53 thoughts on “Korg Opsix Synthesizer First Look

  1. 5 octave good. But why? I read on another site it included wave manipulation as well. A DX7 with sliders. Ok, hope it’s at least patch compatible.

    1. Hope the price is good too, Operator is one of the things that keeps dragging me back to Ableton. Pic looks like it says Operator FM, Ring Mod, Wave Folder and Filter FM on the diagrams under the algorithms

    2. If you look at the arrangement of the controls, they’re in a neat little module-friendly cluster there on the left. 5-oct is not necessarily going to make it to market, it’s a prototype, after all. Also, I’m betting they geeked out over the algorithm graphic a bit…

  2. Is that a “filter” button i see beneath the six knobs? That could make it not just another DX emulator but more like the Digitone…

  3. Endless encoders and sliders.. really looks like a dream come true. A bit confused on the topology graphics though.. wouldn’t that sort of thing work better on an OLED display, rather than taking up the entire front of the device.. looked “neat” in the 80’s, not so much anymore.. and it would be better to have a matrix to adjust the mod/carriers anyway. My only wish would be an arpeggiator that functions like the K5000S’

    1. You have no idea what the unit sounds like, what the price is, the features, the polyphony. In a nutshell, you don’t even know if you like it, so it may be a bit early to criticize its form factor.

    2. Why bother with a desktop version, when you can have a synth that fits inside a MIDI plug? (https://mitxela.com/projects/flash_synth) (and yes, I bought one just because of the concept.)

      Once upon a time, it made sense to have a stand-alone digital hardware synth. These days, from Arturia to Native Instruments, etc., why bother with a stand-alone synth when you can just plug a controller or two into a computer.

  4. Law of internet synth nerds: if a synth has a full size keyboard, people will ask for less keys or no keys. If a synth has short keyboard, people will ask for more keys or no keys.

    1. You do realise that actual people are behind such comments, right? Each of those individuals have their own story and their own reasons for their wants. Try not to generalise groups as a single entity & we’ll all get along better.

      If one person’s making unselfconsciously contradictory comments, that’s another thing. Can’t say I’ve seen anyone like that on Synthtopia over the past few years.

    2. Hey, I’m an actual person behind my comment with my own story and reasons too you know. Stop generalizing my single entity. I

      PS- don’t take jokes too seriously & we’ll all get along better.

  5. expanded options for both digital and analog sounds in one machine is something i want to see . . if there’s any chance this is some kind of polysix circuitry under the hood as well. kinda doubt it on this one i guess but hey there’s room for some filter and echo pedals up on the top panel at least.

  6. However, they will also have to compare themselves as price, with Yamaha Montage-Modx … which represent the most advanced evolution of F.M for now …

  7. The coolest FM sounds i’ve heard in a long time are from the “look mum no computer” guy’s sega YM chip build… I think that has become my new dream design for an FM synth. The new one from twisted electrons looks like it could be interesting…

    1. And Twisted Electrons just released a desktop 4-op desktop synth based on those chips which I’m very interested in checking out.

    1. 32 algorithms with several wave manipulations plus willing to bet more than sine base waveforms WITH a 5 octave keyboard? Yum! Ooo and AT! Gotta have AT for a DX7-like beasty. Maybe polyAT?

      However, I am slammed with the Prologue – going to keep me busy for a long time.

    2. The fact is that imitating the DX7 after 35 years is a HUGE step backwards. The Montage is hugely more powerful than this.

      But another fact is that people want an easy to program DX7 with effects. There’s something to be said for just giving people what they want.

      1. How do you have any idea what is more or less powerful than this unreleased prototype? At least wait for the specs to come out before the inevitable complaining.

  8. Wow, looking forward to learning more about this. But I wish Korg would stop building such attractive instruments with such (IMO) dull control interfaces (12tone keyboards). And it’ll probably be years before a module version of this hits shelves. In 2020 when everyone must have a half dozen midi keyboards stashed in their closets, is the keyboard really still a selling point on this kind of instrument?

  9. I hope the Opsix has more polyphony than the Volca. Anyway I’m more curious about the two keyboards below the Opsix in the glass case.

  10. If they made this from the FM engine that is in the Kronos with more dedicated controls and a focused interface that would be incredible. Bonus: the Kronos can load DX .syx files from off the net; no conversion necessary.

    1. Exactly my thoughts, as the FM engine of the Kronos has also those wave folding options. This seems also the case with the Wavestate concerning the wavesequencing engine from the Kronos, but the Wavestate is taking Wavesequencing a step further than the Kronos. May be this will also be the case with the operator6?

      May be Korg is updating all the engines from the Kronos and selling them as dedicated synths? As I said with the Wavestate: I do hope that these updated engines become available for the Kronos too….

  11. Don’t forget that programming FM sounds, especially from the INIT point, is mostly a massive bitch. I’m sure it’ll sound good, but its the GUI that will decide a lot of its popularity. If they group various FM parameters the same way that NI’s Razor groups useful additive harmonics, the macro effect will make the instrument a lot more friendly. Its early yet.

