I will therefore offer only a brief outline of what the X3 system has to offer, and recommend you read Andrew Jones' much more thorough evaluation in the September '93 issue of MT.Īpart from the features mentioned briefly above, the X3R also carries 340 multisampled PCM sounds, 200 internal Programs, 200 Combinations, two digital effects processors, RAM card, ROM card and disk drive for data storage and a 10-song/100 pattern sequencer.
![korg m 63 korg m 63](https://www.bavasmusic.com.au/assets/alt_1/CK-68-BLK.jpg)
Some of the controls have been rearranged to suit the slightly more cramped environment of a 19", 2U front panel, and four audio outputs are provided on the rear panel in place of the X3's simple stereo pair, but the general feeling is definitely one of deja vu. The X3R, just like the M1/R, is virtually identical to its larger keyboard-based brother. However, since the sounds produced by AI2 have been around for a number of years now, the X3 lacked the initial 'wow' factor of the M1 - although it does offer certain requisite features for the 1990s, including General MIDI voicings, 32-voice polyphony, 16-track, 32,000 event sequencer, and a larger LCD screen. Some might say that the technology used in the X3 is not much of a surprise either employing the tried-and-trusted AI synthesis system which made their O-series range of synths so popular, Korg produced a new keyboard intended to take over from the massively-successful M1 workstation. Korg's X3 workstation has been around for some time now, and the arrival of the X3R module is really no surprise. For those consumers who merely want access to the sounds and facilities of the new technology - without having to shell out on another unnecessary synth controller - such modules also make sense.
![korg m 63 korg m 63](https://medias.audiofanzine.com/images/normal/korg-m3-88-4898208.jpeg)
Taking the guts of a synth, lopping off the keyboard and performance controls, and packaging the circuitry left in a 19" rackmount casing is just one of the more popular ways of doing this. Manufacturers long ago realised that one of the easiest ways to recoup heavy R&D costs is to spread the resultant technology across as many units as possible in their range.