Univox Mini-Korg

Everything is absolutely straight forward. I did not have a single bit of knowledge about anything concercing synthesizers when I got it but I managed to find my way out easily playing it.

The only thing I could think that could make it a little strange for people used to other synths of the 70's is that the features don't have regular names i.e percussion = attack, traveler = hipass-lowpass, etc.

Every control is under the keyboard too.

Monophonic
Keyboard = gate on-off
It every features of a typical basic analog monosynth but they are not grouped or available the same way as on a Moog or an ARP.

It has Sine, Square, Saw waves as a basic with chorused Saw and seriously detuned Saw all available from the same knob.

The best sounds I got from it are chorused saw bass sound and simple high leads with a little vibrato.

The filter is not really good except for manual sweeps.

When you switch from octave '8 to octave 4' they're a clear difference in brilliance.

Immortal.

35 years old, dropped on the floor some times.
Does not need to warm up or be tuned

Somebody gave it to me 5 years ago.
Although the output is a little noisy, it has been reliable for gigs and recording.
It gives the opportunity to add analogue leads and basses without paying big bucks although the sounds are quite crude.

It is sold cheap compared to anything else from the 1970's.

There is no software unless you have MIDI-fied it. The preset sounds offer a variety of "typical" Moog sounds that will get you by, unless you are Keith Emerson. I have been able to play The Cars, Blondie, Styx and Kansas, with very little variation from the original sound. I don't have a manual, i purchased it used back in the mid '70s.

It is monophonic (i'm referring to the Mini Korg, not mini Korg 2), the effects are very easy to use since they are mainly toggle on or off, or sliders..... The sliders obviously require that one hand manipulate them, so would best be used only during specific leads where you are not using the left hand for accompaniment. no expansion capability stock, no sequencer no Midi, no pressure sensetive keys.

Since it does not use instruments as signal comparison, it is what you can "fabricate". By using multiple presets, one can copy some....brass or flute...but its not intended to sound like any particular instrument...its basically a poor man's mini Moog. In that light, it does some really nice things. Action is very fast, although one can use delay settings and portamento which slides upward or downward from note to note depending on the direction of travel.

It is very reliable, i finally blew a fuse after almost having it 30 yrs....hasn't been used daily obviously...since i am not a professional musician, it sat idle for a LOOOOONG time. Now i have revived it.
I would use it on a gig no problem. Cannot use it by itself of course...since its monophonic. Its strictly a lead instrument for short but sharp leads.

None to my knowledge. A good electrician can probably repair it..however any parts might be hard to come by.

I would buy it again at a cheap price (under $500 US), or i would buy a more modern all in one...like the Korg Triton which would replace 2 keyboards at that point. I own a Hammond CV organ, a Roland X1 keyboard, and a Yamaha keyboard. I would replace all 3 (except the Hammond of course!) with the Triton. I love the Mini Korg because it is so portable, yet it delivers the Moog sound that even the newer keyboards don't. There are many things i wish it had, but remember, this is 30-yr old technology, and it still sounds great. I played it thru a PA in a recording studio, and i couldn't believe how SHARP and BRIGHT...it can squeal. Its a great little unit as a second or third instrument, but if you are playing Styx, Kansas, ELP, Heart, or the Cars, this will do you VERY well...for 1/4 the price of a mini- Moog.

No manual, but it's really easy to use. All the switches, knobs, and sliders are color-coded and labeled. All hard-wired, so no patching options. Flip it on, let it warm up for a few, then start playing! Nothing to it.

Monophonic. One oscillator (pretty sure, but it could be 2). Has quite a few effects for such a basic synth: switch between a 5 octave range, 3 waveforms (triangle, square, saw), 2 chorus settings (on saw wave only), auto-bender, expand, vibrato, delayed vibrato, portamento, brightness, repeater, and sustain. The portamento rate, chorus rate and depth, and the repeater rate are all adjustable. The oscillator is also detunable. No MIDI or velocity sensing/aftertouch, but this thing has been around since the early/mid 70's! Faders control the hi-pass and lo-pass filter and and the envelope. The only thing really lacking is a pitch-bender. The auto-bender and expander add nice effects (sort of like portamento) but doesn't make up for the lack thereof.

It's not designed to emulate any acoustic instruments, but an analogish brass sound is easy to come by and pretty decent. Use the filters and the different waveforms to experiment. Sometimes a decent synth string sound can be made. Unlike a lot of monosynths, bass is not its strength. Made for leads mostly, but you might be able to create a nice bass sound. Use the attack fader and percussion (sustain/decay) to control the envelope, as well as the sustain effect. The filters are certainly not Moog or anything, but they're decent. Turn everything on at onece and be prepared to make some crazy, spaced-out sounds!. Mine sounds even better run throuh a delay pedal or reverb. I suppose you could use the oscillator tune as a pitch-bend, but it might be hard to keep it in tune while playing.

I believe I could depend on it for a gig. Tuning is a breeze with the pitch fader (I'm a guitarist and I use a tuning fork to tune things, not dumb ol' electric tuners). I received my via UPS from Tacoma, Wash all the way to Nashville! We all know how rough shipping can be, but I took it out of the packaging, plugged it in, let it warm up, and everything worked fine. Mine is missing the fader for the pitch/tuner, but a small knife works fine to move the pot. One broken key, been glued poorly back on, but still works fine and should be easy to replace if needed. I would definitely trust it on its own, but it is old, so some care should be given.

It says Mini-Korg, though it's made by Univox. Later models say they were made by Korg. I'm not sure whether Korg made keyboards and Univox slapped their name on them and distributed them or whether Korg was formerly known as Univox. I have seen Univox before. My brother has a bass guitar made by Univox. Same logo, same corporation (Japanese), and same solid construction. It sounds great as well. I don't think there is any company left to turn to for customer support, but hopefully it won't be needed.

I spent several weeks examining the different brands of vintage analog synths and their sounds. I (like everyone and his brother) really wanted a Minimoog. College expenses cut that option right away (they may sound great, but perhaps they are a bit overrated and overpriced). I checked out other monosynths like the Sequential Pro-One, Moog Prodigy and Micromoog, Oberheim OB-1 and Yamaha CS-15. This one had the best sound for the money I was willing to spend. I think I would get another synth if it were stolen, though whether or not I could find another Mini-Korg, I don't know. They seem rather rare, although not worth a whole lot to collectors. I might get something else just to compare the sounds. However, this is my first vintage synth and I think it will serve it's purpose well. I'm a guitarist first, but I love to dabble in areas. I played piano for three years, I can play bass, and I am learning the violin. This synth is just one more unique piece of gear I can add to enhance my sound.