when Nick does a review, you can immediately understand the difference between someone with minimal years of hands on, and someone who's been working with synths forever. His reviews are unprecedented if you really need to get some clear, factual information online........... So rare and excellent! very much appreciated
Affordable analog synthesizers with excellent sounds and great build quality. So many to choose from but not enough room in the house. What a time to be alive!
Wilderness Music I am pretty much sticking to the sub$500 range too actually. There are so many awesome synths for that money nowadays. I may save up for a System 8 or a used JDXA. I had a sub37 and a DeepMind12 amongst many other SynthsI in the past but I had to sell them all due to a financial catastrophe. They were amazing and I miss them terribly espescially my trusty King Korg. I’m pretty much stuck with iPad synths at the movement. Ill definitely give the Gaia some thought. Thanks.
@@zaffrolumpkins Correct, shift + depth is dry/wet mix for REV and DEL, it is missing on MOD. The selection of SUB FX for MOD as described above will give you a diverse and rich set of each and ever MOD FX.
Watched again after 2 years, and I still think this is one of the best budget friendly synths out there. Much because of the powerful effects section. The effects on the Minifreak are abysmal in comparison. Well done Soniclab❤️ well done Korg❤️
Nice to see Korg already trickling down some awesome from the Prologue into the Minilogue! Thought we'd have to wait longer, nope! I plan to snag one! A+ Korg 👍
Darn it Nick! I was planning on getting in to the British spirit of things and starting my comment by calling it a cracking synthesizer but you said it first and now I feel like I am just copying you. Anyway I no longer regret selling my minilogue. I am definitely putting this on my shopping list for the summer. We are living in such an exciting time for synthesis. I am really pleased that manufacturers are going with the hybrid engine way of things. I was never one of those analog only guys. If it sounds good to me I could care less if it’s digital or analog. One of my favorite all time synths is the King Korg. In my opinion it has such a rich sound and it has digital oscillators and whatnot. Having booth analog and digital in one instrument opens up the sound designs possibilities in such an huge way. Great review as always. Got to love Korg. Also the new synths Behringer are making is a very exciting deal. I think what they are doing is amazing and fantastic. They are making it possible for the regular person that isn’t rich to have access to near identical fully analog classic synths of yesteryear. From the way they sound and from the reviews I’ve watched the Behringer Mini Moog is as close as you can possibly get to a real minimoog without spending thousands of dollars. Like I said it is such and exciting synth age we are living in right now. With these new under $1,000 heck even under $500 options available nowadays, with the money I earn I can easily pick up a new fantastic synth every two or three months no problem. Ya can’t beat that.
KORG are really my favourite manufacturer right now, they've really been bringing out winners and future classics with the volcas, minilogues and the monologue. All incredibly affordable too!
Volcas are trash. KingKorg was their best product in a while. Prolouge isn't anywhere as good as my old V-Synth and had a terrible pitch bug for a year.
@@pcuimac prologue was a bit of a disappointment to be honest but volcas are hardly thrash. They're limited sure but they're also all around the 150 quid mark new, sub 100 used (can get a lot of portable synth for very little money). And they're fun as hell.
@@pcuimac the bug varied in different models how bad it was. In mine it was hardly apparent. I still haven't done the update as it was minimal in mine. The multi engine means that programmers can create so many new oscillator types and effects plus it has the 2 VCO's so tbh it kicks the V-Synth into touch and so does the XD. Aside from the sequencer practically everything the XD can do the Prologue can do and with more voices and a fuller sound on the 16 voice version with the compressor. For those who try them superficially they won't experience how good the Prologue or the XD really are. For those who dig a little bit deeper will find both to be amazing instruments.
@Aaron Foltz No. The get around is you would have to create a similar digital waveform using the kit to create user oscillators for Prologue and XD. That may be a good one to do. It's not my field though
The real thing to try is getting chords out of the self resonating filters if possible. Love doing this on my Peak. The filters need to be true poly and have self resonating qualities. Add some LFO to that = instant BoC
Nick Batt - always interesting whether it’s personally relevant or not. His evident enthusiasm for this synth just adds to that. Great review, I’ll be checking the XD out when I can get access to one.
One small feature that the OG Minilogue has that the XD doesn't have: Audio input. That may be insignificant to most, but I rather go with the original just for that. It allows me to take the Minilogue out to small jams or even to my bedroom and route audio from some other gear into it's audio-in for beats. For instance, I can plug in my OP-Z to the Minilogue's audio-in, and have both audio signals come out of the Minilogue's audio-out. Since the XD doesn't have audio-in, I would have to bring a mixer with me too. I have one at home but it's huge and I rather not have to lug that around with me all the time. I know that I can buy a small mixer, but that's more money to spend and more gear to mess with. I'd like a simple beats/sequencing and synth combo that doesn't rely on anything else that I can take out of the studio. Too bad the XD is missing that feature :(
Thanks for pointing this out, it is important to me too, for the same reasons. I also miss having an expression peddle, as I like to modify the sound with my feet, while I have both hands working the keys.
Sweetwater sold out of their initial pre-order shipment and is awaiting more XD's. For the entry level price, this synth may break sales records. Bedroom studio musicians on a family budget up to professionals that can use the XD for an additional synth that doesn't take up much space and can add lead synth hooks and additional sounds without switching programs in their main KB.
I have a microkorg and enjoy it, though I always think that I should have invested on a minilogue instead... looks much more straightforward and sounds way more modern.
@@nectariosm It's actually a considerable ways from the original. The chassis-design and 2 analogue oscillators are roughly the same, but the rest is more or less lifted from Mono- and Prologue. Changes include different filter, different LFO and envelope configurations and routings, new effects, digital oscillator, sequencer from Monologue, changed/removed voice-modes. This is least related to the original Minilogue of all the previous 'logues. More things have changed than stayed the same. And it's not all upgrades! Both duophonic mode with unison-detune, and monophonic mode with sub-oscillators, are gone. LFO can no longer be modulated by the envelope, and the mod-envelope is now AD, down from ADSR, and has less destinations, both to choose from and simultaneously. And while I think most people consider the filter an upgrade, it is "only" 12dB vs. 24/12dB, thus not necessarily as flexible. Don't get me wrong, there's some serious upgrades as well, but it's far from the original Minilogue! Far enough that it should be considered its own distinct synth. And the fact that he bought an original, cannot be used to make any point regarding this completely different synth.
