1. Minikeys. I can't stand 'em. 2. Limited mod matrix. Some common synth tricks are not really possible here. Still, the mod matrix is a nice thing to have, but it could be better. 3. Worst presets in quite a long time. You should really get into programming this thing to hear what it can really do. Yeah, yeah, I know, *most* synths have presets that suck, but this one's particularly bad. 4. Limited polyphony. (4's okay for many purposes, really, so this depends on your application.) 5. Editing software is buggy & slow (PC version) 6. That big-ass wheel to select patches grouped into cheesy catagories. This eats up a fair amount of front panel space that could've been used otherwise, like w/a proper LCD. The 8 buttons are fine for selecting patches in this retro fashion. (Remember the Poly 800? :) ) 7. That stupid LED display - too cryptic. Lose the big wheel, and get an LCD Korg!

Now for the plusses: 1. Vocoder is good for an 8-band. There are certainly better vocoders out there, but this one's more than adequate. You can head off to quasi-Air improvisations in no time. 2. Very portable, if that's useful to you. I actually prefer it to the bulky & badly designed MS2000 rack, as a 4 voice module really shouldn't eat a half dozen rack spaces. 3. DWGS is a welcome plus. Reminds me of days of yore w/DW6000 and DW8000. It gives the MicroKorg something extra for when one gets bored of analog noises. 4. The overall sound quality is quite good. Perhaps not top quality, but @ this price point it is perfectly acceptable. 5. Editing is really a breeze. It is a bit tedious, but easy. It is very similar to the Waldorf approach actually, which I like a lot. If you find it too difficult, you should be banished to work with nothing but a roland D110 for a year until you figure out what difficult is. :)

Seriously though - that last point - the editing is *not* difficult, but could've been made easier by a proper display. Constantly having to trace one's finger across the tiny printed panel is a nuisance, I admit, but hardly difficult.

So, a mixed bag of plusses and minuses. My final verdict? Useful gadget for travelling and for filling w/occasional analog sounds. Definitely NOT a good choice for your only synth, but a welcome adjunct to an existing setup.