Korg Wavestation EX: Wave Sequences, Textures and Atmospheres
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- čas přidán 22. 08. 2024
- For me, this 1990s keyboard from Korg remains one of a kind. Whilst it could manage some passable clavs, brass, organs and (with the addition of the EX module and soundcard) pianos, the main strength was the complex soundscapes and textures that could be derived from the sequencing of a variety of waveforms. This demo concentrates mainly on the atmospheric textures and wave sequences of this keyboard with a few "conventional" sounds thrown in.
The Expanded ROM sounds start at around 21:45.
Some of my favourites:
01:23 Guardians
02:41 Modernesque
03:00 Glass Tambu
03:23 Whisper Voices
05:43 Stereo Waves
08:56 Super Res
10:01 Bowed Strings
10:28 Midnight Run (with apologies to James Newton Howard!)
15:52 Pharoah's Jig
16:26 City of Tomorrow
22:18 Stick Jam
22:55 Night Winds
25:12 The Dance Piano
26:39 Bohemeba
I absolutely love this synth. It's definitely one of my top favorites.
You can completely twist these presets into something otherworldly and come up with unintended sounds! It is incredibly versatile and ridiculously fun to edit! You can make it sound like no other synth after diving into it's operating system!
One of the best synth ever built !!! Pads are epic !!!
This is probably the best demonstration of this synthesizer in the context it's made for, well done
Thank you!
It is a beauty. Well designed instrument both sonically and mechanically.
Even though Im the happy owner of a Wavestate (Native) I would still like a mint one of these as well. I had the A/D rack version and spent more time making crazy performances than actually making music with it. Was never a big fan of the presets, especially the plinky plonky metallic type wave sequences. But when you actually sit down and dig deep into the thing, a world of wonder opens up.
The Wavestate with its resonant filters and other updated features takes the whole Wavestation concept and runs with it. A truly unique synth.
The online library for this synth is immense. I just love mine. 😍
link please
I would love to demo some of the wave sequence patches that I have downloaded. Would anyone be interested. The Aquila Rift patchbank is the most fantastic and beautiful set of patches I have ever heard. If you like Prophet VS too the Wavestation does some wonderful VS patches. 😎
Could we get a link?
Man this thing sounds so dope.
Interesting board.
Interesting. Bored.
Just wanted to say I recently purchased KORG's M1, MonoPoly and Wavestation VST software. Of the three, I'm pretty sure Wavestation is the most impressive overall, some jaw-dropping sounds, kind of mind-boggling how they made it so flat-out awesome. Your vid is so great. Thank you for this.
Thanks so much for your comments :) I agree, it is just so different to anything else out there, and remains a very special synth for me. I know a few of the sounds tend to get used a lot, but there's a lot under the hood that can be tweaked to get some totally unique sounds. The architecture in there is mind-boggling; if I remember correctly, you can sequence something like 256 waves in sequence, and layer up to four of these in a sound, and layer up to four of these sounds in the vector. You could spend a lifetime exhausting the possibilities. I remember delving into the deeper levels of this and smiling to myself when I found the little sequence the programmers have put in there where the wave sequence sounds like the keyboard is saying its name.
When you're playing the sounds, be sure to check out the effects that can be had using the vector and mod wheels - for example, the Midnight Run sound in the demo (10:28) is got by having the mod wheel fully on - it changes the sound completely.
I'm a noob with this MIDI stuff but I'm having a great time with it. So, interesting re: the "wave station" call out that is hidden... is it THIS? @ 2:03 --> czcams.com/video/FQ-BQGlKkro/video.html
This synthesizer heals my soul.
I own Wavestation SR with complete sound library I use it once in a while. The most plush strings. I've ever heard and Pads that will make any foundation..
how do i get a WPC-01 card?
Gotta love that rhythm loop
Wow this thing is definitely on par with any modern synth when it comes to pads and textures
Sure is! There's just so much depth to the sounds; possibly stemming from the fact that each partial can comprise so many subsets of sounds. Almost infinite variety.
It sounds BETTER than most modern synths.
@@msxwiki We have that new Wavestate coming. :)
@@mikeexits Definitely the Wavestate does not sound as good as the old Wavestation. The Wavestate lacks all the magic, it sounds thin and boring like any regular VST.
