Have you heard? There’s a new keyboard. It specializes in great vintage sounds. It’s red. The name of the company has four letters in it, with an “or” in the middle. That’s right, it’s from Korg. Bet you didn’t see that one coming. But chances are you will be seeing and hearing the striking and stylish SV-1 on a stage near you. Korg has made bold claims to have the most faithful reproductions of the most classic vintage keyboard instruments in the SV-1. Does it have what it takes to excite the most discerning vintage keys fans, and the mojo to find its way into your heart and onto your stage? Let’s find out. [Scroll to the bottom of this page for Korg's promo video featuring Eldar and Neil Evans of Soulive.]

HANDS-ON

1. A 12AX7 tube is always backlit, but only used when one of several amp modeling effects is active.

2. Gorgeous front panel has a wealth of knobs (many of which are also buttons which can be pressed to return levels to their original values).

3. Eight Favorites buttons provide quick access to a customizable set of sound programs. Tweaked up a cool custom setting? Save it immediately by holding a favorites button and clicking when the number light blinks. Reminiscent of a car radio.

4. Korg’s RH3 weighted action is found on both the 73- and 88-key models.

5. Balanced left and right XLR outputs and unbalanced 1/4" outputs can be used simultaneously. For mono use, go with the left 1/4" output.

6. USB port connects the SV-1 with a PC or Mac as both a MIDI interface and to talk with the included editor software.

7. Need a music stand? It’s included, and it attaches here.

8. Six categories of six sounds each are here. Using the editor software, you can save new sound programs to any location.

 9. The finishing “vintage” touch: an old-school toggle power switch!

 

 

 

 

SOUNDS

The most important aspect of the SV-1 is the sound. Korg calls the overall technology “Enhanced Definition Synthesis” (EDS). Each sound has two aspects: the multisample, and a “Real Experience” component. The Real Experience elements are extra artifacts that you’d find in a vintage keyboard: key click, release sounds, pedal noises, and the like. You can adjust the level of these for each sound that employs it, from none at all up to comically clunky. There’s a sweet spot between reality and practicality that is easy to attain.

The first category, “E. Piano 1,” is a series of presets that employs an astounding multisample of a vintage Rhodes electric piano. It sounds like a Mark 1 Stage model, and oozes vibe, with lots of dynamic variation. The voicing of the Rhodes used in the sampling session is one that brings out plenty of “bell” in the tone. While you can’t “voice” the sound per se, I was able to tweak the EQ, velocity curves, and built-in effects to get a variety of Rhodes flavors, from the schmoozy ’70s ballad, to the nastier, aggressive, more “Herbie-esque” tones.

They also nailed the Wurlitzer 200A Electric Piano, which, like the original, has even more dynamic variation in the tone depending on how you play (and which velocity curve you choose). While playing the Wurly presets, I discovered that the SV-1 has a way of not just sounding but behaving like many of the instruments it emulates, thanks in part to Korg implementing release velocity. This is employed very tastefully and subtly, and there are sounds that will behave differently depending on how quickly you release the keys. This translates to a more realistic experience, as many of the real instruments recreated here do in fact respond differently to how you release the keys.

The SV-1 is also replete with acoustic piano sounds. There’s a Yamaha concert grand, a Steinway concert grand, and an upright. More than an afterthought, these can stand up against most hardware digital pianos, provided you run them in stereo. There’s also a specific mono version of the Steinway grand, intended for those gigs where you’re forced to run in mono.

For those who wonder why a dedicated monaural piano is best in such situations, piano samples often “thin out” when using a single mono output. To add even more substance to the sound, the envelopes are set to a long sustain and slow decay. This does expose a noticeable loop point in the sample that detracts from the realism, though it likely won’t be detectable in the context of a loud band onstage.

Living up to the “vintage” in its name, the SV-1 includes Hohner Pianet, RMI Electra- Piano, Roland RD-1000, Korg’s own SG-1D sampled grand, and a really warm-sounding Yamaha CP-70 electric grand.

