Korg RADIAS

has anyone played with this one? they look HOT

They are amazing, one of the best va synth engines yet.

having said that

they knowbs are tiny and the text is so small and cluttered together its hard to read. The KNowbs also aren't endless, the kb that comes with it is rather cheap feeling, and its almost impossible to know what you're editing via the lcd as it doesnt give knob movement feedback. Also its very easy to accidently change patches thinking you are editing the thing.

aside from that it sounds fantastic!

yes def get the rack. if you get the kb version you can only use it with the radias, it has no midi out, just a 8? pin connection to the radias that is not useful for anything else.

radias is awesome though. search youtube for clips. excells at digital sounds but does analog quite fine as well. not to mention the mod sequencer is badass.

yeah i alredy youtubed it. it looks really amazing , errr, sounds...

watch ebay....if you can get a rack between $500-550 it's a steal. It happens too. One just went for 550 a few days ago. That is very good price considering the msrp is $1899 and typical sale price new is $1000. And you get 4 parts ind. outputs, vocoder, and it comes with drum sounds preset in it ala em1-x. 25 voices, wave shaping, faux sample capabilities, stereo input, usb.Overall great package at that price. You could get a nord modular g1, an ion, waldorf micro q, or a few other things at that price but I wouldn't pay more than $600 for one.

Very unique sound, Cuts through the mix very well. Has a ton of waveforms and the filter is very nice (very digital but with a bit of boost and some osc beating it can be very analog).

I'm sure you've seen the specs:

If you get one, and don't like it: sell it and buy an ion or sumpin. :)

cheers bro!

i used to work in a pro audio store and every morning after i set up I'd spend about half an hour on one of these things running different synths through its inputs

the thing not only sounds good on its own but syncing up and running other shit through it can produce some pretty mindblowing sounds making it one of my favorite synths

in summation

grab a rack version and twiddle your hands away

my one complaint = not the greatest low end......

aside from that

totally badass

  pantsonmyhead said:

my one complaint = not the greatest low end......

I think that's where the digital filter starts to become obvious. In my expierence I've had no probs getting great bass and low end out of the radias, if anything it excells at it.

However...

It depends on the filter you're using and I will say in reference to pants on my head's gripe, in the 24db low pass mode, when sweeping the filter or just trying to let some low end "punch" to get through, its very sterile (kinda similar to nords but still very different). It's not the traditional 24 db LP ladder (moog) style that lets a lot of low end through, it does seem to push it down a bit more than some would like, which is effective for some stuff, and not desirable for others. Less resonance didn't seem to make a huge diff either, but the ol' layering a sine wave trick fixes the prob mostly. other than that the radias can make some killer low end growl. Esp with just a tad of overdrive.

but yeah, overall it's an aquired taste, the lp filter is def not a moog, or oberhiem, more like a prophet but with more squelch and less umph. the 12 db does just dandy though for actual "bass" sounds.

i find it does the mid parts of bass-lines well but the very low sub parts were lacking even with the filter @ 12db/oactave IMO

i found myself layering it on top of cleaner sub synths (like the Mono-Poly or the MS-20)

it does have a very nord-esque feeling to the low mids though

  Brandi_B said:

watch ebay....if you can get a rack between $500-550 it's a steal. It happens too. One just went for 550 a few days ago. That is very good price considering the msrp is $1899 and typical sale price new is $1000. And you get 4 parts ind. outputs, vocoder, and it comes with drum sounds preset in it ala em1-x. 25 voices, wave shaping, faux sample capabilities, stereo input, usb.Overall great package at that price. You could get a nord modular g1, an ion, waldorf micro q, or a few other things at that price but I wouldn't pay more than $600 for one.

 

Very unique sound, Cuts through the mix very well. Has a ton of waveforms and the filter is very nice (very digital but with a bit of boost and some osc beating it can be very analog).

 

I'm sure you've seen the specs:

 

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

Synth:

2 oscillators + noise generator:

Oscillator 1 - 9 basic waveforms, 4 types of modulation, PCM (64 synth sounds, 128 drum sounds)

Oscillator 2 - 4 basic waveforms, 2 types of modulation

2 filters (w/serial, parallel, individual routings):

Filter 1 (variable multi-mode) -24 dB Low Pass, -12 dB Low Pass, High Pass, Band Pass, Thru

Filter 2 (switchable multi-mode) Low Pass, High Pass, Band Pass, Comb

1 driver or wave shaper (11 types)

3 EGs

2 LFOs

6 virtual patches

3 modulation sequences

 

Vocoder:

16-band vocoder

Variable level/pan for each channel

Formant motion function (sixteen 7.5 sec. formant motion data sets can be recorded)

Formant shift function

Formant hold function

 

Envelope Follower: A detected envelope can be used as a virtual patch source or effect control source, or to generate note-on/off (maximum 8-note polyphony)

 

Effect Section

Number of Effects: 30 types

 

Structure: 2-band EQ + 2 Insert effects per timbre (x4) + 1 Master effect

 

Arpeggiator

Arpeggio Type: 6 types (Up/Down/Alt1/Alt2/Random/Trigger)

 

Structure: Switchable on/off for each of 32 steps

 

Step Sequencer

Simultaneous Polyphony: 8 notes

 

Structure:

Two 32-step sequencers (both can be linked for playback)

3 playback modes (OneShot/Loop/Step)

Step entry via keyboard or panel keys

 

Programs

Number of Programs: 256 (16 x 16 banks, including program/user area)

 

128 Timbre Templates

 

128 Insert effect Templates

 

128 Master effect Templates

 

Structure:

Program = 4 timbres + 1 vocoder + 1 master effect + arpeggiator + 2 step sequencers

Timbre = 1 synth program or 1 drum kit + EQ + 2 insert effects

 

Drums

Number of Programs: 32 kits

 

Structure:

one Timbre = 1 drum kit, one drum kit = 16 synth programs

A drum kit can be assigned to one of the four timbres in a program.

 

General

Connections:

Audio Inputs:

Audio In 1: 1/4 in. phone jack

Audio In 2: 1/4 in. phone jack and mini jack with Mic/Line SW

 

Audio Outputs:

Main Output (Lch/MONO, Rch): 1/4 in. phone jacks

Indiv. Output (Lch, Rch): 1/4 in. phone jacks

Phones Out: 1/4 in. stereo phone jack

 

Control Inputs:

Assignable Pedal

Assignable Switch

 

 

If you get one, and don't like it: sell it and buy an ion or sumpin. :)

quality post