TR

Introduction

Turning a great idea into brilliant music takes both inspiration and a solid workstation. Inside the affordable new TR Series you’ll find exactly what you need to take your music from all right to extraordinary.

Start with Korg’s proven Hyper Integrated sound engine – the synthesis system that has made the TRITON a world-wide standard. Add in a comprehensive 64 MB ROM which includes many new sounds - as well as Korg classics. Bring it all up-to-date with totally new features including USB MIDI capabilities and reliable, portable SD card data storage. Package it all in a sleek black body housing Korg’s classic 16-track sequencer, superb effects engine, and top it off with a clear and user-friendly interface.

Introducing the KORG TR Music Workstation; it’s brimming with rich, brilliant sounds for musicians who may not be rich, but just might be brilliant.

Hear TR Music Workstation Demos

Out Of The Box (mp3, 2.95MB)
Composed, arranged, performed by Richard Friedman
©2005 Richard Friedman Music

Midnight Sun (mp3, 3.95MB)

Proven HI Synthesis
The TR Music Workstation is based upon the acclaimed HI (Hyper Integrated) sound that made the TRITON series the choice of professional musicians the world over. It boasts 64 MB of PCM data (twice the size of the original TRITON!), and a 48 kHz sampling frequency that exceeds CD standards to deliver highly expressive and professional quality sound. This expansive amount of high-quality PCM data is enhanced by multi-mode resonant filters, abundant modulation schemes and sophisticated effects to create Korg’s distinctively rich and brilliant sound with the warmth and fatness you expect. The new TR is also compatible with many TRITON family sounds and songs.

Abundant 64 MB Sample ROM
The new sampled waveforms include stereo-sampled piano (taken from the same sampling session as used on the OASYS!), electric piano, nylon-string guitar, acoustic guitar and strings. With multi-level dynamics and natural instrument articulations and vibrato, these waveforms produce expressive and realistic sounds. There’s also a full complement of excellent drum sounds and patterns covering a broad range of styles for music production and performance. The TR Music Workstation provides 470 high-quality multisamples and 518 outstanding drum samples, giving you a broad selection to work with.

Modulation Drives Distinctive Sound Creation
Modulation is what creates the motion, nuance and articulation that are such an important part of synthesizer artistry. The TR Music Workstation’s Alternate Modulation provides a total of 42 types of AMS (Alternate Modulation Source) including EG, LFO, keyboard tracking, and joystick (as well as controllers such as knobs and pedals) to create extremely sophisticated sounds. These can be programmed in, or operated in realtime to give your sounds a high degree of expressive life.

High-quality Effect Section
With development borrowed from Korg’s acclaimed D-Series digital recorders and TRITON workstations, the TR offers a broad palette of 89 types of effects to enrich your sound creations. The effect section consists of two Master effects, one stereo Insert effect, and one Master EQ (stereo three-band) together with a sophisticated mixer section that lets you control the routing of these individual components. Many of the effects offer realtime modulation of parameters and tempo-based synchronization, for total integration with your tracks.

Effect settings can be made independently for each Program, Combination, and Song, helping you bring your overall sound to perfect completion. With the optional EXB-SMPL sampling upgrade board installed, you can even sample through the Insert effect for even more sonic possibilities.

A Multitude of Fresh Programs and Combinations
The TR contains a wide range of new high-quality Programs and Combinations created by Korg’s renowned international voicing team. The new stereo piano is velocity-switched between two levels, providing realistic response to your playing dynamics. Even more realistic electric pianos, choirs, guitars, strings, woodwinds and drums are also provided. There’s also a rich collection of synth and sound-effect programs that are ideal for dance music. In addition to the 512 preloaded Programs, there are 128 GM-compatible programs and nine drum kits*. Unlike many other keyboards, all Program locations are RAM so you can adjust sounds to your liking, or replace them as you wish.

* The sound mapping of the nine drum programs is compatible with GM Level 2.

