Winter NAMM 2013 releases

[namnibor]

Yes, agree with all you stated. TIMO, do you have O.S. 2.0 loaded on Radias? The free Radias Editor is one of the best implimentations of an editor that alows one to get even deeper in the matrix and programming that is deeper that all those knobs do not allow. It's a free download and Korg also updated the midi and usb driver prior to Winter 2012.
Yes, Radias has its inherent limitations and really wished the modulation and step sequencer would work on external synths but that's what I recently got the first version of Elektron Monomachine SFX60+ MK1, as it will do all that having internal as well as extensive external sequencing. It's just such a different approach, will need to dedicate alot of time solely on wrapping my head around it. If the Elektron Analog 4 is given polyphony (which the engineers are planning and working on plus many more features), I may well consider it one day when it is a more mature instrument. Sonic Lab did a 25 minute intensive interview with Elektron Swedes and the A4 if you are wanting to check it out.
Robert

[MBTC]

Originally Posted by Timo

The King has no aftertouch, though, which is unforgivable for a synth that price. The same happened with the Radias KB....

I'd like to see aftertouch on any synth, but when I compare the price point with what I'd get in a Virus Snow for about the same amount, the KK still keeps my interest.

[namnibor]

Originally Posted by MBTC

I'd like to see aftertouch on any synth, but when I compare the price point with what I'd get in a Virus Snow for about the same amount, the KK still keeps my interest.

That's why is really pragmatic to even acquire a good older keyboard that has aftertouch or even rare polyphonic aftertouch that you may not use the synth per se but utilize it as a much better midi controller than what's quite unforgivable in the vast array of midi controllers on the market today. One such example that could be got via ebay often quite cheap and is actually still a rather innovative board for synth design is Kawai K1 or K2, K3, K4...when Kawai was making synths (which their quite advanced Additive Synthesis K5000S/K5000W/K5000rack was last synth then focused to this day on high quality acoustic piano and digital offerings), they were really quite innovators and their key-action was bar-none. You may even already have a synth you may not use that's delegated to closet for now or one in set-up that's not used much that you can use to get the most out of an otherwise cool synth that I too find unforgivable to place a crappy set of keys on it. The Alesis ION is such a synth! SUCH a deep synth and reason I keep it but to place almost toylike keys on such a sunth is like designing a clarinet with a crappy mouthpiece!! On the Alesis Ion, understandably, it is very GREAT an emulating other classic synths with it's huge array of filters and deep mod matrix, but the ION is one of those synths that does not have a reputation for "it's own ION sound"...but is again another stereotype because it too has external stereo input to run other's through it to take advantage of those wonderful filters and had always wished Alesis had released a rack version of ION for that inexcusable set of very synthy keys, YET in it's NRPN rather than MIDI standard, it CAN respond to aftertouch--it's an example of engineers rather than musicians designing a synth.
The excuse many synth makers have made is "aftertouch never quite caught-on..blah blah", well, aftertouch is AWESOME to send variety of mod matrix routings to as our great Virii can attest to as well as very same keyboard used on DSI MEK....love that type of Fatar keybed to death! However, Access DID use a totally different Fatar keyboard for the Indigo and Polar shorter board Virii...why, do not know!
Rant over but being a lover of aftertouch, it is salt to my wound!

[namnibor]

Originally Posted by MBTC

I'd like to see aftertouch on any synth, but when I compare the price point with what I'd get in a Virus Snow for about the same amount, the KK still keeps my interest.

It's all about what YOU like in the end~! Like I said, was not intending on trying pop your 'GAS' for KK, just thought you should know what is very similar in this still-dire economy to make your denero go furthest!

[MBTC]

Originally Posted by namnibor

It's all about what YOU like in the end~! Like I said, was not intending on trying pop your 'GAS' for KK, just thought you should know what is very similar in this still-dire economy to make your denero go furthest!

