Korg D-1200

Just purchased the Korg 1200 yesterday. I have spent 5 to 6 hours with it. I would say it is moderately easy to get going and start recording. I didn't even crack the manual and was modeling and recording. However, I own a Roland 1680. The manual is average at best, but I will submit another review after a month or so. (if I do not return it)

I need to get some monitors. I am running this through a subwoofer and satellite system that I use with my keyboard. If I had some nice monitors I'm sure it would sound better. I have tried headphones. To me, it sounds a little bassy, but overall the sound quality is good. The modeling is not bad. I own a POD and also use the VS-1680 modeling and use a GT-3. If you tweak the sounds you can get very useable guitar sounds out of the modeler.

Will give a more in depth review after 1 month or so. So far out of the box, after installing the CD burner, no problems.

Have not used.

I play Rock, blues and some top 40. I purchased this unit because I wanted something smaller and more compact than my Roland 1680. Since this unit comes with a burner and a 40 gig hard drive, 4 recording tracks at once, it should suffice for live gigs, practice and scratch pad recording. For the price, you can't ask for much more. Think about it, you can pay this much for a couple of good mic's and a preamp, more.....This is a good value in my opinion. I have owned a Roland 880 and currently use a Roland 1680 in my studio.
I wanted: 24bit processing, 40gig HD for long sessions, 4 tracks at once recording and a burner for under a grand and this unit makes it possible. With the added drum machine and modeling (features that are not that powerful but could be useful in a scratch pad or practice sense)this recorder is one of the best values out there.

The sound is great. If you play around with it for a few days, eventually you'll be able to do some basic recording. But unfortunately, the manuel is as weak as the machine is strong. Korg probably spent hundreds of thousands of dollars developing this recorder, but obviously didn't put as much care into the manuel. The manuel has errors in it, and it reads like it was written by someone who didn't know his audience was mainly musicians, not computer/sound geeks. Basically, the manuel is as clearly written as an IRS booklet.

Sound quality overall is great. Some of the effects are worthless, but overall the sound saves this machine.

So far I've had no problems with the stuff I've been able to figure out how to operate.

Here is where Korg utterly fails. First, they bury their contact info on their website, as if they really don't want to hear from you. Then it turns out you can only call b/w 10:00 and 5:00 -- when most of us are working are other jobs. So I tried e-mailing them; they never even acknowledged my query. Basically, you are on your own if you have a question about their poorly written manuel.

I love this machine, but writer of this manuel violated the first rule of writing: know thy audience. And Korg's customer support is really minimal, and it seems that way by design.

Overall though I'm giving the Korg D1200 a high rating because I love the sound and all the options -- but it would have been an absolute grand slam of a product if Korg didn't basically quit and forget about the customer after they produced the machine.

The user interfae of the D1200 is very user friendly, and built up logically.
I love the way all proccesses in the recording are visualized on the front of this small,incredible machine!
navigating is quite easy although a mouse wuld have probably made things even more easy, but no complaints here!!
The built in effects are great and easy to use, the modelling mode is very easy to use with three assigned knobs especially for that purpose.

The manual is good, a bit extensive though, but then again this unit has so many features.

This is where the unit really shines! even in the 16 bit mode the sound quality is VERY proffesional adn clear.
The 24 bit mode is beyond belief!! only problem you van only playback 6 tracks in 24 bit mode.

The unit is very silent although this also depends on what mics you're using.

I use a RODE NT-1 and a Shure condener mic andthe quality (especially of the RODE) is excellent!!

The internal modelling mode is good, but of course a real amp and effectys are far better, but they are very useable if you want to record on your own!

The built in mastereffects and mic modelling mode are the best available in this price range!

This unit sounds like a pro studio, and that is no bull$hit!!!

Only had it for a month or so, never experienced problems, i installed the optional CDRW-1 myself and this was a piece of cake.
In fact you only had to shove it in and power the unit up, VERY easy!!!


This thing looks very solid and stylish!!

never had to deal with customer support!

This unit Rox, I chosse it over the yamaha AW16 G and Tascam 788, ad I don't regret it!

If you are considdering to buy a portable digital recording unit, give this one a try it ROX!!!

The ease of use is good, but as so many have mentioned, the manual and customer service suck....actually, they are useless. But hey, we all know some things anyway and figuring it out is kinda part of the fun. I am surprised about the little easy things, like how uncomplicated the tempo unit is, it's a GREAT template so that you do not need to worry about drum machine/acid loops, ETC when just comming up with ideas. Undo is excellent and it is really easy to pan, do master/final effects, and eq too.
I did the upgrade, it was easy.

