KORG DS-10 Plus

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by: Sams Dirty House (CA)
on: Thursday, 23-September-2010

this is more than a game and it might not appeal to everyone or not everyone will make this game look appealing ahahaha, im a major Synth Head and i love this! its the only game i actually have on my DSI!

by: E. Young (United States)
on: Friday, 10-September-2010

I like music synthesizers. I know korg makes them but the actual ones are over 100 dollars. And that is for the pocket sized ones. So I bought this. I dont realy use it like I thought I would. It is too hard to use for someone as basic as I am when it comes to music synths. If you are into music sythesizers profesionaly or are way more interested than I am you mite find it usefull.

by: jaime (rancho cucamonga, ca United States)
on: Monday, 9-August-2010

Now this is an amazing program for the DS platform, it really maxes out the sound on that little sucker... it has improved a lot since the first version, and now you are able to really feel like you are in the big league of synthesizers.

Its worth every penny, i have used it along with my hardware and software synths, and made pretty good sounding arrangements.

Believe me you wont be dissappointed, when it comes to its sound and editing.

One problem though, i wish Nintendo had fitted their tiny game console with a usb port or created a nifty gadget to sync it to another live instrument to real time control, and automation.

by: Zarkol (United States)
on: Friday, 23-July-2010

In high school and college I would always find the music departments synthesizer(s). I would spend hours in some closet studeo making all kinds of noise. Now I can do that at home without spending thousands of dollars.

by: sgt forge777 (hi land)
on: Monday, 28-June-2010

its like u make the music very fun i saved 10 dolars buying from your site i was going to get it at eb games but it was 30 dollars your site is 20

by: G. Strome (Fort Riley, KS)
on: Monday, 14-June-2010

I have tried various titles on the PSP and they do not stack up to this. If you are into this sort of thing this title alone is reason enough to buy a DS, DSi (even better).

by: Kurt Best (USA / Washington / Seattle / Ballard)
on: Wednesday, 5-May-2010

Almost as soon as I received my KORG DS-10 in the mail, I picked up a second copy and another DS Lite. Then I heard about the KORG DS-10 Plus and realized that I had been played for a chump since the new version would basically let me do the same thing as two copies, minus the awkwardness of holding two DS systems and wearing two sets of headphones when I was using them outside of my home studio. Naturally, I pre-ordered it as soon as I was able to, and I decided to hold out for the DSi XL to be released so that I could experience its full potential (its still usable on a DS or DS Lite, you just cant use dual mode, which is pretty much the whole point of this updated version). Now that Ive had time to compare the DS-10 Plus to two copies of the original DS-10, I feel like Im ready to share my experience.

First of all, Im assuming anyone reading this review knows what theyre getting into. There arent a whole lot of changes in this revision of the DS-10, so if youve already used that one you know what to expect. If not, Ive read plenty of reviews that dont quite get the DS-10, finding it limited as a loop-based synthesizer lacking polyphonic sounds and a full sequencer. If you were hoping to find those kinds of features, you should probably consider just buying an actual factual piece of audio hardware or a soft synth for your computer. If youre anything like me, the so-called limitations of the DS-10 are what make it fun to make music on... with enough creativity and practice you can make a single synth or drum sound sound like several disparate sounds, and you can find clever ways to create transitions between the various patterns so it sounds like more than simple looping electronic music. I love the challenge of trying to get more sounds out of fewer options (even on my hardware synths). I also love that I can work on my music on my daily walk to/from my office... youd be hard-pressed to find ANY other software or hardware synthesizer that allows you that much freedom.

That being said, whats new in the DS-10 Plus to distinguish it from owning two copies of its predecessor? The new dual mode allows you to load up a different song in each deck, so that you now have 4 synths instead of 2, and 8 drum tracks instead of 4. You still need to remember to save each song separately if you make changes, but its pretty easy to tell which deck is currently selected, and being able to use the R button to quickly switch between decks is incredibly convenient. Otherwise, not a lot has changed since the first DS-10 (it seems like they could have at least improved the presentation), but it turns out that the greatest strength of this new version, as well as its greatest weakness, lies in the revamped song mode.

In the original DS-10, song mode was basically worthless. You organize your patterns into a single composition and then listen to them play. You cant change things on the fly, and you cant program anything other than the order of patterns in, so youd might as well just stick to pattern mode and do it yourself. In the DS-10 Plus, not only are you given the option to program in mutes for every sound (which at first felt like cheating to me after spending so many months practicing my songs and muting sounds manually as I switch patterns), but youre free to move around to any of the normal editing screens and change up your sounds, play along on the keyboard, alter the master effect, and mess with the mixer, all while having the song continue playing the patterns in the order you specified. This gives you a ridiculous amount of freedom in your compositions. Previously, switching back and forth between two or more patterns while simultaneously trying to fade out a single instrument was a nightmare that required fast reflexes and coordination. Now you can focus on just the one instrument fading out while song mode does the rest for you in the background. Being able to mute or unmute several tracks simultaneously is also a huge advantage over the DS-10.