I am starting a support group for late 2018 purchasers of the OG Minilogue. Korgaholics Anonymous. Together, we will lament its tepid filter and dearth of onboard effects, helping one another come to a place of acceptance regarding our untimely acquisition of the OG. One day at a time.
I bought a Minilogue as my first synth awhile ago and now I'm regretting it. That was a pretty big deal for me, easily the most expensive thing I've bought in a single purchase.
@@ModularLanding thanks for pointing out there's a module version! That's exactly what I need. Love this synth but I'm running out of space and more keyboards are the last thing I need
Within a month or two, I filled a room with many synthesizers. The Korg Prologue 8 and Miniologue XD are prominent. Thank you for showing me that they are worth the investment. Presets helped sell them by showing what they can do. Thanks for your reviews!
Great video! At one point he demonstrates that the Minilogue can do a 303 sound - anyone know how to do that? I don’t think there’s a patch for it and I have no idea how to create that acid house sound from scratch
Just picked one up today in white. It is to compliment my Rev2 and SE-02 and I also have Omnisphere and Keyscapes along with the Roland cloud. Soooo....lots to work with. But let me say this. This little thing is gorgeous. It’s so simple and intuitive its likely to be my favorite synth. And I can sit with it in my lap in front of the fire. Fabulous.
I know, I get it…you’ll never see this post, but…I keep returning to this reviews A) because your love for the XD so shines through and B) what a gigantic Bang for the Buck!! I own one. The mere sight of it as I sit down at my 1st Chair saddle seat w:back support Drum Throne (have mercy) never fails to cause a big smile on my face! Invariably, I think: MAN…That Synth would be a ball to play with! As you likely know, Nick, Tim Shoebridge (Mr On Fire) created a slew (no pun…) of user OSCs for XD & NTS-1. I bought XD after originally watching your review. Thank you! That led to NTS-1, NYMPHES & TYPHON…and the obligatory Arturia Keystep Pro 37. Add to that, ZOOM Multi-Stomp & (A PIECE YOU NEED TO REVIEW) Chase Bliss Audio’ Dark World Dual Reverb !!! Yep, it’s true…I was one of those who believed, heart & soul, that EMPRESS REVERB was the best in the WORLD…full stop! I had my mouse-clicking index finger hovering over mouse, ready to BUY IT NOW. Turns out, Best in WORKD is Dark World ! Whether with respect to the sound quality of the reverb but also…knocking it out of the park-by leaps and bounds ahead of the pack-the versatility/programmability-potential, Dark World is THE ONE! There…I feel better now. Mark PS Dark World’s creator is VERY accessible-you’d have a ball talking to him! Seriously, you two would become Friends.
I'm so glad I bought this one. I'm also buying Microfreak - I think it's gonna be a great companion which will fill the rest of the frequencies and add some flatness and extra details to XD's roundness.
The sound at 5:41 just made me melt. It reminded me of something from the ppg 2.2 ..so good. And that's just scratching the surface of the prologue based synth engine. Korg have made another sub £1k beauty. The only thing that still rankles , is the fact that Korg (as of current spec) still don't allow you to transpose your sequences melodically using the built in keyboard , in real time. Why this isn't allowed , I have no idea. There is a workaround of sorts via motion control, but you'd be wasting a lane and itd be tied into the pitch slider. If korg sorted that in an o/s update, I'd grab one. Pure and simple. Thanks for the detailed review, Nick.
You can do that on the Monologue with it's key trig/hold button. It is indeed a great feature. Not sure why they left it out on the Minilogues... perhaps things would get out of whack transposing a polyphonic sequence?
@@gnarlysoundscapes7210 shouldn't be an issue when you can do it on any number of hardware sequencers in real time. It's possible that with the arpeggiator switched on as well as the sequencer, it could throw something out of the loop , but even then, surely they can add it as a mode via a two button combination or similar so that when you transpose in real time, you can't overdub any motion control at the same time. In other words, it's a 'play only' function. This is assuming that the processor array is being taxed out to the max already in order to deliver smooth functionality on the unit. I'd need one in front of me , and then record all manner of things via midi cc and so on, to see/ hear the changes. I've yet (pardon the pun) to hear of any korg instruments sputtering during playback , in terms of changes other than midi note, so I'm assuming it's doable quite simply.
I like my XD very much having a orginal as well. Very familiar layout but completely different sound with that third OSC and FX . I was going to sell my OG but decided to keep it along with this upgradilouge. Different enough to have or keep both.
Ordered an XD module a few weeks ago. Told initially it may arrive just before Christmas. Got a text today saying my package will be delivered tomorrow, Friday 30 August. Wow. A whole weekend to get started with it. Wonderful sounds. Can't wait, but won't have to wait much longer :) Great videos. Very informative. Thanks. Cheers. But...., now I'm thinking, should I get the XD with keys, and get the polychain going. Wow, quite a thought!
Thanks for this review! I really wanted to buy the M-xd but it's not available right now so I bought a Moog Grandmother instead which arrived just 15 minutes ago. I'm here on YT to watch a GM unboxing video but saw this Sonicstate M-xd video so watched it since it was posted today. Sorry I couldn't get the M-xd right now but I think the GM will be just as satisfying! Love your videos and playing too!
You can bet this little synth is selling, the introductory price was $629, and went up to $649. It has not gone down in price at all. This synth has a market for a lot of different musicians. Good for a bedroom studio musician because of the price, and also good for players that have other KB's and want a small board to put alongside their main board or workstation. At that price, it can do a lot and fill a lot of music needs without breaking the bank.
