Re: alternative to Lex Vortex

[John Tidwell <wedgehed@yahoo.com>]

Although I've never heard one, I understand that the
recently discontinued Korg AM-8000 is capable of the
sort of loop mangling wackyness that many people
prize in the Vortex. The Korg is probably even easier
to find. Here's what dpc had to say.....


 Subject:
         Re: DL/AM-8000 vs Vortex?


Among the many messages about the Korgs, someone
asked:
<<I'm intrigued by all of the comments over the years
about the Vortex, but was completely unaware of the
Korg products until the recent letters.>>

I've had a Vortex as well as these Korg pups, so
here's my $0.02:
There's really nothing like a Vortex--it was uniquely
endowed with
clever and
musical tricks (morphing, odd beat ratios, etc...),
and many interface
weirdnesses and annoyances, never since duplicated.
The Korgs can be
similarly
described, but the tricks (and weirdnesses) of course
are different.
The DL's strengths, IMHO, are its delay lengths, the
stereo capability,
and
the preset rhythms in ping-pong multitap mode. I
haven't much explored
its
modulation options, which are pretty rich, because the
AM is there to
do that
kind of thing. IT'S strengths, for me, are modulation
and resonance.
It's got
a good complement of filters, phasers, flangers,
shifters, dopplers,
mod
delays, and ring mod'ers, most of which can really
sing, oscillate, and
bubble, using lfos built into the algorithms in
question.
Unfortunately, it
has no global lfos, BUT it does have FOUR exp-pedal
inputs (seems to
require
Korg EXP-2 pedals...EV-5s don't work well), and does 
have pretty good
MIDI
implementation, as well as mucho routing
flexibility--plus the reverbs
are not
at all bad, and they're in addition to the two
identical FX blocks. For
more
detail on both units, be sure to check out the Korg
website, and my
reviews of
them at harmony-central.com.
I believe Guitar Player Mag also reviewed them
positively, as did Sound
on
Sound Mag, which usually has old reviews available at
their site.
Musician's Fiend is currently selling each one for
$350, which is $30
less
than best price I had previously found. Retail is
$600. 
Be glad to answer any more particular queries if I
can...I don't
believe
anyone looking for a powerful looper or a creative
loop mangler would
be
disappointed with these badly-marketed tools.
dpc








=====
John Tidwell



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