Electribes updated with SD storage

pedalguy1 · Post by **pedalguy1** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 1:09 pm

X-Trade wrote:
pedalguy1 wrote:
Hugo wrote: Dealing with Smart Media cards can certainly be annoying, as the max out at 128mb, plus are expensive on the second hand market. If I were you, I'd return the unit for a new one (unless the old was way cheaper).
I Just bought it new from guitar center for like $450. Do we know when the new one will come out?
If you can find the smartmedia cards then I wouldn't worry. Have a look around first.

The only difference is the SD slot.

Thank you. I do plan on using it in a live setting though, would you say this machine could store everything for a live set? I plan on jamming with a couple guys that have synths. Just basic techno and dance stuff.

zulixia · Post by **zulixia** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 1:20 pm

how lovely of them...do it right after i buy my one...

laikenf · Post by **laikenf** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 7:30 pm

It's funny how some people get so worked up because of this "upgrade". I wouldn't sweat it, especially if you already own an ESX-1 or an EMX-1; I know I couldn't bring myself to be stressed out for this even if I tried. The truth is I plan on giving my EMX-1 LOTS of attention for years to come ; it's been 2 years since I got it and I still think I can do so much more with it. Yes, technology has been advancing at a breakneck pace since 6 years ago; but, like any other piece of gear, the more time you spend with it the more it becomes a part of you, hence the better you become at using it.

Let's face it guys, WE'RE ALL GEAR SLUTS HERE, and we all want to see our favorite brand coming up with cool new gear that can suit our musical needs on a regular basis (buying new stuff for your rig is always exiting); but do we really need to be upgrading so often? I'm aware of the fact that computer based musicians must upgrade their machines regularly as software requirements become more demanding, but IMHO hardware guys (like myself) should be more worried about mastering what we have because, even if we hate to admit it, we usually have enough to work with in the first place.

aschultz · Post by **aschultz** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 11:13 pm

pedalguy1 wrote:
X-Trade wrote:
pedalguy1 wrote: I Just bought it new from guitar center for like $450. Do we know when the new one will come out?
If you can find the smartmedia cards then I wouldn't worry. Have a look around first.

The only difference is the SD slot.

I'm in the same boat as you!!! That's the only thing that chaps me. Had I got it a year ago, it wouldn't bother me as much. Although I got a little bit of a better deal. I paid $399 at Guitar Center about a month ago. I enjoy it, but have yet to find a decently priced SmartMedia card. I can't return it because it was on "Closeout". If I could I would just for the fact that it has the SD upgrade. Although it would suck waiting for it to be released.

So...since I'm stuck with it, anyone looking to get rid of any SmartMedia cards at a decent price or know of a good place to pick a few up? I need one for my Yamaha S90 as well.

pedalguy1 · Post by **pedalguy1** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 12:49 am

aschultz wrote:
pedalguy1 wrote:
X-Trade wrote: If you can find the smartmedia cards then I wouldn't worry. Have a look around first.

The only difference is the SD slot.

I'm in the same boat as you!!! That's the only thing that chaps me. Had I got it a year ago, it wouldn't bother me as much. Although I got a little bit of a better deal. I paid $399 at Guitar Center about a month ago. I enjoy it, but have yet to find a decently priced SmartMedia card. I can't return it because it was on "Closeout". If I could I would just for the fact that it has the SD upgrade. Although it would suck waiting for it to be released.

So...since I'm stuck with it, anyone looking to get rid of any SmartMedia cards at a decent price or know of a good place to pick a few up? I need one for my Yamaha S90 as well.
It sucks man! ha ha. I think the original ESX will work for me though, for the price i pay for a smart media card it end up about as expensive as a new one. I really dont want to wait though. ha ha. This is my first step into creating electronic music, as i'm primarily a guitar and bass player. I just want something that isnt too expensive and can work well in a live setting, and i still think it should fit the bill.

Pastor-of-Muppets · Post by **Pastor-of-Muppets** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 9:47 am

I don't understand all the fuss about finding smartmedia cards, when I bought my ESX in January I bought two SM cards on ebay for about the same price as an SD card. The capacity may be smaller, but the ESX can't read more than 128MB anyway, so who cares as long as it works?

stormshadow21 · Post by **stormshadow21** » Wed Apr 14, 2010 6:51 pm

Seriously guys i agree with what everone is saying having being an EMX1 users myself ,it has angered me that Korg have betrayed us EMX users to an overall updated EMX ,wtf gives ?

SD card reader and newer patterns ...woww Korg, you could have done this 2 year ago on the 1st EMX and not gives us SM card reader !!

