Korg X-911

I mainly use the Korg X-911 with my synths, controlled via CV/gate through a Korg SQ-1, which supports the Hz/oct standard. Occasionally, I also use it with a guitar or bass, but that’s more the exception.

What consistently impresses me is the oscillator’s stability. Tuning is reliable, quick, and ready to go almost immediately. All the presets are well-designed and very easy to adjust, which makes jamming intuitive and fluid. Being able to modulate the filter frequency is also a big plus. I use CV for that, and with an added expression pedal, it turns into a kind of Jonny Greenwood-style wah — much more original than a traditional wah pedal.

There are a few downsides. When using a guitar or bass, tweaking the sensitivity and polarity takes some time to get right. And as is often the case with vintage Korg gear, it uses two voltage standards: Hz/oct for pitch and V/oct for modulation. It’s manageable, but it adds a layer of complexity when integrating it into a fully modern setup.

That said, I really don’t have anything to complain about. The secondhand market price is going down, which is great news — the value for money is becoming more reasonable. It remains a unique, solid, and inspiring piece of gear, especially in a semi-modular context.

Analog synthesizer for guitar. Analyzes the pitch and reused with VCO. A filter is applied. Contrary to what is said in another view, it can out of the synth guitar sound directly. There is a synth output AND direct guitar output.

We can play with a guitar but also a keyboard, flute, trumpet, brief provided any instrument that you play one note at a time. 911 does not follow the agreements!

With inputs on the rear panel, the synth can also be driven cv / gate but attention is the V / Hz - S-Trig, so the scores will not be fair with conventional V / October So you need a converter to play with a Beatstep for example. The converter (I use the Kenton pro-solo) will also be useful if you want to play 911 with a MIDI keyboard.

There are other connectors to enter a CV for the filter, or pedal switch .. Not tried it all.

UTILIZATION

Configuration and easy operation, the only trick is to properly set the input signal. Frankly it is groping. Polarity power (3 positions), the aim being that the "trig" lights on each note and the "peak" is not all the time on.

SOUND QUALITY

The sounds are beautiful. There are two sections: presets, for "natural" instruments, synth, analog to the classic tone ..
The preset part is really interesting. Each sound has its built and you can stack them all filter. My preference is for the "tuba" and "trumpet". Mandatory quotes! the "electric bass" is big and heats the whole. The "violin" is tinny.

The synth part is several octaves of the same VCO, with adjustable attack and decay. But then, everything goes through the filter, and any filter! I do not know if it is the same as MS, but it is beautiful, with a fixed resonance but great set.

The switch "synth wah" modulates the filter by the attack to make way Piou Piou acid techno. Effective, especially with the filter halfway.

So all in all, we have dozens of different stamps on hand, all with a single VCO ... No yucky.

Portamento will not work if the synth is played by entries cv / gate, too bad.

OVERALL OPINION

I mostly use it with a sequencer (Arturia Beatstep), I do it out in two moogerfooger, phaser and delay, and it's beautiful. I play with the presets and filters and filter attacks and the synth part. Very rich as his, with a very warm grain.

With a guitar is immediately more "musical", arpeggios and solos are a size vintage science fiction, the low notes are huge, with good management of the filter is wonderful! Add a touch of portamento and there is total psychedelia.


Conclusion: In terms of sounds available simultaneously, a snook many other synths. It can be connected to many styles. I would define it as a simplified single, controllable by MIDI keyboard and sequencer (essential converter), or controllable by guitar.

This is more than a "curiosity" if you know how to use properly, adjusting well to the module inputs!

Simple, compact and without superfluous gadget, it really is worth trying.

Analog synthesizer for guitar. Analyzes the pitch and reused with VCO. A filter is applied. Contrary to what is said in another view, it can out of the synth guitar sound directly. There is a synth output AND direct guitar output.

We can play with a guitar but also a keyboard, flute, trumpet, brief provided any instrument that you play one note at a time. 911 does not follow the agreements!

With inputs on the rear panel, the synth can also be driven cv / gate but attention is the V / Hz - S-Trig, so the scores will not be fair with conventional V / October So you need a converter to play with a Beatstep for example. The converter (I use the Kenton pro-solo) will also be useful if you want to play 911 with a MIDI keyboard.

There are other connectors to enter a CV for the filter, or pedal switch .. Not tried it all.

UTILIZATION

Configuration and easy operation, the only trick is to properly set the input signal. Frankly it is groping. Polarity power (3 positions), the aim being that the "trig" lights on each note and the "peak" is not all the time on.

SOUND QUALITY

The sounds are beautiful. There are two sections: presets, for "natural" instruments, synth, analog to the classic tone ..
The preset part is really interesting. Each sound has its built and you can stack them all filter. My preference is for the "tuba" and "trumpet". Mandatory quotes! the "electric bass" is big and heats the whole. The "violin" is tinny.

The synth part is several octaves of the same VCO, with adjustable attack and decay. But then, everything goes through the filter, and any filter! I do not know if it is the same as MS, but it is beautiful, with a fixed resonance but great set.

The switch "synth wah" modulates the filter by the attack to make way Piou Piou acid techno. Effective, especially with the filter halfway.

So all in all, we have dozens of different stamps on hand, all with a single VCO ... No yucky.

Portamento will not work if the synth is played by entries cv / gate, too bad.

OVERALL OPINION

I mostly use it with a sequencer (Arturia Beatstep), I do it out in two moogerfooger, phaser and delay, and it's beautiful. I play with the presets and filters and filter attacks and the synth part. Very rich as his, with a very warm grain.

With a guitar is immediately more "musical", arpeggios and solos are a size vintage science fiction, the low notes are huge, with good management of the filter is wonderful! Add a touch of portamento and there is total psychedelia.


Conclusion: In terms of sounds available simultaneously, a snook many other synths. It can be connected to many styles. I would define it as a simplified single, controllable by MIDI keyboard and sequencer (essential converter), or controllable by guitar.

This is more than a "curiosity" if you know how to use properly, adjusting well to the module inputs!

Simple, compact and without superfluous gadget, it really is worth trying.

Guitar monophonic analog synth, dating, if I am not mistaken, in the late 70's.

UTILIZATION

Easy to wire: just plug the guitar into it. But you need a "bypass" Y to recover the sound of the guitar (at least if I remember correctly).

The problem is that you play slowly enough that the synth sounds overlap less correctly, and again, sometimes there are "slippages"!

Is that we are far from the MIDI control systems appeared later: here it is transformed into a real time audio signal "trigger" capable of triggering the oscillator synth, and it did not work to perfection.

Roland, with his "guitar synth" (I do not remember the name), used notably by Robert Fripp on the album "Disciple" from King Crimson, had done much better, because a specific guitar was sold with the synth, then the X 911 can in principle be used with any guitar (but it works less well!).

SOUND QUALITY

The sound is a sound "basic" Korg: a little sad and simple listening alone. But with a little reverb or chorus, and mixed with the sound of the guitar (in saturated, for example), it was still her little effect!

OVERALL OPINION

This device is now more a curiosity than anything else.

Note that it was sold with a metal foot ultra rigid and sturdy (I still use for other applications) rather aesthetic, one that is already a fortune (I'm not a drummer, but when I see the price a good cymbal stand, I jump to the ceiling!), as well as an assortment of pedals control (filter, LFO) indestructible well scrap that I use as always, with other analog).