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#17152 - 11/03/99 04:10 PM Looking for new Korg, need advice
IanDouglas Offline
Junior Member

Registered: 04/19/99
Posts: 12
Loc: Kanata, Ontario, Canada
Hey all. Bear with me, this got huge.

I currently have an M1 for my own use and tinker on a Trinity at least once a week (at my church) and now feel that it's time to ditch the M1 for a more serious-sounding keyboard. Face it, when you own a VW but drive a Porsche a few times a week, you tire quickly of the VW.

However, I'm in a dilemma. I have no idea what I should be looking at.

For the features, the N264 looked to be a good choice but I didn't like the springy keys on it, and the sequencer isn't HUGE... I'm used to the classic Korg feel -- no weighted keys, but very responsive to touch.

Now I'm drooling over ads for the Triton Pro but it's out of my reach, financially, unless a miracle happens. Even the Trinity would be sweet, but I dunno.

(I run a web development business which is poised to get huge very quickly so finances might not be the issue in a few months)

Anyhow, here's what I'm looking for: REALLY good piano sounds, REALLY good organ (esp B3), and a huge sequencer (the 200,000 note seq on the Triton made me choke on my drink when I saw it). I'm looking at something multi-purpose -- home recording, once-a-week gigs, and sturdy for small tours.

Should I be looking at the N-series? The X-series? The i-series? Triton vs Trinity? Should I just keep my M1 and shut my mouth?

The biggest problem I'm facing is the pricetag. I have no idea what I want to budget for this, and have no idea when I'll actually get around to buying a new keyboard.

I'm looking for some advice from anyone who wants to Email me and chat about it.

Cheers,
Ian

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#17153 - 11/03/99 04:12 PM Re: Looking for new Korg, need advice
IanDouglas Offline
Junior Member

Registered: 04/19/99
Posts: 12
Loc: Kanata, Ontario, Canada
Oh yeah...

Looking for something with 76 keys. All the 88's seem to be weighted which kills me to play, and the 5-octave boards seem too restrictive.

Thanks,
Ian

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#17154 - 11/16/99 06:35 PM Re: Looking for new Korg, need advice
Kirk Offline
Junior Member

Registered: 11/11/99
Posts: 4
Loc: Minneapolis, MN, USA
Hi Ian-
First of all, I'm no expert by any means, but I had an X3 for a couple of years and truly loved it. The N264 seems like the logical way to go if you ask me since it's very similar to the X series but with more sounds and a few nice features added.
If I were you, I'd do all of my sequencing on a computer and forget trying to use any on-board setup. Words can't describe how much easier it is.

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#17155 - 11/30/99 09:51 PM Re: Looking for new Korg, need advice
HellPope Huey Offline
Member

Registered: 09/27/98
Posts: 118
Loc: Hot Springs, AR, USA
Go for the Triton if you can, obviously. The sampling & enhanced FX put it through the roof. Be wary of the touchscreen; it might be too awkward to use easily if you have big fingers like mine. They revamped it a bit from the Trinity version, making it more ergonomic to use.
Going for an X would surely be acceptable, although an N would be somewhat better, both offering 76-key models. All Korg synths sound good to me, but you CAN tell the X5 soundset from the higher-end 01/W set. Its a memory/price-point tradeoff. Even then, run an X5 through an exciter and you close the gap considerably.
Don't sweat on-board sequencers. They're always going to fall short of their software-based cousins, although Korg's are damn good. If you use your computer in your music, go with a good librarian (I'm partial to SoundDiver) & a modest sequencer. Those will let you get a better overall grip, SD circumvents the program/combi limitation by plucking individual things from its MUCH larger available database and you can maximize your 3.5 disks by setting them up with the high-octane system and porting them over to the Korg.
If you don't, simply take the time to shuffle your data. Its not at all hard to whittle things down to 5-6 disks that cover 95% of the bases. I can play for a couple of hours with these 3 disks I massaged carefully.
Almost any wavetable-type synth SHOULD give you all the tools you need for a monstrous piano and any kind of Hammond you want. Sometimes the piano waves are wonky, but Korg's are winners. Double the piano octaves, balance their relative volumes and add in a bit of moderately crisp string section for a rockin' beast with oomph to spare. You can get a solid sound suitable for everything but Rachmaninoff, because those huge glissandos will choke most synths.
Program several B3s side by side and use the joystick/wheels or assigned pedal to adjust yer Leslie live. Live with the lack of proper drawbars in favor of all the other things the synth gives you. I know that's somewhat weird; I've played a B3 and its another world, but we ARE talking about useful tradeoffs.
The 01/Wfd might be a bit long in the tooth for you, but in my opinion, it was the first synth to get the M1 idea right across the board. They run about $1000-1200 2nd-hand now and they pop up here & there.
If you become a mega-star, you owe me a good pitch-shifter for my trouble. Hotcha!

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