A little late to this but Nick loved it even more than I thought he would. He seems to genuinely be enthralled by this. It’s kinda rare to hear him gushing like he is at the end of this review. I can see why, though. I’ve owned the entire ‘Logue range and I think XD is gonna be the one that really stick around.
I like my OG minilogue because I just use pedals for the effects and can fine tune exactly what i want. The XD is cool because it has all the other features but it isn't enough for me to sell my OG. Now if it were 6 voice...
The minilogue XD is like the Sequential Pro3 architecture at a budget price. 2 analog osc/1 digital osc, a sequencer with parameter automation, effects, and add 4 real voices on the Minilogue XD. A nice compliment to a Pro3 if you have one, or a budget alternative if you don't. Nice review Sonicstate.
Now this is one of the first truly forward thinking synths released in years. a poly analogue synth with a programmable digital oscillator and effects... Fuck. I thought the Matrixbrute would be the only synth I'd ever need but i'm gonna probably have to get one of these to compliment it.
Its absolutely brilliant, I can't stop playing it. Fun and instant, but almost endless tweakability at the same time. Korg knocked it out of the park. Highly recommend it!
The question is, do I keep waiting for a Prologue XD! I just know if I buy a prologue tomorrow they will release an XD version the following week knowing my luck with aftertouch perhaps or updated effects.
Bought one, sits above my Arturia Keyboard midi’d to my MacBook Pro - for all my virtual synths. This thing just becomes so inspiring, if I get stuck. Or for playing a bass line to what I’m doing with my MacBook. Sounds super beefy.
Okay I watch them all and your video demo is the best thank you for being you I just traded my old minilogue for the new XD and I love it just love it thanks again for the demo I needed it it's going to take me a lifetime to navigate through this I can't wait I'm a guitarist but adding this to my musical creations was the best thing I could have done the sounds will take you away
I think the increase in price for the XD is more than worth it just for the effects. You can spend another $400 on some great effects pedals that involve table space and connectivity. The same can be said about the digital modulation with the editor. Then there’s the bigger oscilloscope window. Damn what a bargain.
Man listen to the sound Nick got at the 20 minute mark! This synth''s got some guts! Nick LOVES this synth he said "Its a cracking synthesizer" He's really impressed and so am I. This is quite the capable synth. It sounds fat, considering its a 4 voice synth, that's pretty impressive. This synth is a bargain.
Great review Nick. Love the jam at the end of the video, short and sweet. I wish it was longer. I think the Minilogue XD and the Prologue will go hand in hand together. Sequencing parts on the XD then split mode on the Prologue and either playing with both hands or arpeggiating one part and playing the second part to really fill up the sonic palette. I'm looking forward to getting an XD
Cheers Nick, great review. Good as the FX are I was thinking they might get a bit stale, but no! New algorithms, excellent! Great machine, good price, I note the proprietorial stroke is back.....:)
If you want more than 4 voices and a really good full size keyboard in a solid metal case, the Prologue 8 is often discounted quite a bit. Currently 1200€ at Thomann, seen it once in a sale for 900€. (I have a Prologue 16 myself and LOVE it. It’s missing that sequencer though, which I sure wouldn’t mind having.)
Bugger it!! I've watched hours of demos trying to figure out which synth I should buy for my first synth and was pretty sure I was going to settle on the Arturia Mini Brute 2, but after watching this I think that maybe I should get the Korg Minilogue xd instead 😵 I'm beginning to piss myself off now.....Considering that I want to make ambient & trippy types of music, which synth in the £500 range would be best suited to what I want?
Hate to add to your confusion, but definitely check out the wavestate whilst in Korg territory as well which has significantly dropped in price. All digital but it’s capable of so much with 64 poly and 4 layers. I wasn’t that excited about it but now I have one, it’s a very unique synth. Any synth can make any type of music, it’s up to you to program it to make the sound you want out. The wavestate can do incredibly complex wavemorphs which are great fodder for ambient through some reverb.
for the joystick and double length sequencer i am interested. but as is typical, add digital and you start menu diving.... and while i love adding harmonic complexity, i’m not a fan of presets drowning in effects.
All I want is a simple Moogish poly that doesn't cost the Earth. Basically a four-voice Grandmother for less than a grand. I'd really like to know if this can do that sort of thing: every time I hear it it sounds a bit weedy and clinical. Can it do that sort of warm chunkiness you get with a Minimoog or Grandmother?
Odd thing I haven't read elsewhere is that it doesn't seem to transmit or receive modulation messages -- so eg the Y+ and Y- on the joystick doesn't transmit anything...am I missing something?Kind of hobbles as a midi controller.
The question for me is do I sell my Minilogue to get one of these instead? The inclusion of the joystick (never really liked the littler lever thingy) and a sustain pedal input would give me the ability to use this as a controller when not hooked up in my main studio space. The only concern I have is the filter AR instead of ADSR.
Thanks. You state that the oscillators can be stacked to create twelve presumably independent oscillators. An amazing prospect, but how this could be done was not actually explained. Any hints about how to do it? Cheers.
I'm deciding between buying a minilogue XD and a Prologue 8, I love the minilogue but I have an issue with there only being 4 voices. I'm torn because i'm sure i'm going to delve deeper into synths overtime, so i'd much rather spend more to get more features/a better synth overall. Does anyone have any opinion on whether the prologue is worth buying it over the XD? Thanks a lot!
Finally I got one and the sound is amazing...but one thing annoys the heck out of me: there's no +/- or up/down buttons, only a rotating decoder which you have to turn like crazy if you just want to navigate to a patch or write one. It'll be "eaten up" in no time....on the MS2000 there're scrolling buttons so I just don't understan what Korg was thinking here, it's almost a deal-breaker, that decoder will be worn out very fast. I'm crying with frustration...
They really improved the sound of this thing. Way way less shrill than the original. While I appreciated that they were just trying to give the first Minilogue a different and new sound, it didn't exactly stick the landing. It was good! Don't get me wrong. But this is just... Timeless sounding.
