A wonderful early digital synthesizer. With eight notes of polyphony, two oscillators per voice, a noise source, two multi-stage envelopes, a resonant filter and auto-bend, the DSS-1 has much in common with Korg's previous flagship DW-8000. But it went much further, boasting twin digital delays, oscillator sync, an improved unison mode, a lush analog VCF switchable between 12 and 24dB, and more. Whereas the DW-8000 got its raw material from 16 stored digital waves, the DSS1's oscillators take their source from sampling, additive synthesis, or even hand-drawn waveforms!

It actually had a warm sound and was great for creating pads and textures, as well as deep basses and drones. The synthesis method is based on altering various waveform samples via 2 data sliders. It can sample and then treat the samples as its waveforms - that includes all filtering and envelopes.

The DSM-1 (1987) was the expanded rackmount version.

It was used by Jean Michel Jarre, Joe Zawinul, Michael Cretu of Enigma, Mark Jenkins, Hiro Kawahara, Paul Nagle, Shriekback, and Steve Winwood.

UF

May 23, 2010 @ 3:22 pm

Vangelis used the DSM1 late 80´s to early 90´s.
But where is the pic or text that says that Jarre used the DSS1?

Joe Bloggs

May 16, 2010 @ 10:10 am

One of the most underated synths of all time.

Bryan

April 8, 2010 @ 9:37 am

Read the raving comments about the DW- / EX-8000 and think of the unlimited oscillator possibilities you have here. This is one big, fat and creamy digital-analog-meltdown. Probably the most underrated synthesizer ever.

McFullon

March 22, 2010 @ 8:25 pm

One of the few Korgs (including the DW-8000) that I ever really liked, or owned.
It was a sort of black PPG (which I was never able to afford!) I loved the waveform draw function, the results of which I would record and sample back into the DSS...loadsa fun!
It would have been nice to see a few controller knobs on the panel...but ¨sleek¨ was in at that time, unfortunately.

rokuez

November 24, 2009 @ 8:57 pm

http://web.me.com/tomvirostek/DSS-1/DSS1.html

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