Korg Mini Pops

The Mini Pops were a number of early analog drum machines from the Japanese musical equipment company Korg during the late 1960s and the 1970s.^[1][2] The machines were based around a number of preset rhythm patterns,^[3] such as waltz, samba, rhumba, bossa nova, tango, slow rock, swing, and rock 1 and 2.^[4]

Models

Minipops 3

Released 1967, and features four drum sounds.^[5][6]

Minipops 5

Released in 1966.

Minipops 7

The Mini-Pops 7 released in 1966, featured 15 drums sounds and 20 patterns.^[7] It was the most used of all. French musician Jean-Michel Jarre used it throughout his breakthrough album, Oxygene. Some rhythms were achieved by overlaying two of the presets in a manner not intended by the machine's original design.^[3] Équinoxe Part V, VI and VII featured the Rock 1 pattern.

Aphex Twin used it on his album Syro, and in homage named a single "minipops 67 [120.2]".^[8] Echo and the Bunnymen also used the Mini-Pops 7 drum machine at the beginning of their career.^[9]

A variant of this instrument was sold in the US under the Univox brand, as the Univox SR-95. This featured slightly different "Beguine" and "Slow Rock" rhythms, and was missing the rimshot of the Mini-Pops 7.

Minipops 20 S

Released 1967. The S denoted stereo

Minipops 35

Released 1976. Features 6 drum sounds and 9 patterns.^[10]

Minipops 120

Released 1976. Features 6 drum sounds and 16 patterns.^[11] This was also sold in the United States under the Univox brand.

Minipops Junior

Released 1972. Features 10 preset rhythms.^[12] also has a footswitch to stop and start the rhythms.

A Minipops Junior was used by Echo and the Bunnymen on their debut single, "The Pictures on My Wall."^[13]

Gallery

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  Korg Mini-Pops 5
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  Korg Mini-Pops 7
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  Korg Mini-Pops SR-120 Desktop
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  Korg Mini-Pops SR-120 Portable