Korg M1

I own a very old version of the M1, I don't know if some other release was presented later on. I don't feel the M1 difficult to use, although you have to work with it deeply to understand how to successfully modify sounds.

M1 is definitely an old synthesizer. All its sounds are good but have too much personality and I feel that some other sounds could be better: the piano, for example. I don't want to add much more because I feel that you can find any kind of tech documentation about the M1 everywhere.

IMHO, use the M1 if you need for cheap:
1. a good keyboard that can also work as multi-effect and very powerful midi keyboard controller.
2. violin, reed, voices cheap sounds

forget pianos (acoustic and electric) and synths.

Never had any problem, and I used it VERY HARD on stage moving it very often. Only one thing: the joystick moved a little, but continued to work perfectly.

Buy it if you need a cheap, solid keyboard.

Small LCD with a lot of pages! I paste the function table on my M1, and this much better...preset voice are good...

16 polyphony but enough! Internal effect is not so good...I have two set of cards...Sequencer don't have undo function:(

I like the sound of M1! Very typical KORG sound! Especially a.piano with metallic taste and the panflute

I have to change all the 34 panel switches because most of them are not so well...

Very good keyboard!

Os 100 Prog e 100 Comb s?o satisfatorios, devido a possibilidade de expans?o com um card. Para um iniciante editar um "patche", pode ter alguma dificuldade

A polifonia dele e pessima para quando editamos COMBs ou usamos o SEQUENCER. As teclas s?o de boa ac?o... Os efeitos s?o poucos mas devem ser estudados com muito cuidado, podemos obter resultados muito surpreendentes... Em conex?o MIDI achei o inadequado para algumas tarefas...

TCHAN,TCHAN!!! Aqui esta todo o poder desta maquina: sua qualidade em varios grupos de timbres e otima, Usava-va o em Rock (and Roll, Blues, Progressivo, Metal...), musica classica (otimos strings...) e jazz, ... o unico problema e quando vc empolga e esta tocando num teclado de 5 oitavas...

Permite backup usando um CAKE...

Em meu pais (Brasil) em geral e dificil termos uma boa loja autorizada para servicos tecnicos...

After you've figured out how the menu works it's quite easy. I got no manual so just trying everything is what I can do. I can't rate the preset sounds 'caus I don't have them. Editing is simple.
The number pad does not edit values, it can only be used for loading patches etc. Therefore only 9 points.

I don't know about the polyphony but is seems enough for me.
There is aftertouch and key velocity. Both of them are very hard to use for me because I am used to those heavy keys of my stage piano. The M1 keys are very lightweighted and I find it difficult to use the touch response.
You can insert cards with sounds and use them straight from the card or load them into memory.
There's a sequencer on board but no arpeggiator. The effects are out of date but useful for most of the sounds.
Very nice feature: 2 additional outputs. In split mode you can e.g. put your right hand on the other outputs. This way you could send them trhu some external effect processor.
There's a single mode, split mode, layer mode and such stuff. You can save these settings - very fine.
Two effect processors on board, they can be switched serial or paralell.
The joystick can control filter, oscillator and bending.
MIDI is great. You can switch channel and have some MIDI filter that keeps out aftertouch, sysex etc. from the data received and transmitted.
There's lot of other stuff in this box I didn't try yet. Thinking about the age when this synth was new, I surely have to rate the features 10 points.

Oh well... some sounds are really a mess. There were times when "digital" was a bad name for sound quality. That's exactly what you find in the M1. (Nowadays digial sounds can be really brilliant).
On the other hand, there are some really great sounds, like the DX7 e-piano or some hammond sounds. These great sounds do not sound thin or something. They are rich and very useful.
There should be a lot of great sounds available in the second hand market (on those cards...).

Well since I bought it just yesterday... no rating here.

*grrr* What I write about here is Music Meyer in Germany, the local agency of Korg. Well they reply very quickly, that's fine. But the fact that manuals do cost 20 Euro is a shame! Alesis have there manuals available for free download in PDF format.

I don't know if I would have it replaced when it got lost. Thet's because it os new to mee. (As said, I bought it yesterday.)
I love the beatufiul hammond sound and the DX7 e-piano. I also love the bunch of very nice features. I did not compare it to other products. The M1 is a rompler device and my other machines are real synthesizer. Therefore you just can't compare them.
I wish it had an arpeggiator.
Well I guess I'll have to sell my Korg Poly61M. I like it but I need the money and the M1 is far more flexible. If anyone wants to gift me the B3 memory card - just write me an e-mail. :-))

It's so easy to edit patches , I used midi cable and attach my m1 with my PC and whenever i want to change the tones or sequence I just send data through computer .. so very easy to use

It has all the neccessary features which a group wants....
it has great effects in it... I just like it ....I wonder if my M1 had mic in facility....

