Korg EX-8000 Programmable Polyphonic Synthe Module (1986)

 

Rackmount version of the famous hybrid synthesizer DW-8000 features internal digital waveforms and an analog filter.

RACKMOUNT MODULE 2 unit height.
The main panel features 2 segment display module, 3 knobs, 19 buttons, 1 data encoder and 3 switch tabs.

Rear panel terminal connectors:
- Midi Interface
- main signal out (high/low impedance set)

Front panel terminal connectors:
- headphones
- tape Interface

 

TECH main core 8-bits HD 63B03X 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 16' / 8' / 4' - pitch detune

 

WAVETABLE the 256 kb ROM (4X EPROMS) contains 16 short-cycled spectral 8-bits PCM TECH: It seems to be possible to hack the internal EPROMS to change the waves.

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 rotate sequentially the 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 - aftertouch be assigned to filter, amplitude or LFO depth - joystick can be assigned to pitch, LFO 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 analog 8 X NJM2069 (same found on Korg Poly-800 which is paraphonic)
Lowpass resonant VCF at -24 dB/Oct and polarity inversion. Section features a primitive Keytrack system and 4 fixed rates: 0 / 25 / 50 / 100 %.

Hear cutoff and resonance

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

- OSC 1 & 2 pitches (both not individual) - VCF cutoff. Hear LFO

 

 

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 12 bits digital delay with 2 - 512 ms time range able to generate short delays and chorus. Time can be set in coarse of fine mode as well as total feedback.
Hear delay

MEMORY:
- 64 slots in RAM patches.
Sounds library can be saved to either Midi sysex dump or magnetic tape.

LEFT - System works with a 3V CR-2032 soldered to the mainboard, you have to disassemblethe whole keyboard and remove board KLM-661-3. - click to enlarge picture

 

 

EDITORS there are some free and commercial editors for DW8000:

- Soundquest (MAC/PC $$) - ctrlr (PC LINUX) - DW8000 Patch Editor (old PC OS free) UPGRADE third-part companies projected some hardware boards that adds some new functions like split, key transpose, random LFO and more.

 

EX-8000 RELATED MODELS:

	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
	DW8000 64 keys keyboard version with arpeggiator+joystick control, same as this rackmount
	MEX-8000 memory expansion adds 4 extra banks.
	DVP1 vocoder not directly related, but they do features a very very similar case.

 

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

	Xanderbeanz	FREE DW8000 sample pack
	SQ8L Emulation of Ensoniq SQ80 Cobalt VST Emulation of DW but also Kawai K3 and Ensoniq ESQ1	FREE No longer available

 

AUDIO DEMO

song 100% DW8000 resonant pad squared bass delayed pad fat sirens random autobend drone klunky piano

chording bass-organ pad lfo to vcf filtered organ TEST: delay TEST: arpeggiator TEST: cutoff + resonance TEST: LFO frequency

 

 

VIDEO SELECTION Demo + Roland JD-800 + TR-707 with mfb-522

 

MANUAL

SERVICE MANUAL

FACTORY PATCH SET DOWNLOAD

original advert

original advert

Korg EX-8000 FOR SALE CHECK OUT EBAY OFFERS