Thanks for the great review! One quirk to be aware of is that as soon as you select a percussive sound (switch), it "steals" one of the three layers of the ensemble section. So for example if you want the thickest ensemble sound, make sure to set all percussive switches to "OFF".
Picked one up in late 80s for 50 bucks at Milanos Music in Mesa, AZ, played it for decades. Awesome board for placing another board on top of it. I remember using a Bell percussive sound with the Pad and one or two of the Strings most of the time.
Thanks for the great review. I just bought Lambda, arriving any time soon... can't wait to start fiddling with some modern effect pedals to get the huge sound scapes
the video's conclusion and how the cadence of your words played out over what you were doing on the keys was beyond words perfect - great video! This keyboard is so much more than a string synth (like the arp solina or moog opus etc)... found one locally I'm going to check out soon, I like how its more of a players instrument than a programmer's... at first I was like oh no resonance control or envelope, those toggle switches - but that's a good design to still give a keyboardist powerful controls (still an independent filter per section, plus mixer, plus a detune plus a master detune...) Like come on, this beautiful instrument and what they packed into that box is legitimately the most maximalist level of analog synth design before digital technology (which is also awesome) made it unreasonable for musical instrument companies to keep investing so much in analog circuits. This offering by Korg looks to offer so much more than its contemporaries, and do it all with much more style and ease.
I had the Korg Lambda back in 1980 and used it in our original band. We recorded 8 songs using the Lambda back in 1981. The sounds were fantastic. Particularly liked the strings piano combo and the trumpet in the brass section. Converted our recordings to MP4s so can still listen to them.
somehow such nice looking and also nice sounding synths arent made nowadays. they should really republish such cool synthesizers because the aesthetics alone are something else
Very nice synth. I think it was more affordable compared to the Korg Trident but it was still a great string synth to have. I love a string synth as my thumbnail probably shows
Nice review. I love this string emsemble. My old Lambda still works, but one of the oscillators is permanently detuned, which makes it unplayable. Very sad
Sometimes composing musicians benefit from simplicity. Where some fanatics sees "less features" I see, the bold musical choices, what the creator's decided are worthwhile against the competition at the time , or to differentiate. Not to mention.. I think the way it's built up, is sort of unique, right? The layer-stealing is a by-product of some kind of special routing they did for this synth? Read it like a half a year ago from somewhere. Anyhow - it screams of some kind of forgotten green forest village in Japan in the early 80's both in sound and looks. Just bought one online and can't wait for it to arrive. The essence feels like exactly for my kind. :)
Good ol' stuff. I like gear like this! Great video. The clav-sound beginning at 3:38 reminds me of "Eagle" by ABBA - maybe Benny used a Lambda (with certain processing)...?
That's like one of my comments! Tho Nelson didn't use a Lambda, check out the sounds on his contribution to the "Alienshamanism " album by Dr Jan (guru) in Japan
This is def a synth I am considering after picking up a Korg Sigma.I think that would give me the ultimate dreamy 70s/80s synth sound... (and increase the synths I own that released in 79 to four...). I think the two Korgs would be super sweet together... Anyway, thanks for this demo - def a treat for the ears. Question: what is the difference in pitch over the pitch bend? I didn't hear you say it, but is it like the Sigma and adjustable?
Thanks, it is definitely 70s sounding and dreamy! Not sure about diff in pitch vs the Sigma but I demo'd it at 13:32, you can't adjust the pitch bending to my knowledge.
@@synth4ever - aahh... A shame... I assume a lot of potential people interrested assume that the sections are stereo - which kinda fools greatly. And also i would love to hear the synth as it actually sounds in pure. I mean, i know the Lambda - but there's others i did!'t have the chance to get my hands on and RUclips videos could actually be a great source to hear the synth in question as is - to get a realistic picture of it. But everyone sinks it in some fx, as it seems. Now don't get me wrong - of course it's perfectly ok to show how it sounds with fx - you'll be most likely use some fx on it anyway in real life. But one could show it with and without fx, to get the _real_ impression.
In my eyes and ears the most beautiful Synth ever
One of them for sure. Do you know the Roland rs505 ? it's my desert island synth.
I never thought a synth walkthrough could make me cry. But here I am, sobbing. This machine sounds perfect, in a way heavenly.
It is a beautiful sounding string synth
Thanks for the great review! One quirk to be aware of is that as soon as you select a percussive sound (switch), it "steals" one of the three layers of the ensemble section. So for example if you want the thickest ensemble sound, make sure to set all percussive switches to "OFF".
Thanks for watching and providing that insight, I will have to test that out next time!
Picked one up in late 80s for 50 bucks at Milanos Music in Mesa, AZ, played it for decades. Awesome board for placing another board on top of it. I remember using a Bell percussive sound with the Pad and one or two of the Strings most of the time.
bought mine several years ago in Cottonwood, AZ.
Sounds so good, never knew of this amazing synth. thanks
Thanks Roi, it is pretty sweet sounding!
Thanks for the great review. I just bought Lambda, arriving any time soon... can't wait to start fiddling with some modern effect pedals to get the huge sound scapes
Very nice! Enjoy it, especially with some effects.
Whoa! That thing is gorgeous! Thank you for the demo!
Thank you for watching! It is a lovely string synth.
Nice memories come back: this was my first polyphonic keyboard !
Lovely!
Mine too.
the video's conclusion and how the cadence of your words played out over what you were doing on the keys was beyond words perfect - great video! This keyboard is so much more than a string synth (like the arp solina or moog opus etc)... found one locally I'm going to check out soon, I like how its more of a players instrument than a programmer's... at first I was like oh no resonance control or envelope, those toggle switches - but that's a good design to still give a keyboardist powerful controls (still an independent filter per section, plus mixer, plus a detune plus a master detune...)
