With the arsenal of modern VST's (Korg VST included) you don't need this one. The original KingKorg was in a literal sense a fancy looking synth with all the basic components of a synthesizer. Any proper VST surpasses it for a fraction of the price.
@@HermesAndroidProject Well I don't know about that mate. This is a Korg anthology of sorts with those DWGS waves and other type of shit they got in there. It's not bad sounding either. Yep something like a VST will give you this for less money but it's not the same thing. Physical instrument vs picture in screen etc. I really like some VSTs but lately I've been appreciating that instrument is an instrument. That said, for the money I would opt for a Korg Prologue 16. You can still find that used for about $1200 or so where I live. But the King Korg is a little deceptive in that I think it offers more than meets the eye. But yeah my main point is that vst to instruments is not a straight apples type comparison.
@@HermesAndroidProject I agree on principle, but for an absolute beginner, that would mean a) having to buy and set up a MIDI controller, and b) not being able to play without the computer, which will take several minutes to boot up.
@@PeranMe Well if you go that route, and that's an answer on both of you, just go for a Roland Gaia-2 or much better an MPC Keys 37, though that instrument has a steep learning curve. I agree on the Prologue but that one is an actual professional instrument. You got the Korg Minilogue XD for that choice. Not sure if that one is still one sale though. The Neo is just garbage, the original KingKorg was already unpopular and putting that in some cheap "mass produced" chassis is not a good move from Korg. It's the same thing with the Wave series, the synths are garbage material wise, I've owned the Wavestate.The VST versions of these however aren't.
Great demo Jack as ever , sadly price is a bit steep , maybe £400 / £500 , as live player , loved the original King Korg , second hand now they can go for as little as £500 , maybe Korg should have made a desktop module instead ? Less knobs but the ones that count , would make great live rig option 😊👍
This is unbeatable for cover bands though, that's really the market for this piece of kit. If you have a wedding band, you're wasting time unless you have a king korg
It is September 2024 as I comment. I just purchased an ASM Hydrasynth Explorer that was delivered to me in June. It’s the fourth 37-key synthesizer or keyboard I’ve purchased dating back to August 2000. The first three included an ARP Axxe Mark II from circa 1977 (which I no longer own), a microKorg XL and the Korg replica of the ARP Odyssey. If I hadn’t gotten the Hydrasynth and felt like adding another 37-key modeling synth to my arsenal, including another from Korg, I might consider this one. The vocoder on this KingKorg Neo would be a give-and-take against the Hydrasynth’s polyphonic aftertouch. That Carpenters reference is real cute.
I guess they are going after the MicroKORG market with th..wait a minute I think it would have made a really nice knobby rackmount module that could double as a desktop module.. I would have been interested in that. They've even recessed the ports on the back already. But I have the OG King Korg and so this one is pretty pointless for me. I am a bit baffled that the valve wasn't swapped for a Korg nuTube, though
I'd love to have that as a module. They did that with the opsix/modwave/wavestate with the same form factor..so maybeee..... That's expensive though for what it is!
For what it is. It's £250 over priced. The ASM Hydrasynth explorer is better in every department. They are already being discounted and will drop in price even further because it is not a stand out instrument.
The worst king korg ever, no distortion tube, no 61 note keyboard, no multi timbrality. Seriously, bad job Korg. Thanks to Jack for the demo, it was great as always and his company is always the best thing about these videos.