Man that sucks ,i would rather ask for for a rebate on the diffrence with Korg for wasting my money in the 1st place

who,s going to use up 32GB SD card on patterns !! gees the patterns wont use all that amount of memory thats for sure .

I could understand it if they updated the EMX with sampling capabillities and all the works ..not just some minor updates

Thats real sad that Korg went this far !!

gil videla · Post by **gil videla** » Wed Apr 14, 2010 10:59 pm

Smart Media cards???

WHY DO SOME PEOPLE continue whine about them. They're obsolete, yes, but there is useful alternative: xD cards, with adapter. U can find both on the cheap. I order an xD card on ebay they sent me 5 (not an error - they were nice) cost me $6, I then got the adapter from new egg, for $5!
each card is 64 megs, it holds plenty of patterns and whatnot for me

X-Trade · Post by **X-Trade** » Wed Apr 14, 2010 11:24 pm

What I was trying to say before is that I don't think this is considered a 'new electribe'. If you already have an EMX or ESX, you shouldn't really need to go out and get the new one.

Korg is probably thinking that they are still selling really well, so they don't need massively updating - they don't need to come up with a new one yet. They released this new 'revision' to include a more up-to-date storage option, not for all the people who already have the earlier model to lust after and have to go out and buy one.

It should probably be considered a slightly different version of the same machine, not a completely new one.

I do get though that people are disappointed that they haven't released anything 'new'. But it doesn't seem worth whining about.

FranzK · Post by **FranzK** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 4:17 am

GroovinDJ wrote:
Hugo wrote:Well, replacing the SM drive with SD should be doable without too much hassle...?
Has anyone opened one up? Is the card reader on a separate PCB?

Let's HOPE this is available as an upgrade.

Until then, I will guard my Smart Media Cards and readers like gold!

It's true, it's not as much as an upgrade as we wanted, but it is SOMEthing.
KORG obviously is still interested in the Electribe family
or they would not have created the iPad software.

Make your wishes heard, and don't give up yet!

P-E · Post by **P-E** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 1:12 pm

Or that's just an engineering design change triggered by some parts being end-of-life, i.e. the SmartMedia module

supermel74 · Post by **supermel74** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 4:45 pm

If and when they make a new electribe it's probably going to suck. It will be made of cheap plastic, many of the best features will be dropped, and they'll add useless features that nobody wants while telling us "they listened"

supermel74 · Post by **supermel74** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 4:49 pm

bog wrote:
pedalguy1 wrote:I just barley orded an ESX-1 like 3 days ago. Would it be a good idea to send it back and wait for the the new one? Will it be a major difference?
Nope. There's really no difference. The on-board storage limit is still the same.

If I was you, I'd return it and get NI Maschine (assuming you already have a computer).

Or buy an iPad and use iElectribe all other sorts of multitouch goodness like Beatmaker.

Some people don't like staring at a screen and being tethered to a computer.

bog · Post by **bog** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 6:04 pm

supermel74 wrote:
bog wrote:
pedalguy1 wrote:I just barley orded an ESX-1 like 3 days ago. Would it be a good idea to send it back and wait for the the new one? Will it be a major difference?
Nope. There's really no difference. The on-board storage limit is still the same.

If I was you, I'd return it and get NI Maschine (assuming you already have a computer).

Or buy an iPad and use iElectribe all other sorts of multitouch goodness like Beatmaker.
Some people don't like staring at a screen and being tethered to a computer.

That's definitely true and precisely why I got Maschine. It's one of those things that you have to use in real life to truly get it, but because Maschine's dedicated hardware controller with two LCD displays works pretty much like standalone hardware in terms of hands-on, instrument-like efficient workflow, you don't need to even look at the computer screen or use a mouse while making beats with it. You can pretty much do everything with just the controller. It doesn't feel like using software at all, which usually always means staring at a computer screen and using a mouse, even if you were to have a generic midi controller. Maschine works and feels more like hardware like MPC and Electribe combined with Ableton Live's session view.

Pastor-of-Muppets · Post by **Pastor-of-Muppets** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 12:10 am

bog wrote: That's definitely true and precisely why I got Maschine. It's one of those things that you have to use in real life to truly get it, but because Maschine's dedicated hardware controller with two LCD displays works pretty much like standalone hardware in terms of hands-on, instrument-like efficient workflow, you don't need to even look at the computer screen or use a mouse while making beats with it. You can pretty much do everything with just the controller. It doesn't feel like using software at all, which usually always means staring at a computer screen and using a mouse, even if you were to have a generic midi controller. Maschine works and feels more like hardware like MPC and Electribe combined with Ableton Live's session view.

emptysea, is that you?