After the Minilogue and Monologue, here comes the Prologue, a fully programmable, feature-packed polyphonic synthesizer billed as Korg’s new flagship professional analogue synth. While the Monologue took the blueprint of the Minilogue, a four-voice synth with hybrid digital-analogue architecture, and shrunk it down into a compact, monophonic package, the Prologue goes bigger. This exciting synth adds features that many fans have been asking for since the Minilogue — like more polyphony and full-sized keys — and some new surprises as well, such as an open-source engine with user-programmable oscillators and effects.

The Prologue comes in two sizes — a 49-key version with eight-voice polyphony and a 61-key version with 16-voice polyphony — both featuring a synth action keybed taken from Korg’s Kronos workstation keyboards. It’s a dual-timbre synth, meaning that two sounds can be played simultaneously. These can be layered, split to different zones of the keyboard or balanced using a crossfade control, while the Prologue features four different voice modes (Poly, Mono, Unison and Chord). Sitting alongside the synth’s two conventional oscillators, which feature a pitch envelope generator on VCO1 and cross modulation on VCO2, the new Multi Engine will allow users to program their own oscillators or download code created and shared by other users. Other notable features include an arpeggiator, a low-frequency compressor with its own mini VU meter, and digital modulation and delay/reverb effect processors that, according to Korg, will also allow users to create and share their own effects. The Prologue should be available by the time you read this, priced at $1499£1299 for the 49-key version and $1999£1739 for the 61-key version.

Korg have also launched the Volca Mix, a four-channel analogue mixer designed to aid live performances using multiple Volca units. It features two mono input channels and one stereo input channel, each with a fader, mute button, low/high cut filter control and an effects send, feeding built-in single-knob compressor and stereo expander effects and a send out. There’s also a stereo aux in to accommodate an additional two channels or act as an effects return. In keeping with the Volca series, all connections are on minijacks and the Volca Mix features a sync output, master tempo clock and start/stop button, allowing it to control a whole chain of Volca synths. Other features include stereo headphone and RCA phono outputs, a stereo level meter and a pair of built-in speakers. Power is supplied by an external 9V DC mains adaptor, and the Volca Mix features three DC power outputs to power other units from a single wall wart. It’s available now, priced $169£145.

In addition, Korg have announced the ARP Odyssey FSQ, a full-sized reissue of the classic analogue synth which is bundled with the Korg SQ-1 mini step sequencer module. It will be available in all three classic colour schemes, priced $1599£1459.