Back in 1995, this synth burst onto the scene as Korg's bold first stab at virtual analog modeling, blending raw Moog-like leads with eerily realistic flutes and brass through its pioneering physical modeling tech—long before it became a staple in modern designs.
At its heart, nine virtual analog oscillators deliver everything from saws and pulses to FM-style VPM, brass, reed, pluck, and noise types, all mixable and tweakable via dual waveshapers for wild overtone mangling. Dual multimode filters (lowpass, highpass, bandpass, comb, notch) run in series or parallel, fed by four LFOs with 29 waveforms and six envelopes routing to 255 destinations through a deep mod matrix. Hands-on control shines with a 37-note velocity- and aftertouch-sensitive keyboard, pitch/mod wheels, that quirky horizontal log controller with ribbon sensitivity, and five assignable performance knobs under the display for real-time tweaks. Built-in arpeggiator, 128 programs, and effects like distortion, chorus, delay, wah-wah, and reverb round it out, all in a compact 740 x 100 x 280mm aluminum chassis weighing just 5.7kg, with balanced outs, headphones, and full MIDI.
Players still geek out over its expressive solo voice and modular-like depth, nailing vintage analog warmth alongside bizarre FM trombones or plucked realism that modern VAs chase. Sure, the menu-diving edits demand patience—no quick knob-per-function bliss—but random tweaking often yields gold, and that log-ribbon combo makes live performance a tactile joy few monosynths match.
