Be aware that the different versions of MK have very different synth engines underneath. The original, plain MicroKorg has basically the same engine as the Korg MS2000, and I think the MK XL or Pro or whatever it’s called, uses some engine based off the Radias, not sure, but it’s very different, and also they have very different editing interfaces. They really should have called them by different names since they are truly different instruments, instead of using MicroKorg for both.
ANYWAY - I had an original MK for a few years, kinda wish I didn’t get rid of it. I liked the mod matrix and the 2 layers as well as the semi-programmable arp (on/off step switches). With that stuff combined you can get some deceptively complex-sounding stuff going on.
Huge downside is that it’s only 4 note polyphony and that gets eaten up if you use dual layers or unison mode.
The physical keys are kind of crappy and spongey.
As for the editing interface - A lot of people complain about it, but if you spend some time learning it, you can navigate around pretty fast, because it’s basically everything “on the front”, no real menu diving, you just gotta turn a main knob to which section you want to edit, then the smaller knobs for each individual parameter. Personally I didn’t think it was bad at all and you kind of develop a muscle-memory for your favorite sections.
I’m still undecided on whether I liked the sound of it or not. Sometimes I thought it sounded kind of cheesy and fake, and other times I thought it had a nostalgic/“magical” quality to it. I dunno. Those two aspects combined I think give it a fairly unique sound, whether for good or bad who knows!
OH - Also another thing, since this is in the context of using it with a Digitakt. The MK is older and not necessarily too accessible through MIDI. A good handful of the editing parameters can be accessed through MIDI but there were some that, if I recall correctly, have no way of accessing through MIDI. I think I ran into blocks with stuff like, LFO destinations and voice modes, those have to be edited on the MK itself, unless there’s some Sysex way to change them, I dunno. Just something to be aware of. For typical note sequencing and the more common editing parameters it should be fine though I think.