries to reinstall JAVA again. Other synths work fine though.

I'd like to get this one working so I have something to do at work.

Thanks again for the great site and hard work...

-Mc

ShannonS · Post by **ShannonS** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 8:09 pm

The min Java version for Retro6 was set to 1.6, I've changed it to 1.5 (not sure why I set it to 1.6) does it work now?

McHale · Post by **McHale** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 8:18 pm

yep, thanks!

Work will be MUCH more fun now.

Pokelok · Post by **Pokelok** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 7:46 am

Great work Shannon!

19 · Post by 19 » Thu Apr 21, 2011 2:09 pm

1/ How many revolutions of the 8 step Bar does the Synth record for?
On an old 'tribe it would be 4 revolutions of bars & on a new 'tribe it would be 8 revolutions (on a Korgkaossilator I think it was 2 revolutions) so I am supposing/expecting that this will do at least 4 oldened day revolutions if it is indeed correct to label it a korg 'tribe.
If I'm in for a shock then please at least tell me it does 2 revolutions like a Kaossilator?

&

2/ How tight is the Sync feature?
It seems according to Korg spiel that it will sync to anything with a pulse practically (this is either good/bad depending).

I wish to be able to sync the Monotribe to many things like my Nintendo Korg DS10, Electribe ES1 or my Roland TR808.

I expect it to sync to most stuff when the beat it hears is straight 4/4 type pulses but will the Monotribe be good enough to stay in sync to multiple drum Fill-In rolls from a TR808 or Fill ins from my Korg Rhythm 55?

*Or if purchasing/connecting 2 Monotribes to use together will the 2nd unit keep in time to the 1st unit if I am playing around with the active steps on my 1st Monotribe? I just somehow cant see the Sync feature being very reliable. I REALLY hope my gut feeling is wrong.

I can understand Korg having to keep the cost down without the inclusion of a multi parameter programmable playable dedicated MIDI Channel Input on board but why no basic 5-pin MIDI Sync In type Clocking Port at least?

& I also would like to know if when syncing this to another Monotribe/DAW/drum machine/etc does the Monotribe automatically play when it receives the Sync in/Audio pulse or do you have to time it perfect to press play on the 1st Bar beat & therefore hope for the best that the tempo will stay locked down?

PS; Does the Japan radiation/devastation problem affect this units production?

dayuri · Post by **dayuri** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 11:53 am

I'm baffled as to why they didn't put in MIDI. I made my own MIDI mod for the original monotron and it cost me less than 30 USD (even after buying extra replacement parts for what I messed up) so I'm sure they could have put in MIDI for much less than that - they'd definitely make their money back in extra sales. Heck, I'd be tempted.

But what would be most attractive to me is having a modular system, i.e. separate parts bought separately: a separate box for sequencer, a separate keyboard/button module, a separate MIDI converter, a separate drum synth, filters, mixer. It would be cheap, effective, customizable, USEFUL and I'd go nuts over it.

One thing I'm curious about though is if they've added in temperature stabilization.

Still. If you want to sit around making brain dead acid techno for hours on end this is probably a pretty cheap way to do it.

......

Actually f*ck it I want one.

slug · Post by **slug** » Fri May 06, 2011 2:36 am

dayuri wrote:I'm baffled as to why they didn't put in MIDI.

As you said - people can modify these to have MIDI at your own expense, and I will probably be keen to mod the drums to control the pitch of them, but I dont mind that it isnt there to begin with, I appreciate Korg has developed this to be usable but be able to meet a certain price point. I like the idea that this is a fun instrument with no pretensions of being a serious studio synthesizer - products like Dave Smith Mopho, or the Waldorf Pulse + I own perform these duties with much greater control and depth. However both these of course have digitally controlled pots, and although as on the Mopho the cutoff resolution is 164 steps instead of the normal 127 for higher resolution, the point is that a MIDI system cannot interpret the endless resolution of fully analog pots. Of course there are plenty of analog modular suppliers if you really want that, but i do understand the draw of Korg and its MS20 heritage.

dayuri wrote: But what would be most attractive to me is having a modular system, i.e. separate parts bought separately: a separate box for sequencer, a separate keyboard/button module, a separate MIDI converter, a separate drum synth, filters, mixer. It would be cheap, effective, customizable, USEFUL and I'd go nuts over it.

