Vintage Synth Explorer

This was actually the first "real" synth I ever owned. Looking back, I probably should've opted for something less complex, but nonetheless some good times were had. Some unreal sounds can be pulled out of this if you know what you're doing. But be warned; this thing can hurt your ears/speakers if you're not careful.

I had to part with this for spending cash and because I got weird about playing it as the band I did the most with it in, I got kicked out of...(plus it's really heavy, something to keep in mind if you wanna gig with this thing)

With so many types of synthesis, the Z1 don't have a signature sound. It's up to you to decide how it will sound. It's like a synthesis swiss knife. Even if it has been released more than a decade ago, I still don't know how can I get a better synth in the current market. Only if it had individual outs!

An advice for those who think it sounds digital and sterile: You can link filter 1 with filter 2 (in serial mode) on the filter routing page. Yes, you'll loose the 2nd multi-mode filter, but your Z1 will sound very warm and analog. PWM can be achieved on the oscillator page; it's called 'Wave Form', and it can also be even applied to saw waves. If you want it to sound even more drifty, there's a random feature. So yes, it's possible to get a lively analog sound with a Z1.

It can take a while to figure out how to get the best out of this synth, but it really worths. Once you master it, other polysynths - analog or digital - are no longer a real temptation.

I do not know what it is about the Z1. I keep putting it in my closet and then 2 weeks later I pull it out to use again. I just cannot let it go. The sounds it makes are hard to reproduced with any other synths. Yes it is a little digital sounding but wow the sound's it does make are fantastic. The XY pad puts motion and feeling into any patch. You can modulate everything with anything even modulate the modulators. Programing is not as bad as some people state and the most important functions (Filter cutoff, rez, env) are all on the front panel as realtime knobs. You also have 5 performance knobs that you can assign to multiple functions. The screen shows graphic views of the envelopes not just numbers. This may not be a true analog synth like my Prophet 08 and Moog Voyager but the sounds it does make are unbelivable. This keyboard is a keeper.

This synth was also used by Ed Rush & Optical.

One of my favorite synths, over the years i owned a few(all digital), tg77, tg33, n364, nord lead2, wavestation, novation k, fantom x, v-synth...
Only kept Z1 and V-Synth. The synthesis is superb, fx are weak, interface is... totally stupid - no direct octave shift buttons?!! Crazy. No dial wheel either :( Buttons are crap, they begin to fail pretty soon. It's a shame Korg never improved or re-worked this idea (moss exb doesn't count).
Korg should continue Legacy software line with soft Z1, call it MOSSS.