How to Create Sound on a MicroKORG

The microKORG, which is available in many countries including the United States and the United Kingdom, is a music synthesizer and vocoder that has 128 preset sounds or "programs." In addition to its preset sounds, the microKORG also has the capacity to create and save your own sounds, which is a valuable tool for anyone looking to branch out from the more standard built-in keyboard choices.

You can create sound with a microKORG in two ways. You can either modify one of the built-in sounds or programs, or create a sound from scratch. Modifying or creating new sounds is a great way of individualizing a song or piece of music.

Connect the AC adapter to the AC outlet on the microKORG and plug the other end into the wall. Insert the headphones into the headphone jack. Turn on.

Check that the sound is working by holding down the "Shift" key and pressing the "Arpeggiator on/off" key; the demo will begin playing. Press the "Shift" key again to stop the demo playing.

Customize a preset sound by selecting the program you want to start from using the "Program select" knob followed by the "Program number" key. Make a sound from scratch by holding down the "Shift" key then pressing the "3" key. Press the "3" key again once it starts flashing.

Turn the "Edit select 1" or "2" knobs to choose which aspect of the sound to edit (for example, frequency or filter). Twist the edit control knobs 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 to alter that particular aspect. Edit the sound more precisely by holding down the "Shift" key and using the "Octave shift up" or "down" key to alter the values of the selected aspect, until the sound is complete.

Press the "Write" key to save the customized sound/program. Press the key for a second time (after the LED lights begin to flash), to finalize saving your new sound.