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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Guillermo Tin

Posted 287 days ago

The DW is a very welcome addition to any intermediate synth rig. Forget about the digital/analog/hybrid discussions about the sound engine, because in the end what matters is the sound. And what a powerful sound it's got. Despite it's only 6 voices, this thing gets way fatter than my Matrix 6 or the 12-voice Jx10 in unison. It's filter is a real mistery, and to my ears they sound better than the curtis-driven Evolver lowpass. It's a shame it hasn't got any ext inputs...
Although the Microkorg claims to have all the DWGS waveforms from the Dw, it doesn't even sound close to a real Dw.
Highly recommended for unison bass sounds and unsurpassed when it comes to lead solos.

myspace.com/guillermotin

planetplayer

Posted 312 days ago

I tried it and did not like it that much. I know there is a large fan base. The 01/W an wavestations, OASYS are much better. Good Idea with the cycle waveforms.

Tischhupe

Posted 356 days ago

I own the DW-8000 EX (Musitronics Extension) and LOVE what one can achieve with that "pimped" OS. If you love your DW, you will love it even more with the expansion.

Regards
Markus

Tim

Posted 358 days ago

This synthesizer is magical to me!
I use it mostly for leads and some pads but what leads. Normally I feel that synthesizers lack the feeling and expression which other instrument have but this baby can make me cry whit it´s all-voices stacked leads and you can get a wide variation of sounds all from a very soft lead to a brutal pad, if you see one of this for sale BUY IT!!
In my opinion this is the best ever made for leads!

0=0

Posted 362 days ago

I really like the idea of these hybrid synths. The low bit-rate makes the oscillators just dirty and harmonic enough to get the most out of the analog filters. The filter in this particular synth is really nice. The unison mode is not very detuned so it gives a very "sync" type of sound that's really great for 80's style-leads (which i'm not so into). Everything has a very soft dark quality to it in poly mode. I've had it for 3 days and so far i've made some nice pads, stabs and fx.

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