Korg's miniKORG 700Sm revives an early Japanese analogue design in a slim-key body, with 37 keys, aftertouch and one control per function on the panel. Waveforms cover triangle, square and sawtooth, plus a pair of chorus settings. Fourteen programs are on board. Players after thick bass and cutting lead tones will find the ground familiar.
The Traveler filter
Tone shaping centres on the Traveler, the manual filter Korg fitted to its earliest instruments. Two spare knobs come in the box, the type without protrusions, so the feel under your fingers is yours to choose. Hand sweeps are the point. Slow shifts and sudden stabs both sit within easy reach.
Where the design comes from
Fumio Mieda, who developed the original 700 and 700S, showed a two-manual prototype at the All Japan Audio Fair in November 1970. Part organ and part synthesizer, it reached the shops under the company's earlier name of Keio Electronic Laboratories, badged as the Korgue. The monophonic side was dropped at that point, and the Traveler filter went into the combo instead.
Connections
MIDI in and a USB Type B socket let the instrument sit beside a computer or a hardware sequencer. For modular work, sync in and out, CV in and gate in all arrive on 3.5 mm jacks. Balanced quarter-inch outputs and a stereo headphone jack handle monitoring. An audio input takes an external signal.
Size, power and what comes with it
At 641 by 227 by 107 mm and 5.8 kg, this one asks for less bench space than a full-size keyboard. Power comes from the supplied DC 12 V adapter. Draw is nine watts. A soft case is included for transport, while the SQ-CABLE-6 patch cables are sold separately.
See it in action
Specifications
| Keyboard | 37 keys (Slim-key, with aftertouch, no velocity sensitivity) |
|---|---|
| Range | 7 octaves |
| Waveform | Triangle wave, Square wave, Sawtooth wave, Chorus I, Chorus II |
| Programs | 14 |
| Input & Output | USB (Type B) terminal, MIDI IN terminal, SYNC IN/OUT terminal (3.5 mm TS mini-phone jack), CV IN terminal (3.5 mm TS mini-phone jack), GATE IN terminal (3.5 mm TS mini-phone jack), AUDIO IN terminal (6.3 mm TS phone jack, unbalanced), OUT R, L/MONO terminal (6.3 mm TRS phone jack, balanced), (Headphones) terminal (6.3 mm stereo phone jack) |
| Power supply | AC adapter (DC 12V) |
| Power consumption | 9 W |
| Dimensions (W x D x H) | 641 x 227 x 107 mm/25.24” x 8.94” x 4.21” |
| Weight | 5.8 kg/12.79 lbs. |
| Included items | AC adapter, Traveler knob (without protrusions type) x 2, Soft case |
| Accessories (sold separately) | SQ-CABLE-6 (Patch Cable) |
Specifications from Korg. Appearance and specifications are subject to change without notice.