This page about Korg T3 is a stub. You can help improve it:

Pricing and availability

* Product prices and availability are updated by Equipboard every 24hrs and are subject to change. Equipboard may receive compensation for purchases made at participating retailers linked on this site. This compensation does not affect what products or prices are displayed, or the order of prices listed. For more information, please refer to our affiliate disclosure.

Description

Explore the sonic possibilities of the Korg T3, a classic synthesizer that continues to inspire musicians today. With its 61-key velocity-sensitive keyboard, the T3 offers a responsive and expressive playing experience ideal for both studio and live performances. Originally released in the late 1980s as part of Korg's T-series, this synthesizer is known for its powerful AI2 synthesis engine, which provides a rich palette of sounds. The T3 is equipped with a wide array of presets, including pianos, orchestral instruments, and cutting-edge synthetic voices, allowing artists to craft a diverse range of musical compositions.

In addition to its impressive sound capabilities, the Korg T3 features intuitive controls and a user-friendly interface. Musicians can easily navigate through its sound bank and tweak parameters to achieve their desired sound. The onboard sequencer and multi-effects unit further enhance creativity, making it a versatile tool for both composers and performers. Whether you’re looking to recreate iconic tracks or develop new soundscapes, the Korg T3 is a reliable companion for any musical journey.

Key Features:

  • 61-key velocity-sensitive keyboard
  • AI2 synthesis engine for realistic sound reproduction
  • Extensive sound library with a variety of presets
  • Integrated sequencer for complex arrangements
  • Multi-effects unit for sound enhancement
  • User-friendly interface for easy navigation and control
DKS SYNTH LAB

DKS SYNTH LAB

Korg T3 Combi Preset | No Talking |

Video thumbnail for Korg T3 Combi Preset | No Talking | by DKS SYNTH LAB

Korg T3 Combi Preset | No Talking |

DKS SYNTH LAB

DKS SYNTH LAB

Video thumbnail for KORG T3 (sound demonstration) by Keyboards - review - repair

KORG T3 (sound demonstration)

Keyboards - review - repair

Keyboards - review - repair

Video thumbnail for Korg t3 by ronaldo lopez

Korg t3

ronaldo lopez

ronaldo lopez

Video thumbnail for Iconic 90s Intro with Korg T3: Exploring the Magical Tone C01 PianoHaven! Rogelio Souza by Rogelio Souza

Iconic 90s Intro with Korg T3: Exploring the Magical Tone C01 PianoHaven! Rogelio Souza

Rogelio Souza

Rogelio Souza

Video thumbnail for KORG T3 (with MODERN LED backlight LCD) by Keyboards - review - repair

KORG T3 (with MODERN LED backlight LCD)

Keyboards - review - repair

Keyboards - review - repair

Video thumbnail for 😱😱Te sorprenderas,  Sonidos Legendarios Del Korg T3😱PARA//MUSIC STUDIO, BISMARK, KONTAKT Y OTROS//🎸🎷 by Recursos D.J Samples

😱😱Te sorprenderas, Sonidos Legendarios Del Korg T3😱PARA//MUSIC STUDIO, BISMARK, KONTAKT Y OTROS//🎸🎷

Recursos D.J Samples

Recursos D.J Samples

Reviews

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Korg T3.

Software and compatibility

  • Sysex Librarian on Mac is recommended for transferring dumps to the T3, praised for its ease of use and being free.

    Source

Setup and maintenance

  • To restore factory settings, a MIDI interface and software like MidiOx are necessary to send files to the T3.

    Source
  • A low internal lithium battery is causing memory loss; replacing it resolves the issue of sounds disappearing after power cycles.

    Source
  • Floppy disk backups can prevent data loss, though not all models have floppy drives, making a battery replacement critical for memory retention.

    Source

Other

  • Factory settings only exist in floppy disk format; finding them can be challenging due to limited availability.

    Source

Build quality

  • Some owners report that the micro switches under the buttons may need replacement over time, but the T3 is generally built like a tank.

    Source

Features and functionality

  • The T3 is essentially a Korg M1 with double the waveforms, a larger screen, and more sequencer memory, offering a richer sound experience.

    Source

Comparisons

  • Users find the T3's sound output to be superior to the M1, describing it as "bigger and better," with a fatter and warmer tone.

