Korg M50-61 61 Key Pro Keyboard Workstation

Leave it to Korg to come up with a streamlined, full-featured, cost-effective powerhouse that addresses the needs of the keyboardist on a budget without sacrificing quality, the Korg M-50. Borrowing from their very own technology currently found in the flagship Oasys and M-3 boards, the Korg M-50 is leaner and lighter, but long on features and sound quality.

There are 3 models to choose from: 61 or 73 semi-weighted natural-touch keys or the weighted, full-cut 88 hammer-grade action version. Utilizing Korg’s own EDS (Enhanced Definition Synthesis), the M-50 comes loaded with a staggering 1,007 multi-samples and a whopping 1,609 drum samples resulting in 608 patches, 384 combinations and 32 drum kits. General MIDI mode gives you 256 GM2 programs, as well as 9 GM2 drum kits. There’s a full-complement of onboard effects to choose from that will enhance your patches or overall song production. With 170 effect types to choose from, you’ll be able to find the perfect effect to complement any given part, patch, combi, or overall song. You can have 5 Insert effects per song or combination, 2 Master effects and 1 Total effect to be used simultaneously.

The built-in 16-track MIDI sequencer allows you to construct your musical masterpieces right there in the keyboard, independent of a computer. With 80-voice polyphony and 210,000 note max, you’ll be hard-pressed to exhaust the Korg M-50’s resources, leaving you with a rich and plentiful palette of sounds and seemingly limitless note count. Arrange and tweak to your heart’s content. 2 powerful built-in arpeggiators provide a wealth of automatic rhythms and pulsating synth passages that will ignite a fire and truly inspire.

When you hookup the M-50 to your computer via the onboard USB port, it essentially becomes a virtual plug-in instrument within your favorite DAW environment — 16 of them to be exact — all hosted by the M-50. This means there’s no additional strain on your computer’s CPU and it’s real easy to edit, configure and address the M-50 from your computer. Powerful stuff!

The intuitive TouchView screen is interactive as many of the synth’s functions and sequencing attributes are clearly displayed right on the center of the keyboard. There are a slew of dedicated knobs and buttons addressing the foremost controls a gigging keyboardist likes to have at their disposal. The buttons themselves are rock solid, backlit and rounded for optimum visibility and ease-of-use under any playing conditions. With Korg's four-way joystick and multi-function knobs, the M-50 Music Workstation offers 4 Chord Triggers that provide a flexible and fun way to play chords and trigger the arpeggiator patterns. A 10-key numeric keypad allows on-demand instant access to sounds, combis and other parameter/values.

As a songwriting tool, you’ve come to the right workstation! Onboard Tools are provided to get up and writing very quickly with the touch of a button. There are 670 helpful rhythm patterns that will help jumpstart your creativity and soon you’ll be off and running, layering sounds and effects.

There’s so much under the hood yet it’s all laid out simply and intuitively that you owe it to yourself to come into one of our stores and take a hands-on test drive. Is the Korg M-50 a modern day M-1? It’s more like 50 of them!