Korg PE-1000 Vintage Analog Synthesizer, K-4 Polyphonic Ensemble SN 780191

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"Korg PE-1000 (also called K-4) analog synthesizer

Fully functional, cosmetically near mint condition other than some dust and very minor scuff marks. Comes with original case (a cover which attaches to the synthesizer) which probably explains how it survived the past 35 years in such amazing condition. All switches and knobs are present and work 100% with smooth travel and response - no unusual sounds or instability.

There's a lot of info about this unusual synthesizer on the Internet; here's some of my thoughts. Korg had their own unique approach to synthesizer deigns in the 1970's (miniKorg, MaxiKorg, Korg 770, etc) , and this synth is another great example. This is polyphonic, and to achieve polyphony Korg went ahead and installed 60 individual oscillators - one dedicated to each key! This approach is unique to say the least - the oscillators are completely stable, but they're also incredibly easy to access and tune. The front plate is removed with four screws and the tuning screw for each oscillator is located adjacent to each key. Using an electronic guitar tuner you can then tune each note - no need to bring this in to a shop for tuning/scaling, because it's that easy. This arrangement also enables the user to experiment with unequal temperament scales (arabic scales for example). I don't know of any other analog synthesizer capable of doing this. The controls are very self-explanatory and easy to program. This synth offers some great analog preset sounds, but also lets the user tweak them with the legendary Traveler filer, an EXCELLENT LFO with speed and depth and an interesting detune knob. The detune knob is able to do its thing because of the 60 seperate oscillator arrangement. Setting the sound selector to CONTROL lets you build your own sounds using the basic waveform building blocks along with the filter controls. There are a LOT of filter controls and their all very useful - this is another example where Korg was experimenting with synthesizer design rather than just copying everyone else. This is a K-4, which shows its historic place as a successor to the K-1, K-2 and K-3 synthesizers..."

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Happy New Year! The Year in Synths 2013

Happy New Year Everyone!

What a busy year it has been in the world of synths.

This is going to be one doozy of a post, so bear with me. This post is a review of the year in synths for 2013. We begin with Tributes to Those We Lost This Year, followed by New Manufacturers & Makers, Older Manufacturers Added to the Site, New Gear Announcements, Top 10 Posts by Traffic,  My Standout Posts for the Year, and finally This Years' Synth Events. I did my best to keep things as short and concise as possible.

Let's begin with the hardest part of the post.

Tributes to Those We Lost This Year

RIP Bernard Parmegiani - Electronic & Acoustic Composer
Lou Reed RIP
RIP Dick Raaymakers aka Kid Baltan
RIP George Duke - DreamWeaver
RIP Ralph Dyck, Sept 28, 1941 – May 20, 2013
RIP Ray Manzarek

All missed and never to be forgotten. Take a moment to remember them.

------

New Manufacturers & Makers

Starting last January, I decided to keep a running list of every new manufacturer and maker introduced to the site during the year.  This is something I haven't done before and I thought it would be interesting to see how many there were in the year.   It's easy to focus on the big synth announcements throughout the year, but what about all the new makers and brands? I shouln't have to go considerably into the significance of new designers on the scene, so I'll just say two things regarding them.  One, the number of new makers is a direct reflection on the interest in our scene, and two, these are the creators of new gear which directly translate into new designs not previously available to us.  Think about that for a moment.  These are makers and designs that did not exist before.  They are part of our synth history.  So what is the total count of new synth designers for the year? A whopping 113. Think about that a bit. One hundred and thirteen new synth designers and brands this year alone.

Here they are (note a handful date back to 2012, but 2013 marked their momentum and availability):

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Korg 770 SN 770860 Analog Synthesizer Restored with Kenton Mod

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"Up for sale, Korg 770 analog synthesizer. Has been serviced, recapped cleaned, all switches and sliders cleaned and lubricated everything works the way it should 100%.

This is really a special synth, has a unique sound, 2 analog oscillators, ring modulator, filter is really nice, and as a bonus has the Kenton Hz/v gate and filter mod installed. You can control it from a sequencer or your DAW..."

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Korg 770 analog synthesizer SN 770877

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"Original vintage c 1970’s Korg 770 analog synth in excellent working condition, freshly serviced and calibrated, ready for another 50 years of weird. The 770 is the precursor to the more common ms-20/ ms-10 synths, and shares many features and sonic characteristics with these later models, though much rarer, and much cooler. This is a legit Japanese non-export model, 100v. Enjoy!!!"

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Korg 770 - demo and test

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Published on Oct 19, 2016 Keith Negley

"This video is just to demonstrate the functions and working order of my Korg 770 analog synthesizer up for sale."

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"Korg 770 mono-synth in very good condition. Serial#: 770486
It is 100% functional. Every knob, slider and key works flawlessly with no scratchy pots or sticky keys/sliders. Previous owner had it serviced inside and out (5 years ago?) and had cv inputs installed in back. I've never used the cv inputs so I can't speak to how they work, but the owner demonstrated it to me when I bought it and they were functioning just fine. It has a few minor scuffs but nothing major and nothing that inhibits it's functionality. Note: It's missing the silver ring to the portamento knob (see pictures). The video link is my actual synth to demonstrate it all works great for this sale."

