The Korg Kaoss Pad 3 is a live-performance effects unit. It uses an X/Y touchpad for real-time control of 128 built-in programs—including reverb, delay, flanger, analog filter, drive circuit, and a vocoder. It samples onboard. Some effects sync to tempo. It functions as a MIDI controller. Connections are RCA only.
The Korg Delta is a 1979 analog semi-polyphonic string machine and synthesizer. It was built as a slimmed-down, budget alternative to the Korg Trident. It splits into two independent sections—Strings and Synth—with dedicated outputs. The String section uses two pitch sliders and tone/ADSR controls. The Synth section uses four pitch sliders, white noise, a multimode 24dB/oct filter, and full ADSR. A joystick provides pitch bend and modulation. It has CV/gate connectivity but no memory, no MIDI, and no presets. Its 'unlimited polyphony' is inaccurate: pressing multiple keys does not apply independent envelopes to each note. It delivers high-quality layered string-and-synth sounds despite limited range. Its build is robust, but its keyboard is fragile and its filter is bland.
The Korg Electribe 2 is a groove machine in the ElecTribe series. It supports up to 250 patterns, each limited to four bars in length. It includes 32 master effects modeled after the Kaos Pad. Each track can have one individual effect selected from 38 available types. It offers 25 groove types that can be applied per track. It includes PCM-based sound sources: 56 kicks, 58 snares, 16 claps, 56 hi-hats/cymbals, 71 percussion/toms, 52 synth hits/FX/instrument hits, 16 voices, and 27 instruments. It uses synth modeling with 55 preset oscillators.
The Korg Electribe EA-1 is a compact groove machine built for quick, tactile analog sound design and live pattern-based performance.
The Electribe is a groovebox. It forces drum, bass and synth into one pattern grid. It launched in 1999. It runs on analogue modelling and sampling. It shares sequencing logic across all sound sources. It has no audio recording. It has no expandable storage on early models. It was Korg’s post-Yamaha statement.
The Korg Electribe ER-1 is an affordable analogue beat unit. It gives bangs, buzzes, blips and spacey weird noises via four synth keys and four sampled percussion sounds. It saves up to 256 patterns, each up to 4 measures. Real-time changes — like jungle delayed drums or scratching sounds — save instantly. Its PCM sounds (Hclap, HiHat, Crash) are uninteresting. It connects via MIDI in/out/thru. Its housing is plastic.
The Korg Electribe ES-1 is a sampling sequencer built for live beat construction and loop manipulation.
The Korg Electribe MX EMX-1 is a 2003 desktop dance production instrument built for live electronic music creation. It combines synthesis, sampling, sequencing, and effects in a single unit aimed at performers and producers who work in patterns and loops.
The Korg Electribe SX (ESX-1) is a 2003 sample-based groovebox built for dance music production and live performance. It uses sample-based sound creation to generate 16 assignable parts—including nine one-shot drum parts, two keyboard parts for melodic playback, two stretch parts for tempo-adjusted loops, one slice part for rhythmic phrase division, one audio-in part, and one drum accent part. It ships with 196 preloaded samples, 128 factory patterns, and 3 demo songs. A major upgrade over earlier ElecTribe models, it offers 285 seconds of sample memory at 44.1kHz for up to 384 user samples, slicing at rhythmic peaks, Motion Sequencing for real-time parameter automation, and three stereo effects processors with chaining.
The KP1 is a 1999 touch-driven effects box for DJs. It runs six effects at once. It has no sampling. It has no synthesis. It has no presets. It has no deep editing. It has a pad, four buttons, and a fader. It rewards gesture over precision. It belongs on a deck, not in a DAW.
The Korg MS-50 is a 1978 keyboard-less analog expander module. It has one VCO, two VCFs (highpass and lowpass), two ADSRs, an LFO, pink and white noise, ring modulator, voltmeter, and sample & hold. It uses Hz/V CV/Gate control and was designed to complement the SQ-10 sequencer.
