Korg Triton
The Korg Triton is a music workstation synthesizer, featuring digital sampling and sequencing, released in 1999. It uses Korg's "HI Synthesis" system and was eventually available in several model variants with numerous upgrade options. The Triton became renowned as a benchmark of keyboard technology, and has been widely featured in music videos and live concerts. At the NAMM Show in 2007, Korg announced the Korg M3 as its successor.
Image:TRITON.jpg|thumb|right|500px|Korg Triton Classic
Image:Korg M3 & Trinity.JPG|thumb|right|250px|Successor, Korg M3 and
predecessor, Korg Trinity
History and pedigree
The Korg Triton line is considered the direct descendant of the earlier Korg Trinity line of workstations. The two ranges are aesthetically and functionally very similar. The Triton "Classic" followed the Trinity's naming conventions of the Pro and Pro X being designated to models featuring 76 and 88 keys respectively, 76 and 88.The original Triton introduced many improvements over the Trinity, like 62-note polyphony, dual polyphonic arpeggiators, RPPR phrase recorder, onboard sampler with expandable RAM, greatly improved effects & routing possibilities, larger synthesis modulation matrix, programmable LFO routing, faster operating system, significantly faster touchscreen response, sample ROM expandability, enhanced UI including category search, additional audio output jacks, redesigned sequencer adding individual track looping and Cue List and significantly more event memory, more than doubled Program/Combination memory slots, more realtime controllers including knobs, portamento, and availability of multi-timbral MOSS synthesis expansion. In addition, the Triton US MSRP was $800 less than the basic Trinity.
The biggest improvement of Triton was in the sound: new multisamples and better processing, combined with full availability of all five insert effects per Program. The HI Synthesis engine also provides dual filters per digital oscillator configurable to either a series 24dB/octave resonant low-pass setting or else a parallel 12dB/octave high-pass plus 12dB/octave low-pass combination. Further, despite the very close similarly between the Triton and Trinity synthesis engines, PCM ROM, and effects processing, Korg programmed many of the Triton preset Programs and Combinations to appeal to the contemporary pop, dance, and hip-hop genres, making full use of the new dual arpeggiators and RPPR feature. All this essentially made Triton one of the best selling synths of the 2000s . Although it lost the sequencer audio tracks, digital input and output, these options were rarely installed in the Trinity, so the difference thereof was negligible. The onboard sampler was another significant improvement, as well as the "instant sequencing" function found in the latest firmware versions of Triton Classic and all subsequent Tritons. The Triton Extreme added in-track sampling support, allowing stereo samples to be recorded in context with a MIDI sequence and automatic triggering of the samples at their proper locations in the sequence during playback. The Triton Classic has since been re-released by Korg as a software synth, for use in digital music production, while hardware Tritons are still widely used by gigging musicians.
Variants
"Classic"
The original Triton was released in 1999 and became known as the "Classic" or "Classic 61" as subsequent models were released. The options available to buyers included a MOSS board, SCSI interface, two EXB-PCM expansion boards and 64MB RAM. It had a 61-key synth-/semi-weighted keyboard.Pro and ProX "Classic"
The Pro was a 76-key synth-/semi-weighted workstation, while the ProX was an 88-key hammer-action/full-/piano-weighted workstation. Both were otherwise identical in specification to the Classic 61.Image:Triton rack adjusted.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Korg Triton rack
Triton-Rack
The Triton-Rack was the rackmount version of the Triton. Since musicians would use it as a sound module rather than a complete workstation, requiring a separate keyboard to control it via MIDI, it was designed with different abilities. The oversized touchscreen was replaced with a smaller, more conventional 240x64-dot graphic LCD, with eight soft-keys under the LCD and cursor keys for user-interface navigation, plus a rotary wheel and ten-key pad for data entry, while also retaining the knobs and floppy disk drive.Though not equipped with a keyboard, it had advantages over Triton Classic 61, Pro, and ProX models, including storage of up to eight EXB-PCM ROM boards containing additional sampled waveforms, many extra sound Program and Combi memory locations, expandability to maximum 96MB sample RAM and featured a built-in S/PDIF digital audio output.