Sorry but I keep getting distracted by Nick's sweater being inside out at the beginning for the first 6 minutes, you can see the seams on the sleeves and the white tag on his lower right sticking out. But he fixes it by 06:39, lol.
As a direct result of watching your excellent review videos I've really started to properly explore the world of synths (beyond getting tons of plugins and only ever using presets). I now own three hardware synths, with a fourth on its way (the Craft Modal 2.0). You've really got me tempted with the Minilogue now! Thank you for that. My wife thanks you slightly less. I'm still very much a beginner, though, and I'm still finding my way around the technology and terminology. One term I have heard you use frequently is 'audio rates'. What does that mean?
Audio rates would be 20Hz to 20 thousand Hz. Normal LFO rates would be under 20Hz. Hz = cycles per second. Audio rates would be rates that can be herd as a note, as opposed to sounding like individual beats.
@@AndecIunson The Monologue's rich bass patches used in the step sequencer coupled with the XD's stereo effected mid-range sounds, manipulated by the joystick, is a lot of fun. I also like to midi-out from the Monologue and midi-in to the XD. There are a lot of options to explore with this pairing.
Don't know where to submit this feedback for the XD, but I hope Korg listening, cuz it's a lovely synth but could use some improvements for version 2. 1. Implement a Hold mode that can hold a note or a chord without running the arpeggiator. Seems simple enough to add to the firmware. 2. Allow the Edit Mode or Shift button to cycle through the sub-menus rather than requiring you to use the step buttons to cycle through each page in a specific sub-menu. This way you can navigate the sub-menus with one hand, and keep playing while you navigate and change the features. 3.Add some kind of Macro knobs that can be assigned for the control of digital oscillator parameters, since the digital oscillators are such a huge part of this synth. 4. Add another knob for control of the effects' parameters if possible. 5. LFO Delay would be nice (could be put in a sub-menu) 🙏
Great review Nick! One thing - I love the super-fast audio rate LFO on the Monologue, but can this XD do that? I can't see a "fast" setting in the LFO options, but maybe that is one of the options under the hood? If the XD can do this, I'll sell the Monologue and get it! Thanks.
when Nick does a review, you can immediately understand the difference between someone with minimal years of hands on, and someone who's been working with synths forever. His reviews are unprecedented if you really need to get some clear, factual information online........... So rare and excellent! very much appreciated
Affordable analog synthesizers with excellent sounds and great build quality. So many to choose from but not enough room in the house.
What a time to be alive!
It's a synth utopia. :-)
Since you have so much experience. Any recommendations or favorite modern synths?@Wilderness Music
Thanks for the quick reply and info! @Wilderness Music
Wilderness Music Is the Gaia really that good.? I’ve been tempted in the past but it just seems kind of plastic and potentially cheap.
Wilderness Music I am pretty much sticking to the sub$500 range too actually. There are so many awesome synths for that money nowadays. I may save up for a System 8 or a used JDXA. I had a sub37 and a DeepMind12 amongst many other SynthsI in the past but I had to sell them all due to a financial catastrophe. They were amazing and I miss them terribly espescially my trusty King Korg. I’m pretty much stuck with iPad synths at the movement. Ill definitely give the Gaia some thought. Thanks.
To get more extreme MOD FX you just press the SHIFT button and then EFFECT SELECT to change the sub type of that modulation effect.
There are some really nice phasers in there to get nice EP sounds
Don't you mean hold down the shift button while turning the depth up to get more mod?
@@zaffrolumpkins no no, hold shift and push effect select
Oh cool. I'll try that out. Maybe the shift and depth only controls dry wet for the reverb and delay
@@zaffrolumpkins Correct, shift + depth is dry/wet mix for REV and DEL, it is missing on MOD. The selection of SUB FX for MOD as described above will give you a diverse and rich set of each and ever MOD FX.
Got mine yesterday, was instantly blown away by the sound quality
Watched again after 2 years, and I still think this is one of the best budget friendly synths out there. Much because of the powerful effects section. The effects on the Minifreak are abysmal in comparison. Well done Soniclab❤️ well done Korg❤️
Damn, Nick, I really love your playing. You always do those two note harmonies and, man, they are gorgeous!
This channel is just the best resource for synth gear reviews.
Gotta love Nick (:
Nick was so excited to do this review he put his sweater on inside-out!
God damn that reverb!!! so spacy, absolutely love it!
This just makes me want a prologue even more than before, lol.
Nice to see Korg already trickling down some awesome from the Prologue into the Minilogue! Thought we'd have to wait longer, nope! I plan to snag one! A+ Korg 👍
Darn it Nick! I was planning on getting in to the British spirit of things and starting my comment by calling it a cracking synthesizer but you said it first and now I feel like I am just copying you. Anyway I no longer regret selling my minilogue. I am definitely putting this on my shopping list for the summer. We are living in such an exciting time for synthesis. I am really pleased that manufacturers are going with the hybrid engine way of things. I was never one of those analog only guys. If it sounds good to me I could care less if it’s digital or analog. One of my favorite all time synths is the King Korg. In my opinion it has such a rich sound and it has digital oscillators and whatnot. Having booth analog and digital in one instrument opens up the sound designs possibilities in such an huge way. Great review as always. Got to love Korg. Also the new synths Behringer are making is a very exciting deal. I think what they are doing is amazing and fantastic. They are making it possible for the regular person that isn’t rich to have access to near identical fully analog classic synths of yesteryear. From the way they sound and from the reviews I’ve watched the Behringer Mini Moog is as close as you can possibly get to a real minimoog without spending thousands of dollars. Like I said it is such and exciting synth age we are living in right now. With these new under $1,000 heck even under $500 options available nowadays, with the money I earn I can easily pick up a new fantastic synth every two or three months no problem. Ya can’t beat that.
KORG are really my favourite manufacturer right now, they've really been bringing out winners and future classics with the volcas, minilogues and the monologue. All incredibly affordable too!
