Korg DSS-1

Last updated
DSS-1
Korg dss1.jpg
Manufacturer Korg
Dates1985 [1] - 1987
Price$2600
Technical specifications
Polyphony 8
Timbrality Monotimbral but multitimbrality can be obtained using multisamples spread across keyboard
Oscillator 12-bit waveforms/samples
LFO 2 - pitch & filter
Synthesis type Digital Sample-based Subtractive
Filter 8× NJM-2069
Attenuator
Aftertouch expression yes
Velocity expressionyes
Storage memory256kb-2Mb
Effects 2× DDL
Input/output
Keyboard 61-key
Left-hand controlJoystick
External controlMIDI

The Korg DSS-1 is a 12-bit polyphonic sampling synthesizer released in September 1986. It came out at a time when many of the popular synthesizer companies were beginning to get into sampling, an area of sound design that had previously been left to a handful of fledgling companies such as Fairlight, E-mu, and Ensoniq. Like Yamaha and Casio, however, Korg did not stay long in the sampling arena. The DSS-1 (along with the rackmount DSM-1) was the company's only sampler until 1998 when Korg introduced sampling options on their Triton and Trinity series of workstations, and on their Electribe series of drum-and-phrase samplers.

Contents

Concept and features

The DSS-1 is a 12-bit sampler with analog filters and envelopes. It can sample at 12-bit resolution, with a maximum sampling frequency of 48 kHz. [2] The usual sample editing features are included, such as truncate, loop, crossfade, keymapping, and so on. Multisamples can contain up to 16 individual samples. A single floppy disk can hold 4 "systems", each of which stores 32 patches including all subtractive synthesis parameters and the multisamples used in those patches. The maximum internal sample memory is 256K on a factory standard unit, with some (now rare and hard-to-find) hardware upgrades that increased the memory up to 2MB. A single DSS-1 floppy disk can hold up to 512k worth of multisamples, but only a max of 256K can be loaded into the machine's internal memory.

Like most digital-analog hybrid synthesizers, its architecture is set up much in the same way as on a standard subtractive analog synthesizer. The subtractive analog engine on the DSS-1 allows for two oscillators to be combined and/or detuned. For each oscillator, one of 16 single-cycle waveform loops or full samples can be selected. Also on board the DSS-1 is a simple, non-realtime additive synthesis engine. This allows you to create single-cycle waveforms by either drawing them with a data slider, or by setting the relative amplitude levels of 128 sine waves. These digital oscillators are then fed through a fully resonant VCF and a VCA section. The DSS-1 has the same VCF as on the Korg DW series and the Poly-800 (Korg custom filter # NJM-2069). The DSS-1, unlike the DW series or the Poly-800 allows the filter to be switched between 12 dB and 24 dB modes.

Modulation sources include two individual sine wave LFOs (which Korg calls "MG" for "modulation generator"). There is one LFO for pitch and one for filter. There are also two separate modulation sources for the built-in twin digital delays. The DSS-1 has two 6-stage envelope generators (one for filter and one for amp). Other features on the DSS-1 are: auto-bend (which allows for a pitch glide up or down to a destination pitch), oscillator sync (unusual for a sampler), and bit-crushing from 12 bits down to 6 bits. Oscillator sync in combination with autobend (on the slaved oscillator) allows the DSS-1 to emulate pulse-width modulation.

The DSS-1 architecture is quite complex, which explains the weight of the machine (19 kilograms). Two microprocessor boards are used to control the synthesizer. The first one is built around an i8085 processor, in charge of floppy-disk management, user interface management (LCD and front panel), digital oscillator control. The second one is built around a 63B03 processor, handling MIDI communication, keyboard management and control-voltage generation. The digital oscillators are built around a specialized circuitry (based on ASIC), in charge of playing back samples stored in DRAM. Each DRAM chip stores 262,144 bits, and there are 12 memory chips used in parallel to store the 12 bits samples. A 16-channel digital-to-analog converter (DAC) generates the 16 oscillator signals (8 voices of polyphony with 2 oscillators per voice), being fed into the analog processing unit built around 8 VCF/VCA chips, each of them being controlled by voltages generated from the 63B03 processor board.