You can use up to eight Programs simultaneously in a Combination to create extremely rich and complex sounds. Combinations can contain “layers” that play multiple sounds simultaneously; “splits” that assign different sounds to different regions of the keyboard; and “velocity layers” that dramatically change the sound or switch Programs in response to your playing dynamics. Control assignments can give your sound and performance even greater impact.

Up to 512 Programs, 384 Combinations, and 24 drum kits that you create can be stored to internal rewritable memory locations. This data can also be stored or transferred to your computer via an SD card. Best of all, the TR is compatible with many sounds available for the TRITON and Karma keyboard products*, so you can enjoy the many commercial and user-created shareware collections available for the best-selling line of keyboards ever made.

* The TR can load sounds made for the TRITON “Classic”, Le and Karma music workstations – only Insert effect 1 is loaded, the other four are ignored. Karma settings will also be ignored. Sounds created on the TRITON Studio and Extreme can be loaded, but the accuracy/reproduction will vary when the sounds use multisamples/drumsamples that are not available in the TR.

A Comprehensive Music Production System
The TR’s 16-track sequencer provides a capacity of 200,000 notes and up to 200 songs, creating a comprehensive music production system offering superb functionality and excellent operability. You can record in realtime or step time, and a host of powerful editing tools are provided.

Setting up for a new song is easy. Choose a template song (16 preset, 16 user) that has sounds and effects already set up; or use the Auto Song Setup feature to instantly set up the Program or Combination you are currently playing into a new record-ready song, complete with all effect and arpeggiator settings. Either way, you can begin recording immediately, before you lose that flash of musical inspiration.

The Cue List allows you to build your arrangement up in sections (up to 99), and then convert them into a single song for consecutive playback or to create new song structures. You can build songs using 150 preset drum patterns and 100 user patterns, as well as take advantage of the Track Loop function to loop specified regions of measures within each track.

Song data can also be saved on an SD card in SMF (Standard MIDI File) format 0 or 1, letting you exchange data with most MIDI sequencers. Share your ideas with other musicians who are computer-users, or move your songs into your computer for further editing, notation, or integration with other applications. Once again, Song data can be loaded from the TRITON and Karma line of music workstations*, for compatibility with tens of thousand of users around the world.

* Only Insert Effect 1 will be loaded, the other four are ignored. Karma settings will also be ignored, as will Tone Adjust settings from the Studio and Extreme.

Expand Your Creative Song-writing Potential
The TR Music Workstation contains powerful polyphonic dual arpeggiators as well as Korg’s inspiring RPPR feature, offering amazing levels of expressive power and high-impact playing. Performances enriched by these unique composition tools can be recorded directly into the internal sequencer in realtime.

Ultra-powerful Arpeggiator
The richly expressive dual polyphonic arpeggiators generate powerful performances. In addition to five basic preset arpeggio patterns, the TR contains 200 patterns suitable for use with all different types of sounds, either fixed-note drum patterns or variable pitched parts. You can use one arpeggiator in Program Mode, and both arpeggiators simultaneously in Combi mode, and even record their output directly into the internal sequencer.

The possibilities are endless. For example, two different arpeggio patterns can be applied to two separate key-split sounds of a Combination, or you can use velocity to switch between two arpeggio patterns. Together with original patterns that you create, a total of 216 different patterns can be stored in internal memory. Arpeggios can be synchronized with MIDI clock, so they run in time with the internal sequencer, BPM-based effects, and more.

RPPR (Realtime Pattern Play/Recording) Function
The RPPR function lets you record a simple sequenced phrase or pattern, assign it to a key, and then play that pattern back in realtime simply by pressing the corresponding key. This gives you amazing possibilities for realtime performance; you can switch to different patterns with each key (and even use multiple keys to play different phrases simultaneously), or add additional patterns by pressing more keys. 150 preset drum patterns are built in, and 100 more can be created and stored for each Song.

USB Connector for Easy System Connections
The rear panel provides a USB connector (type B) that lets you make MIDI connections with your computer using a single cable – no MIDI interface needed! It’s easy to connect the TR to a computer-based DAW for recording, or to use it with notation software, educational courses and much more. Transmission and reception of system exclusive data is also supported, allowing you to manage sounds and other types of data on your computer for smooth and professional song production.