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Korg 770 Analog Synthesizer w/ Silver Korg Badge on Back

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Note the silver KORG badge on back compared to previous listings. Curious if it came from the factory that way.

"The best sounding monosynthesizer Korg ever build (imho). Check out the new video from Alex Ball [posted here] for reference. The Korg 770 is looking good and has a mod for CV/Gate and controlling the filter. Very handy."

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Korg 770 - Analog synthesizer

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"The Korg 770 is a dual oscillator mono synth from 1976. It has an external input so you can use it as a Filter or Ring modulator, along with the LFO you can get some really interesting sounds. This unit has all new capacitors about 60 in all. The pots and switches are fine and all the keys work. The unit powers up and makes all kind of sounds. The wood sides are not the original plywood, the new one's are solid babinga. This wood is used in guitars and looks great. The 770 has serial # 770008 that makes this one of the first ten made."

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Korg 770 Modified Rack Mount Vintage Monophonic Synthesizer

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"This is a vintage Korg 770 analog synthesizer that has been re-housed in a 3U rack enclousure. It powers on, and while VCO1 and the VCF section maintain basic functionality, no other section of the synth is working properly, and the CV inputs do not function at all either."

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Korg 770 Analog Synthesizer SN 77033

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"The badassery of the Korg 770 is indisputable. Gnarly, snarling, otherworldly, funk vessel. This one has a few battle scars cosmetically but has been restored internally and sounds amazing. Recapped throughout and many other components replaced. It did have a cv/gate mod installed but it has since been removed. The holes are still in the case and it's easy enough to redo the mod if desired."

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Univox Korg 770

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"Vintage Portable Univox Korg 770 Analog Synthesizer circa 1977. Specifications:
# KEYBOARD: F-C 32 Keys
# VCO-1: Scale (64', 32', 16', 8', 4', 2'), Waveform (triangle, square, sawtooth, pulse, PWM, External Signal), Pitch Control, Vibrato Switch (Normal/Off/Delay), Vibrato Depth, Vibrato Speed, Pitch Bend Switch (Up/Off/Down), Delay Time, Bend Speed, Portmento Switch (Fixed/Off/Control), Portamento Control
# VCF x2: Traveler (High Pass, Low Pass), Bright Selector, Expand Switches x2 (LP+HP, Off/Normal/Reverse), FcM Switch
# VCA + ENVELOPE GENERATOR: Attack Time, Singing Level, Range Selector, Sustain Selector, Envelope Mode Selector, Trigger Mode Selector
# LFO: Speed Control (Repeat+FcM)
# VCO-2: Coarse Tuning (16'-1'), Fine Tuning, Mode Selector (sawtooth, Ring 1, 2, Scale Noise, Pink Noise, White Noise)
# TOTAL: Mixing Selector, Mixing Volume, Power Switch/Volume
# DIMENSIONS: Approx. 22"(W) x 8"(H) x 13(D) mm
# WEIGHT: 9 kg
# POWER CONSUMPTION: Voltage (Local Voltage, 50/60Hz), Wattage (15W)"

Korg Maxikorg ( 800 DV ) Vintage Analog Synthesizer SN 0637

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Published on Jun 4, 2016 Sjobeck7

Update: Three new videos added to the playlist above for a total of five.

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"The Korg MaxiKorg 800DV (K-3) is a 44 key monophonic + duophonic analog synthesizer, featuring chorus, auto-bend, portamento, and dual signal paths (functionality of two Korg 770's). Each path features a single oscillator (saw /square /triangle /pulse /chorus /pink-noise waveforms), high and low pass analog filters, AD|R envelope (optionally triggered by a dedicated LFO), and vibrato."

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Korg 770 Analog Synthesizer

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The 770 is a very early, very cool Korg synth, but you probably know that or you wouldn't be looking. White noise, tuned noise, 2 different ring modulator modes, 2 oscillators, High and Low Pass filters. It has a mean, raw sound that later pieces like MS20 can only dream of!

The great thing about these is they sound like nothing else. If you're an analog synth guy who already has the normal stuff, this definitely opens up another range of sounds you can create. In fact you can go inside the unit and tweak trim pots to alter the behavior of the filters! You can also run external audio through them.

The only issue with this is the auto bending feature doesn't work consistently, but it isn't broken. Oh, and apparently it was used near some spray paint as there is a bit detectable on the right end cheek and a very subtle amount on the far right side of the control panel, but unless you're staring at it under bright light you won't even notice."

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Korg 770 Analog Synthesizer SN 771008

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"2 VCO's with Envelope generator and VCO modulator.

Condition: This Korg has some cosmetic wear, but plays great and is full of warm, awesome analog goodness. It is in working condition . VCOs work great independently or together. Envelope generator works fine. All keys are smooth and stick free. Some of the keys have some dings and scratches, but this does not affect playabillity. The panels on the sides of the keyboard are made of wood and have some dings and marks. All the pots are in great shape, and work perfectly. This Korg will provide endless hours of fun to the tweaker inside us all. It is full of amazing sounds perfect for any type of music..."

