Korg MICRO User Manual

Before you start editing, you’ll need to understand the basics of how the 
sounds are created. Once you understand how the microKORG XL’s 
sounds are structured, you’ll be able to freely create the sounds you want.

OUTPUT
(L/MONO, R)

Filter Routing= Individual

Drive/WS Position
= PreAmp

To EQ

Free Assign

OSC MOD

As shown in the illustration, a synth program consists of timbres 1/2, master 
effects 1/2, and the arpeggiator.

Sound has three basic elements: pitch, tone, and volume. Just like the ana-
log synthesizers of the past, the microKORG XL analog modeling synthe-
sizer provides “oscillator,” “filter,” and “amp” (amplifier) sections that control 
these three elements.
Edit the oscillator settings to change the pitch, the filter settings to change 
the tone, and the amp settings to change the volume.

On the microKORG XL, the oscillator settings are found in the OSC1 and 
OSC2 pages and the PITCH page. Use the PITCH page to specify the pitch 
of the basic waveform, and then select the waveforms in the OSC1 and 
OSC2 pages. The waveforms generated by this oscillator section are mixed 
together by the mixer. The filter settings are located in the FILTER page. On 
this page you can modify the tone by applying filters to the sound produced 
by the oscillator.
Finally, the amp parameters are located in the AMP page. On this page you 
can modify the volume.
You can create a basic program by editing the settings in these pages.

In addition to the way that it’s affected by the oscillator, filter, and amp, a 
synthesizer sound can also change in various other ways; over the pas-
sage of time, according to the pitch you play, or in response to various per-
formance gestures. These changes in the sound are controlled by 
modulators and controllers such as the EG (envelope generator), LFO (low 
frequency oscillator), keyboard tracking, virtual patch, and wheels such as 
[PITCH] and [MOD]. You can use these modulators and controllers to pro-
duce various changes in the basic sound of the program.
Take a look at the illustration that shows the structure of the microKORG 
XL. Notice that the signal flows in the order of OSC  FILTER  AMP. You 
will also notice that these sections can be controlled by things such as EGs 
and LFOs.
As shown in the illustration, a synth program consists of timbres 1/2, 
effects, and the arpeggiator.

Each timbre consists of an oscillator, filter, amp, EG, LFO, virtual patches, 
and equalizer. The microKORG XL has two timbres, and you can combine 
these two timbres to create a richer-sounding program.