Korg minilogue User manual

E 1
Table of contents
Introduction...........................................2
minilogue Key Features.................................. 2
Block Diagram.................................................... 3
Controls and Connections ....................4
Front Panel Controls ........................................ 4
Rear Panel Connections.................................. 5
Turning the minilogue On and O............. 6
Playing Programs and Sequences........8
Selecting and Playing a Program ................ 8
Using Favorites .................................................. 9
Playing the Sequencer ..................................10
Programs............................................. 11
Program Architecture....................................11
Creating Sounds..............................................12
Saving a Program............................................13
Basic Parameter Editing................................14
Voice modes .....................................................23
Sequencer..........................................................25
Edit Mode ............................................ 31
How to enter the Edit mode .......................31
PROGRAM EDIT mode...................................33
SEQ EDIT mode................................................37
GLOBAL EDIT mode........................................40
Other functions................................... 47
Tuning.................................................................47
Restoring the Factory settings ...................47
Shortcuts using the SHIFT button.............49
Understanding MIDI........................... 50
Connecting Devices via MIDI and USB....50
MIDI-Related Settings....................................52
Program List........................................ 54
Specications...................................... 56
MIDI Implementation Chart............... 57

2
Introduction
minilogue Key Features
• 4-voice polyphonic synthesizer with onboard eects & sequencer.
• All-new innovative redesign of analogue synth circuitry.
• Instant recall of 100 factory Presets plus 100 additional user Programs.
• 8 Voice Modes (mono, poly, unison, duo, etc.) oer maximum exibility.
• 41 dedicated panel controls deliver immediate parameter access.
• Real-time oscilloscope provides visual feedback of parameter changes.
• 16-step polyphonic sequencer can automate up to 4 synth parameters.
• Sync In and Sync Out jacks allow you to expand your session setup.

3
Block Diagram
HPF
pre lter
post lter
bypass
FB
4 VOICE
ASSIGNER
DELAY
VOICE 4
OUTPUT
AUDIO
INPUT
VOICE 3
VOICE 2
VOICE 1
pre VCF mix
pre VCF mix
pre VCF mix
pre VCF mix
enable
VOICE
VCO 1 SAW
pre VCF mix
SQR
PITCH
PITCH
LFO
EG
LFO
VCO 2 WAVE SHAPE
OSC
SYNC
SAW
EG Int
keytrack
int mod
pitch 2
EG Int
SQR
TRI
TRI
FM
LFO
WAVE SHAPE
RING
MOD
NOISE
GEN
VCA
VCF
AMP EG
EG
int
rate mod
velocity
2-pole
4-pole
velocity
VCO1
level
VCO2
level
noise
level
CROSS MOD
depth
gate
gate
0% 100%
wave shape amount

4
Controls and Connections
Front Panel Controls
This diagram shows the layout of the front panel knobs, switches, and buons.
1
2
3
4
56 7891011 12 13 15 17 18
19
20
16
14
1.
MASTER knob
2.
TEMPO knob
3.
OCTAVE switch
4.
Slider
5.
VCO 1
6.
VCO 2
OCTAVE switch
WAVE switch
PITCH knob
SHAPE knob
7.
VCO 2 MODULATION
CROSS MOD DEPTH knob
PITCH EG DEPTH knob
SYNC switch
RING switch
8.
MIXER
VCO 1 knob
VCO 2 knob
NOISE knob
9.
FILTER
CUTOFF knob
RESONANCE knob
EG INT knob
FILTER TYPE switch
KEY TRACK switch
VELOCITY switch
10.
AMP EG
11.
EG
ATTACK knob
DECAY knob
SUSTAIN knob
RELEASE knob
12.
LFO
WAVE switch
EG MOD switch
RATE knob
INT knob
TARGET switch
13.
DELAY
HI PASS CUTOFF knob
TIME knob
FEEDBACK knob
OUTPUT ROUTING switch
14.
Display
15.
EDIT
EDIT MODE buon
EXIT buon
WRITE buon
16.
PROGRAM/VALUE knob
17.
SEQUENCER
1–8/9–16 buons
PLAY buon
REC buon
REST buon
18.
Buttons 1–8
19.
SHIFT button
20.
VOICE MODE DEPTH knob

