Korg Triton Rack

Sotware version 1.5.1

Let's start saying that I'm primarily a guitar player with a personal studio, looking for the ultimate piece of gear to complete my project. Where I live these days (Argentina) options are somewhat limited, so cutting a long story short I bought the Triton Rack to serve the purpose of puting together some killer tracks.

Like some others (and even when I know my way thorugh synths) I found kinda hard to navigate the Triton. The manual (heavy as a bilbe!) uses very technical language which angles the learning curve to a whooping 90?. Might be good for a rollercoaster, not a manual, I bought this to play not to hurt my eyes! Anyway, I read on until my eyes were sore and I was in the right track again. I'm still impressed by the power of this machine...

Clocking in at 64, (standard) polyphony is OK for me. RAM on this thing is more than all my other hardware synths together, which is not always a sign of quality sound, but a string indication of its power.

Probably the most upgradable piece of gear in the market (always provided your bank account is fat enough), you'll find anything you might wish here (Vintage sounds, Dance sounds, Legacy sounds, Sampling, Extra Outputs, Extra Inputs, you name it. As long as you have the ca$h, the Korg Triton team has something for you).

Acoustic and "natural" instruments are great. Pads are fat, thick and luxurious. I do not play piano enough to say if there are better ones out there. It sounded pretty realistic to me. All analog sounds are grrreat. Electric guitars, on the other hand, are somewhat lifeless...

I think it is unfair to caompare this unit with a sampler, so I'll refrain to do so. IMHO if you're into hardware synths, this one smokes the competition these days, hands down.

If you're into pop, electronic, new age, ambient, progressive, hip hop, trance, dance, etc. this will suit you. I play a mixture between industrial and metal and suited me fine! The onboard effects are beyond good, provided you're proficient enough to tweak 'em a little.

Best in class.

Looks pretty solid. I selected to own the rack version (aside of running out of space) for reliablity, that's how solid it looks...
Why giving it a 9? Soemthing I did learn is that nothing is indestructible (those of you out there with little kids know what I'm talking about)

No need so far...

If it were stolen, I'd purchase another one immediately (OK, I'll save some money first for a while).

I bought this Rack to serve the purpose of creating some killer sounds to hook up to a keyboard, and use that as a contoller. Upon buying it i found it abit hard to navigate my way round. I'll admit i'm no genius in any sense with this sort of thing, but the manual uses abbreviations and very technical language which could baffle most people. The rack itself though is easy to navigate though, and i have had no problems, although doing certain thing like fiddling about with mulit-samples isn't brilliantly covered in the manual and i had to blindly fumble my way through things like that...

Certainly very upgradable... discincertinly so, it makes me wonder how much they actually left out in order to make some more cash.... but it certainbly has loads of features, most upgradable. Sampling, a host of midi controlling capablities etc. you get the picture: it has it all!

Here's where it really let me down. Being a keyabordist, i had in mind sounds that i could adjust, but where around the right mark for a lead keyboard. But unfortunately it lacks severely in this. The lead sounds it does have sound awful, and all the rest of the attention for sounds goes to dance/trance sounds which is really useful... They have come up with some good sounds in there, but mixed in with alot of crap really. Considering it is a sound module from a keyboard workstation, the sounds are poor.

Never a problem. To test i deleted, reloaded and switched around all the preset data, and all was fine. It is difficult to permanently change sounds inrevocably which is good, sound build quality. It's good.

Never really had to deal with them, excapt for a question regarding the Module before purchase and they answered within the hour with helpful advise. No more needed

This product was a let down after i bought it, with high expectations from Korg's usual high standard ending in a complete downer. It does help abit in making midi programs and sounds etc. on the computer sound good, but aside from that it doesn't really do much good for me. I've never been one to sit for 7 hours to create a good lead sound, i'd rather modify an already good one to my needs, but i wasn't allowed even that. I might use it at a gig or whatever, but only if somebody gave me some patches for it because really it isn't worth that much of my time.

I am using the latest software version (1.5.1).

I think the presets on this machine are outstanding. I rarely use them as they are, but instead I tweak and alter them for use. Also, there are some absolutely EXCELLENT PCG files (sounds) that you can buy from places like Kid Nepro and Pro-Rec. The Kid Nepro PCGs are outstanding and Pro-Rec is good too. There are also many free PCGs and Triton utility programs offered by capable amateur Triton owners that you can download.

This synth is not a "piece of cake." However, given the depth and capability of this synth, it is pretty reasonable to learn and use. I've had no problems.
I haven't had too much trouble editing...I find it fairly easy. However, I should mention that I had a head-start on this machine. I owned a Triton Classic 61-key for several years and learned how to do some basic programming on it. Moving to the rack took a few adjustments, but not too many. I don't use a patch editor, although I am sure it may ease the editing task a bit.

The manual is ok, but leaves something to be desired. I learn a lot by doing and going to the internet. The Triton is one of the most widely owned synths, so it is easy to find tips and helpful information on the internet about this unit.