The Korg PS-3100 is a rare (600 units), 30kg, 48-voice analog synthesizer from 1977. It uses 12 divide-down VCOs to drive 48 independent voice circuits — one VCO, VCF, VCA and EG per key. Its warm LPF and 3-band resonator enable rich formant and phase effects. LFO1 reaches audio rate and delivers AM up to ring modulation. One EG is polyphonic; the other is universal and paraphonic. Twelve intonation scaling controls allow non-equal-tempered tuning. It has no patch memory.
The Korg PS-3200 is the final model in Korg's PS series. It integrates two PS-3100 units into a single chassis. It provides 16 memory locations that can be individually addressed and recalled. It was regarded as remarkable in its era due to having two oscillators per key and 48-note polyphony. Each voltage-controlled oscillator module includes a dedicated voltage-controlled filter and low-frequency oscillator. Its patching and signal routing capabilities were comparatively restricted versus other modular systems. Its envelope generator design was constrained. It was considered sonically rich for its era, and its 16-patch memory was highly valued.
The KR-55 is a fixed-rhythm drum machine from 1979. It plays 48 preset patterns across genres including Waltz, Samba, Rhumba, Bossa Nova, Tango, Slow Rock, Swing, and Rock. It uses sample-based synthesis for 12 drum tones. It has individual level controls per drum sound per pattern. A dedicated swing knob alters groove feel. A footswitch jack enables external Start/Stop and Intro/Fill control. It has no keyboard, no pattern editing, no MIDI, no sync outputs beyond footswitch, and no individual drum outputs.
The Korg DDD-5 is documented only by two PDF files: a 3.3 MB owner’s manual and a 466.4 KB pattern chart, both published on 22 November 2017 and requiring Adobe Reader. Neither contains technical specifications, sonic description, interface details, or operational guidance. No use case, user, or creative output is stated. It is a product defined entirely by its licensing constraints and file formats — not by what it does.
The Korg MS-10 is a monophonic, 32-key analogue synthesizer released in 1978. It has one VCO (triangle, sawtooth, pulse, white noise), one 12dB/octave low-pass VCF, one LFO with pulse and sloped outputs, and one envelope generator with Hold, Attack, Decay, Sustain, and Release. Its normalized patch points allow flexible modulation without cables — but it offers no second envelope, no polyphony, no effects, and no key transpose.
A monophonic analog synthesizer from 1978. Two VCOs. Two VCFs in series: high-pass then low-pass. Ring modulation on VCO2. Modulation generator with pulse and sloped outputs. Two envelope generators. Noise source. Modulation VCA. External control via frequency-voltage converter and envelope follower. Patch panel enables rerouting of audio and modulation signals.
The Korg VC-10 is a 1978 analog vocoder with a built-in 32-note keyboard, 20-band analysis and synthesis, and support for both internal and external signal modulation — including voice, guitar, and pitch control inputs — making it a self-contained, polyphonic vocoding instrument.
The Korg DDD-1 is a 1986 sampling drum machine with 14 velocity-sensitive pads, 12-bit samples, limited user sampling, five dynamic envelopes, and ROM card expansion (up to four cards, eight sounds each). It has 18 presets and six assignable audio outputs.
The Korg DSS-1 is a 1986 polyphonic sampling synthesizer combining sampling, additive synthesis, and hand-drawn waveform creation with an analog signal path. Its 12-bit sampler supports fixed rates from 16–48kHz, yielding up to 16 seconds of recording at the lowest rate. Its synthesis architecture emulates subtractive analog design with dual oscillators, switchable VCF slopes, and an extended ADBSSR envelope.
The Korg DW-6000 is a 1985 six-voice hybrid digital-analog synthesizer using sampled waveforms in ROM, analog VCA/VCF, dual oscillators per voice with detune, and a programmable stereo chorus — while noting design limitations like lack of touch sensitivity and single parameter control.
The Korg DW-8000 is a hybrid digital-analog synthesizer released in 1985. It features eight-note polyphony, a five-octave keyboard with velocity sensitivity and aftertouch, 16 digital waveforms (created via additive synthesis and stored on ROM chips), analog VCF and VCA, digital delay, arpeggiator, auto-bend, and DWGS architecture. Its rack-mounted counterpart is the EX-8000, which omits the arpeggiator.
