Korg ESX-1 Thinking of picking one up. Thoughts?

[dorfmeister]

I used to have an EMX-1 and it was great, though I always wished it had a sampler and better memory storage - Smart Cards are no good. It was a fantastic low budget easy to use composition and performance tool.

I have noticed now that Korg has started outfitting these with SD card memory and it really makes the ESX-1 Sampler look great as a low cost sampler.

Anybody try one out?

[sonidero]

Blah,,, what are you thinking of doing with it? I can point you toward better stuff based on your answers...

[dorfmeister]

Blah,,, what are you thinking of doing with it? I can point you toward better stuff based on your answers...

Well I want something cheap, simple, easy to use with some power to use completely independent of a computer.

So what would you recommend?

[sonidero]

For beats, or sounds, or sampling? I just don't see these going much beyond bedroom use... I don't use a computer for anything except ILF and seem to get along fine... I've been rocking Roland anything's for almost 20 years and have never had a problem... Currently it's an MC-307 but they are all the same... What about an MPC or something... You can make sounds and beats and record samples Roland and Boss SP's are cool too... Quasimidi or old those old EMU pad things are cool too... Get that KP3 you want and maybe a Kaossilator Pro... Those are really the only newer Korg stuffs i would recommend... The other stuff Korg has out is kinda for kids...

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

i really like the electribe sequencers. 64 steps per pattern is nice, flexible and easy to use. i've got the es1 sampling guy. its pretty cool.

[dorfmeister]

i really like the electribe sequencers. 64 steps per pattern is nice, flexible and easy to use. i've got the es1 sampling guy. its pretty cool.

Yeah....I think the thing I liked the most about the EMX-1 when I had it was the sequencer. Pretty intuitive to use.

So any idea how the ES1 is different from the ESX-1? I am sure it probably has almost no storage for samples.

[TweedBassman]

It's an aging, but cool sampler. I used one exclusively in an old band, even took it on gigs and never hiccuped. Towards the end of that band, i'd used it to it's fullest extent and was about to move on to something more powerful.

It's LOT of work to create your own samples and get them tweaked just right.... i'd spend hours with the thing on just one section of one beat. But, it's a cool machine that's very under-rated.

Here's the old band link; every beat and a lot of the bleepy-bloopy synth stuff is the ESX-1:

http://www.myspace.com/sleepership/music

(songs are kinda long, but the beats change a lot so stick around)

[dorfmeister]

It's an aging, but cool sampler. I used one exclusively in an old band, even took it on gigs and never hiccuped. Towards the end of that band, i'd used it to it's fullest extent and was about to move on to something more powerful.

It's LOT of work to create your own samples and get them tweaked just right.... i'd spend hours with the thing on just one section of one beat. But, it's a cool machine that's very under-rated.

Here's the old band link; every beat and a lot of the bleepy-bloopy synth stuff is the ESX-1:

http://www.myspace.com/sleepership/music

(songs are kinda long, but the beats change a lot so stick around)

I like it. I think I am hearing the ESX-1 quite a bit. What were you going to move up to?

What happened to the band? Has a bit of a Dntel vibe, methinks.

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

i really like the electribe sequencers. 64 steps per pattern is nice, flexible and easy to use. i've got the es1 sampling guy. its pretty cool.

Yeah....I think the thing I liked the most about the EMX-1 when I had it was the sequencer. Pretty intuitive to use.

So any idea how the ES1 is different from the ESX-1? I am sure it probably has almost no storage for samples.

the sampler specs are a little more lofi on the es1 and lacking the tube section. 16bit, 32khz, which isn't a big difference or really *that* lofi.
as far as storage goes, u can have up to 99 or 100 samples loaded at any time, and u can have 9 sets of 99(or100) samples, plus patterns n all that saved on the card.
i dunno how the esx1 does it, but the new SD version is prob lightyears ahead of this in terms of storage. the es1 has been sufficient for me in terms of that but all in all would depend on you.

from the looks of it, the esx1 editing section (the knobs on the side) looks a bit more full featured, def more knobs and it has the ribbon controller where the es1 does not....doesn't the esx have a little synth section too? and maybe another time slice part.

[Gone Fission]

There's an app for that: http://createdigitalmusic.com/2010/04/k ... iew-video/

[TweedBassman]

It's an aging, but cool sampler. I used one exclusively in an old band, even took it on gigs and never hiccuped. Towards the end of that band, i'd used it to it's fullest extent and was about to move on to something more powerful.

It's LOT of work to create your own samples and get them tweaked just right.... i'd spend hours with the thing on just one section of one beat. But, it's a cool machine that's very under-rated.

Here's the old band link; every beat and a lot of the bleepy-bloopy synth stuff is the ESX-1:

http://www.myspace.com/sleepership/music

(songs are kinda long, but the beats change a lot so stick around)

I like it. I think I am hearing the ESX-1 quite a bit. What were you going to move up to?

What happened to the band? Has a bit of a Dntel vibe, methinks.

i was about to get an MPC or possibly go laptop, but we got a real drummer. those guys still play but i haven't done anything in a while.

btw the toobz in the ESX-1 do nothing. there's a gain/dirt effect that does sound cool but those tubes are kinda embarrassing. they should have scrapped them and upgraded the reverb.

There's an app for that: http://createdigitalmusic.com/2010/04/k ... iew-video/

whoawant. man... the iPad is seriously looking like a nice musician's tool these days. anyone use one?

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

^ yea i've heard the tube is pretty useless......actually ive heard that about alot of tube gear.