The SV-1 also gets some serious Clav on — all four pickup settings found in the original Hohner D6 and E7 Clavinets are on hand, and the Real Experience artifacts truly capture the release effects, even the reverberation if you “slap” the low end. If you play staccato funk, or if you engage the Vox wah emulation (which is addictive, especially when run through one of the amp model effects), you might think you’re listening to the real deal. On two of the Clav sounds, I did notice that when holding sustained notes, the looped phase of the sample kicks in fairly quickly, but you’re unlikely to hear this in the context of live playing.

Pleasantly surprising were the high-quality Hammond-style organ sounds. They’re sample-based, and don’t have realtime drawbar control like a dedicated clonewheel organ, so I was getting ready to dismiss them. I’m glad I didn’t, because they performed admirably. There’s even a scanner vibrato/chorus with all six of the settings (three depths each for vibrato and chorus) found on a B-3. The Leslie simulator is decent, though not the most authentic available when compared to clonewheels such as Korg’s own CX-3. It’s no surprise that cool Vox and Farfisa patches let you cover everything from “Break On Through” to “Rock Lobster.” What is a surprise is that Korg sampled the Lowrey organ belonging to Garth Hudson of The Band. The result sounds halfway between a B-3 and a pipe organ — and all the way huge.

Last but not least is a “miscellaneous” bank, in which my favorite are the orchestral strings. Mellotron strings are on hand, as are phasey ARP ones for that Jean Michel Jarre sound, a stabby choir (think Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence”), and synth brass stacked in Minneapolis-funk octaves.

VALVE REACTOR

Speaking of the real tube, we’ve seen one grace the front panel of Korg’s Triton Extreme series, and the SV-1 sports one as well. The similarities end there, however. Unlike Korg’s previous “Valve Force” technology, which had the tube acting more or less as a preamp you could drive hard, the 12AX7 tube in the SV-1 works as part of what Korg calls “Valve Reactor” technology. The difference? Here, the tube is exclusively employed by the various (and very detailed) amp simulations, and works towards emulating the actual power stage of each amp, rather than merely providing “tube overdrive.” The amp simulations are punchy, provide a lot of sonic variety, and can be tweaked more extensively through the editor software.

IN USE

Both SV-1 models use Korg’s RH3 weighted action. The feel is substantial, with a nice amount of resistance, and provides a decent dynamic response (each preset can have one of seven velocity curves, plus there’s a fixed velocity setting well-suited to organs). It’s graded, which means that lower notes have more resistance than the higher notes. It feels great, but didn’t quite ace my “Billy Joel test,” in which fast sixteenth-notes are played machinegun style on the same key, the way Billy does in “Angry Young Man” and “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant.” The keys didn’t quite yield the rapid-fire repetition that can be achieved on a real grand or high-end digital piano.

The front panel is one of the sweetest dashboards to come along in some time. Aside from the conversation piece that is the backlit tube, there is a very logical and elegant arrangement of knobs for controlling the various aspects of a preset. The knobs feel great, and many of them are also buttons; pushing them returns the corresponding value to its original setting. There are eight Favorites buttons, which are clear and convenient. Have more than eight favorites? Not to worry — you can save any sound to any preset location using the editor software.

With a groovy array of buttons and knobs so close to the keys, it’s easy to accidentally hit one when playing your heart out, like when I inadvertently engaged wah-wah on a piano sound and later unwillingly changed from a piano to an organ. Fortunately, Korg says they’re working on a panel lock function for a future OS update.

All in all, I found the realtime controls and their layout very useful and fun onstage. The effects are very strong, and they beg to be tweaked. There’s even a tap-tempo button for the delay, though I wish it worked with the “tape echo” effect as well.

