Korg ES-1 Electribe

You won't find much easier to use than this sampler. Within minutes of starting to play with it, even my techno non-compliant saxophone player way making funky beats and crazy sounds!

For more advanced functions, the sampler remains usable. For example, the user may assign a pattern to each of the 16 step markers and switch between them almost like a DJ mixing records.

The unit can be used more or less standalone to produce the basis of tracks, should you be inclined to dancier/drum'n'bass/industrial music. Myself, I use it more for the crazy effects and snipping up ambient samples to make bizarre sounds, and it does that very well too. It's more a drum machine that a sampler, but owing to the SmartMedia support, that shouldn't put the more ambient user off.

The MIDI implementation is good, with quite a good deal of control, but one gripe is that I could only trigger up to 9 samples in a bank; it would be nice to be able to set up different octaves on my Evolution controller keyboard to represent different banks, because I like to do things like take one sample, such as someone twatting a fence with a mallet, and make a scale out of it, subsequently 'playing' it.

This unit is very expressive; I managed to make a sample of computer-generated static sound CONVINCINGLY like wind, rain, the sea and the Westwood bomb! Maybe it's a bit limited in that you can only really use one effect at once, but the way all your knob settings are 'remembered' until you move them, and can even be sequenced, really adds to the expressiveness of this unit.

It's been totally reliable in the month or so I've had it, despite having been sat on, covered in dust, had juice spilled on it... The only concern I have is that the knobs are not terribly robust and the casing is a little flimsy.

N/A

I love this unit, it's a lot of fun. We've even managed to drop in loops in time with our chimp of a drummer by tapping the tempo (a bit of a hack, but we don't have a dedicated sequencer yet!).

Everyone sees this unit with its flashing lights and wants a go, but it really is worth the asking price.

A few nice presets in there, most suck. Then again, this is a sampler, and -after all- surely a serious musician doesn't need presets.
It's dead easy to use, just like the other 'tribes. Satisfying results in minutes. Still, deleting parts should be easier. Now the best (?) way is to save a blank pattern to a memory location, and write it over any patterns you need to delete. And one thing I miss is Rm1x-style one-finger muting, and maybe mute memories. The manual is ok, especially as the ES-1 is so easy to use.

Specs, everyone knows them. As everyone else, I'd like to be able to assign the delay to individual parts, although now it does allow you to add cool metallic effects to the whole mix (if used with caution). Just one multi-effect is just a bit too little for my taste. Two effects would have been nice. Some of the effects suck. The echo is too platey for my taste. Filter resonance is something that should have been included outside the effects section (as there is already a cutoff knob).
The decimator is nice, though. Using the slicer function gives mixed results; it is possible to achieve some very well chopped up loops with it, but unfortunately luck plays a bit too big role in this. The slicer works best on straight 4 on the floor loops. It is a pity that the slicing funcition is a little dissappointing, as I'm sure Korg intended it to play a major role in constructing patterns.

It is a _sampler_! The sounds depend on... YOU. As for the effects, see above.

I've only had it for a month or so (I did buy it second hand, btw). No problems whatsoever. The construction is maybe a bit flimsy, though.

Overall, a nice box with good features, but, as pitifully many Korg products, a few big flaws. To me many Korg products seem nice and very hands on, but they always seem to have some very dissappointing flaws (for example MS2000 is only 4 voice polyphonic).
Some features would have been nice to see (filter resonance, better effects, idividual dealys, and a better slice function). None the less it's good value for the money, and fills a gap between the cheapest samplers and the more high-end pieces of kit.
All in all, nice and tweaky. And btw, a few pieces of kit look as good in the dark as the Electribes. ;-)

Software Version? I have no idea. The presets are very cool for displaying the unit's power. I would experiment a little with the preset patterns before "wiping" the memory. It can really help get you started. Change one effect setting and adjust the tempo and you can totally change the sound and feel of the pattern. I found that I kept 20-30% of the the presets in tact to build upon. I backed up the unit's presets onto smart media just in case I ever wanted to go back.
The unit's basics are straight forward and easy for the experienced sequencer user. Those new to sequencing will find it no more challenging than any other sequencer out there. The sampling functions take time to learn, but work well.
The manual gets a 7 out of 10. It is good, but not great. Leaves out details when you need them most.

