Korg Ex-800 poly analog synth with Hawk and Moog slayer upgrade

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"Here is vintage Korg Ex800 synth upgrade with the Hawk 800 and Atomahawk (moog slayer) mod. Serviced and professionally installed."

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Korg EX800 w/ Mods

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"I bought it modded, unsure as to the specific ‘brand’ of mod (Moog Slayer?? Hawk800??.) but it either way it adds a totally wild filter cutoff, resonance and FM to the synth allowing for far greater sound sculpting and hands on control."

Custom Korg Poly 800 Synthesizer with HAWK 800 modification SN 056657

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"This Poly 800 is not only Custom in appearance, but in functionality too.
Inside are the HAWK 800 mod boards (HAWK 800 and Atomahawk) with custom firmware that add tons of new features, including midi control over all parameters.
This is not the simple "Moog-Slayer" mod. It is WAYYYYY better.

Check out the HAWK 800 website-
www.hawk800.com

If you go here and download the "Version-2.65l.zip" file you will find the Owners Manual and Parameter Charts inside the zip.

2.65l is the latest version of firmware and is what's loaded into this machine.

There are even a few features Mike put in this version that I suggested!


Here are some Sample videos:


Videos are of the synthesizer before it was painted. Shown using the midi controller, showing some features of the GUI and some tricks using DAWs to manipulate the MIDI control.

This synthesizer was "overhauled" over the years. It has been taken apart, cleaned and reassembled by a professional aerospace electronics technician (me!). Restoring synthesizers is a hobby of mine I do in my spare time.
The volume knob is not "noisy".. no scratching. The joystick works as it should. EVERYTHING WORKS!"

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Korg Poly-800 synth w/ Moog Slayer Mod SN 037678 w/ Original Box

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Korg EX-800 Polyphonic Desktop Synth (Filter Mod + FM [Moog Slayer] w/ PSU)

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"Vintage Korg EX-800 polyphonic MIDI desktop synthesizer. It features an analog filter and chrous modifying 8 DCOs, 2 LFOs, and 3 Envelope Generators. The unit also contains a built-in sequencer. In addition to the stock functionality, the Moog Slayer filter cutoff/resonance mod has been added as well as a frequency modulation knob."

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Reverse Keys Korg Poly 800 w/ Slayer Mods

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Several non-responsive keys fixed
Button contacts cleaned
Memory battery replaced (worth noting the original battery was still in here, so it has lasted about 30 years!)
Factory patches restored via tape (notoriously difficult to get right on this model - I've saved you the trouble!)
The 'Moog Slayer' mod has been added - giving you real time control over the filter and resonance
FM mod - giving you frequency modulation from the VCF (useful on some patches, horrible on others!)

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Ambient Meditation for Guitar and Synthesizer - Fender Jaguar and Korg EX-800

Published on Jan 24, 2017 Stephen Hummel

"Volume 7 of the 'Circuits and Strings' series from subtractiveLAD aka: Stephen Hummel.

This jam pairs my Jaguar with my EX-800, all played live with no looping. The guitar part heavily features the 'reverse' delay setting on the Strymon TimeLine (custom patch). The EX-800 is being played via MIDI on my trusty old Kurzweil K2000.

Signal flows:

Fender Jaguar
Keeley 4 Knob Compressor
Ibanez Turbo Tube Screamer TS9DX
MXR Custom Badass '78 Distortion
TC Electronic Shaker Mini Vibrato
MXR Phase 90 Phaser
Strymon TimeLine Delay
Walrus Audio Descent Reverb
Fender Hot Rod Deluxe Amp
Shure SM57 Mic

Korg EX-800 (with Moog Slayer filter mod)
Boss RE-20 Space Echo
Line 6 Verbzilla

Recorded and mixed in Reaper"

Korg EX-800 Analog Synthesizer w/ HAWK-800 + AtomaHawk Mods installed - Moog Slayer

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"This unit has both the HAWK-800 and the AtomaHawk upgrades installed, as detailed here:
http://patrioticduo.tripod.com/hawk800...
http://patrioticduo.tripod.com/hawk800...