We should mention the schlep factor, which is favorable. Any player eyeing a live performance keyboard will be paying attention to portability. The SV-1 73-key model weighs 38.5 pounds, while the 88- key model sneaks in at 45.3 pounds. Korg has struck a nice balance between portability and ruggedness, as the build of the instrument is roadworthy and inspires confidence. Korg will be unveiling rolling soft cases for both models, which will help keep transport a one-person job.

THE SV-1 EDITOR

The SV-1 ships with included editor software (Mac/PC - click image at left) that looks and behaves like a part of the instrument itself. When connected via USB, anything you change on the SV-1 is immediately reflected in the editor, and vice versa. In the editor, you can tweak effects parameters (such as deeper stuff about the modeled amps) that aren’t available on the front panel. You can also save and load new preset programs. Korg says you can “load new sounds” to the SV-1 via the editor, but let’s be clear: You can load new program data based on the existing internal waveforms, but not sounds based on new or imported samples. Unlike Korg synths such as the MicroX and R3, whose editors can run as a plug-in so you can automate them from your DAW, the SV-1 editor is a standalone affair, which is an understandable choice given the SV-1’s focus on live gigging.

CONCLUSIONS

The SV-1 strongly appeals to musicians who don’t want to get bogged down in complexity, but rather just get playing. This is truly a player’s instrument, but isn’t short on features either. Most of the sounds are home runs, and the effects are very musical and rich. It’s a heavy-duty, pro ’board but still reasonably portable, and it makes a bold visual statement. For the cash, we lament the lack of aftertouch and split/layer ability, but applaud the high level of sound and build. It can be your only keyboard for band gigs that call for piano, electric piano, and Clav, and the organ sounds are good enough to get you through your R&B covers, if not a full night of organ-centric music. For gigs that require multiple sounds at once, it’s a stellar “bottom keyboard” — add a 61-key synth or workstation on your upper tier (and maybe a dedicated clonewheel if your music is B-3- intensive), and you have an enviable dream rig. More importantly though, how different and how detail-oriented the SV-1 is will inspire you to play in a way that a more doit- all instrument may not — and turn more than a few heads in the process.

PROS

Top-shelf emulations of many vintage sounds. Adjustable Real Experience technology adds realism. Lots of front panel control. Excellent effects with realtime control. XLR outputs in addition to 1/4" jacks. Reasonably portable, yet rugged. Smooth integration with editor software for deeper programming. Release velocity used effectively. Looks really cool.

CONS

No aftertouch. Keyboard action doesn’t return quickly enough for rapid-fire repetition. Headphone jack placement leaves connectors vulnerable to breakage if bumped.

INFO

73 keys: $2,700 list/approx. $2,000 street; 88 keys: $3,000 list/approx. $2,200 street, korg.com 

NEED TO KNOW

What are the best vintage sounds in it? The Rhodes, Wurlitzer, and Yamaha CP-70 electric grand are standouts. Special bonus points for the orchestral strings, which are very inspiring.

Why would I gig with this instead of a workstation/ROMpler/allpurpose keyboard? For starters, most workstations with weighted keys weigh considerably more than either flavor of SV-1. With the frontpanel controls, ease of use, attention to sonic detail, balanced XLR outputs, and yes, the cool look, you may be swayed.

Can I play multiple sounds at once? The SV-1 is a one-patch-at-atime keyboard, so don’t expect key splits or layers in the usual sense. However, individual sounds do have separate elements (e.g. the piano/pad layers) you can blend using the frontpanel controls.

What’s the real polyphony? Stated polyphony is 80 notes. Some sounds yield less depending on how many elements they have. I never encountered any note-robbing or awkward cutoffs, even if playing rambunctious piano with lots of sustain pedal.

 Is it worth the money? With the 73- key model hitting the stores at around $2,000, this is a premium instrument, with heavy-duty design and pro vibe through and through. It’s neither the cheapest nor the most expensive stage piano out there, so it’s a question of whether or not you fall in love with it when you play it.

Online Bonus: Korg SV-1 Promo Video

Don't see it? Click here.