Korg iElectribe Gorillaz Edition released for iPad

The Gorillaz Edition of Korg's iElectribe certainly has the band's signature look.
The Gorillaz Edition of Korg's iElectribe certainly has the band's signature look.

Korg has released a special Gorillaz version of its iElectribe iPad app that enables you to remix parts from the band's latest album.

Featuring 128 Gorillaz sounds and 64 preset patterns that come directly from The Fall, the Gorillaz album that was produced on an iPad, the app also retains all the main features of the standard iElectribe. What's more, the first 10,000 customers can buy the app for £5.99 - the standard price has yet to be determined.

You can buy the Korg iElectribe Gorillaz Edition from the App Store - read on for the official press release.

Korg Korg iElectribe Gorillaz Edition press release

Korg has teamed up with the hugely popular virtual band Gorillaz to create a new dedicated beatbox for the iPad: The iElectribe Gorillaz Edition.

Product Highlights:

KORG + Gorillaz = iElectribe Gorillaz Edition
128 Gorillaz sounds, created using the iElectribe synthesizer engine
64 Preset Patterns accurately reproduce some of the finest Gorillaz grooves from their latest album The Fall

The world's most successful virtual band, Gorillaz was formed in 1998 by bass-slaying mastermind Murdoc Niccals, vacant pretty-boy singer 2D, Japanese girl guitarist Noodle and hardman drummer Russel Hobbs. In March 2001, Gorillaz released their debut album Gorillaz to international acclaim and in 2005 Gorillaz cemented their reputation for musical and visual innovation with their Grammy nominated second album Demon Days. 2010 saw the release of the band's third album Plastic Beach ahead of nominations at the 2011 Brit and Grammy awards. The band's latest album The Fall was gifted to their fanclub on Christmas Day 2010 and will be released on vinyl for Record Store Day on April 16th, ahead of a CD/digital download release on April 18th.

In 2010, the Korg iElectribe was released simultaneously with the Apple iPad, capturing the number-one position in iPad music apps worldwide. Gorillaz latest album The Fall was produced on an iPad using iElectribe and as a result, KORG and Gorillaz have now joined forces to create the new iElectribe Gorillaz Edition!

2D: I was just trying things out with the iELECTRIBE...pushing the buttons up and down and humming over the top…I sat on my phone at one point and it started interfering...the signal started clicking…so I looped that up and made a rhythm…and then hummed over that…then did some clapping on it..and ..yeah …Uhmm, so…I..did it on an iPad using all the music apps. I might do another one in a bit…

KORG + Gorillaz = iElectribe Gorillaz Edition

While retaining the intuitive beat-making features of the iElectribe, the special Gorillaz Edition is a new machine that's been customized to generate Gorillaz samples from The Fall which allow the user to create music in a wide variety of musical styles. Creative, fun, and up-to-date, this app will be enjoyed both by Gorillaz fans, as well as by modern musicians everywhere.

128 Gorillaz Sounds

The synthesizer engine features a carefully chosen selection of sounds that were actually used in the latest Gorillaz album, The Fall. There are eight parts, categorized by instrumental category. Each part provides 16 sounds, delivering a total of 128 sounds. The Gorillaz Wave function lets you use the 16 step buttons to switch sounds, intuitively manipulating the sounds as part of your musical performance.

64 Gorillaz Grooves

A total of 64 ready-to-use pre-programmed patterns are provided. This includes 32 patterns recreated from the most recent Gorillaz album The Fall, plus 32 remix patterns created exclusively for the iElectribe Gorillaz Edition. The sound team behind all of the patterns includes Stephen Sedgwick, who co-produced the fourth album Gorillaz album The Fall, as well as Korg's highly-regarded sound team.

Limited Edition!

A limited run of 10,000 of the KORG iElectribe Gorillaz Edition for iPad will be available for purchase as download from the Apple App Store (inside the iTunes Store) at a very special price of USD9.99 for units.

* Sales beyond 10,000 units are yet to be determined (as of April 18, 2011).

KORG iElectribe Gorillaz Edition Specifications

Sound Engine:
PCM Synthesizer; 128 PCM Samples; 8 parts x 16 types

Instrument Voices (Parts):
8 total: 8 PCM synthesizer parts

Effect Section:
Master Effect: Assignable per step/per part
8 Effect Types: Short Delay, BPM Sync Delay, Grain Shifter, Reverb, Chorus/Flanger, Filter, Talking Modulator, Decimator

Sequencer Section:
Patterns: 64 steps maximum per part
(Motion Sequencing can memorize all knob motions in a pattern)
Tempo: 20-300BPM (with Tap tempo and Swing function), Pattern-set function
*iElectribe has no "Song" function

Pattern Memory:
160 Total:
32 preset patterns x 2 banks;
32 blank patterns x 3 banks

Other:
Virtual Valve Force Tube Modeling
Audio Export feature:
Bounce Pattern, Real-Time Recording (16-Bit / 44.1 kHz Stereo WAV format)
Publish and share songs online with the SoundCloud music distribution site
Supports WIST (Wireless Sync-Start Technology)
Supports "AudioCopy" function
Supports performance and controls on an external USB-MIDI device
(via the Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit)

Ben Rogerson
Deputy Editor

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.