I don't mean to ignore your comments about buying used gear, they are all well-taken, but this thread is about new NAMM-announced gear so I'm trying to keep that on track.

[namnibor]

Just watched Sweetwater's YouTube from NAMM and an excellent demo of the Korg MS20 using external signals here> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUrCO...oYx4WQ&index=8
very exciting times indeed! Yes, back on track! Sweetwater also has a great demo on KingKorg as well just scroll through other videos they have posted from NAMM. I love Sweetwater because they are an hour North of where my parents live and I grew-up in next State over from where I reside. In the USA, save from NOVA Music, Sweetwater has best customer service as well while not feeling like you are being pecked for a commission as they keep the prices competetive. Their TC Helion Voice Live 2 Demo is out of this world and that woman's voice is simply dreamy!

[Ashe35]

Originally Posted by Timo

If the King has at least two oscillators that are fully featured, then that would be great. If all three oscillators are fully featured, it'd be killer.

KK has 127 types of oscillators (many are PCM or DWGS), but 64 are 'analogue' & noise waveforms, which can only be good. Sounds like the analogue waves go far beyond the standard four Saw/Pulse/Sin/Tri waveforms plus noise. I'm extremely intrigued as to what the rest of those particular waveforms are.

Seen in various videos:

double saw/square, unison saw (this is just what i have spotted)

oberheim, TB, P5, MS20 and 'Korg' (Radias?) filter types.

[namnibor]

Yes, it seems they have more fully featured osc types as Radias alone. What I love about Radias that hope they passed-onto KK is ability to use a rather advanced formant motion filter to record several 7.5 second samples of voice or ANY external recording, et al and THEN use it as an osc type and all the virtual patches. When looking at Radias features, as I mentioned to TIMO, it's important to see the massive update O.S.v2.0 brought to it and an editor with up to date drivers that's barnone than I have seen from other synths rather than from a third party...and free, of course. This NAMM, Korg definitely showed innovation AND safely would say coupled with DSI Prophet 12, kinda overshaddowed Moog's "budget sub-phatty".
I can confirm that the DSI Prophet 12 is not only 5 Osc per voice, but ONE of those is full spectrum of Wavetables and other goodies from the Evolver series and some NEW atmos-parameters for sound. He does use DCO's, totally analog osc's that are simply digitally stablized but many tools to create total chaos. My Sweetwater rep gave me quite the low-down but am only interested in preordering the Korg MS20....am SO AMPED!!!

[Ashe35]

Originally Posted by namnibor

I can confirm that the DSI Prophet 12 is not only 5 Osc per voice, but ONE of those is full spectrum of Wavetables and other goodies from the Evolver series and some NEW atmos-parameters for sound. He does use DCO's, totally analog osc's that are simply digitally stablized but many tools to create total chaos. My Sweetwater rep gave me quite the low-down but am only interested in preordering the Korg MS20....am SO AMPED!!!

The Prophet 12 is DSP-based for the oscillators. Not DCO.

[namnibor]

Originally Posted by Ashe35

The Prophet 12 is DSP-based for the oscillators. Not DCO.

My Sweetwater Rep confirmed only the Wavetables are DSP, Dave Smith is using the same Curtis Chips (DCO) for analog osc's stabilization, as he has used for all analog osc's in DSI incarnation. My contact at DSI that I do not toss his name around for good reason also has relayed same to me when assisting me with the two monoevolverkeyboards and the polychain set-up on each with desktop evolvers. There's nothing wrong with DCO as the difference between a VCO and DCO is simply the stability of osc to stay in-tune or however you may want to detuen it is not affected by cold temps, etc. The Wavetables need the DSP. DSI took the best from their PolyEvolver and Prophet 08 with alot of newer sound sculpting tools and knob per function with very little menu diving.
However, I have no intention of arguing one way or another as all it does is cause unwanted divide when as musicians and Cultural Creatives, should go to the source if you want to see the answer in your email box.