and managing of your own sounds . This little keyboard is a very good learning tool for you to get to know how synthesis works in general and how you can develop your own patches specifically . You can find even more free sounds there in the Sound Editor Librarian .
The 37 " natural touch " mini waterfall keys were not that hard to adjust to for chordal songs and soloing . You may not be able to play a classic concerto too easily , but for the role of a modern worship keyboardist , harnessing these robust analog pads is a plus . A great application here is also to MIDI together the microKORG XL + with your digital piano and utilize the full-sized keys on it . You get the great analog sounds now with your current keyboard ’ s playability .
Another bonus is the opportunity to add arpeggios and some truly atmospheric sounds to enhance the music . Synths are widely used in worship bands these days and in fact many bands have two keys player and use layers of synth sounds . Some of the popular worship songs you are trying to emulate have several layers stacked on top of one another .
Two large dials on the top of the unit allow you to easily select between category and genre . You can select the type of music you want or the type of sound . The Octave switch is easy to get the hang off to use as you play through the shortened keys range and you can also edit sounds on the fly . Some patches are 8-voice polyphonic and some patches are monophonic for searing lead synth tones or really thick bass lines . You will want to check out the vintage electric pianos and organs sounds too , 128 sounds in all .
This portable little synth is also a good songwriting tool too . It is powered by 6 double AA batteries or you can plug it in … your choice . It records easily and sounds great on the tracks .
I can think of so many uses for this feature packed little synth … from the church platform to the youth band , from the songwriter ’ s room to the church recording studio .
Sometimes at night I ’ ll jump into bed and put my headphones on , place the microKORG XL + on my lap and just start surfing through different patches . I ’ ll listen to how they sound , how they make you react musically and then try and play a little tune that accents the best use of that patch . I will get “ lost in the moment ” and have a musical journey through several different musical moods and motifs .
Final comments : Why do you have a Shure SM57 mic for your studio ? Because it is useful in so many different applications right ? That is exactly how I look at the microKORG XL +. It covers a lot of bases ( and actual bass sounds ) and it is such a good musical tool to have at your fingertips .
Korg microKORG XL + Synthesizer / Vocoder Features :
• 8-voice Synthesizer with 16-band Vocoder
• " Big Brother " to the microKORG
• 37 new " natural touch " mini waterfall keys
• 128 sounds
• MMT sound engine ( like Radias & R3 )
• Also has PCM ROM for instrument emulation
• Compatible with MS2000 and microKorg programs ( via downloadable editing software )
• 2 master effects derived from Kaoss
• Delays are MIDI-clock syncable
• 17 effects algorithms
• 16-band vocoder
• Level and Pan individually adjustable per band
• Formant hold and Formant shift buttons
• Backlit LCD screen
• USB connection with Editor Librarian software
• Included Gooseneck microphone
MAP : $ 549.99 www . KorgUSA . com
Korg has beefed up the onboard capabilities with a 16-band vocoder , complete with an included detachable gooseneck microphone . You can use the attached microphone to directly input vocals or you can switch to the external inputs and run any source through the microKORG XL +' s vocoder .