Korg EMX-1 Electribe MX

The sounds are clean and varied, most functions are self explanitory, regardless of your experience with drum machines. I was composing songs on my first day of ownership.

Lots of features, too many for me to have even explored at this point in ownership. I would however like to be able to sample sounds with this board. Oh well, something for next time.

The sound quality, samples and effects are all great sounding, and the drums and synth are very easy, user compatible.

Works everytime. Only problem I have is with the empty space for saving original patterns. It seems to me they dont give enough space, and everytime I try to record over one of their pre programmed patterns, I get locked out of some drum part and pynth part keys. This may be due to my inexperience with the machine though Also any patterns used to make a song must be left on machine or else the songwill be inserted with random patterns created over those first patterns. A very frusterating thing for me to find out after having worked hours on a song just to erase it.

I think this machine is great aside form the few drawbacks I mentioned. Of course I might be the only person who has this problem with the machine. Overall this machine is perfect for anyone who wants to jump into beatmaking with ease.

Really easy to understand - just needed to take the manual 5-6 times out, although it was my first synth
It is easy to make own loops / song parts, because all of the samples in it are clean, kickin and usable! (all, really)
saving is all easy, very gig-freindly, everything with a few knobs, no menus etc

it features all you need, but one thing sucks ass: you cant load sounds on it, not even with a smart card, althogh there is a slot for that - that really sucks, you have always to use the (ok they're great) factory samples - i would so much like to load own samples on it, because the effects are outstanding, filters go smooth and can com hard and crisp! yamm yamm
Well but the biggest thing in this digital unit are the tubes! - they bring life into the sounds - you can hear some presets - try jazz3, it is so fat - it lets me think about 303 fatness (no, there is no 303 in this synth, but it reminds me of the same amount of just Fatness!!)

About the smart card thing - the developers from Korg really were smart guys when waking the duo emx1 and esx1, because the samples i want you only get into the esx1, there you can save them on smart card, and load them onto the emx-1 - so you need both

what sucks agein is the fact that there are only 4 outpust, from which only 2 have amp and effects, and the other 2 are raw!!

but there is an audio input you can use for effect your vocals, or your synth if you want - but damn, it is a mono input

Sound is good as mentioned above, tube amp makes it lots better firely, warm, smooth pushing

alot of synth modes included
sounds really korg straigt, not too digital, not analog
i like the sound - its kind of neutral and lots better than any software (except absynth..hehe)

Rocksolid built and works always!

Never Used it, always working condition

If it were stolen, i wound try to find out who it was and kick my shoe up k'his ass, and then i would be sad some weeks, trying to think about how I should get the money again, and then i would decide to buy the ESX-1 because it can sample thinks, and i hate software samples that can god daml load samples, and not phisically record the stuff i'm playing right now!! (kontakt, halion etc...)

Yo i chose this one because i find it hard to start, i often start with some harmonies in the last time, but before that i always used this device, starting with drum, kick, snare etc, then bassline etc...makin, as mentioned, totally new songs on this device, what are later a rock solid base for my new projects!

If you need it for that, i give the device a 10, if you need it for anything else, there are better solutions - exept for the samples on it, they are really so good, no sample CD i have has so nice recorded sound as this device - you can actually only because of this quality, and the quality of the synths, make a CD-quality song!
Of course you cannot run a whole Production on it, but the basement you will securely be able to make that!

so 10

it makes some things so good, that noone can compete with
thats why i bought it!

Using OS 1.02. The present sound good, if a bit cheesy, and show some of the sound capabilitis. Editing patches is *very* easy as there aren't that many parameters - but the parameters are well chosen to sculpt the sounds.

The manual is OK, but I miss more details in the oscilator section - with this many types of oscillators I think more than a few lines of text and a diagram wold be in order.