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Vintage Korg 770 Analog Synthesizer 1976 SN 770073

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"This synth is in incredible condition for 42 years old. Cosmetically it has some signs of wear and a hand full of the original knobs have been replaced as you can see in the photos. Everything works. Not only does everything work, I have also retrofitted the synth with a Kenton CV kit so there is cv control over Hz/V, gate, and filter. Sequencing this machines notes and filter is INSANE. You can integrate this with an analog sequencer or kenton midi to cv box (or any other cv source even a korg sq-1). Last year I also had Rosen Sound in Los Angeles install a midiplant so not only can you control the synth via cv, you can also trigger notes via the midi port on the back with a quick flip of a rear toggle switch. I personally still prefer the control and resolution of straight cv. The synth is really incredible and I've sampled more sounds from it than any other instrument I own. Have a listen to some demos on youtube if you aren't familiar. This machine is from another planet. The serial number is 770073 and it was one of the first units produced. Extremely rare. Also including a custom made dust cover."

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Vintage Korg 770 Analog Synthesizer with Original FK-4 Foot Pedal

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"This vintage Korg is in very good cosmetic condition, and excellent operational condition. All keys, sliders and pots work perfectly as intended, with no static or noise present. This 770 comes with an original FK-4 Polyphonic Ensemble Pedal and Cable. This enables you to control the amazing filter/traveller via the FK-4. Also included is a copy of the original owners manual in both English and Japanese."

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Korg 770 Synthesizer with CV-Gate-Filter & Audio In

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"Near mint 9.5/10 Korg 770 monophonic analog 2 VCO synthesizer with added 0-5 V in controlling VCO, Gate and Filter!

This is the predecessor to the MS line and was made in 1975; it has a 12 dB/octave filter and two oscillators. It excels at drones and modulations as it has auto cycle on the envelopes and can be triggered by the LFO. Similar sounds to a MS20 are common, but much easier to come by. This would make a great live synth, I gig with a Roland SH3 and this is almost as much fun by itself.

Note that the "traveler" filter slide pots are designed by Korg to overlap, they are not filed down as earlier 700 models needed for band pass sounds.

Cosmetically 9.5 out of 10! Take a look at these beautiful end cheeks and cute green power light! Has Korg factory five pin interface in back in addition to the added 1/8" CV Gate and Filter jacks which work 0-5 volts, NOT the Korg standard but ARP/Blacet et al. I have triggered this from a Blacet system and it works fine. The Korg interface ALSO works... if you have another 70's Korg and a five pin cable!

US 110 voltage and cord."

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Korg 770 Vintage Analog Synthesizer SN 770260

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"Perfect working condition, very good to excellent cosmetic condition for its age aside from the usual wood panel scratches and wear. This is a VERY unique sounding synth with an amazing set of functions. Two analog oscillators, ring mod, tunable noise circuit, multiple LFOs that can drive the filter and/or the pitch, bend effects, portamento, high pass and low pass filters with extra expand contols. Nice set of waveforms and the oscllators can be detuned or tuned at intervals and there's an audio in jack (I tested it and it works). From what I've read on the internet, only 500 were made. It came out after the K-2, but before the MS-20, so I think this is somewhat of a late 70s missing link. Korg had their own unique approach to analog synthesizers in the mid-70s and this is a particularly interesting example..."

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Korg 770 Analog Synthesizer

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"Unique sounding synth with an amazing set of functions: Two analog oscillators, ring modulator, tunable noise circuit, multiple lfos that can drive the filter and/or the pitch, bend effects, portamento, high pass and low pass filters with extra expand controls. Nice set of waveforms and the oscillators can be tuned or detuned at intervals.Also has an external audio in jack..."

Korg 770 Analog Synthesizer

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"This is unit is serial #220 & less than 500 of them were ever made.

The sound is one of a kind. It sounds like no other Korg, and I have heard them all. It can get weird, grimy, dirty, growly, and at the same time beautiful and consistently interesting. The character that this synth oozes is very distinct and unique and has a very wide range of sounds.

Everything (all knobs, switches, and sliders) function as it should. I haven't experienced any problems. . ."

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Korg 770 Analog Synthesizer

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"This vintage, monophonic and fully analog synth keyboard features:
LFO
VCO 1: w/ pitch, octave and mode parameters
"Traveler" sliders:unique controls for Low Pass and High Pass Filters
VCF: On, Norm, Rev
VCO 2: fine and coarse tuning w/ a Ring Modulator
External Audio input for processing(!)
Pink Noise
White Noise
Scale Noise
VCO Modulator
Attack and "Singing" levels
Vibrator
and more!

The sound of this keyboard ranges from massive, thick squarewave bass to spacey ring mod'd melodies. and the external input allows you to apply every filter to the source sound, a very cool feature. The traveler sliders allow you to make smooth filter sweeps w/ the hi pass and lo pass simultaneously!"

Sold For: US $610.66