I was a great Roland user, before I discover the Triton, I've bought last year the XP60 and the JV2080 sound module, I've bought the srjv80 expansions boards: 2 orchestral, 1 orchestral II, 2 vocals, 1 techno, 1 asia, 1 world, 1 fx, I was quite satisfied by all these sounds, but since I have the Triton, I watch my xp60 and my jv2080 with a bitter look. The Triton (I never had a Trinity) is wonderfull, so great, so incredible. Anyway, the roland's sounds are not bad, but have a lack of depth in regards of the korg sounds, I still use my Rolands, in complement of the Triton's sounds, they have a good combinations, but I rarely use my Roland alone now, because the Triton's power becames essential for me.

I wish to know your opinions if you are like me Roland/Korg users.

Regards,

Xav

Have you tried running the Roland audio outs through the Triton's effects yet? I know the 1080 has good sounds, and through the Triton's effects it sounds even better. Gives everything a unified soundfield (when you want that sort of thing). What do you think?

I love Roland.

But when it comes to getting down to some real work. I end up diving into my Korg.

You should try out the Trinity. I have one for over 3 years now, and also then bought the Triton which I felt was sadly lacking in features. With the Trinity and all of it's upgrades, it should be all that you would ever need.

With features like
Reading Samples in most formats
Hard Disk Recording
Digital in and out. Also fibre optic
Why not forget about the Triton for a while and try the Trinity out. A real "pro" synth

I will never understand why Korg dicided to leave out half of the features found on the trinity when they were making the Triton.
You would think they would have upgraded on it and not done what they done.

The problem with the Triton is that when you want to do multitimbral sequencing the programs forget thier FX assignments. Sure you can copy insert FX from programs to Combis and S.Play mode but it is a pain. Plus many of the presets use 2-3 insert FX to make them sound great. I'm not ashamed to admit that I use presets and this setup sucks. My JV-2080 allows me to play 3 different presets along with their programed FX on 3 channels. This is how synths should be designed. If you're going to to make FX an integral part of the sound then FX should follow the sound everywhere.

hi i am not agree with people who prefers
triton to trinity;Triton has terrible piano sounds and all presets are more compressed than Trinity;Roland jv2080 is a very versatile synth and good sounds but no pianos
is very usefull for me ; i bought a Triton and i didnt liked so actually is backing to the store

I own a Triton and 2 JV1080's. Korg and Roland sounds are different but they complement each other nicely! As far as I am concerned the JV's score in synthesis power but the ROM waveforms and effects are better in the Triton (and Trinity). However, if I had a choice between going for a Korg or Roland (and could only have 1) I would go the Triton, it sounds better overall but not by that much!

Hey,
Quick question - Does the Triton connect easily with the 2 JV's. I heard the Triton doesn't support sysex data. Is that a big problem for expanding with modules, computer sequencers, etc.?

Thanks, Thomas

I haven't used the 2 JV1080's with the Triton sequencer. Whilst I am not too concerned about the lack of sysex in the sequencer because I do the lazyman's thing and set up a performance in the JV's, I feel Korg should fix this omission up- all serious sequencer support sysex and I would use it if it was available. I use the JV's and Triton set up with Logic.
Regarding the Triton's sequencer, I find it very easy to use and Have actually gone back to using it on some bits that I am working on!!!! It is easy and quick to get idea's down! However there are some things that REALLY IRRITATE ME!
a). Cuelists (whilst a terrific idea) are not well implemented- Korg should look at Emagics Notator sequencer (atari sequencer) and it's patterns mode whereby you can set up a pattern (up to 16 tracks) to start playing from any chosen bar rather than just automatically being assigned to the next empty bar! There is an annoying 'gap' when going from one song to another in a cuelist and we should be able to globally transpose a song (and disable transpose on any chosen tracks) in a cuelist- as you can do with Notator's patterns.
b). Quantizing options are basic- cum on Korg- no swing or groove quantizing???? We are in 1999 not 1984! More options MUST be added here!
c). Proper undo/redo facilities- this is a big pain in the arse which MUST be added. 'Compare' is not the same thing!
d). The ability to actually 'do things!' whilst the sequencer is in record mode. Again this could be easily implemented in a software update.
e). WHilst I haven't utilized this aspect of a sequencer too much- SYSEX control must be added- I would use it if it was there and if every other hardware sequencer has this capability, surely Korg can't be so blind as to not adding this ASAP.

