Recording - November 2010 - 58

B Y M I K E M E T L AY

Korg microSTATION
A keyboard workstation that looks, feels, and sounds like no other

The modern studio-keyboard landscape is perhaps simpler than it was in previous decades. There are full-featured workstations with onboard sound libraries, sequencers, and even recording capability; specialty instruments using vintage circuit designs (real or emulated in software); and of course a variety of USB keyboard controllers for software. When something truly unusual comes along, it can be fun and inspiring, and I found the new microSTATION from Korg to be heaps of both. It’s a synthesizer with full internal effects processing system and USB editor/librarian support that can act as a USB keyboard interface and features performance-friendly tools like an arpeggiator and full MIDI sequencer, all in a fascinatingly compact package. What’s with those keys? I’ll cut to the chase: the most unusual feature of the microSTATION is its keyboard— a full five octaves of velocity-sensitive “waterfall” keys that are scaled down to mini-size. This produces an instrument that has a full playable range but is very small and light (under six pounds!), an interesting compromise between small workstations with limited keyboard sizes and fullsized keyboards that are bulky and heavy. The keys have a very light but positive feel that I found myself enjoying very quickly; the small keys mean that a player with averagesized hands can easily span more than an octave with no difficulty, and it takes some getting used to before you can play with any
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speed because the distances between keys are so much reduced. But almost everyone I shared the microSTATION with had the same reaction: an initial burst of laughter, followed by some skeptical plunking around, followed by a more intrigued examination of the keys and some serious playing... eventually (usually after a long period of shushing me and motioning that I should go away and let them play) followed by a big smile and words to the effect of, “It won’t replace my piano, but man, it’s fun—I could seriously get used to this!” My feelings exactly. I just wish it had aftertouch, but that’s a personal gripe I don’t expect most folks to share. Front and back The microSTATION has a very simple control set: Korg’s familiar joystick for pitch and two forms of modulation, four knobs that can be assigned to three banks of onboard functions and/or various MIDI Control Change commands, and arrays of buttons to access various menus, select programs, run the sequencer transport, and control the Grid Sequencer steps (see below). With USB computer integration providing in-depth programming options, the front panel is kept simple for the most important hands-on functions while playing. Even so, there are some nice extras, like the ability to mute various aspects of a sound with a single button press, like the percussion on an organ or the release samples on an electric piano, or more commonly to mute individual tracks of a multitrack sequence playback.

The rear panel is relatively spartan: stereo outputs on 1/4", USB, MIDI I/O, a slot for an SD card, a 1/4" jack for a damper pedal (not included), and a jack for the included AC wall wart. A 1/8" headphone jack is tucked away on the far left end of the keyboard, facing forward and just to the left of the lowest key. While players used to full-sized workstation keyboards might wish for extra audio channel outs or another pedal input, I feel what’s here covers the bases nicely. Under the hood The microSTATION’s tiny size may make you think of it as a more toylike keyboard than serious synthesizer at first, but don’t be fooled: Its sound engine is scary good—a streamlined version of the powerful EDS (Enhanced Definition Synthesis) engine inside Korg’s multi-kilobuck M3 synth workstation. The unit comes with hundreds of great-sounding presets, grouped for easy selection: pianos and lots of other keyboards, orchestral instruments, guitars, basses, and a variety of keymapped drum kits. Sounds are available in Programs (single sounds or basic splits/keymaps) or in Combis—mixes of up to sixteen sounds in complicated layering and splits, e.g. a massive film-music sound with multiple velocity layers of pianos and strings plus a drum kit and a harp glissando played by the arpeggiators. Synth geeks will want to read up on the microSTATION’s voice architecture for themselves, to learn about the oscillator
Recording - November 2010

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