At the tail end of the DSS-1's audio path are two built-in digital delays. The audio signal from the VCA is converted back to digital, run through the twin DDLs (which can be run in parallel or in serial), and then converted back to analog for the final output. Each DDL has a separate modulation source (separate from the MG section) for modulation of the delayed signals. In parallel mode, the DDL section creates stereo sound by each DDL sending its sound through the unit's separate left and right outputs. The DDL boards are the same as the one used in DW-8000 synthesizer, they are built around a specialized integrated circuit connected to two DRAM chips. This circuit is in charge of delaying the digital signal after its conversion using a successive-approximation register. The design of the circuit is not very common, since it uses the same DAC both to generate the output audio after being delayed and for converting incoming analog signal into digital domain. Feedback and effect level are controlled by a TC9154 analog mixer chip.

The DSS-1 has its operating system stored on ROM chips, so if you lose your floppy disks you can still boot the system up (unlike the E-mu Emulator, Ensoniq Mirage, and early Roland samplers which required you always have a floppy disk containing the OS). However, each time you boot up the DSS-1 you will not have any sounds available until you load a system into memory from floppy disk. This can usually take anywhere from 20 to 40 seconds, depending on the size and number of multisamples contained in that system. The floppies that the DSS-1 understands are the older DSDD (double-sided double-density) disks that were also used on the Ensoniq Mirage and on early Macintosh computers.

For performance control, Korg offers up their standard 4-way joystick (same one found on DW series and Poly-800), and channel aftertouch (not polyphonic aftertouch) and velocity control. One can also assign a parameter to one of the data sliders for tweaking in realtime. It does not include portamento, an arpeggiator, or a built-in sequencer.

Retrofit kit (2010)

In 2010, Tom Virostek [3] has presented a retrofit kit for the DSS-1. This kit installs itself over the 8085 CPU board, and replaces the processor by a much more powerful and faster NEC V40 processor. Among other improvements (e.g. the addition of portamento), the latest version of the kit supports up to 16 Msamples (against the original 256K), and allows to load data from a USB key.

VST control

In 2012, the Dutch company KissBox introduced a VST plugin (written by B. Bouchez) designed as a librarian/editor for the DSS-1, named VSTizer DSS1. [4] The plugin does not generate sounds by itself, it is designed to remotely control the DSS-1 over a RTP MIDI communication link. This plugin simplifies sound edition (the DSS-1 uses a single slider for the 78 parameters of a sound, combined with numerical entry via the keypad). It is also able to load and save the complete synthesizer memory over MIDI, including the samples (avoiding the use of the DSS-1 floppy disk). The author of the plugin is planning to convert the complete disk library into VST banks.

Notable users

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Analog synthesizer</span> Synthesizer that uses analog circuits

An analog synthesizer is a synthesizer that uses analog circuits and analog signals to generate sound electronically.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Modular synthesizer</span> Synthesizer composed of separate modules

Modular synthesizers are synthesizers composed of separate modules for different functions. The modules can be connected together by the user to create a patch. The outputs from the modules may include audio signals, analog control voltages, or digital signals for logic or timing conditions. Typical modules are voltage-controlled oscillators, voltage-controlled filters, voltage-controlled amplifiers and envelope generators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sampler (musical instrument)</span> Device that records and plays back samples

A sampler is an electronic musical instrument that records and plays back samples. Samples may comprise elements such as rhythm, melody, speech, sound effects or longer portions of music.

The Ensoniq Mirage is one of the earliest affordable sampler-synths, introduced in 1984 as Ensoniq's first product. Introduced at a list price of $1,695 with features previously only found on more expensive samplers like the Fairlight CMI, the Mirage sold nearly 8,000 units in its first year - more than the combined unit sales of all other samplers at that time. The Mirage sold over 30,000 units during its availability.

A rompler is an electronic musical instrument that plays pre-fabricated sounds based on audio samples. The term rompler is a blend of the terms ROM and sampler. In contrast to samplers, romplers do not record audio. Both may have additional sound editing features, such as layering several waveforms and modulation with ADSR envelopes, filters and LFOs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ensoniq ESQ-1</span> Synthesizer

Ensoniq ESQ-1 is a 61-key, velocity sensitive, eight-note polyphonic and multitimbral synthesizer released by Ensoniq in 1985. It was marketed as a "digital wave synthesizer" but was an early Music Workstation. Although its voice generation is typically subtractive in much the same fashion as most analog synthesizers that preceded it, its oscillators are neither voltage nor "digitally controlled", but true digital oscillators, provided by a custom Ensoniq wavetable chip. The signal path includes analog resonant low-pass filters and an analog amplifier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korg OASYS</span> Workstation synthesizer

The Korg OASYS is a workstation synthesizer released in early 2005, 1 year after the successful Korg Triton Extreme. Unlike the Triton series, the OASYS uses a custom Linux operating system that was designed to be arbitrarily expandable via software updates, with its functionality limited only by the PC-like hardware.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roland Jupiter-4</span> Polyphonic analog synthesizer

