Korg Forums

[TheDoctor]

I made the same post on Reddit.

I own an Electribe 2S and I found a nice offer for an Electribe ESX. I owned in the past and EMX but I was not really understanding what I was doing so I can't really give a user feedback.

I know the Electibe 2 S has certain problem and I'm sure the EMX has some too.

I would like to know how the effects are, because I look into it and most of the effects are the same. I mean the XY pad seem to substitute the Edit 1 and 2 of the old one and where you lose the edit 2 you found different IFX, for example the Delay Edit control the depth but you have multiple time division so it's like have the Edit 1 on the ESX. In others like short delay, ring mod could be nice the second edit because sometime they just don't fit.

Can somebody explain to me a bit better stretch part and slice? With stretch part I can only stretch a loops to the actual tempo without changing its pitch? With slice can I play the different slices in keyboard mode? The Audio In works as the 2 S or it can only apply filter an effects?

What I like about the 2S is the ability to modulate IFX and the Edit of the Osc/Sample. Especially with another filter on the IFX you can create interesting texture. I honestly abuse to modulate the start/rev point, so many possibilities. I like the fact that I'm not limited how many drum parts/chromatic instruments/loops/slice I can use it. I like the groove function and the filter sounds. What I don't like is the Kaoss Pad, I mean I always prefer knobs, in a way it's fun but the effect sounds a bit limited in range.

What I like about the ESX is the layout, it's so clear to understand what modulation, effects your parts has it. The fact you can chain up to 3 effects or decided how you want it. 8 bars sequencer with a clear marker. The step sequencer seperate from the parts. The tube gain add definitely extra. Individual output that skip the tube gain too is just what any groove box need to have it. So easy to put drums in the output 3, bass output 4(of course panning this two) and the rest through the master, much easier for sidechain compressor etc. Also I like the modulation is only key sync apart for the Triangle and you can decide if BPM synced or not, where in the 2S the Triangle is bpm/key synced off and the rest of the modulation is on for both. I don't like it doesn't have an attack knob and the missing drive knob on the filter like the EMX. The modulation is nice but I would love modulate the Edit effect parameters.

Anyway that's just few of my thoughts about it. What you guys think about the two? What's your pro and cons about these machines?

[1_inch_punch]

I am not a gun on either the ES2 or SX1 - just a breef observation.

I'd purchased the Electronisounds ESX1 Soundpack - samples and ALLPatterns. It's very DubTechno (but not exclusively) based.
It comes with single WAVs so the plan was to load the all SX1 pattern to my SX and and the single WAVS to the ES2 and try and duplicate all the patterns in the ES2.

I think about 4 patterns (of the total 64) in I hit a brick wall very quickly. It's almost impossible to duplicate the supplied ESX Patterns in ES2 even using the same samples because the ESX patterns rely so heavily on using the Reverb (and other FX) per *parts* that is available on the SX. And yr losing parts to voices as well.
I'm still plodding through the exercise but they arent coming out the same

The ESX is slaughtering the ES2 when it comes to an all in one Dub Techno box - at least in my hands.


The soundpack also relies heavily on the native *hiss* of the ESX which fits in nicely with the pattern genres.

Its not just the 8 bar limit vs the 4 bar in the ES2 (which never has worried me about the ES2) - they have entirely different characters. And the added ability of changing the Tubes on the ESX1 probably does further wonders.

You also have access to the Individ Outs on the ESX which you can send to any FX unit and back in - I think Dean made a youtube showing that from an ESX jam and out(?)

In this instance you can send out a dub chord to an outboard delay and back in etc..


James Pullen dropped a comment on one of his recent ES2 Youtubes which was interesting - mentioning that because Reverb is Global on the ES2 he writes completely different music whereas he would have dropped the Compressor at the end if using the EMX/ESX. He said he does less "drummy" stuff and more ambient/harmonic music on the ES2.

Dean's Patterns dont necessarily use the Slice or Stretch so hard as you will find in SAUCE/Snowmetal's Soundpacks have done in the past but the music he writes doesnt require them to be used that great a deal.

I notice Sauce/Snowmetal has gone back to picking up an ESX again - and he has fairly matched experience with ES2/ESX over many years.

I am now becoming more interested in my ESX but I am not giving up the ES2 - the groove patterns do really make a difference in separating parts and seems to make it more in vein of hiphop - along with other things you have mentioned. And I been working on patterns that have a number of sliced parts that are great for jamming over each other - that cant be done on the SX.

[TheDoctor]

Smart comment!

The reason why you can't load the same pattern is due the fact that the E2 doesn't have the effects as bus send,so you end up to duplicate a lot of IFX and start to lose voice.

To be honest I work differently, I always resample stuff.
In case of a compressor I use in the end, I resample my drums and then send to the MFX compressor.
In a way the 3 chain effects from the ESX is nice but at the same time are just 3 effects so I'll end to resample. Surely with 3 effects in a row you probably resample one but the other parts won't have an effect till you resample and start again. Where the E2 has only 2 effects chain so it force you to resample but I can have different IFX om other parts and maybe never resample that.

If you think about it they have the same voice limitations.
The ESX give you 7 drums part that can play simultaneously, 2 keyboard,2 stretch, 1 slice with a total of 12 voice if you add filter you have a total of 24 voice, the master effect are not counted.
The E2 has the same voice but with the IFX you lose a voice and with others like delay and stuff a bit more than one voice but you're not locked for how many keyboard parts you can have and you can also play paraphonic where the old one is just mono. Surely these features are getting voice but it's a much more open environment than the old one.

I think they should give you less parts so you didn't have to worry about voice stealing but at the same time if I resample everything I can have 16 parts playing together and I can still use up to 8filter/ifx. In this scenario the E2 win.

I personally don't use much pack I usually do my own pack, I'm actually start to release wav pack with Electribe .all file too.

The effects sounds much metter in the E2 where the ESX has more grit but both they sound good to my ear.

Something I really love to create are shakers, I can't do the same in the ESX. Often my shaker are something else and the attack knob help a lot. The edit knob and ifx modulation help me to give a lot of movement and I can choose between 2 type of random modulation, where on the ESX is just one. The bigger modulation range it helps me to find the right spot where before it was - and +. The velocity and groove help to give a nice human feel. Also I often duplicate my shaker and one will have a Laidback groove with a bit of depth so it play a fraction after and make wide shaker.

I love resample 4 bar loops and play with the modulation of the Edit knob, it gives you interesting texture and in case of a hat,for example, you can set just right and achieve a longer tail which is basically the end of the reverse point.
Another strong point for the E2 is the build in Oscillator, they sound nice, the Edit knob really give life to it and I also love layered with drums.

I mean I found both machine really strong in different point and that's what I like. It feel a new generation of Tribe and that's good because that's how it felt when the ESX and EMX came out.
I don't know why people are moaning so much, thanks god it's not like the ESX otherwise what's the point?
It was super safe do something similar, they reinvented the Tribe.

My only 2 big problems are:
Pattern chaining, when it cut the tail out it makes me crazy.
The hiss when you sample from the audio in or use Osc Audio in.
It's basically the same hiss of the headphones jack but unfortunately you'll hear once you sample from the audio in.
Maybe I notice more because I know but definitely is there, if you find any way to improve please help because at the moment I'm not sampling directly into it and I kind of hate use a sampler as sample playback device. Just to let you know the main hissy frequency are 12Khz,4KHz, 2KHz