Modal Cobalt or Argon, ASM Hydrasynth Explorer, Roland Jupiter Xm, Forthcoming MicroKorg 2, Korg ModWave. Iridium Core or Access Virus TI Desktop if you can find a deal, push the budget and have a controller keyboard. TI is out of production, so only available s/h but still a contender. Array of options at different price points. Novation Peak has a digital engine but with an analogue filter. Lots of hands on control and decent sound set. You might have to go s/h to benchmark the Neo price but that is still a great option if it works for the type of music you make
OK, now I've tested it extensively. The fact is that the KingKorg Neo is not suitable for crisp and punchy bass. Somehow the filters and amp envelopes themselves do not generate any pressure. You can create punchy sounds with the KingKorg neo by mixing the three oscillators with different waveforms, especially sine and triangle, or even a PCM sample plus push up the Tone and Eq provides a lot of pressure, but the envelopes and the amp or VCA emulation are too weak even for crisp and punchy filterbass, so nothing comes out of it. Just like I can do that with the AL-1 in the Oasys, or the punchy Bass Sound in Paul Hardcastles 19. That's not possible here if you use a normal square wave and want to create bass with it, then it sounds pretty musty/tin and without bite and punch compare to other Synths. And i think the Envelopes are linear not exponential or logarithmic. And there is no Update on the Horizon, there is no Updater for KingKorg Neo on the Korg website. I don't understand any of this. The first KingKorg came onto the market in 2013. Now so many years have passed and there have been no more new updates for the KingKorg Neo, for example that you can also set the Envelopes to exponential, the Punch Level Parameter only increase more higher Frequencies like an Exciter but no low bass boost.
I haven’t been even looking at korg for a while but then I got the new kaospad nts3 for free and was literally blown Away daws cant do what that lil mf can do and now im all interested in there products again was saddened by the replay and drumloogy but hopefully they are actually listening to the people again id actually believe in them again if they released more prologue type stuff
Is it better then a good midi keyboard and a decent laptop and plugins. I can't help but make that comparison with any and all virtual analog synths, how much money in computer gear would it cost me, and in sound comfort and variety would I be better of with a laptop or tablet. Folks always give me a hard time with that question, but that is essentially what you're buying with a VA synth.
It really varies from person to person. I prefer using a PC with a controller, but I'm keen on adding a hardware synth to my setup. The main appeal for me is the dedicated controls which foster experimentation and in-depth learning. These controls then transform the hardware into an instrument that's more intuitive to play than mapping a MIDI controller or using the GUI.
For me, any stand-alone instrument is much better than a Native instrument contoller or Arturia controller, and the software won't impress me much if I have to lug around a PC with the controller to use it. On the other hand, I can take the keyboard to my bedroom or living room and make some sounds for a future song and then compose in Logic or whatever I like as a DAW. I can't help but remember that all digital synthesizers are VA's with physical controller controls as well, so you have a powerful piece of equipment in a very small space, saving time and money, as happens with Hydrasynth or Modal Argon 8/cobalt... Really, for me, there's no comparison, because the software expires, but the instrument doesn't, it will always be that thing you bought from day one.
The keyboard is handy for live work, when your other keyboard is busy doing other things. I use it for solos, vocoder melodies, and changing arp patterns, while I'm doing bass, pads and drums on my main keyboard.
Could be a good bread'n'butter beginner synth. Its Korg'ish tone also should let it sit well in the mix. But honestly, for me it is a bit too much VST in a box. Only 25 knobs. Nothing you couldnt get from e.g. a Virus VST and a Novation Launch Control XL.
The price does seem a little high for what it offers, but I expect we'll see the price on the neo drop fairly quickly to levels closer to the modwave and opsix. It is horses for courses though. I have an mpc one and an original king korg - MPC key 37 is a great allrounder and a bit of a bargain at the price imo given what it comes with and the regularity of very cheap deals to add native plugins to it, but the KK is in a different league on the synthesis side imo and its dedicated focussed workflow will suit many people better than scattergun of MPC.
King Korg was a great sound engine in a pretty ugly keyboard with terrible keybed, I'm glad they've bought this out (still think there life in the engine) I guess they're going for beginners market ...but yes for those of us who have synths& dont need silly short keybed 100% hope they bring out a module version!
I like it, but like the Modwave and Wavestate2 it's obviously just a VST running on Raspberry Pi. I bought the WaveState2 and Modwave and 12 months later they released them as VSTs which angered me because I would have rathered just buy the VST. I have funny feeling Korg will do the same with this, so Im waiting.
Every other digital hardware synth is a VST with some rubbish, inexpensive processor that's not even in the same galaxy as a Raspberry Pi. Just like the sky is blue and "very airy".
