Sonic LAB: Korg Wavedrum Oriental

US Limited Edition electronic percussion intsrument 09/05/11

No flash plug

MP4

7:45 mins

Buying Choices

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In 2009 we had a look at the then soon-to-be-released Korg Wavedrum X - and an impressive thing it was too. It took inspiration and technology from the legendary original Wavedrum first available in 1994, and wrapped it up in an affordable and frankly very appealing package.

Since there has been a limited edition Black version, and now this new Wavedrum Oriental model has hit the scene. It differs from the previous versions in that as well as a different colour scheme, there are some new sounds under the hood.

So we gave it a good thwacking, and here’s what we found:-

New Hits

9 new algorithms - these are all Double-size algorithms, designed to allow greater sensitivity for playing with fingers/hands
50 new types of head and rim PCM instruments, aimed mainly at Middle Eastern percussion instruments.
50 extra Programs and 50 extra User Program locations; these again are mainly Middle Eastern in flavour, as are the...
40 extra Loop Phrases

Old Beats

Am I mean to suggest that for this price, Korg should have included a carry case for it? They do make one, and if you want to take it out the house/studio, it’d be very handy.
And apart from the colour scheme and new voices, nothing else has been updated.
Which means that there’s still no external data connectivity... bah!

It would have been *so* good to have a USB socket added, allowing external editing of the many and deep parameters, as well as export/import of data & sounds and firmware updates, etc.
Ah well - perhaps we can look forward to a Wavedrum mk2 with extra features.

But for now, this Oriental model is the flagship of the new Wavedrum range, and to be honest it’s worthy of the moniker - the original Wavedrum X is a brilliant instrument; the added algorithms and PCM instruments offered by this Oriental version do take it another step further.
I don’t offer many guarantees, but I reckon it’s a pretty cast-iron bet that if you spend a little time with this, you’ll have a big smile on your face :-]

Andy McCreeth

Links:-

Available Now:
RRP £575 MSRP: $980.00

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