Korg DW-8000
Waveform Synthesizer (1985)

Near-classic hybrid analog-digital synthesizer: internal wavetable waveforms are digital while filter and envelope stages are analog.

KEYBOARD 61 velocity keys with aftertouch.
Main panel features a segment display, 22 buttons, 4 sliders and joystick on the left side.


Back panel terminal connectors:
- Midi interface
- tape interface
- headphones
- main out with impedance switch high/low
- program up pedalswitch input
- portamento pedalswitch input
- damper pedalswitch input

 

 

SOUND main core 8-bits at 2 mHz HD63b03X manages 8 voices polyphony based on - DWGS Digital Waveform Generator System- subtractive synthesis.

Each voice is composed by 2 oscillators DCO + 1 white noise circuit with variable parameters: - volume gain - octave set between 16' / 8' / 4' - pitch detune.

DCO WAVETABLE the 256 kb ROM (4X EPROMS) contains 16 short-cycled spectral8-bits PCM. It seems to be possible to hack the internal EPROMS to change the waves.

DW800 internal waveform list : sawtooth, square, piano, electric piano (x2), clavinet, organ, brass, sax, violin, guitar, electric guitar, bass, digital bass, bell and whistle.

PERFORMANCE the system handles voices in various playmodes:

- poly1 rotates sequentially 8 voices in constant order - poly2 same as poly1 but restarts from first voice - unison1 retriggers the EG when a key is pressed - unison2 only the first key activates the EG

Some other performance functions:
- aftertouch be assigned to filter, amplitude or LFO depth
- joystick can be assigned to pitch, LFO frequency and VCF cutoff
- interval transposes the OSC2 pitch to keep a constant interval above first OSC values: minor 3rd, major 3rd, perfect 4th, perfect 5th and unison.

FILTER based on OTA IC analog 8 X NJM- 2069AD9, same found on Korg Poly-800 which is paraphonic, a lowpass resonant VCF at -24 dB/Oct and polarity inversion.

VCF offers a primitive Keytrack system with 4 fixed rates: 0 / 25 / 50 / 100 %

HEAR VCF cutoff resonance




LFO a single delayed modulator MG (shapes: triangle, square saw-up and saw-down) and 2 modulation destinations:

- LFO OSC 1 & 2 pitches (not individual) - LFO TO VCF cutoff

HEAR LFO modulator to VCF




ENVELOPE 3 EGs:

- EG1 VCA: 4 segments + 2 times (ADBSSR) - EG2 VCF: 4 segments + 2 times with polarity inversion - AutoBend simple pitch EG (OSC1 / OSC2 or both) 2 modes up / down

EFFECT a 12 bits digital delay is onboard with 2 - 512 ms time range able to generate short delays and chorus; DW delay ime can be set in coarse or fine mode as well as total feedback amount.
HEAR delay panned

ARPEGGIATOR features 3 direction modes: up, down an special custom which records up to 64 notes - in addition It is possible to set the octave range and a latch mode.

SYNC arpeggiator temp cam be set internally or synched to external Midi clock. HEAR arpeggiator

MEMORY:

- 64 RAM patches Sounds library can be saved to Midi sysex dump or to magnetic tape.   Battery replacement: System works with a 3V CR-2032 soldered to the mainboard - click to enlarge pic

OS ROM operating system can be displayed switching on the Dw8000 holding [1] + [2].
Lastest known version is officially 1.2

DOWNLOAD Hex bin

 

 

UPGRADE third-part companies like Musitronics Turbo "DW800EX angel" projected some hardware boards (MODS) that adds some new functions like split, key transpose, random LFO and more:

- Splitting and Doubling Sounds - Local off function - Key Transpose, Random MG Waveform and Compare function - Two MIDI Send- and Receive channels - Compare and MIDI Program Change for all 128 Sounds.

EDITORS there are some free and commercial editors for DW-8000:

- Soundquest (MAC/PC $$) - ctrlr (PC LINUX) - DW8000 Patch Editor (old PC OS free)

RELATED MODELS:

EX-8000 rackmount version with better Midi implementation but no arpeggiator feature. DW-6000 61 keys keyboard version. Slimmed-down version with less waveforms and some minor differences DSS1- this is a sampler but with very similar architecture and hardware. MEX8000 memory expansion adds 4 extra banks.

 

 

VST PLUGIN / SAMPLED VERSION there are some free and commercial samples set, NO OFFICIAL PLUGIN EMULATOR:

Xanderbeanz FREE DW8000 sample pack Cobalt VST Emulation of DW but also Kawai K3 and Ensoniq ESQ1 FREE VST (no more updated) SQ8L Emulation of Ensoniq SQ80 FREE VST (no more updated)

 

GALLERY: