KORG is again moving a big volume of gear through Reverb.com on a steep discount, with the SQ-64 polyphonic sequencer at US$199.99 (40% off). Other US retailers appear to have similar discounts and there are other low prices worldwide.
Apologies to Europeans facing jacked-up energy bills – this deal as described to us is USA-only. Reverb.com in the US has a 40% sale. It also appears some other US retailers are matching the price, whether in response to the sale or if in fact it’s non-exclusive.
Updated: in Europe and the UK, we do see some discounts which – accounting for the weak Euro and GBP, VAT, and import duty all basically still give us a decent deal. Your pricing may vary where you are; let us know.
The SQ-64 is a USB + MIDI + analog sequencer. That’s true of devices like the Arturia BeatStep Pro, too, but the SQ-64’s draw is clear – you get multiple tracks, analog and digital I/O, and dedicated controls for all the steps. That’s a massive array of 16 x 4 buttons with LEDs on the main panel.
And it’s clear this will hold special appeal to modular owners. The “1-bar noodle on endless repeat” phenomenon has gripped many a Eurorack modular performer who was lacking a decent sequencer.
It also boasts some bundled software and extra playback modes – Reverse, Bounce, Random, and Stochastic – though not as many options as the drumlogue now offers, to be fair.
But yeah, you can sync this with analog or digital gear – including the sync in and out on volca and the ‘logues, including that new drum machine. In standalone mode, it becomes effectively an analog-to-digital converter or MIDI-to-CV converter – plugged into USB, it’s a MIDI and CV converter (in and out) to the computer.
What we don’t know is what prompted these sudden sales, and what the KORG dealers would think of them. I had a couple of readers complain about quality issues with the previous sale on opsix (which CDM did not cover), but as far as I know, those were resolved.
You’ll also see the store is listed as the Melville, New York “warehouse outlet” – that is literally where KORG USA normally keeps their inventory (and other operations).
Sweetwater and other US retailers have some discounts, too, readers are telling us. Sweetwater has a bundle with cables, too.
It’s a great-looking device, so if you do pick it up, please let us know how it goes for you.
https://www.korg.com/us/products/dj/sq_64/
KORG USA Warehouse Outlet – Korg SQ64 Polyphonic Step Sequencer- US Shipping Only [Reverb.com]