Korg EMX-1 Electribe MX

There's a bit of a learning curve depending on you previous experience with synths/sequencers.... especially when you want to progress away from cool accidents towards planned sound shaping.

Covered elsewhere.

I do electropop, but I come at it from a roots background. I have no interest in techno/dnb stuff and it takes a while to figure out how to harness this thing to do something other than that.... but once you do.... it is one of the most creative devices I've ever used. The oscillators generate some awe-inspiring sounds and all of the presets can be tweaked to eventually find a sound you might have in mind. Most of my music comes from a combination of pre-planned ideas and good accidents; the EMX-1 is a great hard sequencer and an outstanding accident machine. It's really fun trying to decide what to keep from the improv sessions. The tubes do fatten things up.

So far so good, but I am worried a bit about the main dial and I'm sure the tubes will eventually go.

A great drum machine, fantastic synthesizer, and contains solid effects. It also looks great. I get comments about the tone and the appearance every time I play live with it. For a while I thought about selling it when I was getting into 80's analog synths but that notion lasted two weeks and now I wouldn't dream of letting it go. It adds layers that the analog stuff I have can't do. In fact, I have recurrent nightmares that it gets stolen because I leave the door to my apartment unlocked, kind of like the "I left the stove on" nag. To put this into perspective, the only other recurrent nightmare I've ever had involved Jason from Friday the 13th when I was a kid. The EMX-1 rocks.

The presets sound good for the genres they are emulating, but useless for the genres of music I produce. They show off what the Electribe can do and how much can go on at once. Mainly, the presets were made and put on the Electribe to get it sold for the "wow" factor. I did not buy it because of the presets, I bought it because of the weird, noisy, loud stuff it could do once I started tweaking it.
Editing patches is pretty easy and straightforward. For the more advanced stuff such as step sequencing and motion sequencing and what not, a lot of buttons and knobs have to be used and a lot of submenus have to be accessed and that takes a bit of practice to get the hang of. But, most of the commonly used parameters are easy to access and straightforward. Making synth parts and modulating them is very easy, as well as manipulating effects and so forth.
The manual covers everything you need to know, right down to advanced MIDI programming and controlling. The manual is as straightforward as the unit itself.

The Electribe's synth parts are monophonic. Chords are possible with certain synth oscillator algorithms, but for the most part, you only get one voice per synth part. If you really felt like it, you could use as many of the synth parts as you wanted to create polyphonic sequences, but for each note of polyphony you'd want to use you'd need to use up a synth part, and you only have five. Polyphony is limited, so don't expect to pull off a bunch of lush pads.
The Electribe has three effects engines you can run simultaneously - independently or in series. In the words of the Electribe, you can "chain," or combine, multiple effects together. The only thing wrong with this is once you chain 2 or 3 effects together, it stays that way. For instance, if you have effect 1 as reverb, effect 2 as flange, and effect 3 as delay, and you've chained effects 1 and 2 together so that reverb and flange are running in tandem, that's the way it is. You can't run a drum part through flange and reverb and then run another drum part through just reverb (if flange and reverb are chained), unless you can give up delay as effect 3 and replace it with reverb. Also, you cannot have more than three effects running at a time - so whatever three effects you select for an entire pattern are the ones you are stuck with, this goes for both synth and drum parts. If you want, you could run an entire pattern through one or more effects by routing (sending) the effect to each part individually. Effect chaining is very cool, but unfortunately it limits the overall performance if you tend to rely on a ton of effects. Remember, you have 9 drum parts and 5 synth parts - 3 effects is nowhere near enough to cover this much terrain in electronic music.
However, there are plenty of wacky effects that make up for this shortcoming. Aside from the common effects like reverb, delay, distortion, chorus/ flange, and phaser, you have crazy stuff like grain shifter (takes a short sample and repeats it until another sample is taken), ring modulation (for anything, you can set the second frequency), talking mod (makes whatever you run it through sound like it's talking, basically a vocoder of sorts), decimator (messes with the sample frequency and sample depth), pitch shifter, and even high pass and low pass fitlers (with resonance) you can route to your drum phrases (or your synths if you want). The effects can do some crazy stuff, too bad they are few and far between. In short, there are some good effects that are easy to use, but the effects portion is limited in my opinion.
No expansion capablilities that I know of, but it can accept Smart Media cards for data storage. As for memory, it has 256 slots for patterns, and 64 slots for songs (string patterns together and set how long the patterns play).
As far as MIDI goes, it can sync up to MIDI clocks, the synth parts can be controlled by a MIDI controller, and you can MIDI dump all the data back and forth from a computer with a MIDI interface. I'm not too saavy with MIDI but I'm sure it's quite compatible.
Does it have an onboard sequencer? If it didn't, it would really suck. The Electribe IS a sequencer for drums and synths simultaneously. You can program everything and arrange it step by step. It's also pretty cool that you can run separate modulations to each synth part.