SAMPLING- Why no internal resampling Korg?
Why no timestretching and crossfade looping Korg????
Why can't we use all 64MB at once instead of it being cut up into 4 16MB sections????
What about a more comprehensive disk managing system- not only for samples but for the whole machine!

EDITING- Give us the same filters as in the Trinity!!!!!! I can't understand why Korg skimped here! Technology is supposed to progress not go backwards!!!!!!

Some of you out there may be 'pissed off' at the fact that I am being overly critical in these areas. However, if Korg want to compete with the other manufacturers (most notably AKAI and EMU when it comes to sampling) than the above mentioned limitations must be added- surely it is not impossible. Afterall Kurzweil managed to do it with their K2000/2500 series!

I own a Triton and really like it. As a matter of fact, if Korg work on the above mentioned areas, I might consider selling some of my other MIDI stuff!!!!!!!!! It is easy to use and sounds excellent. Some say that the Triton/Trinity rely heavily on fx for good sounds- I disagree! I sequence everything using dry sounds and I think they sound great 'dry'.

Well at least with many of these shortcomings of the Triton such as resampling, time stretch etc. these are things that can be addressed in future operating system updates, so I wouldn't let that put me off getting a Triton. It's a long time since I owned a Korg (M1 days) but the Triton looks too good to pass up it would seem. But the all the expansion cards look like being necessary to getting the most out of it, rather than options.

I am new to the synth and midi and sequencing world -- so take this with a grain of salt. I own and XP80 and Triton. I agree with EVERYTHING said about the Triton's poor piano sounds. I am into authentic sounds -- and I would have to say that Roland is better. It's a shame that a $2100 keyboard has inferior piano sounds -- but EXPANSION boards apparently will address this. And the person who made the point about OS upgrades --- bravo! That is a good point.

The reality is that neither is the perfect machine -- and each has great features that the other doesn't. IT's ALWAYS win-lose! If sampling and "user friendliness" are super important to you -- the Triton is great. But Roland -- i will stand firm on this -- simply have better sounds and samples. But AGAIN -- expansions and upgrades will close that gap soon!

Hey all. I just picked up my new Korg Triton this morning. Before this, I had an xp-60 for most of a month.

I paid 1850.oo US NEW for the 61 key Triton, and could have gotten a Tirton Pro for 2200. US.

Let me tell you, they do not even compare sonically.

The roland does indeed have a nice piano, but the rest of the Roland really stinks compared to the Triton. The sounds on the Triton are just so much more useable.
And dont forget, you can always SAMPLE your favorite piano on the Korg. Its just a vastly superior machine.

Heres an example on the strings. The xp-60 strings(same as all the other xp's and 1080 amd 2080) tend to melt together, and be a bit sluggish. On the Triton's strings, you can hear the bow cutting against the strings of the instrument. The strings on the Triton cut and bite and dive, which is how strings should be . I hate synth saxes, but the Tritons is the best I have ever heard. Onboard drums? Absolutely no comparison. As for the rock organs, Korg wins out as well. The xp/Jv has a really nice pipe organ, but thats the only one that beats the Korg organs.

The effects are not even close. NOt to mention I can upgrade my Triton with the MOSS physical analogue modelling synth card, and have one of the hottest synths out there, possibly the best digital synth programming outside of the kurzweil VAST system.


The xp-60 sounded dated and cheesy to me as well. Alot of the sounds were pretty useless, and alot of the sounds seemed like they should belong on a 500$ casio keyboard.