The upgrades/mods add the following features:

NEW SOUND FEATURES:
1) Portamento mono mode with slide rate parameter stored per patch.
2) Tremolo - apply either LFO1 or LFO2 to the volume of either of the DCO's volume with control over Tremolo depth for each DCO.
3) The single LFO is now two (LFO1 and LFO2) and two more super LFO's (SLFO3 and SLFO4) have been implemented.
4) All four LFO's have triangle, sawtooth, sine, square PWM and random sample and hold waveforms. All waveforms can also be inverted.
5) All four LFO's have free running modes.
6) LFO1 and LFO2 delay type select - allows the LFO's to cycle at note on and then stop cycling when the delay timer expires. This allows the reversal of its original behavior where the LFO delay timer must expire before the LFO begins to cycle.
7) LFO2 sync to MIDI clock.
8) EG3 retriggering sync by MIDI clock.
9) Note triggered sequencer transpose - You can now select a global parameter that will set up the keyboard to transpose the playing sequence. You can also set the mode to allow MIDI to transpose the sequencer too.
10) Resonance can now be modulated by LFO's and the envelope generator.
11) The LFO1 frequency can be modulated by SLFO3.
12) The LFO2 frequency can be modulated by SLFO4.
13) Random sample and hold waveform clocked by the on board seq. or MIDI clock.
14) Random sample and hold waveform clocked by sequencer repeat.
15) DCO harmonics can now be modulated by any of the four LFO's.

NEW MIDI FEATURES:

1) MIDI controllers (special and NRPN) for all original and extended parameters.
2) MIDI standard controllers implemented for LFO1 rate, VCF cutoff and resonance depth.
3) MIDI controllers for setting Poly, Hold, Chord and Portamento modes.
4) MIDI sustain controller send and receive.
5) MIDI SYSEX single patch dump send and receive.
6) MIDI SYSEX bulk patch send and receive.
7) MIDI EX-800 SYSEX dump receive (sequencer and patches).
8) MIDI Poly-800 MK2 SYSEX patch dump receive (patches only).
9) MIDI user initiated SYSEX HAWK-800 bulk dump all patches.
10) Selectable Omni On, Off or Auto on power up.
11) Keyboard MIDI TX channel selection (1-16 or no MIDI TX).
12) Joystick MIDI TX channel selection (1-16 or no MIDI TX).
13) MIDI soft thru of all messages.
14) Sequencer MIDI time code send on/off.
15) Chord mode synchronization SYSEX send - if cascade sync mode is selected then pressing the chord key will send a SYSEX message to set up the chord progression table. This allows a slave unit such as an EX-800 to operate in chord mode with the same chord structure as the master unit.
16) MIDI patch bank selection (1 of 4).
17) MIDI note on velocity sensitivity where VCF and envelope generator parameters can be influenced by incoming MIDI note velocity data.

NEW USER FEATURES:

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Korg Poly 800 with Mods

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"Up for your consideration is a fully functional Korg Poly 800 synthesizer with several modifications that enhance the functionality and make this unit a fine candidate for the central piece to your music production environment. Modifications were professionally installed by experienced and skilled hands and are described below. I've modified a good handful of these and this particular machine is in the best cosmetic condition I have ever seen. Absolutely like-new!! Original Korg power supply included.

(From circuitbenders.co.uk)

The Korg Poly800 and its rackmount / tabletop cousin the EX800 are odd beasts. They came from that strange era of Korg synths where they couldn't seem to decide between analogue and digital, and so came up with a selection of hybrid synths that didn't seem to excel as either sound. On paper the Poly800 was a pretty well endowed machine but in reality it always sounded a little thin and never really fulfilled its potential, which is where we step in with our Polybeast mods!

FILTER MODS:

Cutoff & Resonance Knobs: This mod can be found around the net under several different names (Moog Slayer Mod) and versions but essentially it adds knob controls for the filter cutoff and resonance parameters for realtime control. The resonance knob can take the resonance well into self oscillation and far beyond what is programmable from the front panel. This can produce the kind of screaming top end and subsonic bass that gives these machines a whole new range of sonic possibilities. The filter cutoff knob allows you to perform long filter sweeps for those squidgy burbling analogue lines that you knew your Korg was capable of but could never actually program. Both parameters are still also controlled by the normal programming methods which can set the range of the knobs control.

