"Korg Poly-800 8-Voice Programmable Synthesizer with Original padded Korg Flight Case
also included: Korg factory presert .WAV patches on CD (no need to use cassette tape player),
1/8" mini-jack mono patch cord, 9 volt AC wall adapter.
This is an early Poly-800 (serial number 0004922). That means it's a better Korg Poly-800. Here's why:
The first wave of Korg Poly-800s were originally manufactured without a battery soldered to the circuit board. This early serial number Poly-800 is one of the models without the leaky internal batteries. That means the circuit boards on this synthesizer are perfect and unharmed.
The later Poly-800s and Poly-800 MkII models had a battery soldered to the board to help hold the software sound patches in memory, and after 26 years, most have leaked corrosive battery acid on the boards. But not this one! No circuit board battery, so no circuit board damage. Look at the photos. The boards are perfect."
"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.
Click here for a Korg Poly 800 mkII page sent to me by Devin (Drexon Field). There are some nice shots up and one trippy demo of the Poly 800 running through a couple of Alesis FX boxes. If you track back to http://www.drexonfield.com/, you will find links to Music, Video, Review, Studio Gear and Links. Well worth checking out. Thanks Devin!
"Korg Poly-800 II, awesome sounding 8-voice analog (DCO) poly synth. Easy to use and is a ton of fun, features chord memory and a super lush stereo chorus (Juno killer). Includes non-original power supply and PDF printed manual.
Condition:
Volume pot is a tad dirty and bender joystick is missing the tiny control tip, functions well otherwise."
Personal Keyboard SAS-20 Super Accompaniment System
EPS-1 Electronic Piano & Strings
Symphonic Piano 80s & 80 Electronic Piano
BPX-3 Bass Unit
PK-12 Pedal Keyboard
BX-3 Electronic Organ
CX-3 Portable Organ
Rhythm/Soundeffect
KPR-77 Korg Programmable Rhythm
PSS-50 Programmable Super Section
SDD-3000 Programmable Digital Delay
KR-55B Korg Rhythm
KR-33 Korg Rhythm
KMX-8 8ch Mixer
MM-25 Multi Monitor
PME-40x Professional Modular Effects
KOD-101 Over Drive
KDI-101 Distortion
KCO-101 Compressor
KFL-101 Flanger
KCH-101 Chorus
KPH-401 Phaser
KNG-101 Noise Gate
KAD-301 Analog Delay
KGE-201 Graphic EG
KES-101 EXT Selector
KFB-001 Filler Box
Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
via this auction
"I have owned POLY 800s for 15 years and love them. I installed the Hawk 800 and Atomahawk (Moog Slayer) mods to one of my fully functional POLY 800s."
The listing also includes an 800 mkII for parts/repair.
"After 2 years of crazy synth buying, Vincent has the new Secret Records studio down to a mere 26 synthesizers that he claims are better than the rest..... Before you watch, maybe you can make your own list of what you would have kept or make some guesses about what Crazy Vincent kept. Remember..... he's not like other people.
Support the label, the studio, and us at secretrecords.bandcamp.com
Chapters:
00:00 Opening Music
00:14 Introduction
01:32 Overview
03:04 Stack One
04:49 Stack Two
05:48 Stack Three
07:23 Stack Four
08:43 Stack Five
09:23 Stack Six
09:55 Stack Seven
11:12 Stack Eight
13:19 Outro
14:50 Some Music
"compatible with the DW 6000, DW 8000, EX 8000, Poly 800 mkII, EX 800, and the DVP 1.
Basically, it has 4 banks of storage, with each bank capable of holding 64 additional patches for any of these synths, and can be used with several at once (for example bank A can store sounds for the Poly 800, and Bank B could hold patches for the EX 8000, etc.)."
"Noisy minimal provides by SoundSaw app, as main effect on the mix of modded Korg Poly-800 mkII (thru Roland Space Echo RE-201) and Alesis Micron. SoundSaw also controlled by Korg nanoKontrol2 midi controller. This app adds excellent noise and lofi sound when processing drum sequences. Notice to how interesting changes the sound of Korg when turn on Roland RE-201 at the beginning.
I actually posted about these way back in 2005. Mark spotted them on the GForce site and sent the link in. I thought I'd put a new post up and capture the list of synths and description for the archives. BTW, also check out this post for some Roland info cards.
"Vintage Synth Trumps
This is Vintage Synth Trumps, a deadly serious card game for vintage synth enthusiasts featuring 52 classic instruments. Test your knowledge and settle those arguments once and for all with the synth-spotter's equivalent of arm-wrestling.
Can you use your skill and judgment to win the whole pack from your opponents and become the undisputed champion of vintage synth wisdom?
Playing is easy. Simply divide the cards between the number of players before taking it in turns to read aloud a statistic from your card.
For example, "Korg PS3300 - Collectability = 5 out of 5". Everyone then compares the card on the top of their hand and the highest scoring instrument in that category wins that round. The person who gains all the cards wins.
So next time your kids pester you for a card game, extract revenge with Vintage Synth Trumps (not available from any good department stores near you).
The perfect kitsch gift for trade shows, long flights, forum banter, pub quizzes, train journeys and all round anorak type showing-off.
Buy your pack of Vintage Synth Trumps for only £7.95 (price includes first class postage, other methods available)
hBLizNobJ-g~~_3.JPG)
The first wave of Korg Poly-800s were originally manufactured without a battery soldered to the circuit board. This early serial number Poly-800 is one of the models without the leaky internal batteries. That means the circuit boards on this synthesizer are perfect and unharmed.