I use it without backup....when you use your m1 with your PC .. you don't need any backup because your PC is your backup of M1

I have no customer support in my country.....whenever my M1 has any defect ...I repair it myself....because i'm electronics engg...
I have much experienced to repair M1 ...

A little bit fiddly to get started with the small LCD screen, but
once you know what your doing and what does what, it's a breeze.

A lot of features and even more when once you find them.

The Multi Sounds are great.
The M1 is capable of producing some great sounds with a little tweaking here and there.

Some keys started to stick after a couple of years hard hitting.
But I did buy mine 2nd user, so I can't really complain.

Never had and I don't think I'll need it

Don't ignore this synth, you will regret it.
The unique red glowing buttons and large, sleak, black panel make's this synth look a true pro-synth.

This is one of those synths that you keep. I'm still amazed, after all this time, of what can be gotten out of this synth. Programs and Combinations are pretty straight forward. You can even make quick edits from the front panel without digging around in the Edit menu.

A lot of people don't know just what this synth is capable of, like for instance you can play General Midi files thru it. For all the files needed for this, head to The Korg M/T Series Super Site at...

http://korg.terrashare.com

The factory patches don't due justice to this synth. It's only after aquiring new sounds that'll you'll really appreciate what this synth can due. If you need the factory files though, they can be found at...

http://korg.terrashare.com

Rock Solid. The only problems you'll have is the internal battery will eventually die out, and some of the switches will go bad. The battery only costs a few bucks, and the switches only ran me a dollar.

Korg no longer supports this synth, but many service centers still do as this synth was very popular. In it's day though, Korg did provide free ROM upgrades, even paying for a service center to install it.

Defintely a keeper. I would repurchase it, as they are pretty cheap used and there are a ton of patches out there for this synth due to it's popularity. It deserves it's "classic" rating.

Pretty easy to move around,once you get the hang of it and considering the ancient technology. I am not sure when these boards came out, but I bought mine in 1987 brand new. I see that the price really came down after a couple of years! >:( Oh well, that's the way technology works.

Top of the line board in it's day. The 8 track sequencer, effects, midi, and combo sounds all make this a great board for it's age. Compared to my new Triton Pro, it is a dinosaur, however! :)

I love the sounds on the M1. Many are still unmatched today. I saw a review that one guy didn't like it's drum sounds. I like them! I love them! I think they are powerful, tight and expresive. I might even like them better than the sounds on the Triton. The SAX is awesome and I like program 47 - Pipe Organ.

What is it, 13 or 14 years old. I had to replace the battery once. It still goes strong. Not one little problem, even after my kid poured V8 juice all down in the keys back in 1991. :)

NADA, ZIP, ZILCH! I am very disappointed in Korg for their support on this board. How can you make a product as awesome as the M1 and then turn your back on it. I mean, sure, move on to bigger and better, but help your customers maintain their old products!! It makes me scared of how long it will be before they ditch the Triton!

Overall, spectacular machine. I am not sure at what price you could buy one today, but if I lost it, I probably wouldn't replace it. It is a great box, but the technology is just so much better now. Light years appart. It is severely limited by the fact that it came out prior to general midi and it's data transfers are cumbersome and lack signifcant memory capabilities. Many years of faithful service. :)

The factory presets are rather bad, unless you are using the string and piano sounds, but I prefer to tweak my own sounds! If you save your original keyboard set-up, you can get in there and start screwing around with the presets to come up with some pretty good sounds!

The effects are fairly good for a ten year old keyboard, and they are fairly easy to use. Lately, I've been using it as a master keyboard, triggering my E-mu sampler and Roland Super-JX with the built in sequencer! When you mix it's sounds in with the other boards, they fit really well! ...O-yeah, by the way...I have RARELY gotten good drum patches from the korg! I always use outboard drums, mainly Alesis drum machines and modules, or sampled drums on the E-mu! I only wish it had a bigger memory capacity in the sequencer!

Very good techno/dance sounds...IF you tweak the crap out of existing presets, or edit your own presets from squarewave, etc.! Great acoustic piano, strings, and some good horns! I LOVE the sax sounds on this board!

I bought my M1 new, when it first came out, for around $1500.00 (I think!) I haven't had any problems, other than battery replacement!

NON-EXISTANT!!! If you want support for this board, search the net! If you go to the Korg site: http://www.korg.com , and type "Korg M1" into the product search box...they come back with the message "Product not found!"

I would definitely buy another M1, if anything ever happened to mine! I can't imagine life without it!