@@Jason75913 Totally agree. But at the same time, not every digital hardware synth is released as a VST 12 months later. I have no problem with VSTs, but it would have been nice to know that they were going to release it as a VST, and save me some space and money. ;)
I bought one ($900 open box) in May to replace my 18-year-old Radias, which I think is still Korg's best vocoder option (and I've tried them all). Most of the factory programming is lame and does not do justice to the keyboard. I spent a solid week custom programming it, hated it, and returned it. Fast forward three months and I found another one used for $650 on Reverb. Okay, I'll give it another shot. This time around, I have it MIDI'd to a Kross 2 61 to layer the virtual sounds with my Kross programming and give me the 61 key spread that I missed from the original KingKorg. I still hated the Neo vocoder. It lacked the presence of the Radias. Using the Radias editor, I typed the vocoder parameters from the Radias into the Neo, and I got very close to what I deemed acceptable. I also found that adding Chorus & Mod Delay to a lot of the programs helped them considerably. The included vocoder mic is too short when you place the Neo on the top tier of a keyboard stand. I use a clamp-on boom with a SM58. For a lightweight, travel friendly keyboard rig, I'm using the Kross 2 as my controller, the Neo, and a Windows 11 tablet running Wavestate and Modwave Native. $1000 is too high of a price for the Neo. Wait for a used one. Korg still does not have an editor/librarian for the Neo, and there's no way to back it up or transfer your custom programming to another Neo. By the way, I'm still using the Radias on my main keyboard rig, Kronos 2, Radias, Wavestate & JDXA. Korg needs to do a 20th Anniversary Radias!
Naaawwww.....$1000 for this?? Buy a Deepmind 12....real analogy 49 keys and lots of presets to start with. Not impressed. I think Korg has subdivided sound once to often between the Wavesstate, Modwave, Opsix and now this for $300 more.
So they've already knocked £100 off it on a brand new product. What is the point of the 3 screens, why not just have one decent sized that displays everything. Absolutely terrible design in my opinion
Stupid size, too expensive - what is it with Korg and their king korg products -the last one was a bit of a flop - this is worse - unfortunately) - Korg have been poor with their products over the last 2-3 years (repackaging parts of the Kronos - which was powerful but a bit let down by the user interface - and sequencer - I have one and it is good but not as great as it could have been). The concept of the King Korg is great - the delivery - small - plasticky (flimsy) and overpriced lets it down. They shouldn't have got rid of some excellent product managers - what were they thinking.
I mean, imagine being a beginner, with lots of inspiration, a simple DAW and one of these: heaven!
With the arsenal of modern VST's (Korg VST included) you don't need this one. The original KingKorg was in a literal sense a fancy looking synth with all the basic components of a synthesizer. Any proper VST surpasses it for a fraction of the price.
@@HermesAndroidProject Well I don't know about that mate. This is a Korg anthology of sorts with those DWGS waves and other type of shit they got in there. It's not bad sounding either. Yep something like a VST will give you this for less money but it's not the same thing. Physical instrument vs picture in screen etc. I really like some VSTs but lately I've been appreciating that instrument is an instrument. That said, for the money I would opt for a Korg Prologue 16. You can still find that used for about $1200 or so where I live. But the King Korg is a little deceptive in that I think it offers more than meets the eye. But yeah my main point is that vst to instruments is not a straight apples type comparison.
@@HermesAndroidProject I agree on principle, but for an absolute beginner, that would mean a) having to buy and set up a MIDI controller, and b) not being able to play without the computer, which will take several minutes to boot up.
Imagine that little beginner kid with a 2-part King Korg, tube distortion, 61-key semi-weighted keyboard, for less than the cost of this NEO. 🤣🤣
@@PeranMe Well if you go that route, and that's an answer on both of you, just go for a Roland Gaia-2 or much better an MPC Keys 37, though that instrument has a steep learning curve. I agree on the Prologue but that one is an actual professional instrument. You got the Korg Minilogue XD for that choice. Not sure if that one is still one sale though. The Neo is just garbage, the original KingKorg was already unpopular and putting that in some cheap "mass produced" chassis is not a good move from Korg. It's the same thing with the Wave series, the synths are garbage material wise, I've owned the Wavestate.The VST versions of these however aren't.
