Korg has announced a complete overhaul of its Electribe groovebox range, unveiling new synth and sampling models.
Featuring 200 preset patterns that cover everything from house and techno to trap and EDM, the standard Electribe now supports polyphonic playback, giving you scope to create complex chord progressions. The 16 pads can be used to control steps in the sequencer, while also serving as a keyboard so that you can record phrases in real time. Parameter tweaks can be recorded using the motion sequencer.
Elsewhere, the touch scale function from Korg's Kaossilator has been implemented, meaning that you can perform using the touch pad without ever playing any 'wrong' notes.
The synth engine promises "maximum sound-creating freedom and the fastest sound production", and provides 409 oscillator waveforms that cover analogue modelling and PCM. The filters are inherited from the KingKorg synth.
The Electribe offers further niceties in the form of compression and overdrive for each part, while groove templates can also be applied on a per part basis. Master effects can be controlled from the touch pad, you can switch between patterns using the trigger pads (your performance can be recorded) and, as well as MIDI IN/OUT, Sync IN/OUT is also provided, allowing synchronized performances with the volca series, monotribe, or MS-20 mini. The Electribe can be operated from the mains or six AA batteries.
One other noteworthy feature is the compatibility with Ableton Live: patterns and parts can be exported in Live format and will appear as Scenes and Clips in the software. So, there's the potential to turn your Electribe jams into full-on DAW productions.
The Electribe Sampler offers similar specs, but boasts a hybrid synth engine that offers both sampling and analogue modelling. Numerous samples are supplied, and you can also use your own. The Time Slice function is designed to slice up phrases so that they can be used at different tempi (individual slices can also be assigned to steps or parts) and there are resampling features, too. The analogue modelling engine is said to be suitable for basses and pads in particular.
The standard Electribe should be available in November priced at £395, while the Sampler is expect to land in December for the same price. Find out more on the Korg website.
