KORG M01D (Nintendo 3DS) Review

The interface in KORG M01D will instantly feel familiar for those who have dabbled in the use of synthesisers previously. Placing notes works by simply tapping the desired location on the Touch Screen, with the timescale and note being represented on a grid. Tracks are made up of a number of scenes, which, in turn, are made up by steps. The total number of steps a scene can hold is 64, whilst the maximum number of instruments a song can use is eight. Each scene can also have its own individual characteristics, like different tempo and reverb settings.

As well as being able to input notes on a grid system, it is also possible to enter notes using either the Kaoss Pad or Keyboard. The Kaoss Pad works by simply sliding the stylus along the Touch Screen to allow for more creativity and improvisation when it comes to creating melodies. The Keyboard function works in a similar way, but the Touch Screen displays a virtual keyboard and allows those who are acquainted with the instrument to compose melodies and chords.

Both of these functions can be used to add notes to the currently selected scene by tapping the "record" button on the Touch Screen.

Since this is an emulation of the M1 synthesiser, the same limitations that the original had are also found here. However, it is also possible to use samples from the three different sound banks in one song, allowing for more creativity than was possible with the classic 80s synth.

Once saved, creations can be shared in a variety of different ways; songs can be exported to the SD card in a MIDI format, and then uploaded to a music sharing site, such as SoundCloud. They can also be sent to friends over local wireless, Wi-Fi and StreetPass.

Whilst KORG M01D is fairly limited in some areas, such as the lack of exporting to other audio formats, it is still a great piece of software and also one of the best of its kind on mobile devices.