Great demo by Jack as always - Lovely playing
Great demo Jack as ever , sadly price is a bit steep , maybe £400 / £500 , as live player , loved the original King Korg , second hand now they can go for as little as £500 , maybe Korg should have made a desktop module instead ? Less knobs but the ones that count , would make great live rig option 😊👍
Where's Luke ?
Jack +Luke +Korg =Awesome 😊
Nothing I heard convinced me I need this for +€1000.
Korg Collection all the way.
This is unbeatable for cover bands though, that's really the market for this piece of kit. If you have a wedding band, you're wasting time unless you have a king korg
The origional king korg was used also by the touring band version of the Radiophonic Workshop by Mr Roger Limb (legend!)
What ever happened to the grandstage X?
"wiggly woo-woo stuff"... this is why we love you...!!
I tried one and was appalled by the keybed... KORG..... STEP IT UP!
It is September 2024 as I comment. I just purchased an ASM Hydrasynth Explorer that was delivered to me in June. It’s the fourth 37-key synthesizer or keyboard I’ve purchased dating back to August 2000. The first three included an ARP Axxe Mark II from circa 1977 (which I no longer own), a microKorg XL and the Korg replica of the ARP Odyssey. If I hadn’t gotten the Hydrasynth and felt like adding another 37-key modeling synth to my arsenal, including another from Korg, I might consider this one. The vocoder on this KingKorg Neo would be a give-and-take against the Hydrasynth’s polyphonic aftertouch.
That Carpenters reference is real cute.
For a certain market this would be awesome. I used to own a kingkorg and it was a good synth.
I have the slight impression that the microkorg 2 might be higher developed in certain aspects.
KingKorg Morpheus coming obviously
In blue and red
I guess they are going after the MicroKORG market with th..wait a minute
I think it would have made a really nice knobby rackmount module that could double as a desktop module.. I would have been interested in that. They've even recessed the ports on the back already. But I have the OG King Korg and so this one is pretty pointless for me. I am a bit baffled that the valve wasn't swapped for a Korg nuTube, though
Radias, come back please 🥺
A new KingKorg, rrreaaallly?
Hi. I can help you. Korg kingkorg neo, supports tape-a midi?
Does it has smooth transition feature when changing between presets / patches?
I'd love to have that as a module. They did that with the opsix/modwave/wavestate with the same form factor..so maybeee..... That's expensive though for what it is!
Are they going to do a Korgzilla as well?
and KorgZuki
Or Korgiac?
Andertons, where have all the 73-note synths gone? Most seem to be 61 then 88 - nothing in-between! This has to change.
Same build quality as a wavestate? This seems like a dud but what do i know 😅
It sounds pretty good though. Maybe they should consider this for a module I don't know. Might make sense.
KingKorg (original) is the best VA synth and seriously underrated. Great gigging board for synth players!!
For what it is. It's £250 over priced. The ASM Hydrasynth explorer is better in every department. They are already being discounted and will drop in price even further because it is not a stand out instrument.
This is Korg's Gaia 2
Modwave is closer to Gaia2.
The worst king korg ever, no distortion tube, no 61 note keyboard, no multi timbrality.
Seriously, bad job Korg.
Thanks to Jack for the demo, it was great as always and his company is always the best thing about these videos.
With all those osc types, it may be inheriting some from the M1.
The visible valve is the only thing I want in a keyboard. I’m not joking. I’m a guitar player.
its sounds like the mpc 37 and just as as expensive I'm going to go with the Altura 61
TI2 Polar sized.
Could someone give a list of other brands' options in this same synth category? I'm trying to research before buying this one sounds great
Modal Cobalt or Argon, ASM Hydrasynth Explorer, Roland Jupiter Xm, Forthcoming MicroKorg 2, Korg ModWave. Iridium Core or Access Virus TI Desktop if you can find a deal, push the budget and have a controller keyboard. TI is out of production, so only available s/h but still a contender. Array of options at different price points. Novation Peak has a digital engine but with an analogue filter. Lots of hands on control and decent sound set. You might have to go s/h to benchmark the Neo price but that is still a great option if it works for the type of music you make
KK is an awesome VA performance synth. I'm thinking of buying a Neo to layer more.
