Korg EX-8000 (DW-8000 Rack) DWGS Hybrid Synthesizer

[FallingForThePacific]

i found a DW8000 in the back of an appartement buildings trash bin area about 3 months ago :D

i didnt realize the thing actually worked until yesterday... the left output didnt make any sound.. i guess i assumed the right and phones didnt either.... boy was i wrong

:]

[LSPhilos]

Love the video. I really love the wah sort of sound that lasts around 2 seconds at 8:53. Can you tell me what you did to get that sound?

[ElectricalWorshiper]

Glorious.



[HatredPrime]

Somehow I like more Korg synths than yamaha and rolands , Korgs from that era have those clean dark and agressive filters.

[HatredPrime]

''bang for a buck'' synth, massive unison modes and dark sound , best synth in his price range , cons : 64 preset memory

[keybladekid0]

How much is this worth?

[ezt123dp]

Ok I have a question, how do you connect a rack synth to an external keyboard and then connect to the amp? I'm stumped about this.

[itorres008]

@ezt123dp I figure you may already have found out, but anyhow... The connection between KB and synth rack(or other KBs) is made via MIDI (music instrument digital interface). Explained in the *simplest terms*, the special MIDI cable transmits information about keys you press, velocity, pedal presses, etc. - there is no sound involved. The rack receives the key information from the KB and IT produces the sound according to the patch selected on it. The rack audio output goes to an amp.

[EFKA526]

lecker!

[gridsleep]

Hellspark: Korg Legacy collection is available on Korg User Net for two franklins. LegacyCell, M1, MDE-X, Mono/Poly, MS-20, PolySix, and Wavestation. That what you talking about?

[GoranPunkt]

Erst wenn man ein Gerät wie dieses hier z.B. im Vergleich zu neueren Gerät hört bzw. spielt, weiß man was wirkliche Gänsehaut verursacht !!! ;-)

Einfach Geil !!!

[brandonelliot]

So does this have an arpeggiator??? I thought the rack version didn't, but I hear it between 00:45-1:15... Were you running a sequencer???

[retrosound72]

@brandonelliot

external arpeggiator

[kreeper6]

Please tell me 1:38 is a factory patch!

[carriersignal]

The filters in this machine sound very organic and alive. I'd love to have one. Is there editing software available via midi for this synth? 

[retrosound72]

@carriersignal

yes with Emagic Sound Diver

[gridsleep]

@retrosound72 Pfeh...if you can find a copy. Thanks, Apple, for burying the competition. What was that bit about becoming what we most fear? Apple is Big Brother, now.

[gridsleep]

@retrosound72 However, there is Sound Quest's MIDIQuest, which does pretty much was SoundDiver did but with all the modern conveniences, like cross platform and 64-bit support for all platforms.

[somorejuicy]

@carriersignal Also, Midi Quest XL is a great option. It allows you to edit patches on the computer, store and switch out patch banks on the fly, and supports just about any midi capable device you can think of. Straight plug and pla too, which is always nice.

[carriersignal]

The filters in this machine sound very organic and alive. I'd love to have one. Is there editing software available via midi for this synth?

[wintersunproject]

the waveforms are DWGS single cycle digitally recreated waveforms, like on the synclavier so they are not strictly samples, they are digitally generated and scan back and forth very quickly just like a VCO, in fact it is a hybrid VCO, hence the stupendouly massive sounds which come from it. its defintely not a PCM sample playback thats for sure. Its a very missunderstood synthesizer, and incredibly underated, its got as big a sound as my jupiter 8 had,

[Hammeron2M]

If there are are analogue filters and components do capacitors need to be replaced as with some older components?Electrolytic can style capacitors can dry out over time.This affects performance and I think would cause other circuit components to be destroyed wich preventative maintenace may have been able to avoid.Just a question to throw out there.Thanks.

[offroadrc]

i have an dw 6000 this is much better

[pierstheoneandonly]

The DW-8000 had a great filter and REAL oscillators, it's a crucial distinction. I sold my DX7ll and D-50 and kept this. All great boards but the DW had that combination of warmth and power. Heh! I agree, it IS like a poor man's PPG or maybe Prophet VS - and that's to its credit!

[rattu123]

Don't take me wrong, I hate to say this, but there are no real oscillators on the DW. They are waveform samples, its power comes from the VCF indeed.

[ToxicBrainSludge]

@pierstheoneandonly what do you mean by 'real'? they are digital wavetables.

[ToxicBrainSludge]

This synth is awesome. I bought one about five years ago, and don't get around to messing with it as much as I'd like. The sound of the filter melds perfectly with the digital oscs, and sounds smooth and natural (with less resonance). The digital delay is tons of fun and sounds thick. You can hit a single note with the feedback up, and mess with the filter and lfo speed/depth for the delay and create some dark pulsing drones that evolve forever into totally different

(thick) sounds. Love this.