5
Rear Panel Connections
The illustration below shows a typical example of connections for the mini-
logue. Connect your equipment according to the needs of your own system.
You must make connections with the minilogue turned o. Failure
to observe this precaution may cause malfunctions and/or damage to
your speaker system.
Computer
AC adapter
(included)
Mixer
DC 9V jack
Cable hook
Loop the DC Plug end of the
AC Adapter cable around
this hook to prevent the cable
from being accidentally
pulled out.
USB B connector
This connector allows the minilogue to
exchange MIDI messages with your computer.
Power switch
Hold this switch in to turn the
minilogue On or Off.
MIDI IN, OUT connectors
Connect these to an external MIDI device so that MIDI
data can be transmied or received.
SYNC IN, OUT jacks
T
he minilogue steps can be synchronized with other devices using
th
ese jacks. A pulse sent from the audio output of another device or
DA
W can be used by connecting it to the SYNC IN jack. Use an 1/8"
ca
ble (mini-phone plug) to sync with Korg volca products.
AUDIO IN jack
This standard 1/4" TS jack accepts a
mono audio signal from another
synthesizer, instrument, or external
sound source.
OUTPUT jack
This standard 1/4" TS jack
sends the sound of the
minilogue to your powered
monitoring system, mixer,
recording setup, or external
amplifier. The level is
controlled by the MASTER
knob.
Headphones jack
Connect your headphones
here. This jack outputs the
same sound as the OUTPUT
jack.
Sound module, rhythm machine, etc.
MIDI keyboard, rhythm machine, etc.
Groove machine
Microphone
Monitor speakers
(with internal amp)
Headphones
MIDI cable
USB cable
MIDI OUT
MIDI IN
SYNC IN
USB port
INPUT
OUTPUT

6
Turning the minilogue On and O
Before you turn the minilogue On:
Connect the AC adapter and other equipment.
1. Connect the included AC adapter to the DC 9V jack located on the rear
panel.
Use only the included AC adapter. Using any other AC adapter may
cause malfunctions.
2. Plug the AC adapter into an AC outlet.
3. Hook the AC adapter cable onto the cable hook to relieve stress on the
connector and to prevent the cable from accidently being pulled out.
When disconnecting the power supply, do not use excessive force when
removing the cable from the hook. Doing so may damage the plug.
4. Make sure that any external output devices such as powered monitor
speakers are turned o before connecting them to the minilogue.
TIP If you want to connect a MIDI device or computer to the minilogue’s
MIDI connectors or USB B connector in order to use the minilogue’s
keyboard and controllers to control an external MIDI tone generator,
or if you want to use another MIDI keyboard or a sequencer to play
the minilogue’s sound generator, you will need to congure the set-
tings. For details, (“Understanding MIDI”, p. 50).
Turning the minilogue On
1. Make sure that both the minilogue and any external output devices such
as powered monitor speakers are turned o, and turn the volume of all
devices all the way down.
2. Hold down the Power switch on the rear panel of the minilogue; once the
“minilogue” logo appears in the display, take your nger o the Power
switch.
3. Turn on any external output devices such as powered monitor speakers.
4. Adjust the volume of your external output equipment, and adjust the
minilogue’s volume using the MASTER knob.

7
Turning the minilogue O
Any Program data in the minilogue that has not been saved will be lost when
the power is turned o. Be sure to save any Program and other important data
that you have edited (“Saving a Program”, p. 13).
1. Turn the MASTER knob of the minilogue to the left to turn the volume
all the way down.
Also, turn the volume all the way down on any external output devices
that might be connected, such as powered monitor speakers.
2. Hold down the Power switch on the rear panel of the minilogue; to turn
o the power after the display goes blank, take your nger o the power
switch.
Once you have turned the minilogue o, wait about 10 seconds before
turning the minilogue on again.
Auto Power O Feature
The minilogue features an Auto Power O feature that can automatically turn the
minilogue o after 4 hours have elapsed with no operation of the knobs, switches,
buons, or keyboard of the minilogue. By default, the factory seing for the Auto
Power O is enabled. The Auto Power O can be disabled using the steps below.
1. Press the EDIT MODE buon.
The minilogue will enter the Edit Mode,
and the display will look like the illustration
shown below.
2. Turn the PROGRAM/VALUE knob, and se-
lect GLOBAL EDIT.
TIP GLOBAL EDIT can also be selected by pressing the EDIT MODE buon.
3. Press buon 6 twice.
“Auto Power O” will be displayed.
4. Turn the PROGRAM/VALUE knob, and select “O”.
5. Press the EXIT buon.
The minilogue will enter the Play mode, and the display will indicate the
current Program.
6
3
1
2, 4