Well judging from specifications one would think this it has a severely crippled synth engine, but I think expecting an Access Virus engine in this is really not sensible. It's not a machine that you would approach with a complex sound in your mind and proceed to look for it. This is more of a "happy accident generator". You can get it to sound great, but not necessarily how you planned it to. It has few parameters that can change the sound *a lot* and allow you to make many useful sounds.

Tubes can be useful for individual sounds but the whole mix can sound
crappy if you turn them past 20%. I'd rather have payed $100 less. In my opinion they're like chrome on your car. Looks nice, but ultimately it's there for the looks, not the performance or "birdshit proofing".

I think this Electribe follows the philosophy of "make things as simple as possible, but no simpler". With some chrome added ;)

The sequencer is almost the same as in the old Electribes: simple, fast and fun. Don't expect micro editing - dump your patterns elsewhere for that. I think combining the MX (for fast development of ideas) with a more sophisticated sequencer is the way to go.

What I think could or should be improved:
- First the Big One: the Knob Pickup vs. Jump: currently the parameters
jump to current knob position if you move a knob. During a live
performance this is very disturbing when switching between parts with
different knob settings . The "original value" display helps one find
the original setting, but does nothing to keep the value from jumping.
Proposed solution: holding the SHIFT button whil turning the knob
keeps the parameter from changing and shows the original value in the
display.

- Effect send levels are currently just on/off. I think the effect would
be a lot more useful, if one could set the send level of each part in
several (e.g. 127) steps. The way to set the send level could be done
by showing the current fx send level in the display when the FX SEND
button is pressed and changing it with the encoder knob.

- Having the LFO work on more than one destination at a time would be
also a major improvement. Currently the DEST button changes the LFO
destination, but I think it would be better and more logical if it
merely *selected* the destination and allowed you to modulate several
destinations with different amounts of modulation. Using motion
sequencing can be a *slow* workaround, however it allows only one change
of parameter per beat and thus can't be used for faster modulations.

This is where it rocks! It's an instrument, not just sum of it's parts. One can make wonderful, if simple sounds, and to make them
evolve, use the sequencer. Works best for anything electronic (not Vangelis style thought :). Only thing lacking would be the ability
to make pads - you get chords only with the "chord" type oscilator.
The effects are very good. The delay is one of the better one out there - you can change delay time to get strange dubby effects without glitches in the sound. Three full fx processors - as opposed to one dedicated to reverb and another to chorus/flanger as in Yamaha and Roland grooveboxes (including the "almighty" RS7000). I'm giving it a ten not for the speficications, but for the sound.

As for the folks saying all sounds (oscillators) sound the same, well, they do if you cut all the harmonics with the LPF and then turn overdrive up to distort the hell out of it (duh!). Try opening the filter and turning down reso and drive to listen to pure oscillator sound, an THEN change oscillator types. It goes from dark to grungy to etherical... I've made a patch (in 20 mins) using Formant osc, grain shifter and mod delay that I can only compare (in complexity and clarity) to some of the better "ear candy" patches in my Access Virus B.

Made from aluminum! No gliches so far. Possible points of failure: knobs have plastic shafts (metal would be better, but more $$$). Tubes usually don't last more than a few hundred hours and can be sensitive to climate conditions and vibrations. The power supply is proprietary, and can't be replaced with a non original part.

My MX had a dead channel but got fixed under warranty in about a week or so. The repair service that Korg hired in Slovenia is *very* good. Also, the Korg representatives were helpful.

Compared to the previous Electribes it's rather expensive, but it's also built *a lot* better and sounds better, while keeping most of the immediacy. If lost I'd save $ to buy another. It's a great starting point for making my music. If additional sequencer work or sounds (like pads or samples) are needed I can quickly record patterns into my RS7000 and trigger other synths if neccessary.

I'd say it's a unique combination of a simple to use sequencer and synths. It reminds me *a lot* of Quasimidi 309 (knobbed aluminum box with five synths and a step seq), but Korg is ages ahead of it in all aspects.

