KORG has added Filter Ark to its Collection bundle, hinting at new software possibilities that go beyond just hardware emulations. Adam Douglas boards the Ark to find out if it’s worth getting the whole Collection – or if you’d be better off with just the filter plugin on its own.
Introduction
Of the Big Three Japanese musical instrument companies – Roland, Yamaha and KORG – KORG has always done things a little differently. Synthesizer engineer and current head of KORG Berlin, Tatsuya Takahashi, told me this is because of the three, KORG is the only one that is still a private company. That means it can take chances while the other two have to play it safe to placate shareholders. While this kind of risk-taking doesn’t always pan out (Drumlogue, I’m looking at you), very often for KORG it does, with quite a few hits released during its almost 65 years in business.
Many of those hits are included in the ever-growing KORG Collection, a bundle that currently stands at version 6 and features 21 software synthesizers, drum machines, and effects. This also now includes the most recent release, Filter Ark, a filter effects plugin that expands on the KORG legacy in unique ways – and offers what could be an exciting way forward for KORG software.
KORG Collection 6 Overview
The KORG Collection debuted way back in 2004 under the name KORG Legacy Collection, and featured three instruments: emulations of the MS-20, Polysix and Wavetstation, MDE-X multi-effects pulled from the TRITON, plus a wrapper called Legacy Cell that let you combine the MS-20 and Polysix into a single plugin. Two years later, the M1 joined the collection, with the Mono/Poly following in 2007.
And so it remained until 2017, when the name changed to KORG Collection and a recreation of KORG’s new hardware ARP Odyssey joined. Since then, KORG has included versions of the TRITON, miniKORG 700S, Prophecy, TRITON Extreme, microKORG, Electribe-R drum machine, KAOSS Pad effect, ARP 2600, EP-1 electric piano from the KRONOS, and Vox Super Continental organ.
Finally, last year saw the Collection level-up to volume six, with the TRINITY workstation, PS-3300 emulation, and SGX-2 piano sound engine from the KRONOS and NAUTILUS joining the band.
An impressive lineup to be sure. But where does Filter Ark fit into things?
Filter Ark: A New Type of Effects Plugin for KORG
What’s interesting about Filter Ark when compared to the rest of the plugins in KORG Collection is that it isn’t an emulation or software port of a previously released KORG instrument, at least not in whole. This is a good thing, a very good thing, and hopefully a taste of more to come from the company.
Much like other filter plugins you may have tried, such as ones from Arturia or Cherry Audio, Filter Ark lets you pipe external signals through synth-inspired filters and modulate them. As it’s KORG, you get filters from four famous synths associated with the company, including the Polysix (a smooth 24dB/Oct lowpass), MS-20 (screamy 12dB/Oct with both low- and highpass circuits), miniKORG 700S (unusual HPF/LPF Traveler), and all three ARP Odyssey variants. Along with these, you get 10 more, often with multiple types inside, that run the gamut from multimode to quite unusual ones, like vowel, an IR loader, physical modeling, and even the waveguide from the KORG Volca Drum.
The plugin lets you load up to four filters at a time, with signal routing available in a number of different configurations. Add to this four types of modulation (LFO, envelope follower, step sequencer and random) plus macros and the ability to conform resonance to musical scale, and you’ve got a surprisingly flexible filter plugin. And, as you’d expect from KORG, it sounds great.
It’s not perfect, unfortunately. It can be fiddly to work with, and when using the plugin inside a DAW you frustratingly can’t turn off sync – it would be nice to run modulation freely sometimes. The plugin also has a portrait-style orientation and you can’t scroll, leading to having to manually move the plugin to be able to select filter types from the row across the bottom when in the extra long Detail View. These are small points, though, and will hopefully be fixed in future updates.
The Newest Instruments in Collection 6
As we’re looking at version 6 of the bundle, we should take a deeper look at the most recent instrument additions, TRINITY, PS-3300, and the SGX-2 piano.
Honestly, I went into this expecting to be most wowed by the TRITON and TRITON Extreme ports, given how much I love the sound of those instruments, but TRINITY is somehow even better, despite being essentially an earlier iteration of the same workstation lineage. If you like ‘90s-style ROMplers and sample synthesis, TRINITY may be your new favorite instrument. The GUI is gorgeous too, flat and clean and intuitive.
The original PS-3300 is one of the rarest and most expensive analog synthesizers ever made. KORG has been rebuilding them as order only (they cost something like $13,000!) so having access to an official emulation is a godsend. The VST sounds very good indeed, although it’s easy to get lost in all the knobs, something that’s not the fault of the emulation as it’s basically three synthesizers with a single panel.
Lastly, having never owned a KRONOS nor been much of a stickler for pianos, I wasn’t prepared for how much I would love the sound of SGX-2. But it may be the best piano plugin I’ve ever worked with. Granted, I’m no classical musician so if you are, take what I say with the usual grain of salt. But with the five different grand pianos on hand, plus a clutch of effects to take it from clean to processed, the instrument can handle pretty much whatever piano duties you may need it to.
Other Great Instruments
Being KORG, there isn’t a dud in the Collection, really. As a fan of the Prophecy, KORG’s pioneering physical modeling/virtual analog monosynth from the 1990s, the software version fulfills all my expectations. Being able to play it polyphonically is great fun too.
A synth that I never had much experience with before is the microKORG. Given its toylike appearance and cheesy genre preset structure, I didn’t expect to like it as much as I do. Yes, it has a plastic sheen and is very early 2000s, but that may be just what you need, especially if you’re working on a retro Millennial EDM track.
Of the original Legacy instruments, I like the Polysix emulation the best. It’s perfect for when you want a Roland Juno-style analog synth but not a Juno exactly.
Issues and Concerns
Speaking of the Polysix and the Legacy instruments, however – and this is a broader issue across the whole of the bundle – KORG Collection 6 doesn’t feel like a unified group of plugins but like a holding place for separate groups of them.
The Legacy instruments especially are looking (and sounding) a little long in the tooth and are definitely in need of a refresh, particularly the M1 and Wavestation. Entries from the other eras all have separate identities and sonic fingerprints. Wouldn’t it be best to update all of the instruments to have similar looks and sound quality?
Final Thoughts
I’m a KORG fan. My first synthesizer was a Poly-800 and I’ve owned many KORGs over the years, including some in KORG Collection 6. It’s great to have them back and all in one place as well as some that I would never have considered, like the SGX-2 and Vox Super Continental organ. The Filter Ark is brilliant as well, and I’d love to see more instruments and effects that do new things with the KORG lineage.
However, it’s hard to ignore the lack of care given to the legacy instruments like the MS-20 and M1, titans in the history of synthesizers and still very much a draw to this today. This is doubly true given how much KORG is charging for the bundle. While on par with similar offerings from other developers, it’s also not cheap, and if you’re asking $399 for software, it should at least be up to date. Especially when there are plenty of other emulations of the same instruments out there, many for less money.
So, should you buy KORG Collection 6 to get Filter Ark? If all you want is the filter effects unit, you’re better off getting it separately for $99. But if you’re a KORG fan and have been wanting to dive into its storied history, then Filter Ark makes a lovely topper to the rest of the collection.
Hopefully KORG Collection 7 will see all the instruments updated to the same modern standard.
Thanks for your thoughts on the new Filter Ark and KORG Collection, Adam! If the review has sparked your interest, you can find more details and purchase the software at the KORG store and from distributors such as Plugin Boutique.
Adam Douglas is a music technology writer based in Japan. When he’s not writing for outlets like Attack Magazine, Gearnews and Music Radar, he can usually be found in his studio making ambient music or else out searching for the perfect bowl of ramen.