Velocity and aftertouch? What are those? (Sarcasm, of course) As far as I am aware of, you can't program velocity. You can program "accent" for synth and drum parts, which is similar to velocity in the regard of controlling volume step by step, but if controlling the synth parts from a MIDI controller, I don't know if the synth programs will respond or not. I seriously doubt there is any aftertouch whatsoever.
This is an electronic instrument. Don't expect anything to sound like a real brass ensemble or string quartet or choir. Maybe a cheezy version of it due to the PCM waves, but pulse width modulation on the Electribe does not sound nearly as good as other synths I've used. This machine is intended for making electronic music, and it does this very well. If you want realistic sounds with a sequencer, get a workstation.
The only electronic genre this machine lacks in sounds for is industrial, which is what I produce. Granted, by running the drums through a lot of distortion, you can attain a power noise/ Terror EBM sounding drumbeat, but most of the uneffected (or effected) drum sounds aren't as punchy and gritty as I'd like them to be. If you are into techno, trance, electro, or anything else that isn't as harsh as industrial, the Electribe is great for those genres. But for people wanting to make REAL industrial (and not synthpop industrial-wannabe crap), the Electribe will take a lot of tweaking. I use VPM and Cross Modulation a lot to create metallic, staticy, overtone rich, FM-like sounds. Also, Waveshaper (WS) works wonders for creating incredibly harsh sounds.
I have to give this category a 7 because of lack of velocity/ aftertouch programmibility, lack of sound programmibility (the MicroKorg can do a lot more synth-wise), and lack of harsh, pounding drums. But, the rest of the capabilities really make this a unique machine.

The appegiator slider kinda bothers me since the display model at the store was missing the plastic piece that goes on top of the metal stub. I would definitely carry this around in a case that has lots of padding and I would take into consideration that the knobs are plastic and can break off, and they are about 1/2" to 3/4" tall. But, the unit itself is made from metal and is very, very durable. I wouldn't drop it since it has vaccuum tubes (and the vaccuum tubes produce such a nice overdrive), and vaccuum tubes tend to be very fragile. Other than that, I'm pretty sure I can depend on it because I've never had a problem with Korg before. I would gig without a backup, but I would keep a close eye on it to make sure it didn't break or get stolen at a gig.

I can't have an opinion on this because I have not dealt with Korg for this product.

If it were lost or stolen or broken, I might buy a new one. It depends on if they have a new version by the time this might happen, or if the used price of this unit drops. I have grown fond of what the Electribe can do in terms of sequencing and plan on using it live when I get the chance.
I have been making electronic music for over a year now and have been making music in general for over two years. I own mostly Korg gear: a microKorg, X50, and an 01/W. I also own a Xiosynth that I'm having problems with and I have to ship it back to the manufacturer and get it replaced (one of the keys is not responsive).
I love the fact that more than one thing can go on at once with this unit. I am used to synthesizers that produce one sound at a time and recording that sound then recording another and layering them. It is nice to be able to program everything together and hear it all at once for a change (in real-time, too), it definitely helps creating music. However, I hate the fact that the synth section is slightly limited compared to other virtual analogs. For instance, I can ring modulate two oscillators, I can sync two oscillators, I can cross modulate two oscillators, just like on the MicroKorg - but I can't run them in unison unless I switch the knob over to unison. You can run oscillators in unison, yes, but each type of modulation that would normally be able to be run in tandem on a VA are separate and isolated from each other, they are considered different oscillator algorithms. This makes it difficult to get thick sounds that sound different than JUST unison saw or unison square waves. One thing I wish it had was more effect routings, 5 might be less limiting than 3. I tend to rely on my MicroKorg for my virtual analog sounds and leave only a handful of synth sounds to the Electribe.
I compared it to some products, but nothing in the category of this. Everything else I looked at was a VA synth and I wanted to go for something that could do a bit more than just make one sound at a time. It would also be nice if it was able to program in other time signatures besides 4/4.
It definitely helps me make music, despite a handful of drawbacks. Maybe the "EMX-2" (if it's going to be made) will solve some of these kinks. I'm glad I bought it.

