Korg Modwave Wavetable Synthesizer
The Korg DW-8000 has returns in the form of the Modwave hybrid wavetable synthesizer and the Kaoss pad is back with new functionality.
Korg has revived yet another classic from its illustrious history and given it the hybrid treatment, with the new Modwave wavetable synthesizer that promises to take the DW legacy and create a synth with a little help from Motion Sequencing 2.0 and the brand new Kaoss pad modulation.
It is not mind-blowing to see that this looks like it is the third instalment of forward-thinking hybrid synths from Korg that tap into models of yesteryear with modern features, all wrapped up in a now-familiar 37-key chassis.
The Modwave seems to also take on the same ethos as the Wavestate and opsix with plenty of hands-on control and combining deep synthesis with plenty of filtering options and a whole heap of modulation options with the ability to assign four modulation signals with the Kaoss pad, utilising the new Kaoss physics function. In addition, the Modwave synthesis engine seems to be rather deep with 200 wavetables, each containing up to 64 waveforms. The structure allows you to utilise 30+ Modifiers to change the character and 13 Morph Types for realtime processing. Combined with the A/B Blend function, all of this adds up to a dizzying number of wavetable variations, over 230 million to be exact.
Modulation takes up a large part of Modwave architecture with the return of an old friend to help you get more creative results out of the synth. The Kaoss pad is back and Korg has deployed its fabled XY pad controller as a new modulation source. The pad is part of Korg’s new Kaoss Physics feature which models a ball rolling on a surface and/or bouncing off walls. Using the pad you can control the ball, or have it automatically triggered via a Gate + Damper.
If that does not blow your mind enough, you can add more by loading your own custom wavetables in Serum or WaveEdit formats via the Editor/Librarian software. Additionally, the virtual environment allows to either have the walls slow down the movement of the ball, like a cushion or bounce off the walls, accelerating the ball’s movement much like a pinball machine.
The Kaoss Physics alongside Motion Sequencing 2.0 from the Wavestate, make for some very interesting modulation possibilities, especially with a choice of four envelopes and five LFOs onboard.
For more info and full specs check out the Korg website.
The Modwave price and release date are still to be confirmed but, considering the opsix launched with a £799 price tag, we can assume this synth would not differ greatly on that score.
admin said
am January 21 2021 @ 5:25 pm
The New Korg modWave Wavetable Synthesizer ‘A Synthesis Powerhouse’