The Poly 800 Appreciation Thread

synthparts · Post by **synthparts** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 1:36 am

Yes it is a pretty cool little synth (and still cheap). Especially the mkII with its programmable digital delay. The step time polyphonic sequencer is a lot of fun too. I have a reverse key mkII -

Fortramnasdaq · Post by **Fortramnasdaq** » Mon Jul 14, 2014 10:22 am

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread but I also wanted to add my love of the Poly-800 here. I used it recently to make two tracks (drums are from a Volca Beats and a QY300 respectively)

Done as part of a semi-spoof side project about 'demo tapes I found in my attic' but really an excuse to make 80s tunes on 80s gear.

Kenneth · Post by **Kenneth** » Mon Jul 14, 2014 5:08 pm

You are an exceptionally gifted songwriter and synthesist, but I still don't like the Poly 800. Awesome tune, though!

V301H · Post by **V301H** » Mon Jul 14, 2014 5:25 pm

I was enticed into buying a Poly 800 after seeing Chuck Leavell and Don Muro demo it at the 1983 NAMM Show. What I liked about it was the small size, battery operation, and it's Keytar-like MIDI controller capabilities. I already had an OB8 and Jupiter 6 but I could take the Poly 800 everywhere as a practice instrument. I would take it to work, the laundromat, and use it at home since my big Synths were almost always set up at a club. I also used the Poly on stage MIDI'ed to the Jupiter 6 for layering sounds. It was a pretty good sounding solo instrument and when strapped on like a Keytar it added to the show since audiences were impressed by that sort of thing. Then it could do certain kinds of sounds the big Synths didn't do so well. On some multi-band events where I wasn't allowed to bring my whole set up I would just strap on the Poly (somewhat out of spite for not getting to use my usual gear) and get by well enough.
I still have my Poly 800 which has never needed any servicing and it works fine.

calaverasgrande · Post by **calaverasgrande** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 1:28 am

I've owned moogs and also several Poly 800s.
The polys do not sound like moogs. Even with the Moogslayer mod.
They sound like what they are which is a weird organ footage style additive DCO which can approximate triangle and square but is never quite either.
The filter is also nothing like Moogs.
I kind of like the gauzy sound of the Poly 800 filter at certain settings. I also think the ugly edginess of the DCO is it's own unique thing. Esp in this clip, the parts with the Skinny Puppy-ish bass in the middle. (Sounds like chord memory and some detune?).

But it is just not Moogy at all.

I gotta say there are a few patches this fella pulls off that I am impressed by.
Tried for a couple years to get similar sounds, he obviously has a better handle on the envelopes than I do. It is very hard to program an envelope when you are just entering values!

monolith · Post by **monolith** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 4:34 am

I don't think the Moog in in Moogslayer is to be taken literally...

k5k · Post by **k5k** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 5:57 am

I still love mine and use it a lot too, it was free and I just had to replace the battery and reload presets too etc.

They definitely can't be used as a midi controller, sends weird extra values etc. Think it was the first synth with midi?

calaverasgrande · Post by **calaverasgrande** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 8:46 am

monolith wrote:I don't think the Moog in in Moogslayer is to be taken literally...

I was more responding to...

elmosexwhistle wrote: Highlights:
- Big Beautiful Digi-Analogue Pads and Polysynth sounds
- Phat moog-style Basses and Leads
- TECHNO MUSSOLINI
- Bullying isn't Cool Kids!
- Roses
- Dirty Techno
- Pimp-a*s Dancing
- Stupid facial expressions are optional

monolith · Post by **monolith** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 8:54 am

Gotcha. Yeah, it's a cool little synth but moogy it isnae.

calaverasgrande · Post by **calaverasgrande** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 8:57 am

they certainly have midi problems.
feed it too much midi data and it can star overwriting patches!

SeventhStar · Post by **SeventhStar** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 9:36 am

k5k wrote:Think it was the first synth with midi?

That would be the Prophet 600..

Synthetech · Post by **Synthetech** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 4:51 pm

SeventhStar wrote:
k5k wrote:Think it was the first synth with midi?
That would be the Prophet 600..

but if he had said Korg's first midi'd synth, he'd have been correct.

Jabberwalky · Post by **Jabberwalky** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 9:20 pm

I thought the Poly61M was Korg's first Midi synth.

Synthetech · Post by **Synthetech** » Thu Jul 17, 2014 4:43 am

Jabberwalky wrote:I thought the Poly61M was Korg's first Midi synth.

I'm not sure which one was released 1st.

I consider the Poly61M as a MIDI mod/refit.

AFAIK, the Poly 800 was Korg's 1st synth that came with MIDI in it's initial production run.

The Poly 800 Appreciation Thread

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