I would say they do not compare at all soundwise
thats obvious
I own the XD since the launch. In the beginning I was overwhelmed by the simplicity and the sound of the synth. But the longer I have it, the more bored I get with it. The lack of modulation is really disappointing. The AD modulation for pitch and cutoff is embarrassing in my opinion it could easily have been a ADSR. Also with some menu diving it could be full on modulation for the LFO or second envelope. But perhaps in a firmware update?
I know I can use the sequencer as a 4 part modulation. But it isnāt that nice tweak when performing.
But I guess for this price it is a very good 4 note analog polyphonic synth with some really nice FX.
One thing I really dislike about korg is the support. There is no way you can get any of them, so you rely on fora like this or yourself.
Eventually I will ending up selling the unit and save some money for the Summit or Hydrasynth.
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Not sure I understand, you can just leave the sequencer in record mode and tweak to your hearts content, essentially just drawing in and recording modulation lanes in real timeā¦ itās especially nice to tweak while performing! And if you have record mode off, itās fun to tweak knobs that already have modulation drawn and then the second you stop the turn they snap back into their modulation! So fun!
I know what you mean about Korgās āsupportā.
Not sure what you two mean, Korg lists their phone numbers online which you can call directly, and Iāve gotten almost immediate responses from their support email. I donāt know where you are located, but Iām in the US and itās very easy to reach them.
I think my workflow is different. I am not very precise in timing and I want the modulation to be on time with my other sequences. So then I have to insert modulation manually which isnāt possible while the sequencer is running. Also manually wonāt let me smooth the modulation out. Even if the smooth is on in the settings.
The same goes for inserting notes when the sequencer is playing. It has to be live recorded or they can only be one step long and not latched to other steps.
Step recording can be a pain in the ass aswell when you want to enter 4-note chords and also latch it to multiple notes. Sometimes you canāt reach the shift button.
I am from the Netherlands. I canāt call them, canāt email them, canāt send them messages on social. Have to go to the so called seller in the Netherlands and they wonāt reply to any of the questions I ask. So very shitty support in my opinion. Nice that they do it in the USA but they suck big time over here.
I can understand that perspective however it doesnāt really get me down for mine. Compared to the Juno 6 which I had for many years the MiniXD is a modulation powerhouse! So, I kind of viewing it as a very direct hands-on synth first and foremostā¦ if I want to do more heavily modulated and/or evolving stuff then I would tend to use another synth.
That said, there are a few tactics I use to enhance my MiniXD experience. First is that some of the user oscillators have inbuilt modulation and so these can add life to a patch. Second are the CV inputs on the back. The Korg SQ1 is a great companion in this respect - for example, use only two steps with one at minimum and one at maximum - essentially a square wave LFO. You can add slides in too for less steppy modulation. You can also āplayā the modulation if you want through step jump, active step, cv range, cv scalingā¦ that goes way beyond the rate, depth and shape of another LFO. Obviously, itās a bit extra cash but the SQ-1 really is such a flexible device Iām amazed at the number of uses I keep finding for it.
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Since this post yesterday Iāve been playing about more and Iāve decided to ditch the Staub oscillator in the short term - itās a bit limited. Iāve since replaced it with the Three oscillator from Tim Shoebridge. I was a bit underwhelmed by the idea of it initially but the (comprehensive!!!) video he has on youtube about does a great job of explaining how flexible it is.
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I see this here on their Netherlands website:
ā We strive to help our users enjoy their KORG products to the full. We offer technical support via e-mail and telephone for KORG products purchased through one of our authorized dealers in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.
Voerman Amersfoort B.V.
Vanadiumweg 17, 3812 PX Amersfoort
TEL : [+31 33 461 29 08](tel:+31 33 461 29 08)
FAX : [+31 33 461 64 41](tel:+31 33 461 64 41)
MAIL+ : info@voerman.nlā
So it looks like they offer both phone and email support for any product purchased through an authorized dealer, exactly the same as the US.
Ah exactly, I use the SQ-1 for additional modulation for the Peak and Odyssey mostly, itās like an Ultra LFO.
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About AU$750 (with discount code for Aus buyers) free postage. From shop in Erina NSW.
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Other than the line noise I get 30mins after playing (already sent it in they said everything was OKā¦) it pairs great with my DFAMs and Iām starting to explore synthwave music and honestly I am still happy with it 
It can make some really thicc distortion and some nice delicate pads. I enjoy it
Had a lil more research into the multiengine algos today. I think Iām going to replace the ONE with the shapes osc (donationware). It has more waveshapes, a full ADSR and an internal LFO:
Digging the TWO howeverā¦ glorious for pads
Also found some mutable oscsā¦ there seems to be two of these? Havent installed yet but one of them really sounds like a must-have:
I know thereās alot of critique about the lack of modulation on the XDā¦ but the way I see it, its a āplayersā synthā, it begs being tweaked live and not preprogrammed like an elektron. As usual, YMMV
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This could be something interesting indeed. I am also thinking the Zoia Eurobor van fit this gap.
I know what the website says about technical support. The company Voerman is even in the same city as I live. But it is just a warehouse where the korg product come in and shop to other retailers. By phone they can t help me with any questions related to support off the device. And by e-mail they never respond. I have still an issue where the device wonāt connect to my computer and therefor canāt be updated to the latest firmware. There is no support where I can go to.
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Ah thatās a huge bummer! Maybe you could try emailing Korg US for support? You definitely bought it from an authorized Korg retailer in theā¦ USā¦ right 
Iām in the UK and Korg know me well. They didnāt like me complaining about the rtz envelopes in various synths (including the VST version of the MonoPoly) and although they did initially accept a click bug I pointed out with the XDās Multi Engine, they both promised it would be addressed and asked me not to say anything about it at the time. So about 7-8 months later when the new OS dropped and behaved the same way, I got back in touch and theyāve ignored me ever since.
I think I just decided that if they donāt care enough to make their stuff work as well as it can, in future Iāll get gear from a company that does. Itās a shame as I really like the XD - for the user oscillators and FX as well as that gnarly filter.
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I know this isnt helping, but have you considered using a friends computer for updating the firmware of your XD? Just a thought
Yes, I know this is a way. But it is such a hassle to bring the XD or ask a friends computer. For me a good support essential. Novation are great for their support. But Korg really suck in my opinion. For me this is such a turn off that I wonāt buy any gear in the future. That I have to contact some shady warehouse instead of Korg themself is just ridiculous and shows that they donāt al want to help their customers. They only want to sell and after that it doesnāt matter to them.