I believe all items in the Korg Electribe series are the easiest to use of ANY groovebox-type product. I usually can read the manuals one time then not have to look back again much afterwards.

I wish there was a way to assign more than one effect to more than one sound at once...that's a pretty big wish though. The onboard effects it does have though are very nice sounding. You can transform boring sounds into wacky sonic blasts with the effects and a little knob tweaking. I love how the sequencer on it goes up to 8 bars instead of 4 (like in the first electribe series). I used a 64 MB Smart Media card in mine, it was more than enough for what I needed so to tell you the truth it might be a bit overkill....

I used my EMX to produce acid house, electro, IDM, techno, industrial and psytrance. I think it did best for electro because it has deep thumping bass and snappy snares sort of like an 808 but much more better sounding because of the tubes and the fact it isn't an old worn out analog piece of junk. Not so good with industrial - not enough mechanical and industrial type of sounds in it (like real industrial, not the industrial pop crap out now a days that's actually just trance with emo vocals)...but for that I plan to get the new sampling electribe so I can just put those sounds in there and it myself....The easy to use sequencer along with the arpeggiator makes it great for producing wacky acid riffs. It's like having a way more evolved 303 in front of you.

I have used this to play live with 4 times. It never did me wrong yet my $2,200 Alesis Andromeda A6 did..go figure.

I've never had to deal with Korg because every single product i've bought from them has worked fine. I always buy new though, not from pawn shops or from eBay.

Actually MINE DID GET STOLEN! :( I'm probably going to get it again along with the sampling electribe. I first started using electribes as soon as they came out. I had initially wanted a Roland MC505, so I walked into the store with a load of cash in my pocket, walked over to where the MC505 was, played with the thing for 30 minutes getting frustrated due to not being able to figure out how to do A DAMN THING, my being a female and men in music stores never wanting to help females looking at gear...So I wandered over to the electribes..Hadn't even heard of them. I thought "What the hell are these weird looking things?", figured out how to program my own beat in in less than 5 minutes, fell in love with the motion sequence knobs, bought them, and didn't leave my house for about a year. Since then i've also bought a Yamaha AN200, Roland MC303, Roland JP8000, Alesis Andromeda A6, Yamaha RS7000, Alesis Micron, and Roland Juno (can't remember which version it was, it broke in a week). Out of all that stuff I love electribe most. The Alesis Micron and Yamaha RS7000 come in second. teehee.

this box is very easy to use to make noise right out of the gate push play and twiddle aways. while there is a history of dance music from the begining of the millenium in there the preset patterns sound dated but this isnt what we buy boxes like this for. i mean its a noise maker and a damn good one at that. i dont care for the tubes i mean i suppose its ok when used very slightly but anything over twenty percent i find useless.
lots of classic drum sounds in there and well allthough they can be slightly out of fashion for some i stil think its worthy set of samples.
the modelling of analog is good allthough this box doesnt sound overly like any other synth. it has its own flavour. for some its a great sounding box for others its not thier thing.
i think this is a classic and could very well eventualy gain a cult following along the lines of a tb303.
lets face it as serviceable tbs become rarer and rarer there is always going to be people who want hardware to use to make electronic music.
lots of options here.

polyphony isnt what you buy this box for . making beats is great and coupled with a sampler wich you can control via midi on the emx1 you have a great base for hip hop electro trance industrial. anything you want to do realy.
audio ins for processing signals.
lots of effects different filter types. envelope control or lack there of is a let down but you can work around it.
using this box with a pad oriented synth can yield some amazing results. over the top acid sounds are there this box is a acid monster. sorry for all the haters wich say the tb303 kills this box. i mean it doesent sound like a tb303 however it can do so much more and if you are smart how you process things you can get a great acid sound from this piece of gear.
its great for lots of different modulation routing as well. knob moves are mermorized up to twenty four per pattern. great stuff here.

