Korg monologue
Lesson 4: The filter and drive
Goal: use CUTOFF and RESONANCE as your main tone controls, then add DRIVE for weight and bite. Korg says the monologue’s filter was tuned specifically for a mono synth, and this is where most of its character lives.
CUTOFF and RESONANCE
- CUTOFF (0 to 1023): the low-pass point. Harmonics above it are removed. Turn it left for darker, right for brighter. Very low settings can make the sound almost silent, which catches people out.
- RESONANCE (0 to 1023): boosts the harmonics right at the cutoff point, giving a vocal, squelchy peak. Korg notes it can distort depending on cutoff and input level.
The two interact, so adjust CUTOFF while you listen to RESONANCE.
- Use a saw on VCO 1 only, RESONANCE 0. Sweep CUTOFF fully left to fully right and back.
- Set RESONANCE to about three quarters and sweep again. Hear the peak move through the harmonics.
- Play low and high notes at a fixed cutoff. The high notes sound duller, because the filter doesn’t follow the keyboard unless you tell it to (below).
Filter settings in PROGRAM EDIT (button 8)
| Parameter | Range | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Cutoff Key Track | 0% to 100% (manual describes 0, 50 and 100%) | How much the cutoff rises with higher notes. 100% moves cutoff at the same rate as pitch |
| Cutoff Velocity | 0% to 100% (manual describes 0, 50 and 100%) | Harder playing opens the filter more |
| Amp Velocity | 0 to 127 | Harder playing is louder. 0 means velocity doesn’t affect volume |
These are stored per program, so save the program (Lesson 6) to keep them.
DRIVE
DRIVE adds harmonics and distortion. Small amounts thicken a bass; larger amounts give aggressive, saturated leads. Because drive adds harmonics, it changes how bright the filter setting sounds, so revisit CUTOFF after adding it.
The filter as an oscillator
At high RESONANCE many analogue low-pass filters ring on their own and produce a sine-like tone. Korg’s manual doesn’t describe self-oscillation on the monologue, so treat this as something to try and judge by ear rather than a documented feature: VCO levels at 0, RESONANCE fully right, sweep CUTOFF.
Exercise 4
Make a bass that’s warm on low notes and still bright on high ones using Cutoff Key Track, then add enough DRIVE to hear it on headphones at low volume. Write down your CUTOFF, RESONANCE, DRIVE and Key Track values.