Wish list: New OS (which would allow them to fix all the rest of this list) Can't sync oscillator or arpeggiator to clock. No way to upgrade sounds. Patterns aren't treated as dependant objects when you load songs.

If you can get around the little problems, it's an awesome piece of equipment. Augment it with an analog modeling-type synth and a sampler and you've got a really kick- a$$ electronic music setup.

The N364 has a total of 936 sounds spread over Banks A, B, C, and D in Program and

Combination modes. There are 400 Programs, 400 Combinations, and 136 sounds in the General

Midi (GM) bank. To edit the sound/patches all that needs to be done is to press the Up Cursor key

marked Edit/RPPR. In this mode you can alter the frequency, octave, attack and decay rates, to

name a few. They are all done by using the cursor keys and the Value +/- keys to the left of the

screen. Korg provide you with two manuals: The Basic Guide and The Reference Guide. The

former will have you accessing all of the workstation's features after a couple of "read-throughs". It

highlights what the N364 can and can't do and gives guidance on how to use features like the

Arpeggiator and Disk Drive - which by the way is compatible with disks in the MS-DOS format.

Once you have identified the main features, the Reference Manual will clearly show you how to

access some of the more complex features step-by-step. Features. 10

The N364 has 64-voice polyphony in Single Mode and 32 in Double Mode. The 61-note

keyboard feels very nice and responsive. I prefer it to the Roland XP-50 and Yamaha CS1x, for

example, which seem to be more fragile and 'hollow'. Unfortunately the N364 does not have any

expansion slots for more sounds, extra memory, etc. Although sounds can be loaded in through the

disk drive. In terms of sounds it is compatible with the X-series. The MIDI connections are 'In',

'Out', and 'Thru'. One of the best features of this workstation is the 16-track, on-board sequencer.

It has a capacity of 32,000 events and 999 measures in each of the tracks. From the sequencer you

can access 47 effects which are very effective in giving your music that extra sparkle. These effects

can be controlled in realtime and a maximum of two effects can be on at the same time. Another

point to make about these effects is that you can change their parameters. The fully functional

arpeggiator can also be recorded onto the sequencer. This arpeggiator has 5 different Arpeggio

types - Up, Down, Alt1, Alt2, Random. Sort On/Off. Sync On/Off. 1, 2, 3, or 4 octaves. Latch

On/Off. Velocity/Volume. Speed 0-99. Another really useful and effective addition is RPPR -

RealtimePattern Play/Record. Using this function you can create complex patterns really quickly and

then play them back by assigning them to one of the 61 keys. This is great for performance becuase

you can alter the composition of a song in realtime, thus adding more creativity. Expressiveness/Sounds. 9

The 'String' presets sound very expressive and clear, even better than those on the Trinity - check

out A05 N-strings and A45 Underscore. The 'Keyboard' presets range from the usual Piano sound,

through to more 'pop-style' pianos - check out A11 PianoMagic and C41 PianoHaven. The 'Organ'

presets are pleasing. Try out the Super BX-3 (B71). Most are suitable for reggae and pop/rock

music, while some are available to create deep and emotional layers. The 'Guitar' sounds are

breathtaking. Check out A04 Monster Wah, A44 Metal King, and B24 Stratified. It is amazing

how clear and crisp they sound especially as some have aftertouch effects. The 'Voice' presets are

really atmospheric and are the one's that I use most often. Checkout A16 Vocal Choir and A67

Digital Air. The 'Wind/Reed' presets sound really realistic, particulary those that have a breath effect

included, such as C02 Alto Breath. One of the best flute sounds I have heard in a long time is C22

Magic Flute. This sound is so clear and diverse that you can incorporate into almost any NewAge

style sequence. The 'Brass' presets are all quite similar and good. They are excellent for those

trumpet solos heard within most pop songs. Check out presets B12 Pop Brass and C32 Trumpets.

The next section is my favourite: 'Synth Pads' and 'Synth'. Preset A40 In The Pad is the best

layering sound I have heard in a long time. While A15 Slow Sunset is amazing. The quality of these

sounds is excellent and blend in extremely well in any sequence. The 'Synth' presets are ideal to use

for the melodic sections of a song, or simply to add emotion to thick layers of sound - check out

C90 Steam Cloud, B28 FatFilterZ, and B45 Star Fire. The 'Mallets' and 'Percussion' presets are

equally impressive eventhough that aren't that many - 34. In any case they are very realistic - try

presets C15 Tabla Talk, B53 MalletLoop, A89 Mark Trees, and D75 African Jam. The 'Plucked'

section shines with quality as the sounds reflect the real instruments very well indeed. Check out

A83 The Heavens, B94 Greek Guitar, and B63 The Godfather. These sounds have a very

Mediterranean feel to them and so are suitable for that type of World Music. The N364 has 21

'Drum Kits' and they all contain a very impressive array of sounds. Tip. Play any of the drum kits

through the Arpeggiator to produce instant rhythms! As far as 'Sound Effects' go, the N364 has the

most atmospheric ones. Sounds include "whale songs" found within preset B29 Down Low,

"kung-fu shouts" found within B49 Manimals, and an exceptional background effect in preset A33

White Noise. Finally (phew!), the 'Synth Leads'. 17 amazing leads are available. They range from

the A85 Synth Fife - a sharp flute sound, to the more dance-type such as B98 Solo Synth. This

workstation is suitable for all types of music especially, NewAge, Ambient, and Dance. Sort of like

Jean-Michel Jarre's style. Reliability. 10

This workstation is very relaible. What ever you have recorded into the sequencer will remain there

even after you have switched it off. There is also a Compare function which allows you to compare

the current edits with the previous ones - similar to an 'undo' function. It also has a Page Memory

facility which simply stores the last screen you where in. If I were to use it in a gig I would not have

to take a backup because all the songs would be stored on disk and loaded into the sequencer

when needed. It is also a very versatile and creative tool which allows for improvisation. Customer Support. 10

I had a query about the battery back-up in terms of how long it would last and where I could get a

replacement from. This I e-mailed to Korg and I got a clear response the same day. Overall Rating. 10

I wouldn't buy it again because I already have it! I think that £899 is a very good price to pay,

especially when the RRP was £1299. I love everything about it! The build quality, design, features,

sounds, and most of all playability. I wish it had the disk drive at the front like the Trinity instead of

on the left-hand side. And one of those 'ribbons' like the Prophecy... but it doesn't matter! I'm really

pleased with it as it allows me to compose song, after song, after song, and then improvise over

them. Overall- A great workstation which has everything you are likely to need and for that price

you couldn't ask for more! Well done Korg! *****

volume on a sound when you switch to another sound while sustaining that one, I think it should either

sustain at full like my JV-80 or not at all like my QSR. Other than that it's fantastic. VERY VERY

kewl sound set, full of stuff you will be playing with for weeks. THe disk drive is in about the

worst place they could put it, but other than that, it's all good. Also, the price, $1100? Very nice!

DopeMan