There are stereo inputs and outputs, a headphone jack, MIDI In and Out sockets (no Thru) and a USB port for transfer of data. Flipping it around, we find a rear panel entirely lacking in surprises. Weighing in at less than 2kg and ideally sized for laptop partnering, the Microsampler is a world away from the bulky, rackmounted beasts of yore. Or, for the less up to date among us, mint imperials, glowsticks, audio adaptors, toothpicks - and more fluff. On either side of the central microphone socket, two deeper recesses serve as parking bays for iPods and iPhones. The chosen knobs feel fractionally sturdier than those of the other recent 'micro', the Microkorg XL, with the added bonus that you can easily tell what they are pointing at. It may be that sunken controls are less prone to accidental contact than the more common sticky‑up type, but I suspect it'll be dust and fluff fetishists who reap the biggest rewards. The Microsampler's curvy, grey plastic body is cratered with recessed knobs and spongy buttons. By returning to the essence of what samplers once were, the Microsampler aims to be as relevant as ever, perhaps even more so. The Microsampler is small enough to throw into a rucksack, simple to operate, and has absolutely no quarrel with the monsters that lurk beneath your desktop. No slouches in the thinking department, Korg's boffins have given the sampler a makeover, the result of which is a lightweight keyboard. If the hardware sampler was to have a chance of keeping a place in the computer‑based studio, it was clearly time for a rethink. Massive sample libraries and DAW integration proved to be body blows to the impassive, rack‑mounted dinosaurs. With the appearance of software samplers, the writing was on the wall for their once unassailable hardware counterparts. Can Korg's Microsampler do the same thing for sampling? The phenomenally successful Microkorg brought simple, affordable synthesis to the masses.
0 kommentar(er)
