"Scored" a vintage Korg synthesizer......

[Kamakiri]

Found it in the trash, in beautiful condition :)

It's a Korg Poly-Ensemble S, here's a link to pics of an identical model:

http://www.keyboardmuseum.org/ar/k/korg/p/pe2000.html

Aside from money valuation (I have no idea what it's worth either...), can anyone give me a bit of history on this piece?

[mhardy6647]

You're a nut-man, Tim! (I mean that, of course, in a good way) You must convert it to 12 VDC and install it in your travel-trailer...

Analog synthesizers are cool.

[Justen]

Oh great, another person coming to AK to find out what his stuff is worth, use our collective knowledge and good intentions, only to flip it on ebay! :D

[mhardy6647]

Good point, Justen. Look, he's only got 5700-odd posts. Dang newbie. We should sic Grumpy or Thor on him...

[Justen]

Ban him! Ban him!

Oh wait, I'm the newbie in this thread... damn!

[Kamakiri]

Read my post, wise guys......I dont know or care if it has value :tongue:

I just want to know if it's any good, or a POS......

[luvvinvinyl]

Sheesh! No sense of humour this morning.

Sorry I can't help you with your synthesizer. When I was playing, the keyboards were analog.

[grumpy]

Its a POS and I'll pick it up on my next visit :)

Guys give the newbie a break. We all gotta learn at some time.

[Kamakiri]

Oh you asshole! :D

[mhardy6647]

Moderator! :-)

[Sandy G]

Now, children, that's quite enuff of that ! Straighten up & fly right, or I'll have to take the lot of you to the woodshed...<grin>-Sandy G.

[Sandy G]

..To answer yr question, though, O Tim the Enchanter-Whiz ! BOOM ! KA-POW !!- I think I remember seeing a Korg synthesizer listed as one of the "instruments" "played" on Herbie Hancock's "Rockit". But I could be wrong. Might be a nice playpretty for scaring the dog, or something....-Sandy G.

[Celt]

Nice find Tim! Why can't I ever find anything like that? I hit all the local pawn shops, GW's, etc. and about all I ever see is rusty toenail clippers and empty Mrs. Butterworth jars. :(

[schoolboy]

Jeez, you guys are being rough on the newbie with only a post or two wanting info again. It's the only time AK ever gets hostile. Haha! I just wish newbie ebayers weren't such idiots.

Anyway, I'm into keys and music and stuff. I'll bet that beast sounds real cheesy. That's great if you want cheesy. Cheesy is fairly easy to simulate (or sample) but often the real thing is better. Listen to artists like Aimee Mann - she uses Casios and such to great effect. I call them Cheesemaster keyboards.

I recently picked up something of similar vintage just because I felt it deserved an A in cheesiness. Korg stuff was generally the worst of the Japanese electronic instrument manufacturers until some time in the 90's (after Yamaha bought them) and now they are one of the best. Does the thing work?

[CortR]

Tim--while this post probably departs in spirit from the above replies it might offer some useful info. The poly S is pretty seriously retro--non-programmable, monophonic (the "polyphonic" designation came from presets) that dates from the mid-70's. Not a toy, though. It was capable of some pretty stout voices--think Lyle Mays on Pat Metheney's "Phase Dance" (Mays was using the Korg and an Oberheim at the time). Great phase shift, too, as classic IMO as TC Electronics Chorus. Tranceheads seem to like them, and one went locally here in Dallas for $500. Hope this helps.

[Urizen]

Great find, Kam! :thmbsp: That one is a blast from the past. Please let us know how it sounds?

[foetusized]

(the "polyphonic" designation came from presets)
I thought that polyphonic meant that it could play more than one note at a time, as in chords. The earliest synthesizers could only play a single note at a time, IIRC -- Foe

[TommyC]

Ok, I Almost hate to admit this, but that exact Synth is what made the band I was in in high school the coolest band in the whole area! :yes: We were the only local band with a synth and someone who actually knew how to play it! :banana2:

Did you get the case cover with it? Ah, memories!! :D

[fotno]

I seem to recall that Korgs of that vintage were fairly decent pieces, but alot of them got scraped when the better controllers and seperates came along in the mid to late eighties. Korgs started getting kinda junky about that same time, and as was mentioned previously, newer Korgs are quite prized. Have fun with it, nothing like a good plunking machine. I have several of the guitar flavored plunkers myself.

[Kamakiri]

Ok, I Almost hate to admit this, but that exact Synth is what made the band I was in in high school the coolest band in the whole area! :yes: We were the only local band with a synth and someone who actually knew how to play it! :banana2:

Did you get the case cover with it? Ah, memories!! :D

Sure did get the case cover :)

Nice sound too!

[shelby1420]

I really must come over there Tim on garbage night and have a look see, man all i get over here is bagged dog shit...............

[clint e.]

That's a classic.
Have fun with it. :thmbsp:

clint.

[B3Nut]

That actually would be a polyphonic unit, as it's basically a string machine (a Japanese take on Arp's Solina string-ensemble, Roland had one as well). This type of synth used a top-octave divider system like a solid-state organ, basically giving full polyphony. These can be fun instruments, I like an old string machine. :)

TP

[berr2]

Nice find Tim! Why can't I ever find anything like that? I hit all the local pawn shops, GW's, etc. and about all I ever see is rusty toenail clippers and empty Mrs. Butterworth jars. :(

Mrs Butterworth was pretty hot!

[jerryjg]

Tim--while this post probably departs in spirit from the above replies it might offer some useful info. The poly S is pretty seriously retro--non-programmable, monophonic (the "polyphonic" designation came from presets) that dates from the mid-70's. Not a toy, though. It was capable of some pretty stout voices--think Lyle Mays on Pat Metheney's "Phase Dance" (Mays was using the Korg and an Oberheim at the time). Great phase shift, too, as classic IMO as TC Electronics Chorus. Tranceheads seem to like them, and one went locally here in Dallas for $500. Hope this helps.
Wow, I thought Moog were the ones in serious demand. WEll, time to keep on the lookout for Analog synths.What were the synth tracks for Dark side of the Moon recorded with?Also, great job of Dumpster diving!

[B3Nut]

The synthesizer on DSOTM was an EMS VCS3 monophonic synth, a British machine.

Another classic synthesizer from the Golden Age.

Todd in Beerbratistan