Korg i30 Interactive Music Workstation
January 29, 1998
Korg USA is introducing the Korg i30 Interactive Music Workstation, a music production system with 64-voice capability; high-quality sounds; and an extensive accompaniment and sequencing system. The Korg i30 offers more power for realtime performance, entertainment, or music production.
The new i30 is packed with the best-sounding samples from Korg's professional keyboards. The 320 programs and 32 drum programs in the i30 include GM (General MIDI) compatible sound programs, and the RAM User area offers 64 sound programs and eight drum programs. To further polish your productions, two completely independent digital multi-effect units are built-in, offering 47 effects variations each.
The i30's database of musical Styles equips users with an easy way to create truly professional backing parts. The i30 provides a maximum of 176 Styles, and its internal memory can contain a staggering 1760 different Style Elements, covering a wide variety of musical genres, such as techno, club, rock, pop and traditional music.
Creating styles on the i30 is easy to do via its overdub recording functions and ability to combine multiple styles.
While a Style specifies the musical genre and performance, the Arrangement is the equivalent of a band ensemble, specifying the sound played by each part, as well as volume, pan and effects settings. In addition to the 128 built-in Arrangements, users
can create and store 64 custom Arrangements. The i30's musically revolutionary Backing Sequence mode allows users to record a performance simply by playing a chord sequence. A Control Track captures switching variations and adding fill-ins, and all these parts can be freely edited. So changing a chord quality or removing a drum fill is easy as changing a single event. A total of 10 tracks are available for recording in this mode, and data that is created using the Backing Sequence function can be saved to disk in SMF format. Since the Korg i30 also contains a full-fledged 16-track
sequencer, this SMF data can be edited in greater detail using the internal sequencer
or an external sequencer. Standard MIDI Files can play directly from disk for immediate access during live performances.
Once the creative part of a piece is established, the new Korg i30 offers enhanced realtime performance control to add expression to your playing. The i30's keyboard can be divided into three parts (Main, Sub and Lower), each independently controllable. The Chord Sound function allows the chordal sound and the bass note to continue playing even when the automatic accompaniment is stopped. In addition to its fade-in/out and ritardando/accelerando features, the i30 has an Ensemble function which automatically adds an appropriate harmony to single-note melodic playing. The i30 is the first of the i-Series keyboards to provide a large and easy-to-use TouchView Graphical User Interface, which is clearly visible in all lighting conditions. In addition, the front panel provides nine sliders for adjusting the output volume balance. In conjunction with the Play/Mute keys, these sliders give users instant control of the melody and backing volumes even during a performance.
The i30's TO HOST (PC I/F) connector lets you connect it directly to a computer. (A separately sold cable and MIDI driver software AG-001B/002B is required.) An optional internal hard disk can be installed for storage of internal data such as SMF data, Styles, and Arrangements.
The Korg i30 Interactive Music Workstation will be available in the Spring of 1998 for a suggested list price of approximately $2595.00, and the i30HD will retail for $ 2850.00. For more information, visit their web site at www.korg.com. |