Polyphony is 60 (outstanding in my mind, although some synths have more). The built in FX are outstanding and really complete the sound rather than sounding forced and artificial.

EXPANSION!!!! That is why I bought this synth. As I mentioned, I owned a Triton Classic 61-key, but I ran out of expansion slots! I am selling my Triton Classic and will expand my Triton rack to the fullest. The expansion roms that I have are excellent (Vintage archives and Dance Extreme). Korg sounds are simply terrific.

The MIDI spec is great.

The Rack has no midi sequencer, but it does have a multimode that enables you to sequence using an external sequencer (which is what I do). You can also use the Combination mode to sequence if you like.

This unit is the workhorse of my studio. Period.

Overall the sounds are outstanding. Granted, the pianos are horrible...absolutely horrible. However, the Concert Grand expansion card (Exb09) has some really great pianos. I will be buying that expansion card soon!

This synth will do any genre. HOWEVER, the factory presets definitely have an electronic/dance sound to them. But the sounds are editable and are versatile. I don't use the original factory presets too much any more. Instead I use my own sounds or Kid Nepro (or Pro Rec) sounds, as well as the presets from the expansion boards.

I have been a Korg owner since my first synth (Korg Poly 61M) and have owned many Korgs since. I love them and have NEVER had a problem with them (Triton Rack included). I would even gig without a backup. However, this unit could become such a central piece, if you lose it you could lose everything. However, using a SCSI interface, you can EASILY back everything up!

Never dealt with Korg (never needed to).

This is my workhorse. I could not work without it. If it were lost or stolen, I would have to get another. It is an essential...truly essential...piece of equipment in my studio.

OS Version 1.1.1. The presets are OK to get you started, but you should really spend some to program your own. It's easy once you get the hang of it and great fun too! The manual is very technical, not as bad as Roland. It's a matter of taste, but I find the manual valueable as a reference. There's much to learn with this synth, so don't expect to master it in a night.

Polyphony is 60 which is not as bad as is sounds. Each program takes up two voices. On a Roland XV with higher polyphony, a patch can take up to eight voices and often does. I've never had a problem with polyphony anyway...Effects are great, and there a many of them. You can have a lot of fun just setting up the effects - there are so many possibilities. 5 insert effects and 2 master effects is great!

Piano on its own is not very realistic, but in a mix it sounds great to me! There are many good sounds like sax, strings, pads, bass and drums. But you should really learn to program this thing yourself - you will be amazed at what can be done! Be aware that instruments sound very dry when no effects are added - but that's only the presets. I've made a bank of 64 sounds that uses almost no effects and sound great without them! I find the tonal quality of the Triton is very warm and analog and I like it!

Never had a problem. It's very strong built and I hope it will last a long time!

Korgs website is above average. They even have new sounds to download!

I must admit I would buy it again, although it's a little expensive - maybe wait for a never model? I love the sound of it and all the possibilites and fun that can be had with it. The onscreen menus are not always userfriendly, but you get used to it I guess. Compared to Roland XV synths, the Triton is less "Midi" like and has got more soul IMHO. I wish it had USB for transfering samples! I have also been using a Korg Electribe and a MS2000 and I feel that Korg products are of a very high quality and build with the user and musician in mind.

Still using 1.0.1, haven't had any trouble with it. Setup is basically like the keyboard version but with less buttons. Some functions are a couple of knob presses away, but once you get to know the machine, it's no big problem. The LCD is a bit slow IMO. The presets basically sound good. I have the vintage synths expansion, which I use a lot. If it had not been for the EQ:ing of the factory patches, I would have rated this category an 8, but since the EQ curves are completely ridiculous (e.g. Bass + 8dB, middle -2 dB, Treble + 7dB) and unusable in a recording or gigging situation, I'll give it a 7.

Polyphony is never a problem for me since I mostly gig or record audio. I've had it almost two years now, and I still haven't used it for any MIDI sequencing. The sampler is a great addition to the onboard sounds, and the reason I rate this a 9. The effects sound good to me, but I usually replace the reverbs with external devices. Expansion possibilities are really good; 96 MB sample memory, SCSI and I believe seven expansion bords are possible at the same time. MIDI-wise, I've not had much trouble with it, no stuck notes or anything.

My favorite sounds are the synth type sounds, although I find the filters a little weak. Not having a band pass filter is a pity; that would do much in terms of sound. I use it as a bread-and-butter synth, and as such it performs very well. I have not yet encountered any sound that I can not at least approximate with the Triton, and I do a lot of freelance work demanding sound design. The basic samples are mostly good, but the EQ:s mess everything up. There should've been "reverb/delay on/off" and "select category" switches on the front panel, along with the master EQ.

I've smacked this baby around quite a bit, and she's never complained about it. No problems - yet... the rotary dial feels a bit unsteady.

Haven't dealt with them.