Volcas are trash. KingKorg was their best product in a while. Prolouge isn't anywhere as good as my old V-Synth and had a terrible pitch bug for a year.
@@pcuimac prologue was a bit of a disappointment to be honest but volcas are hardly thrash.
They're limited sure but they're also all around the 150 quid mark new, sub 100 used (can get a lot of portable synth for very little money). And they're fun as hell.
@@pcuimac the bug varied in different models how bad it was. In mine it was hardly apparent. I still haven't done the update as it was minimal in mine. The multi engine means that programmers can create so many new oscillator types and effects plus it has the 2 VCO's so tbh it kicks the V-Synth into touch and so does the XD. Aside from the sequencer practically everything the XD can do the Prologue can do and with more voices and a fuller sound on the 16 voice version with the compressor. For those who try them superficially they won't experience how good the Prologue or the XD really are. For those who dig a little bit deeper will find both to be amazing instruments.
@Aaron Foltz No. The get around is you would have to create a similar digital waveform using the kit to create user oscillators for Prologue and XD. That may be a good one to do. It's not my field though
The real thing to try is getting chords out of the self resonating filters if possible. Love doing this on my Peak. The filters need to be true poly and have self resonating qualities. Add some LFO to that = instant BoC
will have to try this with my peak, cheers
Nick Batt - always interesting whether it’s personally relevant or not. His evident enthusiasm for this synth just adds to that. Great review, I’ll be checking the XD out when I can get access to one.
I just want to say I'm two minutes in and I've owned one for a couple months and I'm still attentively watching bc I'm sure Nick will teach me more
One small feature that the OG Minilogue has that the XD doesn't have: Audio input.
That may be insignificant to most, but I rather go with the original just for that. It allows me to take the Minilogue out to small jams or even to my bedroom and route audio from some other gear into it's audio-in for beats. For instance, I can plug in my OP-Z to the Minilogue's audio-in, and have both audio signals come out of the Minilogue's audio-out. Since the XD doesn't have audio-in, I would have to bring a mixer with me too. I have one at home but it's huge and I rather not have to lug that around with me all the time. I know that I can buy a small mixer, but that's more money to spend and more gear to mess with. I'd like a simple beats/sequencing and synth combo that doesn't rely on anything else that I can take out of the studio. Too bad the XD is missing that feature :(
Thanks for pointing this out, it is important to me too, for the same reasons.
I also miss having an expression peddle, as I like to modify the sound with my feet, while I have both hands working the keys.
The Submarine, Riser and Space reverb algorithms appear in the updated Korg Gadget too. Under fb Reverbs.
Andy Channelle are they in the prologue as well?
@@Hirsbrochannel Looks like it. th-cam.com/video/qEz5gzb2RKw/w-d-xo.html
It's brilliant to be able to add it to the Polysix, Mono/Poly, MS-20 and Odyssey too. Maybe Korg will get round to adding them to the standard apps.
was looking through my patches of softsynths and nothing was fitting into my project. Literally the first patch on the XD worked perfectly.
Sweetwater sold out of their initial pre-order shipment and is awaiting more XD's. For the entry level price, this synth may break sales records. Bedroom studio musicians on a family budget up to professionals that can use the XD for an additional synth that doesn't take up much space and can add lead synth hooks and additional sounds without switching programs in their main KB.
A four voice synth that is affordable, flexible, and sounds great. 👍
Good job on the expanded motion sequencer. This might be the clossest we'll ever come to a true sucessor to the mighty MS2000.
A very good looking MS2000BR is heading my way. Cannot wait to play it.
I have a microkorg and enjoy it, though I always think that I should have invested on a minilogue instead... looks much more straightforward and sounds way more modern.
How many times have you heard Nick saying "I bought one"? Tells you all you need to know about this synth really.
Put out some cash. Don't worry, people always congratulate you on your BRAVE purchases. ;)
He's talking about the original Minilogue, you know, not this one.
@@MarctheDarc Yes, this one is the original + extra stuff.
They should have upgraded the original with the extra stuff. But now they want you to buy a whole new synth.
@@nectariosm It's actually a considerable ways from the original. The chassis-design and 2 analogue oscillators are roughly the same, but the rest is more or less lifted from Mono- and Prologue.
Changes include different filter, different LFO and envelope configurations and routings, new effects, digital oscillator, sequencer from Monologue, changed/removed voice-modes.
This is least related to the original Minilogue of all the previous 'logues. More things have changed than stayed the same.
And it's not all upgrades! Both duophonic mode with unison-detune, and monophonic mode with sub-oscillators, are gone. LFO can no longer be modulated by the envelope, and the mod-envelope is now AD, down from ADSR, and has less destinations, both to choose from and simultaneously. And while I think most people consider the filter an upgrade, it is "only" 12dB vs. 24/12dB, thus not necessarily as flexible.
Don't get me wrong, there's some serious upgrades as well, but it's far from the original Minilogue! Far enough that it should be considered its own distinct synth. And the fact that he bought an original, cannot be used to make any point regarding this completely different synth.
oh my!! extra OSC and FX, CV,s....WOW!!! well done to Korg for upping the game some more. Nice review Nick! ;-) Friday fun?
Wow, Nick, this thing is almost perfect. Just needs to be dipped in LSD at the factory.
First patch was astounding!
So was your body.
Love it, you even had your jumper on inside out you were so excited about this review ;-) as always love your reviews.
at 00:56 you can see the tag of his shirt. I think he wore it inside out lol
absolutely stoked on this review! receiving my XD this week and ill be going over this again once it arrives. bravo, Nick!
I am starting a support group for late 2018 purchasers of the OG Minilogue. Korgaholics Anonymous. Together, we will lament its tepid filter and dearth of onboard effects, helping one another come to a place of acceptance regarding our untimely acquisition of the OG. One day at a time.
...acquisition of the XD, you mean. Yeah, I held out on that one, but this, and now a module version...
