KORG POLYSIX Analog Synthesizer 1981 | HQ DEMO

[rockengracia]

OH LOOORD....

I WANT! I NEED A POLYSIX!!!

[gatsbysdead]

Wow, yours is in awesome shape. The battery leaked on mine, so the waveforms, effects, octaves, and the attenuator don't work at all, filter only barely works, and someone (ok, me when I was like 12) messed up the tuning of the voicing. In other words, playing it sounds a bit like an elephant death cry.

[YesWeDanceGenova]

@DJPeteJames Korg Polysix doesn't use any Curtis chip as VCOs. You can find the service manual on web.

[douro20]

Replace the battery...I need to do that with my DW8000, but not before I get MIDI cables for it so I can restore the patches!

[douro20]

@DJPeteJames

Knowing Korg, they are probably custom Korg chips.

[lordoid]

@DJPeteJames A little bit late but: The noise level highly increases when you turn the analog effect section on. :) Filter is SSM2044, Envelopes are SSM2056.

[courtaaron]

Ah. The memories! I remember playing the Poly6 in 1985. Great instrument. Ever play around with the cassette interface for patches? Had challenges with my setup at the time, if I recall. The arpeggio was neat, for sure! Great demo of the sounds and capabilities.

[hoipoloi2]

I had a Polysix in 1981 and I wore it out on stage, but that 6 note polyphony was tough! Some of the absolute best analog strings with the Ensemble mode! A solid keyboard for its time!

[subbahh]

Can someone here tell me what analog is? Thanks.

[ostrichjerky23ok]

@subbahh When referring to synths, analog refers to a synth with voltage controlled oscillators or digitally controlled oscillators, although many purists do not define the latter as truly analog. The alternative would be a digital signal processing synth, which is essentially a computer recreating the functions of analog parts with a resolution of digital bits. The main difference is that analog systems deliver voltages to circuits and digital systems use strings of on or off values (1 or 0).

[DenimArcade]

We use a PolySix in my cover band. I got it for $40 at Goodwill. It had the memory batt problem and ate the traces to the CPU but I being handy with the sod iron fixed her right up and put her back on stage. Great Syth! Great demo!

[hoipoloi2]

@DenimArcade Good for you! My batt did the same thing. Unfortunately I was less handy w/said soldering iron, UGH! I miss it.

[teateateateateatea]

やっぱkorgはいいねっ！

[jpirard]

I miss this one most of all. I WILL own one again. Best synth for the money.

[geox19801]

i have one to and mine makes a lot of background noise when i m not playng anything :(

[lordoid]

@DJPeteJames The noise is only audible at very high volumes. BUT it is increased notable if you use the internal analog chorus/phaser/ensemble effect. Well nothing to complain about cause the overall sound is superb. :) VCO is a thyristor based one wich was desiged by Korg. They used it in the "Trident" also. Rest are SSM Chips.

[seeyouintheeighties]

i saw a video showing this synth playing COREY HART _ SUNGLASSES AT NIGHT, can you make the sound?

[theredreceivers]

Is there any input jacks on synths like this. I know pete townshend would run an electric organ thru an old synth rack module and get an organ sound with the different filters and stuff from a synth. is there any way to do something like that on a synth like this?

[0616027]

Hi! that was some really informative video! seems like an extraordinarily versatile and sadly underrated instrument demonstrated.

Now do you think it's possible to achieve the can-you-feel-it bass sound (the one by mr. fingers) using a polysix? i know the bassline as on the record is originally played on a juno 6, but these two synths may sound really alike. thanx!

[resynthesis]

@DJPeteJames The Polysix does not use VCO chips; it has proprietary, discrete -- and, need I say, cheaper -- VCO circuits. (Although the Mono/Poly uses SSM2033 VCO chips, its cousin the P6 does not.) The P6 VCOs have linear voltage response.

[Alterstateresearcher]

No matter how much I tweak I can't really get the Korg Polysix legacy VST to sound like the actual hardware synth. Although, programming pads on it can come kinda close, but not really. :)

[fonarte]

@Alterstateresearcher

Gotta program automations to make the filters and stuff change dynamically with the sound to help it out ya know?

