Korg Announces K61P USB-MIDI Studio Controller

Oct 28, 2006

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Korg announces the newest member of its K-series USB-MIDI Studio Controller keyboards, the K61P. It combines powerful controller functions with 24 onboard keyboard sounds, bridging computer music and stand-alone performance needs.

The sophisticated onboard sound engine includes a high-quality stereo piano that has been carefully sampled to capture all the richness and detail of a grand piano's character. Five additional acoustic pianos are also included, as well as five electric pianos, two harpsichords, three jazz organs, three church organs, clavinet, vibraphone, choir and two string sounds. Stretch tuning for the pianos, Werckmeister temperament for the organs, and Kirnberger temperament for the harpsichords increase the sounds' authenticity. Chorus and Reverb effects are also included for processing the internal sounds.

As with other K-series models, the K61P features four velocity curves, including a fixed velocity setting for organ and analog synthesizer sounds. Key Transpose and Octave Shift features provide access to a wide note range. Modulation and pitch wheels facilitate real-time control and expressive playing. Stereo outputs and a headphone jack allow the K61P to be played as a stand-alone keyboard and are perfect for teaching, home practice and live performance.

A variety of assignable performance controllers are provided in a logical layout, including two knobs, two switches, a slider and a footswitch jack. They can manipulate numerous functions, allowing powerful hands-on hardware access to virtually any software instrument parameter.

Korg's proprietary ClickPoint controller can function in one of two modes: as an X/Y joystick (with Hold function), or as a single-button mouse for computer control. Users can assign separate MIDI control messages to be sent by the X-axis (left/right) and Y-axis (forward/back) for intuitive control over two simultaneous parameters.

Like other K-series models, the K61P comes bundled with Korg's M1 Le software synthesizer, a complete software version of the classic M1 Music Workstation. As a bonus, K-series users can upgrade at a special "Preferred Owner" price to the Korg Legacy Collection - Digital Edition, which comprises a significantly enhanced version of the M1 software synthesizer, the WAVESTATION v1.6 software synthesizer and the MDE-X v1.2 multi-effect plug-in.

Mac and Windows editor software is included, making it easy to create, edit, and manage "scenes" on a computer. Template scenes for popular music production programs and software synthesizers are provided as well. Also included are free demo versions of popular software titles: the Korg Legacy Collection, Live 5 by Ableton, Lounge Lizard EP-3, Ultra Analog VA-1, String Studio VS-1 from Applied Acoustic Systems, and Reason 3.0 by Propellerhead.

The K61P can be powered via a USB connection to a computer or via an optional AC adapter. It has a U.S. MSRP of $450 and is available in late October 2006.

For more information, visit their web site at www.korg.com.