Any Korg EX 800 Users?

[synthmaniak]

Just got myself a Ex 800, after seeing these videos.






LETS UNITE!!!

[Aaron2]

I have the EX-800, the Poly 800, and Poly 800 II. I love these machines. You should join the Yahoo! group, "korgpolyex." It's a very active community.

I'll think you'll find a few people on this board who enjoy these machines. But unfortunately, many people here started playing back when these machines were new, and the stigma of 800s being cheaper, allegedly inferior alternatives to better and pricier synths has stuck with those people. So you won't see a lot of rabid fans here. The Yahoo! group is probably the place to go if you're looking to find others who really love this synth.

[synthmaniak]

I have the EX-800, the Poly 800, and Poly 800 II. I love these machines. You should join the Yahoo! group, "korgpolyex." It's a very active community.

Gracias!!.... will check that out.

[calaverasgrande]

i've since sold my Poly 800's. But just a few days ago I was going through some old recordings and couldnt beleive how many really good sounds I got with them. they are a b***h to make patches on, and the envelopes are kind of c**p. But something about polyphony with one filter over all the notes kind of works. They also had kind of a unique waveshape functionality with the organ style 'stops'.

I would recommend looking up the moogslayer and other mods for these synths. While it won't actually slay any Moogs (lets get real here) it does give you more latitude in how much resonance and drive the filter has. The switchable 12/24db slope mod works very well with the Moogslayer mod.

[Walter Ego]

i've since sold my Poly 800's. But just a few days ago I was going through some old recordings and couldnt beleive how many really good sounds I got with them. they are a b***h to make patches on, and the envelopes are kind of c**p. But something about polyphony with one filter over all the notes kind of works. They also had kind of a unique waveshape functionality with the organ style 'stops'.

I would recommend looking up the moogslayer and other mods for these synths. While it won't actually slay any Moogs (lets get real here) it does give you more latitude in how much resonance and drive the filter has. The switchable 12/24db slope mod works very well with the Moogslayer mod.

I second all of that. Having just gotten my beloved 800 back with the cut/res knobs and switchable filter (and also goodies like an FM knob and audio input), it's just as fun as I remember, plus more. It is still a bit fiddly even with the knobs, but it's capable of bright and sparkly yet still gritty leads, dirty basses and nice thick strings. I wouldn't call the strings "lush"; they have a nice darkness to them, probably due to the stepped DCO waves, but I am still so happy to have it back and working. Limited sound palette but also unique. Expanded by mods. There are plenty of Poly/EX-800 fans on this forum and elsewhere, and also plenty of haters. Also those of us with a love/hate relationship to the thing.

[Aaron2]

I would recommend looking up the moogslayer and other mods for these synths. While it won't actually slay any Moogs (lets get real here) it does give you more latitude in how much resonance and drive the filter has. The switchable 12/24db slope mod works very well with the Moogslayer mod.

+1, with one caveat. I like the Moog Slayer mod and I've done several of them on my own machines. But you have to drill holes in the case, which I don't like. Better to get the Hawk 800 kit, I think.

The 12/24db slope mod is, IMO, the best mod for the Poly 800. The 12db filter slope gives it a nice edge that you don't get with the stock 24db filter. You still have to drill a hole, but hey, at least it's just one, and it's small.

[calaverasgrande]

I would recommend looking up the moogslayer and other mods for these synths. While it won't actually slay any Moogs (lets get real here) it does give you more latitude in how much resonance and drive the filter has. The switchable 12/24db slope mod works very well with the Moogslayer mod.

+1, with one caveat. I like the Moog Slayer mod and I've done several of them on my own machines. But you have to drill holes in the case, which I don't like. Better to get the Hawk 800 kit, I think.

The 12/24db slope mod is, IMO, the best mod for the Poly 800. The 12db filter slope gives it a nice edge that you don't get with the stock 24db filter. You still have to drill a hole, but hey, at least it's just one, and it's small.

the Hawk mods may be prettier since they are internal, but are far more advanced and irreversible.
The Moogslayer mod is probably the easiest mod I have ever done. It took me 5 mintues, I had all the parts lying around in my toolbox and the Korg Poly/EX is a cinch to work on compared to some pedals and synths that have me cursing by the time they are open.

[Aaron2]

The Moogslayer mod is probably the easiest mod I have ever done. It took me 5 mintues, I had all the parts lying around in my toolbox and the Korg Poly/EX is a cinch to work on compared to some pedals and synths that have me cursing by the time they are open.