[Alterstateresearcher]

@fonarte Heh, I try'ed automating the sound with cutoff filter sweeps on the Legacy Polysix VST. Still cannot get it sound like the real deal, I think alot has to do with the real Polysix reso and sharp SSM envelope chips. Spend a good deal comparing the two and you will notice the VST can't come very close to replicating the actual reso circuitry of the filter.

[AnalogAudio1]

@DJPeteJames Hi, the sound was recorded directly and was not treated with anything. The Polysix is not noiseless - also like a Juno-60 or a DX7. But the noise ratio is ok as you can hear. I don't know about the vco chips.

[goldenroland]

@DJPeteJames

The VCO's are a discrete design by KORG and is not an IC chip.



[Leopoldo888]

I had one, back in the 80's. Together with my TR808 and TB303 (and my Tascam portastudio) I was invencible.... well that's what I thought.

[TheSongsparrow]

Sure, DX7s are thin sounding but they have attack. Midi a Poly 6 to it and now you're talking. Installing midi into the poly 6 is where its at. Perfect for layering to DX7 2'S.

[amonster8mymother]

You have some nice patches there. I have one but the patches have been erased. Would you mind sharing the patch you got at about 0:45?

[yagapayanata]

great sounds!

[r5t6y12]

Because of this I couldn't imagine creating anything as diverse as "Frontier" by Sanford Ponder, or the background sounds during "Threshold" by Steve Miller or even anything like "MicroKorg Drone A82 & Space Echo" by Rothgar777 (available here in youtube), so I didn't do much with the one instrument that I had and never had the vision to sacrifice more money to start collecting more gear.

What a waste. I could buy $10,000 worth of vintage gear in 1 day nowadays if I had that kind of money.

[r5t6y12]

Back when I was in my 20's I loved listening to "ambient new age space music" (with drones, and rhythms and sounds that couldn't be duplicated by any other type of instrument) but I didn't have anywhere near as much to listen to as I do today. Because of this I couldn't imagine making anything out of what is heard here between 0:00 and 0:17, or some of the stuff between 5:50 and 6:20, or anything between 6:32 and 7:20.

[r5t6y12]

I had a polysix for almost 15 years. I bought it in 1988 when it was less than 7 years old and I was only 24 years old. I never really did anything with it and now seriously regret it. I had to get rid of it a few years ago because I let it sit for so long that the ni-cad battery leaked all over the motherboard. It wouldn't hold any voice memory after that. It's a shame I didn't have the stick-to-it-ive-ness to keep it running. I could be using it today to make something.

[raydeen2k]

I've got an old PolySix that I found moldering in a friends basement. Only problem with it is that the rubber nubbins for the key contacts are pretty shot. One of these days I'm gong to have to see if I can get it retrofitted for MIDI.

Great video showing off the Poly's capabilities!

[GNeuman]

Defo more versatile than the Juno6/60/106....nice, though I think my dream-machine vintage analogue polysynth would be a Jupiter 4..........

[nbband96]

I notice u play an instrument, (the case in front of u) which is it? Great stuff. Luv the way you play that thing. Great job.

[TruenotesMusic]

1st couple seconds are sick!!!

[majorhostage]

I seriously enjoyd the intro, the camaramovement+angles and the music are genius !!!!!

[AnalogAudio1]

@majorhostage thanks :-)

[Gabrielogago]

@AnalogAudio1 It was like an old horror movie intro..good job!!!

[PimpinBassie2]

To all polysix owners: open the synth and check/move the battery!

[plastikman2]

EXCELLENT demo, man! Thanks so much for doing this. I'm buying one tomorrow morning and can't wait after having heard what it can do with your video!

[AnalogAudio1]

@plastikman2  congratulations, It's a great machine, have fun!

[rosydave]

Thanks for sharing that with me.

[Geeljasjes]

In 1984 we had one at my music school.

It was covered in dust sitting in a corner.

Nobody was touching it.

By then the DX7 reigned.

Shame how redundant  synths were already becoming back then.

[MARANTZamp]

@Geeljasjes

redundant? I think not.

The dx7 was a true piece of shit..and NO KNOBS.

the polysix is 100% more enjoyable to use

[aihoschema]

@MARANTZamp Finally someone agreeing with me!!!! Back in the early 80s people kept asking me: when do you get a DX7? I hated it with a passion - and still do. I still have my Polysix (it's dead, needs repair) and the powerful Roland Jupiter 6 which I bought in 1983 (I opted against the DX7) and it syill works. The Polysix is single osc. and doesn'rt have the punch of a Prophet, Oberheim or Roland Jupiter 6 or 8, but it does its own neat stuff. Love it!

