Korg Forums

[radioactivesandwich]

I apologize for my rant.

The new Electribe Sampler seems like it could be everything I want. A VA synth and sampler with step sequencing capabilities, live sampling, and a small form factor. It seems like it would be a great unit for live shows as well as sketching out ideas at home or on the go.

However, after reading some reviews of the regular Electribe, as well as Korg's specs on the website, it seems like it's almost been crippled.

1. 270s of MONO sampling time per pattern, not per sample. That's ridiculously low. How can the Roland SP404SX (an older unit) have sample lengths of HOURS per PAD and Korg gives us 270 MONO seconds per PATTERN?

2. Only 4 bar patterns? That seems a bit ridiculous.

3. Limited polyphony.

4. There seem to be issues with clipping on sub bass sounds.

5. Only 3 filter options vs. the synth only version's 16? WTF is that?!

When I saw the unit for the first time, I jumped for joy. It really seems like it could be awesome.

Am I taking crazy pills here? Obviously, decisions can't be made until we've held the unit in hand, but thus far, I'm becoming less impressed with the machine.
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Radioactive Sandwich
Psychedelic Sandwich Satiate Starving Citizens
www.radioactivesandwich.com
Korg Kollection: KP3+, KP3, KP2, Mini Kaossilator, Mini Kaoss Pad, EA-1, MS2000BR, Electribe 2

[Buska]

Also:

1. No timestretch for samples (this is the biggest wtf for me, basic feature on most samplers and crazy thing not to have in a sampler in 2015)

2. Reverb only on master FX channel

3. Samples cut on pattern change (unconfirmed but sounds this way from early demos)

But yeah it's no mega sampler, it's a basic portable jam tool and I think it will be great, kind of a super volca sample.

Waiting for the release date, once I get it I will do a walk through and post it to youtube.

I was pretty unimpressed with the emx2 but it is a great box, the sounds just feel samey after a few weeks with it. The sampler will be better in that you can load up your own samples and sounds with effects already applied.
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Korg gear : EMX1SD, Volca Sample, DS-10
iOS: Gadget, iM1, iElectribe, iMs20, iPolysix, iKaossilator
History : Korg E2, Mini KP, Kaossilator Mini, R3

[radioactivesandwich]

Even more to be disappointed by! I've been looking at the Roland SP-404SX instead. While I'd lose out on the synth and midi out capabilities, I'd gain so much sampling power that it could almost be better. Just load in full octaves of synth samples and play then on the pads.
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Radioactive Sandwich
Psychedelic Sandwich Satiate Starving Citizens
www.radioactivesandwich.com
Korg Kollection: KP3+, KP3, KP2, Mini Kaossilator, Mini Kaoss Pad, EA-1, MS2000BR, Electribe 2

[Buska]

[radioactivesandwich]

Yeah, I mean, my live setup already includes 3 daisy chained kaoss pads into 2 guitar pedals, so the audio in for FX isn't the biggest deal. Have you tried the sequencing out into devices other than the volca stuff? I'd be interested in using it to control other synths (my EA1 comes to mind).

Have you used the 404 much? I'm going to check one out today.
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Radioactive Sandwich
Psychedelic Sandwich Satiate Starving Citizens
www.radioactivesandwich.com
Korg Kollection: KP3+, KP3, KP2, Mini Kaossilator, Mini Kaoss Pad, EA-1, MS2000BR, Electribe 2

[Re-Member]

The SP404SX is somewhat of the different device and concept though. You can't play samples chromatically and there's real no synth engine, just a bunch of effects to color the sound. This limits the device to being more of a "looped phrase" based machine.

The Electribe 2 has a full synth engine. Sure, the 270 seconds per pattern might seem short, but that's four and a half minutes to work with. If you're loading in individual drum hits and one-shot sounds to use with the synth engine, you'll probably only take up 30 seconds of that time tops. That still leaves you with about four minutes for longer samples if needed.

I'd say that if the music you're doing requires multiple sampled phrases that are 5+ minutes long, this really isn't the right device and shouldn't be criticized as such. The MPC and SP samplers are better designed for that sort of thing.
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Roland Juno-60, SH-101, TR-606, MC-505, Casio CZ-101, Yamaha DX100, DX11, Kawai R-50e // Korg R3, microSTATION, Monotribe, MS-20 Mini, SQ-1, minilogue, electribe sampler, Volca series: Bass, Keys, Beats, Sample, FM, Kick, Moog Theremin

[radioactivesandwich]

I've thought about the sample times and such for the drum hits. However, a lot of the fx and loop samples I'd use would be stereo, cutting us down to 2ish minutes of time.

