Korg DW-8000

[sputrelo]

I have a chance to purchase one of these and was wondering if anyone would be willing to share their opinion on it.

Thanks

[rockmanrock]

Pretty good. Digital waveforms with some grunt (compared with say the ESQ1), characterful Korg filters, spacey delay, good arp. These hybrids are bargains at the moment.

[Illusionrake]

Very analogue sounding. Digital wavetable oscillators, but with musical fundamental waveforms. And all the rest is analogue.

- rake -

[analogbass]

Under-rated here and elsewhere. Much better to me than far more hyped peers of the early-mid 80s like Junos, JXs, digital Yamahas, etc. because it sounds quite warm, lush and organic while also able to render good digital tones and has the built-in F/X. Alot can be done just using this. Well worth the investment if the price is reasonable.

[Derp]

Spectacular machine. I still cry myself to sleep sometimes thinking about how I was stupid enough to sell my DW-8000 for an MS2000 back in the day. The strings alone were... *sniffles* just beautiful!

[sputrelo]

Thanks for the feedback folks.

Does $200 US sound reasonable for it?

[Derp]

Originally Posted by sputrelo

Thanks for the feedback folks.

Does $200 US sound reasonable for it?

Very reasonable. Buy it now. Just leave your computer and everything you're doing this second and go get it. What are you still reading here for? GO!!!

[rockmanrock]

Originally Posted by sputrelo

Thanks for the feedback folks.

Does $200 US sound reasonable for it?

That's value for money. Check all the keys and all the buttons work. My friend had one with very intermittent key contacts.

[sheever]

very good synth
I love it.

[ARR1]

I never liked it for strings and the key action was really noisy and clunky.

However, it was tits for spacey drones where the filter self-oscillates and the delay is cranked. It was sonic bliss for that. It could get fairly ballsy with unison mode, too.

One thing you might look out for would be whether or not the buttons stick when pressed. I ran into that with both DW8000s I've had in the past. If I had the extra cash, I'd be tempted just to pick one up for the drones and trigger it via MIDI.

[chroma]

is it local? Last I checked, $200 was about going rate, maybe a little better (couple years since I looked). If it's not something you have to jump on now, you might consider the more convenient EX8000 (rack mountable) or the less-convenient-but-better-sounding DSS1, which goes stupid cheap for what it does (basically a DW8000, with lots of extra features and a couple significant drawbacks...).

The DW8000 seemed to me to be a bit of a 'wi****l' synth I guess... but I love that mood.... great sounding noise too (and you can control the volume inside with a knob IIRC... maybe that's just the EX8000... this helps with some kinds of sounds).... It's a very clear-sounding synth too unless you dirty it up, lending some to say it sounds too digital, but the filter sounds great and is clearly analog.

[Derp]

Originally Posted by chroma

or the less-convenient-but-better-sounding DSS1, which goes stupid cheap for what it does (basically a DW8000, with lots of extra features and a couple significant drawbacks...).

Agreed on all accounts. It sounds spectacular (switchable 12/db 24/db filter) has some sweet features (sampling, waveform drawing) and was the biggest pain in the ass to use.

[sputrelo]

Yes, its local. I will probably be getting it on Sunday. Can't wait. Thanks for the input all

[clusterchord]

i had EX8000. the analogue filter, and effect on board are really nice. but in the end it wasn't my cup of tea. arhitecture n mod routing is sorta limited compared to its peers from oberheim/roland. absence of any type of fm/xmod etc.

for analougeness of that type, i much preferred the Roland DCOs like JX ie. MKS70. warmer, and w wider bandwith. otoh for hybrid stuff, again i liked the gritty ESQ-1 and Microwave much more. but that's just my personal taste. i still think DW8000 is a great machine, with some unique hybrid sounds, especially for the money they ask nowadays.

