The Korg X3 is a
music workstation
A music workstation is an electronic musical instrument providing the facilities of:
*a sound module,
*a music sequencer and
*(usually) a musical keyboard.
It enables a musician to compose electronic music using just one piece of equipment.
Or ...
produced by
Korg
, founded as Keio Electronic Laboratories, is a Japanese multinational corporation that manufactures electronic musical instrument
An electronic musical instrument or electrophone is a musical instrument that produces sound using electr ...
in 1993.
Background
The Korg X3 was introduced as a successor to the popular
Korg M1
The Korg M1 is a synthesizer and music workstation manufactured by Korg from 1988 to 1995. It is one of the bestselling synthesizers in history, selling an estimated 250,000 units. The M1 was widely used in popular music and stock music in the ...
and
01/W models, utilizing an enhanced version of the AI2 synthesis engine from the 01/W. Unlike its predecessors, the X3 featured a
General MIDI
General MIDI (also known as GM or GM 1) is a standardized specification for electronic musical instruments that respond to MIDI messages. GM was developed by the American MIDI Manufacturers Association (MMA) and the Japan MIDI Standards Commi ...
soundset but omitted the 01/W's
waveshaping
In electronic music, waveshaping is a type of distortion synthesis in which complex spectra are produced from simple tones by altering the shape of the waveforms.
Uses
Waveshapers are used mainly by electronic musicians to achieve an extra-a ...
feature, replacing it with a parameter called 'colour', which functioned as an enhancer designed to simulate
filter resonance. Additionally, the X3 substituted the
Yamaha
Yamaha may refer to:
People
* Torakusu Yamaha, a Japanese businessman and founder of the Yamaha Corporation
Companies
* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese musical instrument and audio equipment manufacturer
** Yamaha Music Foundation, an organi ...
-built keyboards of the M and 01 series with a lighter-action keyboard manufactured by
Fatar
Fatar is an Italian supplier of actions for digital pianos, synthesizers and organs,
based in Recanati, Italy.
The company was founded by Lino Ragni in 1956. It patented its own hammer-action prototype in 1989 and introduced the conductive-rub ...
. The X3 also increased the number of multisamples available from 255 to 340.
Sounds and features
The Korg X3 is a
PCM
Pulse-code modulation (PCM) is a method used to Digital signal (signal processing), digitally represent analog signals. It is the standard form of digital audio in computers, compact discs, digital telephony and other digital audio application ...
sample-based synthesizer equipped with 6Mb of waveform memory. Its sound programs are organized into banks A, B, and a General MIDI (GM) bank, with banks A and B each containing 100 programs and the GM bank comprising 136 programs. Additionally, the X3 features two combination banks (A and B) that allow up to eight programs to be layered and assigned to specific keyboard zones. The instrument also includes 164 drum sounds distributed across eight ROM kits and four user-configurable kits.
The X3's 16-track
sequencer can handle up to 32,000 notes and supports storage of ten songs and 100 patterns simultaneously. Its effects section includes two independent processors capable of generating 47 different effects; the first 37 are individual effects, effects 38 and 39 are configured in series, and the last eight are parallel effects.
Variants
The Korg X3R, released as the rack-mounted counterpart to the X3 synthesizer, houses all the same features within a
19-inch rack
A 19-inch rack is a standardized frame or enclosure for mounting multiple electronic equipment modules. Each module has a front panel that is wide. The 19 inch dimension includes the edges or ''ears'' that protrude from each side of the ...
format.
The 05R/W was a more compact module that retained the X3's core features while omitting the sequencer and reducing the number of patches. It also featured a direct serial connection for compatibility with
Mac
Mac or MAC may refer to:
Common meanings
* Mac (computer), a line of personal computers made by Apple Inc.
* Mackintosh, a raincoat made of rubberized cloth
* Mac, a prefix to surnames derived from Gaelic languages
* McIntosh (apple), a Canadi ...
or PC.
In 1994, Korg launched the X2, a 76-note keyboard variant of the X3.
Additionally, the X5 was developed using the X3's synthesis engine but lacked the floppy drive and sequencer of its predecessor.
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
Korg official site
Digital synthesizers
X3
Music workstations
Polyphonic synthesizers
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