@@Synth_Tools agreed it is just so bad, and it's too complicated for its own good. I know the wavestation was a beast but it just feels like the extra capabilities of the wavestate don't really have as much musical value, at least not in my eyes. Not to mention it's a raspberry pi stuck to a crappy keybed, it should have been just a VST in the first place. And yes I know they are allegedly making a full keyboard wavestate but it's been delayed a lot and I think that's because obviously no one is buying the wavestate
Am sold on this product
Love your Channel, Bill! These era Korg were/are my favorite.
Thanks! :-)
I had a Wavestation EX back in high school (91-93). Traded it in later for a Kurzweil K2000 with a lot of RAM and a sampling option. Those were the days... I feel old now... 🥺
But hey, I have the Korg Legacy Wavestation plugin installed, time to dig in. 🙂👍
I like the Legacy version. It seems close enough to the real thing to me, certainly in a mix. And a lot smaller and lighter than the original! :-)
Bill Blair Speaking of being lighter: the original was built like a tank! Very solid metal case and elegant, almost minimalistic look. Downside was that editing patches meant diving very deep in the complex menus. 😅
@@calculus77 Yes, I certainly remember hours doing that, and being amazed at the depths to which you could dive - something like 255 waves sequenced per oscillator, and four layers per patch and then these combined to form a performance. And I remember finding the patch somewhere buried deep down where the Wavestation says its own name :-)
I just bought one. Cool keyboard.
Good for you! It's awesome!
@@holygeneration7 I'm trying to buy it for like $130ish. Seems like that's quite a steal of a price! It'll be my first big-keyboard vintage synth (and first synth worth over $500) so I'm excited! I'm just dreading learning to program it, but I bet it's not *that* bad once you get the hang of it.
@@mikeexits Just replaced all the tactile switches on my Wavestation. Now learning how to program it.
Perfect partner to an M1 or O1W. The ROMplers are great for all sorts of stuff but the WS is one of a kind.
I have an MI, and I await the Wavestation to pair with it soon.
@@andythomas6246 I gigged a Korg M1 and a Korg 01/W for many years. Good workhorse instruments.
0:03 Jan Hammer - Beyond The Mind's Eye
15:52 Dancing Fantasy - Worldwide
@@jaxonjaxonfied1931 yes duh lol.
I’m waiting for the Karma revival 😊. Surely thats coming ? Another peculiar and unique sounding synth. Korg were on a roll over that decade: the Trinity, Z1, Prophecy, Wavestation, Karma, the Electribes, Kaoss pad, the MS2000. Thats a nice list of gear.
Yea, the 80s and 90s were good times for synths generally - some interesting pieces of kit. I had the Wavestation (sold it when I got the Wavestate), a Trinity (still think it was better than what followed on) and still have a Z1. I think synths back then had more character; nowadays, sure the piano and guitar samples are bigger and better but a lot of the workstations seem to be merging to a common ground, there's no uniqueness anymore. Back in the days of the even the X-50, the sound designers had to work hard with the limited samples they had and they got some really interesting sounds. Nowadays, with the better samples, I think they may have become a little lazier.
the best synth made by korg so far
This and the Roland JD800 were the flagships of my synth arsenal in the 1990s :)
@@billyruss and T3, 01W
Excellent job on this demo!
Thanks very much! :-)
These patches still sound amazing now.. Imagine testing these in a store in 1991. Still got mine, but working more in software these days.
I have software versions, but also have the original Wavestate, which is pretty amazing also 🙂
@@billyruss You mean the original Wavestation or Wavestate? I still have the Wavestation EX which I bought in 1992 (with my entire 'life savings' at the time). Wavestate Rack on order (+ I have the VST Legacy Collection). I added Wavesequencing and Vector synthesis to my plugin, much inspired by Wavestation.
I also have the WSSR.. I guess I just need to get the Wavestation A/D to complete the collection 😄
@@wavesequencer The original Wavestate. I had thought that I would be bound to get the SE when it came out but, watching the reviews on here, I'm not convinced; the additional features don't seem to justify the price tag to me!
It's great to have the option of the Wavestate rack + good MIDI controller. Seems the best option to me.
Just picked up a Wavestation A/D. Excellent bit of kit but I have a lot to learn...
Incredible demo!!!!!!!! You've absolutely nailed this and I'm hooked.
Thanks very much! 🙂
18:50 i wasn't ready...at all!!!!
Gorgeous sounds . . . if I could afford it I'd get one! Someday!
It sounds much more better than the newer Korg Wavestate.
