Korg DSS-1
Digital Sampling Synthesizer (1986)

 

A huge digital/analog hybrid sampler with some basic synthesis functions. It looks like a bit like the synthesizer Korg DW-8000 but on steroids

DSS-1 is one of the most underrated sampler ever, boasting 16 digital oscillators with analog filters.

KEYBOARD SAMPLER 61 keys with velocity and aftertouch.
The main panel features a 2 x 20 LCD backlit display, 4 sliders, 25 buttons, a disk drive and a joystick lever for both modulation and bending functions.

Rear panel terminal connectors:
- main outputs
- MONOsampling signal input
- Midi interface
- headphones
- pedalswitch damper input + pedalswitch "program up" input
- LCD contrast trimmer
- switch for high/low out impedance

 

 

TECH main core based on 8 bits CPU Intel 8085 manages 8 voices polyphony.
Each voice is composed bv 2 syncable digital oscillators (for a total of 16 oscillators) + a white noise generator with own gain mix. Each OSC has the following parameter:

- mix balancing between osc1 and osc2 - octave set at 4' / 8' / 16' - pitch detune amount - adjustable semitones interval - amount of unison detune (must be set in mono mode).

SYNTHESIS the DSS1 features 3 kind of syntheses:

- sampling at 12 bits resolution (1) - cycled waves digital creation (2) - additive harmonic synthesis (3)

 

SAMPLING engine samples at 12 bits but It can be set to 10 / 8 / 7 or even 6 bits for total crispy low-fidelity sound! DSS engine samples at 4 fixed frequencies (check table below).
Once sampled, some standard sample edit functions e.g reverse, merge, chain samples (LINK) truncate, loop, crossfade, copy and zone assign (up to 30 samples can be mapped).

Frequency Transpose limit Sampling time (seconds) 16 kHz 24 semitones up 16 24 kHz 17 semitones up 11 32 kHz 12 semitones up 8 48 kHz 05 semitones up 5.5

Hear lowering from 12 bits to 6 bits

 

CYCLED WAVES DRAWING it is possible to "draw" a waveform moving the the slider during a time of 4096 steps, then levels can me manually edit in a specific address (but quantized into 512 different positions).

TIP: It is quite impossible to draw something interesting on the fly: most of the time the result are buzz and harsh waves. HEAR Metal wave created by ADDITIVE

 

ADDITIVE is a non real-time process based on 128 sinewave harmonics with adjustable level. This process also includes some preset shapes: square, saw, organ, metal and clav.
Created waves can be saved as normal samples.

HEAR generated cycled wave

PERFORMANCE system handles 8 voice only in monotimbric with some special features:

- mono unison : 2/4/6/8 voice can be stacked with detune option. Quite fat, but sadly there is no portamento and even if you stack only 4 voices it will result monophonic. - 2 polymodes: like old analog, voice rotate or restart from first - aftertouch can be assigned to LFO, cutoff and VCA - adjustable pitch bend range - treble and bass EQ - velocity switch threshold (plays osc1 or osc2 according to velocity) - key transpose

 

FILTER resonant lowpass analog filter based on 8 X chips NJM-2069 (same found on Korg Poly 800 but not paraphonic of course) at -12 or -24 d/B slopes. Proportional Keyboard tracking function is implement into the VCF section.

HEAR filter resonance

LFO 2 triangle-shaped delayed modulators MG"(Modulation Generator).
The modulators are retriggered at each note press, relative frequency is quantized into 32 values with variable depth amount. LFo Destinations are:

- pitch (OSC1 / OSC2 / both) - filter cutoff - modulation for delay effect HEAR LFO

 

 

ENVELOPE 2 EGs based on VCA each with 4 segments + 2 times:
- EG1 amplitude
- EG2 filter cutoff (bipolar).
DSS1 features also a bipolar AUTOBEND function for the pitch on a range of time + 2 slimmed-down EGs for the VCF/VCA touch sensibility.

EFFECT up to 2 internal digital delays (up to 500 ms) that can be routed in parallel (stereo) or serial mode. Some parameters can be edited for each delay: feedback amount, modulation intensity, delay time + level. HEAR delay

MEMORY the internal sample non-expandable memory is limited to 256 Kb + 32 slots for sound patch programs and 16 multi-sounds. Sounds and samples can be stored to primitive 720 Kb floppy drive,

- LEFT - Dss1 internal guts. - click to enlarge picture -

 

MIDI basic control change, but all parameters can be modfied using Exclusives hex strings.
SAMPLE IMPORT it is possible to dump the samples bidirectionally by Midi (sadly non-totally compliant to SDS sample dump protocol).

 

DSS-1 MAINTENANCE / Modding. The DSS1 is quite a reliable machine, never had a trouble after years. Common problems are:

- backlight LCD - faulty Canon floppy drive The disk drive is like the Amiga standard: infamous Shugartdifferent from PC. Personally I always managed to clean the drive head with success, or it is possible to install a more modern USB emulator disk (like HxC). - other common upgrades : for a short period, a third-part company by Tom Virostek released an upgrade kit with new board, faster CPU, more memory and SCSI option.

 

 

EDITORS there are some free and commercial computer-based editors:

- Turtle Beach samplevision (for old PC ->no more available) PIC - Midiquest (PC/MAC, commercial) PIC - Clyphx (Ableton script) - Edit DSS (Atari ST, no more available) PIC - Softynth Digidesign (Atari ST, no more available) PIC - Digidesign Turbosynth (Atari ST) PIC - VSTizer DSS-1 (plugin, commercial) Pic below

 

RELATED FAMILY:

DSM-1 more or less the rackmount module with some substantial differences: KORG DSM-1 VS DSS-1s - DSM1 has HD disk1,6 mb VS DD 880kb - DSM1 has more RAM (4 times more ) - DSM1 has more 15 analog outs - DSM1 has no OSC sync (ouch!) - DSM1 has only 4 poles filter VS. 2/4 mode - DSM1 ha no resonance Q (big miss!) - DSM1 has no delay engine - DSM1 has no "DRAW waveform" function - DSM1 has more additive presets - DSM1 manages 4 parts vs 1 DSS1s - DSM1 features 1 VCF per oscillator / DSS1 1 VCF per VOICE (2 oscillators) - DSM1 D/A resolution is fixed to 12 bits, DSS1 can be changed also to lo-fi 8/10/7/6 bits - DSM1 lacks the noise generator

 

VST PLUGIN / SAMPLED VERSION there is no plugin VST / reliable DSS1 samples sounds available for the moment.

NONE

n/a

AUDIO DEMO

Pad with CVF MG Strings raw pad brass pad Resonance1 Resonance2 Cylone brass arpeggio resonances (another) resonant pad Brass with 2 delays Fat LFO

EBM bass like Warm Rhodes Clavinet TEST: "organ" created by ADDITIVE TEST: "Square" created by ADDITIVE TEST: "Metal created by ADDITIVE TEST: LFO pitch all frequencies TEST: lowering from 12 bits to 6 bits TEST: delay 1 / delay 2 / delay + MG TEST: generated cycled wave TEST: square wave --> Unison --> detune

VIDEO SELECTION Demo Demo2 Demo3

 

 

MANUAL

SERVICE MANUAL

original brochure

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(Steve Winwood)

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