WaveStation A/D © 1991 Korg
The WaveStation A/D is the powerful rack-mount variant of the groundbreaking WaveStation keyboard series. Housed in a robust 2U chassis, it retains the large, highly praised graphical LCD screen and the core synthesis architecture of the original keyboard—including Advanced Vector Synthesis and Wave Sequencing.
The defining feature that sets the "A/D" model apart from the rest of the family is its dual Analog-to-Digital (A/D) inputs on the back panel. This interface allows musicians to feed external audio sources—such as guitars, vocals, microphones, or external synthesizers—directly into the internal vector synthesis engine. Rather than just passing through a basic effects loop, these incoming analog signals can be treated exactly like internal PCM digital waveforms. They can be dynamically morphed using the front-panel vector joystick, modulated by internal LFOs, and deeply transformed through the onboard dual-digital multi-effects processors.
The WaveStation A/D also expanded the internal memory capacity of the line, coming factory-equipped with 4 Megabytes of PCM ROM (the same expansion pool that would later form the basis of the WaveStation EX keyboard), providing a vastly broader palette of acoustic, vocal, and percussive wave sequences out of the box.
The Vocoder Powerhouse: Because it possesses true external audio inputs paired with Korg’s premium internal digital signal processing (DSP), the A/D is the only model in the WaveStation lineage capable of running high-quality, real-time vocoding effects on external vocals.
Spatial Performance: To compensate for the missing physical keyboard joystick, Korg engineers implemented a unique feature: external MIDI controllers (like modulation wheels or tracking pads) can be assigned to map out the X/Y Cartesian coordinates of the Vector envelope, letting players morph external audio in real-time.
The Industrial Standard: The A/D’s ability to process and heavily distort real-world organic sounds through complex digital wave sequences made it an absolute favorite among industrial rock, darkwave, and ambient techno producers in the early to mid-1990s.
Input-Driven Sequencing: While standard models only crossfaded static internal samples, the A/D allowed live external audio inputs to step through an active "Wave Sequence" rhythmic gate, essentially acting as an advanced, synchronized rhythmic slicer and filter processor ahead of its time.