Very, very, very easy to use. I had never touch a hardware synth or groovebox before and I was able to "play" with it a little without even opening the manual. The preset pattern lacks a little variety but are sure fun to play with (Solo/Muting - which is the base of performing with this beast). The best is really to make your own patterns and for those who aren't too used with programming or aren't too skilled and misses beats, you can always use the arpegiator. The manual is very easy to read and understand and will teach you a lot of basic helpful tips.

This box has so much stuff that I don't even know where to start. Ok, first of all the parts. 9 drum parts, 5 synth parts and 2 accent parts. You can assign any of the 207 PCM drums to the 9 drum parts. Then you have the synth parts. You can assign any of the 16 sound synthesis to these parts. They range from PCM sounds to Analog Synthesis, Formant, Additive, Dual OSC, Unisson and a super cool Chord Oscillator that plays chords with single notes, because all the parts are monophonic parts. Then you can modulate the sound with the LFO (Modulation Section). You can control the LFO type and what is modulation destination. There are 4 types of filter (LP, HP, BP and BP+) that can only be used for the synth parts and a wicked effect section with 16 effects which 3 can be used at a time with assignable routing.

The Sequencer is basic but useful. Motion Sequence is still present in this Electribe and 24 motion sequences can be present per pattern. Then there's the arpegiator which is very useful when needing an inspiration or when you need to add improv on a pattern. You can control the arpegiator with a Ribbon Controller and a Slider.

This machine sounds great. The Drums are a little basic and for some, it might miss some perc punch. Just route it through a compressor (external or through the internal effect) and you've added punch. As for the synth sounds, the synthetizer sounds are really cool even though you only have two oscillator controls and you only have a little control of the envelope. But, going through the filter, with the new drive parameter, you can really add bite to a weak synth sound. Also, the filter is really smooth, I wasn't able to hear any stepping when tweaking the knobs. The PCM Sounds are basic. Some sound really good like the Chord PCMs but most of them are basic. It really sounds good for any type of electronic music (Techno, Trance, House, Progressive, Ambient, etc.)

For now it is very reliable. Never had a trouble with it and never crashed at a gig.

I didn't have to go through support yet except for patching the unit(for 2 small glitches). through the Korg Website

If I somehow lost it, I would definetly go get another one. I just love this beast. This machine can be the best you've ever had or the worst - it all depends what you are looking for. This machine is not for everybody since it doesn't have aftertouch and ADSR enveloppe control, but if you are a performing electronic musician or a DJ, this is a must have item to add to your gigs.

One of the best things about the EMX-1 is how easy it is to use. The design of this instrument is very logical and intuitive, and once you understand the logic behind editing sounds and patterns it becomes very easy to do. I really prefer hardware to software because of how much more interactive it is, and the EMX-1 seems to be designed specifically to be played with live. Once you program a pattern you can endlessly tweak it on the fly with the PART MUTE and SOLO buttons, the many silver knobs, and the arpeggiator (which is an awesome feature). Find out what scale you have written your pattern in, set that as the arpeggiator scale, and go crazy with any of your synth parts - perfectly in tune and on beat with your playing pattern. I love using the arpeggiator with my left hand while twisting the filter and LFO knobs with my right. You can also record arpeggiated sequences as you play, and this has resulted in some very interesting and easily written melody lines for me. I think that the EMX-1's interface is very user-friendly in almost every way, and this makes it a very fun instrument to play with.

