Korg today introduced Gadget VR, a virtual reality application that they describe as ‘the DAW of the future’.
Korg Gadget VR promises ‘a future music production studio in VR space’. It’s based on KORG Gadget, a software virtual studio that’s been available for years on multiple platforms, including iOS, Mac and Nintendo Switch.
With Gadget VR, you can control music ‘gadgets’ that are arranged in 360°, as if they were surrounding you. To use it, you need is a compatible VR headset, which currently is limited to Meta Quest 2 / Pro.
Korg Gadget VR currently offers a scaled-down version of the original Gadget, with a selection of ‘gadgets’ redesigned for VR.
The company notes:
“We have carefully selected six gadget instruments from KORG Gadget. In order to make them more like physical instruments, the design used in the other versions has been expanded so that all of the knobs and sliders are displayed on the panels. The sophisticated parameter structure remains unchanged, allowing for the speedy creation of all kinds of sounds. You can enjoy not only immediate sounds, but also realistic visuals with attention to detail at the same time.”
The gadgets include:
- London – a drum sound module Gadget designed specifically for dance music.
- Miami – a Monophonic Wobble Synthesizer, designed for creating modern electronic bass sounds.
- Kiev – a software synth that features vector synthesis, using four oscillators that generate organic, spacey sounds.
- Chiang Mai – a polyphonic synthesizer Gadget that features VPM (Variable Phase Modulation) synthesis.
- Kingston – this polyphonic synthesizer Gadget is optimized for 8-bit or “chip tune” sounds.
- Warszawa – this synthesizer features a wavetable oscillator with a powerful filter and two modulation units,.
Korg Gadget VR Audio Demos:
Pricing and Availability:
Korg Gadget VR is available now for $29.99 USD.
I guess it makes sense for a physical manufacturer to mimic a physical DAWless experience, but at the same time it feels limiting. I think I’m more interested in new interactions made possible by VR as opposed to turning a tiny virtual knob.
i would like to see VCV(VR) virtual modules
Not VCV exactly, but there’s modular SynthVR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_jGk89EdJY
OMG They are stealing Behringers’ idea. 🙂
https://www.synthtopia.com/content/2017/04/07/is-the-behringer-deepmind-12s-augmented-reality-support-more-than-a-gimmick/
This doesn’t look as interesting to me as a couple of other VR synths that were recently featured:
Synthspace
https://www.synthtopia.com/content/2020/05/09/new-virtual-reality-modular-synthesizer-synthspace-sneak-preview/
SynthVR
https://www.synthtopia.com/content/2021/01/31/synthvr-a-virtual-reality-modular-synthesizer-now-available/
I question whether these will all be rendered obsolete, though, by Apple Vision, which makes older VR systems look like toys.
Still locked to max 16 bar lenght per clip
WEAK
Agreed, 16 bars is not enough. Also why make it compatible outdated hardware only?
Half baked but, good try and move
i wanna see a guy in a VR concert fall off the stage and break a real leg.
I’m an avid Gadget composer, I’ve tried several other DAW like apps but I keep going back to Gadget. Having a disability, I can see how this would be great for people with a physical impairment. I can’t set up my hardware gear without asking for help and that’s a drag, so I’ve embraced the iPad for writing music.
If Korg would offer the entire range of gadgets on this platform I’d actually consider buying a VR headset but as of now it’s a bit paired down and limited for me. Still hoping for a vocal/ vocoder gadget!
Can this really be fun to make music? After 30Min. you will need a break for eyes and arms…
I like the fact you can overview all pianoroll/sequencer screens but catching a know with those “beam-line” controllers seems not so practical.
Gloves or realtime handtracking would make probably more sense…
Now you can get just as seasick as if you were at an actual rave without risk of COVID or herpes. That’s progress. Eh. /:|
I would love a PSVR2 version!!!!
the first ‘ice cream’ truck of the season just drove by outside.
Virtual childhood.
I tried this out over the weekend, I did not jive with the layout of being surrounded by the instruments, I am running it connected to a PC with link cable and its just difficult spinning around to the instruments behind me with the cable. Maybe I am missing something with the settings but it would make more sense imho if we could stack the instruments and not have any behind us. Besides that it is a neat idea and pretty fun, I am just not used to the control layout though, it would be neat to have a floating control reference somewhere so that I don’t have to keep going to the menu for that. I did feel a bit of motion sickness after a half hour or so, but that happens with a lot of VR stuff so I can’t fault Korg.
VR is a new medium – so why not create an entirely new way to design instruments and interfaces rather than simply trying to replicate physical controls in a VR environment. Korg need to use their imagination to create something entirely new that could not be physically possible in a real world environment, or even as a software instrument on a 2D computer screen.