This free plugin’s been around for ages and is really good too:
It’s relatively cheaper than the microKorg 2!
That’s insane. Silly question maybe, but what’s the point of having 49 voices ?
The same reason a piano has 88?
wow.
totaly want but I’m not forking out that. gorgeous though.
Well, not sure if you are joking, but it’s quite a different matter…
The cost is a very important issue here.
Also the doability. With an acoustic piano, there not really other way do it. (well, maybe there is, look at how a harp works with its pedals…).
On the other hand, in the electronic domain, we have the ability to repurpose “strings” (oscillators) with the use of the voice allocation algorithms.
This is probably giving a lot of the sound character.
But it is :
- super expensive
- probably a nightmare to tune
- proportionally expanding the risk of malfunction.
EDIT : that said, that would be a microtonal dream…
Only partly joking, the other joke would be ‘so all your cats can make noises at the same time walking on your keyboard’
In all seriousness though and all very real practical issues aside: I think it’s amazing to have piano like polyphony on an instrument like this.
We weren’t quite there when this was originally released. If they are going to do a reissue, I think just going for 8 or 16 voices of polyphony wouldn’t be enough for this particular synth.
I hope they will repurpose some of this R&D in a modern polysynth, and that they sell enough of these for that to be possible.
Hoping for a “PS-3000m” with a mere 32 voices…
I think it’s important to keep two things in mind:
- When the PS-3300 was designed, dynamic voice allocation was not a well known concept within the synthesizer industry, and the first synth ever to feature this was released just a year before (Yamaha CS-80). It’s fully possible that it would have been more expensive and challenging for Korg to go this route instead of the technology used in the 3300 (separate VCOs + dividers).
- While the 3300 features 3x VCF and 3x VCA pr key, it does not feature 3x VCO pr key for the whole keyboard - it has three separate VCOs pr key within the top octave only. The lower octaves all feature divide-down circuitry, which means it “only” has 3 x 12 VCOs. This helps keep the VCO count down but also helps tuning, as the tuning in the top octave will be identical in the lower octaves.
Imagine walking into a studio and seeing one of these mothers. Its a trophy. The same way hunters used to put ivory on the walls.
A side note..
Korg did actually develop a synth with one oscillator pr key in the mid 70s; the PE-1000. Quite a one-of-a-kind design. I’m guessing they used very simple oscillators, as they are only required to keep a certain pitch, and not track across the whole keyboard (which must also be true of the PS-3300 oscillators?).
They also developed synths with divide-down circuitry for every note across the keyboard (PE-2000, Lambda, Delta). This technology was common in organs, and was also used in early polyphonics like the Polymoog.
I understand this was a typo, but with a PS-3300 in the works a 2500 reissue doesn’t seem quite so improbable.
If the price is north of $10k, then that’s getting into cool new motorcycle or cool older sailboat territory. Or a 1st/2nd gen miata (popular with budget track day folks).
well this is quite interesting. not something I ever expected them to make. and not something I think I’ll go after (especially if the $13k price is true) but it’s great to see them doing it. and to see them continuing the revival of their old synths.
I’m sure these will be released in very limited runs, and sell out quickly. so anyone interested better jump on it when they become available. I predict lots of cool gear popping up used in the next couple months!
The problem is it will be bought by people who wont use it and keep it as a trophy.
It might be bought by people who won’t use it, and that’s their prerogative. However, I know a fair few owners of high-end synths that wouldn’t dream of letting their prized instruments go unused. Myself included.
Scot i know you love your gear but i dont know many people who can afford £13k. I can but thats not the point i’m making. The manufacture of these limited runs are squirreled away.
who is this for