Korg M3

[Marc JX8P]

Really starting to love my M3 (yes Moon - it's mine now! I bought it fair and square! ).

It's really an amazing sounding synth and if there's one thing that was initially disappointing is that programming it wasn't as intuitive as I hoped it would be because of the big touch screen. Because of this it took me a while to get into it. Having played around with it for a while though I am now beginning to understand the navigation and how stuff affects other stuff. In particular the fx routings are just amazingly flexible (and horrifically complex). I have now created several new sounds though (partly by importing samples from my Fantom X which is really cool) and I've combined them in sets which is really cool! What I really like is that this synth might be complex, but it also will probably be able to do anything I would want it to do.

[elwoodblues1969]

Congrats on your new M3,I hope you enjoy it to the full.

Being a former owner of one & having had a very long standing history with Korg,I must say that I loved the UI & how everything is laid out.The Xpansion set is amazing...although the piano isn't perfectly sampled,it is a very playable one & inspiring,considering the price.

I'm sorry I can't say the same for some of the M3's synth sounds,as the pads in particular,are quite thin & lifeless,in my opinion.Of course though,my opinion is fueled by some of the wonderfully warm synths sounds of my old Triton EX & 01/W Pro X,which had some programs that I really missed.I never had the pleasure of adding the Radias expansion before I sold it,but I think you'll find that you will need it down the road,for some versatility.

Though I do think the effects routing is superb,I have found that the effects themselves don't really have the depth & wide stereo field that the Yamaha & Kurzweil keyboards have.For live use,you may want to consider using an external effects rack,to sweeten your patches.


-Thom

[Marc JX8P]

When I bought it, Moon fortunately had already added the Xpansion set and the Radias and both are very much essential, I think. As for pad sounds, I'm kind of spoiled by Omnisphere so I don't usually go to the M3 for that but I have replicated some of the Xa pad sounds and they sound very cool. Having said that, I have used my own samples for these so I can't really say anything for the internal sample sets for synth waves. There are some excellent bass sounds in it though and the organs are fantastic as well. For synths, I really like the lead sounds - there's one really agressive one that's used in our new track Unknown Earth and I believe it's a Radias one. It usually takes me some time to get really into a new synth (that was the case with my Xa as well and THAT one gave me a headache building sets).

[elwoodblues1969]

I remember you & Moon having a discussion about the M3,but I didn't realize you had bought his M3. Speaking of being spoiled by pristine pad sounds,I am very much spoiled by not only the pads of my Kurzweil PC3LE6,but pretty much every synth sound in this keyboard.
It's such a shame that Kurweil's UI is so poorly done,in contrast to that of Korg's..because Kurzweil's VAST engine is hands down,the absolute best VA synth out there,in my opinion.

Though the PC3K series is interesting,it seems the UI hasn't changed,but I have heard some buzz over there being a K3000 series that's in development.

[Marc JX8P]

Tbh. I think the UI on the M3's screen could also be improved, and the same is the case for my old Fantom Xa. I get the impression that user interface design is very much a last-minute thing for most manufacturer and that they use computer-based editors. There's also the weird way synths like these handle sample-lists/multi-samples and how they're connected to programs and how these fit into performances (or whatever these structures are called). I will admit that I probably don't put as much time in it as I should and that when you do so, it'll probably be second nature, but I feel that it should be logical right away - things should be done top down instead of down (sample) up (program). Anyway - I keep hoping that these things will all become accessable via ethernet via a html interface so you could program one by accessing it from any browser you want. That should allow development of much clearer interfaces.