Welcome to this week's episode of TDL Synth Chat!
In this show, I'm joined by Luke Edwards from Korg UK — product specialist, demonstrator, sound designer, and the face behind many of Korg's official synth demos.
Luke shares his journey into music, his background in classical training, his early sequencing days with the Atari ST, and how he eventually joined Roland and later Korg. We also dive into his experiences working with R&D, creating presets, demoing new synths, programming techniques, favourite Korg instruments, and what it's like to work behind the scenes on new products.
Whether you're into Korg workstations, Wave State, Modwave, Multi/Poly, analogue classics, or just love hearing inside stories from a synth pro — this one's packed with great insight.
00:00 – Introduction
00:05 – Luke Edwards from Korg UK joins the show
00:12 – Luke's role as Korg product ambassador
00:18 – Getting into music and early influences
01:05 – Discovering the Modwave and starting sound design
01:30 – Atari ST sequencing days & first Korg module
02:28 – Classical training, orchestras & music college
03:43 – Early gear, learning without YouTube, and Sound On Sound
04:55 – Exploring MIDI sequencing and layering sounds
06:02 – Working within limitations and learning sound design
07:10 – Studying at the Royal College of Music
08:03 – Luke's first job at Harrods piano department
08:22 – Joining Roland and early demo work
09:46 – Learning synthesis, VSynth, and the steep learning curve
10:52 – Moving to Korg & demoing the Kronos
12:05 – How Luke approaches learning a new synth
13:23 – Deconstructing patches and finding "the DNA" of an instrument
14:10 – Building balanced demos for broad audiences
15:52 – Tailoring demonstrations & knowing your audience
16:37 – The breadth of Korg products & switching between engines
17:49 – Revisiting FM synthesis for the Opsix
18:18 – Working with Korg R&D ahead of product launches
19:03 – Timelines for new products & early prototypes
20:06 – Using software/plug-in dev versions during development
21:02 – Vintage gear testing (PS-3300 sessions)
21:55 – Korg Museum and analog reissues
22:15 – Thoughts on classic Korg instruments
23:20 – DW-8000 terminology and vintage quirks
24:01 – Modern focus vs vintage gear support
25:01 – Workstations vs smaller dedicated synths
26:05 – Why physical controls still matter
27:02 – Multiple versions of Korg digital synths (SE, desktop, native)
28:04 – Using hardware + native plug-ins in production
29:03 – Exporting bundles & cross-device workflow
30:02 – Favourite Korg products: Kronos & Wave State
31:06 – Wave sequencing & Wave Station legacy
32:44 – Making wave sequencing accessible
33:23 – Demonstrating programming vs presets
34:16 – Five-minute tutorials & famous sound recreations
35:07 – Why recognisable patches matter
36:13 – Workshops, training days & meeting different user needs
37:02 – On-the-road demos and tailoring to different skill levels
38:03 – Working with dealers & different video styles
39:02 – Favourite classic Korg synths (01/W, Wave Station, M1 era)
40:12 – Triton/Karma memories & Moss board discussion
41:27 – Z1, Prophecy, and potential future reissues
42:03 – Programming Moss and limitations of older interfaces
43:22 – Karma GE programming—powerful but complex
44:10 – Workstation combi mode vs personal creativity
45:21 – Feeding market feedback back to R&D
46:07 – Why Korg caters to all types of musicians
47:03 – Sound quality, factory presets & Korg's reputation
47:52 – Where to find Luke online
48:29 – Evolution of demos, dealer videos & YouTube styles
49:02 – The state of music shops today
50:07 – Hardware vs software and why instruments matter
51:05 – The value of in-person synth shows
51:34 – Wrapping up – future appearances & thanks to Luke
