Discussion about the Korg PolySix synthesizer

1. Does the Mono/Poly sound better than the polysix?

2. Does it suffer the same infernal battery problem, line noise etc.?

HI, Mr. Toerag!

First, the Polysix and Mono/Poly, although contemporaries (ca. 1982? - 1985), are two VERY different machines, meant to do quite different things.

The Mono/Poly was Korg's brilliant answer to to the magical lure of the Minimoog... only much more versatile.  It used SSM VCOs (4 of 'em!) and an SSM Moog-style ladder LPF, but has much more flexibility in control voltage routing.  It also has two independent LFOs, two full ADSR (Korg design (envelope generators, the ability to sync or FM the VCOs with one another, and a wealth of patch points on the rear panel.  Aside from complaints that the envelopes lack "snap" (I believe that's because they're "cleaner", with no pause between Attack peak and start of Decay, as in the Mini), and the filter's not up to the Mini's (Well, the SSM is about as close as one could get at the time without a patent violation - Korg learned well from ARP's little boo-boo!), I think that the sound is fat, full and lush.  Plus, you can play up to four separate notes on the keyboard, albiet with only the one filter/VCA.  It has an arpeggiator that most mono-, and many polysynths didn't have, and
 notes can be latched and transposed using the keyboard.  VERY well thought out!  

The Polysix, on the other hand, was designed to bring analog polyphony within reach of the average musician jonesing for a synthesizer.  At the time, the main/almost only competition was the Sequential Prophet 5, which listed in the $4,000(!!) range.  The Korg people managed to introduce the Polysix at around $1,500, and jumped through some imaginative hoops to reduce it to that level without sacrificing sound quality.

The Polysix had only six single VCOs (which were linear, Not exponential, as with Moogs, ARPs, etc), but offered no external FM control.  The filters, six of 'em, were the same Moog-type SSMs as the Mono/Poly's single filter, so the sound was quite warm.  The filters can be modulated by an external source, as they respond to 1V/Oct CVs.  It has a single LFO, and a single ADSR (SSM) per voice, but it also has a Chorus/Phaser/Ensemble circuit using analog delay lines that gives it a Very Full sound.  It has a 32-patch memory, and a factory MIDI retrofit was available -- once upon a when.

The Mono/Poly has no patch memory (WISH it did!), so no backup battery was needed.  (Also wish it had a Sample/Hold function, but that's easy to add).  The Polysix, like many other polysynths of the era, used a "state-of-the-art" Nickel-Cadmium rechargable battery for patch memory backup.  We have since learned, in our folly, that NiCads are dangerous to the environment (It's the Cadmium - a heavy metal), and need to be disposed of as hazardous waste, and... They're prone to LEAKING when aged!  This corrosive crapola that comes out of 'em is what "re-etches" the Main Processor board, and sends otherwise healthy Polysixes to the scrapheap.  If you find one, the Very First Thing to do is:  REMOVE THE TICKING NI-CAD TIME BOMB AFFIXED TO THE PROCESSOR BOARD!!!  IMMEDIATELY!!  THOROUGHLY CLEAN the board, and all the nearby traces.  The Old Crow http://www.oldcrows.net/~oldcrow/synth/korg/polysix/index.html has an Excellent article illustrating how to replace the battery, clean
 the key contacts, etc.  Plus, there's a standard Service Manual there, too.

I've heard some complaints about the less-than-silent VCAs in these two dudes.  Korg saved some $$ by brewing up their own VCAs out of a matched(?) pair of transistors, and of course, analog delay lines are, by their nature, prone to be noisy.  I've heard of people substituting VCAs-on-a-chip... Juergen Haible did this to a Mono/Poly, and said it made a noteworthy decrease in noise.  Me, I run my Mono/Poly through an old Alesis Noise Gate.  Works great -- and it's adjustable!  ;->

Hope that helps you out some.  It's hard to assess the two machines without a listening test.  A great source of info. for the Mono/Poly is: http://monopoly.highspies.com/.  Some info. on the Polysix, and a small audio demo can be found at: http://www.vintagesynth.com/index2.html, http://www.keyboardmag.com/story.asp?storycode=16209 and http://www.synthmuseum.com/korg/korpolysix01.html.  