Dont forget, even if and when the Triton is superceeded, it's sampler makes it very up to date. It will never die.

It is, IMHO, the greatest synth I have yet tried(so far).


The thing with Roland is that they are still utilizing old technology from the 80's.
My old roland d-10 sounds very much like the xp-60 I had. In my opinion, the Roland d-10 I had was a better sounding synth than the 60, and it did not have a decay grunge issue.

I can upgrade my sample ram to 64, pop in some sound boards, add on a SSCi drive for a hard drive or zip drive, I can route a voice (or any other instrument) through the incredible effects section, I can use the built in vocoder, and I can pop in the MOSS card.

This machine is a beast. After having the xp-60 and taking it back just recently, and now having this Triton in my room, I can honestly say this is the better machine by a LONG shot.


My only complaints so far are that the keys are a bit noisy and rumbly.

I love my new Triton!

Arvon45= I'm glad that you are happy with the Triton- Yes it is an awesome silver beast! If I had to choose between the XP and the Triton I would definately get the Triton because it is easier to use and has the extra features such as sampling, AD inputs, vocoder and better effects.

However, I still like the sound of the Roland XP/JV range. They sound different to the Korgs and compliment the Triton/Trinity sounds nicely.

I myself will be getting a JV2080 when I can afford it (ie- when their price goes down!). As far as I am concened, a Triton plus a JV2080 (both fully expanded of course) would cover all my sounds in a pinch if I was only allowed to hold on to those 2 instruments. And also I'd add the new Korg D16 hard disk recorder with SCSI CD burner, Mackie or Event poweverd monitors, a nice mic or 2 and a nice sounding mic channel. MY IDEAL PORTABLE STUDIO TO TAKE ANYWHERE!!!!

Regarding piano sounds, I don't like any stock/factory piano sounds in any synthe period! However, the piano expansion board, whilst still not good enough to replace a real steinway, improves on the crappy factory sound a hell of a lot. In the XP60, the piano on the Session expansion board is very nice also. And of course, there is alwasy the sampler in the Triton!!!!

If you want to get into serious sampling on the Triton, remeber to budget for the SCSI interface and some sort of external hard drive for storage- you'll run out of space and patience with all the floppies lying around! Regards.

Hey Tom Scanlon,I too have an XP-80!But I also have an EX-5.And though some of the sounds are unique,I am just not happy with it.I keep hearing all of these good things about the Triton.I too am very happy with the XP-80 as it gives me a good selection of sounds to choose from.I have the drums/bass,vintage synth and sessions boards and am thinking about getting that techno board.I also wish that the piano sounds were more like that of the A90EX.Are the piano sounds in the Triton really that bad?I have heard that they are some of the best piano sounds in a versatile workstation to date.All I want is a piano sound comparable to the Alesis QS8.Any thoughts?

I would skip on the techno board- the loops are useless and all the vocoded sounds are a valuable waste of PCM ROM. Look at the fantastic hip hop board instead, and/or try to find an older Roland Dance card or module. These 2 latter offerings are excellent. I own the Techno board and would have gotten rid of it ages ago if I could recover the amount I paid for it (so I'll keep it because this won't happen!!!!).

I just want to restate the advice Korgasm gave: definitely pass on the Techno board for your XP-80. And, yes, do opt for the Hip Hop board instead. The Hip Hop board has TR-808 and 909 sounds just like the Techno board, plus has many more useable percussive hits and ~"broken beats". It has several useable and sequencer-syncable loops (the components of which can be combined in various manners to form new loops) and cool "lo-fi"/toyish dance-type sounds. Furthermore, when it comes to editing sounds, I think a lot of the waveforms used on the Techno board are the same ones used on your Vintage Synth board. Lastly, modifying the 909-ish kick sound on a few of the Session drum kits can give you a pretty good 909 kick emulation.