this synth is a jimi hendrix synth in my opinion all kinds of squelchy leads and buzzy bits are possible. pads are there too allthough not to my liking i am sure some could find it usable.
i am going to say the sounds are a ten for expressiveness its a great little box.i wouldnt say they are pristine quality but i will say it does sound realy good.

so far so good but who knows if it will stand the test of time. i have some concerns about the data knob. seems way more solid than the other electribes i have owned over the years. i do think i would give her a go live. its seems like it was well thought out nice tension on knobs .

for the price i paid wich was two hundred eighty dollars like new in the box i couldnt ask for anything more. i remember when these were new they were twelve hundred bucks here and there was no way i would have paid that much but for what they are trading hands for these days they are pretty much one of the best deals around.
i think that these boxes are undrated and are the last great groove boxes. lets face it so much has changed since the early nineties in terms of gear moving to software. i think theres a lot of people who would laugh at this box however if you think about laughing alot of people buy software for way more than this only to have it fall by the wayside in their kit list in a year or two. you cant realy sell software to someone three years down the road but if you grow tired with your hardware you should always be able to get some money back.

This is the strong point of this machine.Childsplay

The effects in my opinion are weak.Also the so called "warm" sounds of the valve tubes are just harsh.It is a bit toylike in many ways. it is very limited in many ways.I would recommend this to anyone who wants instant,simple music.It is a dance box,plain and simple.You cannot layer loads of sounds and be overly creative.There basically isnt a lot to it.

The sounds are average.Some of the pads are quite good.The drums will bore you after a while.It all depends on what you are looking for.If you just want a bit of easy fun on a dance orientated box,then this is for you.If however,you want pro sounds,then you will definitely need other gear to make it sound better.

Average

Never needed them

I sold mine on ebay,but wouldnt buy one again,simply because you can get better stuff for the money.

I had already had practice with a previous electribe (EA-MK2), so this wasn't all that diffucult to learn and adapt to. I made my own original tack the first night I got it. Editing patches is simple.

If it had a built in sampler the EMX-1 would be the ultimate groovebox. Even without the sampler it still kicks the MC-909's butt.

Definately not an all in one machine.

Mostly making trance and a little techno, to me the synth sounds do have a deep, warm feel to them, the problem is that there just aren't enough of them. Synth sounds in this unit are limited. The piano and string instruments sound semi-real and do the job.

Now the drum and bass sounds are pretty amazing. I love making beats with this machine. The low ends are incredible and the 9 drum parts really open up the sounds of your patches/songs. The only problem with the bass nots is the little "clicks" that sound at the end of them, though this isn't usually an issue with the type of music I make since they are always being covered by a hi-hat sound.

The effects are nice, but once again are limited. The delays are great and the reverb is ok. The distortion sucks! The drive and cut off feature are awesome as are the synth oscillator effects. I like the fact that more than 1 effect can be assigned to a part.

The arpeggiator is cool, but I don't use it that often.

Although the knobs are made of plastic, the rest of the unit seems pretty solid. Unfortunately the main circular knob does start to wear and loosen over time (i've played the hell out of this thing)causing pattern switching or other features associated with this dial to be quality compromised. For example, when I am on pattern A30 and rotate the knob over one click to A31 it will sometimes skip to A32 or backwards to A29. This can be very annoying at times. I now have to be more firm with the dial when turning it.

I had a few questions when I first bought the unit so I called customer support to clear a few things up - they were quite rude and impatient. So I called a second time to get someone else on the line and again very rude to me. I had to figure most of these things out for myself.

If the unit were to be stolen or busted I might buy another one, or I might just buy something else just to have something different. I really don't have to many complaints about this box. It does some cool stuff even without being able to sample. Definately worth the money, especially compared to the overpriced 909. My advice is to buy one, you won't be disappointed.

OK. This machine is fantastic, working with it in songmode is so much fun, exactly what i was looking for when i decided to leave computerbased sequencing (cubase). Fast and hands on.
BUT, there is a major bug in the OS, also in the new updated OS version 1.02:

According to the manual, recording of "event data" (mute's, knob twists, arpeggiator performances etc.) should overwrite old event data of the same kind on the same part, but it does not work. If i for example record a filtersweep (cutoff knob) and then record a new filtersweep on the same position and on the same part. The filter cutoff will jump betwen the two recordings.

