KORG DS-10 Synthesizer Review (DS)

Tue, Dec 30, 2008

Gaming and music go together in a number of wonderful ways. Video games have had music ever since computer hardware could produce sound, but several games have now used music as their central theme and primary mechanic, with titles like Guitar Hero and DrumMania bringing a high level of audio interactivity to even the musically unskilled. Recently, developers have started to explore the other side of the coin, as well: Instead of bringing the timeless activity of making music to the structured, accessible world of gaming, some new titles are taking the familiar, simple tools and hardware of video games and applying them to the world of music creation. Back when Wii Music was released, Nintendo made the claim that their new title was "not a game," and could be used for creative purposes. Of course, when we reviewed it, we discovered that the leap hadn't quite been made from game to instrument, especially given Wii Music's rigid game-like structure and limited capacity for actual creativity.

Then, there is the KORG DS-10 Synthesizer. KORG DS-10 actually isn't a game. It never claims to be a game, instead promising to deliver "a complete set of creative tools" and "an authentic synthesizer editing environment." These promises are fulfilled -- no more, no less. There are no objectives, no scores, no progression, and no advancement. You will never unlock new instruments or songs, simply because you have full access to the instrument from the get-go, and there are no songs apart from the ones you create. The software carries an ESRB rating and is distributed by XSEED Games, and that is as close as KORG ever comes to resembling a game.

This is not a bad thing, by any means; KORG never pretends to be anything that it isn't, and does a perfectly competent job in its intended roles. It bears repeating, however, that KORG is not a game, as a means of warning the unprepared -- not only is KORG uninhibited by the structure or objectives of traditional gaming software, it is also unassisted by gaming's usual accessibility tools, such as tutorials, in-game instructions, or any appreciable difficulty curve. As such, it may be rather daunting for a player who has no experience with audio tools, and may leave aspiring musicians feeling lost and discouraged. KORG goes directly from the menu screen to a keyboard and mixer, and turns the player loose on its arsenal of tools.

It's also intimidating -- and indicative of the professional audience that KORG intends to reach -- when one sees the level of detail that is included in the software's many sections. KORG is not completely without instruction, coming packaged with a 50-page manual, but even this presents a barrier of entry to the musically uneducated. I don't know the precise difference between a sawtooth and pulse wave, I'm not sure what it means to play on the Aeolian or m3rd Interval Scale, and for the life of me, I have no idea why I'd need to "Input an arbitrary modulation source to be applied to the pitch of the Voltage-Controlled Oscillator."

There are further instructions to be had, in order to approach these highly specialized tools: KORG's website has a sequence of highly-detailed tutorial videos which help to explain the functions of its many sound-creation options. Still, these guides are well outside of the actual product, and this speaks volumes (no pun intended) about the kind of software you're getting with the KORG DS-10. In order to get the most out of it, you will need to consult outside assistance and/or have prior experience as an audio engineer.

Should the layman steer clear of KORG, then? Not necessarily -- after all, who among us hasn't enjoyed themselves by walking into a Guitar Center and messing around with the drum machines? KORG comes loaded with a selection of pre-designed drum and melody sounds, allowing anyone to use their DS as an impromptu synth keyboard and rhythm sequencer. All of the above can be played in real-time with the stylus for free-form musical expression, or, with a little practice, assembled into patterns and saved as minimalistic songs.

I say "minimalistic" because KORG's main drawback is its strict 6-track limit. At any given time, KORG can play six sounds at once, including four drums and two single-pitch synth melodies. This prevents a player from making use of chords or elaborate drum tracks, and while a song can be up to 100 measures long, those 100 measures must be composed from only 16 one-measure patterns. Anybody hoping to recreate their favorite video game themes or popular songs will have to settle for dumbed-down renditions with no variations in the recurring phrases, in order to economize space.

Still, assuming you're prepared to streamline your compositions, KORG has a thoroughly excellent interface that makes elegant use of the DS' touch screen, allowing for easy and intuitive work, with plenty of opportunity for real-time experimentation. Any of KORG's tracks can be played on demand with the stylus, whether via an on-screen piano keyboard, or a four-pad drum machine, and these real-time performances can be recorded and stored as one of your 16 "patterns." Or, for a more precise and mechanical means of entry, KORG also delivers a "matrix" screen, allowing players to simply assign pitches or drum sequences to each 16th note in the measure. In either case, the player can also go through and tweak the individual settings for each note and beat, adjusting the volume, balance, and gate (note length).

Or, for a real sense of technological improvisation, KORG includes the KAOSS pad, a DS realization of KORG's touch-sensitive midi controller of the same name. Using the touch screen, players can compose new synth melodies on the fly, or add effects and tweaks to their current patterns. Navigating between all of these tools is a cinch, thanks to an omnipresent "map" screen which allows one to swap quickly and easily between any of KORG's mixers, sequencers, and sound creators.

To sum up, though my lack of audio engineering experience kept me from truly appreciating a number of KORG's options, the parts I recognized were extremely simple and satisfying to use. XSEED has very cleverly put the DS controls to good use, allowing players to tap away at the drum pads, trace new KAOSS compositions, twist and slide the mixer dials and switches, and even trace cable connections into the patchboards. With only a little practice and experimentation, I was able to concoct a little "Louie Louie" loop in KORG. Listen for yourself.

Sounds a bit like the chiptune from California Games, doesn't it? KORG also holds the potential for more elaborate creations through its multiplayer options: With multiple copies of the software and multiple DSes, KORG allows up to 8 players to contribute to a song simultaneously.

While I certainly enjoyed my time with KORG, I'm also forced to wonder who the software is truly designed for. KORG assumes a fair amount of knowledge and experience on the part of its users, refusing to dumb itself down when it comes to sound design and sequence creation, which seems to suggest it's not for amateurs or casual users. On the other hand, anybody who has a substantial amount of audio expertise is going to want a more powerful set of tools -- a dedicated software suite, or a professional-grade synthesizer, which won't limit them to two-part harmonies, 16-pattern songs, and 15 keys' worth of keyboard at a time. KORG is attempting to straddle an extremely narrow area between newbie and pro, and isn't a perfect fit for either camp.

On the other hand, for $40, you could do a lot worse in terms of audio tools. If you know an audiophile who loves to play with drum machines, or who's starting to dabble in sequencing or midi authoring, KORG is an excellent way to set them on the path to something greater. If you're the kind of guy who just can't resist playing with the synthesizers down at your local music store, KORG is your kind of software, and will certainly provide you with some good practice and enjoyable diversion -- if not a fully-featured, professional experience.