Time for a new one..MicroKorg XL or R3?

jita1 · Post by **jita1** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 2:16 pm

I haven't been here in awhile and hope that all is well with everyone.

I've been interested in getting a vocoder since the Micro Korg debuted but didn't pull the trigger. Now, I see the R3 and the soon-to-be released MicroKorg XL. I like the Radias but costs more than I want to invest right now. I'm primarily interested in the vocoder. I like the full-size keys on the R3 but like the $100 less price tag of the MicroKorg XL. Is the vocoder the same on both boards?

Thanks,

Brian

xmlguy · Post by **xmlguy** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 3:29 am

The R3 is being sold new for $549 or less, while the Microkorg XL is being sold for $499. That's a $50 difference, not $100. The Vocoders are identical, although the vocoder synth structure is a bit different. The XL can use both timbres for the carrier, while the R3 only uses one timbre for the carrier while the other is mixed outside the vocoder. That's not necessarily better or worse, because it can be good to have the second timbre in either configuration, assigned to the vocoder for a more complex carrier, or assigned to the mix to have a free running pad or arp at the same time as the vocode.

The R3 has 16 memory slots for saving vocoder patterns (formant data), while the XL doesn't - it only has formant hold to temporarily freeze the vocoder values. That is a big vocoder advantage for the R3, because you can have vocoded phrases stored and reused by multiple programs, so that you can record them under good conditions.

The XL also has half the effects of the R3/Radias, and only 2 master fx vs. 2 insert effects and 1 master (5 total chained effects), which makes a signficant difference in the result of the vocode. The R3 also has a mod sequencer that can add a lot of interesting motion to a timbre by continuously changing parameters or note variations (without losing polyphony). Personally, there's no way I would give up half the effects and mod sequencer for $50, since the Radias effects are so good, that's one of the main benefits of the R3. Having 2 insert fx + master fx for each timbre is also a big benefit vs. 2 master fx. I frequently use all the effects slots on the R3, so losing one will significantly reduce the effects quality of the result.

killedaway · Post by **killedaway** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 8:09 am

between the two, i would only buy the mkXL if portability were an absolute priority. if you're mainly gonna use this at home, or live, go with the R3. if you plan on taking it to the beach, on the train, in the car, go with the XL.

musikmachine · Post by **musikmachine** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 8:39 am

I didn't know the xl was missing so much from the r3. And only $50 difference?! The mod sequencer is what sets the r3 apart from other similar vas for me. Even for $100 more i'd rather have the r3 based on what xmlguy wrote, the fx are great and offer a lot of flexibility when combined with the mod sequencer. It's a kickass synth.

xmlguy · Post by **xmlguy** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 10:24 am

killedaway wrote:between the two, i would only buy the mkXL if portability were an absolute priority. if you're mainly gonna use this at home, or live, go with the R3. if you plan on taking it to the beach, on the train, in the car, go with the XL.

Strangely enough, the XL is only 3 inches narrower than the R3. The XL looks a lot smaller, but it isn't. There's also a lot of interesting synth options that are truly portable, like the Kaossilator, DS-10, or a laptop with nanoKey. A laptop with softsynths and DAW is much more powerful and versatile for portable music making.

jita1 · Post by **jita1** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 12:30 pm

Cool, thanks for the info. The R3 it is.

Guitar Center and Sweetwater both sell it for $599. I just found it at Musician's Friend for $549. Thanks for the head's up. You've saved me $50...

xmlguy · Post by **xmlguy** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 1:10 pm

jita1 wrote:Cool, thanks for the info. The R3 it is.

Guitar Center and Sweetwater both sell it for $599. I just found it at Musician's Friend for $549. Thanks for the head's up. You've saved me $50...

After you get it, give my HyperVoc patch a try to get a clean vocode for live use. The R3 is a ton of fun!

jita1 · Post by **jita1** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 2:32 pm

xmlguy wrote:
jita1 wrote:Cool, thanks for the info. The R3 it is.

