Everything about the KORG PME-40X (Professional Modular Effects)

[Pepe]

INDEX

• Introduction

• The pedal-historical context

soon: Early multi-effect concepts

Much more to follow! New parts will be published throughout the coming months.

Please feel free to post any questions, contributions and corrections in the discussion thread.

[Pepe]

The world of vintage effects is full of hidden gems, but few systems remain as enigmatic, widely unknown and partially misunderstood as the KORG PME-40X Professional Modular Effects. Launched in 1983, it was the last and most sophisticated analogue multi-effect system of its kind before the dawn of the digital era. It was a compact studio-quality machine with a clever concept and at an affordable price. A perfect tool not only for guitarists, but also for keyboard and synthesizer players, thanks to its superior design. But despite its unique and wonderful sounding effect modules it vanished from the spotlight far too quickly.

As a long-time collector, user and admirer of this pedal system I believe it is high time to give the KORG PME-40X the attention and reputation it deserves.

Many people know me as a die-hard KORG enthusiast and an avid collector of vintage KORG synthesizers and effects. The KORG PME-40X pedalboard, that was supported with 15 different effect modules, combines the best of both worlds. The series was developed in 1983 by Hiroaki Nishijima, the mastermind behind synthesizers like the iconic KORG MS-20, Σ (Sigma), Z3 Guitar Synthesizer and many other inventive creations.

Nishijima-san benefited from having learned a lot from his tutor, legendary Fumio Mieda, the inventor not only of the earliest KORG synthesizers¹, but also of the groundbreaking Shin-Ei Uni-Vibe effect pedal that was prominently used by Jimi Hendrix. As he stated in an interview, Nishijima-san was surprised when he studied Mieda-san’s design sketches on his first days at KORG. The creative approach of using and combining electronic parts differed a lot from what he had learned at the university.

This unconventional approach can also be found in the PME series. Some effect modules have been developed in a superbly creative way. And some of them offer options and sounds unmatched in the analogue world to this day. Models like the KOT-401 Octave V and KWS-301 Wave Shaper are absolutely unique both in sound and function. Clever combinations of PME effect modules lead to sonic adventures that you cannot find elsewhere. The PME-40X is more than just a multi-effect – it is a testament to an era of uncompromising analogue creativity.

This aims to be the ultimate and most complete KORG PME-40X report ever written.

I am deeply honoured to include exclusive information and technical insights provided by Hiroaki Nishijima himself. This collaboration was made possible through Hideki Ishikawa, director and founder of muséeKORG. Having Nishijima-san personally answer my questions and share his original design thoughts has been one of the most remarkable experiences of my life. His invaluable input ensures that this report provides the most accurate and detailed look at the PME system ever published.


¹ This led to a fundamental transformation of the KEIO corporation to one of the world’s market leading manufacturer of musical instruments (Keio + Organ = KORG).

[Pepe]

When the first mass-produced pedals conquered the guitar world, many of them came in large, bulky enclosures, such as the Electro Harmonix Big Muff Pi or the Maestro Mini-Phase, whose 'Mini' name was absurd given its massive footprint. Since the small circuit boards in these early pedals did not strictly require so much space, it is fair to say that these oversized boxes served more as status symbols. The Colorsound pedals with their '60s action-comic-style graphics exuded a strong attitude. Yet these early effects remained very expensive and very few non-professional guitarists owned more than a pair of them.

By the mid-'70s manufacturers like MXR began establishing pedals in a significantly more compact form and with a much lower price tag. This shift paved the way for the iconic BOSS compact pedals, which are still manufactured to this day with few significant changes.

At the same time a few groundbreaking effects saw the light of day, such as overdrive and distortion circuits that offered completely different sounds than the saturated roar of early fuzz pedals. The triumph of microelectronics in the mid-'70s marked, on the one hand, a breakthrough for computers for the common user and, on the other, for high-quality effects for the everyday musician. This had a profound impact on the music scene of the early '80s, because impressive effects like flanger, chorus and delay – previously only possible in a studio with incredibly expensive and often delicate machines – now came in a small pedal format that was much more affordable and reliable due to micro-sized bucket brigade delay (BBD) chips.

Guitarists all over the world began exploring all these new sounds and incorporating them in their music styles. Suddenly an ambitious musician needed more than just a fuzz pedal to impress the audience.

This birthed a new dilemma, one that modern players exploring the possibilities of single effects know all too well. Multiple individual pedals, however compact they may be, require their own batteries or power supplies and must be linked with quality patch cables. Nowadays you can easily buy pedalboards of different sizes, many featuring high-performance power supplies for almost any voltage. But the landscape of the late '70s and the beginning of the '80s was a different story!

Any owner of three or even more pedals has surely cursed a dead battery more than once, having forgotten to unplug an input jack. Relying on mains power often meant buying a separate adapter for every single pedal, transforming every stage into a tangled tripping hazard. That called for a new solution, and thus, the multi-effect was born.