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Korg M1

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Korg's chief engineer, Junichi Ikeuchi, led the hardware engineering design of the M1. Whereas previous synthesizers had shipped with sounds chosen for different markets, the Korg chairman, Tsutomu Kato, and his son Seiki decided that their synthesizers should use the same sounds internationally.
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from 1988 to 1995. The M1 was advertised as a 'workstation' rather than a synthesizer, integrating composition and performance features into a single device. It features 16-voice polyphony, high-quality digital samples (including drum sounds), an integrated 8-track sequencer and digital effects
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Following the success of the M1, Korg expanded its lineup with several series of new workstations, including the T-series in 1989, the 01-series in 1991, the X-series in 1993, and the N-series in 1996. The
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in 1988, Tony Hastings wrote that it was "destined to be big, very big", with "sensational" sounds and extensive features that outperformed its competitors. It was widely used in popular music and
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100 programs / 100 combinations / 4400 sequencer notes or 50 programs / 50 combinations / 7700 sequencer notes depending on global settings, and 10 songs + 100 patterns
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journalist Mark Vail wrote that the M1 was the bestselling synthesizer in history, though he noted that Korg had not verified the sales figures. Both
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Korg M1 Super Guide, The Next Generation in Sound Synthesis – The AI Synthesis System, p. 13, Multisound List, Korg Inc. Japan.
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attributed the success to its sampling and sequencer features, which allowed musicians to produce entire tracks without a studio before the rise of
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Korg M1 Super Guide, The Next Generation in Sound Synthesis – The AI Synthesis System, p. 44, Specifications, Korg Inc. Japan.
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Korg M1 Super Guide, The Next Generation in Sound Synthesis – The AI Synthesis System, p. 14, VDF EG, Korg Inc. Japan.
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described the sounds as "wonderfully, endearingly wonky ... each one managed to sound simultaneously realistic and synthetic all at once".
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tones — a large amount at the time — including instruments that had not been used extensively in mainstream music. The sounds include
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and percussive samples. The timbres include piano, strings, acoustic guitar, woodwinds, sitar, kalimba, wind chimes and drums.
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The M1 was released in 1988 and was manufactured until 1995, selling an estimated 250,000 units. Reviewing it for
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built upon the M1’s AI synthesis with the enhanced AI2 system, which introduced additional effects and digital
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16 oscillators, 16-bit 2 Mword (4 MB) PCM waveform ROM (100 multisounds + 44 drum sounds)
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Reverb, delay, phaser, tremolo, exciter, ensemble, overdrive, EQ, chorus, flanger, rotary speaker
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The M1 is one of the bestselling synthesizers in history, selling an estimated 250,000 units.
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Korg assembled an international team to develop the sounds for the M1. To create a deep
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in the late 80s and early 90s. The piano and organ presets were used in 1990s
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VDF (variable digital filter), low-pass velocity-sensitive (non-resonant)
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Korg released a software version of the M1 in 2006 as part of the
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simulation, an innovative inclusion at the time. According to
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sound, the team played a pan flute over a large sake bottle.
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described it as the most popular synthesizer of all time.