It's my bread-and-butter synth, and it handles those chores quite well. I used to own a Triton pro-X, but it got too heavy for me. If it were stolen, I'd probably buy a Motif rack and a sampler, because I'm a gearhead and I love to try new stuff. Live, I use the Triton with my Nord Electro and Lead 3, and it fills the gaps quite well. In my home studio I also have a Rhodes mark II and an Oberheim OB-Xa, and the Triton slides in comfortably between these. If it would be my only synth, I would have to buy the concert piano expansion, though, since the onboard pianos suck.

The presets sound excellent to me, but I like almost every genre except for country and rap. However, there are a LOT of free and
commercial programs and combinations available.

I find editing the patches to be easy; However, since I also have the KARMA, N-264, and X-5, I am very familiar with the menus and editing options. There is a manual and it is thorough. There are a few patch editors around, but I haven't used any of them yet, since modifying them from the module is straightforward for me.

The polyphony is 64. The Triton Rack holds a lot of expansion cards, but I only have the MOSS board, because you can put programs and combinations into those banks without having an expansion board. There are a lot of free and commercial Triton program and combination banks available, and I think many are better than the sounds from the expansion boards.

It has a sampler feature and holds 96MB of RAM. I haven't used it for this purpose yet.

Personally, I like the Triton Rack sounds a lot, and each bank holds 128 programs (P) and 128 combinations (C). This is what I currently have in my Triton Rack:

Internal Banks A - D Triton Rack (P's) and (C's)
Internal Bank E: Kid Nepro Film (commercial) (P's) & (C's)
Internal Bank F: MOSS expansion board (P's) (a mixing of my favorites)
Internal Bank G: General MIDI 1 and 2 (P's)
External Bank A - D: Triton LE (P's) but Combi Bank D is Triton
Studio Bank A (C)
External Bank E: Kid Nepro Studio Session (P) (commercial) and
Triton Studio Bank B (C)
External Bank F: Online Sound Production (P) (commercial) and Triton
Studio Bank C (C)
External Bank G: Online Sound Production 2 (P) and Triton Studio
Bank D (C)
External Bank H: Best of the PA-80 (P) and KARMA Bank A (C)

The above should give you a sampling of all of the sounds you can put into the Triton Rack. Every patch except for the GM's can be easily modified/changed. I have thousands of patches I haven't used yet. Because of all of the presets, freeware, and commercial banks available, you can use the Triton Rack with any genre of music.

I currently have a Korg X-5, N-264, KARMA, and this Rack and I have never had a problem with anything by Korg.

I have never had to deal with Korg.

If it were stolen, I'd purchase another one immediately and have it FedEx'd to me. I also have the Korg KARMA and they make a fantastic combination - the Triton's ARP's and the KARMA's GE's. I love the fact that this beast holds an ungodly amount of programs and combinations and all are easily modified or replaced.

The presets sound good to me. Editing patches isn't more difficult than other rack romplers. In fact, the LCD is large enough and the resolution is good. The manual is very freakin' big, but that's due to the complexity of this module. It's very versitile. But I found it friendly enough, and helpful, especially when loading presets for the PCMs and MOSS.

I think this sampler/synth is as full-feature as any, though it's not up to par when it comes to polyphony (like the XV-5080 for example), but hey, how many people need that much polyphony and multitimbrality anyway? The effects are very good (not a Lexicon or TC Electronic), but compared to other synth on-board effects, they are pretty good. The module is very expandable. You can add many sound modules, ADAT, SCSI, DSP virtual synth (MOSS), etc. The MIDI implementation is extensive and well documented, but not that easiest to set up (e.g., SuperNova).

Acoustic instruments are good, but can't beat a sampler. But that's not what the synth is designed for. I guess it's more inclined toward the synth pop/rock, electronic, new age, ambient, progressive, etc. Want the ultimate orchestral/acoustic/classical sound module? Get GigaStudio; it smokes all ROMplers and hardware samplers and leave them in the dust!!! But for sweet modulated/arpeggiated/crisp/fresh sounds, this baby rock!

To my _SUBJECTIVE_ taste, I find the Roland XV series (mine's the XV-5080) sound better, both in terms of voices or effects. I feel the Roland expansion cards (both SRJV and SRX) are more well-made and thought-out. For example, Roland's vintage synths card is much better and than Korg's. That was surprising because Korg's card is twice is big. May be that tells you more about the sound engine than the wave samples.

This where I will grumble big time. I bought it brand new with the EXB-MOSS. I installed the EXB-MOSS very gently, according to the instructions, and it worked fine for about 2.5 and then it dropped dead. It would boot to blank screen and hang up. I had serviced by a local authorized Korg shop and they told me one of the micro connections broke on the motherboard and they had to solder it again. They said may be I used too much pressure when I installed the MOSS board. Hey, installed zillion cards inside PCs throughout my career and I never had problem. The board connections must be crappy to break up from a gentle push of a card.

Customer support is good. They were helpful and referred me to a local service center. The center fixed it in a couple of days. So my impression about that is good.

If it was stolen, I will buy it again. There are many sounds in there that I really like and can't let go of. The XV-5080 is probably better sounding, but it's NOT a substitute for it. I do mostly Electronic music (Trance) and it's a perfect ROMpler for that. The MOSS board is also very underrated and very impressive. Remember it's the same engine as the Z1. If you have this module and you're doing Electronic music, then the MOSS board is a must!