    1. Yamaha certainly came a long way in terms of evolving their FM programming UI. The DX7 was frustrating and tedious. The DX11 and V50 were much more straightforward, and the MoDX and modern instruments are better still. Even the Reface is easy to program.

      Korg appears to be taking the UI to a more knobby approach which may also be good.

      Building FM patches from scratch will never be as immediate as analog subtractive, but it really isn’t always a bitch, either. And it’s very rewarding.

    2. that is why I love the dx200, there is some shifting but a lot is on knobs which just feels betterr when you are trying to dial in parameters

    3. Programming FM is actually pretty simple. It’s just a set of sine wave oscillators each with their own envelope and amplifier, organized in preset configurations. Take a look at Chowning’s book “FM Theory And Applications”, there is a PDF available online.

      1. I agree with Goobs. I had a DX-7 and when I realized the envelopes were either controlling timbre or loudness, I approached it like an analog synth.

      2. I read that on microfiche in the 70’s. It’s not that FM synthesis is incomprehensible, it’s that as a synthesis technique it was ignorantly billed as ‘mathy and confusing’ from the beginning hampered by those terrible 70’s digital synth interfaces. Also, it is a bit like ring modulation or some aspects of an-harmonic in our ears have been trained from day one in straight odd and even harmonic series. Additive and Subtractive synthesis is aurally predictive. Venturing into the AM, FM, PM, WM space is a bit of an adventure at times.

  12. Where’s the article about the new Behringer Moog System 55 module clones? Revealed today, one day after the System 100m modules.

  13. I really wonder why nobody is bashing Korg for this product like a lot of people do regarding Behringer synths. Is this not “theft” of intellectual property? Is it not a b**chmove to steal Yamahas and Chowings idea? Just wonder that if Korg is doing similar to Behringer nobody feel offended.

    1. > Is this not “theft” of intellectual property?

      No it’s not, the FM stuff is out of patent.

      In addition, Yamaha is a part owner of Korg, they have collaborated on many projects before, and Korg has even previously put out synths that were secretly Yamaha designs they licensed.

      This is all being done with Yamaha’s blessing, and probably even their technical help.

      1. I don’t think Yamaha is currently a part owner of Korg, or at all associated with this synth.

        It’s also just laziness that people refer to this as a DX-7 clone, when it seems like it’s going to probably have a lot of features that differentiate it.

        1. > It’s also just laziness that people refer to this as a DX-7 clone

          Is that what everyone is saying?

          It’s not even been officially announced.

          All we know is the color is DX7-brown and it has a nearly exact full sized copy of the DX7’s front panel algorithm stencil, differing only in the group separation lines. Possibly a copyrighted diagram.

          Yamaha and Korg are best friends. This is obviously being done with their consent.

  14. Looks very interesting, forward thinking to have an FM synth with that kind of interface.

    I pine for a new Kaoss Pad and Electribes. Make a point of them being roadworthy with rubberised ends, give the KP a mic in, two proper instr/line ins and rca ins – so it can be like a mini mixer for live setups. The Electribe would be improved by restricting the voice count so that it is predictable, say six monophonic parts. The Electribe synth just needs to have the same excellent modelled filters but with a little more dsp to back it up, both could have an analog filter or ‘nu-tube’ stage or other. With the Electribe sampler think Volca XL – you only really need to give us reverb and delay if you’re giving us a real filter – the Volca Sample was brilliant, but it would have even been better with chromatic play, easy drag and drop transfer and an SD card for backups.

    There would also be no shame in a Monotribe 2. So many people I know gutted they can’t easily get one. Would just love to see the expanded touch strip with the usual mods – additional vco, separate outs, midi in, tuning, decay and snap on the drums, a monotron delay with a wet/dry.

  15. If this is a mockup, might the algorithm graphics on the right actually turn out to be real controls – akin to what Roland did with the V Synth? That would be cool.

  16. I’ve considered other comments about it and they’re not wrong, but it depends on understanding what FM will and won’t do. Part of it for me is the welcome crossover points between FM, the modern version of additive and recently, wavetables. The latter two are a lot easier to approach for most of what FM popularly does.

    Part of it is also my learning the hard way that a Kawai K5 wasn’t going to become a piano! It was a nice hardware additive synth, but the CPU power it needed to hit its intended mark was 20+ years away.

    Even money says Korg found a way to make FM a lot more friendly and that minimal display will be better than it looks at present.

  17. Korg FM is currently speculative.
    Kodamo Essence FM is on order …. 3000 voices, 6 operators, 24 editable waveforms, touch-screen AND coloured knobs … and desktop (no space for keys I don’t want) with MPE …
    FM synthesis with up-to-date tech … VERY EXCITING!

  18. This is more like it. I’ve allways wanted an updated DX7 with more controls. But it’s sad Korg doesn’t take advantage of the free space of the panel. The operator modes is something I just have to dive into. Some guy at NAMM said after asking Korg, that Korg will be showing it at Superbooth. Can’t wait.

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