FM | FILTER
Plus, the Opsix also gets an SE overhaul
WAVESTATE USHERED IN A RANGE OF SIMILARLY INTERESTING DIGITAL SYNTHS FROM KORG
> Launched in early 2020, Korg’s Wavestate is a 21st-century reimagining of the Wavestation, a digital wave-sequencing synth produced by the company in the ’90s. More than simply a modern reissue though, Wavestate uses what Korg calls ‘Wave Sequencing 2.0’, which vastly expands on the power of the original synth. We were really impressed with Wavestate when it arrived, and it ushered in a range of similarly interesting digital synths from Korg that also includes the FM-inspired Opsix and wavetable Modwave.
Now Korg has revealed an updated Wavestate MKII and announced an all-new 61-key version of the synth, the Wavestate SE, also available in silver as the Wavestate SE Platinum. Like the original Wavestate, both synths are based around Korg’s Wave Sequencing 2.0 synthesis technology, but have been updated with redesigned hardware, workflow tweaks and new features.
Boasting a (moderately) refreshed visual aesthetic, the MKII expands the Wavestate’s polyphony from 64 stereo voices to 96 and features a variety of newly-designed Wave Sequences and Programs. There’s also an expanded 4GB (up from 2GB) of internal storage for loading your own sounds into Wavestate using Korg’s Sample Builder application.
Korg has also replaced the Wavestate’s Sound Librarian companion software, which allows you to design sounds for the Wavestate on your computer. This is now the Wavestate Editor/Librarian, a redesigned tool that grants users the ability to edit Performances, Programs, Scales, Wave Sequences and Wave Sequence Lanes and edit internal effects parameters from your Mac or PC.
Originally announced in 2021 but only officially unveiled this week, the Wavestate SE is a premium version of the Wavestate: the synth has a 61-key keyboard with aftertouch, and has been outfitted with an appealingly solid all-metal design (the Wavestate and Wavestate MKII are mostly plastic) and metal-plated knobs.
The SE can handle 120-note polyphony, and many of the onboard patches and presets have been redesigned to take advantage of the performance capabilities that the aftertouch offers. Korg have also unveiled the Wavestate SE Platinum, a silver version of the SE.
Arriving hot on the heels of the Wavestate, Korg has also introduced a larger version of another of its Opsix synths. Much like its Wavestate counterpart, the new Opsix SE model takes the original FM-based engine, enhances it with increased polyphony and voicing, and subsequently sticks the whole lot in a 61-note keyboard with aftertouch. The result could be said to now more closely resembles a classic FM synthesiser of the past, that being the Yamaha DX7.
Opsix SE uses Korg’s natu
