KORG i3 MUSIC WORKSTATION - Mega Tutorial & Demo 

I have this unit. I bought it when it first came out. I intended to use it as the bottom keyboard for my live rig. I changed my live rig though (changed to an 88-key master board to play and control the 5 other boards in my live rig), so the i3 does not get much use now. I do enjoy playing it when I take it out of its case and the sounds are not too bad. I like the 'Keyboard Sets' feature that it has, but the problem is that you cannot save the new Keyboard Sets with the sounds that YOU want. If you think of this unit as a revamped EK-50, you will get a better idea of what it is really about. It has a more streamlined workflow than the EK-50 and it is certainly more portable. The addition of the MIDI Out jack is a nice touch for layering with other gear. I did use it for a few gigs as the bottom keyboard (mainly piano and main keyboard sounds) and it performed well. It is lightweight, and I could barely tell that it was in its case when carrying it around. That too is a nice feature. It feels solid on a stand and it did not move around on the stand (as some other lighter keyboards may). If Korg would allow for saving custom Keyboard Sets on this thing, it would certainly be worthy of being an entry level version of the PA Series (of which I also own a PA700). For the price and features, it is a good beginner board. Like I said, I bought it for other reasons and I knew its limitations before buying it. I am not a beginner (been playing professionally most of my life and I am 50 years old now), but had a specific purpose in mind for its use.

"You can make it muffled or unpleasantly bright" Korg designer in tears!

I bought this as a Christmas present for myself this past year and love it. The perfect keyboard for working out ideas on!

A user friendly synth..gotta love that! Love your demo Woodie! Thankyou!

Haven't watched the entire video yet, but I just could not hesitate to say that I love your content, Woody. I'm an 18 year old Dane who loves synthesizers, workstations and all that sort of gear, and I love knowing stuff about it all. I've been watching your videos for quite a while and I've learnt a lot from you. I really love the Software vs Hardware comparison, and demo videos. Keep it up, man. :)

Another great video Woody, one of the friendliest creators on RU-vid!

Just finished watching this! Amazing explanation and guide! Thank you sir!

that sounds like the piano sample from the SG Prox. Ny favorite of korg's piano. Great tutorial!

Thanks woody. you demonstration of this keyboard is really Good. I really appreciate it.

It’s got some good sounds, like the grand piano on it. The user interface is nicely laid out, looks very intuitive to me. The concept of this keyboard reminds me of on of those Yamaha keyboards you’ve recently reviewed, especially with the way the styles can be customised. This could be an ideal beginner keyboard.

Excellent demo, thanks a lot, Woody! Kind regards from Munich (Germany), Thomas

Thank you for this!

That was a great demo, Woody.

Korg definitely got their money's worth sending you this freebie. This is the best review of the i3 so far. You effectively show how the i3 would be used by the typical user and the sound & style variety it offers. I now have a better opinion of the i3. At first I thought the operating system and interface design to be oversimplified, but now I consider them accessible and approachable. This review could be complemented with another video showing a start-to-finish example of how to create a completed song by setting up tracks, using the sequencer, saving to memory/flash, etc. - the "workstation" aspects of the i3.

Woody, I’ve watched this video multiple times. I think this i3 and the EK-50 (essentially they same boards aside from speakers and amp), are extremely effective replacements for the late Lowrey and other brands of Organs. These offer nearly all the options of a $20,000-40,000 Organ for half a grand! The pedal jack even supports an expression pedal!! Brilliant!!

I think it's nice for its price and i like the layout. The power of korg are the combi sounds. 💪

Nice entry level keyboard for a learner student Great video woody 👏👏👏

EXCELLENT DEMO I AM FROM PERU I CONTINUE READING THE ENGLISH SUBTITLES THE MOST IMPORTANT FOR ME IS THAT I CAN UNDERSTAND ABOUT IT

Just commented on your copyright video! I bought this keyboard after this demo. It paid for itself in around 2 hours. It's a lovely little light machine!

I enjoyed the vid very much. Fun keyboard at a nice price. An ideal "party" keyboard, even if it won't be seen on many "elite" stages. :) I think it's a winner in its market. Some nice chops on display as well. Kudos. Cheers, Cliff

Oohhhhh, anotherrr Korg to Play with💖💖💖💖

Brilliant job Woody! I'm seriously impressed with this keyboard and am torn between this and the EK-50L.

Great comprehensive review. Is it possible to build a short 4-bar phrase and then loop it? some of the midi sequencers on arrangers don't do that too well (they add a hesitation beat, etc). also, is it your sense that Korg will make other styles or "Performance Sets" available for download? not sure how much memory there is here....thanks again.

thanks mr Woody greetings from Venezuela

great! great! demo I know which to buy thanks

Nice tutorial, thank you. How does that new 2020 i3 compares to the old 1993 i3 in terms of sound quality and sequencing?

I'm getting one of these in a few days. Can't wait!😁

very useful :D thank you

Best tutorial

Самый лучший обзор🤗👍👍👍, хоть и на английском 😉,но все было понятно, спасибо🤗

Korg i3 sounds like feel heaven....

