Korg Forums

[electribeking]

in know the esx-1 is 44.1kHz 16bit..

[electribeking]

i believe same for emx-1 one 16 44.1kHz.

http://www.vintagesynth.com/korg/emx1.php

[electribeking]

http://www.vintagesynth.com/korg/emx1.php

SPECIFICATIONS

Electribe EMX-1 With SD Storage

Sound Generation Method: Analog Modeling + PCM
Oscillator type: 16 (Synth Part)
Filter type: 4 (Synth Part)
Drive Circulation (Synth Part)
Modulation Function (Assignable, Tempo Synchronization)
Number of Waveforms: 207 drum PCM waveforms, 76 Synth PCM waveforms (16 bit, 44.1kHz)
Number of Parts: 16 total; 5 synth parts, 9 drum parts, 1 synthesizer accent part, 1 drum accent part
Memory: 256 patterns (192 preload), 64 songs (3 preload)
Effects: 16 types x 3 (Chain)
Sequencer: [pattern] Maximum 128 steps by part, Maximum 24 motion sequence by pattern [song] Maximum 256 patterns
Arpeggiator: Ribbon + Slider, Scale
Output: L/Mono, R (phone jack: mono x 2), Individual 3, 4 (phone jack: mono x 2), Headphone (phone jack: stereo)
Input: Audio In (phone jack: mono)
MIDI: In, Out, Thru
External Memory: Sd and SDHC up to 32GB
Vacuum tube: 12AX7 x 2
Power Consumption: 24W
Power Supply: AC IN (AC9V)
Weight: 3.1 kg / 6.83 lbs.

[jeshi]

from the video linked earlier https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzF800vHTFc he shows some hires photos of some of the chips starting at 7:34. The big chip is an SH3 (hitachi SuperH SH3 HD6417709S). This is a 32bit RISC microcontroller/CPU.
https://www.renesas.com/en-us/products/microcontrollers-microprocessors/superh/sh7700/sh7709s.html

There is also a large Korg uPD77213 chip along with some other smaller chips which I didn't recognize.

Here is also the EMX service manual with schematic where they show a CPU and DSP as the main chips on the board.
http://audio-ruso.com/EMX1_Svc_man.pdf
On the schematic the DSP is called uPD77213 and the CPU is labeled HD6417709S so it all matches up. Searching uPD77213 it appears to be an NEC 16bit DSP
http://www.qdatasheet.com/datasheet.jsp?pn=UPD77213&fac=NEC

I am guessing that the SH3 does most of the interface, screen, midi, sequencer, memory functions and the uPD77213 DSP is for the analog modeling DSP and effects processing. But it is also possible that the SH3 feeds the PCM samples into the DSP. But the VA OSC waveforms are almost certainly generated from equations directly on the DSP.

The PCM samples are CD quality (44.khz 16bit) and the DSP chip is a 16bit device, so most likely the entire audio DSP processing chain is run at 16bit 44.1khz.

On the schematic there is also an AK4527b codec which is a 24bit 44.1khz device. Audio in comes from the line/mic in, audio out goes to the amps/tubes. And the digital audio comes directly from the DSP chip. I guess the 44.1khz 16bit audio from the DSP is upsampled to 24bit by the DAC. Page 11 of the service manual shows the full block diagram of the EMX design.

I also found this about the 2006 Radias MMT virtual analog synth. http://newscenter.ti.com/news-releases?item=127328 where they used a TMS320VC5502 DSP chip which is also a 16bit DSP. So it appears that MMT VA is a 16bit DSP signal processing chain

[thehighesttree]

It's definitely a digital device, outputting at 16-bit, 44.1kHz like some others have pointed out. I'd even say the tube circuitry is probably semi-simulated: there's definitely some difference when you swap them out, but all the rest of Korg's MMT lineup and even the 1st-gen Electribes have a Tube Sim effect, and there's some question about whether they get enough power to make a significant difference.

Don't let that dissuade you though, they're still great boxes!