gear diary review of the ds 10 plus

I adamantly refuse to call Korg DS-10 Plus a ‘game’, despite it being a cartridge for the Nintendo DS. Read on to find out why!

The Hype:
KORG DS-10 Plus is an enhanced version of the revolutionary KORG DS-10 synthesizer software that was released to critical and retail acclaim for Nintendo DS in late 2008. In this new release the original KORG DS-10 music-creation software, which combined the superior interface of the Nintendo DS with the functionality of the famous MS-10 synthesizer, has been optimized to essentially double the power of the original when used with the Nintendo DSi.

* Exchange sounds and songs and play with up to eight units simultaneously through a wireless communications link.
* Improved professional-grade music tool software for Nintendo DSi/DS at a greater cost performance value than the original KORG DS-10.
* Optimized for DSi with 12-voice polyphony and to double the power of the original KORG DS-10: 4 analog synthesizer tracks and 8 dedicated drum tracks, increase the total number of tracks from 6 to 12 (DSi only).
* Song mode revamped for expanded song composition and real-time performance. Per track Mute/Solo built into the Song Mode, and Edit/Play enabled for all modes to further improve real-time performance (available for DSi/DS).
* Delay, chorus, and flanger sound effects available from the mixing board, and three different note-entry modes: Touch Screen control, keyboard screen, and matrix screen.

The Reality:
For a while I thought I would never see my Nintendo DSi again …

I mean, my younger son already permanently took over my original copy of Korg DS-10, and when we were playing around with the new Korg DS-10 Plus on my DSi and he realized that I could add a second bank … well, he took the whole deal! Fortunately I managed to get it back and now he just borrows the DSi when he wants to use the Korg DS-10 Plus.

Back in the days before the Yamaha DX-7 digital FM synthesizer stormed the world and crowded the market with tons of cold and thin-sounding synth-pop songs, analog synthesizers such as the Korg MS-10 ruled the world with their fat and warm tones … and finicky tuning issues. I remember simultaneously studying the electronics of waveform filtering and taking an electronic music class using analog synthesizers (since that was all that was available) … it was a great real-world case study. In the decades since then, those analog oscillators have gained digital tuning to address their main shortcoming but have maintained their warmth and character.

Here is what the Korg MS-10 looks like:

My cousins had one of these, and it was quite cool. I used a Korg Mono/Poly, which had all of four notes of polyphony before moving on to Roland as my primary synth source.

The DS-10 Plus is the follow-on to 2008’s DS-10. As I mentioned at the start, this is not a game, but rather a full synthesizer replicated in software. There is no score, no ‘winning’, no tutorial in the software, just a musical instrument with loads of functionality.

So what do you get in the ‘Plus’ version? In short, it is like getting two DS-10’s in one. You get up to 12 notes of polyphony – that refers to how many notes the hardware can play simultaneously. The built-in sequencer has four synth tracks and two drum tracks, as well as a couple of effects layers to ‘juice up’ the sound even more. The DSi doubles your number of banks, so you get even more sequencing and storage capabilities.

Analog synthesis can be daunting to newcomers, but it is actually quite ‘pure’ in terms of having direct meaning. Normally periodic waveforms can have different frequencies – which give different pitch – and shape – which gives a different tone. Once you have the basic tone, you have options to filter it using low-pass, high-pass, voltage-controlled, or time-variant filters with some elaborate LC resonant filtering options to really mess around with the electronic characteristics of your notes. You can also alter the drum sounds, reassign patching of effects using a virtual patch cord system, and so on.

When I got the original DS-10 my wife looked over and asked – what sort of game is that? It isn’t a game but a musical instrument I said, and since then she has enjoyed when our younger son has shared his creations. His complaint is that without some sort of external hook-up it is hard to control for a pianist such as him. Personally I’m a keyboard hack, so I tend to step-record my compositions even when I have a full keyboard. That makes this ideal for me – it is a load of fun, tons of capabilities, and just hours and hours of battery-draining potential!

ign review of korg ds 10+

April 7, 2010 - This review has been reposted from IGN's original Korg DS-10 review. The software is largely the same, with one particularly meaningful new feature added for DSiWare owners. Read about the added functionality towards the bottom.

One of the most significant developments in modern music is the proliferation of low-cost, high-quality music making apps for portable devices like the Nintendo DS and iPhone. In 2008 the DS got the Korg DS-10, a mobile synthesizer and sequencer that, while limited, did sound great and provided some very basic song-building abilities. Now the Korg DS-10 Plus is here, which greatly increases the sonic possibilities for DSi owners. Modeled after Korg's classic MS-10 synth, this is a cool piece of software that musicians will have fun playing around with. The layman who isn't familiar with the way synthesizers work or hasn't used other music software will be pretty lost, though. If you already own the Korg DS-10, note there isn't a reason to upgrade unless you've also upgraded to a DSi.