Самое реальное фоно в KORG! Достойный аппарат!😊👍🇷🇺

Hi, thank you very much for the video, you helped me a lot. If possible, make a video on how to create your own Auto-Accompaniment Styles, including drum programming and saving to User Bank. Thanks in advance.

Great video as usual. So, if I understand correctly, you can save sound sets to your favorites banks, but you can't create a sound set from scratch, selecting which tones do you want for each of the available parts and choosing a style and saving it in a user memory space? If so, its a shame because it really cuts the usability of the keyboard.

I always loved Korg Pianos, in particular “90s Piano” one. Perhaps not the most realistic, but with a lot of punch for Pop & Rock. Nice video Woody ;-)

Hello! How can i change sound mode from poly to mono / legato on Korg i3?

Great demo and review Woody .. thanks ..l love my i3 .. good for use with my Yamaha for some great additional korg upper lead and solo Voices on the fly, saved to set list.. It connects easily from headphone output to audio in on Yamaha...plus handy as a stand alone board for a change..I liked the ek50 but this is even better!! Just need korg to offer a pedal function for shift.. hard work on the fly to make changes unless you save to a set list...this is the ONLY pain with this board that shift function!! Thanks again .. Keith

Some styles and sounds sound really great, but some like General Midi sound card from 90's. :-)

Been looking at this model or the i30 from the days of old. Great review..

Amazing sir 👏👏👏, please make more videos of korg i3 and I saved korg i3 playlist and subscribed, wait for amazing korg i3 video's

clean

Great video Woody. These arranger keyboards dont seem to have moved on much from the 80s/90s. Even some of the stock presets/styles sounded exactly the same. I wouldnt get one of these, and your video probably made it look better than it is. Great vid, unexpiring keyboard.

Im not usually negative but my yamaha from the 90s sounds and does the same! No wonder it was a freebie!?

Great demo, but can you freeze some item like Style, Tempo ... when using Set List with Korg i3 ? Because if i play with Style, i cannot change sound by Set List button, everything change

Hi. I am not a musician but i would buy one of these keyboard. I like this one and kronos 2. What can i take? Thank you

The Korg Arranger keyboards from 2000's (like the Pa80, Pa50, Pa60) has the most of sounds from the Triton and this has also some styles same of those keyboards and more new Styles. In my opinion, A portable keyboard with optional battery operation but without speekers isnt very portable, you will need an amplifier. This is for more hours playing anywhere. Would can You compare the Triton vs the i3? I think that the i3 sounds are emulations of a Triton.

This was on my radar when I was buying. But it was a bit too arrangery for me. Still, it does makes some pretty sounds.

This is more of a standard keyboard, in a pro layout. I like it just because it’s Korg. Now do this keyboard has rotary simulation for the organ??

Korg i3 has key transpose ? I want to know thanks

I love the LED work, the boot animation and light going in and out is really nice! Sound wize single tone is a bit of a mixbag I find some really really good sound, some sounds a bit date, but probably would be fine in a more complex sound (aka non solo) The screen is small, but I like the layout, it is readable! The "combi" and arrangement are quite good and probably usable in most situation (pretty sure some are just plain weird as usual :D) Is there is any prog or combi with really weird name like on the Triton? Does it do audio out from the USB port? What about the keybed? It seems as noisy as the Triton, I don't mind the noise, but microphone seems to love to pick it :D

Think I much prefer my Original Korg i3 which I bought new when it first came out in 1993 :)

Nice keyboard for my daughter who is learning keyboard good for beginner like her👍

Nice demo. What are the chord1-8 buttons for?

Have you noticed whether the i3's Chord Mode uses some approximation of voice leading?

Good useful video. I want to control this from my 88 key master keyboard but to my dismay I’m told it is not possible. Perhaps you know otherwise and can help me here. I have just bought the I 3 and think it’s a great value keyboard but will have to return it if I can’t do this.

Hi Woody, we’re you planning on doing a follow up on the i3? Maybe in comparison to the Kross?

Fun video as always, and my takeaway is this is not for me. I can clearly see there's demand for this type of keyboard but it's not made for sound tinkerers and synth nerds. :)

A bit of a throwback to the OW1

Can you do track by track sequencing on this?

Why are there not specifications on the width from octave to octave on the keyboard? on the micro type there is a issue of hitting other keys. What is the spread between octaves on the I3?

I have the original i3 that I bought in 1976, Just started playing it again and bought this new one to compliment it but sadly it doesn't. You can't even use or even swop the files/styles/accompaniments etc. And there is no ability to modify the styles etc as in the old one. Doesn't get played much, but the old one still works well for me.

How to transpose tone saved in banks? Plz reply

sounds as the old i3 :D But I'm quite impressed for the price range.

Could you please guide me how to set chords setting in Korg i3 keyboard which launched in 1993?

At 5:39 you say that it sounds as great as on the M1. Is that true? I'm just asking because I want to buy a Workstation and I am between a used Korg M1 or a new Korg i3.

et le sequenceur?

