KingKorg vs. Studiologic Sledge 2.0

[zerocrossing]

Nina looks and sounds nice, but it is expensive (but worth it if you take the features and quality). It is great for live performances though, as I saw in the Video by Matt Johnson.

I don't know! When I was young, I've always dreamt of synths surrounding me (like Vangelis) and was sure to make my dream true one day. Things have changed and my dreams also have changed!
I don't think I'm the only one, but for me now the only hardware that I might purchase in the future is an electric guitar (even that is not sure). The last month, I've only used Software synths. I've tried to convince myself to buy an analog synth, but although I have the money, I have zero desire to have any hardware now! So, I think I won't bore the hardware users here anymore!

Here’s my take on that subject, take it with a grain of salt, because humans are easily fooled, including me. Software has become shockingly good in the last 20 years. Even in analog emulations. You If you check out any number of videos by Starsky Carr, you’ll find detailed a/b tests that often show very little difference, and when there is difference, it’s hard to say that it’s worse.

But… there are benefits to hardware synths. First, everything’s not emulated, and some emulations are still a bit lame. No one’s done a good ARP 2600 yet, for some odd reason. Not at a level of Legend or Repro. Then there’s unique instruments. I brought up Nina because after hearing that Matt Johnson demo, I could not stop myself from buying it. It sounded so damn cool! I spent a lot of time trying to mimic it with software when I got it, and it was a total fail. So, expensive, yes, but I wanted that sound and I couldn’t get it in another way. What else am I going to do with my money? Lastly, recourses. Over the last year I’ve been doing soundtrack work that’s generally has a lot more going on than my personal music. A couple of tracks of a SWAM instruments can take over your CPU, so having some hardware synths on hand is a perfect way to offload some of the work.

Plus, they look cool!

[EnGee]

ARP 2600 is my dream synth! Well, together with a Buchla (but that is when I win first prize in the lottery!). There is a good deal for Korg ARP 2600 now in the dealer's shop, about half price of what Nina costs, but I'll pass painfully

Anyway, what I learn is to buy the musical instrument that it's stuck on my mind! Not according to logic and features. I still somehow regret buying blofeld instead of King Korg. Yes, it's a VA not analog, but I really liked the filters and the whole experience, but I chose blofeld according to logic more than to taste.

I don't use heavy cpu software, so there is a lot of headroom for me. I also don't pass 16 tracks (even if I try hard!).

For heavy software, I read that some are using another computer (as a server) and link it to their main one, but I haven't tried it and neither know how.

[Eurosynth]

Regarding the KingKORG's rather flimsy keyboard, it didn't stop Corey Henry from just killing it with that live performance!
Btw, you don’t want heavier piano-type keys with a synth. A synthesizer is much closer to a traditional organ conceptually and functionally, and organs have very light keys compared to pianos. Admittedly, I don’t like the KingKORG keys which IMO are too flimsy. I much prefer those lovely Fatar keys on my Blofeld Keyboard, which are just a joy to play. But I have got used to the KingKORG keys and put up with them because I just love the sound of the KingKORG, and because of that it is my regular goto synth.

[Eurosynth]

Here’s my take on that subject, take it with a grain of salt, because humans are easily fooled, including me. Software has become shockingly good in the last 20 years. Even in analog emulations. You If you check out any number of videos by Starsky Carr, you’ll find detailed a/b tests that often show very little difference, and when there is difference, it’s hard to say that it’s worse.

But… there are benefits to hardware synths. First, everything’s not emulated, and some emulations are still a bit lame. No one’s done a good ARP 2600 yet, for some odd reason. Not at a level of Legend or Repro. Then there’s unique instruments. I brought up Nina because after hearing that Matt Johnson demo, I could not stop myself from buying it. It sounded so damn cool! I spent a lot of time trying to mimic it with software when I got it, and it was a total fail. So, expensive, yes, but I wanted that sound and I couldn’t get it in another way. What else am I going to do with my money? Lastly, recourses. Over the last year I’ve been doing soundtrack work that’s generally has a lot more going on than my personal music. A couple of tracks of a SWAM instruments can take over your CPU, so having some hardware synths on hand is a perfect way to offload some of the work.

Plus, they look cool!

If you do soundtrack work have you checked out the Korg Wavestate or its new 61-key version the Wavestate SE? It’s perfect for that type of work.

[zerocrossing]

Here’s my take on that subject, take it with a grain of salt, because humans are easily fooled, including me. Software has become shockingly good in the last 20 years. Even in analog emulations. You If you check out any number of videos by Starsky Carr, you’ll find detailed a/b tests that often show very little difference, and when there is difference, it’s hard to say that it’s worse.

But… there are benefits to hardware synths. First, everything’s not emulated, and some emulations are still a bit lame. No one’s done a good ARP 2600 yet, for some odd reason. Not at a level of Legend or Repro. Then there’s unique instruments. I brought up Nina because after hearing that Matt Johnson demo, I could not stop myself from buying it. It sounded so damn cool! I spent a lot of time trying to mimic it with software when I got it, and it was a total fail. So, expensive, yes, but I wanted that sound and I couldn’t get it in another way. What else am I going to do with my money? Lastly, recourses. Over the last year I’ve been doing soundtrack work that’s generally has a lot more going on than my personal music. A couple of tracks of a SWAM instruments can take over your CPU, so having some hardware synths on hand is a perfect way to offload some of the work.

Plus, they look cool!

If you do soundtrack work have you checked out the Korg Wavestate or its new 61-key version the Wavestate SE? It’s perfect for that type of work.

The Wavestate didn’t really wow me, but I like the Modwave and OPsix plugins a lot. I do also like the Wavestation plugin. Maybe I should give it a proper demo, though. At this point, I’ve got so many hardware and software synths, I can’t keep track of them!

[zerocrossing]

The KingKORG doesn't cover the same ground as a Sledge. The Sledge is a wavetable synth, the KingKORG has no wavetable capabilities. It has the DWGS waves and some PCM samples on board, as well as some cool osc features, but nothing similar to wavetables. I think of the KingKORG like a modern souped up DW-8000 (digital oscs and analog filters) and the Sledge is more like a modern Waldorf style synth. Both have their pros and cons.

I'm a big KingKORG evangelist. I love the sound of it. All my complaints are about it's interface, but I've solved it by adding my iPad to my set up. By running the Patch Morpher app, the crappy menu diving on the KingKORG is gone... and I also have amazing patch morphing capabilities!

Totally agree with your statements about the KingKORG. Despite its crappy keys (although the keys are somewhat better in the more recent black model which I have, but still nowhere near as good as those of my Blofeld Keyboard) and flimsy feeling knobs, I love my KingKORG and use it every day as my goto synth. It just sounds so good! I also use the amazing Patch Morpher.

It really sucks that you can’t get Patchmorpher anymore! I used to use it for my Prophet 12 too.