Korg 01/W

Back in 1991, this workstation stepped up the game from the M1 with double the polyphony and a groundbreaking waveshaping feature that let you twist PCM samples through 59 distortion curves—like Rezzy or Parabola—for harmonics that screamed attitude without needing extra pedals.

It packs Korg's AI2 synthesis into 32 voices with dual sample-based oscillators per voice, pulling from 6MB of ROM with 255 multisounds and 119 drum hits across pianos, orchestras, jazz kits, and textural gems; expandable via PCM cards. A responsive 61-key synth-action board handles velocity and polyphonic aftertouch, feeding into filters, a single envelope, and two LFOs, all tweakable via a bright 240x64 backlit LCD with intuitive menus and eight quick-edit buttons for octave, waveshape intensity, filter EG, attack, release, and more. Layer up to eight programs into multitimbral Combi patches across 16 parts, route through twin multi-FX processors offering 47 algorithms like reverb, delay, overdrive, chorus, and rotary sim, then sequence it all on 16 tracks with 48,000-note capacity (on FD models), 96ppqn resolution, and handy overdub or punch-in modes. Storage hits via floppy drive, PCMCIA slot, and 200 user programs/combis, with four main outs, headphones, MIDI I/O/Thru, and pedal inputs on a sturdy 1059x344x115mm frame weighing 13.4kg.

Players loved its sequencer for home studios and the endless sound design from waveshaping, though some noted the raw samples could feel loop-limited until processed.