OG’s are gonna be going for cheap on the used market. Get the XD module. That’s what I’m eyeing!
I bought a Minilogue as my first synth awhile ago and now I'm regretting it. That was a pretty big deal for me, easily the most expensive thing I've bought in a single purchase.
It still has a multimode filter with full ASDR, and an audio input!
@@ModularLanding thanks for pointing out there's a module version! That's exactly what I need. Love this synth but I'm running out of space and more keyboards are the last thing I need
Within a month or two, I filled a room with many synthesizers. The Korg Prologue 8 and Miniologue XD are prominent. Thank you for showing me that they are worth the investment. Presets helped sell them by showing what they can do. Thanks for your reviews!
Thanks Nick! Just bought one today based on your fabulous review.!! Sounds killin!!
14:10 is very NIN, sounds absolutely gorgeous.
Great video! At one point he demonstrates that the Minilogue can do a 303 sound - anyone know how to do that? I don’t think there’s a patch for it and I have no idea how to create that acid house sound from scratch
Turn filter down and resonance up
Just picked one up today in white. It is to compliment my Rev2 and SE-02 and I also have Omnisphere and Keyscapes along with the Roland cloud. Soooo....lots to work with. But let me say this. This little thing is gorgeous. It’s so simple and intuitive its likely to be my favorite synth. And I can sit with it in my lap in front of the fire. Fabulous.
How you liking the Pearl White version? Thinking of getting one myself.
@@gordonbennett7931 I just bought one and I love the look. Stands apart from the usual black.
I looked at getting a Rev2 but don't have the budget.
Rich at Large I sold my 16 voice Rev 2 and kept this. I prefer it. Really.
I know, I get it…you’ll never see this post, but…I keep returning to this reviews A) because your love for the XD so shines through and B) what a gigantic Bang for the Buck!!
I own one. The mere sight of it as I sit down at my 1st Chair saddle seat w:back support Drum Throne (have mercy) never fails to cause a big smile on my face! Invariably, I think: MAN…That Synth would be a ball to play with!
As you likely know, Nick, Tim Shoebridge (Mr On Fire) created a slew (no pun…) of user OSCs for XD & NTS-1.
I bought XD after originally watching your review. Thank you!
That led to NTS-1, NYMPHES & TYPHON…and the obligatory
Arturia Keystep Pro 37.
Add to that, ZOOM Multi-Stomp &
(A PIECE YOU NEED TO REVIEW)
Chase Bliss Audio’
Dark World Dual Reverb !!!
Yep, it’s true…I was one of those who believed, heart & soul, that
EMPRESS REVERB was the best in the WORLD…full stop! I had my mouse-clicking index finger hovering over mouse, ready to BUY IT NOW.
Turns out, Best in WORKD is
Dark World ! Whether with respect to the sound quality of the reverb but also…knocking it out of the park-by leaps and bounds ahead of the pack-the versatility/programmability-potential, Dark World is THE ONE!
There…I feel better now.
Mark
PS
Dark World’s creator is VERY accessible-you’d have a ball talking to him! Seriously, you two would become Friends.
I'm so glad I bought this one. I'm also buying Microfreak - I think it's gonna be a great companion which will fill the rest of the frequencies and add some flatness and extra details to XD's roundness.
I've had my eye on the MicroFreak as well. I haven't even tapped into the potential of my Minilogue haha
The sound at 5:41 just made me melt. It reminded me of something from the ppg 2.2 ..so good. And that's just scratching the surface of the prologue based synth engine. Korg have made another sub £1k beauty.
The only thing that still rankles , is the fact that Korg (as of current spec) still don't allow you to transpose your sequences melodically using the built in keyboard , in real time. Why this isn't allowed , I have no idea. There is a workaround of sorts via motion control, but you'd be wasting a lane and itd be tied into the pitch slider.
If korg sorted that in an o/s update, I'd grab one. Pure and simple.
Thanks for the detailed review, Nick.
You can do that on the Monologue with it's key trig/hold button. It is indeed a great feature. Not sure why they left it out on the Minilogues... perhaps things would get out of whack transposing a polyphonic sequence?
@@gnarlysoundscapes7210 shouldn't be an issue when you can do it on any number of hardware sequencers in real time.
It's possible that with the arpeggiator switched on as well as the sequencer, it could throw something out of the loop , but even then, surely they can add it as a mode via a two button combination or similar so that when you transpose in real time, you can't overdub any motion control at the same time. In other words, it's a 'play only' function. This is assuming that the processor array is being taxed out to the max already in order to deliver smooth functionality on the unit. I'd need one in front of me , and then record all manner of things via midi cc and so on, to see/ hear the changes.
I've yet (pardon the pun) to hear of any korg instruments sputtering during playback , in terms of changes other than midi note, so I'm assuming it's doable quite simply.
I love the sound
I like my XD very much having a orginal as well. Very familiar layout but completely different sound with that third OSC and FX . I was going to sell my OG but decided to keep it along with this upgradilouge. Different enough to have or keep both.
*I did the Same, they work together better than ONE synth alone ;)*
Had mine 2 months now. Its just brilliant. Especially now with the key trigger sequencing update.
Ordered an XD module a few weeks ago. Told initially it may arrive just before Christmas. Got a text today saying my package will be delivered tomorrow, Friday 30 August. Wow. A whole weekend to get started with it. Wonderful sounds. Can't wait, but won't have to wait much longer :) Great videos. Very informative. Thanks. Cheers. But...., now I'm thinking, should I get the XD with keys, and get the polychain going. Wow, quite a thought!
Thanks for this review! I really wanted to buy the M-xd but it's not available right now so I bought a Moog Grandmother instead which arrived just 15 minutes ago. I'm here on YT to watch a GM unboxing video but saw this Sonicstate M-xd video so watched it since it was posted today. Sorry I couldn't get the M-xd right now but I think the GM will be just as satisfying! Love your videos and playing too!
thank you for the apology
You can bet this little synth is selling, the introductory price was $629, and went up to $649. It has not gone down in price at all. This synth has a market for a lot of different musicians. Good for a bedroom studio musician because of the price, and also good for players that have other KB's and want a small board to put alongside their main board or workstation. At that price, it can do a lot and fill a lot of music needs without breaking the bank.
