[3] Engineered in collaboration with electronic music artist Richard D. James (Aphex Twin), it was released in January 2017[4] and has two VCOs, 25 keys, and a sequencer.

[5][6] It is a trimmed-down, single-voice version of the Korg Minilogue with various characteristics of its own,[1][7] such as the addition of microtuning,[4][7] a more aggressive sound due to an added drive knob, fuller low-end frequencies due to a Korg35 MS-20 style filter chip, and an E-E keyboard to make transposition easier for guitarists and bassists.

According to Richard D. James (Aphex Twin), the Korg Monologue is as of 2017 the only synthesizer on the market to have full microtuning editing.

"[5] Takahashi originally felt that microtuning was a "really niche thing" that would not be needed in a mass market synth, but was soon convinced.

Korg worked with Richard D. James as an artist advisor to collaborate on the instrument's presets, sounds and scales.