[maccagrabme]

@pierstheoneandonly I wouldn't have sold a D50 or DX7 for this, I love the DW sound but the other two are absolutely unique synth classics and would compliment the DW perfectly thats why I still have them. Its weird but this sounds quite like a Jupiter 8 in places, best brass pads I've heard on a synth this price.

[MASCHINENMUSIKREC]

nice demo, show that these old korgs still rock.

i have just bought one ( the DW 8000 keyboard )myself . after lusting for it looong time.

;)

[MacXpert74]

Surprisingly warm sounding for a digital osc synth. I guess those analog filters really make all the difference here.

[WINSTANLEYOBXa]

Poor mans PPG

[Peligrin1]

whats a PPG? I thought it was a poor mans OBX A or CS 80?

[douro20]

I'm probably going to get a DW-8000 soon.

[hellspark]

5 words.

Korg Legacy Collection Hybrid Edition.

We're waiting, Korg!

[RetroSoundsDA]

very nice, i love the pads this can produce.

and the strings are quite good as well.

[sanshuz]

Can someone tell me what a module is

[Visionism]

A synth with no keyboard. You control it with an external MIDI controller or a sequencer.

[ccricers]

I bought one of these, was in great condition but DOA. Even tried to replace the fuse with an exact same one that it was made for, and still burned it out. Too bad because I like the pads sounding from it, and really wanted this as my first synth and didn't have much money. (note to self: ASK THE SELLER TO TEST IT BEFORE BUYING OLD SYNTHS!)

[AsTheWorldChurns]

Scavenge the net for the BATTERY! This synth, like my DW8000 is over two decades old, and not only needs the internal battery to retain patches, but to get ANY sound. Luckily though, my DW still works as a midi controller w a dead battery LOL

[AsTheWorldChurns]

This old (over 2 decades) synth needs a NEW BATTERY. Scour the net. Without it, not only will it not retain patches, but it won't work at all

[douro20]

The one I just got needs a little bit of work (some cleaning mainly) but it sounds great...I'm surprised it worked with the original memory backup battery.

[elknufrag]

i love thick pads but all the bands i play for just want the usual keyboards. WHERE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT LIKE SYNTHS! i'm having to learn to play piano. i like synths cuz all you need is the sound lol.

[hartig1967]

yo, die guten sounds der 80er...

hatte ganz vergessen wie das teil klingt.

klasse !

[retrosound72]

Der DW/EX-8000 ist total unterschätzt.

[gridsleep]

@retrosound72 For my fellow uncultured Americans, Unterschätzt means "under-loved", unappreciated or, more commonly, underrated. Just FYI.

[exceptionmusic]

another kickass video.. this synth is better than i remember!

[monosound81]

I just bought one the other day. My first ever synth. it's been a blast

[SynthWho]

Sounds really nice.

They're not very common on Ebay in the UK though, there seem to be quite a few in the US.

[xnonsuchx]

Just needed to add another note...

The DW-8000 (at the time) was the cleanest-sounding synth I'd ever heard. All synths I'd used previously had some slight noise when no sound was being generated, but the DW-8000 was totally silent when nothing was being played. I also had the privilege (and heartache) of owning a DW-8000-based DSS-1, which is very cool, though coulda been smaller and woulda been nice to include the regular DW-8000 waveforms rather than be TOTALLY sample-based.

[Gazdatronik]

I feel obligated to tell you why the DSS-1 could not have the waveforms of the DW. The DSS was a sampler, and the DW wasn't. A lot of people think the archetecture was identical inside both boards, but the DW's waveforms are constantly cycling even wnen notes aren't being played. This eliminates the "frozen" sound that sampled waves have, since each key depression will start when the wave is at different periods, whereas the DSS could start the wave at the same place every time.

[frankothemountain]

Nice. Thanks for the demo.

[trap0001]

I'd been saving hard for a DX7 and when I went to finally buy the salesman convinced me the DW8000 was better and I had one. Let's face it the DX7 was a bit of a one-trick-pony with is digital piano sound.

[IIsovietII]

are you kidding me>/? right? "one-trick-pony" FM synthesis is huge bubb, hugeeeeee, maybe it's your creative pony that's not tricking? right?

[trap0001]

Yes FM has gained a lot of ground since the DX series was introduced I agree, but I task you; tell me one other DX7 sound in widespread use and instantly recognisable as a DX7.

[cubdukat]

The bass sound, the harmonica sound, the trumpet sound, the cello sound, Tubular Bell sound--shall I continue?

There wasn't a single sound the DX series did that you couldn't tell was being done by a DX. And that's pretty much still the case.