8
Playing Programs and Sequences
Selecting and Playing a Program
The minilogue comes equipped with 200 Programs. Of those, 100 are ready-to-
play preset Programs and 100 locations are available to save your own sounds
and custom edits.
Each Program includes seings for the sound, as well as sequence data and
Voice mode seings.
1. Enter the Play mode.
When the minilogue is turned on, it will automatically enter the Play mode.
In the Play mode, verify that all of the EDIT MODE and 1–8/9–16 buons
on the front panel are unlit.
TIP If the EDIT MODE buon or the 1–8/9–
16 buon is lit, press the EXIT buon.
The PLAY or REC buons will light to
indicate when the sequence data saved
in a Program is being played back or is
recording. You can still select other Pro-
grams in this state, but press the PLAY
buon if you wish to stop the Sequencer.
2. Turn the PROGRAM/VALUE knob to select a Program.
The display will indicate the Program name and number.
The minilogue comes with 100 preset Programs (001–100) as part of the fac-
tory preload data. These preset Programs are instantly accessible and ready
for you to enjoy. For details, refer to “Program List” (p. 54).
TIP Hold down the SHIFT buon while turning the PROGRAM/VALUE
knob to skip through the Program List in increments of 10.
TIP In addition to showing Program name and number, the display can
also be used as an oscilloscope, to show the electrical signals created
by the waveform of the sound. For details on the display, refer to “Os-
cilloscope” (p. 45).
2
1
Make sure they are unlit.

9
3. Adjusting the OCTAVE range, using the Slider, and changing the Voice
Mode.
As you play, you can use the ve-way OCTAVE Switch to
transpose the playing area of the keyboard by ± 2 octaves.
In addition, you can move the Slider from left to right to add
real-time performance control.
TIP The parameter assigned to the slider will vary depend-
ing on the Program. Rrefer to “Program List” (p. 54)
to see which parameter is assigned to the slider in each
Program.
TIP The Slider Assign function in PROGRAM EDIT mode is
used to assign parameters to the slider (“Slider Assign”, p. 33).
In the Play mode, the LEDs below buons
1–8 show the Voice mode status of the cur-
rent Program. You can use these buons
1–8 to switch between the dierent modes.
For details, refer to “Voice modes” (p. 23).
Using Favorites
Recalling your Favorite Programs
The minilogue includes a Favorites func-
tion, which can be used to instantly recall
any one of the up to eight Programs that
you have previously registered as Favorites
on the minilogue.
1. In the Play mode, press one of the but-
tons from 1–8 while holding down the
SHIFT buon.
The Favorite Program previously regis-
tered to that buon will be recalled, and
the Program name and number will be
indicated in the display.
12345678
1
1
12345678

10
Registering your Favorite Programs
You can register up to eight Programs that you particularly like as Favorite
Programs.
1. In Play mode, turn the PROGRAM/
VALUE knob to select a Program you
like.
The display will indicate the Program
name and number.
2. Hold down one of the buons from
1–8 while keeping the SHIFT buon
pressed.
The Program will be registered as a Fa-
vorite program, and “Registered to Fa-
vorite” will be indicated in the display.
TIP The favorite Programs that you
register will be saved in the Global seings.
Playing the Sequencer
Each Program in the minilogue includes sequence data. In this section, we’ll
play the sequence data saved as part of the preset Programs.
1. Turn the PROGRAM/VALUE knob to select
a Program.
The display will indicate the Program name
and number.
2. Press the PLAY buon in the SEQUENCER
section.
The sequence data that is recorded in the cur-
rent Program will begin playing.
The 1–8 buons will light up in steps while the sequencer is playing.
TIP The Sequencer tempo is set for each Program in the SEQ EDIT mode
and saved as part of the Program, but you can adjust the tempo from
56.0 to 240.0 BPM (Beats Per Minute) by turning the TEMPO knob.
3. Press the PLAY buon once more to end the Sequencer playback.
2
1
12345678
2
1
2, 3

