Summary - Audio quality is excellent. There is no hint of noise or artefacts in the recording process anywhere, bar perhaps one sample where I noticed a little back ground hiss, but sure that's just the original synth. A lot of the samples do sound rather dry as they have been recorded without any effects straight from the synthesisers in question without additional processing. Many of the sounds certainly come to life a little more with the addition of some effects, even just a touch of reverb.

Production wise this is another excellent sample CD from Back in Time, and there is little to add from that said in the Volume 2 review in that in one CD you have the sounds from 15 years or so of the Korg Family of synthesisers. One realises how quickly sonic manipulation has progressed within that period and onwards ever more since. Once again had a lot of enjoyment from playing around with these sounds from the synths of yesteryear.

There are a lot of classic analogue and digital synthesiser sounds here from some great Korg machines, from the 700S to the Wavestation if your looking for some synth sounds you'll find some here for sure. Mixed in though are some rather blander sounds, through no fault of the producers mind, it's just the machines that they were sampled from.

The multi-sampling allows the producers to provide a very accurate representation of the machines being sampled, and this being a CD-ROM release does make it quick and easy to load up a sound. One advantage also for many of the sounds from analogue machines is that one can play them polyphonically as well.

My only real concern is to who the release will appeal to most, if your just after classical "analogue" sounds then yes they are here, but also mixed in with more latter day sounds. If your looking for more complex sounds,original ideas or inspiration then again the there are some here but again mixed in with simpler analogue sounds that have been heard before. Perhaps it could best be summarised is that everyone can find sounds here that they can use but maybe how many is an issue.

Anyone though who is interested in the "synthesiser sound" if there is such a thing, would be well advised to put this release on their wanted list. It's an accurate snapshot of a range of Korg machines and you'll get a lot of enjoyment as well as use from "playing" these vintage and not so vintage machines. Of the two volumes I would rate the second Volume 2 slightly higher, I feel there are slightly more good usable sounds contained in that volume. But certainly if one volume appeals to you then the other one will too as well.

Overall - History of the synth on one CD - 7.5/10