[sputrelo]

And it's here! Everything works great. Now, off to make noise

[Derp]

Originally Posted by sputrelo

And it's here! Everything works great. Now, off to make noise

Enjoy it! Enjoy it for those of us who no longer have one!

[Novosibirsk]

Is it possible to the split the keyboard with the DW-8000?

[Resonant Serpent]

Originally Posted by Novosibirsk

Is it possible to the split the keyboard with the DW-8000?

Only if you have the Angel City Mod.

Korg DW-8000 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

KORG DW8000-EX

[Resonant Serpent]

Also, make sure you get the battery mod done since I've ran into three of these that were useless due to the battery leakage.

HOWTO: Korg DW-8000 Battery Replacement

[Novosibirsk]

Originally Posted by Resonant Serpent

Only if you have the Angel City Mod.

Korg DW-8000 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

KORG DW8000-EX

How hard is it to do the mod? I have no electrical experience, but I have a friend who has a decent amount...

[once a roadie]

The angel city audio mod required you to replace the EEPROM with an expansion board. I've got one in storage - the DW itself needs the power supply PCB repaired. If anyone REALLY wants that chip, I could maybe get it for them.

The DW-8000 synths are awesome. I used to play the DW with an EX-8000 midi'd for some wicked FAT tones. The DW boards are very well behaved and controlled compared to something like a Juno-106 which is much more of a wide range freq output to shape.

The DW-8000 was partly a response to the DX-7 and has some nice FM like EP tones in it as well.

Currently, my DW is at a friend's studio and I am using the JUNO (with a memory man of course) a lot 'cause of the all the knobs / sliders!

Anyhow...back in 1991 my band PlanB did an album (Burlington VT). The solo on this track is the DW-8000 and EX-8000 together in one pass. The strings are also DW-8000 but with OB-X with some AKAI samples in there too.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/2yzwlqnm2wn/mary.mp3

[Simon The Gooch]

DW-8000 was my first synth, I picked it up when I was 16 for $175. You can definitely squeeze some great sounds out of it, I kind of whish I had kept mine but I've moved from city to city several few times since then and it ended up getting sold during one of the moves. :/

[jarrydn]

Awwwwww man, I had the opportunity to score an EX-8000 a couple of months ago, but the guy pulled out of the auction on the last day. Said that he needed to get the battery replaced and that he'd message me when he relisted it, but I'm pretty sure he settled with someone else outside of ebay ;(

[relis]

Yes, it's a god synth.

Unique, that's for sure, I didn't met the synth with similar sound character. One can get very soft-y sounds out of it. Not so cutting, but good addition to standard synth setup. You just have to like it, of course.

[nitrochrome]

Originally Posted by sputrelo

I have a chance to purchase one of these and was wondering if anyone would be willing to share their opinion on it.

Thanks

Yes it's an awesome synth. The filter self-resonates, but it's a bit loud and difficult to control. I like when it arpeggiates the filter on mine crunches some of the notes. it makes some unpredictable noises which are really beautiful. thumbsup

[nitrochrome]

Originally Posted by rockmanrock

That's value for money. Check all the keys and all the buttons work. My friend had one with very intermittent key contacts.

Yea I'm trying to fix that on mine. Any suggestions?

[Mr. Varaldo]

The best deal is imho the DSS-1 - if you have the space to keep it...

However, like the other guys have already mentioned, the DW/EX-8000 is very nice too, and the classic Korg DDL really adds to the sound. A few audio examples:

Bells SE1 nice and hypnotic bells, with the DDL

Low Strings some classic hybrid digital/analog strings

Choir digi-choir that reminds of the Roland JX-series

Synth Bass 1 classic synth bass of the '80s

Prologue a modern-sounding synth with sweeping filter and DDL

[Slik dA Relic]

NEVER sell or trade any synth that was made in the 80's... u will ALWAYS regret it... doesnt matter if its a Yamaha or Casio... lol

da relic

[imissthewar]

I just bought a DSS-1 and have a DW-8000 that I'm looking to get rid of...