Old Korg Freak,
Dave Garf

----- Original Message ----
From: toerag_man <toerag_man@yahoo.com>
To: PolySix@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, January 30, 2007 9:51:09 PM
Subject: [PolySix] Does the Mono/Poly sound better than the polysix?

1. Does the Mono/Poly sound better than the polysix?

2. Does it suffer the same infernal battery problem, line noise etc.?





 
____________________________________________________________________________________
Expecting? Get great news right away with email Auto-Check. 
Try the Yahoo! Mail Beta.
http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/mailbeta/newmail_tools.html 

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Dave,

great info, thanks for sharing this!

It is unfortunate that those nice devices now become old and tired. My
Trident MK2 (which I was gifted!) has a dropout of one voice (only VCO
1) and I'll hopefully find the time soon for the surgerey. ;)

Still I'm using it a lot and the longer I own it the more amazed of the
sounds I am. (And the more I start hating the noise.)

Nowadays there are many cool and reliable "digital-analog" synths out
there, even quite affordable ones. But they don't have this kind of
personality.

Best,

  Niels



Dave Garfield schrieb:

> HI, Mr. Toerag!
> 
> First, the Polysix and Mono/Poly, although contemporaries (ca. 1982?
> - 1985), are two VERY different machines, meant to do quite different
> things.
> 
> The Mono/Poly was Korg's brilliant answer to to the magical lure of
> the Minimoog... only much more versatile.  It used SSM VCOs (4 of
> 'em!) and an SSM Moog-style ladder LPF, but has much more flexibility
> in control voltage routing.  It also has two independent LFOs, two
> full ADSR (Korg design (envelope generators, the ability to sync or
> FM the VCOs with one another, and a wealth of patch points on the
> rear panel.  Aside from complaints that the envelopes lack "snap" (I
> believe that's because they're "cleaner", with no pause between
> Attack peak and start of Decay, as in the Mini), and the filter's not
> up to the Mini's (Well, the SSM is about as close as one could get at
> the time without a patent violation - Korg learned well from ARP's
> little boo-boo!), I think that the sound is fat, full and lush.
> Plus, you can play up to four separate notes on the keyboard, albiet
> with only the one filter/VCA.  It has an arpeggiator that most mono-,
> and many polysynths didn't have, and notes can be latched and
> transposed using the keyboard.  VERY well thought out!
> 
> The Polysix, on the other hand, was designed to bring analog
> polyphony within reach of the average musician jonesing for a
> synthesizer.  At the time, the main/almost only competition was the
> Sequential Prophet 5, which listed in the $4,000(!!) range.  The Korg
> people managed to introduce the Polysix at around $1,500, and jumped
> through some imaginative hoops to reduce it to that level without
> sacrificing sound quality.
> 
> The Polysix had only six single VCOs (which were linear, Not
> exponential, as with Moogs, ARPs, etc), but offered no external FM
> control.  The filters, six of 'em, were the same Moog-type SSMs as
> the Mono/Poly's single filter, so the sound was quite warm.  The
> filters can be modulated by an external source, as they respond to
> 1V/Oct CVs.  It has a single LFO, and a single ADSR (SSM) per voice,
> but it also has a Chorus/Phaser/Ensemble circuit using analog delay
> lines that gives it a Very Full sound.  It has a 32-patch memory, and
> a factory MIDI retrofit was available -- once upon a when.
> 
> The Mono/Poly has no patch memory (WISH it did!), so no backup
> battery was needed.  (Also wish it had a Sample/Hold function, but
> that's easy to add).  The Polysix, like many other polysynths of the
> era, used a "state-of-the-art" Nickel-Cadmium rechargable battery for
> patch memory backup.  We have since learned, in our folly, that
> NiCads are dangerous to the environment (It's the Cadmium - a heavy
> metal), and need to be disposed of as hazardous waste, and... They're
> prone to LEAKING when aged!  This corrosive crapola that comes out of
> 'em is what "re-etches" the Main Processor board, and sends otherwise
> healthy Polysixes to the scrapheap.  If you find one, the Very First
> Thing to do is:  REMOVE THE TICKING NI-CAD TIME BOMB AFFIXED TO THE
> PROCESSOR BOARD!!!  IMMEDIATELY!!  THOROUGHLY CLEAN the board, and
> all the nearby traces.  The Old Crow
> http://www.oldcrows.net/~oldcrow/synth/korg/polysix/index.html has an
> Excellent article illustrating how to replace the battery, clean the
> key contacts, etc.  Plus, there's a standard Service Manual there,
> too.
> 
> I've heard some complaints about the less-than-silent VCAs in these
> two dudes.  Korg saved some $$ by brewing up their own VCAs out of a
> matched(?) pair of transistors, and of course, analog delay lines
> are, by their nature, prone to be noisy.  I've heard of people
> substituting VCAs-on-a-chip... Juergen Haible did this to a
> Mono/Poly, and said it made a noteworthy decrease in noise.  Me, I
> run my Mono/Poly through an old Alesis Noise Gate.  Works great --
> and it's adjustable!  ;->
> 
> Hope that helps you out some.  It's hard to assess the two machines
> without a listening test.  A great source of info. for the Mono/Poly
> is: http://monopoly.highspies.com/.  Some info. on the Polysix, and a
> small audio demo can be found at:
> http://www.vintagesynth.com/index2.html,
> http://www.keyboardmag.com/story.asp?storycode=16209 and
> http://www.synthmuseum.com/korg/korpolysix01.html.
> 
> Old Korg Freak, Dave Garf
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ---- From: toerag_man <toerag_man@yahoo.com> 
> To: PolySix@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, January 30, 2007 9:51:09
> PM Subject: [PolySix] Does the Mono/Poly sound better than the
> polysix?
> 
> 1. Does the Mono/Poly sound better than the polysix?
> 
> 2. Does it suffer the same infernal battery problem, line noise etc.?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ____________________________________________________________________________________
>  Expecting? Get great news right away with email Auto-Check. Try the
> Yahoo! Mail Beta. 
> http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/mailbeta/newmail_tools.html
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> 
> 
> 
> PolySix "Digiest" Page: http://www.acc.umu.se/~amber/Poly6 Yahoo!
> Groups Links
> 
> 
>