11
Programs
Program Architecture
Each minilogue Program includes seings for the Oscillators, Mixer, Filter, EGs
and LFO, as well as a 16-Step Sequencer plus Eects.
Try editing each related parameter, and enjoy changing the sounds of the mini-
logue.
VCO 1
OCTAVE
WAVE
PITCH
SHAPE
VCO 2
OCTAVE
WAVE
PITCH
SHAPE
VCO 2 MODULATION
CROSS MOD DEPTH
PITCH EG INT
SYNC
RING
MIXER
VCO1
VCO2
NOISE
FILTER
CUTOFF
RESONANCE
EG INT
FILTER TYPE
KEYTRACK
VELOCITY
AMP EG
ATTACK
DECAY
SUSTAIN
RELEASE
EG
ATTACK
DECAY
SUSTAIN
RELEASE
LFO
WAVE
EG MOD
RATE
INT
TARGET
DELAY
HI PASS CUTOFF
TIME
FEEDBACK
OUTPUTROUTING
PROGRAM NAME
Slider Assign
Bend Range +
Bend Range −
LFO BPM Sync
LFO Key Sync
LFO Voice Sync
Portamento Time
Portamento Mode
Portamento BPM
Amp Velocity
Program Level
NOTE [STEP 1–16]
GATE TIME [STEP 1–16]
BPM
Step Length
Step Resolution
Swing
Default Gate Time
Motion Type (1–4)
Motion Enable (1–4)
Motion Smooth (1–4)
Basic Parametres
Sequence Data
Sequence Parameters
Detail Parametres
3 15 16
𝅘𝅥
1
𝅘𝅥𝅮
2
𝅘𝅥
14
𝅘𝅥𝅮
STEP
NOTE
GATE

12
Creating Sounds
Editing a program means changing the Program’s parameters to alter its
sound.
There are two way to create sounds on the minilogue.
• Select an existing Program that’s close to the sound you want, and edit that
Program’s parameters to achieve your own custom sound.
• You can also initialize all the Program parameters or use the Panel Load func-
tion to create your own sound from scratch.
Editing an Existing Program
1. In Program mode, select the Program that you want to use as a starting
point.
2. Use the knobs and switches on the front panel.
Take a moment to consider the dierences between the current Program
and the sound you have in mind, and use the front panel controls to edit
the necessary parameters.
TIP For details on how the pitch, sound, and volume change when using the
knobs and switches, refer to “Basic Parameter Editing” (p. 14).
We recommend that you save the Program on the minilogue after
editing the sound. Any edits that you make will be lost if you turn o
the power or recall a dierent Program. For details, refer to “Saving a
Program” (p. 13).
Creating a Program from Scratch
To create a sound from scratch, we recommend that you use the Panel Load
function. This will load the current seings of each front panel control and
provide a simple starting point for your iconic creations.
As you explore the front panel controls, you can see how each parameter will
aect the sound, making it easier to understand how each section of the mini-
logue functions and how the parameters interact.
Panel Load function
Press the PLAY buon while holding down the SHIFT buon. The sound will
change to reect the panel seings, and “Load Panel” will be indicated in the
display.

13
Saving a Program
We recommend that you save your Program on the minilogue after editing the
sound.
Any edits that you make to the current program will be lost if you
turn o the power or recall a dierent program before saving.
1. Edit the program in Play mode.
For details, refer to “Basic Parameter Editing” (p. 14).
2. Press the WRITE buon; the minilogue will enter the Write standby
mode, and the WRITE buon will blink.
The message “Where to write?” will appear in the display.
3. Turn the PROGRAM/VALUE knob to select the Program number where
your new sound will be saved.
Programs 1–100 are preset Programs, and Programs 101–200 are user Pro-
grams.
TIP Press the EXIT buon to cancel the operation.
4. Press the WRITE buon once more.
The Program will be saved in internal memory, and the message “Com-
plete” will appear in the display..
Never turn o the power while Programs are being saved. Doing so
may destroy the internal data.