I just wish it were more reliable.

OS: Windows 2000 Professional.
Presets: The presets are the best I've ever heard, Korg have definitely aimed this module at the dance techno pop market, the pads are huge - I mean HUGE, you play a single preset and just wanna write a Ferry Coursten Monster... The organs are lovely, I played the M1 preset over one of my house tracks and it fitted like a dream - no need for added effects etc which is v. refreshing! (if you like John Cutler this module your bag). I can see why musicians dis this module, the sax's, trumpets and pianos (real instruments) are a bit weak but hey that's not what I bought it for - most pro studios will use session musicans anyway, which leaves the Korg for layering on top. My Roland is great for real sounds which I hardly ever use. PS. Rob Davis wrote most of Kylie's "Can't get U outta my head" using this thing...
Editing: Unbelievable using SoundDiver 3 (the Triton controls are sooo easy to use, drawing envelopes with a mouse and having a list of efx settings fill the page is better than ...) Once you've used a scrolling 19" monitor to control all setting on the Triton you'll wonder how you ever used LCD!
Manual: Easy to read and well written (10x better than Roland's!) LCD is good, a doddle with Sound Diver.

Polyphony: More than enough...
Efxs sound really thick and natural, almost as good as my Lexicon, the pads & efx fill the room :) There's loads of types to choose from and you can use them across parts and the master. The rotary speaker efx for organs is bliss, cheers Kor g.
Expansion: Get the Moss board and get a Z1 in the same box, I used to have a Prophecy (almost the same as Moss), and it sounded just like a live guitar, flute, organ etc. However the anaolgue presets are killer, leads, 303s etc. MLAN is good for future use (firewire). SCSI I think is a waste of time, I can't believe there is no FLASH option inside (samples go when powered off). I much prefer my sampler but if you aint got one, a bonus...

If you like what's emenating from the current dance scene, ie vinyl and chart CDs then it's 11/10, especially with the Moss and Dance cards fitted. If you're into rock, classical, Karaoke then there's probably other modules which would suit you better (I hear the XV3050 is is amazing for real sounding instruments). PS sound quality (48k) is unreal, my ears were in heaven, my other modules don't even come close - goes back to the age old saying, the more you pay the better it sounds.

Not sure yet cos I only had it 1 month but it looks solid as a rock.

Dunno?

I rekon 9/10 pro studio's will have one!

OS1.1.1. The presets are ok, but not great, dont buy it for the presets! I installed the presets from the Triton LE, and I think the LE patches sound a bit better. Editing is simple enough - comparable to Triton LE. I like the manual, allthough its very technical - but you will find everything you need. Only thing I don't like about the Tritons is their memory management. A piece of equipment as advanced as this, should have better ways to organize it's memory (patches, samples, combis, drumkits). You will have to update bank and program references frequently if you're going to use all the sampling, editing and sequencing features to the full. Still, it's not much different than on any other module I know (Rolands).

60 voice polyphony. I've had no problems with that so far, it depends on the type of music you make I guess. I have a MS2000R and a couple of soft synths, so I don't use the Triton as the only sound source - allthough I think it would be possible :-) The effects are really amazing, flexible and numerous. Expansion capabilities a good (I only own the EXB5 card). The number of patches you can store is very high, +1500 progs and +1500 combis. Overall, this rack has so many features that is has taken me a year to learn all of them, and still I feel like I've only touched the surface!

I think bass is extremely good on the Triton. Also like the strings, synth, electric guitars, french horn, and drums! Pianos and choirs are the Tritons weakness. Still a lot of nice piano patches can be made with the built-in piano sample - but don't compare it to a 32+ MB multisample, it's not! The EXB5 expansion board have pianos that are more convincing. I feel the Triton can be used for any type of music, although the presets are very inspired by contemporary sounds. If you need new sounds, you can just program them or use the sampler. The "modulation matrix" is pretty extensive and you can also modulate the effects! The filters are ok, but not great - only two types (LPF and HPF). Overall the sound is very dynamic!

Seems pretty reliable to me...no problems so far :-)

Have not been relevant. The web site is useful, but it would be nice with more information, downloads and general features...

Would I buy it again? I think its a bit expensive, and it has a lot of features that I don't need. I like it, but I think i would look for something in the second-hand-market next time. If it was cheaper, I would buy it again, but maybe also look for something to complement it's sound, like a JV1080 or a XV3080...

os1.1.1
sound great.new & use full.
edit is make me sick.i dont want to edit him.
manual is detail is good.
not ease of use.

very trouble to use pre-load disk.make me sick.i cant understand today techology korg need u do that.this is very poor.
i need press many page to find what i want.

sound is the best.great use full.better then my tr-rack.all the exp sound dope too.moss one i like.

i never use for gig.so i dont know.

never try.hope they nice

i only buy for this gear for sound.os is suck.espeically use pre-load disk for expboard.very very low I-Q.my friend have keyboard version then sell it to buy this rack one.after he sell rack go back to buy keyboard version.so u know.dont buy rack.u will get trouble

well the user interface is annoying as shit. to find a sound you have to browe through a whole bunch of pages to search for a sound by catagory. they shoudl have but a catagory button on it like the roland jv series. also i read the manual on how to sync the arpeggiator to an external seq and how to use the realtime performance knobs in multimode and still cant get them to work. tried to get some help from some korg user groups but to no avail.