High-capacity SD Card for Efficient Data Management
The TR Music Workstation uses compact and high-capacity SD cards to save and load sounds, sequences and sample data. The reading speed is extremely fast, so data management is quick and easy. SD card capacities from 16 MB to 1 GB are supported, and you can easily transfer data to your computer via readily-available card readers.

Inviting, Intuitive Interface
The TR Music Workstation is designed to be not only powerful, but also smart and speedy. The 240 x 64 pixel LCD features an adjustable contrast for optimal viewing in any situation. You can quickly and efficiently find the sound you want by using the “category select” function. Category select is available not only for Programs and Combinations, but also for PCM waveforms and effect algorithms, speeding-up your sound editing. When searching for a desired Program, you can use the Audition key to automatically play a phrase that’s appropriate for the sound being selected.

Controllers Maximize Your Performance Potential
The TR Music Workstation’s 4-way joystick lets you freely vary the pitch and apply modulation effects such as vibrato or wah. There are also four assignable knobs plus two assignable switches and foot pedal jacks that you can use for applying alternate modulation, providing you with a full range of control that is indispensable for burning up the stage or cutting sizzling tracks.

Light-weight and Compact
The TR Music Workstation is light-weight, with the 61-note model weighing only 17.8 lbs. and the 76-note model only 20 lbs. The rich sound and powerful functionality you expect from Korg are now available anywhere, anytime, any place.

Now available with 88 true piano-action keys
The new TR-88 is equipped with Korg's RH2 (Real Weighted Hammer Action 2) 88-note keyboard, which accurately simulates the playing touch of a grand piano, with key resistance getting progressively lighter as you move upward toward the higher notes. It's a keyboard that lets you obtain the fullest enjoyment from the many superb built-in piano and other keyboard sounds.

Upgrade to Full Sampling
Add the EXB-SMPL sampling upgrade option board and transform your TR into a full-blown sampler. The TR’s sampling mode supports 48 kHz 16-bit linear mono/stereo sampling, with a full range of high-end waveform editing functions including time slice, time stretch/compress, crossfade loop, and more. The EXB-SMPL is user installable and lets you connect external SCSI devices to the TR, so you can take advantage of a wide range of storage media as well as CD-ROM sound libraries (ISO9660 and AKAI-format discs are supported). You can load AIFF/WAV files and AKAI® S1000/S3000 samples and programs, as well as Korg format data. (For AKAI programs, only key-map related parameters are loaded as multisamples.)

Combination mp3 Demos:
The demos below were performed by Victor Palagano

D'Ya Wanna Ride (mp3, 658Kb) : (Combi A005)
Fantasmagoria (mp3, 0.98Mb) : (Combi A020)
Gods Bathtub (mp3, 1.88Mb) : (Combi A050)
REZ IS KING (mp3, 1.50Mb) : (Combi A058)
Delhicacy (mp3, 641Kb) : (Combi B040)
Deep Crystals (mp3, 665Kb) : (Combi B044)
Play The Trance (mp3, 504Kb) : (Combi C004)

The demos below were performed by Bobby Nelson

Scat Blat Phatt (mp3, 643KB): Featured are the TR’s powerful dual arpeggiators, one generating the bass line, the other the drum groove. New brass samples bring home the realism. (Combi A013)

Archi Prime File (mp3, 726KB) : Beneath the curious name is a wealth of pretty orchestration. Without the arpeggiators, it plays a sonically rich string section, including new string samples; turn the arpeggiators on, and hear a wonderful rhythmic bowed figure, colored by pearls of vocal raindrops.(Combi A001)

Wonkaville (mp3, 621KB) : New electric piano samples, and funky arpeggiator-generated drum and bass grooves help to get you in the pocket! (Combi A003)

Bellagio (mp3, 1.2MB) : An ethereal texture, the arpeggiators provide an unobtrusive groove and chiming bells, while the effects magnify the shimmer with a tempo-locked delay. Playing harder towards the end brings out the lush ‘Great Wall’ sound effect (from Program B47). (Combi A012)

