KORG INC, Arden Audio Musical Instrument (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., founded in Japan in 1962, is the world's top electronic musical instrument brand, a highly influential brand in the field of keyboard synthesizers, and an enterprise dedicated to the research and development, design, production and sales of electronic keyboards and other musical instruments
In 1962, Tsutomu Katoh and Tadashi Osanai co-founded Keio Gijutsu Kenkyujo Ltd, the predecessor of KORG. Since its founding in 1962, KORG has made it its credo to give new experiences to music creation and live performance.
In 1963, the company's first product, the DoncaMatic DA-20 drum machine, was born, and the Donca in its name was taken from the sound of the drum machine. Due to the good sales of the DA-20, a transistor version of the DoncaMatic DE-20 was released in 1966. DoncaMatic is not only significant to KORG, but also to contemporary music as a pioneer of drum machines in Asia. Gorillaz, the famous all-star virtual band, even named their 2010 EP after DoncaMatic, and used Katoh's vocal samples telling DoncaMatic in their songs.
The KORG logo makes its debut
In 1967, Fumio Mieda, an engineer who wanted to make a keyboard product, came to meet Katoh. Impressed by Mieda's enthusiasm, Katoh agreed to commission him to build a prototype. Eighteen months later, Mieda returns with a programmable organ that she has developed in-house. This organ is also the first product to be officially branded with the KORG trademark (the brand name KORG is a combination of the initials of the founder's name, Katoh, Osanai, and the RG in Organ).
Entered the field of synthesizers
The company's organ products achieved great results in the late 60's and early 70's. However, given the fierce competition among the many large companies in the organ manufacturing industry, Katoh decided to use the technology he had cultivated in organ manufacturing to enter the booming synthesizer market.
In 1973, KORG's first synthesizer product, the miniKORG, was born. Throughout the '70s, KORG's synthesizer offerings were basically divided into two categories: entry-level synthesizers for the average hobbyist, and expensive and bulky modular products (such as the PS series modular synthesizers).
Innovation and the future
KORG is known for its forward-thinking inventions and flagship products, many of which have influenced modern music performance and have become standard features: the "transpose" function, which can quickly change the pitch of a performance; The first synthesizer product with built-in effects.Over the course of its long and continuous development, KORG's product line has gradually expanded to include digital effects, mixers, recording equipment, electronic percussion and software instruments, and has achieved good results in all fields.
In 1992, KORG acquired the legendary British musical instrument brand VOX. And with the help of its own technical advantages in the field of electronic musical instruments and VOX classic British bloodline to integrate and innovate.
KORG will always insist on creating innovative, high-quality products that provide inspiration for professional musicians and music lovers alike.KORG's products will always be the best embodiment of the user's philosophy and values that love and trust our artists.
