Solid synth/workstation and controller keyboard with a good weighted key action

The KT comes in 76 and 88-note models with exactly the same synth and sequencer architecture. Editing can be potentially tiring on the 2-line (large print!) display, but thankfully, due to dedicated buttons for practically all pages, there's not a huge amount of menu diving.

Synth architecture is almost identical to the Ensoniq SQ series (SQ-1, SQ-2, SQ-R) with many of the same waveforms, but also with some of their proprietary Transwaves along with expanded drum and keyboard samples. 100 Sounds are stored in ROM and another 100 in user-storable RAM. There's also potential for a further 200 user banks via a PCMCIA card (if you can still find one of course).

Sounds can be combined into "Presets" (what Korg would call a "Combi") allowing for layering and zoning of up to 8 Patches. These can also be used as Tracks in a sequence.

Presets also allow for empty tracks to send out via MIDI only making the KT a very flexible controller since a MIDI track can be treated the same way as an internal Patch (ie, zones/splits/transposing/patch changes, etc). GM sounds are also available over and above the onboard patches, and the internal effects are culled from Ensoniqs popular DP-4.

Key action on the 76 is semi-weighted and on the 88 is fully-weighted. It also has channel aftertouch (marginally disappointing given that Ensoniq had a long range of good-quality poly AT keybeds in previous models). But all in all, with the sure key action, good range of pleasant sounds and the 8-track sequencer, this makes for a solid and very useable instrument - one which kind of slipped under the radar with these later Ensoniq products.

From Gear Setup