Wanna Ride (mp3, 918KB) : The arpeggiators generate a contemporary groove and some plucky guitar. The bass is a fat layer of two bass programs. JS+Y (pushing the joystick away from you) adds the screaming LFO ‘vibrato” to the synth. (Combi A005)

Reasons Unclear (mp3, 1.31MB) : It’s why you buy a new keyboard in the first place: to hear that magical sound you never heard before, to stimulate your musical imagination. The pre-programmed arpeggiator was not used on this demo; two delay lines alone generated enough inspirational motion. Playing softly let the strings speak eerily. (Combi A014)

The Fire Inside (mp3, 880KB) : Enough prettiness, how about some in-your-face rudeness, thanks to an aggressive new ‘Mashed’ drum kit, spiced up with an overdrive effect. Arpeggiated videogame bleeps, and live nasty bass round out the Combi. Hold ENTER, REC, and just play – that’s how easy it is to create your music on the TR-series Music Workstations! In this Combi, the bass is zoned to the left half of the keyboard, so the tune starts with synth alone; once I played a bass note, the drum arpeggiator was triggered as well. At the end, JS+Y added the LFO modulation. (Combi A006)

Session E.P. (mp3, 1.12MB) : Great electric piano sounds are an essential part of any keyboardist’s toolbox, and the TR-series provides them a ‘plenty! Wonderful new samples make this a joy to play; dual arpeggiators generate drums and percussion. (Combi A016)

Warm & Snappy (mp3, 880KB) : What’s old is new again, and there will always be a need for fat analog synth sounds. SW1 plays with the envelope intensity, adding more ‘snap’ to the sound. The drums were arp-generated, all except for the bass-drum buildup at the end. (Combi B010)

Oboe & Strings (mp3, 1.23MB) : A ‘simple’ split, with two string programs layered for sonic richness, including new string samples; and a new solo oboe sample, capturing the performer’s natural vibrato. This was played live, without the wonderful bowed string arpeggiator pattern that is also worth exploring. (Combi C123)

People Watching (mp3, 1.51MB) : When is a pad not merely a pad? When it’s got the motion and drums that two polyphonic arpeggiators provide. New electric piano samples are also layered in. JS-Y provides a slow magical pitch bend. (Combi A018)

South Beach Gtr (mp3, 1.31MB) : New guitar samples feature velocity-switched fret noise for amazing realism (it’s only on the low notes, only when you play hard, and it doesn’t speak until the key-upstroke). In the distance is an ethereal pad (from Program D93, Station Of Waves). Two arpeggiator patterns set up the percussive groove; and tempo-locked delay made the percussion fade-out at the end easy! (Combi A028)

Stereo Voices (mp3, 953KB) : Stunning new scat voice samples (males and females together) make it happen. There’s a new drum kit (Program A004, Mashed Kit) and funky arpeggiated bass and drums for inspiration. Notice how the voices switch their vowels seamlessly according to velocity. (Combi A043)

Pro Brass (mp3, 1.20MB) : The versatility of TR‘s new brass samples is shown by Scat Blatt Phatt, in an orchestral mode above, and by this Combi, which fits nicely into Pop/R&B projects. The arpeggiators generate my rhythm section: the bass note is determined by the lowest note I play. (Combi A029)

Party Reggae Mahn (mp3, 996KB) : The arpeggiators provide the drum groove and rhythm guitar. The bass (layered synth and acoustic bass) was played live with the layered keys (piano and an ‘organ-ic’-sounding synth bass). (Combi B003)

Splitti Vox (mp3, 1.31MB) : This Combi provides layered fretless basses in the left hand, layered trumpet, jazz guitar and the new scat voices in the right hand. The arpeggiator gives the late-night drum shuffle. I like how tightly the voice and guitar along the joystick’s X-axis. (Combi B113)

Funky Keys (mp3, 1.16MB) : Two synth-piano programs are blended together, with velocity in masterful control of the filter brightness. Two drum arpeggiator patterns, triggering two different drum kits (including the new Mashed Kit) make you just want to play! (Combi A051)