Thanks for your replies. Interesting, I was unaware
that the Mono/poly has no patch memory. 

I actually do have a polysix. I bought it just over a
year ago. It is fairly noisy but makes dreamy sounds.
The old battery has not been replaced yet however. I
was going to get it done but wasn't sure it was worth
the time because it seemed the lfo and octave section
suddenly failed one day. 

It remained unused for about 6 months (too busy) until
this week and now everything is working fine again.
And I realize, after wasting hour upon hour of
playing, I love this synth.

Also, the main reason I haven't attended to it
properly is due to a problem I hope someone could shed
some light on.

When I use my headphones to monitor (through the
'phones' jack) the synth sounds fantastic. A little
noisy, but not so much I wouldn't use it to record as
this often seems to make the sound warmer and pleasing
to the ear.

*BUT* whenever I use a 1/4 inch cable from the PolySix
ouput to the line in on my USB audio interface and
monitor through the interface there is a loud and
fairly deep 'hum' that occurs. The 'hum' keeps on even
if I am still listening with the polysix turned off.
Only unplugging from the wall stops it. When I record
this stunning instrument, this infernal 'hum' ruins
the recording. 

I'm going to recording arts school and want to make an
album, I need to record this beauty!

Can anyone help me with this. 

Also, if I muster the courage to follow OldCrow's
guide to changing the battery is there a possibility I
might kill the synth even if I do the procedure
correctly? I would be upset obviously.

Thanks,

toerag_man


--- Niels Ott <niels.ott@web.de> wrote:

