Suggested low cost used workstation?

[luckyluca]

Hi, i’m exploring purchasing a used Korg 61 workstation with an excellent keybed.

I’m considering the Trinity plus (270£), Triton extreme (550£), M3 (900£) or any other option you may suggest.
Budget is roughly between 0-700£.

Given their age, price point seems close enough between them all.

I’m after excellent all in one usability for composing songs (no daw and pc required) and easy pc connectivity for transferring files if needed. Bonus but not required, if it was possible to record and playback a voice too.

Trinity is and old love of mine, having had ones in the nineties, however i’m aware of its age, slow touchscreen and terrible connectivity options.

I’m leaning towards the triton extreme being a good price compromise and with the excellent keybed, same as the trinity.

Anything else worth considering?
Is it worth investing time and effort into learning to use such vintage instruments?

(none of the new ones including roland and yamaha appeal to me and am not interested in investing big bucks to be honest)

Thanks!

[bpoodoo]

I'm admittedly biased, but I think the triton extreme would be a good choice. The USB interface is slow for data transfer but it is workable. And you can do everything on the keyboard no PC required. Another option you might consider is the Yamaha Motif ES, also a vintage workstation of that era with some classic sounds.

[voip]

Agree the Triton Extreme, and the M3 also, are good choices, but none of them will record audio during use of the sequencer, which seems a pity, since they will both handle sample recording. The Kronos (and Nautilus) will record audio, with the capability of building up to 16 audio tracks in addition to 16 MIDI tracks but is, of course, over budget. As far as vintage-ness goes, if you become familiar with the Triton Extreme, or M3, getting to know the Krome would be a breeze, since it is very similar in most respects.

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[voip]

Just a thought. The Triton Studio will record two audio tracks in Sequencer mode.

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[luckyluca]

Just a thought. The Triton Studio will record two audio tracks in Sequencer mode.

.

Many thanks, the actual items I was looking into got sold, search continues.
Best

[luckyluca]

Just a thought. The Triton Studio will record two audio tracks in Sequencer mode.

.

Many thanks, the actual items I was looking into got sold, search continues.
Best

With the Triton Extreme, would it be easy to have a drumkit playing with any selected combi or program?
do they come with variations? and maybe triggering drum variations using keys?

Also, are drum patterns editable to make some less hiphop and more electronic?

Basically, how immediate is for live drumbase playing when having fun/inspiration?

thx!

[bpoodoo]

With the Triton Extreme, would it be easy to have a drumkit playing with any selected combi or program?
do they come with variations? and maybe triggering drum variations using keys?

Also, are drum patterns editable to make some less hiphop and more electronic?

Basically, how immediate is for live drumbase playing when having fun/inspiration?

thx!

Some preset programs and preset combis have drum kits and drum patterns, some do not. You can usually edit a combi to add a drum kit program and drum pattern arpeggio if it doesn't already have them.

The "drum track" was initially introduced with the Microstation and was carried forward in the M- and K-series Korg workstations. The Triton does not have the "drum track" but has the basic equivalent of a drum track implemented using a program pointing to a drum kit and a drum arpeggio pattern. Many combis are programmed to play one or two drum argeggio patterns when the arpeggiator is turned on.

Yes, you can copy/edit/save any of the user arpeggios. Drum kits and arpeggios are stored as Global data in the keyboard. I can't speak to how easy they are to edit; I've never edited drum kits or arpeggios myself. I typically use the sequencer to edit any rhythm track note data, saved in a track in a song, not saved as part of Global data in an arpeggio.

A drum arpeggio pattern can sound much different depending on what drum kit is playing it. It's sometimes fun to try different combinations of drum kits with different Drum arpeggio patterns (the ones that start with Dr-) and get some interesting results (e.g. you could play a hip hop drum arpeggio pattern using a electronic drum kit). Though it is like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're gonna get! It is not always obvious what drum kits are "appropriate" or "sound right" with what drum arpeggios. So I made a list of [drum kit, drum arpeggio] and [drum arpeggio, drum kit] pairs that are used in the Triton Extreme combi presets. You can start with a drum kit you like and audition all the drum arpeggios that go with it, or you can start with a drum arpeggio pattern you like and audition the different drum kits that go with it.

http://www.korgforums.com/forum/phpBB2/ ... p?t=123171

In general, there are no rhythm pattern groups (Intro, Verse 1, Fill, etc.). However, I have seen rhythm variation implemented creatively in some combis through the use of velocity switching using the arpeggiator volume.

For "live" drum pattern playback with variation, you could use RPPR in sequencer mode. It's something you would need to configure yourself (it doesn't come out-of-the-box). But once you've done it once, you can reuse it.
See
http://www.korgforums.com/forum/phpBB2/ ... p?t=123373
and
http://www.korgforums.com/forum/phpBB2/ ... p?t=127377

[luckyluca]

Thanks that was a great read, and apologies for the delay.

I bought a Trinity Pro at a good price, but am finding the sequencer a bit limited and UI touchscreen hard to navigate, it may be defective.
I found that it needed half a sec between presses to register touch, otherwise it’s a lot hit and miss. Also you need to be a sniper and use the pinkie and even then often you need to press twice.

Is the Triton UI touchscreen experience better?
Also, do you happen to know if purchasing a Tr-rack, if it’s possible to connect it to the Triton and use the Triton display to drive the rack, probably a long shot?

[bpoodoo]

Thanks that was a great read, and apologies for the delay.

I bought a Trinity Pro at a good price, but am finding the sequencer a bit limited and UI touchscreen hard to navigate, it may be defective.
I found that it needed half a sec between presses to register touch, otherwise it’s a lot hit and miss. Also you need to be a sniper and use the pinkie and even then often you need to press twice.

Is the Triton UI touchscreen experience better?
Also, do you happen to know if purchasing a Tr-rack, if it’s possible to connect it to the Triton and use the Triton display to drive the rack, probably a long shot?

I can only speak to the Triton Extreme touchscreen. It has good responsiveness. I'd estimate about 0.2 second to register touch. My "hit rate" is about 90% using a pointy index finger. You might try a calibrating the touchscreen from the Global menu to see if that helps.

[luckyluca]

Thanks, you clearly love your Triton Extreme and see you have a moss card too.
I’m considering getting one (61) with moss in excellent conditions but it has a pricey tag of roughly $1550 delivered. The only one I can find nearby here in the UK.
It’s a lot of money and wondering if in your opinion I should consider it, or maybe there are better workstations to consider for the same price. .

Why a Triton? I had a Trinity in the nineties and a 01w and loved the trinity sequencer and ease of use of its architecture.
Best!

[bpoodoo]

$1550 USD I would consider too expensive - when you can get new 61-key keyboards with similar features and newer technology for the same price. Of course, whether you can make better music with a newer or older keyboard is subjective.

The main reason I stick with the Triton is familiarity. I know its capabilities. I know its limitations. I understand the operating system, its features, and the details of its operation. There is no longer any learning curve. The keyboard is no longer a computer interface to figure out but a musical instrument and a composition tool to use. That kind of familiarity would be a good reason for getting an older used keyboard, for the right price.