The new Korg Electribe Music Production Station!!

dreamerK · Post by **dreamerK** » Mon Feb 16, 2015 9:17 pm

The new Electribes are amazing in their own right, and I love what Korg is doing with the new series. That being said, while I appreciate the sound taken from the KingKorg, it also sounds quite digital to my ears. There is a part of me that feels a sense of nostalgia for those sounds from previous models that made electronic music great. I have regarded electribe posts throughout the years and have accumulated a list of what I believe customers want, based on previous models. What I envision is something of a cross between the MicroSampler and the EM1, or like the ER1, EA1, and ES1 models housed in a single portable unit. I present such an idea here. Please note: The above picture is just a quick mock-up! This is not a real Korg product, but an idea for one:

A light, portable electribe-based groove-keyboard that combines both synthesis and sampling
5 part multi-timbral (including one drum part)
32 note polyphonic with dynamic allocation
2 oscillators per part with knobs for both level and modulation balance
2 multi-mode filters per part with hi-pass, lo-pass, band pass at 12 or 24 dB
2 ring modulators per part
2 lfos per part, with access to sample data
4 envelope generators
Lots of modulation sources with plenty of destinations including oscillator pitch, pulse width and level, filter cutoff, resonance, envelope settings, as well as effects parameters.
Onboard sampler at standard 48 kHz with 5 minutes (290 contiguous seconds) of sample time and with both oscillators able to have full access, along with lfo's, to sample data.
Hundreds of oscillator waveforms, including drum, bass and synth parts built upon the EA1, ER1, EM1, and EMX models.
512 patterns from some of the best DJs in the world. 512 patterns available for user data. Simple shortcuts to copy/paste data and patterns.
"Scene" knob, with the ability to move from one scene to another.
Complete effects section with 2 effects per part plus a global effects send.
Micro-keybed in keeping with the latest trend in iOS controllers, combined with the lightness of the previous electribe series, with velocity . There has always been a lot of negative feedback about the MicroKorg keybed, and yet it has been the best selling keyboard ever of its kind. There is a reason for that, and I believe overall, customers desire portability here over full-size keys.
arpeggiator with variety of patterns including random, chord and user
24 band vocodor with pitch correction and formant control, perhaps stolen from the XL.
usb audio interface:
1 x mono guitar interface
1 x XLR balanced mono interface
1 stereo 1/8" auxiliary interface
48kHz at 24 bit to host
44.1 / 48kHz at 16 bit from host
Input 1 - balanced XLR jack
Input 2 - stereo balanced 1/8" Auxiliary jack
Input 3 - 1/4" guitar jack

Hardware

Same character LCD as the MicroSampler
Pitch wheel
Modulation wheel
37 note mini keyboard with velocity
XLR dynamic mic input
Sustain pedal on ¼” jack input
MIDI in/out/thru
Micro-SD card input for backup
9 volt power input
USB port (MPS can be powered via USB)
Kensington Lock port

While we are at it, let's include a rechargeable lithium-ion battery good for 4-5 hours on a charge.

Dimensions: H = (3.85”)W = (10.92")L = (19.76")

I would pay upwards of $1000 for the above unit, and would sell everything in my studio for a single, portable complete groove production studio like the one presented here. Now that Roland has come out with the JD-XI, I have heard several say they would be willing to part with their electribes for a more comprehensive package, even though I believe the JD-XI falls short in many areas. I would like to see Korg take on this challenge, and I believe the kind of workstation presented above would win the hearts of many fans and be a best-seller for Korg. Moreover, I think Korg could <i>do this</i>. It is essentially a combination of features they have already presented in previous models and would sit nicely in the $600-$800 price point. I would even be happy to personally invest with Korg to help with the R&D (anyone at Korg listening?)
Thoughts?[/img]

256K · Post by **256K** » Mon Feb 16, 2015 11:01 pm

Does it make coffee too? hahah

No but in all seriousness that sounds like a crazy monster synth

SMK · Post by **SMK** » Mon Feb 16, 2015 11:54 pm

Nice work on the Photoshop!

