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Korg DSS-1 Digital Sampling Synthesizer
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Korg DSS-1 Digital Sampling Synthesizer

Sampler from Korg

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Published on 10/31/08 at 16:00
Used as a polysynth and not as a &quot;sampler&quot;, this beast holds its own next to all the great analog polysynths. You've got one of the best resonant analog filters that Korg ever put in a synth - very creamy and musical. The synth architecture is somewhat similar to that of Korg's previous flagship DW-8000, however the DSS-1 gives you the opportunity to use any waveform or sample you desire; plus, you get these extras: oscillator sync, bit crushing, advanced unison detune, a second LFO, and a second Digital Delay line!! The velocity and aftertouch parameters are also more refined. Most parameters have at least double the resolution from the DW-8000. Some deficiencies of the DSS-1: no variety of modulation waveforms (only a sine wave for each LFO). No portamento. No sequencer or arpeggiator.

Price paid: $250 USD

UTILIZATION

Of course there are some flies in the ointment. As all synths from the mid-80s, there is not a lot of realtime control. It's from the &quot;knobless&quot; era of synthesizers, so you're left with some buttons and a couple of data sliders to edit the sound. However, the DSS-1 does offer a very sensitive and useful aftertouch which can be applied to LFO vibrato or VCF cutoff. And of course you have Korg's ever present &quot;nasty, waggly joystick&quot; for the usual round of performance modulation duties. A data slider (set to the parameter of your choice) can be used as a third realtime controller. The MIDI implementation on the DSS-1 allows you to control the parameters via a MIDI knob/slider box. I have successfully programmed a Kenton Control Freak to work with the DSS-1. This makes programming an easier chore, but beware: when you hold a key down and move a slider on the MIDI knob box, you will hear digital &quot;stuttering&quot; noise from the outputs, making the knob box quite useful as a programmer but not so useful as a realtime performance controller. (Side note: the DW-8000 had no problem in realtime performance mode with the Control Freak.) Oh well, you can't have it all.

SOUNDS

The Korg DSS-1 is something of a &quot;dark horse&quot; in the synthesizer world today. Back in 1986, people bought this keyboard for the sampler section (samplers were a big thing back then), completely overlooking the powerful synthesizer within. However, nowadays its paltry 256k internal memory, 12-bit sampling rate, and incredibly slow floppy drive make the sampler section something of a joke, and totally obsolete for producing realistic type sounds (pianos, EP's, orchestral instruments, etc.). The DSS-1 is now revered for its analog synthesizer section. You see, under the hood of this beast lies a full-blown analog polysynth section, with real VCFs (resonant) and VCAs. In fact the DSS-1 is pretty much an analog polysynth with the VCOs ripped out and replaced by a 12-bit sampler. If the sampling section is used simply to store analog-type waveforms (saw, pulse, square, tri, sine, etc.), then the DSS-1 comes into its own as a powerful and fat analog polysynth, with digital waveforms that are infinitely expandable. For instance, you can sample the raw, unfiltered oscillators from a Prophet-5 or OBXa, or you can use one of the data sliders on the DSS-1 to &quot;draw&quot; your own waveforms, just like on a Fairlight! The DSS-1 is capable of big fat synth-brass and synth-strings that will compete head-to-head with Prophets, Oberheims, and Jupiters. All kinds of weird textural sweeps are possible by taking samples and applying oscillator sync to them (it's a sample-mangler!). Basses can be very punchy and in-your-face. Yet: the most gentle, ethereal, swirling pads are possible as well. And if that isn't enough, you've got two built-in digital delays which can be run in parallel or in serial mode. This enables you to get all kinds of chorused, flanged, or ping-pong type effects which can radically alter the character of your sound. It's a very capable synthesizer!

OVERALL OPINION

The DSS-1 is built like a tank. You could launch this thing at Baghdad and it would still be in one piece when it landed! It was built to take a beating as Korg's flagship synth in 1986. In fact, I think the DSS-1 marks a new era in build quality for Korg, following a long line of budget synths from the Poly-61 (1982) to the DW-8000 (1985). The DSS-1, retailing at $2,600 in 1986, put Korg back on the map as a producer of big-sounding, rugged, fine quality synthesizers. This scope and durability come at a price, however: the DSS-1 weighs in at a hefty 41 lbs., and is actually larger in size than a Roland JD-800! In my opinion the DSS-1 is the best Korg synthesizer since the Trident (1980), and it's also the last Korg synthesizer with an analog filter and signal path (their final hybrid synth).

I love my DSS-1!! I still manage to program new sounds on this beast that totally surprise me. I'll never sell it, especially considering the measly $150 or so that I would get for it (it goes for dirt cheap these days!). I get far more use out of it than this small amount of money. It will remain in my studio for the forseeable future.

Originally posted on FutureProducers.com
Posted by: ChipCurtis ( 4-, 2006)