I find the Triton to be an impressive workstation, but, more specifically, very initially impressive and less and less impressive the more I learn about it and use it. If the XP-80 had a sampler, I'm sure I'd prefer it to the Triton. I like the Expansion Board sounds, keyboard, sequencer, value dial/wheel, omnipresent 16 track buttons, waveforms, filters, outcome of sound editing, and disk drive of the XP80 better than that which compares to those things on the Triton. I like the Triton's Touch Screen (makes OS navigation incredibly intuitive), but I still seem to have to scroll through as many menus/screens as I do on my XP80 to get to where I want to be. I can push a button just as easily as I can a screen. I do like the realtime controllers on the Triton better (mainly because there are RTCs for the arpeggiator and because most RTCs are knobs instead of sliders) as I do the effects (although I'm quite happy with the XP80 effects - quality moreso than routing). Also, as a standalone workstation, having SCSI capability, sampling, and the MOSS upgrade option make the Triton very appealing.

I have not decided if I will return the Triton or not yet (I have until this weekend). When I weigh what else I could buy for $2800 (=61 key Triton with SCSI and MOSS board) - like an XP-30 + Yamaha A3000 + Waldorf Microwave XT...or used XP60 + Yamaha A3000 + Nord Micromodular or Waldorf Microwave II - returning it seems like more of a reality...

Korgasm's complaints re: the Triton above are pretty much my exact complaints and it is very good that most of these are addressable by OS upgrades (need time-stretch, crossfade looping, and one-touch UNDO/REDO function pronto!). One other question I have has to do with sampling: when I sample an audio signal, the resulting sample is not velocity-sensitive when played on the keyboard...is there some setting I can change to make this so? This is my first real sit-down with a sampler (and even I can see why crossfade looping and time-stretch are so essential) and my endless searching through the manuals has shown me nothing to correct this. I guess I could sample the same sound at different (vol.) levels and create a combination that would play the layered sound (levels) according to keystroke velocity, but I feel like there should be a way for a multisample-turned-into-program to be velocity sensitive. I had brief exposure to Kurzweil sampling and, if I remember correctly, some kind of velocity map was applied to the samples automatically. Anyone know if the Triton can do like the Kurzweils? If so, please share! Thanks!

I think you have to adjust the velocity once you convert your sample to a program.
You can also add the effects, change the parameters ect.

If you have figured out how to get your sample the full length of the 61 keys please let me know.


I had an xp-60 for 29 days before returning it and getting the Triton. The Triton is FAR better IMHO. The options are great, the sounds are great, it sounds fatter to me (especially the synth sounds), the realtime controls aren't as "clippy"( more smooth), and it doesn't have an annoying grunge/decay defect.

The xp's synth engine is a bit more powerful, but I feel the TRITONS just SOUNDS better, of higher quality. Plus, you can get the MOSS option and have the strongest synth engine out there right now.


The Triton is a complicated piece of equipment. It takes a good while to learn it. It is a little overwhelming at times.
But that is a good thing. It's a powerful machine. And it will always be up to date and rellevant thanks to it's sampler.

Oh, and the realtime control options are great. Much more expansive and useable than the xp.

Thanks for the input, but I need specifics. I figured setting up a velocity map would be done either in sample mode or in program mode, but I can't figure out how to do it (using the manual). I'll probably start a new topic and ask the question. Surely some Triton owners have been sampling like crazy and can give me some details. I did a few hours of sequencing on the Triton tonight and I do enjoy the sequencer (but I can't stand that it doesn't have a one-touch undo function, a "rehearsal" mode [although it may and I have not discovered it], and a key-triggered start to recording [what Roland calls "Wait Note"]). It definitely is a cool workstation, but I like the EXPANSION BOARD sounds of the XP synths FAR better (a matter of personal taste, eh?). Anyway, thanks again for your input, Arvon45.

Arvon45: I'll give what input I can re: your question about having the sample sound across the entire keyboard.

