Vintage Synth Explorer

Korg • DW-8000

Take Korg's first digitally controlled analog synth hybrid (DW-6000) two steps higher and you get the more popular DW-8000. Sound is digitally generated from the DWGS (Digital Waveform Generator System) and has been doubled from 8 sampled digital waveforms to 16 simple analog to complex digital waveforms. The DW-8000 has 8 voice polyphony in two modes, or one monophonic mode with all eight voices stacked. The analog VCF resonant filter and VCA both have independent ADBSSR envelopes. Parameters can be altered in real time via a single programmable slider. There are 64 presets that can be reprogrammed by the user.

When the DW-8000 succeeded the DW-6000, it expanded it to 8 notes polyphony, 16 sampled waveforms, a velocity sensitive keyboard with programmable aftertouch, auto-bend, a simple arpeggiator and a digital delay unit. The Digital Delay was an astonishing goody for the time, offering up to 512ms delay, phasing, flanging, chorusing and other time effects. Both the Arpeggiator, Auto-Bend and Digital Delay make this synth an inspiring and great sounding machine to use for great 303 basslines, techno and house bass and synth sounds and more! The EX-8000 (pictured above) is a rackmount version of the DW-8000. Several 3rd-party developers offered expansion boards for the DW-8000 providing up to 1024 presets, layered sounds, keyboard splits and Sample+Hold for the LFO. Though later overshadowed by the M1, the DW-8000 has been used by Divine Masquerade, Juno Reactor, Depeche Mode, Dream Theater, Joe Zawinul, and Keith Emerson.

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mik303

Posted 25 days ago

I bought EX-8000 for 200 euros because they guy who sold it told me that he can do the same sounds with his vst plugins. I beg to differ. It's a very simple synth but it can do excellent basses and really beautiful dark pads. The filter is excellent. I only wish it had more waveforms.

Danish Electro

Posted 28 days ago

The EX8000 is Just a phenominal synthesizer, the second hand prices are climbing quickly now, and justifiably. I agree with the poster who said that its as fat as a JP8, because it is. Beautiful beautiful beautiful sounds come from this thing, very well built.
the lead sounds of this synthesizer and bass sounds are like a brickwall of sound, slick, warm, fat and just down right enjoyable. The filter is one of thebest analog filters ive ever heard on a poly, and ive had an OBXa, JP8, Pro 5, Rhodes Chroma, so ive had first hand experience of those and this much warmer than a pro 5. Cant do poly mod like a pro 5, but i would take the Ex8000's warmth and power over and above the pro5 anyday. Think of those massive Vangelis tones and thats what this synth is all about, plus a hell of a lot more.
Its more relevant now than it was in 1984 soundwise in my opinion.

Louxien

Posted 42 days ago

Luv it! ...I bought one two days ago for $ 250 ... the eight
unison oscillators are deadly!
A truly full-bodied bass sound

quartet-man

Posted 115 days ago

Here it is:

http://www.keyboardmuseum.com/ar/k/korg/m/mex8000.html

quartet-man

Posted 115 days ago

Sorry, I was mistaken on the EX-8000. What I have was simply an addon with 4 banks of sounds, but would not play them as I recall. I am not sure what the name of it was though and it is inaccessible right now without some effort.

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