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parameters, dual multimode filters, envelope and LFO settings, and so forth; I’ll just say here that there’s plenty of power to satisfy most tweakheads. Everyone who plays synthesizers has certain go-to sounds, and I admit I spent most of my time living in the keyboard part of the program area, with everything from deep and powerful grand pianos through a variety of electric pianos and vintage keyboards. The orchestral strings and brasses were lush and fun to play, and I particularly enjoyed the mallet instruments, both plain and drastically altered with synth program tweaks and multieffects. Speaking of effects, the microSTATION is loaded with eight effects processors that cover the gamut of possibilities from conventional time-based and modulation

time, shuffle amount, and velocity sensitivity. Arpeggiator patterns can be recorded into the sequencer, and do tricks like trigger drum loops within split programs and Combis. Arpeggiator data can be used internally, sent out of the MIDI Out port, or routed directly into your DAW via USB. Note that you can save your programs, effects, and track and arpeggiator settings in the microSTATION’s memory as a Template Song for a quick start on new compositions; however, the sequencer data itself (the notes you’ve played) aren’t saved on power-off, so you must remember to save them to an SD card or to your computer. Another way to start working on a song quickly is to select a Combi you like and then use the Auto Song Setup function to load it into the sequencer with a single click—very handy!

data like patch names with your computer keyboard, graphically adjust keymaps and envelopes, design your own arpeggiator patterns, and much more, making programming the microSTATION a real treat. By the way, you’ll also need a computer to fully learn how to use the microSTATION. As is becoming more common with devices this complex, the manuals are provided primarily as PDF files on the CD-ROM that comes with the keyboard; a paper Easy Start gets you going, and then you’ll need to refer to the PDFs. While old fogeys like me often like to have a paper manual open, this method of distribution saves a whole lot of trees and makes it much easier to update docs with new or corrected information, so thumbs up to Korg on this.

effects to dynamics control, eq, and lots of special tricks. There are five Insert Effects, two Master Effects, and a final Total Effect; if you think of these as effects on channel inserts, aux sends/returns, and the final output bus of a mixer, you’ll have a good mental picture of where they go in the microSTATION’s architecture. Insert Effects are particularly handy for Combis, where individual parts can be processed with separate effects before mixing. The sequencer and arpeggiator Since the microSTATION is intended for live gigging as well as studio use, it has a lot of built-in performance features. There’s a full 16-track MIDI sequencer built in, with realtime or step programming, loop recording and looped pattern playback, and other convenient features. One of the cooler tricks the sequencer can do is Grid Sequencing, a 16-step pattern editor to drop in notes and build up repeating figures or drum tracks, guided visually by a set of 16 LEDs on the front panel to show you where you’ve placed notes. The microSTATION also has a dual arpeggiator on board with hundreds of cool patterns to choose from and basic onboard tweaks of parameters like gate

Computer integration The microSTATION comes with USB MIDI drivers and a software Patch Editor program. The Editor works on Windows XP (SP2+)/Vista/7 and Mac OS X 10.4.11+ and can function standalone or as a plug-in inside your DAW. In the latter case, the USB connection can act as a MIDI I/O port, letting the microSTATION control other instruments or be played back by MIDI data recorded in your DAW. Note that the microSTATION has a USB 1.1 port that is strictly for MIDI use; it doesn’t have a built-in audio interface, so you will have to route its physical outputs to your computer’s audio interface box in order to record its audio in your DAW. The Editor has a very clear and easy to read tabbed interface, and provides graphic feedback on all aspects of sound, combi, sequence parameter, and arpeggiator programming. More importantly, it completely opens the microSTATION’s architecture to the user, allowing access to many functions that you can’t get to from the front panel. While it’s possible to carry out many standard functions on the microSTATION, it’s neither quick nor easy, with lots of nested menus and button clicks. In contrast, the Editor lets you quickly enter

The manuals themselves are beautifully illustrated and clearly indexed, with everything you need to know about the microSTATION’s voice architecture, sequencer tools, effects, MIDI protocol, and so on. Plan to set aside some reading time, as there are lots of cool features that aren’t hinted at on the front panel! Conclusions Some people might see the tiny keys and wonder why the microSTATION is priced “like a real synthesizer”. Well, that’s because it is one, and a darn powerful one at that. My tiny gripes aside, I think it represents an astounding value for studios that want cutting-edge hardware sounds in a computerfriendly environment, and well worth serious investigation—even if you choose to play the sounds from an external keyboard. All I’d add would be the SC-MW1, an optional form-fitting padded shoulder bag for the microSTATION, and the package would be complete—a full-featured keyboard with awesome sounds that’s as easy to carry to a gig as a guitar! Price: $850 More from: Korg, www.korg.com.
RECORDING NOVEMBER 2010

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Recording - November 2010

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