Korg Collection

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The Korg Collection (initially launched as the Korg Legacy Collection in 2004) is a suite of virtual instruments and effects that emulate Korg's various hardware synthesizers. The original release included virtual versions of the MS-20, Polysix and Wavestation. [1] Subsequent additions have expanded the collection to feature emulations of the Mono/Poly, M1, ARP Odyssey, Triton, miniKORG 700S, Prophecy and microKORG. These plugins utilize Korg's Component Modeling Technology (CMT) to simulate the analog characteristics of the original instruments. [2] The collection is compatible with VST, AU, and AAX plugin formats and includes standalone versions for use outside a digital audio workstation (DAW). [3] [4]

Contents

History

Korg Legacy Collection (2004)

Korg Wavestation plugin KLC Wavestation.png
Korg Wavestation plugin

Launched in 2004, the initial Korg Legacy Collection featured emulations of the MS-20, Polysix, and Wavestation, along with a combination module named Legacy Cell, which integrates the MS20 and Polysix. [5] The MS-20 plugin upgrades the original's monophonic capabilities to 32-voice polyphony, uses virtual patch cables and features MIDI-controllable knobs. The Polysix plug upgrades the original 6-voice polyphony to 32 voices, with added functionalities like MIDI clock synchronization for the LFO and arpeggiator. The Wavestation plugin offers sample rates from 44.1 kHz to 96 kHz, enhancing the original's 32 kHz rate, and comes with 550 presets. [6] The original Legacy Collection also included MS-20iC, a USB controller designed for the MS-20 software that mirrors the appearance of the original MS-20, providing MIDI control and simulated patch cable manipulation. [1] [7]

Korg introduced the Legacy Collection Digital Edition in 2006, pairing the Wavestation plugin with a newly emulated Korg M1 plugin. The M1 plugin features 8-part multitimbrality, a maximum of 256-note polyphony, and includes presets from all 19 optional ROM cards. [8] A free update added the entire preset collection from the T-series workstations to the M1 plugin. [9]

Korg launched the Legacy Collection Analogue Edition in 2007, which combined the MS20 and Polysix plugins with a new emulation of the Mono/Poly. This new Mono/Poly plugin features eight virtual patches for enhanced modulation possibilities and increased polyphony of 128 voices. [10] [11]

Korg Collection (2017)

In December 2017, Korg renamed the Legacy Collection series to the Korg Collection and added an emulation of the Arp Odyssey, which followed the physical hardware reissue of the ARP Odyssey in 2015 with help from David Friend, co-founder of ARP Instruments. [12] [13]

Korg Collection 2 (2020)

In April 2020, Korg introduced the Collection 2, which provided updates to the previous plugins including scalable user interfaces and modern, high-definition graphics. These enhancements were provided free to existing users. The release also debuted an emulation of the Korg Triton, offering all 4,000 PCM-based presets, encompassing most sounds from Korg’s eight PCM Expansion boards. This version enhanced the polyphony to 256 voices but omitted the sampler, sequencer, and the capability to run a MOSS engine found in the original instrument. [14] [15] [16]

Korg Collection 3 (2021)

In July 2021, Korg released the Korg Collection 3, adding three new software emulations to its lineup. This update featured an emulation of the miniKORG 700S, which added an arpeggiator, an eight-slot modulation matrix, and a six-effect virtual stompbox pedalboard. An emulation of the Prophecy upgraded the original monophonic limitation to support 256-voice polyphony and allowed for the import of Prophecy presets through sysex files. Additionally, a Korg Triton Extreme plugin was introduced, incorporating the valve amplifier effect from the original instrument. [16] [17]

Korg Collection 4 (2022)

The Korg Collection 4, launched in November 2022, featured a microKORG emulation that included the original's vocoder effect. This update also introduced a software effect named Electribe-R, inspired by iElectribe for iPad, but with enhanced beat modes and the integration of effects and step sequencing capabilities from the Electribe-R hardware and its mkII iteration. Additionally, a new Kaoss Pad effect was added, offering insights into its intricate internal architecture while maintaining the intuitive pad control interface. [4] [18]

Korg Collection 5 (2024)

On July 19th, 2024, Korg released the Korg Collection 5, expanding its software suite with three new additions: the ARP 2600, EP-1 electric piano, and Vox Super Continental organ. This latest update includes the semi-modular ARP 2600 synthesizer, renowned for its distinct sounds and now featuring both classic modifications and entirely new modules. The EP-1 electric piano engine introduces seven models previously part of the Nautilus series, while the Vox Super Continental offers a digital version of the combo organ. Notably, the ARP 2600 joins the ARP Odyssey in the collection, marking continued collaboration with ARP Instruments co-founder David Friend. [19]