So how about that greatest weakness that I mentioned? Well, for one, you can only make a song last at most 200 measures (using dual mode). But more disappointing that than is that you cant have different patterns playing on each deck. I have a song that I started on my dual DS Lite setup where on one system I continuously go back and forth between two patterns, while on the other system, the main melody of the song is carried through a progression of patterns. Think of it like this:

system 1: [A1] > [A2] > [A3] > [A4]
system 2: [B1] > [B2] > [B1] > [B2]

I was so excited to hear about dual mode on the DS-10 Plus, thinking that it would save me a LOT of work of having to carry around two DSes to achieve this. Unfortunately, its not the case. When you select a pattern on one deck, youre limited to hearing the corresponding pattern on the other deck. So youre stuck with this:

deck 1: [A1] > [A2] > [A3] > [A4]
deck 2: [B1] > [B2] > [B3] > [B4]

Since I own more DSes than any one person really needs, I can work on two songs simultaneously in dual mode on my DS-10 Plus, and then copy one of the songs to a DS-10 so that I can perform the song using two DS systems. Its not much different than the old method I had worked out, but it is definitely nice to hear both songs playing on a single DS so I can really make sure everything sounds good together.

That disappointment is by no means enough to detract from the improvements. If you already own a DS-10 and were thinking of picking up a second copy, then theres no reason not to upgrade. Even if you dont own a DSi, the vastly improved song mode is a huge step above its predecessor (of course, if you do own a DSi, its even more useful). If you want a KORG DS-10 but havent tried out the original, then theres also no reason to not get the DS-10 Plus. Finally, if you dont think a loop-based monophonic synthesizer is for you then good luck finding a more powerful yet equally portable synthesizer for such a low price. Im sure KORG could have taken the time to put some more useful features in this update, but still, for what the KORG DS-10 Plus is, its an amazing and powerful piece of audio software that is well worth the money.

by: Kurt Best (USA / Washington / Seattle / Ballard)
on: Wednesday, 5-May-2010

Almost as soon as I received my KORG DS-10 in the mail, I picked up a second copy and another DS Lite. Then I heard about the KORG DS-10 Plus and realized that I had been played for a chump since the new version would basically let me do the same thing as two copies, minus the awkwardness of holding two DS systems and wearing two sets of headphones when I was using them outside of my home studio. Naturally, I pre-ordered it as soon as I was able to, and I decided to hold out for the DSi XL to be released so that I could experience its full potential (its still usable on a DS or DS Lite, you just cant use dual mode, which is pretty much the whole point of this updated version). Now that Ive had time to compare the DS-10 Plus to two copies of the original DS-10, I feel like Im ready to share my experience.

First of all, Im assuming anyone reading this review knows what theyre getting into. There arent a whole lot of changes in this revision of the DS-10, so if youve already used that one you know what to expect. If not, Ive read plenty of reviews that dont quite get the DS-10, finding it limited as a loop-based synthesizer lacking polyphonic sounds and a full sequencer. If you were hoping to find those kinds of features, you should probably consider just buying an actual factual piece of audio hardware or a soft synth for your computer. If youre anything like me, the so-called limitations of the DS-10 are what make it fun to make music on... with enough creativity and practice you can make a single synth or drum sound sound like several disparate sounds, and you can find clever ways to create transitions between the various patterns so it sounds like more than simple looping electronic music. I love the challenge of trying to get more sounds out of fewer options (even on my hardware synths). I also love that I can work on my music on my daily walk to/from my office... youd be hard-pressed to find ANY other software or hardware synthesizer that allows you that much freedom.

That being said, whats new in the DS-10 Plus to distinguish it from owning two copies of its predecessor? The new dual mode allows you to load up a different song in each deck, so that you now have 4 synths instead of 2, and 8 drum tracks instead of 4. You still need to remember to save each song separately if you make changes, but its pretty easy to tell which deck is currently selected, and being able to use the R button to quickly switch between decks is incredibly convenient. Otherwise, not a lot has changed since the first DS-10 (it seems like they could have at least improved the presentation), but it turns out that the greatest strength of this new version, as well as its greatest weakness, lies in the revamped song mode.

