Korg Forums

[Mr. Funk]

Hi guys (and girls )

So, where do I start.

First I have to say I'm not from the US or England or any other country where they speak English so bear with me.

I'm looking for a board for quite a few months and all these choices don't make it a lot easier. I almost can't see the wood for the trees.

I am a singer. A jazz singer. But I'm also a piano player. I am also a composer and like different types of music. Almost everything related to jazz I enjoy.

Now I'm looking for a board. The first reason is because I'm moving out and I won't have the space for a piano. I'm going to study at the conservatory (jazz singing) and I just need something to play on when practising.

Secondly I want to play/edit/produce my own compositions and do that in the best quality possible. Ofcourse not the quality for bringing out cd's, but a nice quality. This music obviously also includes singing.

The interface is veeeeeeeeeeery important. It has to be orderly and user friendly.

Just turn on the thing and jamming and be able to that is also important for me. Getting inspiration from the board itself is a big pro.

I need a good key action because it's replacing a piano. Now, I know nothing can replace a piano but a good approach is important. Therefore the piano sounds are very important. The EP's/Rhodes are also important for me.

What do I need?

- A workstation like the Korg M3. If yes, what is the best choice for me?
- A synth in combination with a laptop with good soundcard?
- Something else?

I have to add I don't have much experience with synthesis but I'm ready to learn a lot!

[rfoshaug]

Hi, Mr. Funk and welcome to this forum!

Those are very good questions, and also very difficult to answer.

I would say that a workstation would probably be the best choice, as you get an all-in-one solution that would be simpler to use (I believe) than a controller keyboard + laptop. You also say that you are a composer, and the sequencer in a workstation would be a great tool for getting your ideas down.


Of course, a laptop + controller keyboard + softsynth/sequencing software is also a possibility for you, but to me that seems like a more complex and less user-friendly - and more expensive solution. You'd need a lot of software (depending on what you want to do with it of course).


As for M3 vs. other workstations - both the M3 and its competition (Yamaha, Roland, ++) are high quality products. Which one has the best piano sound? That comes down to personal taste. I think the piano in the M3 is quite good. Probably not perfect, but quite good. If you get a chance, you should try out some different synths or check out MP3 demos on the web to find the one you like the most.

As for EP's and Rhodes type of sounds, the M3 does have some sounds here (and more possible with the Radias expansion), but as these are not types of sounds that I use much myself, I can't help you much here.


User interface: I think Korg is a decade ahead of most competition here, because of the color touch screen on the M3. It is a wonderful tool and really makes everything from sequencing to sound editing or browsing much easier and faster. I previously had a Korg Karma, and the user interface on the M3, while similar and familiar, is so much pleasant to use because of the touch screen. I have read (on Yamaha forums and other places) that Yamahas (even the newest Motifs) are known to be more difficult to learn and less intuitive to use than most other makes. I have never used a Yamaha synth myself, so I can't really give you any first-person insight into that.


Keybed: It sounds like you need an 88 key keybed, as these have weighted piano-action keys. I have the 73-key version of M3, and it has semi-weighted synth action keys that do not resemble piano keys at all (although I really love the keybed on M3-73 and for my non-piano-trained fingers they are perfect). The M3-61 has the same key action as M3-73.

This generally goes for all synths and workstations. 61- and 76-key models (or 73 in the case of M3) have synth action, and 88 have piano-type action. The M3-88's action is as far as I know very good, but others will have to fill you in on which make has the best piano-action.


Of course, I own and love an M3, so my opinions may be biased toward Korg. But I can't say that Korg M3 is the perfect workstation for your needs - maybe Yamaha Motif or Roland Fantom would be better suited for what you want to use it for.

So the best advice I can give you is to read the manuals to get an impression of how the user interface works and how easy/difficult each synth is to use. Korg M3 manuals can be found at www.korg.com/m3 (click on "For the product" and "Support") and you should also check out the M3 virtual GUI which shows the entire user interface of the M3: http://www.karma-lab.com/m3/gui


Hopes this helps.

[Mr. Funk]

rfoshaug, thank you very much for your reply and for the welcome

A workstation seems the best option. I'm almost convinced of that.

But which one?

I know it all comes down to personal taste but I just wanna hear several opinions from people. What board has the best keybed for you? And what board would you choose if you would be in my position, regarding the sounds that I need?

Listening demo's on the internet and playing on those things in shops is often misleading. Presets aren't always the best sounds.

Maybe someone in here owns several of these workstations?

I can already say I can't afford an OASYS.

[Voltan]

If you want a non-weighted keybed - I believe M3 has the best one at the moment (it's actually semi-weighted so it's light but has a very nice response).
As for weighted keys - I guess they're all pretty much the same (good).

Sounds? I can only tell M3 sounds great and has lots of possibilities (and don't forget Karma). I guess Yamaha's gear might have better acoustic sounds but never really had a chance to compare them side by side. I never really liked Roland's stuff though - but again, I guess it's just personal taste.

[Mr. Funk]

I need weighted keys.

I heard from some people the weighted keys are awful on the M3 and I'm curious who feels the same, if somebody does.

[khol]

Well... i dont know if this helps but....

I dont like weighted keys. And i tried a 88-key M3 with weighted keys, and i didnt like it. So maybe (if we bouble negate) the 88-key wiighted M3 is good ?

[orpheus2006]

IMO the action of the M3-88 is truly excellent and very playable, comparable with those of stage pianos in the range of 1000-2000 US$.