16 channel midi, lightpipe i/o ( coax wouldve been better...most soundcards are coax; so this is annoying), six outs. also when i took mine out of the box it weighs like .0005 pounds. i know this sounds ridiculous but i usually equate weight with quality. there must be alot of chips and boards cause its very very light..

the triton has some decent sounds. i got it mostly to use for rnb and pop tracks; but have found myself to get quite bored with the sounds that i do use. the stock unit (havent heard the expansion cards) has good strings, and some decent lead sounds and pads. otherwise than that most of the sounds are better than your casio sounding general midi stuff; but far from inspiring.
all in all there are probably 15 patches stock that are really fantastic.
also where is the bass? the closet one to be useful is dark rnb bass which sounds good in pre-production but doesnt translate in mixes. otherwise than that the preset bass sounds are wack.

i used to get alot of hung notes but updated the os and things are peachy. otherwise than that things are rock soild in this area

overall a decent module but not designed very intuitively and the manual isnt very good either. if you are lazy like me and like to just call up patches and are not intrested in making your own sounds you will get quickly bored by this unit. try it out and a store and see what you think.....im bored with mine and will be selling it very soon.
ive found my jv-2080 expanded to be alot more integral to my studio. as far as other gear i have a nord lead 2, access virus b and mpc 2000xl runnning on cubase.

Pretty straight forward. Got around most features without looking at the manual - just as well because that one is hardly readable bar understandable. Setup is easy & quick - you'll be playing in no time.

What a pitty the effects go "off" when you play in Multi-mode. Of course you can assign them but that involves manual reading (yikes!) and trying out until you get it right - and until the idea you had whilst jammin' in Programm mode has vanished. Korg - please note, thank you. Expansion boards are average to good - let's see what they come up with next (in that regard I think Korg should pay some serious attention to Roland). Efects are good, the arpeggiator is a great feature but - yet again - some serious reading is required before you can change the sets.All in all - an all-in-one synth that is just that.

With so many sounds and so little polyphony of course the sounds are sometimes thin, sometimes shallow, sometimes downright useless and annoying - and sometimes superb. I personally feel there is too much that sounds too similar to "been there, heard that". I've had an RW/05 for years, and the keyboards there are a notch better than on the Triton. But - once again - with some editing after / while reading the manual (yikes!)you get to configure your own sounds for some really stunning results. And I have yet to find a rack synth with an arpeggiator and expansion slots that delivers such vast variety of sound ideas for you to elaborate (Yamaha & Roland & Alesis - hello?!?). If you're into top notch sound quality above all stay clear of this rack and buy the real thing. If you want a grand piano that sounds like one go buy a Steinway. Period. But if you're into the "basics" with expansion capability and enjoy some serious & fun sound creating then this one's for you.

Good, solid, no flimsy buttons & knobs. No problems.

not required - yet?

I'm rather pleased with the Triton overall. You know, there's always something missing in any synth rack these days: the Yamaha EX5R has no expansion possibilities, the Korg N1R & TR are obsolete, and the Roland XV's & Alesis QSR have no arpeggiators. The Triton is a basic workhorse that will give you great tools (by far more than any other rack out there) to shape your ideas with at a very reasonable price. If you're a "plug & play" type stay clear. If you're anal about sound quality stay clear. If you're not a "loop"-type and play your drums "live" from the keyboard stay clear. Seriously. Before I'd buy another one I'd probably have a closer listen to Roland sound expansion boards and wait & see if the Yamaha Motif will become available in rack-version. As for now the Triton is simply the best synth-rack value you can get for your money by a long, long shot. Period.

I think version 1.1. I was kinda worried about getting a rack version of a synth that has
a touch screen interface. But so far it seems useable. Although, I
don't like where they put the Menu button so far away from the screen
and it's hot buttons, cuz I use the menu button just as much as the
other ones, but it's a far reach to the right.
Also, trying to figure out the effects is a little daunting. It's
a complex synth, with lots of flexibility...a lot to control.
There are LOTS of button pushes involved to edit things, or get into
sampling...Calling up "programs" and "combis" are extremely easy.

For features, this thing is LOADED. Tons of sound patches..Lots of
effects to get into. Dual arpeggiators. It's a sampler. Lots of
flexibility. AND lots of Expandability too...Although, I wish it came
with a built-in hard drive...or scsi built in, for that matter. But
there's lots of options to take the Triton in different directions. I'm
waiting for my SCSI add on card to come it...hopefully it implements well.
And when I pay off the credit card, maybe I'll add the MOSS option, and see
what everyone's drooling about. For another 400 to 475 bucks, it may
be worth it.