[trap0001]

Yeah, I'll give you they're unmistakably DX7 sounds - with every one of them sounding like the un-enableable ring modulator in full force. One.. Trick.. Pony.

[cubdukat]

Perhaps. But I'd still buy one. I really suspect the reason people never strayed very far from what was out there sound-wise is because you needed a college degree to program it. The DX series was just too smart for its own good.

[xnonsuchx]

Even if you knew what you were doing, DX programming was very tedious. You might be able to imagine a couple operators in your head, but 6 operators made it a very long trial and error process to get what you wanted. Even if you got a good sound (including the pre-programmed sounds which MOST people used exclusively), there was something very unnaturally 'clean' about the sound. Also, since sine waves are inherently curved at the peaks, it never really come close enough to some sounds.

[blowtorchabortion]

TX81Z ftw.

4 operators, 8 waveforms :)

[Psiplex]

Wonderful clip. Remember furiously programming the DW6000 for weekly recording sessions. It was a monster if you really got into its synthesis capabilities. So much fun!

Thank you for sharing!

[retrosound72]

thank you :)

[fritzo62]

I sold my DW-6000 years ago -.- sometimes one is very stupid..

[infindebula]

This is a very underrated DCO synth from the 1980's. It's surprisingly versatile and has really nice filters. The feel of the keyboard on the DW-8000 keyboard version is also quite good, if you can get past the crappy plastic build.

I also quite liked the earlier DW-6000. (I have two!) It does away with the dynamics, aftertouch, onboard delay and arpeggiator of the 8000, but it has a more gritty character.

The DW-6000 was a flop for Korg, but the updated DW/EX-8000 was quite successful.

[sokem1]

is it possible to make sounds like that using Computer software?

[retrosound72]

I do not know.

[owlwink]

Yes,it is possible to make sounds like this in in a personal computter,however,you must understand,you will need to find the correct VST,then you can play the instrument IN your computer.However,the sound of the original KORG ex 8000,in hardware form,will have a far richer,fuller analogue sound,that cannot be emulated in software! LB

[zammammaro]

Meaning: you can't make sounds like these with your computer

[owlwink]

yes,thats what i was getting at,yiu summed it up in a nutshell..

[douro20]

Definitely not. It would never sound the same; the thing is full of analog filters.

[dextrospinoza]

i thought this Synth was the rackmount version of the Poly800, which was a DCO synth + step sequencer....DCO=digitally controlled/analogue oscillators & analogue filters etc...)

[retrosound72]

DW-8000 = EX-8000

Poly-800 = EX-800

[dextrospinoza]

my mistake.....i think i like the DW's synthesis type alot better than the poly-800's analogue DCO type synthesis....thanks for such a great demo....i've made a number of fine samples which i recorded originally from your demo here...

[owlwink]

sounds really nice,never new this synth came in rack form too.

[Systemrauschen]

Fetter Sound!

[CountFeedback]

Escape From New York?

[FredF78]

That was prophet 5 and oberheim obxa.

[MarcS4R]

Hey der klingt ja echt nicht schlecht. Hätte ich nicht gedacht, ich fand ihn optisch immer nicht so schön aber davon sollte man sich nicht täuschen lassen :)

[retrosound72]

Ja, der EX-8000 ist nicht gerade ein Designwunder aber klanglich überzeugt er auf jeden Fall.

[Lachlant1984]

That looks like a professional piece of equipment.

[nocterbalbulus]

A really good synth, I didn't know! And hi-quality rendering in the record! Clean and powerfull!

[retrosound72]

thanks

[12string]

Just got one for $50 last night. Im told the Kenton control freak can control the filters. Can a midi keyboard with knobs also do this? M-audio has complete programmability and a BIOS! Any tips?

[Gazdatronik]

The kenton is stupid. The instruction manual is useless, and implementation is NOT intuitive. The people who make kenton gear couldn't give a crap about the people who use it, and you can't even get product support. I used to think English products were good, but now I find that only their comedy and sarcasm is of any quality.

The Peavey PC 1600 is much better.

Besides, the DW does not need a sysex controller. It is far too simple to need one. Despite this it is my favorite.

[DreDM]

That synth @ "1:38" is CRACK!

[thefumigator]

I agree!! Absolute classic!!

[Triton88Keyz]

KILLER"

[retrosound72]

absolutly!

thanks :)

[KosmynC64]

I really like it,do you have a osciloscope?If Yes I want to see the shape of the wave if posibile Please.

As always you proove that the electronic music will not die;)

[retrosound72]

thank you :)

Unfortunately I have no oscilloscope.

[AlainHubert]

Just find a picture of a DW8000 on the Web. The 16 available waveforms shapes are printed on top of the synth on the right.