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.

EX-8000

In comparison to the DW-6000, the DW-8000 expanded 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.

AGCG

January 28, 2013 @ 5:40 pm

I managed to get myself one of these from a bootfare. Have to use it as an EX-8000 as the key-bed assembly has been damaged beyond repair, which qualifies matze-tias comment, as a replacement assembly I have not yet found.

Attached to a Novation or a Kenton . . . It's still a treasured addition worth working on.

matze-tias

January 4, 2013 @ 6:51 pm

A very impressive and massive sounding synth! Like with an inbuilt compressor. You can make a wide range of sounds, but espacially good for brasses, bass and belly sounds. Also great is the delay effect, which makes the sound very special and exciting. Keyboard in good condition is a pleasure to play, but be careful: because of the special design of the keyboard contacts (no rubber), it is possible that it fails and replacement parts are very rare. I think that is the weakest point on this instrument.

Mark

December 31, 2012 @ 9:58 pm

Just got one yesterday! The filter is superb. Great for oldschool industrial/zoth ommog type basses. Leads cut through the mix like a sword. Best 225 I've spent in a while!

luckeydoug1

December 29, 2012 @ 5:56 pm

A couple of summers ago I had the opportunity to see Tony Kaye in Kent, OH and asked him to sign my DW8000 that I have owned since I bought it new in the mid 80s. As he was signing it he remarked that he had owned several over the years. After reading the comments here about the special patched created for Yes in the 80s, it all makes sense! I also bought a midi card for my Apple IIe along with a sequencing program. Pretty awesome stuff for 1986! I have enjoyed this synth greatly over the past 26 years!

Analogue Crazy

October 21, 2012 @ 5:06 pm

Had this for just over a month now and i'm blown away with how huge it sounds. It isn't the most versatile Synth out there but the sheer warmth of the sounds more than make up for it. Iv had the Juno-60, Jupiter-4 and various other analogue's; but this baby really holds its own! An absolute must have at the prices they sell for

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