NAMM 2023: Korg EK-50U and EK-50CSA - Sand, software and sound

The slow NAMM 2023 roll-out continues. Today, it’s Korg, again.

Korg are introducing two new models in the 61-key Entertainer Keyboard line.

The EK-50 U focuses on musical genres with “American roots”, that is, jazz, country, alternative, dance and rock. Korg breaks down the main features:

New styles
New sounds: electric and acoustic guitars, electric basses, brass, and drum kits
Performance record mode
Built-in amplification and speakers: 2x10W, 2x120mm dual-cone
Add-on styles from the Korg library
Operation on eight AA batteries (optional)
Song playback: MP3, WAV, Standard MIDI File
USB TO DEVICE and USB TO HOST ports
Weight: 16.5 pounds (7.5kg)

Street price (MAP) is $500USD. The EK-50 U and its sister are positioned in the high entry-level niche (i.e., against the Yamaha PSR-E473 and PSR-EW425).

Korg EK-50 CSA Entertainer Keyboard (don’t say “arranger”)

The EK-50 CSA focuses on Central and South America (“CSA”). It, too, has new styles and new sounds. New sounds include trumpets, saxophones, brass, guitar, bass and regional instruments like sampoña, quena and charango.

Both instruments have new speaker grill colors so I guess you can tell them apart if you own more than one. 🙂 I’m not real fond of the blue, Korg.

Listening to the audio demos, I would give the edge to the EK-50 CSA. The USA styles sound like… Well, they sound like an arranger playing rock and roll. I’ll bet the CSA out-sells the U simply due to anti-arranger bias.

BTW, the term “American” encompasses North, Central and South America. A bit chauvinistic or at least geography challenged. 🙂 “CSA” sometimes has a whole ‘nother meaning in the USA.