Deep Ambient With A Korg EMX-1 Groovebox

Sunday Synth Jam: This video, via Midera (Michael Raleigh) captures a live performance that showcases the possibilities of using music gear in ways that the designers didn’t anticipate.

Raleigh pairs the Korg EMX-1 with the Eventide Space reverb, taking Korg’s groovebox sequencer into complete different territory. 

Here’s what he has to say about the performance:

The Korg EMX is a fairly simple synthesizer, with easy-to-access knobs and layout, but it does seem mainly marketed for creating techno music (an initialized patch has a 4 to the floor kick beat) and it can often be difficult to be inspired by it. However, if you drench its sound in reverb, I think it can shine quite a bit.

With a simple design, the Korg EMX is a powerful live-performance tool, especially in conjunction with some good reverb.

Of course, the internal reverb is… not the best. So in this case, the Eventide Space was used.

You definitely can get some fairly decent ambient synth sounds out of this combination!

20 thoughts on “Deep Ambient With A Korg EMX-1 Groovebox

  1. Nice to see some people still getting enjoyment (and impressive results) out of non-flavour-of-the-month hardware!

    1. ever see Norman Cook’s set up? (fatboy slim)
      atari st32 and akai s512 i believe
      now there is some way out old flavor there

  2. I’m happy to see these its cool and with very good taste !! Today I was jamming with the EMX-! and the new Electribe2 sync togheter and … “its just me or the EMX-1 has some special features that in some cases make it superior to the new ELECTRIBE 2?”

    1. no, in my opinion new electribe os fail compared to EMX … EMX/ESX serie was best groovebox (next to yamaha’s rm1x) ever made …

      1. I don’t think it is a fail at all – I really enjoy the E2 even though it has some shortcomings but it is a different beast than the old electribes and I find it to be a super useful live lead instrument and control center since it has the cv sync, midi and usb. as far as my favorite old groovebox though – I think I get the most out my dx200, especially with the scene knobs and harmonic/overtone controls.

      2. All Korg needed to do was allow 8 bar patterns and a song / arrange mode. Then the E2 would be a far more attractive proposition. These are literally the only things stopping me from considering one. As it is, I still own an ESX, it’s hardly used and yet I would never EVER sell it because the EMX / ESXs are some of the most fun and immediate grooveboxes ever made.

        1. Sadly, there are other shortcomings. Fixed MIDI channels per part, harsh jumps between patterns, no MIDI thru…

          They’ll come out with E2x and ES2x eventually and I imagine many issues will be dealt with.

    1. What he said.

      There have been quite a few [fill in random cheap or obsolete synth] + Eventide Space demos here, and what they all had in common is the amazingly spheric reverb. Mind you, the Space will cost you twice as much as an EMX-1 at the moment.

      Go figure.

      1. amazing considering space is empty,,, punny i know

        or

        affordable housing?, yeap space can be expensive

        then again never heard av hit made with a rat shack reverb (radio shack)

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