Related Research Articles

A software synthesizer or softsynth is a computer program that generates digital audio, usually for music. Computer software that can create sounds or music is not new, but advances in processing speed now allow softsynths to accomplish the same tasks that previously required the dedicated hardware of a conventional synthesizer. Softsynths may be readily interfaced with other music software such as music sequencers typically in the context of a digital audio workstation. Softsynths are usually less expensive and can be more portable than dedicated hardware.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ARP Instruments</span> Manufacturer of electronic musical instruments

ARP Instruments, Inc. was a Lexington, Massachusetts manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, founded by Alan Robert Pearlman in 1969. It created a popular and commercially successful range of synthesizers throughout the 1970s before declaring bankruptcy in 1981. The company earned a reputation for producing excellent sounding, innovative instruments and was granted several patents for the technology it developed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korg M1</span> Synthesizer

The Korg M1 is a synthesizer and music workstation manufactured by Korg from 1988 to 1995. The M1 was advertised as a 'workstation' rather than a synthesizer, integrating composition and performance features into a single device. It features 16-voice polyphony, high-quality digital samples, an integrated 8-track sequencer and digital effects processing.

A rompler is an electronic musical instrument that plays pre-fabricated sounds based on audio samples. The term rompler is a blend of the terms ROM and sampler. In contrast to samplers, romplers do not record audio. Both may have additional sound editing features, such as layering several waveforms and modulation with ADSR envelopes, filters and LFOs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yamaha CS-80</span> Synthesizer made by Yamaha in 1977

The Yamaha CS-80 is an analog synthesizer introduced by Yamaha Corporation in 1977. It supports true 8-voice polyphony, with two independent synthesizer layers per voice each with its own set of front panel controls, in addition to a number of hardwired preset voice settings and four parameter settings stores based on banks of subminiature potentiometers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ARP Odyssey</span> Electronic musical instrument developed by ARP Instruments

The ARP Odyssey is an analog synthesizer introduced by ARP Instruments in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korg OASYS</span> Workstation synthesizer

The Korg OASYS is a workstation synthesizer released in early 2005, 1 year after the successful Korg Triton Extreme. Unlike the Triton series, the OASYS uses a custom Linux operating system that was designed to be arbitrarily expandable via software updates, with its functionality limited only by the PC-like hardware.

microKORG Synthesizer released in 2002

The microKORG is a MIDI-capable digital synthesizer/vocoder from Korg featuring DSP-based analog modelling. The synthesizer is built in such a way that it is essentially a Korg MS-2000 with a programmable step arpeggiator, a less advanced vocoder, lack of motion sequencing, lack of an XLR microphone input, and in a smaller case with fewer real-time control knobs.

Arturia is a French electronics company founded in 1999 and based in Grenoble, France. The company designs and manufactures audio interfaces and electronic musical instruments, including software synthesizers, drum machines, analog synthesizers, digital synthesizers, MIDI controllers, sequencers, and mobile apps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korg Prophecy</span> Synthesizer released in 1995

The Korg Prophecy is a monophonic synthesizer released by Korg in 1995. one of the earliest commercial DSP physical/acoustic and analog "virtual" modeling sound synthesizers and Korg's first monophonic synthesizer since the Mono/Poly. The Prophecy employs Korg's Multi Oscillator Synthesis System (MOSS), which features digital oscillators capable of emulating synthesis techniques such as analog synthesis, FM and physical modelling. Emphasized for its portability, expressiveness, and engaging playability, a distinctive feature of the Prophecy is its multifunctional Wheel 3, nicknamed the 'log'.

The Korg Poly-61(PS-61) is an analog synthesizer manufactured by Korg between 1982 and 1986. It was the first affordable synthesizer to feature two oscillators per voice, and was Korg's first synthesizer to feature digitally-controlled analog oscillators (DCOs). The Poly-61 marked a significant departure in design philosophy from previous Korg synthesizers by replacing the traditional array of dedicated control knobs on the front panel with a digital interface that required users to select parameters individually for adjustment.

The Korg Polysix(PS-6) is a six-voice polyphonic analog synthesizer released by Korg in 1981. It was one of the first affordable polyphonic synthesizers on the market, and was released as a cheaper alternative to the Sequential Prophet-5 and Oberheim OB-X, priced at approximately a third of the cost of its contemporaries in the polysynth market. It includes one VCO per voice, enhanced by a chorus/ensemble effect for added richness. It also comes equipped with 32 program memories and an integrated arpeggiator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korg Wavestation</span> Synthesizer

The Korg Wavestation is a vector synthesis synthesizer first produced in the early 1990s and later re-released as a software synthesizer in 2004. Its primary innovation was Wave Sequencing, a method of multi-timbral sound generation in which different PCM waveform data are played successively, resulting in continuously evolving sounds. The Wavestation's "Advanced Vector Synthesis" sound architecture resembled early vector synths such as the Sequential Circuits Prophet VS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korg Mono/Poly</span> Analog synthesizer, manufactured by Korg from 1981 to 1984