14
Basic Parameter Editing
In this section, we’ll explain the basic parameters that make up a program.
The basic parameters are assigned to the knobs and switches on the front panel.
VCO 1, VCO 2
VCO: Voltage Controlled Oscillator
There are two oscillators in the minilogue. Os-
cillator Parameters include the seings for the
pitch of the sound (OCTAVE, PITCH) and the
waveform (WAVE, SHAPE).
O C T A V E s w i t c h [ 1 6 ’, 8 ’, 4 ’, 2 ’ ]
The pitch of oscillators 1 and 2 can be set in
octave steps.
WAVE switch [ , , ]
This sets the waveforms for oscillators 1 and 2.
Square wave: This waveform is used for electronic and wind instrument
sounds.
Triangle wave: This waveform has a rounder feel than the sawtooth or square
wave.
Sawtooth wave: This waveform is used to create sounds typical of analog syn-
thesizers, such as synth basses and brass.

15
PITCH knob [−1200...+1200]
The pitch, or tuning, of the Oscillators can be set using one-cent steps.
SHAPE knob [0...1023]
This knob will determine the nal shape, complexity, or duty-cycle (Square) of
the selected waveform.
VCO 2 MODULATION
Oscillator 2 includes powerful oscillator sync, cross
modulation, and ring modulation functions.
CROSS MOD DEPTH knob [0...1023]
Cross Mod (Modulation) allows Oscillator 1 to mod-
ulate the pitch of Oscillator 2.
Turning the knob to the right results in stronger modulation.
PITCH EG DEPTH knob [−4800...+4800]
The Pitch EG (Envelope Generator) can be used to change the Pitch of Oscilla-
tor 2 over time. In the center position, no eect is applied.
Positive values (turning the knob to the right of center) increase the Pitch EG
eect; turning the knob to the left of center increases the Pitch EG eect using
an inverted image of the EG shape (negative values).
To learn more about the EG seings, refer to “EG” (p. 20).
0 1023

16
SYNC switch [OFF, ON]
Oscillator sync is a popular eects for creating edgy synth leads.
ON (up position):
With this type of modulation, the phase of oscillator 2 is forc-
ibly synchronized to the phase of oscillator 1. This adds harmonic overtones to
the frequency of oscillator 2, making a complex waveform.
RING switch [OFF, ON]
Ring Modulation outputs the sum and dierence of the frequencies created by
the two oscillators. Adjust the pitch of Oscillator 2 to create non-tonal and me-
tallic sounds.
ON (up position): Oscillator 1 is used to ring modulate oscillator 2.
MIXER
D
The mixer is used to set the relative levels of the three signal sources—
Oscillator 1, Oscillator 2, and the Noise generator before they enter the
lter.
VCO 1 knob [0...1023]
VCO 2 knob [0...1023]
These knobs control the output levels of oscillator 1 and 2.
NOISE knob [0...1023]
Use this knob to set the output level of the noise generator.
Noise (white noise) can be used on its own, or mixed with the Oscilla-
tors to create percussion instrument sounds, or sound eects such as surf.
Sync
VCO 1 Wave
VCO 2 Wave (original)
VCO 2 Wave (output)
VCO 2
VCO 1
RING MOD

17
FILTER
VCF: Voltage Controlled Filter
The low-pass lter shapes the tone by selectively ltering cer-
tain parts of the harmonic spectrum of the sound generated
by the Oscillators and the Noise generator.
CUTOFF knob [0...1023]
This knob is used to set the cuto frequency. Harmonic con-
tent above the cuto frequency will be ltered out.
Turning the knob to the left will lower the cuto frequency,
and turning the knob to the right will raise the cuto frequen-
cy.
If the CUTOFF value is set too low, the volume may
be extremely low.
RESONANCE knob [0...1023]
Also known as Peak or Q, the RESONANCE control adds additional emphasis
to the overtones occurring at the CUTOFF frequency, giving a distinctive char-
acter to the sound.
Turning the knob to the right will increase the resonance eect.
TIP The overtones that are emphasized will change depending on the cut-
o frequency. For this reason, it’s good to adjust the CUTOFF knob
while adjusting the RESONANCE knob.
When emphasizing the overtones in this way, the sound may distort
depending on the cuto frequency or the input audio.
Low resonance value High resonance value

