Hi all.. new chap here with a question, HI-EDS

GreyFlag19 · Post by **GreyFlag19** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 5:59 pm

Well basically i'm considering an M3..
I just wondered with you guys who have and M3 and a Triton in your setup, if you can decribe the difference in the basic sound?
If you take both instruments down to single sample level with all effects off, can you tell the difference or what the difference is in audio quality from HI synthesis to EDS..?

I'd be intrigued to hear your opinions..

I owned a Triton Pro back in 2000 and recently got hold of another Triton 61 as i remembered how easy they were to use and actually get some tracks together! I get intoxicated with pads and so on and the Triton doesn't disappoint even today..

Do i want an M3?

Lukeofkeys · Post by **Lukeofkeys** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 10:23 pm

Well I own the Triton but not the M3 although I tested it alot!

I have to say that the "sound-generation-jump" from Triton to M3 is not as big as I was expecting/hoping! I mean I know that both boards are KORGs and that there have to be some sound-similarities, for me these similarities were too obvious and so I didn't purchase the M3!

I never tried to compare EDS and HI but well, for sure the sample-ROM of the M3 is at higher level (due to more ROM), but never forget, both are "just" subtractive synths based on samples!

The features of the M3 are cool, the Pads, Sliders, Karma, XY-effects with Touchview etc. but I don't like that everything (the controllers) on the M3 is just so packed together! I mean, the faders are soo short and the buttons are at close quarters....

Conclusion: I didn't buy it because of the similarities of the sounds!

greets
Luke

GreyFlag19 · Post by **GreyFlag19** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 11:24 pm

Hi Luke..
Interesting to read thanks,
Actually I keep looking at the M3 and try to work out If I even like the look of the thing! but that's another topic eh.

The M3 is a great instrument no doubt and the new features seem mouth watering..though I was like yourself, more interested In what EDS gave to the audio quality..I guess If i do ever own one it'll be a bargain used one in a few years times.

Away from the EDS thing anyway.. Did the M3's combi's impress at all? potentially 16 part combi's! i mean..

Cheers

Cj

Synthoid · Post by **Synthoid** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 11:44 pm

GreyFlag19 wrote:Away from the EDS thing anyway.. Did the M3's combi's impress at all? potentially 16 part combi's!

They impress all right. I've owned a Triton for 8+ years and the difference in the M3's combinations (with KARMA especially) is well worth the price of admission. The drum tracks feature is a welcome addition as well.

I always liked the dual arpeggiators on the Triton, but they created a rather "static" sound. For the type of music I do, the M3 is way ahead. KARMA opens up so much with random rhythms and textures, and the overall sound is superb.

xmlguy · Post by **xmlguy** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 12:09 am

As far a basic audio sound quality - the M3 EDS uses a 16 bit 48Khz sample rate just like the Triton HI engine. The differences in the sound come down to the content of the samples and how they're used (velocity switching), not the basic sound quality of the audio. I can't hear the difference between two 16 bit samples at 44.1 and 48Khz sample rates, and that's a much bigger difference than between EDS and HI at the same rates. You should just sit down at an M3 and play it for several hours with good monitors. Only you can determine if it's worth the price.

GreyFlag19 · Post by **GreyFlag19** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 2:18 am

Thanks for the input guys..it all helps,
With the Triton if i'm putting together a combi program i don't often get past using 4 programs..nice to have the facilities and options but i tend to lose where i'm going otherwise,
I wonder how many of the M3's combi's use all 16 slots?? jeez there's some scope there though eh!
Although again some of the Tritons combi's are supurb but do i ever use them toward a musical creation..Nope!

