Korg Soft Synth S
The ‘ Legacy Collection’ bundle from is an awesome set of virtual instruments! Korg has recreated some of their most beloved and classic synthesizers here as software plug-ins - the mono-synth of the 1970's, the super fat analog synthesizer and the ground breaking digital synthesizer. Using Korg's own CMT (Component /modeling Technology) these virtual instruments sound as good, if not better than the originals.
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The Legacy collection is simply a must-have for any synthesist. The Limted Edition 84% scale MS-20 replica controller is worth the price alone! This USB/MIDI controller lets you feel like you’re editing and patching on the real thing - and it's compatible with any virtual instrument! The fourth plug-in in the bundle, Legacy Cell allows you to combine the MS-20 & Polysix plug-ins for even more dynamic and exciting sounds! Stand-alone operation via ASIO or Core Audio as well as RTAS and VST/Audio Units make it at home in almost any computer workstation.
Starting with the MS-20 plug-in, it fully replicates the front panel design of the original, complete with patch cables. Korg's CMT tries to replicate every part of the original, every transistor, resistor, etc. To virtually recreate the MS-20's circuitry and thus - its sound! The MS-20 sounds great, it's fat, buzzy, resonant, and (unlike the original) very clean and stable. Excellent for today's standards but still with a truly analog character and warmth.
The original MS-20 was monophonic but polyphony is now available up to 32 voices with unison, de-tune and spread modes. Every knob and patch can be tweaked via MIDI or the MS-20 controller. It's fun to watch any physical patch connections you make on the MS-20 controller appear on-screen in the plug-in - in real-time! And every patch you create (unlike the original) can be saved and stored to disk.
It ships with a slim 32 preset patches to get you going, but creating your own patches is what it's all about! The Polysix was Korg's answer to Roland's Juno-series, and it was one of their nicest and lushest analog synthesizers of the 1980's. Now that it's virtual, it's still as lush and warm as the original. The original was only 6-voice polyphonic, but the plug-in has stepped things up to 32 voices, also with unison, de-tune and spread modes. The LFO and Arpeggiator can be synchronized to MIDI clock.
True to the original, the plug-in ships with built-in chorus/ensemble effects and 32 presets, but you can create tons more of your own. Additional close-up Edit Views of the Polysix let you get into tweaking the sounds, but you can also use the MS-20 controller or any other MIDI source too. The previous plug-ins are pretty nostalgic and fun. But the Wavestation really stands out here (just as the original did when it was introduced back in 1990). First, it offers a major update to user-friendliness in its programming interface that makes creating your own sounds much easier. But you may never need to get into editing your own as it ships with 550 presets covering a whole range of inconceivable sounds! What's more, performances, patches, and wave sequence data created on original Wavestations can be loaded into this plug-in via System Exclusive MIDI messages!
The Vector Joystick of the original is here (and MIDI controllable) to mix together in 2-dimensions the four oscillators (A, B, C, & D). Various edit page views allow you to delve deep into tweaking wave sequences, performances (groups of patches), patches, zones, and more.
It's almost too complex to get into here, but the Wavestation plug-in alone is an amazing resource of superb sounds from natural instruments to bizarre drones and textures that will set your music apart from others. Simply stated, these plug-ins are everything their original counterparts were.and more! The Wavestation plug-in, for example, uses the same digital coding as the original, but the original had a 32kHz sample rate and the new plug-in supports 44.1 through 96kHz - simply awesome! As if all this isn't enough, Korg also included Legacy Cell, a Performance based plug-in that lets you freely combine two instances of the MS-20 and/or Polysix together along with a dual-effects processor for even more dynamic and unique sonic creations! It offers 127 presets with plenty of room for your own combinations.
The MDE-X effects processor offers everything you could want from reverbs and delays to distortion and even the MS-20's filter section is available as an effect. A virtual Korg microKontrol is built-in to the Legacy Cell too for real-time assigning and manipulation of any editable parameters, and it works instantly with a real microKontrol too! The bottom line with this whole package is great plug-ins, great sound, great results, great price!
In 2007, Korg released a new bundle called the ‘ Legacy Collection Analogue Edition’ which added the classic and synthesizers to the line-up. The Mono/Poly was a monophonic behemoth with polyphonic capabilities that many musicians acclaimed as the best analog synthesizer Korg ever made. And they’ve improved its functionality in software by adding eight powerful virtual patches for near infinite modulation routing, two integrated multi-effects, 16-voice unison and up to 128 voices. The Mono/Poly offers four full banks of rich, fat sounds, covering everything from deep basses to soaring leads; fine arpeggiator patterns to riveting soundscapes. And you’ll never get lost looking for sounds, using the Mono/Poly’s simple category select feature. In 1988, the M1 created the workstation category and went on to become one of the top selling keyboards of all time, easily surpassing an amazing 100,000 units.
The M1 software synthesizer reconstructs the M1 into an eight-part multi-timbral tone generator featuring up to 256 notes of polyphony. Topping the list of software improvements are variable filter resonance, two Insert effects per part, and two Master effects. The M1 also contains all PCM, Program, and Combination data found in the original M1 and M1EX PCM expansion sets, all 19 optional ROM cards, plus the full sound set of the acclaimed T Series. Plus there are plenty of new sounds – including some slammin’ drums. That’s over 3,000 sounds total! Related Forum Topics.