The Roland Jupiter-4 (JP-4) was an analog synthesizer manufactured by the Roland Corporation between 1978 and 1981. It was notable as the company's first self-contained polyphonic synthesizer, and for employing digital control of analog circuits, allowing for such features as programmable memory, voice assignment modes, an arpeggiator, polyphonic portamento and others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korg DW-8000</span> Hybrid digital-analog synthesizer

The Korg DW-8000 synthesizer is an eight-voice polyphonic hybrid digital-analog synthesizer 61-note keyboard instrument released in 1985. By the time of its launch, Korg had already begun a common trend in 1980s synthesizer design: using numerical codes to access or change parameters with its predecessor - the Korg Poly-61, which was widely regarded as the company's first "knobless" synthesizer. This was a move away from the heavily laden, complex control panels of earlier designs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palm Products GmbH</span> German electronic musical instrument manufacturer

Palm Products GmbH was a manufacturer of audio synthesizers. Founded and owned by Wolfgang Palm, PPG was located in Hamburg, Germany and, for 12 years from around 1975 to 1987, manufactured an acclaimed and eclectic range of electronic musical instruments, all designed by Palm.

The KORG Poly-61(PS-61) is an analogue programmable polyphonic synthesizer released by Korg in 1982, as a successor to the Polysix. It was notable for being Korg's first largely "knobless" synthesizer - featuring a push-button interface for programming, dispensing with the Polysix's knobs and switches. The Poly-61 also uses digitally-controlled analog oscillators or DCOs, in place of the Polysix's VCOs. The Poly-61 also boasted double the patch memory, but did not feature its predecessor's onboard effects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korg Polysix</span> Synthesizer

The Korg Polysix(PS-6) is a six-voice programmable polyphonic analog synthesizer released by Korg in 1981.

The Ensoniq TS-10 was a synthesizer and music workstation introduced by Ensoniq in 1993. It provided synthesis, user sample playback, sequencer, effect units and performance facilities in a 61-key package.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Synthesizer</span> Electronic musical instrument

A synthesizer is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and frequency modulation synthesis. These sounds may be altered by components such as filters, which cut or boost frequencies; envelopes, which control articulation, or how notes begin and end; and low-frequency oscillators, which modulate parameters such as pitch, volume, or filter characteristics affecting timbre. Synthesizers are typically played with keyboards or controlled by sequencers, software or other instruments and may be synchronized to other equipment via MIDI.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prophet '08</span> Synthesizer

The Prophet '08 is a polyphonic analog synthesizer released by Dave Smith Instruments (DSI) in 2007. As with DSI's other instruments, the Prophet '08 uses analog subtractive synthesis. Similar in functionality to the renowned Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 popularized in the 1970s, the Prophet '08 has an all analog signal path; however its envelopes are generated digitally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ensoniq ASR-10</span> Digital musical instrument

The Ensoniq ASR-10 was a sampling keyboard produced by Ensoniq between 1992 and 1998. The ASR-10 was a follow-up product to the very popular Ensoniq EPS and Ensoniq EPS-16+ performance samplers, and was also available with a piano style weighted keyboard (ASR-88) and a rackmount version (ASR-10R). At the time, the machine was one of the most powerful samplers available.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korg Mono/Poly</span> Analog synthesizer, manufactured by Korg from 1981 to 1984

The Korg Mono/Poly (MP-4) is a 44 key "mono-polyphonic" analog synthesizer manufactured by Korg from 1981 to 1984. This keyboard is the sister synthesizer to the Korg Polysix. It has four highly stable voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs), a 4-pole, self-oscillating low pass filter (LPF), wide modulation capabilities and pseudo-polyphony (paraphony).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PPG Wave</span> Synthesizer

The PPG Wave is a series of synthesizers built by the German company Palm Products GmbH from 1981 to 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akai AX60</span> Polyphonic analogue synthesizer

The AX60 is a polyphonic analogue keyboard synthesizer manufactured by Akai Professional in the mid-1980s. It was Akai's answer to the popular Roland Juno series synthesizers. The AX60 uses voltage-controlled analogue oscillators and filter circuitry based on the Curtis Electronics CEM 3394 integrated circuit.

References

  1. "Korg DSS1". Sound On Sound. November 1997. Archived from the original on 8 June 2015.
  2. User's manual and service manual for the DSS_1
  3. Tom Virostek page about the DSS-1 retrofit kit
  4. KissBox webpage for VSTizer DSS1

Further reading