18
EG INT knob [−100%...0...+100%]
The Envelope Generator (EG) can be used to control the CUTOFF, or Filter fre-
quency, over time using this EG INT (intensity) knob.
To learn more about the EG seings (“EG”, p. 20).
With this knob in the center position (0%), no EG is applied to the Filter.
Rotating the knob to the left of center increases the EG intensity, but with the
polarity of the EG inverted.
Rotating the knob to the right of center increases the EG intensity eect.
FILTER TYPE switch [2-POLE, 4-POLE]
The lter type (roll o) can be set to either 2-POLE (12 dB per octave) or
4-POLE (24 dB per octave).
2-POLE: Gently cuts o the upper harmonics, creating a more natural sound.
4-POLE: Cuts o the upper harmonics more sharply than the 2-POLE.
KEY TRACK switch [0%, 50%, 100%]
Key tracking allows the note played on the keyboard to inuence the cuto
frequency of the lter. This is useful when you want higher notes to have more
upper harmonics, or to appear brighter, than lower notes.
0% (lower position): No keyboard tracking will be applied.
50% (center position): The cuto frequency will change at half the rate/slope as
the pitch of the keyboard.
100% (upper position): The cuto frequency will change at the same rate/slope
as the pitch of the keyboard.
Note on Note o
Cuto
Time
Note on Note o
Cuto
Time
dB
Hz
24
12
0
-12
-24
24 100 1k
10k
4-POLE 2-POLE

19
VELOCITY switch [0%, 50%, 100%]
Species how the velocity (keyboard playing dynamics) will aect the cuto
frequency, allowing louder notes to appear brighter, etc.
0% (lower position): Velocity will not aect the cuto frequency.
50% (center position): Velocity will aect the cuto frequency, but at only half
the amount produced at 100%.
100% (upper position): Playing the keys harder will increase the cuto frequen-
cy, while playing the keys softer will decrease the cuto frequency.
AMP EG
VCA: Voltage Controlled Amplier / EG: Envelope Generator
The AMP (VCA) controls the output level of
the minilogue, before the Master control. The
AMP Envelope Generator provides a precise
control signal that varies over time to modify
the VCA level.
ATTACK knob [0...1023]
The ATTACK species the time required for the EG to reach its maximum level
once a new note is played
DECAY knob [0...1023]
The DECAY species the time required for the EG to fall to the preset Sustain
level once the Aack portion of the EG is complete.
SUSTAIN knob [0...1023]
The SUSTAIN species the level that will be maintained while the key is held
down (or a trigger is applied).
RELEASE knob [0...1023]
The RELEASE species the time required for the EG to reach its minimum level
(zero) once the key or trigger is released.
0
Attack Level
Time
Note on Note o
Level
Sustain
Level
Attack
Time
Decay
Time
Release
Time

20
EG
EG: Envelope Generator
The EG provides a precise control signal that
varies over time. This signal can be used to
modify the Pitch of Oscillator 2, the Filter
CUTOFF frequency, and the Speed or Intensi-
ty of the LFO. The EG signal is available at the VCO 2 MODULATION PITCH
EG INT knob, the FILTER EG INT knob, and the LFO EG MOD switch. This
switch can be set to allow the EG signal to control either the RATE or INT (In-
tensity), in conjunction with the LFO RATE and INT knobs.
ATTACK knob [0...1023]
The ATTACK species the time required for the EG to reach its maximum level
once a new note is played.
DECAY knob [0...1023]
The DECAY species the time required for the EG to fall to the preset Sustain
level once the Aack portion of the EG is complete.
SUSTAIN knob [0...1023]
The SUSTAIN species the level that will be maintained while the key is held
down (or a trigger is applied).
RELEASE knob [0...1023]
The RELEASE species the time required for the EG to reach its minimum level
(zero) once the key or trigger is released.
Time
Note on Note o
Cuto
Sustain Level
Attack
Time
Decay
Time
Release
Time