So, I ordered the Korg microKORG last Sunday night (24Jul05), and it came in on Monday. All I can say is: I'm quite impressed. So, this is going to be a microREVIEW (har har) on this wonderful synth.
I bought this synth from Musician's Friend for $400. I got free shipping on it, and a free Gator case (a $39.99 value!!!111). My only gripe with the case is that there's no compartment for the transformer; I ended up wrapping the transformer in a piece of the packing foam sheet that came with the synth and stuffing it at the back of the case (there's a little bit of room there) so it doesn't scratch the finish.
The synth came in a box, which I promptly unpacked. With it comes a small condenser mic that can slide into the mount at the back of the microKORG, the AC transformer, the owners manual, the warranty card, and a registration card that claims you can extend your warranty by one year (to two years) by registering online.
No, this section is not about plugging it into an AC receptacle (though it should be noted that the microKORG can also be powered by 6 AA batteries), but into whatever sound system you happen to have. I don't have a PA system, amp, or any of that professional stuff, so I ran out to Rat Shack and picked up two 1/4"-to-RCA adaptors (the microKORG has two 1/4" outputs, one per channel. It also has a stereo headphone jack.). It should be noted that the RadioShack website claims that the aforementioned adaptors are sold in two packs, but I couldn't find them, and the site said that they were in stock at my local store. I ended up paying $8 for two, instead of just $5 for a two pack. It should also be noted that the $8 I paid was for two gold-plated ones, but that shouldn't be of significance; gold plating is a gimmick in my opinion.
This was a simple enough affair; just push the button at the back. You will be greeted by a too-fast-to-read message in the display (if anyone knows what it says, I'd be glad to hear).
Though there are a few good presets that come with this synth, you can edit them or even start from scratch (something I like doing). One trend that I see online is that a lot of people seem to only use the presets, and not edit their sounds. It's a shame, as this synth has so much to offer if they'd only ignore the initial dauntingness of editing. While I will admit that I had to glance at the manual a few times to decipher what the cryptic "words" in the display were, editing is actually quite simple once you get the hang of it.
This synth offers quite a lot in the way of editing options and specifications. You get two oscillators per timbre (I have yet to really use the layered mode, though), along with two LFOs and an amp. The first oscillator does many waveforms; not only do you have the standard sawtooth, square, sine, and triangle, you also get a "vox" wave (designed to emulate the sound that human vocal cords make), and you get 64 DWGS (digital resynthesis) waveforms, emulating everything from organs to bells. The second oscillator, however, only does sawtooth, square, and triangle, but it can be the modulator to oscillator 1.
I will spare you the other details; see other reviews for more information, but I will say something about virtual patching: it's very very flexible. For example, to create the classic synth intro to Steve Miller Band's Jungle Love, you simply patch the pitch to LFO2. Then, you switch to the LFO2 panel, and set the frequency to the lowest interval you hear in the intro, and set the waveform to sawtooth. Go to another patch panel and patch the mod wheel to the LFO2 frequency. Put the mod wheel all the way up, and adjust the modulation depth until you hear the fastest interval in the intro. Now, just play the note and slowly move the mod wheel towards you. Voila!
Overall, I'm very happy with the purchase and what I got for my money. I could have gotten the Alesis Micron for the same price, but I would get very little real-time control, a main knob that I hear is about to break off, and the possibility of the pitch going all over the place during a performance (see one of the Musician's Friend reviews for it). Plus, I would get some stupid-ass New Age design. I'll take my wood side panels and Minimoog-style knobs any day, folks. Oh, and not to mention a vocoder that sounds very good.
In closing, buy this synth. It's worth every penny, and it sounds great; analogue without, well, analogue.