Trend price : 200-250€
A rackmount sampler derived from keyboard version model Korg DSS-1 with some enhancement but missing many important features from original machine.
Overview
RACKMOUNT (weight: 11, 5 Kg / dimension: 433 x 134 x 430 mm) 3 rack units. The main panel features a 2 x 20 LCD backlit display (with contrast trimmer) 3 knobs and 32 buttons.
Rear panel terminal connectors:
-
mix outputs
- 16 analog outs
- Midi interface with Led activity
Front panel terminal connectors:
- signal audio input with gain knob and impedance switch
- head phones out
- footswitch control to playback a sound.
Voice
16 voices polyphony. STRUCTURE: each voice is composed by 1 digital oscillators with a sampled sound.
Synthesis
DSM1 features 2 kind of syntheses:
1- sampling at 12 bits resolution
2- additive harmonic synthesis.
Sampling
Engine samples at 12 bits - DSM records at 4 fixed frequencies (check table below), once sampled there are some standard sample edit functions such as : reverse, merge, chain samples (LINK) truncate, loop, crossfade, copy and zone assign (up to 30 samples can be mapped).
Additive
is a non real-time process based on 128 sinewave harmonics with adjustable level. This process also includes 17 preset shapes: square, sawtooth (x3) , organ, metal, sax, synthesizer, bass, sinewave, EP (x2).
Memory
internal sample non-expandable memory is 1 megabyte. Sounds and samples can be stored to primitive 1,44 Mb floppy drive but it is possible to dump the samples bidirectionally by Midi (sadly non-totally compliant to SDS sample dump protocol). There are 32 slots for sound patch programs and 32 multi-sounds.
Performance
unit manages up to 4 parts some special features:
- Midi channel
- semitones shift
- poly or mono mode
- part volume
- part tuning
- up to 16 split points
- multimode layer: 2 x layer / split 2 / split 4 / single / multi
Filter
resonant lowpass analog filter based on 16 chips NJM-2069 (same found on Korg Poly 800 but not paraphonic of course) at -24 d/B slopes.
Proportional Keyboard tracking function is implement into the VCF section.
LFO
2 triangle-shaped delayed modulators called "MG" (Modulation Generator) and 2 destinations: pitch and cutoff
Envelope
2 EGs based on VCA each with 4 segments + 2 times:
1- EG1 amplitude
2- EG2 filter cutoff (bipolar)
Audio demo:
Video Clip:
Review
OK: -sounds good- enhanced RAM- enhanced DISK- multitimbral /analog outs
NOT : many features from DSS1 are lost like: resonance / sync / delay- bulky, rack is very deep!
"very disappointed by this module which lacks too many original features: the DSS1 is more a synthesizer while DSM1 is a more a plain sampler."
Text , review, special demos copyright polynominal.com / Eric Pochesci