12dB / 24dB Filter Response Switch: Somewhat mysteriously the filter chip used in these machines has both 12dB/Oct and 24dB/Oct outputs but only the 24dB one is actually used. This mod adds a switch to select either a 24dB or less drastic 12dB filter response

VCF CV input: This socket round the back of the machine adds an external 0-5v control voltage input that controls the filter cutoff. The new filter cutoff control knob is disabled when a jack is plugged into the socket.

AUDIO MODS:

External Audio Input: This accepts a line level audio signal and inserts it before the filter and chorus effect so you can use it to process external signals. The input is set up so that a loud signal will slightly overdrive the filter for a dirty sound.

External Audio Path Switch: This switch sends the audio from the external input either via the DCO1 or DCO2 signal path or turns it off completely. The input doesn't respond to the DEG audio level envelopes but instead is gated on and off by the noise gate that korg implemented to silence the synth when all the envelopes are completely closed. i.e. when the DEG envelope for the chosen path closes completely at the end of the release phase, the noise gate is activated and the external audio input is cut. The audio input is still effected by the filter envelope.
An external input can easily be filtered without having to hold down a note by setting up a patch with all the oscillator tones turned off, but the DCO 'level' parameter set to full. If you use the note 'Hold' function and press a key the audio input will be audible and can be processed with the filter etc.

Input Level Knob: Its a knob that controls the level of the audio input. What more can we say?

FM MOD:

Essentially VCF FM allows you to modulate the filter cutoff at audio frequencies to create all kinds of clanging cross modulation and bizarre alien splatters & sweeps. This effect works best with the resonance cranked up into self oscillation which is where the new resonance knob mod comes into its own. The audio input takes its signal from before the input level knob so you can use the audio to modulate the filter cutoff but remove the actual audio signal from the mix.

Also installed is a brand new internal memory battery to keep this machine running for years and years without losing your presets!"

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Korg Poly 800 "Reverse Keys" HD Sound - Rare - Analog Programmable Synth / Keytar - Fast demo

Published on Jun 16, 2015 Nicolas Labatut

Video description is from Wikipedia:

"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 (paraphony) 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 resonant low-pass VCF with 24dB/oct which was shared for all voices. Like a monophonic synthesizer, the filter was switchable between single or multiple modes. In single mode, the first key pressed triggers the filter envelope, and unless all keys are released, the filter does not re-trigger. In multi mode, each key pressed in turn triggers the filter envelope, even if other keys are still pressed down.

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 batteries and had guitar strap pegs, allowing a performer to wear it like a guitar. It was also available with reversed-colored keys, which gave an appearance similar to a Vox Continental organ.

About a year after the Poly-800 was introduced, a keyboardless, rackmount/tabletop version, called the EX-800, was released, adding limited 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 limited MIDI sysex functionality. It was produced until 1987.

Siel produced an almost identical synthesizer, the DK-70 around the same time period.

Modifications[

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korg ex 800 with moog slayer mod and more

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"Modified with the MoogSlayer filter mod, FM mod, External Audio in mod, internal feedback mod, and a couple others. Knobs aren't labeled, so I will include an instructional diagram. Comes with original power supply and rack ears. Sounds great, but I rarely use it anymore. I have too much gear, not enough space. Unit is totally functional, the filter is insane, but it is an old piece of gear and my mods aren't manufacture grade, so all sales are final. Guaranteed to not be D.O.A."

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Korg Poly 800 with Moog Slayer and other filter mods plus a built in BSIAB II

Uploaded on Jun 29, 2011 sizzlemeister

"Korg Poly 800 with Moog Slayer mod, Filter Frequency Modulation mod, 12/24 db Filter switching, and a BSIAB II grafted into the former chorus circuit. I picked up this Poly 800 at a yard sale and it was in very bad shape, so I gave it bath and fixed it up. It needed the power section rebuilt and some other work, plus the joystick knob was missing so I replaced that. I added an internal battery for the memory."