This machine has a very nice balance between features and usability. There aren't so many features that you have to scroll through menus to use them (they're all instantly accessible from the main control knobs), but there are enough that the sonic possibilities seem endless. The preset patterns are useful learning tools, and I listened to them all and explored the synth and drum sounds I liked to see how they made them (when you turn any knob it will tell you when it's at the original value), but they are of limited value and I erased them all from my machine to make room for my own patterns. Motion sequencing is a very useful feature that I use all the time. You can record 24 motion sequences per pattern, and I would be very surprised if you ever used them all. Actually, another really nice feature is the ability to manually enter motion sequence values for each step. Some people complain about the EMX-1's lack of proper envelope control, and I also wish it was present, but through manual motion-sequencing you can achieve very detailed envelope control for any parameter without any trouble. One thing I like to do with manual motion-sequencing is chord progressions with the chord oscillator. It's very easy to do once you get the hang of it. The EMX-1 does accept SmartMedia cards, and although I have yet to purchase any, I plan on doing so soon so that I can back up the patterns I made. Some users wish that new drum and PCM instrument sounds could be added, and that would be nice, but I honestly don't find this machine to be lacking in these areas. It is very easy to synthesize your own drum sounds in the synthesizer section, and all of the existing drum parts can be changed dramatically using effects, LFOs, and other parameters. (helpful hint: if you want a drum part to be louder, and it's level is already at 127, just put the MODULATION depth (use AMP) and speed (use the waveshape at the very bottom - the single, swooping sawtooth wave) at +63) The EMX-1's sequencer is very intuitive and easy to use, and it has 128 steps (or eight measures of sixteen beats each). It would be very nice if there were sixteen measures per pattern, but I almost always find eight to be plenty. If you do want more, it's very easy to write several patterns and link them together in PATTERN SET mode (for example if you link two patterns together it will play through both before looping both again). There is no polyphony per part, but there are five synth parts, and you can get some very full sounds from an individual part. There are some standard MIDI capabilities (IN, OUT, THRU), and the keys aren't pressure sensitive, but there are a lot of knobs, and they all transmit MIDI data so the EMX-1 can be used as an external controller for software synthesizers or as a sequencer for other hardware. There are sixteen built-in effects, and all of them can be used well if you know how to use them (however, the reverb really isn't very good, and it easily distorts). You can use three effects per pattern, and they can be linked together as well (you can also motion sequence the effects), so if you want to run one synth part through two of the effects, another through one, and another through all three you can (although sometimes this takes some creative placement of effects: if all three effects are linked together, the only way you can run a part through only one effect is to run it through the last one).

I am constantly surprised by how many different sounds I can make with this machine. The synthesis is far deeper than it first seems, and you really need to take the time to try different combinations of knob twists and settings before you understand just how flexible the EMX-1 really is. There have been several times when I have felt that I had discovered pretty much everything about the synth section only to find a couple of days later that there are MANY more possiblities than I had previously assumed. The PCM recorded instruments can be OK at times, but I almost always edit them with the knobs until they are unrecognizable (they serve as a good baseline for many sonic variations). The drums are really clean and crisp, and with the right time and effort you can create some amazing beats with this machine. Good headphones are a must if you want to know how this machine really sounds, and I HIGHLY recommend playing with the EMX-1 over some big, loud speakers - you will be very impressed. I have spent a lot of quality time with the filter knob and a deep sawtooth wave over a nice speaker system turned up very loud. :) The tubes are a definite point of contention amongst various users, and I usually keep my tube gain knob turned all the way down (the sounds are still processed through the tubes this way, but there is no risk of distortion), but although the drums sound pretty bad through a lot of tube gain, the synth sounds really are made fuller. I think the tubes do more than just increasing the volume, and I would recommend playing with an individual synth part and the tube gain knob to find out for yourself (it can sound very nice). I'm giving it a nine in this category because there is a certain tradeoff between the depth of the synthesis and how easy it is to use, and it could have included some more complex synth tools (such as an envelope generator).

I have never had any problems with my EMX-1, and I've used it almost every day for more than three months. It is very sturdy and well-built (far better than the ER-1), and it survived a very scary collision with my roommate's mixer (his huge, heavy Pioneer mixer fell off of the stand and landed on my EMX-1 - the corner of the mixer hit the metal surface of my machine with the full force of its falling momentum and left only a very small indentation). I can't wait to use it on a gig (I'm scheduled to start performing at a local club as soon as I have enough material), and I definitely won't need to worry about it crashing or anything - it's very reliable.