I bought it for those slammin' Korg sounds, which kill my thinner
sounding Roland JX-305. Drums SLAM, Strings are thick and juicey.
Basses are super deep. Pad and synthy sounds are beautiful, I could
go new age very easily. I didn't know it when I bought it, but it has
awesome organ sounds, good EP piano sounds...Good bells. A lot of
people knock the piano sounds...if you want a piano, go sample one, or
got GET one. There are probably better, cheaper modules for pianos.
I could totally do without all those techno-robo-voice patches...I
HATE that....I'll look for a way to delete those soon...they don't
even sound understandable, let alone cool...they don't even sound like
techno...they just suck. That's the only patch that I don't like.
One thing I'd wish for is an add-on Korg joystick/ribbon controller, that
I could connect to my keyboard controller, as my Roland's pitch stick
just don't cut it. In that respsect, I wish i got the keyboard, instead
of the rack.
My only other gripes is the way multi mode works. The patches come up
dry, with no effects. I realize they can't all have the same effects that PROG mode
has...But, i wish it would try to come close...If you want the same
effects, ya have to copy them over..which seems tedious....but it's
just part of the learning curve for me..I guess. I guess if I got what I
wanted, the patchs to come up in Multi mode with the same effects they have in Prog
mode....I suppose it would eventually sound like a lot of mush. The
only way to really find that out is to buy more Tritons.
Really, the thing to do is build your own multi templates...which is
what I'm going to end up doing..Not fun when you want to just sit down
and make music, but once I have the templates done, I can do just that.
Simularly, it would be nice to be able to copy Combis into Multi mode too, and have
it just automatically assign it to a single midi channel..but the Triton's
not really designed for either of those things.
It's not the fault of the gear, just me getting used to the paradigm.
If you're a real keyboardist (unlike me, just a bedroom studio musician) you'll
LOVE the sounds in COMBI mode.

well, only had it a couple of weeks...Looks fairly solid..Just put it
in a rack, and don't worry about it. I was kinda upset that the power
supply was another outboard box...I have a small major city of power supply boxes
and wall warts on my floor...But outboard is more quiet...And if you're
smart, throw it in a rack and forget about it...Couple of well placed
wire ties, and/or velcro...solves that crazy power supply thang.
Gig without a backup? If i was giggin with it, I wouldn't worry about
the Triton...I'd worry about midi cables and audio cables, always have
backup cables. One of my midi cables got rolled over and cut by my chair
it shorted and the Triton froze...but I replaced the cable, and no probs.

Haven't needed any yet.
Everyone complains about manuals, and with
a device like the Triton, the manuals are complex enough without
translation...But I did take a few semesters of electronic music at our
local community college, so I can read the manuals and usually understand
what's goin on. There's 2 of them, a quick one, and then another that's a
huge reference bible on the Triton..Once you get the knack of the interface
you probably will rarely need the reference...But I can imagine the
first time frustrations, even with touchscreen keyboard version

1. Don't lose gear.
2. Don't steal gear.
3. It hasn't completely grown into my studio yet, as I'm still learning
what I can do with it. If I had to do it again, I'd want the keyboard
version...(are keys and a sequencer REALLY worth THAT MUCH MORE to charge
that much more?) Although, the KARMA's pretty close in price, and supposedly
has the same soundset...I could've gone that way, if I didn't want a sampler too.

Another thing I could've done is look at a used Trinity rack and cheap Emu
sampler...But I like the idea of getting new for something this big.

I think it fits well into my setup...Bigger sounding sounds to work with,
and I can use the sampler to add polyphony to my Nord MicroModular, which
is awesome on it's own...but lacking polyphony, and effects...I think
it will go nicely with my Triton.

Presets are fine for most music styles. Horns sound good in a mix, acoustic guitars are nice especially when using the arpeggiator and the drums kick ass. The front panel is intuitive and the manual goes into pretty good depth.

Despite the polyphony limitation I found the unit to be extremely versatile. Sampling capabiltlies, comprehensive arpeggiators, pattern and playback sequencer and upgradeability make this unit a player in the market.

I love the drums. A crisp snare drum and sizzling cymbals... great. The basses I believe are passable and the pianos can sound very good with some tweaking. The string sounds are diversified and I found them very colorful and the brass sounds are as good as I've heard except for the Kurzweil. Some nice guitars although I don't use them a lot since it's my main instrument.

Seems sturdy enough. Haven't had it all that long though. Have used it on a gig without problems though I did have a backup.

Haven't used them yet

I have to say if it were lost or stolen, I'd probably get another although I might try to find one used and already upgraded. I have been in music for most of my life and own a K2vx, v50, Dobro, and various fender guitars. I love the drums, I hate the fact that they make you buy scsi support for this but all in all with mLan support which I believe will be huge and the Moss upgrade to utilize other synthesis techniques, fairly easy editing it has helped me improve the sound of the backup band.