> Hi Dave,
> 
> great info, thanks for sharing this!
> 
> It is unfortunate that those nice devices now become
> old and tired. My
> Trident MK2 (which I was gifted!) has a dropout of
> one voice (only VCO
> 1) and I'll hopefully find the time soon for the
> surgerey. ;)
> 
> Still I'm using it a lot and the longer I own it the
> more amazed of the
> sounds I am. (And the more I start hating the
> noise.)
> 
> Nowadays there are many cool and reliable
> "digital-analog" synths out
> there, even quite affordable ones. But they don't
> have this kind of
> personality.
> 
> Best,
> 
>   Niels
> 
> 
> 
> Dave Garfield schrieb:
> > HI, Mr. Toerag!
> > 
> > First, the Polysix and Mono/Poly, although
> contemporaries (ca. 1982?
> > - 1985), are two VERY different machines, meant to
> do quite different
> > things.
> > 
> > The Mono/Poly was Korg's brilliant answer to to
> the magical lure of
> > the Minimoog... only much more versatile.  It used
> SSM VCOs (4 of
> > 'em!) and an SSM Moog-style ladder LPF, but has
> much more flexibility
> > in control voltage routing.  It also has two
> independent LFOs, two
> > full ADSR (Korg design (envelope generators, the
> ability to sync or
> > FM the VCOs with one another, and a wealth of
> patch points on the
> > rear panel.  Aside from complaints that the
> envelopes lack "snap" (I
> > believe that's because they're "cleaner", with no
> pause between
> > Attack peak and start of Decay, as in the Mini),
> and the filter's not
> > up to the Mini's (Well, the SSM is about as close
> as one could get at
> > the time without a patent violation - Korg learned
> well from ARP's
> > little boo-boo!), I think that the sound is fat,
> full and lush.
> > Plus, you can play up to four separate notes on
> the keyboard, albiet
> > with only the one filter/VCA.  It has an
> arpeggiator that most mono-,
> > and many polysynths didn't have, and notes can be
> latched and
> > transposed using the keyboard.  VERY well thought
> out!
> > 
> > The Polysix, on the other hand, was designed to
> bring analog
> > polyphony within reach of the average musician
> jonesing for a
> > synthesizer.  At the time, the main/almost only
> competition was the
> > Sequential Prophet 5, which listed in the
> $4,000(!!) range.  The Korg
> > people managed to introduce the Polysix at around
> $1,500, and jumped
> > through some imaginative hoops to reduce it to
> that level without
> > sacrificing sound quality.
> > 
> > The Polysix had only six single VCOs (which were
> linear, Not
> > exponential, as with Moogs, ARPs, etc), but
> offered no external FM
> > control.  The filters, six of 'em, were the same
> Moog-type SSMs as
> > the Mono/Poly's single filter, so the sound was
> quite warm.  The
> > filters can be modulated by an external source, as
> they respond to
> > 1V/Oct CVs.  It has a single LFO, and a single
> ADSR (SSM) per voice,
> > but it also has a Chorus/Phaser/Ensemble circuit
> using analog delay
> > lines that gives it a Very Full sound.  It has a
> 32-patch memory, and
> > a factory MIDI retrofit was available -- once upon
> a when.
> > 
> > The Mono/Poly has no patch memory (WISH it did!),
> so no backup
> > battery was needed.  (Also wish it had a
> Sample/Hold function, but
> > that's easy to add).  The Polysix, like many other
> polysynths of the
> > era, used a "state-of-the-art" Nickel-Cadmium
> rechargable battery for
> > patch memory backup.  We have since learned, in
> our folly, that
> > NiCads are dangerous to the environment (It's the
> Cadmium - a heavy
> > metal), and need to be disposed of as hazardous
> waste, and... They're
> > prone to LEAKING when aged!  This corrosive
> crapola that comes out of
> > 'em is what "re-etches" the Main Processor board,
> and sends otherwise
> > healthy Polysixes to the scrapheap.  If you find
> one, the Very First
> > Thing to do is:  REMOVE THE TICKING NI-CAD TIME
> BOMB AFFIXED TO THE
> > PROCESSOR BOARD!!!  IMMEDIATELY!!  THOROUGHLY
> CLEAN the board, and
> > all the nearby traces.  The Old Crow
> >
>
http://www.oldcrows.net/~oldcrow/synth/korg/polysix/index.html
> has an
> > Excellent article illustrating how to replace the
> battery, clean the
> > key contacts, etc.  Plus, there's a standard
> Service Manual there,
> > too.
> > 
> > I've heard some complaints about the
> less-than-silent VCAs in these
> > two dudes.  Korg saved some $$ by brewing up their
> own VCAs out of a
> > matched(?) pair of transistors, and of course,
> analog delay lines
> > are, by their nature, prone to be noisy.  I've
> heard of people
> > substituting VCAs-on-a-chip... Juergen Haible did
> this to a
> > Mono/Poly, and said it made a noteworthy decrease
> in noise.  Me, I
> > run my Mono/Poly through an old Alesis Noise Gate.
>  Works great --
> > and it's adjustable!  ;->
> > 
> > Hope that helps you out some.  It's hard to assess
> the two machines
> > without a listening test.  A great source of info.
> for the Mono/Poly
> > is: http://monopoly.highspies.com/.  Some info. on
> the Polysix, and a
> > small audio demo can be found at:
> > http://www.vintagesynth.com/index2.html,
> >
> http://www.keyboardmag.com/story.asp?storycode=16209
> and
> > http://www.synthmuseum.com/korg/korpolysix01.html.
> > 
> > Old Korg Freak, Dave Garf
> > 
> > 
> > ----- Original Message ---- From: toerag_man
> <toerag_man@yahoo.com> 
> > To: PolySix@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, January
> 30, 2007 9:51:09
> > PM Subject: [PolySix] Does the Mono/Poly sound
> better than the
> > polysix?
> > 
> > 1. Does the Mono/Poly sound better than the
> polysix?
> > 
> > 2. Does it suffer the same infernal battery
> problem, line noise etc.?
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> >
>
____________________________________________________________________________________
> >  Expecting? Get great news right away with email
> Auto-Check. Try the
> > Yahoo! Mail Beta. 
> >
>
http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/mailbeta/newmail_tools.html
> > 
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been
> removed]
> > 
> > 
> 
=== message truncated ===