Hydrasynth
OK, now I've tested it extensively. The fact is that the KingKorg Neo is not suitable for crisp and punchy bass. Somehow the filters and amp envelopes themselves do not generate any pressure. You can create punchy sounds with the KingKorg neo by mixing the three oscillators with different waveforms, especially sine and triangle, or even a PCM sample plus push up the Tone and Eq provides a lot of pressure, but the envelopes and the amp or VCA emulation are too weak even for crisp and punchy filterbass, so nothing comes out of it. Just like I can do that with the AL-1 in the Oasys, or the punchy Bass Sound in Paul Hardcastles 19. That's not possible here if you use a normal square wave and want to create bass with it, then it sounds pretty musty/tin and without bite and punch compare to other Synths. And i think the Envelopes are linear not exponential or logarithmic. And there is no Update on the Horizon, there is no Updater for KingKorg Neo on the Korg website. I don't understand any of this. The first KingKorg came onto the market in 2013. Now so many years have passed and there have been no more new updates for the KingKorg Neo, for example that you can also set the Envelopes to exponential, the Punch Level Parameter only increase more higher Frequencies like an Exciter but no low bass boost.
I was just thinking about getting this yesterday, but it seemed too simple.
I haven’t been even looking at korg for a while but then I got the new kaospad nts3 for free and was literally blown Away daws cant do what that lil mf can do and now im all interested in there products again was saddened by the replay and drumloogy but hopefully they are actually listening to the people again id actually believe in them again if they released more prologue type stuff
Don't like the form factor personally, but the sound is very much "korgy" which is a good thing.
Is it better then a good midi keyboard and a decent laptop and plugins. I can't help but make that comparison with any and all virtual analog synths, how much money in computer gear would it cost me, and in sound comfort and variety would I be better of with a laptop or tablet. Folks always give me a hard time with that question, but that is essentially what you're buying with a VA synth.
It really varies from person to person. I prefer using a PC with a controller, but I'm keen on adding a hardware synth to my setup. The main appeal for me is the dedicated controls which foster experimentation and in-depth learning. These controls then transform the hardware into an instrument that's more intuitive to play than mapping a MIDI controller or using the GUI.
For me, any stand-alone instrument is much better than a Native instrument contoller or Arturia controller, and the software won't impress me much if I have to lug around a PC with the controller to use it.
On the other hand, I can take the keyboard to my bedroom or living room and make some sounds for a future song and then compose in Logic or whatever I like as a DAW.
I can't help but remember that all digital synthesizers are VA's with physical controller controls as well, so you have a powerful piece of equipment in a very small space, saving time and money, as happens with Hydrasynth or Modal Argon 8/cobalt...
Really, for me, there's no comparison, because the software expires, but the instrument doesn't, it will always be that thing you bought from day one.
FFS KORG, just give us it in a module form and forget about your shitty non aftertouch 37 keybeds.
The keyboard is handy for live work, when your other keyboard is busy doing other things. I use it for solos, vocoder melodies, and changing arp patterns, while I'm doing bass, pads and drums on my main keyboard.
@keytronek absolutely! KK is an aweso.e gigging board for leads and performance features.
Could be a good bread'n'butter beginner synth. Its Korg'ish tone also should let it sit well in the mix. But honestly, for me it is a bit too much VST in a box. Only 25 knobs. Nothing you couldnt get from e.g. a Virus VST and a Novation Launch Control XL.
How on Earth is this more expensive than an MPC Key 37??
The price does seem a little high for what it offers, but I expect we'll see the price on the neo drop fairly quickly to levels closer to the modwave and opsix. It is horses for courses though. I have an mpc one and an original king korg - MPC key 37 is a great allrounder and a bit of a bargain at the price imo given what it comes with and the regularity of very cheap deals to add native plugins to it, but the KK is in a different league on the synthesis side imo and its dedicated focussed workflow will suit many people better than scattergun of MPC.
Cool. CAD$1,400.
I don't know why this is so expensive considering it's a VST in a box with some knobs on it.
