Commodore Remix

Recently bought a defect KORG EX-8000 in the hopes of getting it to work correctly... all logic for panel, display and MIDI worked, but there were absolutely no sound comming from it... totaly dead soundwise.

After fidling with it for a while, i found that it was nothing more than a dead voltage regulator in the power supply for the VCA and VCF board... had a spare part at home, så I put it in the machine, and voila! 100% working hybrid analog polysynth for approx. 60 dollars incl. sparepart.



And here's a demo of what it can do... no external processing, just the EX-8000 and my own presets:
http://razmo.ziphoid.com/EX8000.mp3

EX-8000 has 8 voices of digital oscillators going into 8 analog VCA/VCF chips (KORG own chips)... they sound really warm and analog even though the oscillators themselves are digital.

Well, we're gonna have to knock on your door for a few samples mate! (Or snip a few from that demo.)

Marvellous piece of luck.



_________________________________


But having said that.....

Samples: http://www.cyborgstudio.com/ex8000.html


Samples of similar: http://www.cyborgstudio.com/dw8000.html

Cool. I always loved the Korg "lush pad" sound, so I was quite disappointed that it was extremely difficult to get that from the Z1 I had.

Chris

Chris Abbott wrote:Cool. I always loved the Korg "lush pad" sound, so I was quite disappointed that it was extremely difficult to get that from the Z1 I had.

Chris

Yeah, I read earlier that you never really liked the Z1... though I still think that this synth is the best sounding virtual analog out there, but that's a personal taste of course... I had it, and regret having sold it.

But when it comes to pads, you can't go wrong with some form of analog signal path... I believe that's where the secret is hidden... especially if it has to be very warm pads. The best machine I've had for pads is the Roland MKS-30... generally older analog Roland machines is famous for their warm pads. But there is no doubt that the EX-8000 is capable of warm pads as well for sure.

I just don't understand from where you got the name "Lush Pad", since the EX-8000/DW-8000 don't have names for their presets, only numbers?

Commie_User wrote:Well, we're gonna have to knock on your door for a few samples mate! (Or snip a few from that demo.)

Marvellous piece of luck.



_________________________________


But having said that.....

Samples: http://www.cyborgstudio.com/ex8000.html


Samples of similar: http://www.cyborgstudio.com/dw8000.html

You just "snip away" ... it's just a basic demo of the presets I did for the EX-8000 so there is no copyright issues or anything.

btw. the DW-8000 is just the keyboard version of the EX-8000... they are 100% identical soundwise and featurewise.

I did enjoy the samples. Reminds me to chop up that copy of Electronic Sounds by George Harrison. 'Musique Concrete'-type stuff is often the perfect stack of noises to use as keyboard presets!



I love it, now it all has a practical application:









Back to the point, check out Ebay for lots of cheap Korg accessories.


Data cassette: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KORG-EX-8000- ... 2a0e05bf05

'Largest collection of sound patches': http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Korg-DW-8000- ... 2563wt_932

Service manual: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KORG-ex-8000- ... 1225wt_698

I wouldn't say that was bad chaps.







I'm quite excited about it now and I haven't even got one. Very similar to my Roland JD-800, which goes very well with Sonix on the Amiga, one of the early MIDI softsynths. Makes me almost forget the 64!

You have some good electronic troubleshooting skills there

Great find all around

Analog-X64 wrote:You have some good electronic troubleshooting skills there

Great find all around

Actualy I'm still an amateur when it comes to electronics ... but I've learned, that in more than 90% of cases where a piece of electrical machinery dies, it's the power supply that is dead somehow... either leaked or dried out caps or broken rectifiers or regulators, so I always check the supply rails first and then narrow it down this way... has worked for me three times now.

It's incredible what a little skill with a soldering iron can do, if you just learn the basics, and there is plenty of info on the web about these things... got all my knowledge from there... never had a single class in electronics ever.

Razmo wrote:

Chris Abbott wrote:Cool. I always loved the Korg "lush pad" sound, so I was quite disappointed that it was extremely difficult to get that from the Z1 I had.

Chris

Yeah, I read earlier that you never really liked the Z1... though I still think that this synth is the best sounding virtual analog out there, but that's a personal taste of course... I had it, and regret having sold it.

But when it comes to pads, you can't go wrong with some form of analog signal path... I believe that's where the secret is hidden... especially if it has to be very warm pads. The best machine I've had for pads is the Roland MKS-30... generally older analog Roland machines is famous for their warm pads. But there is no doubt that the EX-8000 is capable of warm pads as well for sure.

I just don't understand from where you got the name "Lush Pad", since the EX-8000/DW-8000 don't have names for their presets, only numbers?

"Lush pad" is just what I called any pad which sounded lush I haven't ever had hands on with a decent Korg, just heard them from afar.

Chris

Chris Abbott wrote:

Razmo wrote:

Chris Abbott wrote:Cool. I always loved the Korg "lush pad" sound, so I was quite disappointed that it was extremely difficult to get that from the Z1 I had.

Chris

Yeah, I read earlier that you never really liked the Z1... though I still think that this synth is the best sounding virtual analog out there, but that's a personal taste of course... I had it, and regret having sold it.

But when it comes to pads, you can't go wrong with some form of analog signal path... I believe that's where the secret is hidden... especially if it has to be very warm pads. The best machine I've had for pads is the Roland MKS-30... generally older analog Roland machines is famous for their warm pads. But there is no doubt that the EX-8000 is capable of warm pads as well for sure.

I just don't understand from where you got the name "Lush Pad", since the EX-8000/DW-8000 don't have names for their presets, only numbers?

"Lush pad" is just what I called any pad which sounded lush I haven't ever had hands on with a decent Korg, just heard them from afar.

Chris

Ha ha! ... well alright, then I understand ... besides I bet that any synth out there has a "lush pad" among their presets ... it's such an original name for a pad without too many high harmonics (read; lo-fi, filtered whatever)