My personal use for this kind of desires the synth engine of the synth version along with the sampling capabilities of the 404sx.

I've also read that the synth engine of the sampler version of the electribe isn't as powerful or deep.

Again, I'm trying really hard to find a way to make the electribe work, but I guess won't know until it comes out and we try it.
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Radioactive Sandwich
Psychedelic Sandwich Satiate Starving Citizens
www.radioactivesandwich.com
Korg Kollection: KP3+, KP3, KP2, Mini Kaossilator, Mini Kaoss Pad, EA-1, MS2000BR, Electribe 2

[roblabs]

by the way, its not 270 sec per pattern, its 270 period.
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www.soundcloud.com/rob-labs

[Re-Member]

One thing to remember though about loading in mono samples is that the Electribe's effects will be in stereo, so it's probably best to use dry samples as a starting point.

But yeah, this is going to limited in many ways because it is only $400, haha. If it had all the features of the non-sampling version, it would make the regular E2 redudant. Korg doesn't want that to happen. Korg wants people to buy both, haha.

But for $400, this isn't a bad deal. I remember getting a microSAMPLER ($600) a few years ago and this is already going to be loads more powerful, plus cheaper.
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Roland Juno-60, SH-101, TR-606, MC-505, Casio CZ-101, Yamaha DX100, DX11, Kawai R-50e // Korg R3, microSTATION, Monotribe, MS-20 Mini, SQ-1, minilogue, electribe sampler, Volca series: Bass, Keys, Beats, Sample, FM, Kick, Moog Theremin

[radioactivesandwich]

For the kind of tunes we do, "dry" samples don't always exist. Especially not loops. Speaking of loops, I wonder what kind of looping this unit will allow, or if we'll need to retrigger things on each go around.

I guess we'll see in a month!
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Radioactive Sandwich
Psychedelic Sandwich Satiate Starving Citizens
www.radioactivesandwich.com
Korg Kollection: KP3+, KP3, KP2, Mini Kaossilator, Mini Kaoss Pad, EA-1, MS2000BR, Electribe 2

[radioactivesandwich]

Does any other unit offer the synth and sampling capabilities, or is this electribe the first to do it?
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Radioactive Sandwich
Psychedelic Sandwich Satiate Starving Citizens
www.radioactivesandwich.com
Korg Kollection: KP3+, KP3, KP2, Mini Kaossilator, Mini Kaoss Pad, EA-1, MS2000BR, Electribe 2

[Re-Member]

The Roland MC-909 and MC-808 offer sampling plus synthesis. They are both based on the Fantom synth engine, which also do the same. They don't do live looping well though and you have to do a lot of menu diving to edit things. The V-Synth also mixes synthesis and sampling together, but it's a bit more expensive.
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Roland Juno-60, SH-101, TR-606, MC-505, Casio CZ-101, Yamaha DX100, DX11, Kawai R-50e // Korg R3, microSTATION, Monotribe, MS-20 Mini, SQ-1, minilogue, electribe sampler, Volca series: Bass, Keys, Beats, Sample, FM, Kick, Moog Theremin

[radioactivesandwich]

Gotcha. Thanks. All 3 of those would be to big for what I'm looking for. It seems that Korg has made a unit that almost cockteases me. It's almost exactly what I want. Maybe I'll get it anyway and find ways to make it useful.... then I'll hope that a newer version in a few years is even more advanced. Haha.
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Radioactive Sandwich
Psychedelic Sandwich Satiate Starving Citizens
www.radioactivesandwich.com
Korg Kollection: KP3+, KP3, KP2, Mini Kaossilator, Mini Kaoss Pad, EA-1, MS2000BR, Electribe 2

[jbl]

Well this thread is just baiting me.
1. Sample/synth combos are quite abundant: sp-808, mpc 5000, op-1, and more. the sp-555 and 606 have limited synth and numerous samplers can work as synths like the OT and the aforementioned microsampler.
2. So far, everything is heresay. Nobody knows if it's 270 sec. Per pattern or total, for example.
3. I have my doubts about this thing being better than the microsampler. If it offers all the synth and sampling capabilities. True, it will be better as a straight on tr sequencer and it will offer fx on every voice and not global like the ms-1 but as a straight up sampling beast, I seriously doubt the es2 will come close to the ms-1.
4. How can the es2 NOT have time stretching? Think about it! If it doesn't, then how are you going to play it like a keyboard? Which we KNOW we can do with pcm samples on the emx2.

[Spheric El]

Time stretching is different to playing a sample up a keyboard.
Changing the speed of a sample changes its pitch-normal behaviour. Time stretching is changing speed without pitch change. It's a more complex algorithm/process.The E2 doesn't time stretch .