What about the Korg D3200?

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ratdog

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I'd like to hear from someone who has had some experience with one. I've been reading the manual and can't quite figure out some of this stuff. I don't own one ... yet. I would just like to know from people who have worked with it what their impressions are, good and bad. I am totally new to harddisk recording so anything you have to say is appreciated.

Thanks again,
ratdog
 
Here's a cut and paste of the January 2006 Sound on Sound (UK) review. For the sake of brevity I've only included the first two and the last four paragraphs, but they give a good sense of the review.

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"Although the prodigious 32-track playback of Korg's new D3200 is enough to turn heads on its own, the company haven't rested on their laurels. They've also included a a 44-channel, 12-buss mixer, a respectable set of digital editing facilities, powerful multi-effects processing, a programmable drum machine, and MIDI control/synchronisation. The machine is no slouch on the hardware side either, with a decent array of I/O facilities and an intriguingly knobular user interface.

"The 32 playback channels are assigned to 16 hardware faders in two banks which you can switch between at the press of a button. There's also a dedicated fader for the drum machine and the Master fader which controls the overall mix level. Each track, including the stereo Master track, has seven virtual tracks for storing alternative takes or ideas. Up to 100 songs can be stored on any single drive, although there's only really space for about 20 medium-length 32-track compositions on the 40GB drive provided. Still, there's no real need to pack the drive with songs when they can be backed up to CD-RW media using the onboard burner or filed away on a PC or Mac hard drive via the rear-panel USB connector.

Multitrack Monster

"The D3200 is a pretty impressive product, albeit with a few significant flaws which threaten to undermine the rest of the designers' good work. Korg might have got away with the small screen if it was on a much simpler machine, but for a 44-channel mixer it is way too small, and no matter how you adjust the contrast knob it never seems to have enough definition. The Irony is that the software itself has been carefully designed to be as user-friendly as possible — as demonstrated by the extensive use of pictures to illustrate many of the functions. I'm sure it all looked great on the software developers' computer monitors, and must have suited the D32XD (for which it was originally intended), but here eye strain is a definite possibility! Incorporating a larger screen, or a socket for connecting a monitor, might have added to the cost, but it would have made a dramatic difference.

"It would have been nice to have had dynamics on every channel, as on Yamaha's AW machines, particularly as that would have freed up the effects processors for other things. It's also a real shame that the compressors and gates don't have a side-chain key option — professional engineers use triggering all the time, so this is a missed opportunity to widen the product's potential.

"The short-throw faders are another negative aspect of the machine — they make small adjustments difficult, especially if something needs to move by nothing more than one decibel. It is possible to change level in tenths of a decibel on screen by turning the data wheel, but grabbing a fader is more intuitive. The halved track count in 24-bit mode, the restricted EQ on some mixer channels, and the lack of a pattern editor in the drum machine must also count against this unit.

"The D3200 does score highly in other areas though. The USB and CD-RW facilities are very well integrated into the operating software, the editing options and the array of signal inputs are impressive, and there seems to be a hardware button or software page for everything you want. ClickPoint is a nice alternative to the touchscreens Korg have tended to use in the past, and the knob matrix works effectively for controlling a whole range of different parameters. I can't think of another multitracker with anything quite as good.

"There's no denying that a lot of effort has gone into the design of this product, but I feel that a few too many cuts were made to break the £1000 barrier in the UK. Having 32 tracks is a big selling point, but I would have settled for a 24-track machine with a bigger screen, longer faders, and more dynamics processors. Nevertheless, if you have good eyesight, you should still be able to get some great results with this machine." Tom Flint, Sound on Sound 1/2006
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In my opinion you'd do well to look seriously at either the Yamaha AW1600 or the AW2400. The 1600 has 16 tracks and the 2400 has 24 tracks with both machines main drawback being halved track counts if you record at 24 bit resolution. I've had an AW16g - the older brother of the AW1600 - for the past 5 years and found it very good sounding, easy to use and trouble-free.


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:DYo RatDog:

Agree with the man of Science. Just got the AW1600 to replace an ageing 2816.

FINALLY, Yamaha has had someone write some clear directions dealing with basic operation of the 1600.