Buska · Post by **Buska** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 12:47 am

Man it's still using smart media... F'that, it's like $70 for a 128mb card where I live

dreamerK · Post by **dreamerK** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 1:35 am

Nope, I know the picture alludes to smart media but that's just because i was making a quick mock-up for discussion purposes. It would use micro-sd. I created this post to get some feedback on the possibility of an integrated synth/sampler unit from Korg. You could do things with a bit more ease than you can with two separate units, like being able to use samples as the basis for your oscillators and mixing and modulating them with synth waveforms. Thanks for the comments, keep them coming! I'm eager to hear what Korg users would think of this, both positive and negative.

22tape · Post by **22tape** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 3:07 am

I would love something like this. Been waiting forever. There's a huge hole in the market for a portable synth/sampler/sequencer workstation. We have the op-1 but it has its issues, plus it's a bit small for my tastes. Something Microsampler sized would be perfect.

slug · Post by **slug** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 7:03 am

I did this all analog mock up after the Monotribe came out:

dreamerK · Post by **dreamerK** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 2:50 pm

Slug- nice mock up and nice idea for analog enthusiasts, but it's not really an Electribe, and speaks nothing to the integration of digital synthesis and sampling. It more belongs in the Monotribe forum. While it may be possible for Korg to pull off an all-analog unit with 4 vco's, full ADSR and a rhythm section, I think the cost would skyrocket and probably wind up trying to compete with the Dave Smith line, and he did a pretty nice job with the Tempest. I realize there is a large market for analog gear, but the digital electribe can do things the monotribe can't, the sound is different, and I think its portability and features are more suited to the mass market.

Spheric El · Post by **Spheric El** » Thu Feb 19, 2015 12:14 am

I like your product ,especially the wealth of modulation in the synthesis section combined with sampling /resampling.
You've obviously put a lot of thought in.
I like the cheapness of their new E2 ,but you've envisioned a better UI IMO, which is what you want from a good sequencer /groovebox.

Flaco · Post by **Flaco** » Fri Feb 20, 2015 10:00 pm

Love your ideas: Keyboard, sampler capabilities. I even like the labelling on the panel

One thing I would change (and quite surprised that Korg didn't do on the E2s) is continuous knobs which show level digitally. That way when you switch synths you know what the levels are without jumps or drops when you turn the knobs.

roblabs · Post by **roblabs** » Fri Feb 20, 2015 11:49 pm

Flaco wrote:Love your ideas: Keyboard, sampler capabilities. I even like the labelling on the panel

One thing I would change (and quite surprised that Korg didn't do on the E2s) is continuous knobs which show level digitally. That way when you switch synths you know what the levels are without jumps or drops when you turn the knobs.

Exactly. I remember really appreciating this on the moog lil phatty

slug · Post by **slug** » Sun Feb 22, 2015 5:54 am

dreamerK wrote:Slug- nice mock up and nice idea for analog enthusiasts, but it's not really an Electribe, and speaks nothing to the integration of digital synthesis and sampling. It more belongs in the Monotribe forum.

I think you need to loosen your definition as within the Electribe series EA-1, ER-1, EM-1, EMX and Electribe2 all have no sampling either. If anything virtual analog and PCM vs analog is the big difference

dreamerK · Post by **dreamerK** » Mon Feb 23, 2015 4:18 am

Slug- Sorry, you are of course right and perhaps I was a tad enthusiastic, I would equally enjoy an analog-based product so long as it made an attempt to integrate sampling, which was integral to my idea. Yours would be fantastic, I would truly love to see Korg endeavor to do both! Flaco- You are also absolutely right, for some reason because of the nostalgia I went for those old knobs knowing they didn't do all that well in the first place. Continuous knobs would be nice. Also, it's not even like I'm so attached to the nostalgic ideal, I believe the new stuff sounds great, but Korg now has a history of putting out electribes in series of twos, PCM board in conjunction with a sampling board and I think the integration of the two is what many are looking for, particularly with a mini keyboard (portable!) base. Perhaps a simple combination of the new E2 and E2Sampler with the kaoss pad instead of mod wheels (new pic forthcoming) - frankly I just continue to admire the simplicity and form factor of the original style, and I think if you carried it on to new models complete with battery power (keyboard and desktop models, like the T1?) with albeit digital but prolific and fantastic sounding waveforms to choose from, could potentially be the best-selling dance workstation of all time.