Korg Forums

Redmond Barry · Full Member Joined: 02 Oct 2011 Posts: 131

Despite the limitations and troubles, I've gotten on well with the new Electribe after a period of adjustment and learning. I am kind of wanting a similar experience but "upgrade" so am look at a DSI Tempest. I'm curious if any Electribe owners here have one and can compare the two. When I watch Tempest videos I see a lot of button pushing and shift key pressing, hinting at possibly extensive menu diving. But that goes on with the Electribe too. So I'm curious if anyone can tell me if the Tempest interface is more frustrating or less frustrating than working with a new Electribe. I know it's clearly much deeper. I ask this because I don't think I'd enjoy an interface that's much more frustrating than the Electribe. Thanks!

slug · Senior Member Joined: 03 Aug 2007 Posts: 371

For me the Tempest is better to use once you become familiar with it, but you have to get right into the workflow which seems to take a week or two. The synthesis is vastly superior to the Electribe so more screens are necessary, but yet often to me it feels like the Electribe requires more menu diving than the Tempest.

For me the Tempests 6 voice polyphony means it can't compete with Electribe in several areas - the voice allocation is very specific i am often wishing the Tempest offered the higher priority voice option that the Electribe has.

Redmond Barry · Full Member Joined: 02 Oct 2011 Posts: 131

Even though I used the term upgrade, I think I'd keep my Electribe alongside the DSI. I imagine they'd go well together. So looks like the Tempest requires more work to learn, but once you got it it's less menu diving than the Electribe. Which sounds good to me!

Blue Monster 65 · Full Member Joined: 23 Nov 2010 Posts: 113

I probably am not qualified to answer this one anymore, since I had a Tempest when they were first released. I loved the sequencer and the fact that it was more of a synthesizer than a drum machine (can't really call it a groove box, though that is the inspiration for it). I sold mine due to the lack of sequencer features I was used to elsewhere, but most of those apparently have been solved (or so I'm told). With those fixes, I've looked at picking another one up myself, though I haven't gotten around to it.

I do think that it would be a fantastic companion to your Electribe. I really liked running my in unison with my EMX. Keep them both - you can always decide later if you'd rather have just one or the other.

Good luck and let us know what you do!