I have never dealt with KORG's customer service.

If this machine were stolen I would definitely replace it with another EMX-1. I am very pleased with this synthesizer/drum machine, and I'm glad to report that this is an instrument that will help me develop as a musician. I'm learning more about this machine every day, and I don't think I'll ever master it completely (although I do plan on purchasing a more in-depth analog synthesizer someday).

I just got it today, and so far, super easy to make a good drum beat, and some basic synthsounds... Synth programing is also easy (i haven't even opened the manual yet). Writting out a actually synth playing part does take some work though...you can do it in real time, but the keys don't really work that good as paino keys....i prefer step recording myself anyway...i just need to learn how to step record on it, but if you have a keyboard, real time is fun too.

Well i actually started off with the ESX-1 and a microKORG. But Well the ESX is nice, but to me it just sounded to tinny. First after reading a Few negitive reviews of the EMX i was afraid of getting it, but after playing around with it in the store for about an hour, i knew i wanted it. Its GREAT for Trance and Drum and Base. The Drum Samples are also GREAT. Nice and Warm......i don't care what anyone says....the Instuments are a little fake sounding, but tweaking them enough makes them sound cool (i don't kno why you would expect an electronic instument to sound exactly like a real one anyway.) To the guy who says if its your only pice of gear you would be dissapointed...i don't know why he said that. the ESX...I was dissapointed with...but them EMX, i could write an entire music pice... The EMX is my first piece of hardwear...ive been doing computers for awhile....but didn't like the mouse...

Speaking of effects....they are alsome....sound great...do cool things, and the fact that you have 3 and they can be built on top of eachother, you really don't feel like you have limit on it.

the only bad thing about this baby is NO EXPANSION....i meen comeon korg....the sounds it comes with are GREAT..sept for the fact....NO EUROBEAT SOUNDS.....sigh...but as my frist piece of gear it has enough sounds to put out a lot of tracks...im sure it will last me atleast untill i save up enough for my next piece of gear.

like i said before...the sounds are ALSOME! the drums are crisp and warm. the Synth sounds GREAT.....and the sqeuncing on it is alsome too! to get drums and synth in a 650 dollar package is alsome. The real time effects you can apply is cool too... yo gotta love recording your changes in modulation in real time!

the tubes like everyone else has said don't do anything...haha they just make it louder (nothing that an amp couldn't do....). But they do look cool, and i seriously they jacked the price up that much because of them.

uhh only had it for a day...the case seems good though.....i had the ESX and never had any problems so i expect the same from this...

the manual is a little Bla...to technical...you gotta read between the lines to do what you wanna do with it....but its not a problem..

I'm not going to lose it.....but if i did i would buy it agian....(as long as insurance paid for it since i don't have the money...hahaha).

the EMX is a great first pice of gear. it gives you everything you need to start producing electonic music for less then half the price of lets the the MC-909 (which has some great eurobeat sounds on it...but everything else sounds sooooooo GENERIC!).

I started out with the ESX and you know what i might actually buy it again as my second pice, but as a standalone piece the MX wins!

the only thing that keeps it from taking the 10 is

-No expansion of PCM sounds....
-Keyboard is not that good for real time keyboarding

Doesn't get much easier than this. If you have used other gear before, it is cake. Just have your manual there when you first get it to learn a few things. Editing is a snap and very fun and inspirational to boot.

9 Drum parts and 5 synth parts. Well, if this is your only peice of gear, then, you might be a bit dissapointed. Even then, with a bit of work and a MTR, you can work some magic. As for the idiot who reviewed below, everything he said was wrong. Chords can be had with the CHORD function you moron. READ... YAY! Oh, and if you want to control an external synth without the internal sounds playing, you simply turn that patches sound off on that channel. What an idiot you are... hahaha.