 
____________________________________________________________________________________
Bored stiff? Loosen up... 
Download and play hundreds of games for free on Yahoo! Games.
http://games.yahoo.com/games/front

Hello there,

P S schrieb:
> It remained unused for about 6 months (too busy) until
> this week and now everything is working fine again.
> And I realize, after wasting hour upon hour of
> playing, I love this synth.

Better replace the battery SOON!

In my Trident MK2 (which tends to suffer from a similar battery issue),
the acid had already started eating up parts on the CPU board.

I assume the Polysix has a Tape Backup facility so you can save your
sounds. (Removing the battery will erase the memory)

If there is no severe damage, the battery business will be done in no
time and you will ensure that the device will never ever suffer from
that problem again.

> When I use my headphones to monitor (through the
> 'phones' jack) the synth sounds fantastic. A little
> noisy, but not so much I wouldn't use it to record as
> this often seems to make the sound warmer and pleasing
> to the ear.
> 
> *BUT* whenever I use a 1/4 inch cable from the PolySix
> ouput to the line in on my USB audio interface and
> monitor through the interface there is a loud and
> fairly deep 'hum' that occurs. The 'hum' keeps on even
> if I am still listening with the polysix turned off.
> Only unplugging from the wall stops it. When I record
> this stunning instrument, this infernal 'hum' ruins
> the recording. 

This doesn't sound like a Polysix problem.

It is rather a ground loop.

Does it happen when you connect the USB audio thingie, the computer and
the Polysix to the very same power outlet?

Is the computer connected to other rooms, e.g. via a BNC network
connection or TV antenna cable? (Twisted Pair Network should be OK
though, AFIAK)

If it is a laptop, does it help to unplug the power supply and run it on
battery? Does the USB thingie use its own power supply?

(Maybe consult this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_loop_%28electricity%29 )

If the USB audio interface has XLR inputs, try using a DI box. (The 1/4"
cable from the Polysix into the DI box, the XLR outs of the DI box to
the USB thingie.)

They are inexpensive and every keyboarder playing on stage should own one.

(See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DI_box )


> I'm going to recording arts school and want to make an
> album, I need to record this beauty!

Hehe. Of course you need to.

I used my Tridet MK2 among other (vintage to modern) synths for this
recording: http://www.drni.de/em/constant_change.php (free download)

> Also, if I muster the courage to follow OldCrow's
> guide to changing the battery is there a possibility I
> might kill the synth even if I do the procedure
> correctly? I would be upset obviously.

If you do everything carefully, it should work out fine. If you aren't
sure, try to find a soldering Guru. It's worth it!

(Arts school? If this is at an Univ, there might be also a Electrical
Engineering school or the like...)