Go to www. MPSN.com and download "RECORDING 101." It is about 27 pages.

Read it over and you will get an idea of how the box works and it will lessen your anxiety greatly about the box.

You'll enjoy the box and, unlike the 2816, the 1600 has several MASTERING algorithms. [Don't flame me if I used the wrong word.] :rolleyes: But, the mastering choices will give you even a better final product.

Cheers,
Green Hornet
 
Hey, thanks guys. I'll check into the Yamaha. I've seen the screen on the Korg and it is very small. Not so much to make me not want it, though.

Do you think the Yamaha is easier to use than the Korg?

(Sorry it took so long to reply. My internet is down at my house and it was also down at work last night so I had to wait until I got to school.) :rolleyes:

Thanks again,
ratdog
 
Ratdog,

I think a big question here is how many tracks you really need. I know nothing about the Korg except that I've read generally favorable reviews of it, like the SOS review that Scientist shared. IMHO, features like 4-band parametric EQ, dedicated dynamics processing, easy access to functions, an intuitive layout, reliability, and a strong user forum can be more important than the number of tracks available. In fact, I use a 16-track Yamaha (aw16G) even though my track count for a tune typically runs 50-60 by the time I'm done. The easy bouncing, with no loss in quality, and generous virtual tracks offered by today's digital machines make 16 basic tracks plenty for me. I rarely feel limited, and the Yams are indeed great machines.

My point's obvious: just be sure to figure out what's most important for you personally before buying. We all have different needs and tolerances, and yours will vary from mine. If you really need 32 tracks for the mixes you're doing--or like the layout or other specific features offered by Korg--then the Korg unit sounds like a great choice. If 16 or 24 tracks would work, then your stand-alone options in this price range expand greatly.

Good luck, man~
J.
 
Thanks J and others,

I think a couple of reasons I'm leaning towards the Korg is that it seems a little less cumbersome to learn and the layout looks a little easier to manage. I want things to be as simple as possible. :o 32 tracks is nice and 12 analog inputs for recording is nice, too.

However, I am still open to suggestions - I haven't made the purchase yet. :) But I would like to hear specifics from anyone willing to give them.

Thanks in advance,
ratdog
 
However, I am still open to suggestions - I haven't made the purchase yet.

Okay, here are some specifics on the Yamaha AW1600.

This guy says more or less everything I would say if I had said it --- LINK.

But I predict that the special hold the Korg D3200 has over you will be too strong for any rational argument to persuade you not to buy it.


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Hey, ssscientist.

Your prediction is about to come true. I think that the Korg offers a few things that I may find useful down the road. Maybe I just missed it but I didn't see where the Yamaha offers automation. Please correct me if I am wrong. And 32 tracks is a something that will be used up. I have an Ensoniq that has a 24 track sequencer and I have used almost every track on some sequences. Those tracks and then vocals would add up to a lot of tracks. I know there are some drawbacks to it but each recorder has its strengths and weaknesses.

But I do want you to know that I appreciate your input (and eveyone else's, also) and I did check out the info you gave me. I think I'm making the right choice. At least it is an informed choice thanks to you and others. It challenged me to do the research even more meticulously than before. (However, I'll probably go over everything one more time just to be sure. :o )

Thanks again everyone.
ratdog
 
Maybe I just missed it but I didn't see where the Yamaha offers automation. Please correct me if I am wrong.

In my lexicon, 'automation' means mechanized faders that pop to specified levels at user definable location within a song.

The Korg D3200 has no automation in that sense, but does offer two ways to automate your mixes ---

  • by using 'scenes' comprised of levels for individual tracks
  • by designating a midi channel and using midi continuous controller data to control levels

The Yamaha AW1600 has these two choices but, like the Korg unit, has no 'flying fader' automation.

I think I'm making the right choice. At least it is an informed choice thanks to you and others. It challenged me to do the research even more meticulously than before. (However, I'll probably go over everything one more time just to be sure.

If you're comfortable with your choice then it is the right one. Any one of the current hard disk recorders is capable of producing professional results with careful use and good tracking practices.

Good luck.


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