In the original DS-10, song mode was basically worthless. You organize your patterns into a single composition and then listen to them play. You cant change things on the fly, and you cant program anything other than the order of patterns in, so youd might as well just stick to pattern mode and do it yourself. In the DS-10 Plus, not only are you given the option to program in mutes for every sound (which at first felt like cheating to me after spending so many months practicing my songs and muting sounds manually as I switch patterns), but youre free to move around to any of the normal editing screens and change up your sounds, play along on the keyboard, alter the master effect, and mess with the mixer, all while having the song continue playing the patterns in the order you specified. This gives you a ridiculous amount of freedom in your compositions. Previously, switching back and forth between two or more patterns while simultaneously trying to fade out a single instrument was a nightmare that required fast reflexes and coordination. Now you can focus on just the one instrument fading out while song mode does the rest for you in the background. Being able to mute or unmute several tracks simultaneously is also a huge advantage over the DS-10.

So how about that greatest weakness that I mentioned? Well, for one, you can only make a song last at most 200 measures (using dual mode). But more disappointing that than is that you cant have different patterns playing on each deck. I have a song that I started on my dual DS Lite setup where on one system I continuously go back and forth between two patterns, while on the other system, the main melody of the song is carried through a progression of patterns. Think of it like this:

system 1: [A1] > [A2] > [A3] > [A4]
system 2: [B1] > [B2] > [B1] > [B2]

I was so excited to hear about dual mode on the DS-10 Plus, thinking that it would save me a LOT of work of having to carry around two DSes to achieve this. Unfortunately, its not the case. When you select a pattern on one deck, youre limited to hearing the corresponding pattern on the other deck. So youre stuck with this:

deck 1: [A1] > [A2] > [A3] > [A4]
deck 2: [B1] > [B2] > [B3] > [B4]

Since I own more DSes than any one person really needs, I can work on two songs simultaneously in dual mode on my DS-10 Plus, and then copy one of the songs to a DS-10 so that I can perform the song using two DS systems. Its not much different than the old method I had worked out, but it is definitely nice to hear both songs playing on a single DS so I can really make sure everything sounds good together.

That disappointment is by no means enough to detract from the improvements. If you already own a DS-10 and were thinking of picking up a second copy, then theres no reason not to upgrade. Even if you dont own a DSi, the vastly improved song mode is a huge step above its predecessor (of course, if you do own a DSi, its even more useful). If you want a KORG DS-10 but havent tried out the original, then theres also no reason to not get the DS-10 Plus. Finally, if you dont think a loop-based monophonic synthesizer is for you then good luck finding a more powerful yet equally portable synthesizer for such a low price. Im sure KORG could have taken the time to put some more useful features in this update, but still, for what the KORG DS-10 Plus is, its an amazing and powerful piece of audio software that is well worth the money.

by: Arthur Gardner (Tucson, AZ USA)
on: Wednesday, 21-April-2010

Its easy to see why the previously engaged KORG DS-10 underwent a price hike as anyone has noticed-- its because this piece of software is beyond that of any game this is, and shouldnt be, categorized by. Rather, this is a sophisticated, deceptively simple piece of tech that unlocks all, or as much as ones imagination can implement, the potential to make some very good use of some synthesized sounds and composition! To even call this a game is an overstatement of just how easily overlooked this little slice of heaven can get you because its just so damn fun to use! Id recently only found out about KORG synthesizers-- the Electribe MXs, the Kaossilators, Kaoss Pads and such-- and I always wanted to try one out without the hefty price tag to just get up and buy one only to be discouraged of how daunting of a task it would have been learning how to use the tech in the first place.

Given there isnt a tutorial mode Ive seen in this software so it does demand a bit of attention and patience to get a hold of. However if youve plenty of both, youll find this game very rewarding. It actually feels more like a detached hands on approach to what the real thing might feel like as it has alot of the fundamental aspects of just what using an analog synthesizer (at least from what it feels like, KORG-tech synths) is all about. I imagine this doesnt have all the true aspects and freedom of a true analog synth but since my first approach into using this software Im teaching myself more and more things I didnt imagine I could do and I feel a smile growing brighter and brighter with each newly learned trick or trait Ive developed in just a very short amount of time using this. Now Im not seeing its easy to pick up and use, far from it; its just that if youve a knack for picking things up quickly, or want to try your hand into something new and adventurous with your ears (as well as your mind) give this a go. Lastly, I have no idea how different this compares with the original KORG DS-10 title, so I doubt any previous features and such were removed? I have no idea...

I went directly for this one for specific reasons, 1) The Original KORG DS-10 Ive noticed runs a pretty hot price, last time I checked, almost 100 bucks. That and Ive honestly never SEEN the original KORG DS-10 before. 2) I already own a Nintendo DSi and KORG DS-10+ claims to take advantage of more features than if it were to run on a traditional DS, so with that I feel somewhat blessed but also out of the blue of what people who use DSs are left without.