Best,

  Niels

you can try isolating the ground pins on the power connector (a piece
of tape does it)

jure

On 1/31/07, Niels Ott <niels.ott@web.de> wrote:
> Hello there,
>
> P S schrieb:
> > It remained unused for about 6 months (too busy) until
> > this week and now everything is working fine again.
> > And I realize, after wasting hour upon hour of
> > playing, I love this synth.
>
> Better replace the battery SOON!
>
> In my Trident MK2 (which tends to suffer from a similar battery issue),
> the acid had already started eating up parts on the CPU board.
>
> I assume the Polysix has a Tape Backup facility so you can save your
> sounds. (Removing the battery will erase the memory)
>
> If there is no severe damage, the battery business will be done in no
> time and you will ensure that the device will never ever suffer from
> that problem again.
>
> > When I use my headphones to monitor (through the
> > 'phones' jack) the synth sounds fantastic. A little
> > noisy, but not so much I wouldn't use it to record as
> > this often seems to make the sound warmer and pleasing
> > to the ear.
> >
> > *BUT* whenever I use a 1/4 inch cable from the PolySix
> > ouput to the line in on my USB audio interface and
> > monitor through the interface there is a loud and
> > fairly deep 'hum' that occurs. The 'hum' keeps on even
> > if I am still listening with the polysix turned off.
> > Only unplugging from the wall stops it. When I record
> > this stunning instrument, this infernal 'hum' ruins
> > the recording.
>
> This doesn't sound like a Polysix problem.
>
> It is rather a ground loop.
>
> Does it happen when you connect the USB audio thingie, the computer and
> the Polysix to the very same power outlet?
>
> Is the computer connected to other rooms, e.g. via a BNC network
> connection or TV antenna cable? (Twisted Pair Network should be OK
> though, AFIAK)
>
> If it is a laptop, does it help to unplug the power supply and run it on
> battery? Does the USB thingie use its own power supply?
>
> (Maybe consult this:
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_loop_%28electricity%29 )
>
> If the USB audio interface has XLR inputs, try using a DI box. (The 1/4"
> cable from the Polysix into the DI box, the XLR outs of the DI box to
> the USB thingie.)
>
> They are inexpensive and every keyboarder playing on stage should own one.
>
> (See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DI_box )
>
>
> > I'm going to recording arts school and want to make an
> > album, I need to record this beauty!
>
> Hehe. Of course you need to.
>
> I used my Tridet MK2 among other (vintage to modern) synths for this
> recording: http://www.drni.de/em/constant_change.php (free download)
>
> > Also, if I muster the courage to follow OldCrow's
> > guide to changing the battery is there a possibility I
> > might kill the synth even if I do the procedure
> > correctly? I would be upset obviously.
>
> If you do everything carefully, it should work out fine. If you aren't
> sure, try to find a soldering Guru. It's worth it!
>
> (Arts school? If this is at an Univ, there might be also a Electrical
> Engineering school or the like...)
>
> Best,
>
>   Niels
>
>
>
>
>
> PolySix "Digiest" Page: http://www.acc.umu.se/~amber/Poly6
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>

Does the hum sound like 50 or 60 hz (depending on where you live)???

Get a ground-lift adapter.  They sell them to plug your grounded (three prong in america) equipment into older 2-prong outlets.  Use the adapter on your polysix or your computer.  I'll let you make the choice, but I recommend the polysix.