    Source

Use cases and applications

  • The T3's onboard effects are praised for their quality, even when compared to current keyboard models.

    Source

User experience

  • Some users have experienced issues with the micro switches, indicating the need for careful maintenance to ensure consistent performance.

    Source

4.5 out of 5

Based on 0 Reviews and 6 Ratings

5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star

Artist usage

Add artist
See how Bernard Sumner uses Korg T3

Bernard Sumner

Singer, Guitarist

Joy Division

...
Verified via Muzines

"We used S1000s; Korg T3; Juno 106; Prophet V; Voyetra Eight (best sounding poly analogue, but hard to program); DX5; Moog Source; MIDI Moog; Roland SH101 (red); Roland TR909; MT32; D110; Mac SE; Mac IIex; Sound Tools for stereo mastering, with Up Beat and Pro 4 for sequencing, though we have now changed to another sequencing package as neither of the two used previously worked correctly, a situation which I find extremely annoying."

See how Klaus Schulze uses Korg T3

Klaus Schulze

Guitarist, Bassist

Tangerine Dream

...
Verified via Muzines

"On the Korg T3 I utilised my own sounds, angel chorus, bright spacey tones, guitar sounds, using the Steinberg editor. The Prophet 2000 generated cello sounds and the often heard voice which pans from speaker to speaker. Also its built-in sequencing is useful in an emergency. The MiniMoog is great — such a cheap baby, but so warm, touch sensitive, and for the solo at the end of 'Ancient Ambience' so alive. The Zeck Audio 16-channel desk I had beside me for controlling the mix. It's a make from a German company who do amps and stuff. I bought it four months before the Festival Hall show because it had separate outputs for radio and TV broadcasts. These have to be very specific as I do a lot of European TV and radio now. It also has three effects send/returns — two for the MiniMoog (the ping-pong echoes heard in concert) and one for the Dynacord reverb unit.

See how Jan Hammer uses Korg T3

Jan Hammer

Keyboardist

The Mahavishnu Orchestra

...
Verified via Soundonsound

"I used wheels on the Moog and the DX7, and even had wheels installed on some of the early Korg instruments such as the T3 because I couldn't deal with the joystick. It was the same with some of the portable synths I used because they often made them with ribbon controllers, which are completely useless, so I had to add wheels to those. Now I'm using the new Korg instruments with the new joystick design and getting better tactile feedback than I got from the wheels. In the studio I still use wheels for certain parts, but on this tour with Jeff, I'm using only a Triton Extreme and I'm very happy with it."

See how Jens Johansson uses Korg T3

Jens Johansson

Keyboardist, Composer

Dio

...
Verified via Photo

"1989 I did my first tour with Jonas. I used the M12 and a rack with the dpx, IIRC. Later that year I joined Dio. We recorded Lock Up the Wolves and I used a lot of keyboards, almost all of what I had, but didn't end up using so much in the actual mix. For the Dio tour 1990 we had a T3EX that Korg lent us. I also bought the CX3 and a 117V 760 Leslie. The P6 and the DPX came to use again, as did the DX7 (yes, the same one) which was suspended from the ceiling and blown up every night (see story above)."

See how Martyn Ware uses Korg T3

Martyn Ware

Keyboardist

The Human League

...
Verified via Muzines

Instrument-wise, the S1000 inevitably features on the album, along with the EIII, and various other keyboards. A Mac II handles sequencing duties. "We've got a massive library for the EIII now, some great samples. We've spent 18 months sampling, so that's our main tool. We've also been using the Korg T3, and we've just got the new Roland D70, which is very good because it gives you much more of the analogue style live fader control, which is what you want. You don't want to read through manuals and alter every Partial — all that matters to the musician in the studio is that you can get the sound in your mind as quickly as possible."

