Synth snobs call the Microkorg a toy. I don't argue with them. I feel like a kid on Christmas morning every time I turn it on!

Let's start by saying the MK kicks proverbial butt and then discuss the few things some people complain about.

1. Mini keys: I started out as a guitarist, making lots of very small movements to play my instruments, so mini keys are fine. Pianists don't like them. But then, I don't like piano keys; they're like using a sledge hammer to drive a thumbtack. I have some full-size keyboards and I can't play those monster keys as deftly as I can play the short-travel minis on the MK. And if you want big keys, just midi any big keyboard to the MK. Problem solved.

Well, that just about wraps up the complaint department.

The MK is a lap-size portable with the sonic power of a room full of vintage equipment. There are other synths in its size and price range but I don't think they sound better (personal preference) and they're not as easy to program. If I could have only one synth it would be a Microkorg.

In 2012, just to see if I could, I did everything on the MK. You can hear all my 2012 tunes at aejotz.com. Some of the sounds are presets, some are tweaked presets, some are patches I found online and some I programmed from scratch. I used no effects and the only non-MK sound you'll hear is the metronome click from my recorder, which I decided to leave on a couple of tracks. Long story short, I really put that "toy" through its paces.

(The tracks from 1983 are all Casio MT-65. The tracks from 2011 and 2013 can be any mixture of Microkorg, Casio CZ-101, Alesis Micron, Arturia Minibrute, Yamaha PSR-520 and a few other gadgets.)
Synth snobs call the Microkorg a toy. I don't argue with them. I feel like a kid on Christmas morning every time I turn it on! Let's start by saying the MK kicks proverbial butt and then discuss the few things some people complain about. 1. Mini keys: I started out as a guitarist, making lots of very small movements to play my instruments, so mini keys are fine. Pianists don't like them. But then, I don't like piano keys; they're like using a sledge hammer to drive a thumbtack. I have some full-size keyboards and I can't play those monster keys as deftly as I can play the short-travel minis on the MK. And if you want big keys, just midi any big keyboard to the MK. Problem solved. Well, that just about wraps up the complaint department. The MK is a lap-size portable with the sonic power of a room full of vintage equipment. There are other synths in its size and price range but I don't think they sound better (personal preference) and they're not as easy to program. If I could have only one synth it would be a Microkorg. In 2012, just to see if I could, I did everything on the MK. You can hear all my 2012 tunes at aejotz. com. Some of the sounds are presets, some are tweaked presets, some are patches I found online and some I programmed from scratch. I used no effects and the only non-MK sound you'll hear is the metronome click from my recorder, which I decided to leave on a couple of tracks. Long story short, I really put that "toy" through its paces. (The tracks from 1983 are all Casio MT-65. The tracks from 2011 and 2013 can be any mixture of Microkorg, Casio CZ-101, Alesis Micron, Arturia Minibrute, Yamaha PSR-520 and a few other gadgets. )