I've seen a few videos of the Wavestate - it looks pretty interesting, and I'm keen to give it a play! I've read that some (or all) of the wave samples from the Wavestation are on board, but not put together into these sound patches. Some nice textures out of it, though.
@@billyruss I will try it if I can too, of course, but I'm not so interested on it though, especially if they keep the 3-octave form factor which I find useless. I think the Wavestate deserves a 5-octave keyboard or at least a desktop version that I can play from a proper master keyboard but 3-octave is a joke. Too big to use it over the desktop, too small to use it at stage or to play it at the studio. I hope that other upcoming demos show a better sounding presets. I find its sound too sterile and lifeless but of course it could be because there aren't still enough demonstrations.
@@msxwiki I quite like the Sweetwater demo - at 36 minutes, it shows quite a few of the sound possibilities, and I'm interested enough to hear more. If you find that video and leave it running in the background, it's like an ambient/new age album playing!
@@billyruss I did. But I just don't like that sound.
The wavestate isnt multitimbral, right?
The keybed of the Wavestation was outstanding.
I love Korgs Wavestation. I also love the T-Series
The Golden Age of synths :-)
@@billyruss the late 80s and the early 90s have been the best Ages of Synth. Sorry for my bad english. Now i like to play my old ESQ-1
For being completely digital, this was a fantastic sounding synth. Korg took what Sequential did with the VS, and made it their own with the wave sequencing (listen at 7:20). The onboard FX were excellent for the day, and still sound solid.
When history is written, this will go down as one of the most important synths ever released. With some patience, and gumption, someone today could spend the necessary time programming it, and still get fantastic, modern sounds out of it.
You can find them for as low as $300 on eBay these days.
Thanks for the comments! From what I've seen/heard of it, I'm impressed with the Korg Legacy version of this synth, too - although I'm not sure how easy it is to edit the sounds. It's a lot lighter though :-)
love mine and use it as a controller for my Korg Legacy WS
Perfect video - simple and informative. Thanks heaps :) Gearfacts
Thanks!
Awesome sweet synth tones! 💓
Thanks!
I had the Korg Wavestation EX and SR, then years later bought the VSTi version and imho they sound very similar or at least the plugin is very close, maybe even a bit cleaner because of 16bit 44khz conversion for modern soundcards.
I agree! I know purists will beg to differ but, for me, the VST version was close enough for me to sell my original hardware Wavestation.
@@billyruss Agreed, I sold my hardware Wavestations as well, the VSTi is good enough (which is an understatement) to use!
I agree, using now 2 Wavestation EX's, but the vst sounds incredible good too :-)
Nice demo of one of my favorite synths ever! Unique and inspiring. Some people may not know this, but will say "of course" - Eric Persing was key to the development of these sounds. Yes, Eric Persing creator/developer of Omnisphere! Of course. :)
I think he did a number of demo tracks for various Korg synths - I remember seeing his name on a few, but I can't recall which ones :-)
Eric worked at Roland, not Korg; probably you are confusing the D-50 with the Wavestation.
Amazing sounds!
15:52 was used in the soundtrack for the movie Computer Fighters
"MIDI clock song" = Pandemonium Dungeon Tower level!
I had one, wish I had it back. I'll have to buy another
... or check out the Korg Legacy collection:
www.korg.com/uk/products/software/korg_legacy_collection/
:-)
Or if you have a Ipad or a Iphone there is App called iWavestation by Korg on itunes store that is well worth checking out.
Same
Nice video
deep atmosphere = enigma !!MCMXCaD
I will check on my soft version the patch you mention if you are correct i will send a photograph of michael cretu dancin with a donkey
@@pepinillosazucarados6743 yes RAM11 prog2 you can hear at the end or start of find love/principales of lust .
@@pepinillosazucarados6743 with a donkey MDR !! 😹😹😹
@@Reptilusable thanks were you from ?
@@pepinillosazucarados6743 from france and I m inconitionaly fan of Michael cretu compared to god because in french I say michael crée tout ! lol.
Good demos of the sounds!
Thanks! :-)
yep i have 1 at home...use the vst version also
BILL DUDE I AM RIGHT THERE WITH YOU I WAS A YOUNG MAN WHEN IT HIT THE SHELVES
this keyboard, looks like a keyboard, from the 1990's.. it reminds me of the o1w or x3..
Bill, thanks for the trip down memory lane. What was I thinking to give away mine when I left Southern California?! Just reading the patch list on Korg's website made me nostalgic, but your evocative and well-organized demo reel really brings it back alive.