[DarkShroom]

there's no sound this can make that i can't on software or even probably my triton but it's often the feel of a synth, all the controls and just the way it works that can break the deal

if so fair enough, i have to admit i find the lack of a screen at all on that thing appealing :)

[CurlyXrulezXd00d]

How Much Does This Keyboard Cost?

[duggabax]

yeah that sounds really awesome. I wonder if my Juno 60 could be made to sound like that.

[duggabax]

6:40 onwards, could you explain how you are getting those bell-like tones? very awesome-sounding, cold in a good way.

[AnalogAudio1]

@duggabax thanks.... filter resonance and oscillator waveforms mixed.

[oldnoname12]

how much doess one of these cost?

[javiceres]

1:43-1:45 is one of the most incredible sound/tone I have ever heard.

[realfritztc]

meine ohren

[maccagrabme]

This isn't sounding as nice as the Korg poly 800 to my ears.

[AnalogAudio1]

@maccagrabme well, it sounds different.

[freezazoid]

@maccagrabme : totally different beasts. You can't tweak your tones in real time with the 800. IF you want to sound like the eighties get the 800. If you want to sound like Kool and the Gang, or stevie wonder... get THIS machine. My only disappointment is no portamento.

[pontello3]

i love it!

i have the virtual one is also awesome

[georgexkr]

I. NEED.

[TheMCMXXL]

I had, five of them. Be aware, they are not that good as they seem to be. first of all this battery leakage problem which can be very annoying, second has the Polysix very limited possibilities (no real LFO at all, only one envelope Generator for VCA (none for VCF etc). Personally i would pay for that thing at least $200 and not up to $700, which some Ppl pays for it. Remember that the P6, P61,P800, even the MS-Series were beginner.Synths with low prices at their time.

[freezazoid]

@TheMCMXXL : If you've had 5 of them, why does it sound like you're talking trash about this synth. It sounds great, was the first in it's price range to store presets, and has a fantastic arpeggio for the time. What do you think beats this out as far as current prices go?

[TheMCMXXL]

Why i had 5 of them? Because i aquired 5 defect ones and made of them two working units and sold them afterwards.

[TheMCMXXL]

Additinally it is all a matter of programming how a Synth sounds. Take a MS2000, a very underrated VA Synth and with a bit tweaking here and there it could easily beat a P6. It is a matter of programming and not a matter if a Synth is analogue or not (the most of the "P6-"sound is done by the effect unit). Even People with the best ears in pro Audio equipment are not able to hear differences between good digital or analogue equipment.

[freezazoid]

@TheMCMXXL Yeah, but you hear the sound at 6:45 and on.... ? I dare you to try and get that with a KorgMS2000.

[TheMCMXXL]

If i would have my MS2000 not been sold a while ago, i would try it. Again: For me it does not matter if there are SSMs, CEMs or whatever have been used, or if a specific sound is reached by good programming, which -is- possible when enough tweakable parameters are given. Many People even thing that a CZ1 is analogue when they hear it, because "analouge sound " is a specific term which cannot be described. Of course the P6 sounds good, but it is not the almighty god. That is the GX1.

[MARANTZamp]

I have a cz1, and trust me, it sounds nothing like an analog synth. 3 seconds in an A-B test with my prophet-5 and this is quite apparent.

[MARANTZamp]

the cz synths are cold sounding hard to program krap machines.

I have one that I can't even sell, because nobody wants the darn thing!!

[TheMCMXXL]

Huh? Cold sounding? Not able to sell? Put it into EBay, CZ-1 got $275 on Feb08, CZ101 got $202 on Feb12, CZ5000 got $225 on Feb13. "Cold" is a matter of taste, a matter of taste of the -listener-, not the creator. Put a Jarre-like "Oxygene french horn" sound made by a CZ into a song and 10.000 People will ask which analog Synthesizer made this. "Analog" and "warm" is a personal definition and not that, what is being recognized.

[MARANTZamp]

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Yes..the cz is extremely thin and digital sounding, as is the dx7.