What a dream machine.
A little late to this but Nick loved it even more than I thought he would. He seems to genuinely be enthralled by this. It’s kinda rare to hear him gushing like he is at the end of this review. I can see why, though. I’ve owned the entire ‘Logue range and I think XD is gonna be the one that really stick around.
Another one sold! Thank you sir.
I like my OG minilogue because I just use pedals for the effects and can fine tune exactly what i want. The XD is cool because it has all the other features but it isn't enough for me to sell my OG. Now if it were 6 voice...
Thanks, Nick. Very nice review and demo of some of this little machine's capabilities. What lovely sounds it can make!
The minilogue XD is like the Sequential Pro3 architecture at a budget price. 2 analog osc/1 digital osc, a sequencer with parameter automation, effects, and add 4 real voices on the Minilogue XD. A nice compliment to a Pro3 if you have one, or a budget alternative if you don't. Nice review Sonicstate.
Now this is one of the first truly forward thinking synths released in years. a poly analogue synth with a programmable digital oscillator and effects... Fuck. I thought the Matrixbrute would be the only synth I'd ever need but i'm gonna probably have to get one of these to compliment it.
Its absolutely brilliant, I can't stop playing it. Fun and instant, but almost endless tweakability at the same time. Korg knocked it out of the park. Highly recommend it!
The question is, do I keep waiting for a Prologue XD! I just know if I buy a prologue tomorrow they will release an XD version the following week knowing my luck with aftertouch perhaps or updated effects.
Ordered wavestate and thinking of pairing the xd or prologue with it - any advice?
Bought one, sits above my Arturia Keyboard midi’d to my MacBook Pro - for all my virtual synths. This thing just becomes so inspiring, if I get stuck. Or for playing a bass line to what I’m doing with my MacBook. Sounds super beefy.
Okay I watch them all and your video demo is the best thank you for being you I just traded my old minilogue for the new XD and I love it just love it thanks again for the demo I needed it it's going to take me a lifetime to navigate through this I can't wait I'm a guitarist but adding this to my musical creations was the best thing I could have done the sounds will take you away
what a demo. wow! amazing playing and sounds Nick. Hope Korg are remunerating you appropriately!
I will now definitely be buying one. Also Nick, your shirt is inside out. Your side tag is showing.
I think the increase in price for the XD is more than worth it just for the effects. You can spend another $400 on some great effects pedals that involve table space and connectivity. The same can be said about the digital modulation with the editor. Then there’s the bigger oscilloscope window. Damn what a bargain.
4:58 reminds me of the first six seconds of Nine by Autechre
thought exactly the same thing
Man listen to the sound Nick got at the 20 minute mark! This synth''s got some guts! Nick LOVES this synth he said "Its a cracking synthesizer" He's really impressed and so am I. This is quite the capable synth. It sounds fat, considering its a 4 voice synth, that's pretty impressive. This synth is a bargain.
5:36 this guy making me get in my feels
Great review Nick. Love the jam at the end of the video, short and sweet. I wish it was longer. I think the Minilogue XD and the Prologue will go hand in hand together. Sequencing parts on the XD then split mode on the Prologue and either playing with both hands or arpeggiating one part and playing the second part to really fill up the sonic palette. I'm looking forward to getting an XD
good to see you back with the reviews 👍🏻
Nick, is your shirt inside out? i will get my XD thanks to this!
it may very well be...
Cheers Nick, great review. Good as the FX are I was thinking they might get a bit stale, but no! New algorithms, excellent! Great machine, good price, I note the proprietorial stroke is back.....:)
Love the Minilogue XD - What a great pairing with the Microvolt 3900 too, great work Nick!
18:00 you almost stumbled onto the Lichen chord riff al la AFX :)
If you want more than 4 voices and a really good full size keyboard in a solid metal case, the Prologue 8 is often discounted quite a bit. Currently 1200€ at Thomann, seen it once in a sale for 900€. (I have a Prologue 16 myself and LOVE it. It’s missing that sequencer though, which I sure wouldn’t mind having.)
Great job Korg, thanx Nick! This is a monster...
Bugger it!! I've watched hours of demos trying to figure out which synth I should buy for my first synth and was pretty sure I was going to settle on the Arturia Mini Brute 2, but after watching this I think that maybe I should get the Korg Minilogue xd instead 😵
I'm beginning to piss myself off now.....Considering that I want to make ambient & trippy types of music, which synth in the £500 range would be best suited to what I want?
Hate to add to your confusion, but definitely check out the wavestate whilst in Korg territory as well which has significantly dropped in price. All digital but it’s capable of so much with 64 poly and 4 layers. I wasn’t that excited about it but now I have one, it’s a very unique synth. Any synth can make any type of music, it’s up to you to program it to make the sound you want out. The wavestate can do incredibly complex wavemorphs which are great fodder for ambient through some reverb.
for the joystick and double length sequencer i am interested. but as is typical, add digital and you start menu diving.... and while i love adding harmonic complexity, i’m not a fan of presets drowning in effects.
There's really barely any menu diving involved with this instrument, unless you want to do something fairly uncommon.
13:00 Dirtboxsynth sells some user fx, I haven't tried them (still saving for my Pro16 + Mini XD) but their Exotic Delay Pack sounds interesting.
The delays are a bit "naaaah, ok", but he has other useful stuff in there like a great distortion fx and more
Havng some trouble with dirtbox- envelope in the morph pack. Awaiting email response.
Having great success with sinvibes ‘turbo’.
Damn... the patch at 5:36 wants me to write a Miami Vice soundtrack.
Your videos are fantastic. Really really detailed and useable. Thanks for that! Youre making me want to buy too many things though haha
Yep, I love Nick, and he's a super player/teacher. But...HE'S KILLING me. He has sucked the life out of my retirement account!
