Trend price : 150-200€
Affordable polysynth based on DCO oscillators and internal sequencer. There are 2 versions: mk1 with chorus and updated Mk2 (poly-800 II) with digital delay, Midi Sysex and battery memory system.
Company: Korg
Model: Poly-800
Class: Synthesizer
Dates: 1983 / 1985
Display: alphanumeric
Synthesis: analog
Oscillator: 1 / 2 DCO
Polyphony: 8 voices
Filter: low pass
LFO: 2 modulator
Envelope: 3 EGs
Sequencer: 256 steps
Sync: Midi Clock
Effect: digital delay (mk2) chorus (mk1)
Memory: 64 slots
MIDI: IN / OUT
CPU: 8085 Intel
Sound IC: MS-M5232
PSU: 9 VDC
Demo: 1
Video: 1
Review: 1
DOWNLOAD: user manual mk1 - user manual mk2 - factory patch mk1 (wav) - factory patch mk2 (syx)
Overview
49 keys.
Main panel features a segmenst display, 3 sliders, 19 button and 1 data slider.
Back panel terminal connectors:
-
Midi Interface (no Thru)
- main out
-
headphones out
-
tape Interface
-
switch tab memory protection
- pedalswitch input for program up
Voice
8 digitally controlled oscillators assignable in 2 different manners:
- double mode: 2 x 4 voices for a thicker richer sound
- whole mode: 1 x 8 voices for full polyphony
Oscillator
an oscillator features 2 summable waveforms sawtooth and square plus 4 additive harmonic octaves heights at 16' 8' 4' 2' and a white noice generator.
Filter
a limited paraphonic filter based on a single NJM2069.
The chip is a resonant (but not self-resonant) analog 4 poles lowpass with cutoff, contour and possible polarity reverse.
LFO
2 triangle-shapped modulators:
- MG1 modulates
FILTER VCF
- MG2 modulates
DCO pitch
Envelope
- 1 DCO1 amplitude: 6-stages ADBSSR
- 1 DCO2 amplitude: 6-stages ADBSSR
- 1 VCF: 6-stages ADBSSR
Effect
Mk1: chorus
Mk2: digital delay
Sequencer
a very basic 256 steps sequencer with external Midi clock sync
Memory
-
64 RAM patches
Mk2 handles Sysex and features a Cr-2032 battery
Audio demo (mk2):
Review
OK: cheap / classic
NOT : a bith thin / 1 filter / edit
"Classic analog budget: some nice pads and sweeps. Sound is sometimes unusual with many sonic artefacts resulting pretty harsh, that may looks interesting. I do personally prefer Mk2 version"
Text , review, special demos copyright polynominal.com / Eric Pochesci
