The history of electronic drum machines & the name Korg are today closely interwoven.
Tsutomu Kato, Korg's (Keio's) founder will forever be remembered as one of the world's great music entrepreneurs. His very first product in 1963 was also one of the worlds first ever drum machines. He built it to replace a friend's (Tadashi Osanai) aging Wurlitzer Sideman. I wonder if Kato and Osanai had any idea where this would all lead.
That first drum had the rather long winded name the "Keio Gijyutu Kenkyujo DA20 DoncaMatic Disk Rotary Electric Auto Rhythm Machine". The name "Donca" it's said,
came from the sound it made. Anyway, I'll call it the DA20.
Earlier drum machines used loops of tape (like in a Mellotron) to produce the drum sounds.
The DA20 instead utilized individual electronic voice circuits & used a rotating disc (like the Wurlitzer Sideman) to make the contacts needed to produce the drum sounds. The DA20 also
boasted built in amplifers & speakers..
1963
+DA20 DoncaMatic rhythm machine.
.jpg)
This is on display on the ground floor of Korg's Tokyo office.
The glass front is of course a later addition to show the inside.
1966
+DC11 DoncaMatic rhythm machine.
+DE11 DoncaMatic rhythm machine.
+DE20 DoncaMatic rhythm machine.
+Keio Donca Matic MP5 Mini Pops rhythm machine
+MP7 Mini Pops rhythm machine.
Here is a link to a video of KORG's second ever DE20
I will probably never see or her one of these in the flesh so here is the next best thing
+++MP3 rhythm machine.(UniVox SR-55)
The Korg MiniPops 3 was also sold under the name Univox SR-55.
1970 / '71
+MP20S rhythm machine.
1972
+++MP Junior rhythm machine.
+++Mini Pops MP35 rhythm machine.
+++ Mini Pops MP 45 Rhythm Machine,
+++Mini Pops MP120 rhythm machine.
+++Korg SR-120 rhythm machine.
MP35 (1976)
+++KR33 rhythm machine.
+++KR55 rhythm machine.
1982
+KR55B rhythm machine.
1983
+KPR77 programmable rhythm machine.
('Korg Programmable Rhythmer')
+Korg "Super Section" PSS-50
++++DDM110 rhythm machine.
++++DDM220 rhythm machine.
1986
+Korg DDD-1: Sampling drum machine
1987
+++ KORG DDD-5 Dynamic Digital Drum
1991
Korg S3 - Rhythm Workstation
1994
+Korg WAVEDRUM WD-1
1999
+ Korg Electribe R: ER-1
+ ElecTribe A (EA-1)
2000
+ ElecTribe S (ES-1)
2001
+ Electribe M (EM-1)
2003
+ ElecTribe MX (EMX-1)
+ ElecTribe SX (ESX-1)
2006
+Korg PadKontrol drum-trigger style MIDI controller.
Korg PadKontrol midi controller (2006)
2008
+Korg DS-10 - Music program for the Nintendo DS.
This is probably Korg's first attempt to make the MS10 accessible to the masses. It included a drum machine.
Korg/Nintendo DS10 (2008)
+Korg iElectribe - A touch screen version of the KORG Electribe made for Apple's iPad.
The iELECTRIBE Gorillaz Edition (2010)
2011
+Korg Wavedrum Oriental - A middle-eastern, Arabian styled version of the Wavedrum.
+Korg Monotribe
Korg MonoTribe (2011)
2013
+Korg Wavedrum Mini
Korg Wave Drum Mini (2011)
+Korg Wavedrum Global Edition
+Korg Volca Beats
Volca Beats - midi mapping
2014
+Korg electribe [sampler & MPS] - A music production station.
The red Electribe 2 sampler & blue Music Production Station
2017
+ Korg Volca Kick
+ Korg Volca Drum
The history of electronic drum machines & the name Korg are closely related. Their very ... ikorgvolca.blogspot.de
ReplyDeleteInteresting page, helped me to date some old recordings. I remembered what drum machine I used, and that it was the newest thing out. Looking here, I was able to get the year. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure
ReplyDeleteThanks for nice info it will also help me for my blog best portable drum machine
ReplyDeleteIt's really nice and meanful. it's really cool blog. Linking is very useful thing.you have really helped lots of people who visit blog and provide them usefull information. versorgungssystem
ReplyDeleteLongway Machinery is one of the leading brake chamber manufacturer, brake chamber factory, Automatic slack adjuster OEM, Our product quality has passed international certification, and the price is affordable, welcome to call and order our products China Slack
ReplyDelete