E Q U Korg Triton Extreme I Derek Johnson assesses what makes this Triton so extreme. P M ake a range of sampling workstation synths from a tidy as having all the drives fitted inside the synth, but E major manufacturer and repackage them with more we’re talking a serious cash saving here! Tdesirable features and release the result for less Extreme also features a CompactFlash/Microdrive N money. You’d go for it, right? slot, for compact budget data storage and retrieval to T Well, that’s just what Korg has apparently done with a card of up to 1GB capacity. You’ll need to buy one their top-notch Triton range. First of all, it genuinely of these increasingly cheap cards if you want to beam is a repackage job, losing – sadly, it must be said – the samples from your computer, since a card in the slot T classic silver look that the company’s followed from is the only destination in this circumstance. Samples 1995’s Trinity to the Triton Studio range launched in can’t be simply sent to Extreme’s RAM. E ‘02. But we don’t judge a synth by its colour, do we? In most other ways, Extreme is very much similar to S Especially if it features a flexibly assignable vacuum the Triton Studio. It comes in three flavours for a start: T tube circuit, as initially seen on the company’s latest 61-note, 76-note and 88-note keyboards, the latter Electribes! Extreme loses some of the overt expand- featuring a weighted piano action. There may be more ability of the Studio range, but in the area that we’d waveform ROM and more patch memories, but the most like to expand – sounds – you don’t have to synthesis system is identical, effects the same, sampler worry. The instrument features most of the raw and sequencer likewise. But that’s no bad thing: Korg waveforms from Korg’s PCM series of slot-in cards as do this stuff right. Even if you’re finally moving from standard. That would be a huge saving if the instru- a Trinity to an Extreme, you’ll be on familiar ground. ment came in at the same price as a Studio model, let The synth engine is very similar, and the sequencer, though enhanced, has the same look and feel. Architecture Degrees Summarising Triton Extreme’s architecture is straightforward. It offers a whopping 160MB of waveform ROM – it’s all the data from the previously optional expansion boards that alone hundreds of dollars cheaper. This is one of the makes all the difference. Triton Studio offered just main conundrums offered by Extreme: it’s practically 48MB of waveform ROM. Mind you, Korg had to everything we’d want from a Studio, yet is significantly do something: their nearest immediate competition cheaper. Yet the Triton Studio range remains a current comes from Yamaha’s still-silver Motif ES, which has Korg product. 176MB of sample ROM as standard. Korg’s waveforms Anyhow, the Studio family also featured an internal are arranged as 962 multi-samples and 1,175 drum hard drive and could be expanded with an optional CD samples. Next up in the hierarchy is the Program. A writer. Neither of these is an option with the Extreme, normal Program uses one or two waveforms as ‘oscil- but it comes with two USB sockets (SCSI connectivity, lators’, which are then treated to a comprehensive as featured on the Studio, has gone to the great inter- analogue, subtractive synthesis-like signal path. Single facing graveyard in the sky). One USB port connects oscillator Programs are 120-note polyphonic, while to a PC or Mac, making the Triton Extreme talk to using two oscillators halves that. Drum Programs are your Midi app’s and allowing samples to be beamed slightly different: each note in the 128-wide Midi range back and forth, while the other allows the workstation can have a sample assigned to it, and each sample gets to host the USB-equipped drives of your choice. Buy a processed by a simplified analogue-style signal path. cheap portable hard drive, or one of the many afford- That signal path offers expressive and potentially able CD writers, and you can do everything Triton aggressive multi-mode filter, envelope, twin Midi- Studio could. (The USB socket even powers PSU-less sync’able LFOs, and a whole load of modulation drives.) This ommission might sound like a cop out on options to add movement within a sound or control Korg’s part, but the official internal CD drive for the from the front panel knobs or an external hardware Triton Studio was quite expensive; you can pick up any control surface. drive for 70 bucks or less and plug it in. Okay, not as If the sample-based synthesis on board isn’t enough 82 for you, Triton Extreme maintains one bit of expand- keeping your work safe and backed up. ability from previous versions: a MOSS Z1-like physical The sampler is great at capturing any audio from modelling synth board can be installed if desired. outside the Triton, so you can create your own multi- A Program can also be fitted out with effects and an samples of real instruments (or import them from Akai arpeggiator. format sample CDs!), or add loops and beats to your session. The synth’s own outputs can be resampled, Classic Combination of course, and beats and loops can be time sliced Next up, the classic Korg Combination. Here, up to and time stretched. Triton Extreme samples at 48k eight Programs are layered, with options to velocity only, though samples can be converted to lower rates and/or key split individual elements. Each part could during editing. also be addressed on its own Midi channel, for a sort There will be those of you who have nothing to of mini multitimbral setup complete with basic mixing do with computers, and will appreciate some of the options. Effects are even more interesting in this mode, additional Extreme facilities on offer. For example, a and Extreme’s array of insert and master effects start mix of a sequence playback can be bounced down for to come into their own in this mode. The arpeggiator burning to an attached CD writer. The sequencer is also magically grows a twin: arps A and B can have sophisticated enough for quite serious work, too. Just their own pattern and note resolution settings, making be warned that Sequences – and samples – are not one-finger performances a definite option, quite well backed up when you power down. You’ll need a card exploited in the factory presets. Yamaha’s Motif ES has or a USB hard drive in order to keep your work safe for just one arpeggiator, and you really do notice the dif- later recall. ference once you’ve had two at one time! The live performer, too, will find much of value in Top of the heap is the Sequencer: a truly multitim- the Triton Extreme. The 88-key version, for example, bral mode allowing Extreme to be played in 16-part features a real keyboard player’s action. There are also glory from its internal or an external sequencer. Insert a handful of phrase/pattern-style composition options. and master effects are also flexibly-assignable here, Assign preset or custom phrases to keys for instant and the dual arpeggiators are also in evidence. The song creation, a feature even dance-meisters might output of the arps can be recorded to sequence tracks find handy in some situations. It’s also possible to or played live, and one particularly nice facility lets create, and play back, a list of Standard Midi Files auto- you copy all the settings of any Program or Combi matically – ideal for gigs. This is perfect for General to a Sequence. If you find yourself having a nice Midi style SMFs, but isn’t restricted to it. noodle with one or the other, you don’t have to go in And that’s nearly it... but I can’t let you go without and recreate it in a Sequence before recording said pointing out the three pairs of stereo outputs, the noodle. Two convenient button pushes, and you’re stereo input, the optical S/PDIF digital I/O, and a in a Sequence with the metronome clicking, ready to trio of foot pedal sockets. Those in favour of real-time register your performance. performance controls will once again welcome a Korg Incidentally, the effects system offers five insert ribbon controller, and the combination pitchbend/mod effects, that can be assigned flexibility within Combis wheel, plus a quartet of assignable knobs – 12 param- and Sequencer setups, that can choose from a central eters are easily accessible with these knobs. pool of 102 effect types, plus two master effects, a global three-band EQ and that ValveForce vacuum In Touch tube circuit, which can be used as an insert or master Finally, though the livery might change, a Korg work- effect. Effects can even be applied to audio routed station wouldn’t be the real thing without the fabulous through the Extreme’s inputs. touch screen. Parameter access and value changes take on a whole new meaning in this environment. Sampling Sophisticate Other synths will appear stuffy and claustrophobic Of course, so far, we haven’t mentioned the sampling after you’ve had this experience. capabilities of the Extreme. This is a tricky one to And other synths may well pale into sonic insignifi- address.