Korg EX-800 (1984)
Programmable Polyphonic Synthe Module

Module of the famous polysynth Poly-800 with some handy technical enhancements.

MODULE unit can be rackmounted with optional ears.
Main panel features basic alphanumeric display, 15 buttons and 3 knobs

Back panel terminal connectors:
- Midi interface (with Thru)
- tape inferface
- headphones
- main signal out
- pedalswitch input for program UP
- switch selector between synth and tape mode

Power supply is external with 9V with negative on center.

 

 

TECH main unit is a 8 bits controller CPU Intel 8050 family.
Music oscillator DCO is based on a OKI MS-M5232 chip, best known as implemented on some early '80 arcade games (now emulated by famous MAME emulator).

The OKI generates 8 DCO digitally controlled oscillators assignable in 2 different manners: - double mode: 2 x 4 voices for a thicker richer sound2 - whole mode: 1 x 8 voices for full polyphony.

 

DCO an oscillator features 2 summable waveforms sawtooth and square + 4 additive harmonic octaves heights at 16' 8' 4' 2' + 1 white noice generator.

Hear OKI square wave Hear OKI sawtooth wave

EDIT INTERFACE poor and sluggish with 1 parameter per time.

 

ENVELOPE there are 3 EGs with ADBSSR segments, wich stands for: Attack, Decay, Break point, Slope, Sustain and Release.

- 1 DCO1 amplitude: 6-stages ADBSSR - 1 DCO2 amplitude: 6-stages ADBSSR - 1 VCF: 6-stages ADBSSR

LFO there are 2 delayed triangle-shapped modulators triggered by joystick control.

- MG LFO 1 modulates FILTER VCF - MG LFO 2 2 modulates DCO pitch.

FILTER a limited paraphonic filter based on a single NJM2069:

TheNJM chip is a resonant (but not up to self-resonance) bipolar analog 4 poles lowpass with cutoff and contour. - click to enlarge pic -

 

 

EFFECTS analog stereo chorus board based on BBD 3209 + driver 3102.

SEQUENCER features a very basic 256 steps sequencer syncable to external Midi clock

MEMORY:

- 64 RAM patches (NO ROM memory recall) Midi Sysex has been implemented from previous poly-800. Battery replacement: RAM system based on soldered CR2032 battery

 

OS latest official is unknown n 27c64 eprom

DOWNLOAD BIN it for free update -

 

MODIFICATION filter VCF values are quantized in 99 numbers but some nice guys made out a nice hardware modifications Moogslayer that adds 2 real-time knobs for cutoff filter and resonance.

Moogslayer mod test cutoff HEAR

EX-800 RELATED MODELS:

	Poly-800 first version, It is quite the same it but features a Chorus board instead of digital delay. Memory backup system is older with no CR-2032 battery and no Sysex handling. Poly-800 II enhanced POLY-800 with new motherboard and a 12 bits digital delay.
	MEX-8000 memory expansion adds 4 extra banks.

VST PLUGIN / SAMPLED VERSION there are some free and commercial samples set:

- Poly-850 commerical VST then renamed X-POLY - Bedroomproducers free sample set

GALLERY:

DEMO: Machinery - all poly800 : overdub+drum + vocoder Roland SVC350 All poly800 + Volca beats drums shine on your strings moogish Moogslayer bassline ->more Demo at the POLY800 MK2 page

have some ex800
demo? upload!

-More DEMO - FREE SAMPLE SET

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