Korg Monologue or smth similar for jamming?

[Basitos]

Hello Dear Members,

I'm a bass player, haven't played a long time, wanted to start something new, alone.

My concept is to start a synthetic loop, maybe just around one note, and then playing to it. Occasionally changing the melody on the synthesizer.

I need something simple, but not trash. Something, that I can plug with jack into my bass combo/guitar combo - I want to take advantage of the musical gear that I already have, I don't want to buy new studio speakers, laptops etc. To be honest i don't want to use PC at all, just hardware.

I was thinking about Korg Monologue. It has a keyboard, looks solid. The price is decent. Wouldn't like to buy something more expensive.

But would it fit my preferences? Or do you have any other suggestions?

Please help.

 

[cpcohen1945]

Hello Dear Members,

I'm a bass player, haven't played a long time, wanted to start something new, alone.

My concept is to start a synthetic loop, maybe just around one note, and then playing to it. Occasionally changing the melody on the synthesizer.

I need something simple, but not trash. Something, that I can plug with jack into my bass combo/guitar combo - I want to take advantage of the musical gear that I already have, I don't want to buy new studio speakers, laptops etc. To be honest i don't want to use PC at all, just hardware.

I was thinking about Korg Monologue. It has a keyboard, looks solid. The price is decent. Wouldn't like to buy something more expensive.

But would it fit my preferences? Or do you have any other suggestions?

Please help.

FWIW --

I think the Monologue is s single-voice (one note at a time) synth. I would find that limiting, but my background is keyboards, not bass.

You might look at the Korg Volca synths. They're small, inexpensive, and have nice sequencers for building loops. They have built-in tiny loudspeakers, and the headphone output should drive your existing amp(s). Their "keyboards" are contact strips -- no velocity sensitivity, but you might not need that. They run on batteries or wall power.

They look like toys (about 5"x8"), but their sounds are very serious.

The Volca FM2 (with 6 operator FM synthesis like the DX7, and six-note polyphony) and Volca Keys (analog synthesis, 3-note polyphony) might do what you want to do, at minimum cost, space, and compexity.

The Volca's don't come with a wall power supply. I think that's around $30 from Korg or other makers.

PS -- I have a Volca Drum -- don't get that, unless you want to experiment with a digital drum synth with sequencer. If you want bass lines, there's a Volca Bass to play with.

. Charles

 

[cpcohen1945]

An alternative is to buy a "looper" -- a digital record/looped-playback machine. I have one with mic input, but you can find them with line-level inputs, and, I think, "instrument-level" inputs for guitars.

Guitar players like them a lot, for practicing improvising over a looped instrumental bass line and chords.

There are some really inexpensive models on Amazon.

If you don't want to play with synthesizers, and you have _any_ keyboard instrument (or a guitar), that might be your cheapest and simplest option.

. Charles

 

[Basitos]

Dear Charles,

Thanks for your reply,

I did in fact look at the Volca synths. It would be the cheapest option (if we are talking about new hardware) available.

But is there something that can create a sequence built from more than 16 steps?

You mentioned Volca drums - I have smth similar - an old Boss DR 880. It works fine, but it takes time to learn that machine.

Also I have a looper - TC Electronic Ditto Looper (true bypass) - in my bass pedalboard. The problem is, when the Boss DR880 is running with a sequence in a loop and I'm creating loop on my bass guitar, the loops aren't matching. First two loops are OK, but then they start to dodge... I think it's just the electronics-perfect-timing thing... That's why I need to play ''live'' to something.

 

[cpcohen1945]

You can chain sequences together, on the Volca Drum (and I assume, on other Volca's). So the 16-step limit can be overcome.

I'm getting an Arturia Microfreak -- the sequencer on that is 64 steps, and each patch can have two sequences.

It's not cheap, and it's a peculiar synth in many ways, so I hesitate to recommend it.


. Charles

PS -- the Korg Monologue that you were thinking about, seems to have a 16-step limit.

 

[Basitos]

You can chain sequences together, on the Volca Drum (and I assume, on other Volca's). So the 16-step limit can be overcome.

I'm getting an Arturia Microfreak -- the sequencer on that is 64 steps, and each patch can have two sequences.

It's not cheap, and it's a peculiar synth in many ways, so I hesitate to recommend it.


. Charles

PS -- the Korg Monologue that you were thinking about, seems to have a 16-step limit.

Thanks for your reply,

Hmm it’s a funny thing about this Monologue… I’m glad I asked before buying anything - I need to look closer at the Arturia, it is slightly more expensive than Monologue, but still in my range.