The polyphony of this unit in no way interferes with it's usability. One listen to one of the factory preset songs and you will know what I am saying. I have the Boss SP 303 as well, and that thing is just a toy in comparison. This unit in combination with a 64MB smartmedia card has the capabilty to be the centerpiece of your midi set-up. Please, I beg you not to compare this unit with the Boss samplers. They are completely different animals. If you want to loop rythyms or trigger samples in your live songs, then get one of the Boss units. (thats what I did) If you want to compose music (any kind of music) then this machine is your choice. It holds lots of samples (99) and allows you to resample over and over so the effects possibilities are endless. The sequencer here in the unit is step or realtime. It is a real sequencer that allows virtual complete control of song or pattern creation. Do not get the Boss (202 OR 303) unit if this is your goal. You really cannot compose on those units.
I think the buttons and lights on this thing look really cool too when it is running. Some think it is hokey, but the in-tempo flashing lights really help you make on the fly adjustments. The midi capabilities are above average for a machine in this class. In fact, everything about this unit is above average for it's class.
The gated "audio in" track is a VERY interesting and useful feature. You really can achieve your signature sound with this unit, and you do it without even realizing it! The onboard effects I thought were all top quality and the BPM matching delay is a godsend for live applications and cross fading.
One final note: DO NOT let the sampling rate of 33 khz effect your decision on buying this unit. I don't know how they did it, but you absolutely can not tell the difference (between 44.1 khz). Korg, my hat is off to you for this. With all the compression technology out there available, we really shouldn't be measuring any machines capabilities by numbers, but by the results. In this case, the ES-1 sounds crystal clear and perfect. It would probably take a billion dollar sound wave measuring device to detect any difference in sound quality. I go by what my ears hear.

-This is a sampler. The sounds in it are up to you. But the preset samples are pretty cool, especially the time-sliced ones.
-The ES-1 can honestly be used for any type of rythym based music. I don't think classical would be possible in it's true form. Sorry Mozart.
-The onboard effects are all good and very usable. It must be noted that this machine will RECORD your all of your effect knob movements for each part. For the price (under $500) you won't find another unit that can touch that. That is truly were the flexibility of the ES-1 comes through.
-The unit is great to use live. Hell, take it over your friends house during a party and you can blow away everyone with your original tunes!
-Pads are not velocity sensitive, but this is a sampler. I personally never used velocity even on my other equipment that did have it. Better of using fade-ups or adjusting during your remix. Much better control for me that way.

To early to tell, but it seems solid and I have used it live with no problems.

Can not remark, never tried to contact.

-I would definately buy it again if it were lost or stolen. It is worth every penny and more.
-I have been playing for 18 years, programming and sequencing for 10, and I am an active member of a techno-rock band which has been together for 9 years. I also play bass guitar (18 years) and guitar and keys.
-I didn't do real comparisons, because honestly, for this price there is not much to compare it to! What is great is that it was designed to work fluidly with the other Electribe units so you can expand rather inexpensively and a bit at a time.
-I do wish it had digital outs for direct recording and burning. But to have this at $419 new (US), I ain't complaining!
-After getting this unit, I am thinking of selling off all of my other midi keys and equipment and then getting all of the Electribe units. Most of it is 4-8 years old and getting to be a bit dated. Ensoniq SQ-1+ 32, Boss DR-660, Alesis DM5, Boss SP 202 + 303 (the 202 was a throw in on the deal), Yamaha DX7 (old school), Samson Mixpad 9 mixer and several rack effects units.

The presets are crap, but who cares? It's a sampler, and the whol point is that you find NEW sounds. Wipe the memory--don't even waste SmartMedia space on it.
The manual isn't as bad as everyone says, but it's still a Korg manual--not exactly helpful in any respect.
It's an xOx sequencer with every control laid out on the front panel--you can't really get much easier. The only problem is the shite LCD, which only confuses things with its semi-arcane symbolic indicators.

The effects are OK--delay, reverb and decimator stand out. The rest are pretty subtle, to the point of occasional irritation, but hell, everyone should have an outboard multi-effects processor anyway, right?
The SmartMedia feature is great for exporting samples to programs like Cubase, Cakewalk, FruityLoops, etc.
Sampling rate is less than CD quality (whatever that means anymore), but still enough for drums, short bass sounds, etc.
For the price, it's amazing, and really a powerful little green box.

Like any sampler, you get out of it what you put into it--literally. Of course, samplers are usually associated with dance/breakbeat, but this could work well with ANY type of music. It's all about what you are sampling, be it Paul Van Dyk or Maria Callas.
The effects, as I previously said, are not the reason to buy this box, but any guitarist/synth jockey should have outboard FX anyway.

VERY reliable. I was afraid that the lengthy startup time would jeopardize my sets should the ES-1 gimp out on me, but thankfully it has never done so.
For the record, I NEVER, EVER gig without backup, and neither should you.

Never dealt with Korg.