Five minutes? C'mon, dude, it takes five minutes just to undo the gazillion screws holding it together and to take out the internal circuit board. h**l, it took me more than five minutes just to drill the holes!

[calaverasgrande]

The Moogslayer mod is probably the easiest mod I have ever done. It took me 5 mintues, I had all the parts lying around in my toolbox and the Korg Poly/EX is a cinch to work on compared to some pedals and synths that have me cursing by the time they are open.

Five minutes? C'mon, dude, it takes five minutes just to undo the gazillion screws holding it together and to take out the internal circuit board. h**l, it took me more than five minutes just to drill the holes!

this ain't my first prom.

[Black Tomorrow]

I ended up with a Poly-800 several years ago as part of a trade. I never really liked it but never got around to selling it, either. With the DCO contest currently going on, I'm gaining a whole new appreciation for it, so I think it's a keeper. It already has the Moog Slayer and FM-800 mods. Maybe I'll add more.

[max badwan]

bought my first Poly 800 in '84 to use as a keytar, used them off and on since then, had an EX 800 which I did the MoogSlayer mod to, and still have a reverse key Poly 800 out the back - somewhat unique sound, I like em!

[calaverasgrande]

I still want a Poly 800 MKII with the delay effects. I bet that can make some fun patches.

[synthmaniak]

i've since sold my Poly 800's. But just a few days ago I was going through some old recordings and couldnt beleive how many really good sounds I got with them. they are a b***h to make patches on, and the envelopes are kind of c**p. But something about polyphony with one filter over all the notes kind of works. They also had kind of a unique waveshape functionality with the organ style 'stops'.

I would recommend looking up the moogslayer and other mods for these synths. While it won't actually slay any Moogs (lets get real here) it does give you more latitude in how much resonance and drive the filter has. The switchable 12/24db slope mod works very well with the Moogslayer mod.

I second all of that. Having just gotten my beloved 800 back with the cut/res knobs and switchable filter (and also goodies like an FM knob and audio input), it's just as fun as I remember, plus more. It is still a bit fiddly even with the knobs, but it's capable of bright and sparkly yet still gritty leads, dirty basses and nice thick strings. I wouldn't call the strings "lush"; they have a nice darkness to them, probably due to the stepped DCO waves, but I am still so happy to have it back and working. Limited sound palette but also unique. Expanded by mods. There are plenty of Poly/EX-800 fans on this forum and elsewhere, and also plenty of haters. Also those of us with a love/hate relationship to the thing.

Anywhere i can get the mods done?, im not tech savvy.

[Synthetech]

The Hawk 800 mod is a blast to make a custom VST plugin so you can do things like this.....







Did someone say add some delay?
How about delay, flanger, phaser, exciter and a splash of reverb thrown in..

[calaverasgrande]

i've since sold my Poly 800's. But just a few days ago I was going through some old recordings and couldnt beleive how many really good sounds I got with them. they are a b***h to make patches on, and the envelopes are kind of c**p. But something about polyphony with one filter over all the notes kind of works. They also had kind of a unique waveshape functionality with the organ style 'stops'.

I would recommend looking up the moogslayer and other mods for these synths. While it won't actually slay any Moogs (lets get real here) it does give you more latitude in how much resonance and drive the filter has. The switchable 12/24db slope mod works very well with the Moogslayer mod.

I second all of that. Having just gotten my beloved 800 back with the cut/res knobs and switchable filter (and also goodies like an FM knob and audio input), it's just as fun as I remember, plus more. It is still a bit fiddly even with the knobs, but it's capable of bright and sparkly yet still gritty leads, dirty basses and nice thick strings. I wouldn't call the strings "lush"; they have a nice darkness to them, probably due to the stepped DCO waves, but I am still so happy to have it back and working. Limited sound palette but also unique. Expanded by mods. There are plenty of Poly/EX-800 fans on this forum and elsewhere, and also plenty of haters. Also those of us with a love/hate relationship to the thing.

Anywhere i can get the mods done?, im not tech savvy.

At this point it seems like most of the Poly 800s for sale already have them done?
I'd look on ebay and CL for one of those.
It has to be cheaper to buy one modded, then pay someone to do it for you.
If I still did that kind of work I'd charge upwards of $200 for Moogslayer, FM and switchable slope mods.
Really it isn't hard to do. In fact I'd say it is a good way to get your feet wet!
Parts and tools shouldn't cost you more than $20-40 depending on how nice you get with your iron and other tools.
The actual parts for the mod are about what, $5-10?

PS-@Synthetek a little hot with the levels there boy! Nice to hear the hawk mod in action though.