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Korg EMX working with Roland SPD-S or ESX?


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I'm planning to get one of the Korg electribes soon for live use of bass/drum sequences for an electronica duo (and maybe some synth stuff too). I hear both the EMX and ESX are great, but the power to sample makes the ESX a far more valuable tool. My friend and I who will be using it have no experience in constructing and manipulating samples, and don't have access to decent ones besides the ones that come with Reason, though we could look into somehow getting/making them. My keyboardist also already uses an Alesis Ion, so he has enough VA capabilities outside what the EMX or ESX would have. Also, my drummer has a Roland SPD-S that he would let us use if we wanted. Would it be possible to use the EMX as a controller for samples on the SPD-S? We were thinking of just going with the EMX, but if there's anything we should know that would change our opinions, go ahead and say it. :thu::)

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re: the technical question, i will give the semi-useless answer of 'sounds like it will work, but im not 100% sure'.

 

re: your basic situation, i see where you're coming from. Personally i do think the ESX is a better tool, for the reason you mention. otoh, as you know, the emx may offer an easier learning curve, and better instant gratification with its built-in synth and romples.

 

i suggest this: if you already have an ion in your "electronica duo", then the esx is a better buy. there may be a learning curve, but you will have a more complete sound with the use of sampling and synthesis combined. come to think of it, the combo of esx and ion is a really great budget/minimalist setup for electronica, period.

 

and, you can make little loops in Reason and sample them into the esx.

And there are millions of free samples on the 'net (and in your kitchen, garbage can etc.) and if you work with a 'real' drummer, you can sample them playing. and, the esx does come with a few included samples to get you started. and, sampling is a good skill to have.

 

so thats my 2cents.

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I have an EMX, and have considered the ESX to go with it, but in the end grabbed an MPC1000 to add sampling. I also have a JoMoX XBase09 to complete my rhythm trio.

 

if your looking into sampling, I would highly reccomend getting something like the MPC1000. The ESX is compromised in a lot of areas (particularly if you intend to use stereo samples) and also runs short on memory. The MPC1000, with its latest software update, represents a really good value (IMHO) and there isnt much that differentiates it from the much more expensive MPC2500.

 

the MPC2000, incidentaly, I dont reccomend, simply because it lacks a lot of the functions of the 1k (real time filters and 128mb of RAM to name a few)

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We aren't primarily looking into sampling. First and foremost we are looking for a box that provides bass/drum parts to back us up, though if for our purposes the sampling route would end up being better, we would then get the ESX. If the built in EMX sounds are fine for our needs, then I guess it wouldn't be needed to get the ESX as the SPD-S can always be used for simpler sample processing (loops from the Ion or EMX and such, though I guess no "sound generation/manipulation").

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Originally posted by insanemonkey

We aren't primarily looking into sampling. First and foremost we are looking for a box that provides bass/drum parts to back us up,

 

 

I think youve got your answer right there. The ESX is a blank slate (as is the akai) so you would *have* to sample everything from some source. If your looking for bass/drum parts to back you up then i would reccomend the EMX. I have both the EMX and an ION and the two together will give you a very wide sound pallet to draw from, and the EMX is damn easy to use. It can do a *lot* if you put the time in to learn its deeper power.

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You might check out the E-MU Command Stations on Ebay. I have an XL-7.

 

They don't sample. I also owned an Electribe, and IMHO the E-MU stuff is much better.

Prices are about the same.

 

I expanded my XL-7 with 2 ROMs full of killer sounds.

 

Chuck

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Originally posted by insanemonkey

If the built in EMX sounds are fine for our needs

 

 

Sounds like that's the crucial question, so are you able to get one home for a couple of days to try it out?

 

 

I admit that my preference for having a sampler in the lineup is somewhat psychological... i don't like feeling limited to a certain collection of raw wave material. But if the emx sounds are in the right ballpark of what you want, the machine is pretty tweakable and will probably keep you satisfied for long enough.

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Well, I've tried out the EMX and the sounds are great and fine for our needs based off of a mere 15 minutes of screwing with presets. However, the Yamaha RS7000 looks to be another similarly priced option and it has sampling. Are the built in synth/drum sounds as good as the EMX? Also, how is the interface for live performance? The sampling feature is appealing to do live Daft Punk type stuff, though if the sounds/live interface aren't as good as the EMX I could do without it.

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the EMX is a much simpler beast than the RS7k. I had one for a while, and while I really did like its sound, it was much to complex for the task I had in mind (basicaly, a simple drum machine).

 

there are people, though, who are finatical about the RS7k, and I can certainly see why. its sequencer does things most do not, and once you *know* it, you can use the sequencer in a performance context to great effect.

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The RS7k is far more capable of a beast, and not hard to get your head around.

 

Out of the box, I think the EMX has immediate useage. The RS7K is one of those boxes that if you buy and play with it, you'll uncover new ways of doing things and enhancing your music whereas the EMX you probably platue as you can keep tweaking stuff out, which can't go as deep as the RS7k.

 

Basically anyone looking for instant sound and programmability should get Korg's electribes. Other gear has more in depth and maybe sophisticated editing, but it's all easy in my book. Oh yeah, the RS7k with the newest OS adds a lot of killer filter types. Really cool and beefy. I didn't plan to use it's internal sounds, but with these filters, it makes me use the sounds because they're so cool. :cool:

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