See how Billy Currie uses Korg T3

Billy Currie

Keyboardist, Music Producer

Ultravox

...
Verified via Muzines

"I used a Korg T3 which belonged to Dead Or Alive, and that has a lot of good string sounds. Cubase was the main software package, although it wasn't used throughout, as there's not even timecode on some tracks. The Yamaha grand piano was there, and a Korg M1. I had a Fishman pickup on the viola, which is a fantastic English design, and a Barcus-Berry violin. I used my old Oberheim polysynth, and an Akai S900 sampler with a lot of 8-bit violin samples done for the first solo album, which were still perfectly good thank you very much! Then there's a D550 module, an Oberheim Matrix 1000, a lot of drum samples on an Akai S1000, some from an Alesis drum machine, some Prophet VS, a few bits from a Yamaha TX816 rack, and an OSCar solo on 'Ukraine'. I still use the Yamaha KX88 as the master keyboard because I like the touch, but it could do with more splits and it's not very easy to program. But there's less equipment here than on my first solo album — I hadn't really rushed out to buy any new equipment."

See how Jean Michel Andrè Jarre uses Korg T3

Jean Michel Andrè Jarre

...
Verified via Free

Albums which use KORG T3 : • Waiting for Cousteau

See how Pete Cannon uses Korg T3

Pete Cannon

Music Producer

...
Verified via YouTube

Pete uses the Korg T3 as his main controller for the Amiga. You can see it more closely at 9:44.

See how Andrew Farriss uses Korg T3

Andrew Farriss

Guitarist, Keyboardist

INXS

...
Verified via YouTube

As seen in this Video (at 1:10) he used a Korg T3 at Wembley Stadium 1991

See how Paul Taylor uses Korg T3

Paul Taylor

Guitarist, Keyboardist

Cinderella

...
Verified via YouTube

13 minutes and 35 seconds in, Paul Taylor is seen using a Korg T3 during Winger's performance of "Miles Away" live in Auburn Hills, Michigan on October 14, 1990. Documented by the YouTube user deadlie13.

See how Tommy Barbarella uses Korg T3

Tommy Barbarella

Keyboardist

The New Power Generation

...
Verified via Guitarcloud

Tommy Barbarella used a Korg T3 with Prince in the early to mid 1990s.

See how Paul Raymond uses Korg T3

Paul Raymond

Guitarist, Keyboardist

UFO

...
Verified via YouTube

Raymond had a Korg T3 in his keyboard rig during UFO's 1995 tour

Genre Usage

Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.

Used With

Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Korg T3, it is most commonly used with the following gear.

Akai S1000
Akai S1000 Audio Samplers
4
Yamaha NS10 Studio Monitor
Yamaha NS10 Studio Monitor Active & Passive Monitors
2
Apple Macintosh II
Apple Macintosh II Computers & Peripherals
2
Korg M1
Korg M1 Synthesizers
2
E-Mu UltraProteus
E-Mu UltraProteus Synthesizers & Sound Modules
1
Akai S3000XL
Akai S3000XL Audio Samplers
1
Akai S612
Akai S612 Audio Samplers
1
Steinberg Cubase
Steinberg Cubase Music Software
1

More Korg Synthesizers

Korg Minilogue

$411.00 - $699.99

# 10

Rank

Aphex Twin King Krule Misha Mansoor
132 artists using
Korg MicroKORG

$389.00 - $538.00

# 16

Rank

Kevin Parker Frank Iero Trent Reznor
324 artists using
Korg MS-20 Mini

$498.95 - $899.99

# 20

Rank

Kevin Parker Mike Shinoda Deadmau5
92 artists using
Korg Volca Bass

$119.99 - $159.99

# 38

Rank

Richie Hawtin Eric Avery Amir Derakh
39 artists using
Korg microKORG XL+

$425.00 - $749.99

# 54

Rank

JPEGMAFIA Neil Cicierega Dayglow
19 artists using
Korg PolySix

$42.26 - $99.99

# 74

Rank

Frank Ocean Roland Orzabal Benny Blanco
73 artists using
Korg microKORG S

$444.00 - $749.99

# 90

Rank

Stu Mackenzie SEMATARY Arca
10 artists using
Korg MS-20

$1,349.99 - $1,399.99

 
Thom Yorke Matthew Bellamy Aphex Twin
247 artists using
Korg Wavestate

$549.99 - $649.99

 
Jordan Rudess Vangelis Jean Michel Jarre
8 artists using
Korg Opsix

$329.00 - $422.58

 
Damon Albarn The Chemical Brothers Illangelo
12 artists using
Korg Karma

$14.99 - $240.27

 
Phil Collins Rick Wakeman Herbie Hancock
29 artists using

Community setups

Similar

Gear Guides