The Korg Mono/Poly (MP-4) is a paraphonic analog synthesizer released by Korg in 1981, bridging the gap between monophonic and polyphonic synthesis. Released in the same year as the Korg Polysix, as a complementary synth, The Mono/Poly is equipped with four VCOs and can operate as a four-voice paraphonic synth with limited capabilities, or as a monophonic synth using all four oscillators. Upon its release, it was the only monophonic synthesizer with an integrated quad-VCO design available on the market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korg PS-3300</span> Polyphonic analogue synthesizer

The Korg PS-3300 is a polyphonic analog synthesizer released by Korg in 1977. It was released alongside the PS-3100, a more compact variant featuring a complete synthesizer voice board for each of its 48 keyboard notes. The PS-3300 essentially combines three PS-3100 units, triggering all voices simultaneously with each key press and mirroring the PS-3100's overall design, featuring a total of 144 synth voices. The PS-3300 uses the PS-3010, a detachable keyboard equipped with an assignable joystick called the X-Y Manipulator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korg Kronos</span> Music workstation

The Kronos is a music workstation manufactured by Korg that combines nine different synthesizer sound engines with a sequencer, digital recorder, effects, a color touchscreen display and a keyboard. Korg's latest flagship synthesizer series at the time of its announcement, the Kronos series was announced at the winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, California in January 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korg miniKORG 700</span> Monophonic analogue synthesizer

The miniKORG 700 is a monophonic analog synthesizer released by Korg in 1973, marking their entry into mass-produced synthesizers and their first monophonic synthesizer. It was initially designed to be placed on top of an organ, so its controls are located below the keyboard facing towards the performer. An updated model, the miniKORG 700S, was launched in 1974, introducing a second oscillator that could be detuned, along with additional sustain and vibrato controls.

The Nautilus is a music workstation manufactured by Korg, a successor to Kronos 2, which comes with Kronos' nine different synthesizer sound engines and other similar features. It was announced in November 2020 with availability in January 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korg Sigma</span> Monophonic analogue synthesizer

The Korg Sigma KP-30 is a monophonic analog synthesizer released by Korg in 1979. The Sigma was designed for organ players and live performance, featuring a user-friendly layout for quick sound selection and editing as well as two modulation joysticks and an aftertouch-sensitive keyboard. It features two separate synthesizer engines called Synthe and Instrument which can be mixed and layered together.

References

  1. 1 2 Bjørn, Kim (2022-01-01). Patch & Tweak with KORG. Bjooks. p. 196. ISBN   978-8799999552.
  2. ↑ Baer, Christopher (2021-07-30). "Korg Collection 3". musicmanta. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  3. ↑ "Korg's Legacy Collection". Sound On Sound. 2010-12-02. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  4. 1 2 Rogerson, Ben (2022-11-23). "Korg heads back to the '90s and '00s as it adds microKorg, Electribe and Kaoss Pad plugins to version 4 of its software collection". MusicRadar. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  5. ↑ Reid, Gordon (June 2004). "Korg Legacy Collection (Part 1)". Sound On Sound. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  6. ↑ "Korg Legacy Collection of Virtual Instruments/Effects Plug-Ins". Mixonline. Retrieved 2018-09-03.
  7. ↑ Reid, Gordon (July 2004). "Korg Legacy Collection (Part 2)". Sound On Sound. Retrieved 2024-04-08.
  8. ↑ Walker, Martin (February 2006). "Korg Legacy Digital Edition". Sound On Sound. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  9. ↑ "Korg Offers Free Legacy Collection Update – Synthtopia". 2006-01-27. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  10. ↑ Reid, Gordon (August 2007). "Korg Mono/Poly Legacy Edition". Sound On Sound. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  11. ↑ Reid, Gordon (April 2007). "Korg Legacy Analogue". Sound On Sound. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  12. ↑ "KORG updates Legacy Collection of software synthesisers". Mixdown. Retrieved 2018-09-03.
  13. ↑ "Korg Odyssey ARP review". MusicRadar. Retrieved 2018-09-03.
  14. ↑ Vincent, Robin (2020-04-17). "Korg Collection 2: Korg's synthesizer history in software form has evolved". Gearnews. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  15. ↑ "Korg Has Updated Their Synthesizer Collection 2 Plugins With New GUIs". Synth Anatomy. 2020-04-16. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  16. 1 2 Reid, Gordon (February 2022). "Korg Collection 3". Sound On Sound. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  17. ↑ Vincent, Robin (2021-07-29). "Korg Collection 3: New emulations of classic synths". Gearnews. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  18. ↑ Puricelli, Rob (2022-11-23). "KORG Collection 4 - Three New Plugins Added To The Suite". Gearnews. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  19. ↑ Douglas, Adam (2024-05-14). "Korg Collection 5 Gets 3 New Instruments Including ARP 2600". Gearnews. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
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