Warm is pretty obvious and not as subjective as you make it out to be, sorry.

I've been trying to sell this piece of shit for months...nobody wants it.

Now, if it were a moog it would have sold in 5 minutes flat, and you know this.

[TheMCMXXL]

This is true. But much People also pay for the name and not the components behind it. The MS10/20 for example are somehow something in that direction; they -have- their abilities, but the components inside are el-cheapo as hell; remember that these were Synthesizers on the lower price segment when they came out.

[kotep777]

@TheMCMXXL yesss

[MARANTZamp]

@TheMCMXXL

the cz synths are awful soundinG and a true niGhtmare to ProGram.

I replaced mine with a roland jx-8p. 100 times phatter and warmer..and a joy to proGram!

[SPAZZOID100]

@TheMCMXXL

bullshit. I own many analog synths, and the cz's i've owned sound thin and sterile in comparison.

Same goes for the dx7

[AnalogAudio1]

@SPAZZOID100 right, the CZ sounds thin and sterile - but not the DX7. The DX7 is a great synthesizer, once you learned to program it.

[amonster8mymother]

@TheMCMXXL I'm looking at a CZ5000 for $150. Is that a good deal?

[codeslave9000]

Ring mod triangle? Any number of VA's could duplicate it - It does sound a bit "logan's run" to me, but that's the era. At the time (c. 1981) you had several great synths, each with its own character, available. P5, Oberheim's Matrix series, Roland's analog stuff, etc. Each took a different path, depending on the price point the mfnc. wanted to hit.

[AnalogAudio1]

Yes, It was a budget synth...

1 VCO/voice, no sync, no ring mod, only 1 ADSR -

BUT...

it SOUNDS EXCELLENT!

I underrated this synth for years - until we used it on some recordings!

It's limited, but on the other side it has CHORD MEMORY, fat UNISONO mode, great ARPEGGIATOR, soft or bombastic chorus / ensemble! The oscillators never sound dead, their sound is always slightly detuned and are full of life - sometimes it sounds like an orchestra!

I did not believe this, until I heard it.

[gordonjcp]

@TheMCMXXL it's not entirely true to say it has no LFO and no VCF EG.  There *is* a single envelope generator, which can control the VCF and VCA. You can switch the VCA between envelope and gate mode (the latter opening the VCA when the key is down), and adjust the VCF EG modulation from "down" to "up" through zero. There is an LFO that can be switched between the VCO, VCF and VCA, and a separate LFO for the squarewave PWM.

[Adominae]

Mine had a coke spilled on it and it fried. Great synth.

Nice demo job!

[rosydave]

Yes, kudos and applause for this video. I've demoed the Legacy and heard the YouTube Legacy demos- they're accurate -sort of- but they don't suspend my disbelief. This video reminds me how alive the real thing is. The Legacy has (virtually) everything and more except the hardware 3D Mojo. This video does it for me great- P6 recorded straight and touching on the full range of pads, swirls, doinks and so on. Thanks, Analog Audio 1!

[rosydave]

Well, it came out in 81 actually. I've had a DX7, Korg 800, Korg M1 and others, kind of wish I had them all still but the PolySix was IT. I've just bought one off ebay cuz when I hear this swell demo above and my old recordings it still sounds lovely. Not Moog & Co. great, maybe kind of cheesy, but lovely and easy to use. And the 'live' dedicated knobs are part of playing it. (I used/programmed a Prophet a fair bit and found it relentlessly cold.) I'd rather play than program.

[MARANTZamp]

prophet is "cold"? are you INSANE?

It's the most alive and organic synth ever made.

[MARANTZamp]

@rosydave

prophet 5 cold? the most ridiculous statement ever uttered

[GaarapunKx3]

&--- does it have vocoder??

[GaarapunKx3]

how much does that korg costs???

[HEXWHY]

I used a P6 live for three years in the 70's It's claim to fame was "poor man's prophet 5". The FX section and the arpeggiator are huge attributes. Sonically, it's very mediocre. I eventually dumped it for a Polaris and never looked back. Apples and oranges

[mtodesign]

In the 70's?

[korgpadude]

hi whats the patch called at 1:02

[mindphlux]

i don't think this thing stored patches

[Nothernlight47]

yes it does !