Korg Poly 800 II vintage analog polyphonic synthesizer w/ Moog Slayer mod

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How To Instructions on Korg Poly 800 Moog Slayer Custom Modded Analog Synthesizer Keyboard

Published on Apr 27, 2014

"A video showcasing the Moog Slayer mod for the Korg Poly 800 analog synthesizer. You can achieve amazing results with just simple tools and basic soldering skills.

Details of the custom synthesizer mod can be found here: http://synthmod.net/korg/moog_slayer/
http://synthmod.net/korg/fm800/

More details:
http://www.strellis.com/poly800.shtml

Background music is Washed Out - Paracosm (2013)"

Siel DK70 Analog Synth with Moog Slayer mod

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"A previous owner installed the 'Moog Slayer' filter mod, which adds knobs for real time control over filter parameters (see photos). This is similar to the mods often installed on the Korg Poly-800 and gives you some hands-on control that would usually be lacking. It's a subtle effect but very useful on a synth that otherwise would be difficult to program..."

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Korg Poly-800 played through Moog Sub Phatty

Published on Nov 19, 2013 msix Anthony·1 video

"A quick little video to demonstrate some of the sonic possibilities of substituting Korg Poly-800's filter with a Sub Phatty. Not a well prepared or imaginative one, just to give you the taste of this idea.

Poly-800 is sending MIDI to Sub Phatty to trigger it's gate and envelope and retrigger the LFO. Thus Sub Phatty becomes a natural extension to Poly-800 and provides it's multi-pole filter and multidrive circuit for polyphonic use.

Intro/outro music: https://soundcloud.com/messier6/ep-funk"

via Anthony Alfimov on The MATRIXSYNTH Lounge

On a side note, there are some notes there on the Poly-800 via Josh Nursing: "The Poly-800 filter is only limited by the lack of circuitry and control knobs in the Poly-800. It's actually a very powerful and fantastic-sounding filter once you mod the Poly-800, with 12/24dB/oct switchable mode, realtime cutoff and resonance. The actual limitations aren't in its filter but in its oscillator section..." You can find info on the Moog Slayer Mod here. They do come up pretty often on the site as you can see here. Below is a video I missed. Be sure to also see the FrankenKorg 800 Demo here.

Korg Poly-800 Moog Slayer Mod + Switchable Filter
Uploaded on Jul 20, 2011 yashnu·83 videos
Super high resonance right after :30. Watch your speaker levels.

"Synth DIY. Real-time Cutoff and Resonance, with switchable filter mode"

Korg Poly-800 II - UNIQUE - Moog Slayer, FM Mods, Audio IN, BLUE LEDs

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"Here are the mods:

-Fresh lithium battery and socket install for voice memory (you won't have to change it for another 20 years!)
-Moog Slayer Cutoff/Resonance mods - (allows you to control the cutoff and resonance manually, just set max resonance to 11 in presets)
-FM Modulation mod (white knob)
-12/24db filter switch
-Audio input (you can run audio through the filter and also use the onboard delay)
-Blue LED numbers
-Internal power supply rebuild (replaced all regulators-- power stable)

There's a reason they call the mod the Moog Slayer!.."

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KORG POLY 800 with Slayer Mod

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Rhythm Active (RSS)

"Moog Slayer Mod

Modifications include a hands on knob for:
Filter Cutoff Frequency
Filter Resonance
FM Filter Cutoff Frequency"

Korg Poly800 with Original Blue Gig Bag & Moog Slayer Mod

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"This particular example has had the so-called 'Moog-Slayer' mods installed. This means there is a dedicated knob for the analogue filter cut-off and resonance. It makes a huge difference to the hands-on operation of the synth.

It also comes complete with it's original padded soft case, in a very fetching 1980's baby blue and orange."

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Korg EX-800 w/ MOOG SLAYER and FM-800 Mods SN 001480

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"The Moog Slayer Filter mod allows the user to alter the cutoff frequency and resonance with realtime control. This adds incredible lows and ultra highs to your sound. Be warned, it can scream and may cause speaker and even ear damage. Please use at your own responsible risk. Not that it will hurt you, but I feel that fair warning is appropriate.

The FM-800 mod adds a touch of modulation to the sound which is adjusted by its own pot. Adds an interesting flavor if I do say so myself."

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