all inclusive music machine

fatoni · Post by **fatoni** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 3:37 am

basically im looking for a tool that can create entire songs. i was drawn to the m50 by that video with tommy rogers from between the buried and me. it seems pretty cool but to be honest i know nothing about these instruments, im just a guitarist. what am i missing out on compared to some of the more expensive pieces, and what do i get compared to the cheaper models? i want some versatility so i can make some hip hop tracks for my friends or some metal or pop songs to play along with and that cool ambient music stuff. i look up alot of the features but and try things out but im not worried about now. its years down the line that concerns me. am i gonna wish i got the m3? basically any advice to a noob would be greatly appreciated.

CfNorENa · Post by **CfNorENa** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 4:18 am

The M50 will give you the following over and above cheaper models: the SAME SOUND ENGINE as the flagship M3 (256 MB ROM!); deep synthesis and sequencing possibilities, both of which are made much, much easier by the touchscreen (in terms of user interface, nothing else even comes close at this price point); dual polyphonic arpeggiators and a dedicated drum track, both of which you can edit on the board itself; excellent computer connectivity.

The two main things lacking from the M3 are Karma ("arpeggiators on steroids," complicated but insanely deep and inspirational for creating cool groves, rhythms, evolving pads, etc. etc.) and sampling capabilities (meaning that the M3 can load additional samples, which means NEW sounds; this cannot be done on the M50).

I ended up going with the M50-88 because I could get 88 weighted keys (same high end keybed as on M3) for the same price as 61 keys on M3; also, for my music, I found the simpler arpeggiators more useful than the far more complex Karma algorithms (and the fact that the arpeggios can be edited on the synth itself, unlike the Karma algorithms, was a big draw). A nice bonus, for me, was purely aesthetic: I really don't like the look of the M3, but love the look of the M50...

I think the M50 is the best value-for-money workstation ever produced, and almost everyone who gets one is ecstatic about it. Unless you really have to have a sampler (but why not use your computer?), or have to have Karma on board (but for under $200 you can get Karma to work with the M50 on a computer), then I think M50 is a better choice for a newbie.

Good luck!

Moonshine · Post by **Moonshine** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 9:20 am

I don't know whether you've had a Korg workstation before but you may also want to check out the videos that Rich Formidoni from Korg has made about using the Sequencer:

http://www.korgforums.com/forum/phpBB2/ ... hp?t=45328

And other functions of the m50 (and also m3):

http://www.korgforums.com/forum/phpBB2/ ... hp?t=43031

fatoni · Post by **fatoni** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 8:24 pm

thanks guys. what exactly is karma? ive done a little research but it seems too cofusing to grasp. and what does it provide over a conventional arpeggiator or whatever iyou get from the m50?