[Billysrocketnards]

Man I didn't think the polysix was capable of dreamy pads but 2:20 slapped me in the face. Great sounds.

[jonlawsb]

The Polysix is mains electricity only (hard-wired cable). The internal Battery is purely for the CMOS /patch memory

[spaceman1x]

The person playing this is a bit abstract.... In and out of context like crazy.... This instrument has sounded better on lots of old records..... Maybe as keyboard players, we should aspire to our mentors....... Listen back and fully appreciate the quality of this fine musical instrument.

[AnalogAudio1]

It has sounded better on records? Well, I didn't play songs or something here - I just wanted to show some interesting sounds. This is a synth DEMO, not a performance. And believe me, I can appreciate this instrument, since I used it on many recordings.

[neptune9]

Some of us understand and appreciate what you're doing here. The sound is wonderful. Thanks so much!

[Pleepleus]

This is a very helpful demo, thanks for posting it. Spaceman1x is a complete idiot.

[microgannon]

I just purchased one of these off a guy from my local Craigslist for $20 today. No sound... apparently it started sounding funny then nothing. I hope I can resurrect it. I know the battery needs to come out and I've seen online tips on repairing these... any other help would be appreciated.

[alecjahn]

Excellent demo! I've always wanted one of these. Someday soon!

[parks1993]

this is the same synth that was used for The Final Countdown by Europe

[repeatextension]

I think that was the JX3P.

[AnalogAudio1]

to keep the sounds in memory when it's switched off.

[stainonsociety3451]

They take a mains supply, but have an internal battery, which as mentioned tends to leak

[skinnypuppy1]

wow I wish I could find one of these its like an upgrade from the korg monopolly. I got the monopoly for 250.00 dollars!!!

[freddonie]

the first synth i bought back in -82

[synthtubedotcom]

Marry me

[yasushi73]

fat&strong sound it is!!

[SpacehotelMusic]

this synth is on my hit list... gotta have one

[UnchainTheNight1]

alright this will be the next synth i buy

[synthisist]

Lovely pads from 1:25 on...

[sanshuz]

I'm just new to synths and all this synth jargon is wrecking my head I hope i can get to understand all this stuff.

[tetrahedral13]

My polysix's mg wheel effects the VCO only. regardless of the mod switch position. Is yours the same? Wondering if its in the design, or a fault.

[AnalogAudio1]

This is normal. The mod wheel is always assigned to pitch.

The mod switch in the MG section affects the LFO effect independently from the mod wheel.

[aubreyjr5]

I was given one as a fixer upper but the internal sounds are gone. Does anyone know where to find the sounds and how to load them into the board?

[DirtyDog15]

I got me one of these beauty's. Its off having the battery replaced bfore it decides to leak. Incredible machine.

[pmsan29]

did the polysix come with MIDI capabilities?

[AnalogAudio1]

no, MIDI was not available in 1981. MIDI came out two years later.

[pmsan29]

is that a VCF filter???

It sounds so lush and full, than most of the analogue filters that ive heard.

It sounds absolutely amazing.

What a huge difference from todays machines.

[AnalogAudio1]

of course it's an analog filter - built around a SSM filter chip. This filter chip was also used in other synths: PPG Wave, Prophet-5, Korg Mono/Poly... to name a few.

Yes, the filters sound very good...

[fleskebille]

SSM2044 is a nice filter (what you have in the Polysix, and what i have in a Kawai K3), but this is not the same as the legendary 2040 used in the early Prophets. Very different, some say. The discrete filters found in synths like OB-X or Jupiter 4 beats all these chips anyway :)

[mmmrenkas]

oh man the unison sound is massive

[discothief]

I have been interested in synthesizers for a very long time. Really, sometimes you can find the rare version with real solid wood ends and not the chipboard type, will sound a bit warmer too. I could tell your demo was with the older version just from the sound.

I was a programmer for Roland (Made a lot of the JP and Phantom Sounds) and worked for Moog for some time. Korg also had a bit to do with my sounds so the experience makes it easy for me to know information about synthesizers.

[discothief]

Looks like you have the older and better early release version, same here too. Later on they used cheaper wood ends (Most likely from MFI kitchen units) and then the sound was also a bit thinner. Check out the difference and you'll hear it a mile away.