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Data can be stored on RAM and PCM cards. 791: 777: 146:3 independent AADBSSRR envelope generators 27: 1304:Musical instruments invented in the 1980s 650: 608: 428: 336:The M1 also features effects, including 264:The M1 features a 61-note velocity- and 687: 550: 1276: 712: 623: 524: 772: 499: 586: 582: 580: 578: 576: 574: 572: 570: 495: 493: 13: 14: 1315: 756: 567: 490: 1261: 1249: 967: 713:Walker, Martin (February 2006). 731: 706: 681: 651:Hastings, Tony (August 1988). 644: 472: 463: 307:with four megabytes of 16-bit 246: 1: 763:Korg M1 video demo and review 715:"Korg Legacy Digital Edition" 551:Colbeck, Julian (June 2001). 456: 433:Korg M1R rack mounted module. 268:-sensitive keyboard, 16-note 688:Douglas, Adam (2024-02-09). 587:Vail, Mark (February 2002). 373: 7: 1014:Triton/Le/Studio/Extreme/TR 624:Twells, John (2016-09-15). 502:Patch & Tweak with KORG 424: 259: 10: 1320: 965: 525:Mellor, David (Mar 1992). 419:digital audio workstations 201:61 keys (Yamaha FS keybed) 1226: 1210: 1189: 1173: 1137: 1121: 1105: 1089: 1073: 1047: 976: 806: 500:Bjørn, Kim (2022-01-01). 213: 205: 195: 190: 180: 169: 161: 150: 140: 130: 114: 104: 94: 90:16 voices, 16 oscillators 84: 79: 58: 50: 38: 26: 21: 798: 80:Technical specifications 1299:Polyphonic synthesizers 653:"Life In The Fast Lane" 504:. Bjooks. p. 180. 451:Korg Legacy Collection 434: 589:"Korg M1 (Retrozone)" 432: 1294:Digital synthesizers 557:Electronic Musician 527:"Hands On: Korg M1" 162:Velocity expression 1284:Music workstations 661:. pp. 40–46. 435: 1289:Korg synthesizers 1237: 1236: 1211:Musical arrangers 390:, beginning with 233:music workstation 221: 220: 206:Left-hand control 1311: 1266: 1265: 1264: 1254: 1253: 1245: 1230:List of products 1174:MIDI controllers 971: 970: 793: 786: 779: 770: 769: 750: 749: 747: 746: 735: 729: 728: 726: 725: 710: 704: 703: 701: 700: 685: 679: 678: 648: 642: 641: 639: 638: 621: 606: 605: 603: 601: 584: 565: 564: 559:. 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Retrieved 530: 520: 501: 483: 474: 465: 448: 436: 414: 410: 406: 402: 400: 379: 377: 365: 335: 328: 323:, sustained 302: 263: 254:blown bottle 250: 242: 240:processing. 224: 222: 191:Input/output 122:sample-based 40:Manufacturer 1256:Electronics 1165:Kaossilator 1160:Electribe R 1138:Grooveboxes 1039:Nautilus/AT 944:Volca Beats 929:Wavestation 765:in Japanese 444:waveshaping 388:house music 384:stock music 292:and filter 284:, separate 247:Development 229:synthesizer 151:Aftertouch 125:subtractive 33:The Korg M1 16:Synthesizer 1278:Categories 1181:PadKontrol 1122:Soundcards 1034:Kronos/X/2 949:Volca Keys 939:Volca Bass 745:2024-04-04 724:2024-04-04 699:2024-04-09 637:2018-10-19 600:6 November 537:2024-04-09 457:References 358:distortion 317:transients 294:modulation 278:pitch-bend 266:aftertouch 153:expression 142:Attenuator 106:Oscillator 96:Timbrality 1150:Electribe 1145:Kaoss Pad 1129:OASYS PCI 849:Monologue 844:Mono/Poly 839:Minilogue 829:microKORG 675:925234032 667:0951-6816 553:"Korg M1" 392:Madonna's 374:Reception 325:waveforms 282:sequencer 270:polyphony 86:Polyphony 54:1988–1995 1190:Software 1074:Samplers 1009:N364/264 909:Prophecy 894:Poly-800 854:Monotron 694:Gearnews 425:Variants 274:joystick 260:Features 197:Keyboard 1242:Portals 1090:Vocoder 1004:Trinity 984:Korg M1 924:Trident 904:PS-3300 899:Polysix 889:Poly-61 884:PE-2000 819:DW-8000 814:DW-6000 350:tremolo 315:attack 313:sampled 290:vibrato 225:Korg M1 182:Effects 171:Storage 119:Digital 75:248,000 1106:Organs 914:RADIAS 879:MS2000 673:  665:  508:  362:Leslie 360:, and 346:chorus 338:reverb 296:, and 173:memory 132:Filter 100:8 part 70:1,499 1268:Music 1202:DS-10 1097:VC-10 1081:DSS-1 1060:DRM-1 1055:DDD-1 1024:OASYS 1019:KARMA 919:Sigma 874:MS-20 869:MS-10 396:Vogue 342:delay 321:loops 227:is a 59:Price 51:Dates 1113:CX-3 989:01/W 824:DS-8 800:Korg 671:OCLC 663:ISSN 631:Fact 602:2019 506:ISBN 440:01/W 415:Fact 411:Fact 409:and 330:Fact 288:for 286:LFOs 276:for 272:, a 237:Korg 231:and 223:The 63:US$ 45:Korg 934:X50 398:". 309:PCM 305:ROM 165:Yes 157:Yes 1280:: 1029:M3 999:i3 994:X3 959:Z1 717:. 692:. 669:. 655:. 628:. 610:^ 591:. 569:^ 555:. 529:. 492:^ 421:. 356:, 354:EQ 352:, 348:, 344:, 340:, 319:, 22:M1 1244:: 792:e 785:t 778:v 748:. 727:. 702:. 677:. 640:. 604:. 540:. 514:. 73:¥ 68:£

Index


Manufacturer
Korg
US$
£
¥
Polyphony
Timbrality
Oscillator
Digital
sample-based
subtractive
Filter
Attenuator
expression
Storage
Effects
Keyboard
synthesizer
music workstation
Korg
blown bottle
aftertouch
polyphony
joystick
pitch-bend
sequencer
LFOs
vibrato
modulation

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