Korg DS-8

The DS-8 is Korg's contender among synths like the Roland D-50 and Yamaha DX7. It is a digital FM synthesizer with 4-operators per voice, 8 voices of polyphony and 8 parts multitimbrality. It's good for percussive, strange effect noises and such because its sound (similar to the DX7) is so unique. It has some digital effects such as chorus, flange, delay and analog-like controls for modulators, envelopes and the LFO. A joystick provides control of modulation and pitch bending. It also has a performance section for quick edits on the fly using (3) real-time sliders to control timbre, EG1 and EG2. A nice alternative to the common DX-7.

39 VISITOR COMMENTS

midi2

March 22, 2012 @ 6:21 am

When the timbre ammount is high enough the sound distorts in joystick pitch bend.
I considered it annoying when i found it out but it can be used for very nice oriental lead sounds

Colin Macdonald

February 25, 2012 @ 2:57 pm

@skoulaman Your Welcome, always glad to be of help. It can be a little tedious trying to reload the DS-8 but if you keep in mind the technology available in that time period it all makes sense. It's always worthwhile holding onto some of the older technology you never know when you might need it. just found some 72 pin simms that I needed for my Triton and Triton Rack and now my samplers are maxed out! Have fun with the DS-8 and if you find the DSCU 400 its got some really cool patches on it, particularly one solo lead patch that will blow you away have fun.

Skoulaman

November 24, 2011 @ 3:08 pm

Last weekend I bought one for 60 €, battery was (correct) replaced but the synth was in the "glitch mode" Restored this with a windows 98 computer (after several trials with lowerd buffer and file sizes under XP) connected with a midiUNO from M-audio. Buffer setting was 8 and a size of 256 bytes. Used program MIDOX. Thx Colin macDonald. Now I am ready to reprogram.
I have a Yamaha DX 27 and a CX5m 4 operator synth/computer but the DS-8 beat them, so easy to program and the hands on some controls, perfect.

gridsleep

November 16, 2011 @ 4:13 am

Never mind. If you just go to www.synthzone.com, select Korg, then go about 3/4 of the way down the very long page of links to Korg places, there's a box "Vintage Patch Archives". The DS-8 and other zips are in the linked pages. The problem is, when one searches for patches for a keyboard, the search engine goes straight to the directory, most of the time, and not to the proper original link in the site so it seems detached or hidden. Limitation of literal searches, I suppose.

gridsleep

November 16, 2011 @ 1:45 am

Korg DS-8 and 707 factory patches and other patches are available at http://www.synthzone.com/midi/korg/ds8/ which is not accessible from the web page that is supposed to present it. You have to go straight to the directory. These are the most patches I've been able to find anywhere. Oh, and now that I have a DS-8 with an MCR-03 card for external banks, it has such a beautiful sound. And so many ways to make beautiful sounds. I really love this thing. It's so simple and yet complex, and everything is right there on the panel. Amazingly underrated.