For people who make dancemusic, which is based on alot of knobtwisting, this bug is very important. Since there is no undo, and you can not overwrite old event data (because of this bug) you will only get one chance to record your performance.
However, it is possible to erase event data by holding down a button combo while recording - but this will erase ALL event data on ALL parts. So if you recorded alot of event data - part mutes, filtersweeps, keyboard performances, etc, etc.- and then make a mistake while recording you have to erase all of your previous recorded event data and start all over again.. This is a major bug.

This machine is wonderfull, but there are alot of interfacetweaks which could be done easily thru a OS update that would improve it alot. Korg does not seem to be intrested in improving this product which is ok, but in my opinion its their responsibility to fix this huge bug. Its a shame Korg have put alot of work in developing this awsome machine.. but then they let a little bug ruin it..

I have tried to inform Korg about this bug, but the do not reply.
Please Korg release a new buggfree OS.

It is the ease of use that makes the Electribe so good. It makes writing music a real pleasure. I bought the electribe because I was finding that the complexity of using my PC sequencer with various soft synths, samplers and sound modules was taking the fun out of making music. I am serious when I say that six months after buying the electribe I have written more and better music than in the 5 years previous.

The only minor critism I have is that recording mute events when recording songs can be a pit of a pain sometimes but dont let this put you off.

It is small enough to have on your lap so you can use it wherever you are in your home.

Plenty of features. The effects are great and don't underestimate the power if being able to record all knob movements with the motion sequencer - it really does add serious expressiveness to your music.

A bit of a shame it can't play chords although there is the chord oscillator as the last person mentioned.

Sounds fantastic. I have owned MS2000, AN1X, Nova, Waldorf XTK, Extreme Lead. I would say that it is not as good as the Nova and Extreme lead for creating complex layered sounds and neither is it very good for evolving pads. However its great for just about everything else and I would rate it as the best sounding synth I have ever owned! There are quite a few different oscillators to choose from including formant (human voice sounds - very nice!) and PCM which has about 100 different synth and drum sounds. All of the sounds can be spiced up with the great effects and motion sequencer.

The drum sounds are superb - I would honestly pay the money for this instrument based on the drum parts alone!

Another thing that strikes me about the sounds is just how professional the whole thing sounds. It seems to have a certain warmth and clarity about it and I believe you could create professional sounding finsished songs with little (if any) further mixing or processing.

No trouble in six months of use. Seems to be well built although it does get a little warm.

Never had to contact them but their website is pretty informative.

Fantastic instrument that has rejuvenated my love for music writing. If you are suffering from writers block buy this instrument right now! If you are not, buy it anyway and ditch your computer for ever!

If you've ever used a 16 button groovebox, this should be a no brainer. With an attempt to add something useful to this thread, The ease of use should not hide the fact that this thing is incredibly powerful (to be discussed in the features section). Like any piece of groove gear, this thing should be treated like an instrument. It takes a while to play a guitar well -same with this. It, unlike a guitar is much easier to get started on. Its super easy to get simple trance/house songs out of - a bit more difficult to get more complex styles out. I've been doing some glitch/IDM patches on this. I love being an electribe power user!

5 VA's, 7 part drum polyphony. Most has been covered previously. The synths are cool - doesn't have an ADSR which is a problem with low sine like basses because they tend to click off at the end of the note. Oh well.

COOL STUFF YOU PROBABLY DON'T KNOW:
All knobs and buttons can be controlled in song mode. ALL. I've gotten some really crazy glitch sounds by simply rotating the effects knob while the two pre automated fx knobs fling the whole mix into chaos. Automating the fx chain is also fun while in patch mode -especially when you want to do drum rolls with the grain shifter (Buffer underun).

Most importantly - THE ELECTRIBE CAN CONTROL EXTERNAL SYNTHS!!!
Nobody seems to know this (mainly because its not really in the manual under any definitive chapter). Try clicking the MIDI button and then down on teh MIDI CH menu. Click the drums and then the synths - going in and out through 10 and then 1-5 respectivly. You can shift these around to whatever tickles your fancy.
Currently I have mine hooked up to a SH-32 (4 voice poly) and an electribe. I can do all synths externally if i want. This requires some slight reprogramming if you want it to work smoothly- mainly to avoid knobs and automation changing unwanted parameters in other synths. I took pretty much all the cc data channels exept filter and res cc data and dropped it on cc35 (a blank one). Don't forget to not send volume cc data. This is really annoying when you're trying to turn down the internal synth volume and the external one drops too. This is all explained in the manual.