Really nice though and good sounds, cool demo.

[AnalogAudio1]

All Polysixes have cheap wood ends. Fake wood. I have two Polysixes and in this video is the older one (how did you know?). But both sound very similar, although they have a different behaviour (the older needs a few minutes to warm up). On which serial no. begins the newer version??

[MARANTZamp]

the poly six is limited, due to being only able to choose one waveform at a time..

[tgirard123]

Oh Man!. My first synth was a Mini Moog but my first polyphonic synth was a PolySix. Loved that synth. I had all my stuff backed up to Cassette. Too funny. I ended up selling it and buying a Memory Moog. Thanks for the memories dude :)

[lesingemonotone]

Very nice demo!

Thanks for sharing.

[PHAEDRIDER]

i love my polysix, but my keyboard is shot. i can clean it and it works for a while but then goes away . it can make my junos it's bitches if i can install a simple midi note on note off in it .. like way to much better than a juno 60 that i want to have to admit because mines o.o.c.

[pykedj]

class!

got one of these for sale in the uk if anyone's interested

[essessessess]

great thanx for this vid

[tekkentool]

gah, those filters are deadly!

[lodger39]

This is an exquisite demo , thank you!

[johnwally]

I bought 1, 2 days ago for about $190 online it hasn`t arrived yet so I don`t know what shape it is in ? I live in japan and they come up for sale every so often .can`t wait

[AnalogAudio1]

it's a great synth, have fun! :-)

[BoLeee]

How many keyboards/synths do you have?! :D

[AnalogAudio1]

a lot :-)

[Dovinia]

Great demo! Thanks for uploading this!

[AnalogAudio1]

thanks! :-)

[netgemiplayer]

digital is the devil!

[kyrreca]

Great demo! I bought one of these a while back. I had to do some maintenance on it, and I replaced the battery with a non-leaking NiCad. I'm having some trouble getting it perfectly tuned, but it sounds awesome.

[AnalogAudio1]

Thanks! Yes, it is a great synth... now I have two of them - both with replaced batteries.

[MrModulator]

One of the 80;s sounds synths, in the Juno 106-category of cheaper but good sounding polys.

I think that the version of the polysix that is in Korg legacy pack is fantastic. Probably one of the best virtual instruments around. Not sure if it is consistent over the whole range though (most vst;s aren't).

Of course you don't get the hands on experience as with the real thing, the knobs in 1920*1200 are just too small and then theres the thing with stepping when turning knobs(not smooth).

[EcksAddikMcAddik]

The Polysix was my very first synth - my parents bought one for me way back in 1983. I've rented other synths, but the Korg was the only synth with a kick-ass organ sound (at least the way I programmed it). Right about now, the battery is fried and the baby is in desperate need of a life extension. I'll never let her go - she got me through good times and bad. Thanks for the post.

[lavakava]

its a shame beautiful, warm, full sounding hardware has been replaced by cold, sterile sounding software...

[TR0jAX]

yes, the old synths were musical instruments. The new ones are just to make money...

[rg2027x]

does it have portamento?

[AnalogAudio1]

no, it has not! By the way, in this moment I really notice the absence of it :-) - because I didn't ever miss it... I look at the Polysix rather as a polyphonic instrument. Unisono is a nice extra - but at this mode you don't have much control over the sound (detune, several waveforms of voices). Portamento is important on monophonic synths - if I need a solo with portamento, I use one of my monophonics, like the Mono/Poly...

Roland Juno-60 lacks portamento, too... (unlike the Juno-106)

[PimpinBassie2]

Be sure to remove the NiCd battery, before it begins to leak!

[AnalogAudio1]

Thanks... it's already done! :-)

[magevers]

Nice demo!

[AnalogAudio1]

thanks!

[KRAFTWERK2K6]

This was used to be my first synthesizer.. but then it was a broken poly61...

i'm really suprised of the sounds you're pulling out from the Polysix!

[locobeis]

I want one soo badly

[OriginalJambo]

Sounds beautiful.

[monsterjazzlicks]

Way more flexible and useful than the Poly 61.

[fystasjoppheng]

Great, thanks! I love the sounds from a polysix(I,m lucky to own one)

[sauermusicDE]

A nice and quite representative video. The Polysix can sound really GREAT.