In short, if youve any interest in making music, toying with synths, compiling beats or just want to try something totally different, give this piece a go. I cant imagine how anyone could be disappointed with this...

If I get myself a Nintendo DSi XL, Im making sure to get myself another copy of this to get TWO KORG DS-10 rigs going! THAT will be AWESOME!

by: Christian Montoya (USA)
on: Friday, 26-March-2010

You might think by looking at this product that it is a game or a toy; that is simply not the case. The KORG DS10+ perfectly emulates the classic KORG MS10 synthesizer with some added features, and if you have a Nintendo DSi or DSi XL, it can actually emulate using TWO MS10s at once.

I could sit here and explain to you how amazing this product is, but if you really want to see what people can do with the DS10+, just head over to Youtube and search for DS10. Youll find a wealth of tutorials, cover songs and original works that people are making with this product. People are even using it in live performances and as a synth or drum machine in bands. If you are an aspiring or professional musician, or you just like to play around with music tools, then you should definitely have this in your collection.

And if you are still not convinced, you should check out my artist page on bandcamp: [...] All the songs there were made with the KORG DS10/DS10+.

by: mchl nrvs (chicago)
on: Thursday, 25-March-2010

visit the blog [...] to find out all you need to know about this product.

I have used this software on an album and currently performing live with it.
for musicians it is really easy to use. you have four kaoss pads, four keyboards, a patch bay for each synth, 2 drum machines, 2mixing boards and 16 patterns that can be added to a song mode.

you do not need this version if you run it on the ds. there is a ds version (korg ds 10). but both work great on the ds and dsi. the difference is this version unlocks twice as much synth and drum machine power.

there is only one way to export-thru the headphone out in real time.

if you have have used fruity loops or a tracker this is for you. if you want to make 8bit noise this is for you.
with the appregiators and the manual anyone can make music on this software (the learning curve can be as steep as you want it to be, meaning you could make easy or complicated songs with this software)

by: S. Bjorklund (Chicago, IL)
on: Wednesday, 24-February-2010

First, all I have is a DS Lite and this new version makes a distinction between my hardware and the Nintendo DS. Dual mode is unavailable to DS Lite owners and I was disappointed about not being able to find this in any of the ads for the DS-10 Plus.

That out of the way, this is one fun little synthesizer. I find myself lost for hours just experimenting with the synth editing or the fx and how they function with a particular sound or with any aspect of the game.

Having used the term game, now would seem to be a good time to burst some bubbles - this is one SERIOUS synth and requires some knowledge of electronic music and song construction. There are preset sounds and demo songs to disassemble and that should be enough for the sharper set. But dont buy this if you expect it to play itself.

The musical weapons at your disposal comprise two full-featured synthesizers modeled on the Korg MS-10 and four slightly cut-down versions dedicated (or not) to drum sounds. On the DS-10 Plus these can be muted and unmuted which I find to be a significant advance over the original. This means a single pattern can serve as the intro, outro, break or any other portion of a song or track just by dropping parts in and out. The delay effect has been improved too - for us delay lovers this alone is worth part of the price.

This is my second Korg DS-10. I had so much fun with the first one that Im quite pleased that they made a DS-10 Plus and that it adds polish and functionality to the workflow within the device. This is a small but formidable synthesizer workstation that fits in a pocket or purse. Add some ear bud headphones and get lost in the DS-10 Plus world!

by: Code Monkey (Los Angeles)
on: Tuesday, 23-February-2010

This is not a game. Its a fully functional analog-styled synthesizer with 6 tracks (12 on the DSi). I promise that anyone who is familiar with traditional concepts of subtractive synthesizers and related sound design will love it. Anyone who enjoys playing with software like Reason, Massive, etc. or hardware like Moog, Nord will love it. For those familiar with these tools, picking up and using the software will be a snap.

Id also recommend this to any music enthusiast who has a DS and wants to learn more about sound design for synthesized instruments. It supports many of the core concepts. (See the book Dance Music Manual for a great guide on this topic).

There are a few restrictions on multi-player mode. For example, you cannot do sound design on the parts from what Ive read. However, you can wirelessly download the software to up to 7 other units! I do have 2 DS Lites and plan to try this feature out. The synth has 4 percussion instruments and 2 analog synth instruments which you can change the design of in traditional ways (more instruments on the DSi).

One thing that wasnt totally intuitive was how to access and edit the patterns; however once I did discover it, it wasnt a big deal. Overall, I was pleased at how well I could just dig in and start designing and putting together patterns and songs. I do find that 6 tracks are limiting for me, but having 12 tracks on the DSi would be great!

I dont plan to write any masterpieces on this, but its a fantastic way to spin an idle mind on the pleasure of sound design and music creation. Love it!