Overview The RK-100S has a striking design reminiscent of its namesake, the RK-100 (first released in 1984), and comes in a red, black, or white finish. The new model is more compact than the original, thanks in part to its 37-note “slim-key” keyboard (the same as the MS-20 Mini). The keys are velocity-sensitive, but there’s no aftertouch. There are two ribbon controllers: a short one on the neck, and a long one that runs below the keyboard. A three-digit LED display and an up-down lever facilitate changing programs. You can also access banks of favorite patches by selecting one of the eight buttons above the right side of the keyboard.
These buttons also light up when you play the keyboard (just for eye candy) and act as indicators/switches for arpeggiator steps. Above the left side of the keyboard are four more backlit buttons: Tap (tap tempo for arpeggiator, LFO, or delay effects), Arp (arpeggiator on/off), Short Ribbon (changes neck ribbon function between pitch-bend and modulation), and a Shift button to yield a few more functions when used in conjunction with other buttons.
The neck has octave-shift buttons, plus two buttons for assigning the function of the long ribbon (either pitch or filter control). Connections are found on the right side of the instrument, except for volume dial and audio output, which are on the front panel. The 1/4' audio jack carries a stereo signal suitable for headphones. It will also accept a monaural 1/4' cable (outputting the left channel only) or stereo Y-cable. The RK-100S is powered by six AA batteries (included), or by an optional AC adapter. Built-In Synth The field of keytars that generate their own sound (as opposed to being strictly MIDI controllers) is a small one.
Among these, the RK-100S is the only one we know of that employs analog modeling synthesis. Under the hood is a full-featured synth engine derived from the MicroKorg XL+. Referred to as MMT (Multi-Modeling Technology), the engine models classic analog and digital waveforms, and includes a vocoder. Each program contains up to two “timbres,” which can be layered or split into different key zones (or different MIDI channels in Multi mode).
A program with a single timbre has eight-voice polyphony, which is halved when the vocoder or a second timbre is employed. Each timbre has two oscillators plus a sub-oscillator. The available waveforms include saw, pulse, triangle, and sine waves; oscillator 1 can also generate formant, noise, and a selection of sampled instruments and single-cycle waveforms reminiscent of Korg’s DW-6000 and DW-8000 synths. There are multiple modulation routings, and a “virtual patch” matrix of five different modulation source/destination pairs.
Vst Soft Synths
Each timbre also features a two-band EQ. Each program has two master effects, with 14 choices including reverb, delay, compressor, tape echo, ring modulator, and more. RK-100S Editor.
You don’t edit sounds from the RK-100S front panel, but from the RK-100S Sound Editor Software, which is a free download (shown at left - click image to enlarge). The main screen features a library of the 200 presets, plus a list of presets assigned to the eight Favorites buttons on the RK-100S.
Minilogue
The preset list reads like a spreadsheet, the columns of which aren’t labeled; click on the Column button to see what the columns are really telling you. Click the Edit button to display the program’s overall parameters, including an Edit Synth button to reveal further parameters for each timbre, with a soft-synth type of graphical layout. This window reveals what a capable and versatile synth the RK-100S is. In Performance When I first donned the RK-100S, it was noticeably heavier than expected. Despite its compact form, it’s fairly dense at seven and a half pounds. One might not notice the wooden construction, because all colors of the RK-100S have glossy painted finishes.
The slim-key action feels easy, as you’d expect, though players used to full-size keys may have to get accustomed to the approximate 75 percent scale. The ribbon controllers are responsive and fun, and each can serve multiple functions. The short ribbon on the neck can be assigned to either pitch-bend or modulation. When the ribbon is assigned to pitch-bend, you slide up (right) or down (left) to bend pitch accordingly; releasing the ribbon snaps the sound back to its original pitch. When used as a modulation controller, you slide up from the leftmost side of the ribbon to increase modulation. Curiously, the short ribbon function switch is found on the keyboard panel, making it inconvenient to change rapidly between pitch bend and modulation control. (You must either remove your left hand from the neck, or take your right hand off the keys and press the button.) There are, however, neck controls for the long ribbon functions.
It would have been great to have the short ribbon control button on the neck with them. The long ribbon has a couple of useful implementations. In one, it’s a playing surface—just slide your finger across the long ribbon to play a scale with programmable note and range values for each preset.
In another, it offers a unique take on pitch-bend. While playing a key with the right hand, you can press one of the two Long Ribbon buttons on the neck (pitch or filter). This will sustain the note you played, freeing the right hand to use the long ribbon for an upward wide-range pitch bend or filter modulation. Conclusions The RK-100S is a serious looker, and a match made in heaven with its retro-friendly synth engine. It’s hard to put this instrument down, or, rather, take it off. It’s a fitting tribute to the original RK-100 while packing enough forward-looking inspiration, expressive possibilities, and cool factor to spare.
PROS Sleek, elegant, classic design. Solidly built. Powerful synthesizer with effects and arpeggiator onboard. Second ribbon controller runs the length of the keyboard for alternate control possibilities. CONS Keys aren’t full-size. No aftertouch.
Kronos
Wood body looks great but adds unnecessary weight. Bottom Line Korg’s new keytar has real stage presence, with a sexy retro look and real sonic muscle. $899 list $700 street. In the 50 years since Yamaha entered the electronic keyboard market, they’ve rocked the industry many times over. In 1966, they kicked it off with a series of transistor organs. In the ’70s, they released the CP series of electro-acoustic pianos and the CS-80, a programmable analog polysynth that’s coveted and imitated to this day.
In the ’80s, they unleashed the DX7, which changed the sound of all music from that decade virtually overnight. When the Reface teaser videos—which referenced all these instruments—appeared in the days leading up to Summer NAMM, the synth world was abuzz. Let’s see what all that buzz is about.