There are a few ways to accomplish this, the way I understand things. First of all, in you wanted to have the original sample played at the root key of C2 (lowest key on 61 key Triton) and the rest of the sample automatically transposed up the remaining 60 keys (although you can actually do it for up to 88 keys), you'd do this:

Enter SAMPLING...make sure you select a new MultiSample (at top) and new Sample (1/4 of way down screen) first...in the Recording Tab, select Orig. Key as C2 and Top Key as C7...then, go to the Preference Tab (3rd tab) and set the Zone Range to 61 keys. Go back to the Recording tab and sample away. The sample will play across the entire kb.

Alternatively, say you wanted to your multisample to sound better, so you decide to sample an original note every octave. Then, you'd have to record 5 (for 60 keys) separate samples and link them all to form your multisample. Here's how:

Enter SAMPLING. Set new MS and Sample. In Recording tab, set Orig key as C2 and top key as B2. In Pref tab, set Zone Range to 12 keys. In Recording tab, tap the Index number five times to get 001...005/005. Then, set the xxx/005 to 001/005. Record your sample and it will sound across the first octave of your keyboard. To sample the second octave: select a new SAMPLE (not multisample), select 002/005 and sample away. Just keep selecting a new sample each time and go until Index 005/005 is sampled. Of course, remember to sample C3 when the root key of the sample is designated as C3 (etc.)! Hope this is what you were looking for...

Wilkes --- Thanks for the reply.


HEre is a link to the Tritonica site. It is a great resource for TRITON owners. You will probably get your technical questions answered
here:

http://free.prohosting.com/~triton/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi?action=intro

Ok my dilema is,I want to produce House,R&B and a little bit of Hip Hop.I have a XP60 with the Techno and Hip Hop boards,Yamaha RM1X(helluva sequencer by the way)Alesis QS6 and Yammie CS1X boards.I have the chance to get a Triton Pro for 1700 used in great shape.Do I dump the XP60 with exp.boards and add cash to get the Triton and intergrate it in my setup to still do the music I want to do?I know its sorta tit for tat but,the 1700 price is calling my name!

Whats up. Just so you know, half of Eminems debut album was programmed and recored on a Triton.


For more info, check out this link :
http://free.prohosting.com/~triton/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi?action=intro

House Junkie- The Triton has a different sound to the Roland. If I had to choose between the Triton and the XP60 I would definetely go TRITON! However, don't get it without the MOSS board as I feel that this synthe is not complete without the awesome synthesis facilities that this board offers. Also budget for the new dance card that should already be out- I've heard good reports about it!

If you can afford it, I would hold on to the XP60 unless you really don't want it anymore. Or after saving up some more 'bickie's also get a JV2080 and stick your techno and hip hop cards into that. As you can see, I like both Korg and Roland sounds. They just compliment each other nicely.

Hello guys, i ve read all the stuff here and i would like to contribute my opinion to what has been said. I am an XP-80 user but not actually a keyboard player myself. I play what you would call "dated" stuff like the blues and good old rock n roll and hard rock (think led zeppelin). Before i bought my XP-80 i was lloking for something to sequence backing tracks on (drums and base) and probably some lead lines (flutes , horns etc). Here is what i did, i took my guitar to the shop and played along with the TRITON to see how it blends with natural sounds. Now here is what i think is the main difference between KORG and ROLAND. ROLAND sounds NATURAL -you can probably call this "dated"- KORG sounds POP -as in the sound is processed and "MASTERED" before you hear it. So for me NATURAL is best for what i do. OVERPROCESSED is UNNATURAL but its what some people require for their music. I Think when ROLAND sounds get the right treatment (mastering, that is after you have recorder the whole piece)they sound absolutelly AWESOME. Before that you just play with NATURAL SOUNDING stuff.

Two things of interest:

Listening to the same tune played back by both ROLAND and KORG synths the UNEXPERIENCED PREFERS ROLAND!!!!.