Guitar Center and Sweetwater both sell it for $599. I just found it at Musician's Friend for $549. Thanks for the head's up. You've saved me $50...
After you get it, give my HyperVoc patch a try to get a clean vocode for live use. The R3 is a ton of fun!

No doubt. I'll have it by the end of the week. Thanks again.

killedaway · Post by **killedaway** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 5:23 pm

xmlguy wrote:Strangely enough, the XL is only 3 inches narrower than the R3. The XL looks a lot smaller, but it isn't. There's also a lot of interesting synth options that are truly portable, like the Kaossilator, DS-10, or a laptop with nanoKey. A laptop with softsynths and DAW is much more powerful and versatile for portable music making.

oh, i know (remember we were talking about the physical dimensions in another thread?). i was referring only to the battery-powered ability of the XL. obviously the XL lacks a sequencer, but that doesn't stop it from being a lot of fun for traveling. i bring my original mK with me on trips occasionally, and it's great; i use the opportunity to tweak my existing patches as well as create a few new ones.

also, i own DS-10 and it's fun, but the limited control becomes a bore for me after a while. i had the Kaossilator and couldn't really see the point -- i sold it a week later. it sounded great on paper, and i thought it might add a new flavor to my sound, but after getting it home, it really did seem like a toy. and i'm one of "them" who wouldn't touch a computer for music creation. i'd honestly rather use nothing.

so, while the R3 is indeed small, it lacks battery power, and adding an external solution isn't very favorable for a lot of people, myself included. if portability is not a concern, the R3 is the obvious choice to me. if i were planning on programming "on the road", i would absolutely choose the XL.

xmlguy · Post by **xmlguy** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 7:34 am

killedaway, yes I can see why the battery power has it's appeal. In my case, I chose the X-Station 25 for that purpose, and besides battery power, it serves as a nice audio interface, midi controller, and has an aftertouch keybed that is much better than the Microkorg (original or XL).

killedaway · Post by **killedaway** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 7:48 am

xmlguy wrote:killedaway, yes I can see why the battery power has it's appeal. In my case, I chose the X-Station 25 for that purpose, and besides battery power, it serves as a nice audio interface, midi controller, and has an aftertouch keybed that is much better than the Microkorg (original or XL).

fair enough, except in the case of this particular discussion, you're then missing the sound of the R3/XL, along with the vocoder, which for many people, is a big selling point of both. the X-station is nice for what it is, though.

jita1 · Post by **jita1** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 1:06 pm

Well. I couldn't wait so I picked up my R3 last night. I printed out the Musician's Friend page and took it to Guitar Center for the price guarantee and lo and behold, it's already priced at $549. I wonder why it's still $599 online? Anyway..I played around with it a little bit last night. This is the beginning of a wonderful relationship.

Oh yeah, I played the Oasys at the store again too..maybe one day...

xmlguy · Post by **xmlguy** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 11:21 pm

Be sure to try the editor librarian software, because it's a great way to learn how it works inside.

musikmachine · Post by **musikmachine** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 6:09 pm

xmlguy wrote:Be sure to try the editor librarian software, because it's a great way to learn how it works inside.

+1

Plus i've found the editor is the best way to deal with patches as it's easy to edit from one patch and save the new patches to my hd and then i can reload them and reorganize banks easily, instead of having a bank of disorganized patches! Plus it's so easy to come up with new patches from a few changes that i'm always saving my edits.

Also check out the Philip Muench bank. Loads of good patches and it shows how versatile the r3 can be.

vibedog · Post by **vibedog** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 2:05 pm

i just went through this myself and got an R3 at gc and discovered the same lower store price than the webstore price mentioned above.

If someone has a pic or part number for a battery pack add on for the R3 I'd appreciate it- that was the main reason I was considering the xl.

I wound up choosing the R3 because of the additional effects and the second audio input, since I might try vocoding and guitar at the same time.

The R3 builtin sounds are a ton of fun, I'm looking forward to trying out some of the downloadable patches and playing with the editor but I haven't really had time to play through all the builtins yet. This is a really, really fun machine!

Korg Forums

Time for a new one..MicroKorg XL or R3?

Time for a new one..MicroKorg XL or R3?

Nice!