Like the Classic models, the Triton-Rack featured sampling and could also support Korg's MOSS synthesizer expansion board, distinguishing a so-expanded Triton-Rack as the only way to obtain MOSS synthesis in rack-mounted form, with the additional benefit of the Triton's seven-total effects processors, albeit with 6-voice polyphony compared to the Z1's 12
The Triton-Rack also supported the EXB-DI "Digital Interface" board providing ADAT output and Word Clock, or EXB-mLAN option featuring mLAN output.
KARMA
The Korg KARMA, released in 2001, featured the Triton synthesis technology with full effects processing, two PCM ROM expansion slots, and MOSS synthesizer expansion slot, but without both Triton's sampling/audio-input functionality and touchscreen interface. It included the more specialised KARMA music system instead of Triton's two programmable arpeggiators. It was only available in a 61-key version.Le
The Triton Le, released in 2002, was a stripped-down, cost-reduced version of the original Triton. It uses a smaller non-touch screen similar to the TRITON-RACK. The ribbon controller and floppy disk drive were omitted but a Smartmedia slot was instead included. A lighter and cheaper key bed than those used on the Trinity/original Triton range was installed, and the effects bus was downscaled from five insert effects to one. The MOSS, a Z1-based board, cannot be fitted on the Le. The functionality of the original sequencer and arpeggiator was retained, though. It was possible to load samples via the Smartmedia slot into the onboard sample RAM without requiring the sampling board to be fitted.Image:Korg Triton LE.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Korg Triton "Le"
Marketed at a much lower price than the original Triton range, the Le was a commercial success.
A special edition of Le was released featuring a black body, visually similar but functionally different from the later TR.
Three versions of "Le" are available :
Triton Le 61 - 61 keys
Triton Le 76 - 76 keys
Triton Le 88 - 88 keys
Studio
The Triton Studio, released in 2002, included the features of the "Classic" with double polyphony, plus the addition of S/PDIF input and output, as well as the EXB-PCM08 piano expansion board, and some operating system enhancements. Sample RAM could be expanded to a maximum 96MB and a SCSI interface was included as standard. The instrument also had space for seven EXB-PCM sample expansion boards and could be fitted with an optional hard drive, internal CD-RW drive, EXB-DI expansion board with an ADAT interface or EXB-mLAN expansion board with mLAN interface.Extreme
In 2004, Korg released the Triton Extreme, with many of the features of the Studio plus the entire sample sets from Korg's best-selling Trance Attack, Orchestral Collection, and Vintage Archives expansion boards, as well as the most popular sounds from the Dance Extreme, Studio Essentials, and Pianos/Classic Keyboards collections. PCM data not available on any other Triton models was also included such as improved pianos and acoustic guitars. The 34MB ROM of the "Classic" was upgraded to 160MB.Valve Force circuitry, using a vacuum tube and an analog ultra gain transistor to allow for warmer, guitar amp-like sounds for more extreme analog overdrive/distortion sounds was included, and proved especially useful for pad and organ sounds, as well as adding depth and realism to acoustic sounds, such as piano. Unlike previous Tritons, which were a white-silver color, the Extreme was finished in dark blue, though, much like with the Korg Trinity Plus and Triton LE, there also was a Special Edition version of the Extreme with a black finish, made exclusive to only the Domestic Market.
Like the Triton "Classic" and Studio, the Triton Extreme included a touch screen interface, along with the knob and button controls. A USB interface providing both Type A and Type B connectors enabled external storage and connectivity with a PC, facilitating exchange of samples, sound programs, sequences, and other Triton-compatible files. CompactFlash and microdrive cards up to 8 GB were supported, negating the need to sample directly to RAM. The USB port also allowed control of software synths and host applications via MIDI. However, unlike the "Classic", Studio, and Rack versions, the Extreme could not be fitted with sample expansion boards due to the expansion ROMs having been pre-installed. It was compatible, though, with the MOSS board and up to 96 MB of sample RAM. No SCSI, mLAN or ADAT interfaces were included but optical stereo S/PDIF inputs and outputs were installed.
The USB Type A connector can be used to connect a USB thumb drive, hard drive or CD writer drive for making music CDs and loading AKAI format sample libraries. The sequencer was upgraded to facilitate in-track sampling.
It is also seen as the keyboard of choice for Tsumugi Kotobuki in the anime K-On!.
Image:Korg TRITON Extreme.jpg|thumb|center|650px|Triton Extreme 88 Keys