One of the greatest assets to the marketing world has always been to create a decent product but give it a really big name, so hats off to Korg for paying homage to tradition and creating the TRITON..This bland sounding all in one bag of tricks is just that, a bag of tricks. Korg's revolutionary HI synthesis is no more then the other revolutionary synthesis that's came before it. Stock sample waveforms are the brunt of this system OS. But with the editing capabilites and the effects section I'm sure there is light at the end of the tunnel. The preset sounds are thin and very Korg like. The realism of the programs are few and far between. I will give a nod to the programmers for there string sounds,they were very good but not enough to pay over $1500 for them. The drum "kits" are useful but need to be tweaked or they all sound the same. The effects section is comparable to the Yamaha EX5/R but in no way is it the EX5/R.The ablities of the effects section is nice, 5 effects for use with 5 timbres in a combination of 8 is a nice touch. This of course falls under the bag of tricks because if the sounds are not that good to begin with then what's the point of being able to color them. The editing of this beast was what I found to be the most remarkable. I was up and running and could navigate thru pages without the use of the manual. Everything was laid out as such that editing was a breeze. The manual is very detailed oriented but needs to be with what is offered for the editing capabilities.

64 voice is a red book standard for any synth and the Triton delivers just that. The rack version has no seq but will play back seq data collected from a PC. There is a muti mode that offers 16 part multi timbral functionality. Now as before, the sounds are weak but just like Honda you need to upgrade to get the best and the expansion is supreme here. There is room for 8 ex boards and other things but they are not cheap and could push your $1500 Triton into the $3000 mark and that to me is just criminal.

Buy the Yamaha EX5/R the sounds are far more realistic and it has a sampler as well with the same editing functions as the Triton except for the Time Slice and Time Compession. As I said before this thing really would of been the king if the pallette of sounds were better. OK you can sample and create your own and use them in as a voice but so can the EX5..

I have had it day and it gets shipped back so no chance to see if it screws up.

Korg has been helpful for other Korg product I own and they have been pretty supportful.

If sound creation and ease of use are your thing then I wouls save up that $1500 and buy the other Korg products that I will say are the greatest things so far The entire Electribe series and the MS2000.Those machine are the reason I got a Triton too bad it didn't live up to my expectations. Buy a Yamaha EX5/R that bit of kit is the true Triton of them all..

Using version 1.01. To me the presets are very good, and the combinations are extremely inspiring. Playing the first 20 pathces in the combinations, can really expand your musical ideas.
As far as editing patches, if you have have owned a Korg keyboard in the last 10 years, you will find editing easy. If you are new to korg, you may find that the manual assumes some things, put you can work through this.
I don't deal with patch editors, so I really can not comment on them. There are several manuals, and they are as deep as you want them to be. I have found the manual to be fairly useful, although again, it assumes you know certian things
which can drive you nuts some time. I have created quite a few of my own sounds, and I find this machine to allow and inspire a wonderful range of creativity. You can be complex in your sounds with out needing a degree in programing. My XV3080, in comparison, is a bear to program.

Polyphony of this unit is 62 voices. The effects are up there with the best. Yes it does have room for 8 EXB-expansion boards.However, I will say that there is somewhat of a combersome process in loading these boards on.
Now for the exiting part. The Korg Z1 (Known as the MOSS expansion board) is an incredibly powerful music tool, a must for me. In the Trinity series, you could only use one moss sound out of eight when creating a combination.
In the Triton series, you could use multiple MOSS programs when creating a combination. Beleive me, it is worth the $500 it cost. The MOSS sounds are as good or better than any pre-trinity korg keyboard out thier IMO. Midi capbilities are extensive. It does not have a sequencer, but it can play sequences created on the TRITON.
This box is loaded, and yes it has a decent sampler.

First of all, no truly serious musician gets caught up in a keyboards ability to duplicate thier main "Axe"
So I don't judge a keyboard by the pianos or guitar sounds, becuase when I record, (I have worked on 6 albums and have worked with a recent grammy nominee), There is real acoutist piano present and real giutarist present. Having said that,on thier own the Korg Triton piano sounds are average, very tinty, almost too bright.
However,playing live and in layers, this works well in cutting through the mix. Horns are superb. The organs ARE THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS. If you play Gospel, R&B, or JAZZ (I play Gospel and instrumental JAZZ),Check out program 39B "Sinewave organ." Electric pianos, are good alone, great when layered with my Roland XV3080. Guitar sounds are sparse, concentrated toward acoustic, but they are passable.
The drums are suberb. They are imaginitive and work well. They are leaned more toward tehcno field, but thier are enough to sastify all musical disciplines. Velocity is fully programmable. I have not had any problems with midi messages. Standard Midi in/out/through configuration. Rhodes are decent, but Rolands are better. Wurltizer is very good.Atmospheric sounds are the best in the industry, always have been
The effects are extensive. For a combination, you get 5 insert effects and 2 master effects. You route sounds through them quite easily. Thier 89 possible effects, high quality. When sampling, you can also apply these effects to the sample, which gives a lot of flexibility. For what I understand, the Triton Sampler is limited, but the effects make it a farily decent sampler in camparison with others. Again, view as a nice little add on, not the main part of the machine.
If you have the money, go by a stand alone sampler.