Yea, I get the same feeling whenever I hear some of these patches played somewhere. The uniqueness of some of them makes them instantly recognizable, and that sound can transport you straight back to where you were when you first heard this beast. :-)
Have the VST of this but always wanted the EX or the rack version A/D
I've had all three versions. For my money, there's not a lot of difference in the sounds... I've had this argument with "purists" before, on this channel, but the VST really does come very close. Especially once it's in the mix.
@@billyruss I agree with you that it does come close but at least in these videos there's better bass response probably due to the DACs, I'm really looking to get an ex to have fun playing with it and to sound a little better.
12:45 - Last Ninja C64
Korg 3X aka "the 80's generator"
PS1 and PS2 startup sounds.
PS1 startup sound is actually the Roland D50. Half of it is the factory preset patch "Spacious Sweep" with some tweaks. Not sure what the PS2 used though.
Donkey Kong Country?
I'm assuming you heard about David Wise's inspiration for how to work around the SNES hardware? There is a great, if not several, docs and interviews talking about it. Very interesting.
@@johnmeroney2007 He tried to emulate the Wavestation via hex code, correct?
@@Ancaja123 Any computer is programmed with hexedecimal after, what, 1975? I think you just mean he wrote some very clever software to mimic the Wavestation sound techniques.
These sounds are soothing like the awesome musicscapes of Donkey Kong Country. I loved discovering new music or different arrangements of previous music on successive levels.
@@benanderson89 what I never understood is if he actually had a wavestation at the time and used it samples while programming the SNES to act like it, or if he was just really impressed by it and tried to copy it using his samples from his other gear
7:20.
Достойный аппарат! 😁👍🇷🇺
I Googled that and it translates as "decent device", or "good machine".
15:54 Michael Jackson -"JAM" - percussion Loop
Is this what they used on Scanner Cop soundtrack check it out
Donkey Korg
Nice sounds.. how do you use the vector controls in the VST?
Thanks! The sounds are pretty much all original Wavestation sounds. This recording was made on the actual hardware Wavestation EX synth, and I'm not sure how you would control the vector joystick in the software version; I imagine you could move it pretty easily with the mouse, but there are probably other hardware controllers that you could map to it. Sorry I can't give more insight into it than that!
Sounds great. Can these patches be imported in the new korg wavestation?
I think they would work fine with the software version of the Wavestation I'm pretty ceratin they wouldn't work with the more recent Wavestate hardware, though.
17:50 - That almost sounds like the Windows NT beta startup sound!
czcams.com/video/Z66OiG73ccI/video.html
Wow! Yes, it does 🙂
great! but savig patches? it is a problem...
I have the same one at home but 5 keys are now stuck, is it fixable? Or should I sell it as it is for cheap? How much if ever?
Difficult to say without seeing it, and I'm no expert. Not sure how much they go for nowadays - you can check on eBay. I think, if you've got the space, it's probably worth hanging on to - you can always play the sounds through MIDI.
what are the main differences between the first moddel and the EX? don't know which one to get
According to Wikipedia, "Identical in form to the original Wavestation keyboard, Korg created the EX in response to player feedback and criticism. The EX doubled the ROM to 4MB by adding 119 new samples (most notably piano, drums, and the remaining Prophet VS waves), and eight new digital effects... Those who had purchased an original Wavestation could buy the EXK-WS upgrade kit to convert their keyboards to the EX version." Which is exactly what I did - I had the original Wavestation and a mate of mine who worked in a music shop managed to get me an upgrade kit at a great price and fitted it for me.
I think the main benefit at the time was the addition of a piano wavesample, which was noticably missing from the original Wavestation. There were a few other goodies in there too, of course, but I can't remember what. I notice that I labelled the expanded ROM sounds as starting from 21:45 in the video, so these sounds would only be capable on the EX.
@@billyruss thanks for the info!
Where did you get a WPC-01 card?
As I remember, a mate of mine worked in a music shop and had one lying around, asked me if I was interested and I got it for a knock-down price!
sounds like 90s erotic thrillers
Or The Equalizer with Edward Woodward!
Aha! So Korg was lying when they said that the new Wavestate will include ALL the original patches of the Wavestation.. I used to own a Wavestate and it only has 5 or 6 of the patches heard in this video. Thanks to videos like this one, Korg's web of deceit is finally exposed, hahaha!! What a bunch of con art amateurs..
Can we see it in action???
Alas, I sold it a few years back! :-(