Are the styles, intros and endings copyrighted by Korg? -- Are you free to use them without permission, credits or royalties? Example...Say you want to compose an original song or arrangement and use these features, can you be sued if the song gets picked up and/or played in public? Not just Korg but other arrangers as well from other manufacturers...I've always wondered about that.

can you look at DC-106 sometime?

Bought this board after seeing the dreams preset on this channel, sounds on it are really good but its so confusing going from a JDXI to this, don't even know where to start with sequencing stuff, seems so confusing without a step sequencer

Greetings..... Thanks for a vivid review of the product. But anytime I hear this garage drums behind that song, it turns me off completely to buy.

I presume it is a ROMpler inside. Just wonder which keyboard are the Samples based on?

Excellent demo. I really like the dedicated buttons for accompaniment instruments, it adds a creative customization feature that is rarely available. I am thinking of getting the Korg Pa1000 arranger because of the large tilltable touch screen display and speakers.

I've never quite understood who arranger keyboards are for? Is it mostly for live gigs? Or for a songwriter to imagine how a full band would track their song? They've intrigued me for the "serviceable" sounds as you call them, sort of a campy interest.

How do you compare this keybed with that of Kross?

I want to buy korg i3 but i scare about one thing. It is really run on 6 x nimh 1900 mAh - It run all time without turn off ? I have one keyboard who need 12 V like this korg, and it can run on 6 x nimh but when i play and play more hard it turn off. I scare to buy unuseful keyboard. Can you tell me what keyboard is best run on nimh? i read about roland juno ds who need 9 v and run on 8 nimh. What about casio or yamaha?

The background music for the "Love Disco" style at around 23 minutes in sounds extremely familiar. It sounds like a clip from a 70s instrumental disco hit but I can't for the life of me remember the title or the artist who put it out. Can anyone remember that song?

I just bought one. I'm surprised that no one said anything about purchasing speakers for it. I bought the starter bundle. No speakers in that bundle. Not sure what sound system to get.

Can you review psr e373?

Works pretty much like my EK50. By workstation i would expect a looper of some sort. EDM music is hard to make on such keyboards..

does it have transpose buttons?

I have to say arranger keyboards, are great if you want to be at home, with some headphones on, and have nothing else to do! They really haven't moved on, and generally the sounds are always lacking, this Korg i3 is no different, and I see no real reason for anyone to buy this one. Unless you have never had a keyboard before and have never heard one before. But great video Woody.

I'd like to see you review the Yamaha Genos! 😁

amazing video. Reminds me of the first keyboards I played with. Similar to the Yamaha PSR line... yet no built in speakers! I wonder if song styles send MIDI out, and are the keys aftertouch?

Woody Piano i have 3 roland keyboards roland e 20 roland d 5 roland exr 5 my favorite keyboard is roland e 20

i heard it, its an amazing keyboard, but i heard those same acoustic tones like nylon guitar, and r better and more realistic on KORG EK50, and its rare cause are almost same electronics., Greetings from Mexico

The sequencer is pretty useful for external gear and quite a few of the sounds (Korg vintage, pads and bass stuff) are usable. It's probably a bit overpriced considering the tech in it is from about 10 generations ago and the acoustic emulations don't really sound more convincing than my ancient Yamaha QY70. I'd stick a bit more money in and get a Kross 2 if I was after something like this.

Needs more KARMA. (Kay's Algorithmic Real-time Music Architecture)

If Roland sent Woody the Jupiter XM, the least Korg should do is send him a Wavestate.

Would you say this is better than the PSR-SX900?

As a first timer to the arranger world its ideal but having owned a lot over the years I am not really impressed. Saying that owning the roland G70 and the lower end E50 its a high bar for it to reach

The intro: The End Of The Innocence (Woody's Guilty Mix) - Don Henley 😁

Can we make our own styles on this keyboard ?

To me, some of these sampled sounds remind me of the Trayton. I hear it in the acoustic piano, the piano pad, and even those electric piano sounds. I have to ask, since it is a Korg does it have the M1 piano and the SG1D piano

Sounds are a bit dated and cheesy, but hey. For a mid-priced workstation, this is for someone who likes to play keyboards every once in a while and wants to have a bit of fun doing it.

That thing sounds way better than my Korg Krome.

WHY? I just wonder WHY!!! There is a story of this KB 25 year old, and its a god memory, But 2020 I30 sounding same as the old one, No way.

Beautiful sounds and design. However I cannot understand why the piano sound is the first sample of the synths. The piano is a piano as the synth is a synth. :)

Same sounds in Triton Le

I was a bit disappointed with this at first because I thought Korg has finally produced a hybrid of arranger keyboard (PA series) and workstation (Kross/Krome). Turns out it's just an arranger keyboard with no speakers. I guess there are people looking for a lightweight high quality arranger keyboard for under 4kg haha.

How much youvwant to use it, use it , later on Pls send this keyboard to me ,