I've had it for three months, gigged all over, and havehad not problems. As with all equipment, rack it up, keep it in cases.

Korg is okay, I'm in the Virginia/Maryland/D.C. area so thier are many quality repair and service center around town.

If it were lost, I'd save up and get another one. I own a Korg X2,Trinity V3, Alesis QSR64
Roland XP80, XV3080, A couple of Yamaha PSR's and some Alesis Q cards. I do home recording as well as major studios.
I play gospel with some Gospel-Jazz on the side. The Triton Rack, in three months, has become a central part of my arsenal.
The sound quality is pristine, programability is high, and the learning curve is no where near that of it's Roland Competitors.
I've seen Triton Racks for as low as $1699. It's better than my XV3080, and it stands shoulder to shoulder with the Roland XV 5080 (Another great machine)
XV5080 has far superior pianos. but again, that's not a major concern with me. I highly recommend this machine. For the stlye of music that I play, it fits perfectly. Truly
this machine can prove to a be blessing to your music creativity.

I am currently using version 1.0.1 of the operating system, as I own both a Korg X5dr and Trinity I have found the Triton Rack extremely easy to use and edit, the programs and especially the combi's are very well programmed, sampling features in my opinion are excellent, no re-sampling but I have found easy work-arounds to overcome this obstacle, for the beginner I would say however prepare to spend a lot of time getting to know the machines OS

In my opinion, putting aside the fact it's only 16 part multi-timbral and offers the slight anorexic figure of 60 notes polyphony, this thing is amazing, I use it for Hip Hop, R&B and speed (two step & 'bedroom' ) garage and the thing is quite capable of producing top quality 'modern' music straight out of the box ( well maybe after adding the scsi option and 96 meg ram anyway. Best Fx routing, easilty the best file structure system ( saving and organising files )I've come across outside of a PC/Mac operating system, a vocoder, can work as an Fx box, sampling, 8 expansion slots, SCSI, Moss, MLan its da sh#t

Sounds, Sounds, Sounds ? Always a subjective area, in my opinion only the Xv5080 can be compared to this thing and here I think it comes down to a straight choice of what type of music you are into, If your into making Jazz, Classical, traditonal music the roland is stronger I think, imitative sound quality is excellent, if your choice of music like me is dance, hip hop, R&B then Triton wins over and over again, the Roland is very open, realistic and dynamic sounding whereas the Triton is Phatt, warm and and has a kinda 'vintage'sound.
I love the sound of the Triton but again that probably has a lot to do with the type of music I do, no doubt however it is a pro-machine

Never and I repeat Never ( Touch Wood ) had a problem with any of my Music gear be it Korg, Roland, Emu so........

Again never had to deal with them

I'd definately buy this machineagain, although I must admit it was a really close thing between this and the XV5080, when it comes to real sound quality I think these two machines represent best S+S synths ( can't speak about the K2500 although the Americans love that thing )on the market. Listen to the Triton, the XV5080, and if moneys tight the P2K ( I own one and they are fantastic )or one of its siblings and judge for yourself, but me, If I could choose only one then my moneys with Korg.

Software version 1.01. Presets are overprocessed. The acoustic presets, i.e. piano and horns, are pretty bad. The synth and drums sounds are cool. Editing patches is fairly easy. The box comes with 2 manuals that are decent (one overview and the other a perameter guide) .

polyphony - 60 voices.
plenty of built in effects...I haven't really tried out all the effects yet.
Lots of expansion - SCSI, ADAT, MOSS, and 8 PCM expansions. I've installed 2 PCM's, SCSI, ADAT, and MOSS expansion with out any problem. What's not cool is the PCM expansions aren't any good with out they're 3.5 disk counterparts. Each time you power down you have to reload your multi's. You would think that installing a PCM ROM board you'd have everything ready to go. If you had 8 PCM ROM expansions you'd be wasting a lot of time loading. The other thing was once installed the Sounds were all over the place. The future loops expansion sounded terrible before tweaking. A few minor adjustments and all is well. The SCSI expansion - worked great loading AKAI samples. AIFF was another story. Also - if you want to attach a new drive - say you have a floating CD drive that goes from machine to machine... you have to power down the Triton to hook up an external drive. Doing that erases your multi's! The MOSS expansion I've yet to test out.

Instruments don't sound realistic.
The electronic patches are good. The drums are this beast's best feature.
The onboard effects are numerous - but have yet to be tested sufficiently.

I've only had it a couple of weeks. It seems solid.

Very impressed with customer support. They were available, helpful, and knew what they were talking about. A rare find.

With the expansions this machine is running close to $4000. It's not worth the money. You may say - "oh look, it's a sampler and a triton" but beware. I've always been skeptical of boxes that do it all and I remain that way today. If you want a sampler get an EMU E-IV or Gigasampler Gigastudio.