Cheers

georgeinar · Post by **georgeinar** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 2:25 pm

OK, I did a ton of sequencing on the Triton Studio and found the prorams without effects to be somewhat thin and dry and needed quite a lot of beefing up. The available sounds now I have on the M3 fit more easily in a song file with the 5 insert effects and 2 plus 1 master effect and I find many are so strong sounding that I am able to use many synth type sounds with little or no effect whatsoever and they sound great. I think the sounds are much better and punchier on the M3 and have many more flange type programs that already sound as if they've been thru a few effects processors. The programs have more movement and resonance to my ears anyway.

a.schemkes · Post by **a.schemkes** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 10:07 pm

I agree with georg what his name? HI always sounds a little harsh to me. I did like the Yammy's better for that. BUT
EDS does sound much better than HI. I don't know what KORG exactly did, but all the programs sound more "real". I hear less artifacts in the programs and don't need to beef up the sound as much as with Hi synhtesis. It's all more natural and clean then HI synthese. It's like the difference between mp3 and SACD (Super Audio CD)

GreyFlag19 · Post by **GreyFlag19** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 11:31 pm

Are you saying you can hear an improved quality, or a different quality of the raw samples? less any effects or programming..

Rob Sherratt · Post by **Rob Sherratt** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 6:46 am

One other factor when comparing M3 with Triton is not necessarily the difference in two sounds/samples, but the availability on M3 XPanded of 380 Mbytes of factory samples in total, giving a much bigger choice of finding something suitable. You will need the EXB-M256 RAM module to make the most of the new sounds.

Also the M3 can take the EXB-Radias internal board, with which some lovely Synth programs can be integrated together with other sounds from the EDS engine, and you can drive both voices via Karma. So this is a very big benefit over the Triton.

Finally the M3 is future-proofed in respect that the OS and the factory samples are stored in flash memory not ROM. So Korg can give the M3 a facelift any time they want by re-issuing the OS and factory resources, just like they did recently with M3 XPanded.

Best regards,
Rob

kimu · Post by **kimu** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 8:37 am

don't have a triton but owned a trinity V3 for ten years and now the M3.

regarding features, M3 is much better than trinity, simply the availability of drum track and Karma2 has enhanced a lot my way of pre-producing songs for my band and of composing new songs my own project.

further lots of sound have been greatly improved as synth one, pads and piano.

anyway i am a little bit disappointed in two points:

with respect to trinity, some patch sound thicker especially string and leads, in a overall mix they do not fill "space" as happended with old (probably more raw) trinity sounds

combi are very very used under their potential, i mean 99% of the combi seems to be a "hit-one-key-karma-do-everything" patch, while having 16 layer to manage would allow to create very huge lead or great texture...

GreyFlag19 · Post by **GreyFlag19** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 6:52 pm

Hello Kimu, from Italy! well this is a broad perspective i'm getting here

Yes the Triton has those one finger dazzle type combi's..sometimes fun but again never inspired to write something on account of them..instead you just click on to the next sound.

Maybe i'm off track here but the raw sample bottom level is what i look into a lot when purchasing new Synths/keyboards, not saying that the samples or waveforms in an instrument have to be ideally pristine! I've often found that a bit of grunginess or those artifacts can add some character to the end result. Maybe it's just my personal taste as well..

I've an Emu Esynth of which many of the basic samples have all sorts of sonic artifacts going on, higher up the sythesis path this can translate into bags of character and fullness of sound..Of course the quality of the actual output can bear quite a difference on things..and yes there's been some fair old talk about the Trinity's sonic fullness and somewhat less so in the Triton despite it's greater spec.

I see Synthold' has an Ensoniq ESQ-1, I had one of those..wished i'd never sold it..Now there's a Gritty Synth

But doesn't it seem that all American Synths and Samplers have a grittiness factor!

I have another Triton at the moment because it's so easy to get some music going..but i do find the raw samples and the overall sound sort of Hi Fi clear and somewhat cool in temperature,

Sorry if this is getting away from talk on the M3

GreyFlag19 · Post by **GreyFlag19** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 7:29 pm

Beg your pardon.. 'Synthoid' not Synthold

Synthoid · Post by **Synthoid** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 9:54 pm

GreyFlag19 wrote:I see Synthold' has an Ensoniq ESQ-1, I had one of those..wished i'd never sold it..Now there's a Gritty Synth

It's for sale by the way...

GreyFlag19 · Post by **GreyFlag19** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 1:50 pm

They fetch little money these days..not worth shipping across the pond anyway eh, worth keeping for that particularly strong Sawtooth wave