Korg Poly-800
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| Korg Poly-800 by Korg | |||
| Synthesis type: | Analog subtractive | ||
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| Polyphony: | 8 or 4 voices | ||
| Oscillators: | 1 or 2 DCOs per voice | ||
| Multitimbral: | 1 | ||
| VCF: | 1 resonant low-pass | ||
| VCA: | 3 ADBSSR | ||
| LFO: | 1 sine | ||
| Keyboard: | 49 keys | ||
| Left hand control: | Joystick | ||
| Velocity sensitive: | {{{velocity}}} | ||
| Aftertouch: | {{{aftertouch}}} | ||
| External control: | MIDI | ||
| Memory: | 64 patches | ||
| Onboard effects: | Chorus | ||
| Produced: | 1983 - 1987 | ||
| Original price: | $795 | ||
The Korg Poly-800 is a synthesizer released by Korg in 1983. Its initial list price of $795 made it the first fully programmable synthesizer that sold for less than $1000. It featured a 49 key non-velocity sensitive keyboard, two buttons for data entry, and a joystick controller, which could modulate the DCO pitch or the VCF. Though the Poly-800 had MIDI, it did not feature MIDI sysex functionality, and patches had to be backed up to cassette tape. It had 8-voice polyphony with one DCO per voice. It could be switched into double mode which stacks two DCOs for a fuller sound, but reduces the polyphony to 4 voices. It featured one analog lowpass VCF which was shared for all voices. Further it had three digital envelope generators, a noise generator, an LFO, and a chorus effect. It also sported a simple built in sequencer. The Poly-800 could be run off of batteries and had guitar strap pegs, allowing a performer to wear it like a guitar.
About a year after the Poly-800 was introduced, a keyboardless, rackmount version, called the EX-800, was released, adding MIDI sysex capability. After production of the original keyboard ended in 1985, the enhanced Poly-800 MkII was released. It featured a digital delay instead of a chorus effect, and included MIDI sysex functionality. It was produced until 1987.
Yaps Estagle of Narda (an independent Filipino Synth-Pop band) is known to use a Poly-800 aside from a Yamaha DX-27 in his live performances.
[edit] Modifications
The low price for a used unit (in the 1990s it fell to under $200) and partial analog design of the Poly-800 made it perfect for modification by hobbyists. To add MIDI sysex functionality to the original keyboard, the EX-800's ROM chip can replace the Poly-800's ROM chip. Knobs to control the frequency and resonance of the VCF can also be added. There is also a modification that adds knobs for the filter and makes it more expressive, known as the Moog Slayer.