They should have made a full-sized KK2 with better PCM sounds and aftertouch. Love my KK
King Korg was a great sound engine in a pretty ugly keyboard with terrible keybed, I'm glad they've bought this out (still think there life in the engine) I guess they're going for beginners market ...but yes for those of us who have synths& dont need silly short keybed 100% hope they bring out a module version!
i thought you were dead :)
I like it, but like the Modwave and Wavestate2 it's obviously just a VST running on Raspberry Pi. I bought the WaveState2 and Modwave and 12 months later they released them as VSTs which angered me because I would have rathered just buy the VST. I have funny feeling Korg will do the same with this, so Im waiting.
Every other digital hardware synth is a VST with some rubbish, inexpensive processor that's not even in the same galaxy as a Raspberry Pi. Just like the sky is blue and "very airy".
@@Jason75913 Totally agree. But at the same time, not every digital hardware synth is released as a VST 12 months later. I have no problem with VSTs, but it would have been nice to know that they were going to release it as a VST, and save me some space and money. ;)
I bought one ($900 open box) in May to replace my 18-year-old Radias, which I think is still Korg's best vocoder option (and I've tried them all). Most of the factory programming is lame and does not do justice to the keyboard. I spent a solid week custom programming it, hated it, and returned it. Fast forward three months and I found another one used for $650 on Reverb. Okay, I'll give it another shot. This time around, I have it MIDI'd to a Kross 2 61 to layer the virtual sounds with my Kross programming and give me the 61 key spread that I missed from the original KingKorg. I still hated the Neo vocoder. It lacked the presence of the Radias. Using the Radias editor, I typed the vocoder parameters from the Radias into the Neo, and I got very close to what I deemed acceptable. I also found that adding Chorus & Mod Delay to a lot of the programs helped them considerably. The included vocoder mic is too short when you place the Neo on the top tier of a keyboard stand. I use a clamp-on boom with a SM58. For a lightweight, travel friendly keyboard rig, I'm using the Kross 2 as my controller, the Neo, and a Windows 11 tablet running Wavestate and Modwave Native.
$1000 is too high of a price for the Neo. Wait for a used one. Korg still does not have an editor/librarian for the Neo, and there's no way to back it up or transfer your custom programming to another Neo. By the way, I'm still using the Radias on my main keyboard rig, Kronos 2, Radias, Wavestate & JDXA. Korg needs to do a 20th Anniversary Radias!
But you and everyone was gushing over the 37 key gaia 2.
Naaawwww.....$1000 for this?? Buy a Deepmind 12....real analogy 49 keys and lots of presets to start with. Not impressed. I think Korg has subdivided sound once to often between the Wavesstate, Modwave, Opsix and now this for $300 more.
You gotta REALLY love Korg if you're willing to drop 1k USD on this. This is about 2x the price it should be. Shame on you Korg.
Another pint sized synth for synth-wank bedroom studio's.
Instead of _Close to You_ on that one vocoder patch you should have performed _Daisy Bell (Bicycle Built for Two)._
I wish this had built-in speakers.
The OG model has more keys, is cheaper, and is better. Trust me, you want that valve.
UGH! XDDDDDDDDDDD
I’ve been excited for what korg has been doing.. but this product doesn’t bring much joy… 😢
Jack always good work, but this synth….yuk!
Not always good work - his UB-XA demo sucked, but I agree, nothing special about this machine.
Waxing organ was the only useable thing.
So they've already knocked £100 off it on a brand new product. What is the point of the 3 screens, why not just have one decent sized that displays everything. Absolutely terrible design in my opinion
Im sorry, but this sounds thin. Save your money....
Stupid size, too expensive - what is it with Korg and their king korg products -the last one was a bit of a flop - this is worse - unfortunately) - Korg have been poor with their products over the last 2-3 years (repackaging parts of the Kronos - which was powerful but a bit let down by the user interface - and sequencer - I have one and it is good but not as great as it could have been). The concept of the King Korg is great - the delivery - small - plasticky (flimsy) and overpriced lets it down. They shouldn't have got rid of some excellent product managers - what were they thinking.
I think they gonna make a comeback call me crazy lol
boring
It's worth the £900