KORG DS-10

Indie Music, Reviews

Synthesizers of Many Colors: DG-10’s Golden/Green Synthesizer Albums (Review)

August 9, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | Comments Off on Synthesizers of Many Colors: DG-10’s Golden/Green Synthesizer Albums (Review) Share this

Wow, I feel like I’m talking about Pokemon games with these color references. Back in December 2009, 5pb. Records published two unique albums titled Golden Synthesizer! and Green Synthesizer!, respectively. They contain remixes of popular music performed on the KORG DS-10 with three anime-inspired vocalists known as VCO, VCF, and VCA, collectively known as DG-10. Yes, it sounds weird, and it really is, and I would recommend checking out Jeriaska’s excellent interview with Masatoshi Nakamura and Nobuyoshi Sano to get a better idea of what this album is all about before jumping into this review.

But let’s get on to the music. I think you’ll be very surprised by what tracks are featured across these albums, and I can’t help but keep these on constant rotation on my iPod in the car, much to the dismay of my passengers. It’s just too funny not to.

Find out what I mean in our review after the jump. (more…)
Software

XSEED Brings Us KORG DS-10+ In 2010

October 26, 2009 | Audun Sorlie | 3 Comments Share this XSEED Brings Us KORG DS-10+ In 2010

XSEED announced earlier this month that they will localize KORG DS-10+ for release sometime early next year. This is the follow up to KORG DS-10, a music synthesizer released on the DS in 2008, which became incredibly popular in Japan, even spawning bands such as Trio the DS-10 that exclusively used the KORG DS-10.

KORG DS-10+ will be compatible with both the regular DS and the DSi, and this is where it gets interesting, because playing this on the DSi will open up quite a few enhancements! DSi will enable 12-voice polyphony, 4 tracks for analog synthesizer simulation, 2 drum machines and 2 effect layers, while the regular DS version will have an updated synthesizer and more channels compared to the first game.

KORG-DS 10 was received with a good general reception, but there were complaints over it being restrictive and that making songs required a lot of work to get around those said restrictions, but it seems KORG DS-10+ will improve on every aspect of it’s predecessor and open up a whole new world for music lovers on the DS.

[via Destructoid]
Game Music, Software

KORG DS-10 Contest Winner: Stories With Caves and KAOSS

January 2, 2009 | Jayson Napolitano | 7 Comments Share this

Well, I’m glad that you guys came through after my angry post a few weeks ago. We got a bunch of great entries, and the fact that we have only one copy to give away made this the hardest contest to judge so far. However, winner Mike C. won us over with his thoroughness and awesome remix recommendation.

How about Cave Story? This game looks amazing (I’ve been anticipating the WiiWare release), and I haven’t spoiled the soundtrack for myself yet by listening to samples or gameplay footage. In terms of DS-10 features, it seems like the KAOSS pad is a popular among fans.

Great job Mike and everyone who entered (it was really tough), and thanks go to XSEED for providing us with this copy to give to you guys!

Read with the winning entry from Mike C. after the jump. (more…)
Software

Contest Reminder: Win A Copy of KORG DS-10 Synthesizer For Your DS!

December 11, 2008 | Jayson Napolitano | 2 Comments Share this

I’m disappointed in you guys. I specifically made this one of our easiest contests to enter as a treat to all of you, and we haven’t received nearly enough entries! We give away a $20 CD and we get a ton of entries, but when it comes to a $40 piece of awesomeness for your DS, you’re not interested?

Well, lucky for you, there are two weeks left to enter the contest. All you have to do is tell us (in writing) what features on the DS-10 are most interesting to you and what song you think deserves a DS-10 remix/remake and why. It’s so easy! Just send it to [email protected]. As it stands right now, you have a very good chance of winning if you just send me something. ANYTHING. Do it!

If you want more information, you can check out our original post and our DS-10 videos featuring GEM Impact and The OneUps.
Game Music, Software

Contest: KORG DS-10 Synthesizer, You’ve Got The Touch!

November 26, 2008 | Jayson Napolitano | 1 Comment Share this

Did you see our videos of The OneUps and GEM Impact creating original tunes on the KORG DS-10? Were you left wishing you could make equally-amazing videos of your own and put them up on YouTube for the rest of the world to see? Well, wait no more, your chance has arrived!

Thanks to the good folks over at XSEED, we have one copy of the KORG DS-10 Sythesizer just waiting for your touch. Will you create your own original tunes or remix your favorite game and pop tracks? That’s up to you, but either way, I can tell you that you’re going to have fun doing it.

Hit the jump for contest details. (more…)
Game Music

The KORG DS-10 Like You’ve Never Seen It: EXTRA 2008’s “The Trio DS-10”

November 11, 2008 | Jayson Napolitano | 2 Comments Share this

Just a couple days ago we published our extensive coverage of EXTRA – HYPER GAME MUSIC EVENT 2008, and although the article made me feel as though I had witnessed the event myself, I was curious about the Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross segments from the KORG DS-10 performance. Well, AQ Interactive, the developer behind the KORG DS-10, has uploaded a video from the event, which you can see above.

While we unfortunately miss out on the Chrono Trigger material, the video captures “Scar’s of Time” from Chrono Cross. “The Trio DS-10” is comprised of composers Yasunori Mitsuda, Nobuyoshi Sano, and Michio Okamiya, each of whom wail away at two DS-10’s at once, and the result is pretty amazing. I think we’re going to continue to see lots of creative uses of the DS-10 in the future, so this is just the beginning.

Want more DS-10 videos? Check out our coverage of the software along with a series of OSVchannel videos from OSV editors and friends.

[Thanks, Carl!]
Game Music

EXTRA – HYPER GAME MUSIC EVENT 2008: Completest Impressions From Japan

November 7, 2008 | Justin Pfeiffer | 6 Comments Share this

[Editor’s Note: Contributor Justin Pfeiffer is our man in Japan, and I think he’s trying to compete with Crystal’s Joe Hisaishi concert coverage with the length on this one. This comprehensive report is absolutely worth the read if, like me and mostly everyone else outside of Japan, you couldn’t make it to EXTRA 2008]

Coolest event in history? EXTRA – HYPER GAME MUSIC EVENT may just in fact be that. Where else can you see Yasunori Mitsuda playing a Korg DS-10 live on stage, Yuzo Koshiro performing Actraiser on piano, or dance the night away to Hip Tanaka’s “Do The Donkey Kong?” Thinking back to EXTRA 2008 still gives me chills. You saw our announcement and interview with EXTRA creator Masatoshi Nakamura, now we finally reveal an insider’s look at the world’s biggest game music event.

Check our impressions of the show after the jump. (more…)