If it were lost, I would be sad, but probably shell out to buy a more expensive sampler. I've been making music for five years, and have a pretty decent setup going, using a Q-rack, MS2000R, Nord MicroMod, TR-606, PulsePlus and (soon) my new Virus-Rack through an Echo Layla to Cubase. The ES-1 is great, but as my studio grows I long for higher sampling rates and better sequencing. Definitely worth every penny of what I paid, and it has served me well so far. When I got it, I was comparing it to the SU200 (total shite) and SU700 (slightly less shite), and it was simply no contest. It definitely helps make music, and has provided inspiration for many songs. It gets an eight simply because it is outdone by more expensive samplers. For the price, though, it is an unqualified ten.

If it were any more simple to use, it wouldnt even ship with a manual.
I myself, looked at the manual once for MIDI charts, but thats it.

It has the features I was looking for...BUT!! I only gave it a 7 because there is no way to turn MIDI local on or off....so for the way I have all my synths going through Cakewalk Pro Audio 9 I get major echo (doubling) from the ES-1 :( So thats a pain in the ass to work around....Im a here and now kind of worker, when Im in the studio I dont have time for work-arounds.

I got mine in brand new condition with the plastic still on the LCD for only $265! So at that price its expressiveness is great. And even at $500 its expressiveness is just the sound I was looking for. $265-$500 for a sampling drum machine with this kind of expression is great. I DO WISH YOU COULD SCALE A SAMPLE AN OCTIVE OR SO THOUGH :( For other pitches you need to either do a pitch motion sequence (not the best turn out on that) or sample multiple pitches (which could suck because you only get 9+slice+audio in)
The audio in feature is kind of cool.....just dont try to gate a guitar...I tried laying my Les Paul down with an Ebow on it....and it didnt gate very well at all. :(

In the studio I can depend on it because I handle my gear like a nurturing mother, I myself (if sobber) could handle on a gig.....BUT!! I would NEVER let anyone else use it for a gig.... The knobs and buttons are poorly built.

Never tried

If it were stolen I would by another for about the same price....But I never intended to buy one for $500 in the first place. Yes I'd replace it...It comes in handy. I have been playing for about 5 1/2 years.
I also own.....
Yamaha EX5
Yamaha AN1x
Korg Triton Rack
E-MU Audity 2000
Electrix Warpfactory
Sony DPS V55
Epiphone Les Paul Guitar
Ibanez 5 string Bass
BOSS GT-3
Line 6 Bass POD
and a ton of other studio gear.

The manual sucks. The es-1 however i think is a very intresting piece of equipment. I DJ and have a pioneer 600. I have been messing aorunf with midi and sampling for a while and i find this instrument to be very usefull. I plan on buying another on and using it with my 600. it would be great for gigs cuz sometimes i find it hard to mix out of tracks and this thing can help me alot! i believe two of things would be awsome and with the 600 it would be awsome, it would like be having two digital reocrds with my 600 that i could edit as i play. this is what i have been waiting for. my set, my music, live, able to to silence any part of music i want at any time. always synced. OH YEAH! EASY TO USE!

it samples, it has effetcs. neat.

none! you make your own!!!!!

haven't had a problen yet!

no need!

please contact me if you want to exchange info on this box!
johnkrylon@yahoo.com

I flushed all the presets. I'm using it to sample sounds made with Applied-Acoustics System's Tassman so I don't have to lug my tower around to gigs.
Editing sounds is quite easy, but I would have enjoyed being able to taper the beginning (not just the end "fade").

The Polyphony is quite alright, I've never had stuff cut out, but I'm using it with other gear, so I can't say it would be enough for someone just using the ES-1
I found the MIDI implementation a bit limited, It's a bit annoying not to be able to switch program change "off" like on the Electribe ER-1 and EA-1.
I like being able to hook up a smart card adaptor to the thing, but I wish the architecture made it so you could expand the actual sample time and not just store banks when using a smart card.
THe onboard sequence is what sets this box apart from the other "phrase" samplers out there. They've combined the ease of use found on a Roland TR-606 with the flexibility of sampling. I'll say the same about the two other Electribes, and kudos to Korg for letting me erase all the presets.

I got some nice atonal synth lines by using the pitch knob. I really wouldn't recommend this box for Classical, Big Band Jazz, Bossa Nova, Zydeco or Rock, but it's not just for dance either. I've used it to do "droney" pieces to.
The onboard effects are a bit lame, but they are saved by the Motion Sequence feature. I love the delay and filters, but the reverb usually has to be coupled with delay in order to sound smooth.

I know some people have complained about the cheap plastic etc., but there are still plenty of early eighties "plastic" X0X instruments floating around being sold at insane prices.

Just take care of your boxes and they should last longer than your interest in them.

