Intitial Impressions of the Korg M3

[elwoodblues1969]

          
             Oooh man...when my Korg M3 61 arrived to today,it was a life changing event!

To behold the solidity of the massive girth of this board is a beautiful thing....a keyboard that is twice the weight of the M50 & in of which,contains the most impressive craftsmanship in a keyboard I have ever experienced.
Particularly in the areas surrounding the keybed,the keybed itself & the module,it's so beautifully designed & all with a level of tactile quality that is unmatched!
[size=12The keys have a medium weight to them,which are so fluid & responsive...coupled with black keys that have a wonderful grip to them,due to their porous texture....I just became so lost in this board...absolute keyboard heaven!pt][/size]
The ribbon controller is extensively recessed & like the black keys,has a wonderful texture that causes your fingers to glide across it like ice skates on a frozen pond.
As for the rest of the knobs & sliders,they are all as smooth as glass & incredibly ergonomic!
[size=12As for the overall exterior appearance and with the exception of the top left & right corners,rear & sides of which are all white plastic(coupled with shit brown panels on the sides),it's a very pretty & ethereal looking keyboard,with it's light shade of metallic gray metal.pt][/size]
This is a very personal preference,but I was not thrilled with the red back-lit buttons,as I would have greatly preferred the blue lights,as you would find on the Access Virus Polar.
As for all of the connections in the rear of the module,they are all neatly & logically laid out-considerably more so than my Triton Extreme.
The aluminum Korg name plate that sits just above the LCD screen is an exquisite touch!
As for the stock Rom sounds-as far as I can tell at this point in time,they are pretty much identical to that of the M50 and I have yet to venture into the Xpanded set of sounds.
I was not pleased to discover that the expansion sound sets are contained on a USB stick and that they cannot all be loaded together(without the optional RAM upgrade) and currently,I cannot get anything to upload as of yet.
The DAW-like screens of the Xpanded  OSupdate are very articulate,informative & just beautiful to gaze into...I'm head-over-heals in love!
[size=12It's a very deep keyboard(perhaps not more so than my Triton EX),but the M3 clearly goes into new & exciting directions & after toying with it for 4 straight hours,I have not even scratched the surface and I have yet to add the Radias expansion to this monster!!pt][/size]


-Thom

[kara]

Have fun with your new keyboard Thom, a whole new universe to explore 

k

[Oren]

Have fun with your new keyboard Thom, a whole new universe to explore 

Well, I don't want to seem shallow, but that screamer looks good... 

[elwoodblues1969]

Don't worry Rony...having loads of fun as we speak!

Thanks,

-Thom

[Fred S]

Seems like your continuously filling the toy closet, Thom. Congrats. My XK-1 is supposed to arrive tommorrow, so can't wait to join in the fun!

[elwoodblues1969]

Thanks Fred. ........umm..XK-1..care to fill me in on that one?

-Thom

[Fred S]

Thanks Fred. ........umm..XK-1..care to fill me in on that one?

-Thom

Oh sorry!  Its a portable Hammond organ board; Hammond XK-1

[impablomations]

drools at the mention of the XK-1 

[Fred S]

drools at the mention of the XK-1 

Arrived as scheduled yesterday. Played a few hours. Its exactly what I expected. Laid out differently than the C I used to play, but very intuitive. I was at home within the first 15 minutes. The sound is spot on! I used to think that nothing gets closer to that B3 sound than NI's B4, but the XK-1 is even closer! The chorus scanner is especially good. The leslie emulation is pretty good, and will get you by, but I play it through a Motion Sound Pro145, and that setup is preferable.

Condensed; I love this board!