Korg Forums

http://korg.com/uploads/Support/USA_KingKORG_PG_E1.pdf

Parameter guide available.

djcactus wrote:http://korg.com/uploads/Support/USA_KingKORG_PG_E1.pdf

Parameter guide available.

Thanks for the info, reading it now : )

EDIT: Well, I've gone through it. Very useful and interesting reading, but I'll stick with the Kronos' AL-1

As a programmer, one thing that struck me straight away was that things like sync/xmod and ring mod are not "true" (they're implemented as individual oscillator models i.e each oscillator has a virtual oscillator that's used for sync etc. similar to the old Novation Novas) genuine modulation between Osc 1, 2 or 3 isn't possible so, no sync with a touch of FM followed by ring mod, it's "either" "or", which I personally find a bit of a backward step

The wide choice of other VCO Models and VCF modes are nice, but sadly the KK is not for me.

Too expensive board for no real interaction between oscillators.

Well here it is Katsunori UJIIE's review of the KK!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFFe8-YoxLg

rapyerx wrote:Well here it is Katsunori UJIIE's review of the KK!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFFe8-YoxLg

Here's an English translation of his review that I found:

Video starts with some synth strings with filter mods.

Ouch my left arm hurts because of this King Korga.

Yeah, it really smarts.
King is such a stupid name!
What were they thinking?

This KingKorg is new out of the box.
It has a joystick on the left as you'd expect,
but nearly everything else is in the wrong place,
except for the program select buttons under the LCD.

Just look at how they put all the important modulation
knobs on the wrong side, on the right. The only thing
that could explain this crazy layout is too much radiation
exposure.

Let me play you some presets now. Might as well start
with Program 001 Stab King. See, it does make synth sounds.
But I'll now play the most important sound in the history of
synthesis: Jump, by Van Halen. You can't have a synth that
doesn't play Jump to perfection, so Korg conveniently made
it Program 2 Synth 1984. They should have labelled it Jump,
but they would have to pay royalties to Van Halen. So instead,
they named it 1984, the golden year of synthesis.

The translation stops here because the translator was kicked
out of the studio for listening to Jump.

so far- ugh! and only 5 minutes in- hopefully something wows soon.


and nope- wow- so glad I picked up the Blofeld. Maybe when I play one my opinion will change but really underwhelming to me for some reason.

I have absolutely no intention of ever buying a kingkorg but I still watched his video. There is just something about the guy that makes his reviews fun to view.

I agree about critisizing some silly things, from the ugly name over placing the filter section right, up to not being able to save drive settings per patch, and some missing functionaility of other synths.

But still I don't agree with the overall judgement in poll and thread at all.

The new video shows enough patches to say one thing for sure: this thing just sounds really good!
- it has an excellent basic sound
- I hear no stepping or aliasing
- filter self-resonance works just fine
- the filter types are clearly distinct and not just a naming gimmick: they resemble the originals in a way like different softsynths of classics do
- most of the patches are really well done

For my purposes (I need analog sounding basses, leads and poly-sounds) it sounds better than my Access Virus TI, and for my taste even a lot better than any Blofeld could ever do. My Kronos VAs alreaydy deliver a lot, but they do not offer the sound flexibility of these filter types. I could use this thing right out of the box immediately, even with a lot of the presets - and I am normally more dissatisfied than satisfied with factory presets. It would just be a very useful working horse for synth sounds which you really use in a band - except perhaps for some actual electronica and the umteenth wobble, which are covered by enough other devices nowadays. In contrast, something like the KK is really missing on the market.

So just tell me: which other other 7-8kg hardware synth at 1200€ delivers a comparable package concerning a whole range of classical synth sounds which you can easily carry anywhere and use live? I fail to see any single one far and wide, and this really makes me think, despite the shortcomings.

Jim, I think you said it perfectly- you are never satisfied with presets.
To me, what I heard on his video, they were underwhelming. Albeit, I am used to being blown away by presets that show what a board is capable of. Maybe what he showed didn't expose the depth. The Soundcloud demos were more pleasing in my opinion- so it is interesting to see the difference between what Korg released, and what is shown on the Youtube video.

What I noticed in reading the manual was instead of aftertouch, they updated how they keyboard can track key movement and affect sounds that way. Should be interesting to hear that in patches.

javaj wrote:Jim, I think you said it perfectly- you are never satisfied with presets.
To me, what I heard on his video, they were underwhelming. Albeit, I am used to being blown away by presets that show what a board is capable of. Maybe what he showed didn't expose the depth. The Soundcloud demos were more pleasing in my opinion- so it is interesting to see the difference between what Korg released, and what is shown on the Youtube video.

What I noticed in reading the manual was instead of aftertouch, they updated how they keyboard can track key movement and affect sounds that way. Should be interesting to hear that in patches.

Im pretty sure I saw in the PG that the presets can also be overwritten. Im going to have to get back to you on that after work. I do like the sounds, more so I would like to hear some original sounds it can make, I usually breeze over most pre-sets in any given instrument.

So far I still want to try it, I need something lighter for gigging and this seems to be an interesting option.

The KingKorg has a some good features, and it's an improvement on the Radias in a few respects while being a step backwards on other ways. The Radias and rack was selling for $599 new and as low as $500 on eBay (completed sales). So is the KingKorg worth twice as much to you? That's the $1,200+ question. I've noticed that the Radias prices have been stable and there hasn't been a flood of them posted for sale online. So far, it looks like Radias owners are standing pat. Anyone preorder one?

No pre-order here. I will go to the store and play one or see if a friend doesnt beat me to the punch. Something i will surely try before making this decision

hahaha- just looked at my polls graph- it looks like a sideways middle finger.

djcactus wrote:

EvilDragon wrote:

Oldretro wrote:I don't see any modulation routings for instance. Or is that all "under the hood"?

You get 6 "virtual patches" (like mod matrix slots).

I think it looks like a neat keyboard. I definitely want to play one for sure, but im still on the fence about buying one. From the sound examples i like what i hear, and like always i take early criticisms and comparisons with a grain of salt

You are right, there is nothing better than hands on experience. In the mean time I have had look at the Parameter Manual, and listening to some more demo's on YouTube, and I must admit it seems to be capable of a bit more than I first expected. And after listening to some sounds I got the impression that it can sound quite lush and creamy. Could that be the tube? One thing worries me though, what to do when the tube is worn out. Any guesses if there will be a affordable replacements when that happens (how long would it last anyway)? Will it render the instrument silent if the tube is broken, or can it be by passed?

Oldretro wrote:

djcactus wrote:

EvilDragon wrote: You get 6 "virtual patches" (like mod matrix slots).

I think it looks like a neat keyboard. I definitely want to play one for sure, but im still on the fence about buying one. From the sound examples i like what i hear, and like always i take early criticisms and comparisons with a grain of salt

You are right, there is nothing better than hands on experience. In the mean time I have had look at the Parameter Manual, and listening to some more demo's on YouTube, and I must admit it seems to be capable of a bit more than I first expected. And after listening to some sounds I got the impression that it can sound quite lush and creamy. Could that be the tube? One thing worries me though, what to do when the tube is worn out. Any guesses if there will be a affordable replacements when that happens (how long would it last anyway)? Will it render the instrument silent if the tube is broken, or can it be by passed?

If I recall the Electribe forum has quite a bit to say on new tubes.(some of those guys replace their tubes out of the box) Although the process for changing the tubes on the KK will be more complex then the Electribes top panel having a section for the tubes. Worst case scenario you can send the board in for repairs, surely Korg will service the instrument for years to come, and when they stop the service manual should be available.(If this is still a board of choice for you)