Korg M1: 21 Iconic Riffs You Know (But Forgot Existed!)

Pure nostalgia and pure presets: the Korg M1 — one of the most recognisable keyboards of all time — and 21 famous parts you’ve definitely heard on records.

This is the talky companion to my YouTube riffs video. In the video I reveal the song name + the preset before I play each part, so this isn’t a guessing game. It’s more like: here’s the sound, why it matters, and what to listen for.

Important note: these are M1 recreations / M1-style parts. That doesn’t automatically mean the original record used only a Korg M1 — many tracks were layered with other synths, samplers and effects. The goal here is to spotlight the signature M1 character: Piano 16’, Organ 2, Choir, pads, and that famous Slap Bass.

If you want a Part 3, tell me what to include: artist + track + the exact section you want recreated (timestamp appreciated).

Intro

Black Box — I Don’t Know Anybody Else — I01 Piano 16'
Robin S — Luv 4 Luv — I17 Organ 2
N-Joi — Anthem — I01 Piano 16'
Sabrina Johnston — Peace — I01 Piano 16'
Nightcrawlers — Surrender Your Love — I17 Organ 2
Kraze — The Party — I01 Piano 16'
49ers — Touch Me — I01 Piano 16'
Sandra — Hiroshima — I00 Universe
Tasmin Archer — Sleeping Satellite — I30 Lore
Law & Order Theme — I46 Slap Bass
Madonna — Vogue — I01 Piano 16'
Aerosmith — Janie’s Got a Gun — I46 Slap Bass
OMD — Sailing on the Seven Seas — I00 Universe (not confirmed)
OMD — Pandora’s Box — I23 Choir
OMD — Call My Name — I23 Choir
Awesome 3 — Don’t Go — I01 Piano 16'
Dream Frequency — Feel So Real — I01 Piano 16'
M.A.N.I.C. — I’m Comin’ Hardcore — I01 Piano 16'
Jaydee — Plastic Dreams — I17 Organ 2
Playahitty — The Summer Is Magic — I17 Organ 2
Whigfield — Gimmie Gimmie — I17 Organ 2

Summary

A fast, talky companion to my YouTube riffs video: 21 instantly recognisable Korg M1-style hooks with the presets explained and called out up front.

🎧 More Synth Icons episodes:

·       Hohner Clavinet D6 – Famous Riffs You Instantly Know

·       Roland Jupiter-4 – Famous Riffs You Know (But Didn’t Realise Were Jupiter-4)

·       Korg M1 – Famous Riffs You Know (But Didn’t Realise Were M1)

🔧 Work with Andy

·       Production, mixing & mastering: https://www.andywhitmore.com/

·       Studio: https://greystokestudio.com/

📲 Connect with Andy

·       YouTube: @AndyWhitmore

·       Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andywhitmore2014/

·       Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndyWhitmoreMusic

·       TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@andywhitmore9583

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome back. Today's Pure Nostalgia and Pure Presets, the Core Game One. One of the most recognizable keywords of all time and 21 famous parts you've definitely heard on records. This podcast is the talking companion to my YouTube wrist video. In the video, I reveal the song name and the preset before I play each part, so this isn't a guessing game. It's more like here's the sound, here's why it matters, and here's what to listen for. Quick note before we start. What you're about to hear are M1 recreations of recognizable parts. That doesn't automatically mean the original record used only a Korg M1. A lot of classic tracks are layered with other synth samplers and effects. Sometimes nobody documented the chain. My goal here is to spotlight the signature M1 character, the piano, the organ, the choir, the pads, and those instantly identifiable basses. Alright, let's go through them. Black Box, I don't know anybody else. Robin S, Love for Love, Internal Seventeen, Organ Two Enjoy Anthem Internal One Piano Sixteen. Sabrina Johnson Peace. This uses the piano sound. Tasman Archer, sleeping satellite, internal thirty, law. Theme song. This uses the internal forty six slap bass. Madonna Vogue, the piano sound. I forty six slap bass. Orchestra maneuvers in the dark, sailing the seven seas, and this uses the universe internal double zero sound. All some three don't go the piano. The piano sounds like a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit. And that's the set. 21 Korg M1 parts with the presets called up front. If you want a part three, tell me what to include. Artist track and exact section you want me to recreate. If you can add a timestamp, even better. If you're watching on YouTube, the Rifts video is a perfect companion to this podcast. And if you're listening on audio only, subscribe because I've only got classic synth dives and iconic sound episodes coming. Thanks for listening.