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.
- Demos & Media
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Video 1 - Korg DS-8 4 Op FM Performance Synthesizer DemoAudio Clip 1 - Korg DS-8 Demo #1 from Korg DS-8 @ deep!sonic.
Audio Clip 2 - Korg DS-8 Demo #2 from Korg DS-8 @ deep!sonic.
Audio Clip 3 - Korg DS-8 Demo #3 from Korg DS-8 @ deep!sonic.
Manual - Original owner's manual available as free PDF downloads.
Factory Patches - Standard factory loaded patches in MIDEX format.
- Specifications
- Polyphony - 8 voices (4 FM-operators per voice)
- Oscillators - 2 oscillators
- LFO - 1 LFO: saw / triangle / square / sample & hold
- Filter - None
- VCA - 4 DCA (1 per operator)
- Keyboard - 61 keys w/ velocity & aftertouch
- Memory - 100 user, 10 multi patches, external card slot
- Effects - 1 unit effect (delay, chorus, flanger, double)
- Arpeg/Seq - None
- Control - MIDI (8-parts)
- Date Produced - 1987
- Websites of Interest
DS8 Brochure (circa 1987)
- Resources & Credits
Images from Synth Site.
Errors or Corrections? Send them here.
While the joystick and timbre/EG slider make the voices very flexible and quick modulation stabs very easy, and the 100-preset memory is large compared to the DX7's 32, the default presets (or at least the presets that were on it when I received it, they seem to be factory presets to me) seem quite low-quality (they tend to have a muffled, whiny sound to them for me), the internal build is convoluted (you'd have to remove the circuitry in order to get to the keys), and, being an FM synth, the programming aspect is impossible to experiment with unless you read a lot into it (which I haven't).
The portamento is also hopelessly broken on mine (not sure if it is on other DS-8s).
On a more positive note, the dual/split/multi voice facility is a welcome sight, coming from electronic keyboards that almost always sport these.