Korg Electribe-R Rhythm Machine ER1
The Korg Electribe-R analog beat machine has 4 analog tone generators plucked from the throbbing innards of Korg's classic Prophecy and Z1 synths. Four modeling synths in one unit means you can create 4 completely different types of sounds and use them simultaneously. The built-in step sequencer has 16 light-up pad keys, so you can easily see what going down. Plus, there are 12 trigger pads so you can play in real time. Store up to 256 phrases or other patterns Every parameter of the Electribe-R is knob controllable. You can mutate the drum sounds and effects and store the new sounds as a custom kit. Drop your new sounds into a sequence and let them roll. But it doesn't end thereóyou can control all parameters in real time and the Electribe's Motion Sequence will even remember how you tweaked the knobs! Now your sounds will morph and mutate while the sequence plays. Another old-school function Korg has resurrected is the audio input found on the classic M20 patching synth. Plug in 2 different audio sources (CD player, turntable, synths, bass, guitar, whatever) and gate the sounds to play in sync. You can even tweak those new sounds with the Electribe-R's knobs to create totally original sounds. The Electribe itself can also be controlled by, or used as a sound module for, an external sequencer.
Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: $399.00
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User Reviews of the Korg Electribe-R Rhythm Machine ER1
- Submitted by project_ozma from Chapel Hill, NC (64 points) on Nov 10, 2011
- This thing looks and feels like a toy but beneath its plastic exterior hides the insides of a serious noise powerhouse. The programmable drum synths can be tweaked into some incredible glitch/beep/noise/static sounds. The sequencer can be great for driving a series of noises through a song (tip: set the tempo to 20 for a more drawn out, random-sounding, "beat"). The delay is out-of-this-world nasty. The gated inputs let you throw anything else into this beast for more tweaking. Then, there's the ability to add it to a MIDI setup. To top it all off, this can actually be fed back into itself by panning sounds to one channel, then outputting it into one of the gated inputs, allowing for crazy glitch/feedback effects and tweaking.
- Good Points: Surprisingly versatile, great sound generator, gated inputs, head-splitting delay, multiple ins and outs leave room for lots of experimentation. Excellent tool for rhythmic and ambient noise. Can produce some quality minimal house too, if you're into that sort of thing.
- Bad Points: Cheap plastic construction, limited to four drum synths per pattern, sampled drums (cymbals) not that great or tweakable, killer delay is unfortunately only global and can't be added to individual sounds.
- Price Paid: US$110.00
- Purchased At: eBay
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- Submitted by James from Towson, MD (54 points) on Nov 20, 2009
- I have had great luck using the gated inputs to route my non-midi circuit bent noisemakers thru. all in all a fabulous device. The Bass tones are wonderful and the range of odd noises you can create makes this unit more than i could want in what my wife refers to as a "beepy box"
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- Price Paid: US$100.00
- Purchased At: used
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- Submitted by Jon from Cleveland, OH (2 points) on Apr 17, 2005
- Hands down one of the coolest noise machines out there. You can get a wide range of sounds out of this. I especially like turning the decay up all the way on one sound to use it as a backing sound. Sample/Hold is really cool! All the mod types are really useful. Some things can be annoying if you can't program it, but it's pretty simple. Ring mods are great for insane sounds, especially if you mix it with some delay. All in all it's a great machine for those into experimental/industrial/noise.
- Good Points: Plenty of noise, easy to use, fairly cheap these days, and great features.
- Bad Points: Song mode is annoying, it could've been made a lot simplier...
- Price Paid: US$0.00
- Purchased At: Gift
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- Submitted by Jason from Fox River Grove, IL (20 points) on Apr 8, 2004
- As mlaird stated, ring modding the gate inputs can get some good noise going, but I stumbled on to a lovely squeal when I accidently hit the wrong effects send button on my dj mixer & sent the Electribe's output to it's own gates! Sadly povery hit & I had to sell the bastard.
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- Price Paid: US$200.00
- Purchased At: Sam Ash
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- Submitted by mlaird from Portland, OR (8 points) on Mar 30, 2004
- I have one thing to add : tempo-gated ring mod. drum sounds, yeah yeah, nice, OK, but you gotta love the gating effects. A stereo input is accepted and the gating for the L/R channels are sequenced separately, with the ability to add delay (overall) and ring mod (1 source) to the gated input. You can get some really tweaked out & harsh sounds using this box as an effects unit, and with the sequencer & knobs (you can control the mod source's pitch, & control one Pitch-mod lfo), you've got lots of control over the sound.
