Korg drumlogue, new analog drum machine with a flexible hybrid core

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Korg drumlogue is a new drum machine hosting modern analog and innovative digital synthesis with sample support in a compact device.

In early January 2021, Korg showed new products. The modwave wavetable synth and the wavestate SE prototype with a new look. There was also an exciting sneak peek of a hybrid drum machine called drumlogue. An instrument that the Korg developers were working on at the time.

The interest in the small box in social media is still great today and I constantly get inquiries from you about when Korg will release it. I can finally answer the question. Korg officially introduced the drumlogue drum machine today. Ready for pre-order here: Thomann

Korg drumlogue

Analog Meets Digital Synthesis

Korg drumlogue is a hybrid drum machine consisting of a mixture of engines. Interesting: compared to the prototype, Korg hasn’t changed anything significant in the design. It has a wrapped case with an aluminum control panel and wooden side panels. A bit angular and spacey from the design. Definitely not “more of the same”.

As announced in the 2021 trailer, the drumlogue was developed by Yoshihito Yamada and Etienne Noreau-Hebert, who were also responsible for the minilogue xd Synthesizer and the logue multi-engine SDK.

drumlogue consists of three sound engines split across 11 voices: analog and digital synthesis as well as sample-based sound sources. On the analog side, you will find four all-analog instrument voices, including kick, snare, hi tom, and low tom. Each instrument can be manipulated with front panel controls like decay, tune, drive, snappy…

drumlogue front

In addition to the analog engine, there is also a deep digital engine. On the one hand, it consists of 6 sample-based parts with the ability to load your own samples. Korg has not communicated how many samples can be loaded into the hardware memory or how large it is. Since I see no memory slot, I assume that there is only internal memory. The samples can also be edited directly on the hardware with three parameters (attack, decay, tune).

Logue SDK Engine

Well, that’s not all. What makes the drumlogue so exciting is the digital synth part. This is based on the beloved logue SDK aka multi-engine (minilogue xd, prologue, NTS-1) but in an expanded version. According to the developers, it is now capable to load complete poly soft synths into the drum machine. So that you can also play directly

drumlogue ships with Nano, a new virtual analog Synthesizer developed in cooperation with the Ukrainian company Sinevibes. The genius developers of numerous great Korg plugins. Alternatively, you can load a multi-engine with VPM synthesis, a noise generator, or other custom algorithms. That will definitely be a festival of unique drum algorithms.

Then there is a multi-fx engine featuring reverb, delay, and master effects. This also has the mighty multi-engine at its core and can be equipped with any new algorithms. An exciting engine that promises a lot. Korg says that the most important sound-shaping parameters are directly accessible at any time via the clear control panel. The same applies to the individual volume controls for each of the 11 parts.

drumlogue sequencer

Sequencer

The sequencer is an essential part of a drum machine. According to Korg, the drumlogue’s sequencer is powerful, has 64 steps, a chain functionality, and offers numerous clever features for adding life to your tracks. Among other things, you can work with motion, add accent and use randomization.

Connectivity

The connections on a drum machine are just as important as the sequencer and Korg did a lot of things right here in my opinion. You get four assignable 6.3mm audio outputs and an audio input for routing external audio through the effects engine.

connectivity

There is also a headphone input, sync in/out, MIDI in/out on classic DIN connectors, as well as a USB-MIDI host and device. This allows you to connect a MIDI controller or sequencer directly via USB. Big like for that.

First Impression

From what I see and read it sounds like an exciting, modern drum machine. Above all, the digital multi-engine makes the device very tempting. I’m curious about which SDK-powered drum engines we will see in the future. I’m sure we’ll see a few more surprises.

How deep the individual engines are or how versatile the sequencer is, etc., I can’t say at this point. Korg didn’t send me a test unit for an advanced test. Nonetheless, I’m happy to see that the drumlogue has now made it to the finished product. Even in difficult times of chip crisis etc. And of course, there are countless YouTube videos to start with.

Korg drumlogue will be available in November/December 2022 for a price of 629€/$599,99 USD.

More information here: Korg 

Available for pre-order here

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14 Comments

    • well that is because most hardware is already awesome and its up to us to make a good new use of it, the part that is “meh” is non creative entitlement frustrated commenters, everything’s amazing and nobody is happy

      • ormai gli strumenti moderni se usati con creativita’ sono tutti in grado di dare ottimi risultati , io preferisco sempre che la macchina abbia dei limiti cosi’ da poterci mettere qualcosa di personale , amenoche’ tutti si aspettino che fAccia tutto la macchina ma allora verrebbero cose fuori cose tutte uguali le une alle altre , e aime’ la macchina che fa tutto da sola ancora la devono inventare ….e menomale

    • Design?lol What design do u want tho. Don’t care about the design, it’s the tech or capabilities of the machine that matters #smh

      • the logue synth is polyphonic. He is separated from the main voices. So its polyphonic but it depends from the code and CPU power. But it can be not just a mono but a poly synth

      • “only 32mb”… Shit, My SP1200, my MPC60II, S950, Roland S550 and my Emax’s together(I’m leaving out all my machines multiple meg’s in the double digits) still don’t come close to that memory and I can do anything I want to do between them..

  1. Elektron still wins in the drum machine battle. The Erica Synths LXR-02 is a runner up but for some reason everyone wants to make the drum machine of the 80’s with modern features. It’s like go hard or go home. My prediction, Polyend will make a drum machine next and it’ll be weird but limiting.

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