There are three instruments available in the DS-10: two monophonic synths and a four-part drum machine. Each instrument has many tweakable parameters and it is possible to come up with a wide variety of bass, lead, and percussion sounds. Several useful presets have been included but it is also possible to create your own sounds, save your patches, and recall them quickly. Developer AQ Interactive has admirably and lovingly recreated the MS-10 here, and it really sounds great. The touch screen also makes editing your synths a breeze.

Left: play synth parts in real time with the onscreen keyboard. Right: build songs by dropping your patterns into the song sequencer.

Unfortunately, each synth is monophonic, meaning they can only generate one note at a time. The fact that you can't program chords severely limits the use of this software. You could patch each synth the same way so that they produce the same sound and then program them together, but then it's still only playing two notes at once.

Songs are put together with patterns that the user programs one at a time. Each pattern can be up to 16 steps long, which usually works out to be one measure. That's a pretty small slice of a song to work with, which is another reason why this isn't the most friendly compositional tool.

You have a few options for inputting note data. Each instrument has its own step sequencer where notes can be "tapped" into the timeline with the stylus. There's also a virtual keyboard you can use to play and record notes in real time (your performance will be locked in tempo with the song). Finally, Korg's popular KAOSS Pad is included here on the touch screen for drawing note and effect patterns. Inputting data and maneuvering menus with the stylus all works really well and it's fun adjusting your sounds on the fly.

Once you've got a few patterns up and running you can string them together on the song screen to create a composition. The problem is you can't tweak any parameters or work with the mixer while the song is playing. Another option is to manually play your patterns from the pattern list. You can lock them to the song's tempo so that when you tap a new pattern it won't begin until the current one ends. Here you can mute or solo instruments, but you still can't play with effects or use the KAOSS Pad while the song is playing.

Expanding the DS-10's sonic possibilities is the ability to synch wirelessly with other DS users who own the software. The host sets the tempo and up to eight systems can jam together, each playing their independent drums and synths. In this way you can produce much more interesting compositions.

At first glance it is hard to discern what has been added for this Plus version. The interface and menus are all identical and you still program the sequencers and lay out songs in the same way. You won't get the upgrade unless you're using the software on a DSi, where you can play in Dual mode and load two sessions at once. This is pretty significant, because now you have four synth lines and two drum kits available to you. All of a sudden your creative possibilities are dramatically expanded from the first Korg's meager two synths and one drum kit.

Closing Comments
Only DSi owners should consider upgrading to Korg DS-10 Plus. That said, for that crowd this is definitely a superior product to the original DS-10. Dual Mode instantly doubles your sonic possibilities. There are still the same interface issues, though, like the inability to work with more than 16 sequences, create sequences longer than a measure, or play chords. Korg DS-10 is great for making repetitive electronica. If that's what you're looking to do, you won't be disappointed.

korg ds 10 plus mini review

Things i have come across so far:

1. when switching from song mode to pattern mode wherever you stop play is where the switch is made. all the tracks that are muted will not show up in the other mode. all you have to do is unmute the tracks of both decks in the mixer. even after unmuting the tracks my song will still play sometimes but the boxes are missing in the pattern (currently don't know why).

2. ds-10 only sometimes asks me if i'm sure i would like to stop play before song mode starts, maybe 3 out of 10 times. not sure why.

3. when copying patterns be careful to select your pattern, check which deck, hit copy and touch the empty pattern. repeat with the other deck. if you are not careful here it's easy to accidentally copy over patterns.

4. saving to seperate slots. you save deck a and deck b seperatly. this means you have half the amount of save space as the original ds-10.

these things are fine. if you are like me and do everything fast and without paying attention, you may go over things accidentally.

5. it is really easy to pick up and very hard to put down. you will miss your train stop, maybe even on purpose.

6. track mute makes this worth the wait.

to be continued.....

korg ds 10 plus review part 2

I have had some time to use the ds 10 plus and have found out that the song mode is the only feature different from the original (for ds lite). Though this is disappointing, it is quite fun. I went through the youtube videos and the websites trying to find some little difference (for ds lite) and all that did was make me want the ds-10+ on my dsi even more.

The song mode adds an element to possible live performances that were not possible before. You can now let a track ride out the 16 patterns while recording over them and they will repeat with the new sounds. this is tricky as you are used to the single pattern repeating (original version). For example if you have patterns 1-4 as your intro and 5-8 as a main melody you can record over 5-8 an octave higher (as they are playing) to give the song a not so repetitive vibe when the patterns are played the next time in your song. this also gives you the option of playing something live on the other keyboard or kaoss pad with the new patterns 5-8.

so you still have 16 patterns, same editing features, 100 pattern length etc...

yes, I will post a video sometime showing this if it does not make sense.