Powerful arpeggiator with ribbon controller and slider. Twin vacuum tubes for analog warmth
Item: KOREMX1
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125 People rated this product : 8 out of 10
8 People wrote reviews









9 out of 10
Feature:
Of course it has a limited feature set and very few parameters compared to typical synths, but it is amazing how much you can get out of them, if you're willing to push it. With a little ingenuity you can work around almost all its limitations. Now IF ONLY the synths were truly polyphonic...
Quality:
A very durable build for these days. 100% thick metal case, a power plug that doesnt slip out, a nice screen, etc. The knobs aren't flimsy, but I'd prefer they were actually anchored into the case rather than the substructure.
Value:
I think the price (US$500) is about right for this unit. Any more and you'd be better off with something else, any less and it would be a steal.
Desirability:
It looks quite cool, but it would look cooler if I'd designed it ;)
Sound:
I've used mostly software for the last 8 years, and it came as a shock to me how full and 3-dimensional this little thing can sound. To me it doesn't sound analog, nor does it sound traditionally digital. It has a unique bright, full sound. I do wish it had a more expensive-sounding reverb. The springy one it has is ok for adding ambience, but not for creating real big reverb effects.
Ease of Use:
It's not as easy or convenient as software, but what is? the EMX-1 is easier than many hardware devices. I found it especially clumsy to build songs using the pattern-based song mode, but then I discovered I could record the songs into my computer via MIDI, edit them in a software sequencer, then split them up into patterns and record them back into the EMX-1. (I'm thinking of making a YouTube demo of this.)
Support:
Haven't needed it.
Overall:
For what it does, it is great. Great sound, the limitations can be pushed quite far with a little imagination. The presets are very limited to very few genres, and don't even begin to represent all the possibilities.
Submitted: 5/6/2008
Style of Music: electronica









10 out of 10
Feature:
No accessories were included. I immediately bought a couple of smart media cards. You have to get 128MB cards. I also bought a USB reader so can transfer the patterns I create to my PC hard disk. The pattern files are binary and can only be read by the machine though (my understanding). I also ended up buying a couple of adapters to go from 1/4" jacks to 1/8" jacks. If I could add anything to this machine, I would add the ability to have separate effects for each part, instead of sharing the three effects stages across all the parts. Well, maybe the ability to load PCMs would be a bigger plus.
Quality:
Overall quality is good. It's a substantial device, but not bulky. Comparable to a larger laptop ca. 2001. I think the knobs could have been tougher. I am careful with it because I want it to last a long time. So it doesn't seem bulletproof, but it's not fragile either.
Value:
Easily worth the price when you consider a sequencer alone can cost this much. Nothing compared to analog prices. Really a great gift for someone who has an interest in music. Resale appears to be strong as well. Not a huge financial risk.
Desirability:
I saw this thing on youtube and was immediately obsessed. It strikes me as a future icon of this era. Instant collectible.
Sound:
This instrument is all about throwing sounds together and seeing what happens. Not so easy to think of a sound you want and then build it. It's better to give in a little to what it does well. There are many dual oscillator configurations to choose from, and the PCM sounds are weighted more for drums than otherwise. It is primarily a drum machine. You can get all kinds of drum sounds out of it (starting out as PCMs) you can change the pitch of the drum sounds, you can apply an LFO, and you can apply three chained effects of your choice. There is not a huge range of non-drum PCMs (70 or so), and you can't load more. I find myself just using the oscillator sources for the synth parts, although the PCMs are pretty good, some very good, in my opinion. One great thing about this machine is you can use it as a MIDI sequencer for other equipment. The step keys make it really easy to create parts in real time. I am using it to sequence a modular analog synthesizer, and it also works well in this role because I can also use it to fill in sounds for the analog while I save money for more analog modules, and decide which sounds need to go over to analog. To get the functionality of this thing in an analog synthesizer would be huge money (and a lot of space).
Ease of Use:
Very easy to use. The manual is very clear. A lot of thought went into it.
Support:
No experience, which probably says a lot.
Overall:
I don't see myself outgrowing this device. It can always play the role of a MIDI controller and drum machine.
Submitted: 3/5/2008
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