If it were lost or stolen, I would cry. I would chase down whoever had commited the deed and mow them down with my bare hands. I would then sell their kidneys to buy myself a new Electribe.

Really easy to use. impressive how easy it is...

i agree with most reviews here...
i just want to point some (little) bad points.

- only one effect per pattern (warning : delay is independant of that)
- delay is assigned to every parts
- patterns limited to 4 bars
- no "delete pattern" fonction ! obligaged to delete all parts one by one.
- no battery (for travels......)
- only one note will be assigned if you plug a midi keyboard on it
- check the smartmedia cards prices......

Preset sound : i've deleted them all (i make music, not recycling) but some would like them.

i got 3 years warranty so... would love to see a web board about the box for everyone to help each other

this box is truly a dream. it's truly beautiful technology. i love it. it's really a good box for creativity. go buy it. (the little problems i pointed out are solvable with the resample fonction if you're clever enough... don't worry)

majority of sounds are useful, some really cheesy and should be shot at dawn, but each to thier own, its fully editable so ditch the crap and load up with your own choices. you could sample a 909 and get away with murder.

the only tricky thing with edits is the sample start point when using resample seems to leave a small gap at the start and theres a problem with the timeing on some sliced samples but nonetheless i have had good results with this recycle type feature. nice.

the manual is cool enough. seek and ye shall find. theres a couple of comments in other reviews here that have missed somethings covered in the manual, eg to copy a pattern is simple, just write it but choose a new pattern number before pressing write again.

the next version of this machine should make the following improvements:
1.assignable delay instead of the current all or nothing effect
2.greater polyphony and larger pallette: i like the shared keys, they have thier uses such as solving the previous reviewer's gate problems. go buy it back now! however, just as the groove gets going, its time for a b line etcetc. its all cost related so you cant expect 2 much in this price range. i expect the follow up model to hit 5/600 quid but it will kikk.
3. and for that money i would expect 2 fx sends. well worth it with the juicy fx onboard already. fixing the delay as above would adress this perfectly.
4.read out/ display for tuning and tweaking, particularly important for pitch control which seems to be left down to guesswork and intuition. looping breaks from different tempos is tricky to say the least and the slice function is a law unto itself and cannot be relied upon as a timestreching tool.

i have found several answers to problems so far and maybe i have overlooked some of the answers to the above. i'd appreciate any corrections...

use this machine for what it can do and forget about what it cant do and it simply kikks.

rating 9 for the money. wikkid.

expression is in the fx being that you can load what u like as scource sounds. transpostion is intuative and as above, not measurable which is a pain. some pre planning is advisable for tempo related breaks etc, perhaps pre edited samples are the key here but beware the start point edits. an emu style auto start point finder would be a masterstroke on this machine.

the overall sound of this machine is great. the fx are juicy. i wonder if it would raise the game to sample at 44k but it sounds sweet enough atm. i have yet to put it to the test against an akai or a phat analogue machine but i know people who wont sample off minidisk coz they need thier dubplates to sound huge on the dancefloor. well i used to take a 12 bit emax out live and drop beats basses and allsorts mostly at 28k and blow the sound engineer away so i guess i should have some faith in this machine.

put this machine thru a fnalizer of half decent compressor and it'll do the biz fer sure.

i still say it cant be pristine at 32k tho so 9 it is.

no problem. solid as a rock. ive not tried the card yet but i hope for the best.

remains to be seen. dont rely on your dealer. ever. for anything.

* i'd replace it if i lost it, sure.
* ive been 'playing' with technology since 85
* i like the size, i dislike the lack of batteries. i like its limitations, i dislike its shortcomings stated above. i like its simplicity, i dislike its inconsistent slice results.
* chose this for entry level recommendation to music tech students
* i wish it was either cheaper or more sophisticated. time will tell.
* its the best aid to writing music since my emax in 1988. buy an akai and sound like everyone else....buy a 128 voice emu with 20 mins sampling time and get lost up your own hard drive for 10 years...buy an es-1 and get to the point in 10 minutes flat.
* 2 of these and a dj mixer....why am i giving away me secrets??

i really want to give this a 10. please let me know if im getting it wrong with the slice function. this is a great feature, i just find it screws up the timing, even when resampling.

This is actually just a reply to HAXX's original comment about mute groups. If you're creative with the box, this is not a problem. What you need to do is 'motion sequence' the sample again at zero volume on the next step, or use one of the double samples and assign one to null. If the 'lack of mute groups' was keeping you from getting the sampler, please know that it can be done. It's not as easy as using an s2000 and Digital Performer, but it's also a little cheap box as opposed to a big expensive rackmount plus laptop setup.