- Good Points: *gating *tempo-based *ring mod *oh yeah, its a drum machine
- Bad Points: *delay tends to pick up nrpns & do weird stuff when slaved to some computer sequencers.
- Price Paid: US$275.00
- Purchased At: Petosa music
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- Submitted by Eva from Leeds (2 points) on Dec 12, 2003
- This is a very useful tool especially if used with a distortion pedal... Good morphing of sound but the effects are very limited. It is very good for rhythmic or non rhythmic noise. I use it with a Boss Metal Zone pedal and a noise reduction pedal. I find that used along a digital sequencer (I use a Yamaha rm1x) creates a larger range of sounds. the contrast Analog/digital works very well
- Good Points: Morphing of every sound is good. Works very well with Effects pedal.
- Bad Points: Without distortion it sounds bad.. The effects are too limited number and quality wise.
- Price Paid: US$250.00
- Purchased At:
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- Submitted by gr-eh? from Detroit, MI (402 points) on Jul 14, 2002
- I've only had this for a few days now, but I've spent much time playing around with it. From "Moon Patrol" to deeeep bass modulations, it is a great toy. It is pre-programmed for exceptionally bland techno, but you can tweak all the sounds and erase all the original patterns. The percussion synthesizer section is nice, plenty of options to tweaking the sound, but you do have to be careful not to repeat yourself as it is somewhat limited. This can be overcome with everyones favorite - PEDALS! It's a whole different beast through a few pedals or a real synth. Great for thick slow rhythms and sweeps, the global delay can really be abused.
- Good Points: lots of options for a really cheap drum machine. small and light enough to take around with ya. the bass can get loooooow. highly recommended.
- Bad Points: somewhat limited in sounds, but if you've got some imagination (and external processing) you can get a LOT out of it.
- Price Paid: US$170.00
- Purchased At: off-eBay
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- Submitted by Harm from Mechanicsville, VA (86 points) on Jun 17, 2002
- I've had this thing for a long time... and it only sounds good to me with some kind of effects, pitch shifter, delay, flange, but especially distortion... you can make the tiniest sounds on this machine explode with a little boss distortion. I used it for a long time as a drumachine and experimented with manipulating rhythms and feedback. It can make a pretty wide range of sounds for a few knobs, the DSP has nothing on the Nord gear but it's a pretty good tool for noise making. I use it now as a step sequencer for my E-mu ESI4000, works great so far.
- Good Points: It has built in memory, and midi control, audio in's, and a pretty decent variety to the sounds you can shape with it. Ummm stuff.
- Bad Points: Not wide enough range of DSP analog modeling to actually make anything breath takingly original.. but this thing was designed for dance music, so you have to take it to place it wasn't meant to go with a few effects and sometimes just good ole minimal programming.
- Price Paid: US$300.00
- Purchased At: Pro Sound Stage & Lighting
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- Submitted by Will from Raleigh, NC (34 points) on Jun 17, 2002
- This thing is great, it is perfect for all forms of noise and experimental music. You can pick it up for cheap off of ebay. Its like four synths in one.
- Good Points: Sounds great. Easy to use. Cheap.
- Bad Points: None.
- Price Paid: US$200.00
- Purchased At: Ebay
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- Submitted by K. from Sealy, TX (532 points) on Jun 15, 2002
- Feel like I'm cheating, but I'm actually reviewing this twice (previously under the EA-1 page). As I said before, it may be a drum machine but you can get all manner of crazy noise out of this thing by just maxing the decay time for the percussion synth pads and screwing around w/ the other controls. The ER-1 has a wide variety of waveform options in the oscillator section w/ knobs for pitch and modulation depth and speed, it's this section where most of the sound shaping occurs and it's amazing the range avaiable from just four knobs and a single button. There are also two audio input jacks which allow exteranl sound to be mixed in by either momentarily triggering one or both of the audio in pads (some interesting "cut-up" style effects can be obtained quite easily), or continuously w/ the "audio in" thru button. There are just way too many convenient functions to list, but worth checking out. Cool also is that if you get a sound you like just turn off the memory protect and store it to that particular pad /patch, then if you're prone to excessive tweaking you won't lose the original sound. Loads of possibilities.
- Good Points: Capable of a wide variety of noise, from video game sound effects to Merzbow-styled filter sweeps.
- Bad Points: Needing to trigger the pads every couple of seconds, but this can be overcome by recording your own patterns on the module.
- Price Paid: US$250.00
- Purchased At: Git-tar Center
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