This is where the KORG goes above the yamaha or the boss IF you are using outboard effects. I personally did not want the burner, I have a kickbutt computer, so the USB is VERY cool. Acid loops, etc simple to use and the quality is great. The midi works well too, my BR 770 just synced right up.
I love the 16 or 24 bit, it is handy when swapping tracks with others, but the 16 is really good enough anyway. The reverbs are REALLY great and work well since there are two mastering options at one time.
The 40 gig hard drive lays waist to the 20 in the yamaha or boss. I think that is a big selling point.
I do agree though about the onboard effects. For acoustic, mic or some bass, it's ok, but the electric guitar stuff is pretty thin. I'm thinking maybe ditch that and put some other kind of functionality?????
But I love it, I tried about 6 different units, this one is a bit more professional and tastful if you you live without the cd burner

It's been fine but I have only had it for about 2 months, so time will tell

I have to say that even though this is a new item with not allot of "goodies" out there yet, it's not too bad. I would not recommend keeping windows 98 in sync, not too good. But XP works really well. All the downloads for xp have been fine. I think maybe the unit is good enough that it doesn't need too many upgrades, but we'll see.
But as I mentioned earlier, the manual just flat stinks. Come on (all manufactuers except line 6)....let's make some decent manuals! :)

I play all styles, acoustic guitar and electric bass/guitar. Work really well but I use a GNX for all the electric processing, that is the one thing I don't like about the 1200. but it's no biggy.
I'd definatly buy another one, I did allot of homework/research.
It does make music making easier, that was the whole point of me forkin' out for it.
Do your homework though, all machines in this price range are not alike! Lot's of trade-offs between the models.....

I spent a few hours with this unit in the shop, but here are some of my impressions. The shop assistants couldn't get the thing set up so I could simply try all the effects. Their mistake was trying to follow the manual. In the end I just did it myself.
Whoever wrote the manual needs help. The quick start was actually misleading. All I wanted to do was play with the effects, no recording. The quick start manual neglected to say that I had to assign a particular input to a particular channel. Now this is simple to do, but why waste everyone's time by simply omitting it from the quick start guide. It seems fairly obvious that one of the very first things you are going to want to try out is the effects. Attention to detail in the manual is not good.
Apart from that the unit seems fairly intuitive, if a little cumbersome.

Very good in terms of the recording. The effects are not good when compared to PODs etc., but that would be expecting too much. Headphone out seemed reasonable clear when compared to BR1180 which is startling poor in this regard.

Looks much better in the flesh, unlike the BR1180 which looks great on paper and a little bit tacky for real (not that I mean to trash the BR1180, it has many great qualities). The tilting LCD is small but useable and looks built to last. The screen does scratch up easily though.
Runs a little hot, which may be of concern to some.

...

I actually didn't buy it in the end, but I might... still looking.
It seems petty to keep moaning on about the manual, but if they can't get that right it leaves a nagging feeling in the back of the brain.

I love my D1200. When it comes to musical instruments, I am a jack of all trades and master of none. Yet, the D1200 allows me to create really professional sounding music. I write a lot more, higher quality arrangements since I got the D1200. The manual is, well, your typical barely adequate manual. Fortunately, I haven't had a problem figuring out how to do whatever I needed to do. The first week I got it, I figured I would try all the really dangerous stuff first before I collected a lot of songs I couldn't afford to lose. So, I erased songs, copied songs, copied tracks, copied to and from my PC from the USB drive, and even pulled down the latest OS from Korg's site and upgraded to v1.02. No problemo.

I don't use the built-in guitar effects, as they don't even come close to what I can get out of my Boss GT-3. The rhythm patterns are decent enough. But, once again, I would rather use external rhythm machines such as my DR-5, my ER-1 Electribe, or my SPD-6 Percussion Pad. I tend to just use the D1200 for what it does best, that being to record, mix, and master flawless music.

I recently received the optional CDRW-1 drive and the D1200 isn't recognizing it at all.

I checked both Korg's web site and the D1200's manual. No tech support access info anywhere. I hate that! They could learn a lot from Alesis. I emailed Alesis with a technical question on my QS6.1 once and got an answer back within the hour.

I compose a lot of different styles of music, from neo soul to hip hop to jazz to poetry. I wish I could have had the opportunity to record my stuff on the D1200 for the past 20 years, instead of just the past few weeks. I would have rated the D1200 a 9, if it wasn't for the defective CDRW drive and Korg's duck and hide approach to technical support.I can use the USB interface to copy songs to my PC and burn CDs from the PC. But, still the CDRW-1 drive should work, you know.