This device caused quite a stirr when it was released, as far as I can make out many have bought one, started modding them and rejoyced that a major synth firm has the guts to experiment in this field.

Obviously, the Monotron is a very simple device, and it didn't take long for users to become frustrated by a few missing features. This surely is an opportunity to up the ante and, if not make huge profits, would gain the company major respect and renewed interest in this field.

I read somewhere that a Korg rep claimed they were not going to further any developement, but I'm not going with that. tutt

Would you like to see a Monotron Pro? or Polytron?

What would be your realistic price point?

What features would you most like to see?

mini modular Monotron system.

ON a price of circa $100 per device.

thumbsup

I'd like to see Korgs versions of Slim Phatty / DSI MoPho Keyboard.

By this I mean a modern MIDIfied MS-20 & Polysix would be nice to have.

Price point: 500-1200 euros.

midi support, without it, it's useless in productions

i like this idea. Even if it were a slight Monotron varient with basic midi, and some kind of link interface feature allowing multiple monotron 'clusters'.

They could make some kind of keyboard + frame to house the multiple units, and maybe develope serperate monotron sized units featuring step sequencers/patch mod matrix etc but all individually at a buyable price.

How about a Korg PS-3300 for 330 euros?
heh

That's a bit of a stretch. It'd be VERY nice to have, but it's hardly useless.

How about a brand new analog synth from Korg....

The Korg 'Disease'

Make it sort of like a ms-20 remake, but with midi ( as per previous suggestion ) and throw in some strange filters like the dual cyclotron / frankenstiener.

Ok, I'll repeat myself then:

WANTED: Monotron II:
- MIDI (personally, I'm fine with CV-in but most people probably want MIDI)
- Decent output that isn't so noisy
- A way to use the filter as purely external filter
- A slightly bigger casing to contain the new stuff

I'd pay 200$ gladly

Lol. Then I could aspire to have a Virus, Disease, Venom and Plague Bearer in my setup and destroy the universe.

whatever analog synth or setup you want you can have right now... right ****ing now

design your desired signal path with whatever control options or anything and start putting together a modular synth

or you can keep having pointless dreams of a company that is in business to make a profit will start catering to .05% of the synth buying community

its called economies of scale.. not going to be achieved by bringing in really expensive equipment to mass produce and assemble synths cost effectively, when so very few of them will actually be sold... and not going to happen by having limited runs of hand assembled synths either.. boutique places are already doing this

the monotron is ****ing awesome for what it is. it replaced my stylophone, and as such, it is orders of magnitude better

When you want to upgrade the Monotron, each upgrade is going to cause a cascade in other upgrades - otherwise you're still left with not much more than what the Monotron currently is - and the answer to that is "not much". The reason it sells like that in the first place is because it's dirt cheap, not necessarily because it's analog.

Its interesting to see contrasting ideas here.

No ones asking for a full blown modular, just an update of a somewhat crippled, but great idea and return to what alot of people love.

I can see their apprehention.

One popular point of view is 'these synth manufactuers don't make stuff like they used to' boo hoo hoo..... and now some are saying don't bother, leave it to the boutique crowd.

Whats it to be????

Impossible to please everyone I guess,heh...... but an updated monotron, with a few more features (that people repeatedly asking for, ie midi, proper keyboard etc), and I don't think they are approaching ground covered by DSI Mopho's etc.

I think theres alot that can be done in the sub £300 area. (Monotron is £49).

FTW:

throw 8 in a box, give it knobs, a keyboard, some midi, done.

8 VOICE full analog = $600

you think an enclosure, potentiometers, midi to cv converter, and a keyboard will only add $200 to the price? really?

Remember when you said a while ago that you were going to build a poly analog? If it's that easy, you should have done it by now...

OK, and yet:

You bought the Monotron made by KORG, so KORG must've made the Monotron - and yet it is pointless to deam about KORG making a Monotron (II)?

That just doesn't make sense!

I dont think Rust Creep is contradicting himself at all. He seems to have a full grasp of what a scale economy is and agrees that the monotron is a good product that is good for what it is, and hence has a market share.

Also, 300 gearslutz who eventually may or may not buy whatever product signing a petition..great, korgs really gonna listen to that when they have to make products in the 10s, if not 100s of thousands to make any kind of worthwhile profit....

Make it six voice, 4-octave keyboard, basic metal case, (potentiometers are already priced in the 6 monotrons heh ), basic midi in/out.

Yes, I think it could be done. Hell, if not then why not a 4-voice, with upgrade slots for extra voices?

No potentiometer for unison detune then.

Or microcontroller to actually make the damn thing work.

Or R&D costs. Because thats free!

Yes,easily. The enclosure , pots and keyboard are usually the most expensive parts in a synth.
Otherwise we'd all be using MIDI controllers that are built like tanks and cost 100 quid instead of the crappy feeling stuff currently on the market.

Fair enough, but this thing is not some ultra geeky synth. It's been reviewed everywhere, also by gadget reviewers who know little about music. It lies on the counter at my local shoppe. I think they sold quite a few.

Which is my point, the monotron is a cheap, toy-like (not criticising the sound, just saying how the product can appeal to people) product that they can ship in vast numbers of units becauses its simple and a priced at a point that appeals to a lot of people. An uber monotron would go beyond that, function and price wise, so wouldnt be hitting the same market.

Yea, but my wish list:

- MIDI (personally, I'm fine with CV-in but most people probably want MIDI)
- Decent output that isn't so noisy
- A way to use the filter as purely external filter
- A slightly bigger casing to contain the new stuff

is not going to make this an expensive synth in any way. But it would make me and a lot of others buy it. Now, it is too flawed.

lolololol!!!!!

I would like something like this:

Similar setup to the original monopoly. 6 Monotron osc's, can be played poly-mode, or immense unison wall of sound heh

the keyword in my reply was 'only'

meaning i think it would add more than $200.. of course i'm assuming if a keyboard were made, it wouldn't be with the cheap plastic and pots that already come with the monotron

and i definitely didn't settle on a cheap controller... because what is the point of having tactile manipulation and response when it sucks and isn't inspiring to play

and maybe I'm alone in this feeling... but your design doesn't add any modulation routings.. so you're stuck with either LFO to pitch or to filter. or should i assume there are more routings since you've added 2 envelopes which will also add to the cost.. and can the existing PCB even accomodate the additional routings?

all this dreaming... and no consideration for the fact that while monotron is awesome for what it is... the oscilators, filter, and vca are all very anemic versions of their predecessors

what I was designing started just like the monotron. when that came out I stopped and am waiting for someone else to pull the trigger on more.

Okay, make it $800 then. $400 overprice of a microkorg casing keys & eletronics, $60 x 8 voices for monotron (remember that price includes ribbons, knobs, case, speaker and jacks... none of which will be needed) = $480, so call it $800?

and never forget, everything we buy is marked up like 200% anyway, so there is no reason a 6 or 8 hundred dollar 8 voice analog synth isn't possible. it may not SOUND amazing...

I'm still waiting for a VST programmer for Monotron and better DAW integration.

lol