Listening to the Same drum track on KORG and ROLAND synths the UNEXPERIENCED prefers KORG
while he things the ROLAND version actually comes from a cheap sound card. (That means i have to check the bass 7 drums expansion card which i ve heard has some amazing kits on it)

So... it all comes down to what you prefer for me:

KORG: current, pop sounding well(or maybe over?)processed sounds

ROLAND: natural, ear friendly (yes i ll say that once again) natural sounds.

Interesting observations...It is difficult to "explain" why one prefers Roland or Korg sounds over the other, but the "naturalness of sound" theory may explain part of it! I was initially impressed by Triton's sounds, but after having played/heard them for several hours a day for the past month, I just don't like them as much as I do the Roland sounds, esp. those on the expansion boards. Specifically, the Korg strings sounds whistle too much, almost sound "windy", and are not enjoyable to play. Also, I love the Korg Pan Flute, but the sample on the Triton is noisy and "grungy" (with that same whistling noise), unlike on my M1R, which I had hoped to be able to sell now that I have the Triton. I enjoy writing and recording music and think sampling and "synthesizing" / editing sounds is a blast, but I also enjoy just playing and practicing using the presets and I get no pleasure from playing the Triton (plus I don't really like the keyboard feel/action).

I like the Triton for so many other reasons, especially for ease of use (namely in sampling), but I'm not "$2200 plus tax"-impressed, so I'll (kind of sadly) return it to the store.

Wilkes.....


I had the xp-60 for a month before I returned it and got the triton. I compared both synths also side by side at the store.
To me, the Roland had a much better Church Organ, but that was it. Im talking that monster church pipes patch. The TRITONS sounded pretty weak compared to the ROlands. As for the synth sounds.......the TRITON SOUNDS MUCH, MUCH better. I use my TRITON for Prog-rock, techno, and some alt country, and to me it sounds much more natural than the Roland. My sequences also sound much better.

Lets not forget people....I buy my synths to USE them as synths, I dont buy them to pretend to be an orchestra or something else. I consider them instrumetns of themselves, through sound shaping, ect.
I usually dont bother with drum tracks, flutes, ect.

So when I hear someone say " THe roland sounds better because it imitates real instruments better", I don't care.

I want something that sounds like a synth, not my old 5th grade music class.


Think about that the next time you buy.......

It all comes down to what you like then, if you are a monkey you like bananas, if you a re a cat you like fish. If you like "real" you like Roland, if you like "interesting" you like KORG. At the end of the day if you are a good musician you can write a masterpiece with much less than these monsters. So many people have done it before with much less stuff (in terms of quality and variety of sounds). But the bottom line for me, and thats where my preference for Roland stands is that our ears are much more comfortable with "real" sounds than with "not-so-real". I do not mean that non real sounds are not funny or cool (i love tube distortion, but even this has some naturalness in it, actual electrons flow in the tube depending on the way you play your guitar which gives you what we call "analog" sound.) I would say the difference is like Home made food (that would be the real sound) versus tin food (that would be the not-so-real sound). It's a matter of taste.

Yes, "taste" is the key to this whole issue (the "natural vs. processed" issue was the first attempt to perhaps explain why such timbral taste varies from one to another).

Arvon45: I understand what you are saying and it seems that the Triton fits your composition/synthesis/performance style and desires perfectly. I consider all that you mentioned when I purchase a synth as well. In fact, although I enjoy many genres of music, when well done, my absolute favorite is synth-pop (e.g., Erasure; I don't care for most of the harder, "cooler"/trendier techno stuff [Orbital, etc.]) and I like to write and record such music very much. But, when I want to emulate (for my own performing pleasure) something written/orchestrated for strings, brass, etc., I want those sounds to be as realistic as possible. I think it is fantastic that technology allows me, a keyboardist only, to play such orchestral arrangements when I cannot play a cello or french horn. Oh, and when it comes to synthesis, I'll take what I already have (K2000, FS1R, and Pulse).