All and all, this is a very cool box given the fact that it can send note and cc data to other synths/drum machines. Here are a couple of cool things I did with it:

*Muted a couple of the drum parts and triggered data on my 1st gen Es1 Electibe sampler.

*Played all the drums through my old Alesis D4

*Controlled my microkorgs vocorder and sang over preprogrammed synth lines.

*Plugged my guitar (after amp modelling) into the audio in and used the internal effects to filter/res and mod delay my playing.

Great synths sounds- not a lot of programming. Contrary to popular belief (Geezar 303) this box has the ability to play chords, albeit in the form of chorded pcm samples. M/m/M7/m7 all are spaced 2 octaves apart from themselves. The chorded rhodes patch is really cool -especially with some help with the fx section. The analog synths are balzy as hell and the convient distortion knob throws grit into pretty much anything. A distorted unison square wave is the greatest jungle bass ever. Just twiddle the filter/res knobs.

Alright. I'll come clean. I work at guitar center (125). Off all the time I've been there, we've had 1 go out twice. Now, before anybody gets scared that was because we had it left on for 4 months STRAIGHT as a demo piece on the floor. It came back with new tubes and some small component. Another 4 months, same thing. Thats 2928 hours of straight cookin the tubes. Mines never had a problem.
Aluminum chassie - i give it a 9

I deal mostly with the reps, who are awsome.

For 499- only 100 bucks more than the es1mkii electribe, this thing is bangin for the buck!
I love this thing. Just got a hiphop track that I made on this with some vocals. Sounds like it could be made on a triton. Right now, the interface is more or less totally transparent. I love this thing, I use it often in leu of my laptop for live performances - I do a lot of jungle/dnb/breaks as well as more experimental electronic stuff.
If theres a piece of information that I don't know about the EMX, I want it dragged out into the street and shot. This is my baby. Ableton live 5 is also my baby, but I love both of the unconditionally.

Okay, so I'd be considered a "semi-pro" by most, since my entire income doesn't come from music. That being said, I've been heavily into computer based production for some years, as well as owning quite a few specialty keyboards and beat machines. If you've ever had experience with a beat machine before, this is a walk in the park. I took it out of the box, plugged it in, and started working on my own patterns immediately. I spent literally five minutes with the manual and was off to the races. Very intuitive.

Features are pretty damn good for something in the price range. The major downfall to the sequencer is that the pads have no velocity sensitivity, but on a synth of this nature you probably not too concerned with dynamics anyway. Expansion is limited, only allowing for a smartcard for file backup. The sequencer is straight-forward and simple though. Anyone with experience in any major DAW or anyone who has owned a groovebox (any one) before should understand all of the concepts used on this piece.

If you're reading this you probably already know that this box is geared towards electronica/techno/dnb/dirty electro. That being said, I'm into hiphop primarily and find that this thing provides some nice additionaly sounds that I didn't already have at my disposal. The synth section is especially good for knob-tweak-freaks, and the sampled instrument sounds are so-so (but get more and more interesting with knob turns). The onboard drums are right up my alley, mostly 808 and 909 style, with a few live-sounding percussion and hi-hat sounds. All in all, it has a lot of diversity for it's size and price.

Only had it a short time, but a unit like this should last forever if you take care of it. I'd use it at a gig, no problem.

No experience.

I produce almost all of my tracks exclusively on my DAW. I bought this unit as a backup (my comp just crashed!) in case my computer when down again so I wouldn't be without production capabilities. If you're looking for something simple with a pretty good range (albeit electronic) of sounds, this is a good unit. I've owned the Roland MC-505 and other Korg beat machines in the past, and the synthesis capabilities of this unit far surpass that. Unfortunately there's no drum synthesis, but I guess Korg would like you to buy ER-1mkII for that. The sequencer is right on the mark and the step sequencing is cake, and since this thing is driven more on button locations than menu everything is quick and concise. This unit is very good example of an inspiring piece of technology, rather than something you're constantly troubleshooting. I reccomend it!

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).