Korg Announces MicroStation – Sanity Restored?
It appears that the Monotron and Electribe Part Deux initiatives are part of some rogue, drug-cartel-funded, black ops unit operating inside of Korg that has somehow put the whammy on the company’s upper management in order to push through these boneheaded products, since the Japanese concern has also debuted the MicroStation.
While we are not applauding what appears to be a glorified mid-nineties workstation in a bite-size package, we are exhaling a sigh of relief since this is a much more Korg-like product. The MicroStation features a 61-key Natural Touch mini keyboard, effects, dual arpeggiators, and 16 tracks of MIDI recording. It also contains an intuitive sequencer with updated options, such as Loop Recording and Visual Grid Sequencing, and the keyboard has been “designed to allow rapid phrases and glissandos to be performed easily.”
One of the MicroStation’s key features is its new EDS-i (Enhanced Definition Synthesis – integrated) engine, borrowed from the EDS system found on the company’s M3 XPanded and M50 instruments. The effect section adds up to five Insert effects, two Master effects, and one Total effect. The MicroStation includes 480 Programs, 25 Drum kits, and 256 Combinations — each of which combines up to 16 programs as layers, splits, or Velocity-switched elements. Every sound can be edited, re-written, and saved directly onto an SD / SDHC card. For compatibility with other MIDI instruments, the unit also comes with a full GM2 compatible sound set.
For even more detailed editing of Programs, Combinations, Drum kits, and Arpeggio patterns, the MicroStation comes bundled with MicroStation Editor software (a standalone program) and MicroStation Plug-In Editor software, which allows the MicroStation to be used as a VST, AU or RTAS plugin instrument inside a DAW or other host application.
The Korg MicroStation costs a substantial $850 and will begin shipping the in July 2010. More information on the Korg MicroStation.