Like come on, this beautiful instrument and what they packed into that box is legitimately the most maximalist level of analog synth design before digital technology (which is also awesome) made it unreasonable for musical instrument companies to keep investing so much in analog circuits. This offering by Korg looks to offer so much more than its contemporaries, and do it all with much more style and ease.
Thank you for the great comment and your thoughts. Korg Lambda is a hidden gem!
I had the Korg Lambda back in 1980 and used it in our original band. We recorded 8 songs using the Lambda back in 1981. The sounds were fantastic. Particularly liked the strings piano combo and the trumpet in the brass section. Converted our recordings to MP4s so can still listen to them.
Thanks for sharing! Glad you got to enjoy the Korg Lambda in the past. It is a lovely string synth.
I'd be interested to hear it in a mix of other band members :)
Very nice, excellent demo. This thing has lots of character! :)
Thanks a lot! I agree, it's a lovely string synth.
somehow such nice looking and also nice sounding synths arent made nowadays. they should really republish such cool synthesizers because the aesthetics alone are something else
Yes, it is a very nice wood finish and wood synths seem to be few and far between these days.
Man I got to play one of these at a band rehearsal with my dad's band back in the 80s. My first real synth experience!
Fantastic!
Wonderful. Thank you.
Very nice synth. I think it was more affordable compared to the Korg Trident but it was still a great string synth to have. I love a string synth as my thumbnail probably shows
Thanks. Yes, less costly than Trident but still sounds great. String synths are super lush!
Nice review. I love this string emsemble.
My old Lambda still works, but one of the oscillators is permanently detuned, which makes it unplayable. Very sad
It is quite lovely. Hopefully you can get your fixed!
Great video- thanks for sharing! I have long listed after this or a trident.
I have not heard it pronounced trem-OH-lo before.
Thanks! It's less costly than a Trident but it has its own charm.
Sometimes composing musicians benefit from simplicity. Where some fanatics sees "less features" I see, the bold musical choices, what the creator's decided are worthwhile against the competition at the time , or to differentiate.
Not to mention.. I think the way it's built up, is sort of unique, right? The layer-stealing is a by-product of some kind of special routing they did for this synth? Read it like a half a year ago from somewhere.
Anyhow - it screams of some kind of forgotten green forest village in Japan in the early 80's both in sound and looks. Just bought one online and can't wait for it to arrive. The essence feels like exactly for my kind. :)
Great writeup... Lambda definitely has it's quirks but excels at what it does best... nice gooey strings! :)
Very nice sounding synth I never knew existed.
Thanks! It flies under the radar but it sounds great.
Sounds amazing. Want one now.🙂🥂👊🏽
Good ol' stuff. I like gear like this! Great video. The clav-sound beginning at 3:38 reminds me of "Eagle" by ABBA - maybe Benny used a Lambda (with certain processing)...?
Thanks! Well this synth is pretty vintage so I'm sure there were some artists using it back then!
Didn't they have an optional set of legs that screwed into the front panel so that it could be turned upside down and used as a desk?
great timing, they just started advers-teasing for the Lamda variation of the flu. (Korg couldn't know this, nor could you lol)
Haha... well hopefully this synth doesn't cause a sickness!
Delta variant too. Next, Covid Sigma?
Sounds/ playing reminds me of Bill Nelson ( summer of god’s piano )
That's like one of my comments! Tho Nelson didn't use a Lambda, check out the sounds on his contribution to the "Alienshamanism " album by Dr Jan (guru) in Japan
Mmmm... That brass when you filtered it and got that 70s "wow" brass.
Yes indeed, sounds lovely. :)
This is def a synth I am considering after picking up a Korg Sigma.I think that would give me the ultimate dreamy 70s/80s synth sound... (and increase the synths I own that released in 79 to four...). I think the two Korgs would be super sweet together...
Anyway, thanks for this demo - def a treat for the ears.
Question: what is the difference in pitch over the pitch bend? I didn't hear you say it, but is it like the Sigma and adjustable?
Thanks, it is definitely 70s sounding and dreamy! Not sure about diff in pitch vs the Sigma but I demo'd it at 13:32, you can't adjust the pitch bending to my knowledge.
Thanks for the demo! Seems louder on the right side.. Is that the Korg or the way it was recorded? Cheers
Nevermind lol, answered in the video (percussive one channel, strings other)
What was the price of this beauty in 1979?🤔
How’d you manage to mispronounce both “tremolo” and “vibrato”?
Very easily :D
Estamoa vendendo um.
and all that again without the stereo chorus. in mono - just as the lambda actually sounds. please.
I no longer have it, sorry.
@@synth4ever - aahh... A shame... I assume a lot of potential people interrested assume that the sections are stereo - which kinda fools greatly. And also i would love to hear the synth as it actually sounds in pure. I mean, i know the Lambda - but there's others i did!'t have the chance to get my hands on and RUclips videos could actually be a great source to hear the synth in question as is - to get a realistic picture of it. But everyone sinks it in some fx, as it seems. Now don't get me wrong - of course it's perfectly ok to show how it sounds with fx - you'll be most likely use some fx on it anyway in real life. But one could show it with and without fx, to get the _real_ impression.
Lambda has a stereo output and stereo ensemble chorus
Tre-mow-lo 😂
:)
This has been taken out now by korg? this is new? is that we go back 50 years? What's happening in the world???
Hehe, it's not new... it's from 1979!
🤣