The Korg MS2000 delivers the MS-10/MS-20 workflow in virtual analog form — with dual timbres, real-time knob control, and mod sequencing — but enforces a strict 4-voice polyphony limit that defines its practical use. It competes directly with the Nord Lead and Roland JP-8000 series. Its physical forms are a 44-key keyboard and a rack module. Connecting both via MIDI yields eight offset voices — not true polyphony expansion.
The Korg Prophecy is a monophonic synthesizer released by Korg in 1995. It uses MOSS (Multi Oscillator Synthesis System) to emulate analog synthesis, FM, and physical modelling. It offers five synthesis methods encompassing nine oscillator types: analog, variable phase modulation, brass, reed, and plucked string modelling, noise with comb filtering, and three types of analog-style models — sync, ring modulation, and cross modulation — collectively referred to as 'MOD'. Each oscillator is processed by a linked waveshaper for generating distortion or resonance effects. The signal, combined with outputs from a sub-oscillator and noise generator, and feedback, is then fed through two multi-mode filters, which can be arranged in series, parallel, or split configurations. The Prophecy's modulation options include six multi-stage envelopes and four low-frequency oscillators (LFOs) with a selection of 30 types. The keyboard features velocity sensitivity and aftertouch and is complemented by three physical wheels dedicated to pitch bending, modulation, and the Wheel 3, a cylindrical control that combines a modulation wheel with a pressure- and position-responsive ribbon controller. It is equipped with five programmable Performance Editors (PE) knobs, each of which can control up to four parameters simultaneously, enabling precise manipulation of aspects like filter cutoff frequencies, envelope attack times, filter resonance, and stereo panning with a single turn. KORG was the first company to feature effects on a synthesizer, and the first to use a sample + synthesis sound design.
The Korg PS-3300 is a 1977 polyphonic analog synthesizer built from three PS-3100-derived units (PSU-3301), delivering 144 voices with independent oscillators, filters, envelopes, and amplifiers per note. It enables multitimbral sound creation through individual module adjustment and mixing. It omits the PS-3100's ensemble effect. It supports extensive voltage control and patching — including pitch modulation from envelopes or external sources — and uses a detachable keyboard format. It belongs to Korg’s 1970s line of large, expensive, patchable instruments, positioned as a high-end professional device.
The Korg Trinity is a 1995 music workstation. It was Korg's first modern workstation. It introduced a large touchscreen for advanced control and editing functions. It became the flagship successor to the M1. It introduced resonant filters to Korg's workstation line. It offered built-in digital audio recording, 32-note polyphony, an extensive internal sound library, and assignable effects.
The Korg 01/W is a 1991 workstation that expands on the M1 with more polyphony, more memory, and Waveshaping—but does not deepen synthesis control. It delivers reliability and scale, not flexibility.
The MicroKORG is a compact, DSP-based synthesizer/vocoder released in 2002. It uses analog modelling to deliver immediate, expressive sounds — especially through its built-in vocoder and key transpose function. Its four-voice polyphony limits chordal playing and layering, but its hands-on interface and portability made it a staple for live vocalists and electronic performers. Still in production as of 2022, it prioritises utility over expandability.
The miniKORG 700 is Korg’s first monophonic analog synthesizer, released in 1973. Designed for organists, it sits atop an organ with controls facing upward. It features five oscillator waveforms including two pulse-width modulation variants, an envelope with attack and 'singing' (decay/release), a 'sustain' toggle that functions only as release, and a dual-filter 'Traveler' system with a safety constraint preventing silence. Its filters produce vocal-like sounds.
The Mono/Poly is a 1981 analog synthesizer with four VCOs, a 4-pole resonant lowpass filter, dual LFOs, and flexible key assignment modes. It operates either as a monophonic synth using all four oscillators or as a four-voice paraphonic synth. It was the only monophonic synthesizer with an integrated quad-VCO design at launch. Each VCO offers triangle, sawtooth, pulse, and pulse width modulation waveforms. Every VCO can be individually adjusted for octave, volume, and detuning relative to VCO 1, which has Master Tuning. Only the fixed pulse width and the amount of pulse width modulation are shared across all VCOs. The Mono/Poly features a 4-pole resonant lowpass filter with ADSR envelopes modulating both the VCF and VCA. It has two LFOs: one with four waveforms targeting multiple parameters via the modulation wheel, and a second triangle-wave LFO dedicated to pulse width modulation and arpeggiator tempo.