This is what Korg did with the original Electribe series - it is obvious that the all-in-one design of the EMX/ESX series has been far more commercially successful. I can assure you this will sell in far larger numbers that any component boxes ever would as it can be used by anyone, and has no intimidation factor, or setup/connection rubbish to worry about. I am glad this has the battery option and built in speaker for the same reason - if i have this on my coffee table i can jam every ad break without having to worry about connecting cables to anything.

dayuri wrote:One thing I'm curious about though is if they've added in temperature stabilization.

Well the thing is self tuning, so that cant be affected by oscillator drift, but of course the clue is in the specifications which you don't see on any other Korg synth spec sheet "Operating Temperature: 0 – +40°C (non-condensing conditions)"

dayuri wrote:Actually f*ck it I want one.

Same

Pokelok · Post by **Pokelok** » Wed May 18, 2011 6:17 am

http://www.sonicstate.com/news/2011/05/ ... monotribe/

dayuri · Post by **dayuri** » Wed May 18, 2011 9:16 am

slug wrote:However both these of course have digitally controlled pots, and although as on the Mopho the cutoff resolution is 164 steps instead of the normal 127 for higher resolution, the point is that a MIDI system cannot interpret the endless resolution of fully analog pots. Of course there are plenty of analog modular suppliers if you really want that, but i do understand the draw of Korg and its MS20 heritage.

Just note/on-off would be fine!

I'm keen to open one of these up and see if they've marked the bend points on the PCB like they did with the Monotron. If they have it'll be a quick conversion to MIDI, and also doing things like adding buttons/keys to replace the annoying ribbon and splitting the drum and synth output would be pretty cheap and easy anyway since its supposedly discreet analog.

Speaking of the price, I think 300 USD (or aroundabouts) is actually pretty reasonable. Its not fair to compare the price of real analog to digital synths and winge about lack of features. To make an analog synth is a pretty expensive thing to do. For 300 USD (all materials inc) the best thing you can do at the moment is make a Doepfer DIY synth kit, which admittedly has more parameters, but lacks a separate drum synth, ribbon, gating, sequencer, you'll have to make it yourself and it also doesn't have MIDI.

Pokelok · Post by **Pokelok** » Wed May 18, 2011 9:57 am

dayuri wrote:I'm keen to open one of these up and see if they've marked the bend points on the PCB like they did with the Monotron. If they have it'll be a quick conversion to MIDI, and also doing things like adding buttons/keys to replace the annoying ribbon and splitting the drum and synth output would be pretty cheap and easy anyway since its supposedly discreet analog.

Well I can assure you it's not discrete analog

Even the original MS series uses analog chips.

Korg must have noticed the number of modifications done to Monotrons, so I'd be surprised if they haven't marked the PCB. Personally I'm very happy this doesn't have MIDI; no sluggishness, and much greater sync flexibility out of the box. The additional functions you wish for like note on/off, vco cv in etc are a lot easier to implement without MIDI.

dayuri wrote:Speaking of the price, I think 300 USD (or aroundabouts) is actually pretty reasonable. Its not fair to compare the price of real analog to digital synths and winge about lack of features. To make an analog synth is a pretty expensive thing to do. For 300 USD (all materials inc) the best thing you can do at the moment is make a Doepfer DIY synth kit, which admittedly has more parameters, but lacks a separate drum synth, ribbon, gating, sequencer, you'll have to make it yourself and it also doesn't have MIDI.

Certainly agree with that.

dayuri · Post by **dayuri** » Wed May 18, 2011 11:31 am

Pokelok wrote: Well I can assure you it's not discrete analog Even the original MS series uses analog chips.

Korg must have noticed the number of modifications done to Monotrons, so I'd be surprised if they haven't marked the PCB. Personally I'm very happy this doesn't have MIDI; no sluggishness, and much greater sync flexibility out of the box. The additional functions you wish for like note on/off, vco cv in etc are a lot easier to implement without MIDI.

According to the press release it has discrete circuitry on the drums (if its actually true I'm not sure why they would have gone through that effort, I'm pretty sure it doesn't make that much difference? [anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong]).

Yeah I'm definitely quite excited about this sync business, though at this stage it could really swing either way in terms of how good it is with other gear. While it will be easier to implement the gamut of CV signals (kind of strange they didn't actually put in a CV etc input since in theory its only going to cost them a little bit of wire and another jack) its nice to have that option. I have some workarounds for MIDI lag, and I have some MIDI keyboards so MIDI is still a significant bonus in my books.