--- In
DW8000@yahoogroups.com, "jezzthomas" <jezosaurus@g...> wrote:
>
> The DW8000 is a strange one. [......] The filter is on the
> weak side - it neither has the smothness of the polysix, or
> the nastyness of the MS20. But despite the failings of the
> DW range (I understand the DW6000 is just plain crap), the
> DW8000 does have a good (but again very distinctive) feel
> and sound to it. But it either works for you or not - It's
> a love it or hate it synth.
Well, I'd have to disagree with you on the DW-8000 filter, it's one
of the saving graces of this synth. It may be quite different in
character from the Polysix or MS-20 filters, but I wouldn't call it
weak at all - I think it's a lot better sounding than the filters on
the midrange Roland synths like the Juno's and JX's. It is capable of
some really wicked self-oscillation, it is round and smooth, it
squelches nicely without sounding too harsh.
The DW-6000 is just a stripped-down 8000 - it has the same basic
architecture but loses a lot of features available on the 8000, such
as the digital delay, velocity and pressure sensitivity, arpeggiator,
8 additional waveforms, all of which make it a much more flexible
synth.
> The DSS1 is everything that the DW8000 wanted to be and wasn't.
> If you're familiar with a DW8000, you'll recognise most of the
> programming parameters, but inside, it's a different beast
> alltogether. You sample your own waveforms, the new-improved
> 2-4 pole filter has all the qualities I loved in the Polysix,
> and it sounds fan-tas-tic, all this without really coloring
> the sound so you can tell what it is in a mix. Of all the older
> Korgs, the DSS1 is the one synth you just cannot argue with.
> It is awsome.
I own both the DSS-1 and the DW-8000, and I'd have to agree with you
on the great sound of the DSS. It can do extremely phatt and lush
synthbrass and strings the DW could only dream of. But I haven't
found that having the DSS was a reason to get rid of the DW, mainly
because the DSS left off two crucial things IMO for doing certain
kinds of sounds: the portamento (for unison leads) and the
arpeggiator. Just those two features on the DW make it still useful
to me. But yes the DSS completely blows away the DW for thick pads
without a thought. The synthesis engine is more robust, including
osc sync, an extra DDL, bit-crushing, and more advanced detuning.
The twin DDL section can create cool flanging effects that make the
flanger on the Trident look weak. It's too bad that the DSS takes a
ridiculing from the synth community and is very undervalued,
prolly 'cause of the lack of knobs/sliders, difficulty of sampling,
and prone to disk drive failure. But forget about the sampling
section and just load up analog type waveforms, and synthesize! It's
a beast!