@@reXdownhamOG 😆😆 the hardware lust never ends !
All I want is a simple Moogish poly that doesn't cost the Earth. Basically a four-voice Grandmother for less than a grand. I'd really like to know if this can do that sort of thing: every time I hear it it sounds a bit weedy and clinical. Can it do that sort of warm chunkiness you get with a Minimoog or Grandmother?
Have you considered Behringer's Poly D?
Odd thing I haven't read elsewhere is that it doesn't seem to transmit or receive modulation messages -- so eg the Y+ and Y- on the joystick doesn't transmit anything...am I missing something?Kind of hobbles as a midi controller.
The question for me is do I sell my Minilogue to get one of these instead? The inclusion of the joystick (never really liked the littler lever thingy) and a sustain pedal input would give me the ability to use this as a controller when not hooked up in my main studio space. The only concern I have is the filter AR instead of ADSR.
Have you heard of any new updates soon? Could seriously use one.
Thanks. You state that the oscillators can be stacked to create twelve presumably independent oscillators. An amazing prospect, but how this could be done was not actually explained. Any hints about how to do it? Cheers.
10:50 WOW. Could somebody PLEASE point me in the direction of some rack or stomp pedals that can do Space and Riser???
Eventide Space.
Mmmm of the top of my head: strymon big sky, source audio ventris,Eventide H9, Empress Reverb, Empress Zoia
This thing is an absolute beast for the price.
I'm deciding between buying a minilogue XD and a Prologue 8, I love the minilogue but I have an issue with there only being 4 voices.
I'm torn because i'm sure i'm going to delve deeper into synths overtime, so i'd much rather spend more to get more features/a better synth overall.
Does anyone have any opinion on whether the prologue is worth buying it over the XD? Thanks a lot!
Imagine sean costello ( valhalla dsp ) doing his magic for the dsp effects engine.
yum yum
Second this, big time
Finally I got one and the sound is amazing...but one thing annoys the heck out of me: there's no +/- or up/down buttons, only a rotating decoder which you have to turn like crazy if you just want to navigate to a patch or write one. It'll be "eaten up" in no time....on the MS2000 there're scrolling buttons so I just don't understan what Korg was thinking here, it's almost a deal-breaker, that decoder will be worn out very fast. I'm crying with frustration...
They really improved the sound of this thing. Way way less shrill than the original.
While I appreciated that they were just trying to give the first Minilogue a different and new sound, it didn't exactly stick the landing. It was good! Don't get me wrong. But this is just... Timeless sounding.
My god as soon as I heard that chorus... Wow. Just wow. What a fantastic synth.
Great sounds! Did Korg fix the Minilogue bug where knob catch mode breaks the Load Panel feature (at least up to firmware 1.23)?
I am praying that they will do an update that allows a 4-part multitimbral mode
O man I wish that too, or at least, bi timbral.
Quick question. Can i record the XD within maschine? Thanks!!
Sorry but I keep getting distracted by Nick's sweater being inside out at the beginning for the first 6 minutes, you can see the seams on the sleeves and the white tag on his lower right sticking out. But he fixes it by 06:39, lol.
Oops! Sartorially challenged
well now i want one , unless there is something better now?
Still a great synth IMHO
How did you do drums and instruments at 18:43 ?
@@mpmi7588 one of the presets is percussion
Anyone using this for synth bass 70's and 80's grooves?
As a direct result of watching your excellent review videos I've really started to properly explore the world of synths (beyond getting tons of plugins and only ever using presets). I now own three hardware synths, with a fourth on its way (the Craft Modal 2.0). You've really got me tempted with the Minilogue now! Thank you for that. My wife thanks you slightly less. I'm still very much a beginner, though, and I'm still finding my way around the technology and terminology. One term I have heard you use frequently is 'audio rates'. What does that mean?
Audio rates would be 20Hz to 20 thousand Hz.
Normal LFO rates would be under 20Hz.
Hz = cycles per second.
Audio rates would be rates that can be herd as a note, as opposed to sounding like individual beats.
Well, Nick, whatever you design is pure beauty, I wonder if it is more because of the synth or because of you... All sounds are great!! 👍👍👍
This and the Monologue are the best pairing ever. Get 'em both, it's a practically limitless BLAST!
I use this combination in my band! It's awesome!
@@kaspardornfeld1961 That's awesome. Thx.
What is it that makes that combo special?
@@AndecIunson The Monologue's rich bass patches used in the step sequencer coupled with the XD's stereo effected mid-range sounds, manipulated by the joystick, is a lot of fun. I also like to midi-out from the Monologue and midi-in to the XD. There are a lot of options to explore with this pairing.
Are those mini keys the same as on the minilogue? I really didn’t like the feel of those...
Looks the same to me, but I haven’t tried the original.
I think they changed the feel of them a slight bit but the dimensions are the same
Top review. I'm hoping to play with one at Superbooth... It sounds so lush.
Don't know where to submit this feedback for the XD, but I hope Korg listening, cuz it's a lovely synth but could use some improvements for version 2.
1. Implement a Hold mode that can hold a note or a chord without running the arpeggiator. Seems simple enough to add to the firmware.
2. Allow the Edit Mode or Shift button to cycle through the sub-menus rather than requiring you to use the step buttons to cycle through each page in a specific sub-menu. This way you can navigate the sub-menus with one hand, and keep playing while you navigate and change the features.
3.Add some kind of Macro knobs that can be assigned for the control of digital oscillator parameters, since the digital oscillators are such a huge part of this synth.
4. Add another knob for control of the effects' parameters if possible.
5. LFO Delay would be nice (could be put in a sub-menu)
🙏
Great review Nick! One thing - I love the super-fast audio rate LFO on the Monologue, but can this XD do that? I can't see a "fast" setting in the LFO options, but maybe that is one of the options under the hood? If the XD can do this, I'll sell the Monologue and get it! Thanks.