Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: Discussion about the Korg PolySix synthesizer

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Subject: Re: [PolySix] Rack Mount?

From: dko4342@vip.cybercity.dk
Date: 2005-01-19

> I've only read reviews, and Korg's own stuff.  The enhancements (polyphony
> etc) sound good, but not having heard it, I can't actually say whether it
> does 'sound' good.
>
> Have you, or anyone else, used it much?

I have only tested it briefly in a music shop, but I was genuinely
impressed. Better than the original? No, rather identical to the original.
It really sounds the same. I would say the difference between the virtual
and my own P6 is no larger than the difference between two different
original P6s.

Someone said "of course you don't have real knobs".
But that is in fact precisely what you have with the Legacy - real knobs.
The 85% size MS-20 MIDI panel has mappings for the P6 as well. Of course you
will have to get used to the different layout of the MS-20, but otherwise it
truly feels as if you are in direct contact with the actual synthesizer. I
specifically tested the filter resonance and cut freq - the most sensitive
part of the synth - and it just felt like the real thing.

Other than that, the experience of having a cardboard MS-20 that actually
works is puzzling. One part of me says it'a a heaven send for those that are
too touchy about bringing the real thing out of the basement, while another
part of me says that it just feels fake. I think I would consider it an
ideal solution if you don't want to expose the real deal to hard road use.
But I would still use the original to record with.

In any case, if you are at all into softsynths, I think the Legacy package
is worth the price for the spoof MS-20 as a MIDI-controller alone. Even if
it is just a bunch of knobs with a MIDI out plug, it just looks COOL - no
matter what soft synth is behind it.

/Frank