KORG modwave Mk.II – Increased Voices, LFOs and… red bits!
3,8 / 5,0 | 
KORG modwave · Source: KORG
KORG modwave mkII · Source: KORG
KORG modwave · Source: KORG
KORG modwave KAOSS Pad · Source: KORG
Following on from the updated wavestate that we saw in June, KORG now updates the modwave to Mk.II with some subtle increases in specs over the original. A necessary update or just a makeover? Let’s find out…
UPDATE
This article, originally published on October 25th, 2023, has been updated and certain details have been amended after points were raised regarding the accuracy of some information. We have spoken directly with KORG to ensure the information we now have is both accurate and representative. Gearnews is committed to accuracy and fair representation in all of our articles. We strive to maintain the highest standards of journalistic integrity at all times. We are grateful to our friends at KORG for helping us in this endeavour.
On Your Marks…
KORG seem to be pretty active at the moment. New synths, new controllers and updates to existing products. This is all well and good. Do these new updates offer worthwhile feature boosts? In the case of the modwave Mk.II, it’s not immediately apparent.
KORG modwave · Source: KORG
Mk.1 vs Mk.II
This paragraph is likely to be pretty brief. When glancing down the spec sheet for the modwave Mk.II, there are four discernable differences. First up, voice count. The original’s 32 stereo voices have been boosted to 60. We’re off to a positive start. Next up, new LFO functions. KORG have responded to many modwave owners requests for free-running LFOs, along with delayed start and retriggering options. There has also been some improvements to the FX section. There is now more flexibility for increasing ‘wetness’ as well as pre/post options. Last but not least, a minimally revised cosmetic design including a red KAOSS touchpad.
KORG modwave KAOSS Pad · Source: KORG
That’s it, pop kids! It might not seem a lot on the surface but there is ample justification for the Mk.II. There probably wasn’t an electronics industry anywhere that didn’t suffer as a result of the global pandemic. Chuck in a major conflict in the heart of Europe and everything got scarce and expensive. It is well documented that KORG’s platform (I wish it had a codename!) relied on the Raspberry Pi Compute 3 Board. Well, those CM3 boards ended up becoming expensive. Then they became unobtanium. KORG had to do something. That something was to use the new CM4 revision of the Compute board. This meant a hefty internal redesign.
To differentiate the CM4-based synths, the Mk.II moniker was adopted. On the plus side, the new architecture allows for a healthy increase in polyphony and will support future development too. KORG told us that there are some very cool things coming down the pipeline, but held back on revealing what they might be! Suffice to say, their R&D department is excited!
Mk.I Buyers Remorse?
Original Mk.I owners might be a little miffed at a Mk.II coming out not that long after. It’s a totally valid grievance but in light of the enforced internal redesign, what else could KORG do? The modwave continues to exist, it’s been enhanced, albeit modestly at this time, and it has a stable future ahead of it. KORG’s R&D dept. did tell me that original modwave owners can expect a firmware upgrade soon that will deliver most of the new features that the CM3 board is able to support. That means pretty much all of them except the polyphony hike.
Owners of the software plugin version will see updates soon too. It’s worth mentioning that modwave Mk.II still comes with all the software tools to import and edit your own samples. The crossgrade offer with the plugin also remains.
KORG modwave · Source: KORG
More Information
KORG modwave Mk.II is available to pre-order now with the first shipments likely to arrive in December 2023. It’s early days with regards to pricing as the market settles in. It might pay to wait, depending on where you live, but KORG were keen to emphasise the fact that modwave Mk.II launches with the same MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) the original modwave did when it launched. There are some great deals to be had on the original right now, if you can find a Mk1 Modwave still on sale. However, the lure of extra voices and future developments ought to have you snapping up the Mk.II soon.
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3 responses to “KORG modwave Mk.II – Increased Voices, LFOs and… red bits!”
Korg is my beginning, Korg is my love….I would cry of they went away….also this price is insane…. unless they also upped the build quality.
Wow 300 EUR more, that is steap. But then again a Moog Sub 37 costs almost 3 times the price today vs what I payed for it new, guess this is the new reality we have to face.
Korgs modern synths all run on Raspberry Pi hardware, basically VSTs in a box. Chances are they had to move production to newer CPUs which cost more, so they bumped up the specs due to more powerful hardware.