Korg T3

I already listed what sounds I liked and didn't like above. However, I must say that whilst it is a digital sample playing synthe, the T3 can also sound quite full and warm with 2 oscillator pad sounds (those I have programmed myself and those which I got from an M1 sound disk). It lacks high end compared to say a Trinity or XP 80 but that is because the samples are taken at a much lower sampling rate and the DA convertors are inferior (obviously as this synth is nearly 10 years old). It is great for rock and pop music, except for the M1 piano and some of the percussive organ sounds, it is not so good for todays dance music. I have used it for some new age stuff with great success especially when I was using it with a K2000 at University. These 2 sythes complimented each other very well. Combination mode is very powerful but the 16 note polyphony gets in the way too quickly. However some of the factory combination patches are outstanding particularly some of the orchestra stuff and the pipe organs. The onboard FX were great for their time and even stand up well today if using only 1 or 2 sounds. I like the phaser and flanger programs the best particularly the cross flanger which gives quite resonant effects to some synthe sounds when used heavily- VERY COOL! It is a very playable synthe- the synthe action keyboard is very responsive and not too light- I hate very light, shallow keyboards such as the Korg X 3 and Roland XP series. It has a nice velocity and aftertouch response also.

I have had it serviced to regrease the keys and one popped out- as mentioned above. The disk drive head went out of place also once but this keyboard has been quite heavily gigged over the last 8 years. It has stood up very well although the legending on top of the buttons is now starting to fade!!!!!! I have used it as my only board at the gig. It also compliments my DW 8000 very nicely. They sound great layered up together!

I have it insured for it's origional value so if it got stolen, I would buy another one out of the trading post as I have so many disks with songs done in it's sequencer as well as my own sounds. I have been playing organ since 1980, piano since 1988 and I got into synthes and MIDI in 1987 after I got up and played a couple of brackets with a band at the wedding reception (the keyboardist had a Roland JP 8 and a DX 7) That day changed my life forever!!!! My first synthe I had access too was a Korg Poly 61 which was at my school- I programmed the {censored} out of that synthe. I have had a special place in my heart for Korg gear ever since (although Roland stuff is OK as well if a bit harder to get to grips with initially). The T3 was the first synth I ever bought and it was many only piece of MIDI gear for 5 years. I gigged with it, did studio work with it and basically milked everything I possibly could from it- even today I marvel at some of the sequences I did with it- because I knew the limitations imposed upon me at the time! When the O1WFD came out a year after I brought it, I though of selling the T3 and getting that board. I decided not too because upon playing an O1WFD in the shop and spending the best part of a day deciding which way to go, I felt that sonically the T3 still had the edge, some of the drum samples were better and the piano shat all over the O1W's piano! Whilst the O1WFD had a better sequencer and more polyphony and the effects had some real time control, I felt that the T3 still sounded better. Not only that but some of the guys in the shops actually said that I would be a fool to sell my T3 to get the new board- so I kept it. I have bought heaps of gear over the last 5 years- I co-run a MIDI based studio using LOGIC AUDIO 4 on a PC and a Triton, TR Rack, Wavestation SR and AD, 2 Roland JV 1080's with 7 expansion boards, Roland MDC 1 Dance module, Korg Z1 and DW 8000 and I WILL NEVER EVER,EVER GET RID OF MY T3!!!!!!!!!! It is my favourite board of all time because I know my way around it the best. THE KORG T3 IS KING!!!!!!!!!!!!!