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Korg DS-10 Plus Review for Nintendo DS

Korg DS-10 Plus Review for Nintendo DS

Nothing Equals the Plus

The name, Korg DS-10 Plus, does not do justice to this software. You will note that I didn’t call it a game, as it’s not a game; it’s an extremely powerful musical creation tool. Korg DS-10 Plus, as a title, hardly foreshadows the content that lies inside the box. Even ancient keyboard wizards from the late seventies would be hard-pressed to recognize that DS-10 actually refers to the vintage Korg MS-10 synthesizer. Yes it’s an actual synthesizer, but it’s more than that. The first version was released in 2008 to great acclaim. Using the word “Plus” in the title to describe it makes it sound like an expansion pack when in fact this version is literally twice the package of the original.

Korg DS-10 Plus screenshot

As I mentioned this is not a game. There are no arrows to line up, no colors to hit in synch to the beat, and no pads to dance on. The Korg DS-10 Plus is essentially an electronica recording studio featuring the authentic sounds of the Korg MS-10 synthesizer. These sounds have been heard on many old-school, new wave hits including bands such as Flock of Seagulls, OMD, and Kraftwerk. The original MS-10 was monophonic, meaning that it only played one note at a time. It’s an analogue synthesizer coveted for its fat, warm tones. A polyphonic model would set you back thousands and thousands of dollars back in the day. Welcome to the future. The DS-10 lets you play 12 notes simultaneously, in addition to drum sounds, song patterns, loops, effects, KAOSS pad, a six-track sequencer, mixer, real-time tone manipulation, and the ability to link eight machines. This software will turn your DSi into a one-stop, techno-pop machine. Word. And most importantly, it sounds like the real thing.

Everything that you love about the original DS-10 is here, but doubled. The Plus allows up to 12 notes at a time. There are two drum tracks, four synthesizer tracks, two effect layers, and a ton of presets. Even the songs can be twice as long as before. It’s like having two DS-10s in one. The dual screen display separates elements, and can be switched and swapped easily once you learn the program. You can input notes and beats in real time or step time using the sequencer. An onscreen keyboard allows you to select individual notes with the stylus, similar to playing a piano by striking the appropriate keys. You can create patterns with drums, bass, accompaniment, and melody complete with harmony, and string them together to create a song. You can also use stock loops and layer sounds on top. This software is very flexible, but first you’ve got to learn how to use it.

Korg DS-10 Plus screenshot

If you’re the impatient type, then take a deep breath and change your attitude because this isn’t Pac-Man. But don’t get discouraged because this is the real thing, and it’s worth the effort. There’s a huge manual to read, and there’s no tutorial, but you can find a lot of helpful hints on YouTube. Don’t try to learn everything in a few hours, get some instructions and play around for a while. Experimenting is the heart of creativity, so go nuts but don’t overlook all this software has to offer. Learn something new each time you play with it and in no time you’ll be an expert. I should also note, you don’t have to be a musician to create songs. There are plenty of presets to edit.

There are an infinite amount of sounds that you can conjure from this program. For each and every note that you generate, there are a series of filters that will shape its tone. All of these tone manipulating effects can be used in real time, allowing you to instantly hear the changes you make when applying vibrato, portamento, distortion, chorus, delay, sweep filters, sine waves, and arpeggios. The DS-10 Plus does an amazing job of replicating the tones of the MS-10. It doesn’t sample the original sounds but uses complex algorithms so that each filter and control affects the source signal in exactly the same manner as the original synthesizer.

Korg DS-10 Plus screenshot

To make things easy on the budding musician, a number of preset patterns and loops are available to play around with. You can add or subtract things from these presets. The KAOSS pad lets you add weird arpeggios to single notes that you can use as a basis for a melody or rhythm pattern. All of the notes generated by the pad will automatically be in a related key. There are 31 scale modes including major, minor, Lydian, Aeolian, and even exotic Eastern-flavored scales. When you find sounds, beats, and melodies that you like, it’s simply a matter of saving them as patterns. These patterns can then be linked together to create a song up to 100 measures long.

Korg DS-10 Plus screenshot

After your song has been created you can use the mixer to balance all of the individual tracks. You’ll have control over volume, effects, and where the sounds sit in the stereo spectrum by utilizing the pan control. There’s no way to export your song as a file form, so you’ll have to output it and record it onto another medium. You can share your songs online, and you can even jam with other DS-10 Plus enthusiasts, but it’s not as much fun as it sounds. You’re much better off jamming with yourself as what I’ve experienced online is a catastrophic cacophony. Perhaps this software was given to a group of monkeys as part of some bizarre social experiment.

As far as the graphics go, the game looks sterile. It would have benefited greatly from routing patch boxes of different shapes and colors. It’s cool to see the quarter-inch phono jacks utilizing virtual cables for patches, similar to an antique phone switchboard. Like the actual synthesizer, there are an array of knobs, buttons, sliders, and switches, all of which are functional and interactive with the stylus. There are plenty of different screens to access which can be daunting if you haven’t done your homework. So make every effort to learn this software before you start getting serious about creating a song, because nothing will stifle your creativity faster than having to put your right brain on hold while you engage your left brain to address some technical issue.<P>

It’s a great feeling when you complete a challenging game, but at the end of the day nothing compares to having actually created something original.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 3.5 Graphics
Clean, but sterile look. Could be funked up a little to highlight different filters. 4.9 Control
Nearly flawless control of entire system. Realistic movement and perfect real-time adjustments. 4.9 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Even trained professionals will have trouble telling this from the real thing. 5.0

Play Value
This program offers unlimited replay value for musicians and non-musicians alike.

4.8 Overall Rating – Must Buy
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

  • Designed after the famous KORG MS-10 music synthesizer, KORG DS-10 Plus is a revamped version of the revered music-creation program for the enjoyment of both professional and aspiring musicians alike.
  • The sound sources in the KORG DS-10 come from KORG, one of the world’s top musical instrument producers, and no effort was spared in the replication of creating high-quality sounds.
  • Features for KORG DS-10 Plus include per-track MUTE/SOLO built into the SONG mode, and EDIT/PLAY enabled for all modes within the SONG mode for further improved real-time performance.
  • The touch-screen controls of Nintendo DS are utilized to the fullest to provide an authentic feel and operability across a dual-screen layout that is unsurpassed in portable music creation.
  • A 6-track/16-step sequencer enables precise control and provides a wide range of musical possibilities.
  • Up to eight units can be linked via wireless connection to play together or to exchange sounds and songs.

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