The Korg Trident is a 1980 subtractive synthesizer with eight-note polyphony, integrating three independent sections — polyphonic, string, and brass — into one keyboard. It allows assignment to two keyboard zones, includes a flanger effect and joystick for pitch and modulation. The 1982 MkII revision added memory, improved stability via better heat-sinking and power supply, and separate ADSR envelopes for filter and VCA — unlike the MkI’s shared envelope. It does not use effects or sample+synthesis, despite KORG pioneering both elsewhere.
The Korg Triton is a 1999 music workstation synthesizer with digital sampling and sequencing. It introduced 62-note polyphony, dual polyphonic arpeggiators, RPPR phrase recording, onboard sampling with expandable RAM, five insert effects per Program, dual filters per oscillator (24dB/octave low-pass or parallel 12dB/octave HP/LP), faster touchscreen response, category search UI, and expanded memory and outputs. It was available in 61-, 76-, and 88-key Classic versions and as a rackmount Triton-Rack with optional ADAT/Word Clock via EXB-DI.
The Korg Wavestation is a vector and wavetable synthesizer introduced in 1990. It uses Wave Sequencing — a method of multi-timbral sound generation using successively played PCM waveforms — combined with Advanced Vector Synthesis, allowing dynamic mixing and morphing between up to four oscillators. It enables crossfading up to 255 waveforms, jumping to any PCM wave in ROM, and generating complex, evolving timbres and rhythmic sequences from a single keypress. Unlike contemporaries, it lacks an onboard sequencer and is designed as a 'pure' synthesizer.
The Korg Z1 is a 1997 digital synthesizer using physical modelling synthesis with 12-voice polyphony. It extends Korg's MOSS system—first introduced in the 1995 Prophecy—into a polyphonic, multitimbral format, incorporating OASYS-based physical modelling engines, two physically modelled oscillators per voice plus sub-oscillator and noise generator, and performance features including a 61-note keyboard with aftertouch and an XY touchpad.
The Korg M1 is a 1988 sampling-based music workstation with 16-note polyphony, 16-bit PCM sample playback, built-in effects including reverb, delay, chorus, tremolo, EQ, distortion and Leslie simulation, and an eight-track MIDI sequencer. It uses sampled attack transients, loops, sustained waveforms and percussive samples. It was the bestselling synthesizer ever at that time, selling over 250,000 units. None of its features was unique, but their integration was unprecedented.
The Korg Poly-800 is an 8-voice analog synthesizer released by Korg in 1983. It was the first fully programmable polyphonic synthesizer that sold for less than $1,000. It was designed for portability, featuring battery power and a lightweight design that allowed the user to play with it strapped around their neck. It utilised digitally controlled oscillators (DCOs), and was a paraphonic synth with a single filter shared between its eight voices. Each DCO offers sawtooth and square waveforms, which are mixed together with a white noise generator before being sent to a voltage-controlled filter (VCF). The Poly-800 features 2 polyphony modes: Whole mode offers 8-voice polyphony with one DCO per voice, while Double mode places the DCOs in pairs for a richer sound, albeit at the expense of reducing polyphony to four voices. The VCF is shared across all voices, which means the Poly-800 is technically a paraphonic synth, instead of a polyphonic synth. The filter can be set to either single or multiple trigger modes; in single mode, the envelope is triggered by the first key press and won't re-trigger until all keys are released. Multi mode allows each key press to trigger the filter envelope independently.
The Korg Polysix is a 1981 six-voice polyphonic analog synthesizer designed for affordability through single-oscillator-per-voice architecture, compensated by built-in bucket-brigade-based chorus/phaser/ensemble effects — features that were relatively uncommon at launch and contributed to its accessibility and sonic richness.