Ok, now that that is cleared up, the EMX isn't exploding with features... BUT, that isn't a downfall when it comes to the Electribe series. The reason these things are loved around the world is for the simplicity and pure insparation they sturr up.

As for the built in effects, Reverbs stink... delays I really like... other effects are all useable.

Well, I would have paid what I did even just to get the synth section of it, let alone all the other goodies it has. Amazing what kind of sweet VA sounds this baby can pump out. As for the pcm drums, they are of surprisingly good quality and highly useable. Get's a 10 for price to sound quality and useablitiy.

Solid. All metal and the new knobs are so damn sweet. Nice a tight. =)

Never had to use them and never hope to.

If it were lost (impossible, it doesn't move) or stolen... I would be out the next day buying the EMX ESX combo again. I have been producing and audio engineering for 5 years now and I've been through mounds of gear in those years. BUT, I can finally rest for a few years to come. EMX-ESX-Alesis ION-Reason-Mc-505-MFB Synthlite (Real Analog)... Enough to satisfy my needs. Honestly love these two (ESM EMX) and recommend them highly. Of course, they are not for everyone and you should go give them a test drive at your local music store first. It gets a 9 overall.

Easy to use, thats about it on this topic because its too easy

This box sucks for playing chords...you know why? Cause you cant HA HA HA. Effects are decent and so are the sounds but the layout sucks 9 drum parts 5 synth What kind of mongoloid moron would set something up like this. It is like a MC-303 from 1988 with dedicated drums and synth parts you cant have more or less. YOU CANNOT COMTROL EXTERNAL GEAR all by itself both have to play at the same time there is no setting the channel to external. (The korg is made in 2003,Even on the 303 mc 303 you can do this and it was made years ago ) what a rectal design.

Not to shabby, easy to create cool sounds but the tubes dont really work they are more like a distortion knob.

dunno sold it

Dunno sold it

I sold it but shoulve returned it ASAP for full price. Korg electribes bite serious rectum

The patterns are not bad and show what the beast can do, but, well, are pretty useless. The better thing is to start writing new pattenrs from scratch, to avois this "already heard somewhere" feeling. Editing a patch is a breeze, thanks to the vast amount of potentiometers. Almost every parameter has its own pot.

It has 9 drum parts, five VA synth parts. There are many oscillator types, going from additive, ring mod, to formant and hybrid (VA + sample). The sounds range from good to very good. You can achieve some realistic 303 emulation, great basses and powerful leads. There's nothing to really complain about. The midi capabilities are good too : you can receive / transmit every pot position, sync to / from external modules, and select a midi channel for each of the 14 parts. The effects are excellent and there are many of them. Use them wisely :) You can chain the 3 simultaneous effects : either 3 standalone effetcs, or 1 going through 2 and 3 alone, or 1 going through 2 going through 3. The sequencer is dead easy to use. You can mute a part at a time, or mute one of the 2 groups (drums/VA). Last but but not least, the arpegiator will give some fun moments and welcome variations in the sequences.

The drum sounds are somewhat limited and have been over-used and abused and there are mainly suit to dance/trance/garage/house and in general to electronic music. You'd better prepare to buy a sampler or another synth (if that's not done yet) to go along with the MX. The "analog" sounds are very good, but once again are quite limited in their use. Mainly electronic style, because the synth programming capability is very limited : no amp or filter adsr, just a simple EG parameter which is way too basic, only one osc type at a time, if you omit some of the osc shapes which allow you to stack several tri/saw/sin shapes, and the dual oscillator which only allow limited parameter twisting. No complex sounds here. Far from what I can achieve with the Novation Nova for example.

At first sight very well built. I'd go with in on gig.

Didn't have to deal with the support. Just one thing : this thing is incredibly difficult to have. Only 100 shipped for Belgium, far too short.

A very good buy, but lacks some enhanced programming abilities, and maybe a sampling ability (would be the dream groovbox then).