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "P S" <toerag_man@yahoo.com>
> To: PolySix@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [PolySix] Does the Mono/Poly sound better than the polysix?
> Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2007 07:26:58 -0800 (PST)
> 
> 
> Thanks for your replies. Interesting, I was unaware
> that the Mono/poly has no patch memory.
> 
> I actually do have a polysix. I bought it just over a
> year ago. It is fairly noisy but makes dreamy sounds.
> The old battery has not been replaced yet however. I
> was going to get it done but wasn't sure it was worth
> the time because it seemed the lfo and octave section
> suddenly failed one day.
> 
> It remained unused for about 6 months (too busy) until
> this week and now everything is working fine again.
> And I realize, after wasting hour upon hour of
> playing, I love this synth.
> 
> Also, the main reason I haven't attended to it
> properly is due to a problem I hope someone could shed
> some light on.
> 
> When I use my headphones to monitor (through the
> 'phones' jack) the synth sounds fantastic. A little
> noisy, but not so much I wouldn't use it to record as
> this often seems to make the sound warmer and pleasing
> to the ear.
> 
> *BUT* whenever I use a 1/4 inch cable from the PolySix
> ouput to the line in on my USB audio interface and
> monitor through the interface there is a loud and
> fairly deep 'hum' that occurs. The 'hum' keeps on even
> if I am still listening with the polysix turned off.
> Only unplugging from the wall stops it. When I record
> this stunning instrument, this infernal 'hum' ruins
> the recording.
> 
> I'm going to recording arts school and want to make an
> album, I need to record this beauty!
> 
> Can anyone help me with this.
> 
> Also, if I muster the courage to follow OldCrow's
> guide to changing the battery is there a possibility I
> might kill the synth even if I do the procedure
> correctly? I would be upset obviously.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> toerag_man
> 
> 
> --- Niels Ott <niels.ott@web.de> wrote:
> 
> > Hi Dave,
> >
> > great info, thanks for sharing this!
> >
> > It is unfortunate that those nice devices now become
> > old and tired. My
> > Trident MK2 (which I was gifted!) has a dropout of
> > one voice (only VCO
> > 1) and I'll hopefully find the time soon for the
> > surgerey. ;)
> >
> > Still I'm using it a lot and the longer I own it the
> > more amazed of the
> > sounds I am. (And the more I start hating the
> > noise.)
> >
> > Nowadays there are many cool and reliable
> > "digital-analog" synths out
> > there, even quite affordable ones. But they don't
> > have this kind of
> > personality.
> >
> > Best,
> >
> >   Niels
> >
> >
> >
> > Dave Garfield schrieb:
> > > HI, Mr. Toerag!
> > > > First, the Polysix and Mono/Poly, although
> > contemporaries (ca. 1982?
> > > - 1985), are two VERY different machines, meant to
> > do quite different
> > > things.
> > > > The Mono/Poly was Korg's brilliant answer to to
> > the magical lure of
> > > the Minimoog... only much more versatile.  It used
> > SSM VCOs (4 of
> > > 'em!) and an SSM Moog-style ladder LPF, but has
> > much more flexibility
> > > in control voltage routing.  It also has two
> > independent LFOs, two
> > > full ADSR (Korg design (envelope generators, the
> > ability to sync or
> > > FM the VCOs with one another, and a wealth of
> > patch points on the
> > > rear panel.  Aside from complaints that the
> > envelopes lack "snap" (I
> > > believe that's because they're "cleaner", with no
> > pause between
> > > Attack peak and start of Decay, as in the Mini),
> > and the filter's not
> > > up to the Mini's (Well, the SSM is about as close
> > as one could get at
> > > the time without a patent violation - Korg learned
> > well from ARP's
> > > little boo-boo!), I think that the sound is fat,
> > full and lush.
> > > Plus, you can play up to four separate notes on
> > the keyboard, albiet
> > > with only the one filter/VCA.  It has an
> > arpeggiator that most mono-,
> > > and many polysynths didn't have, and notes can be
> > latched and
> > > transposed using the keyboard.  VERY well thought
> > out!
> > > > The Polysix, on the other hand, was designed to
> > bring analog
> > > polyphony within reach of the average musician
> > jonesing for a
> > > synthesizer.  At the time, the main/almost only
> > competition was the
> > > Sequential Prophet 5, which listed in the
> > $4,000(!!) range.  The Korg
> > > people managed to introduce the Polysix at around
> > $1,500, and jumped
> > > through some imaginative hoops to reduce it to
> > that level without
> > > sacrificing sound quality.
> > > > The Polysix had only six single VCOs (which were
> > linear, Not
> > > exponential, as with Moogs, ARPs, etc), but
> > offered no external FM
> > > control.  The filters, six of 'em, were the same
> > Moog-type SSMs as
> > > the Mono/Poly's single filter, so the sound was
> > quite warm.  The
> > > filters can be modulated by an external source, as
> > they respond to
> > > 1V/Oct CVs.  It has a single LFO, and a single
> > ADSR (SSM) per voice,
> > > but it also has a Chorus/Phaser/Ensemble circuit
> > using analog delay
> > > lines that gives it a Very Full sound.  It has a
> > 32-patch memory, and
> > > a factory MIDI retrofit was available -- once upon
> > a when.
> > > > The Mono/Poly has no patch memory (WISH it did!),
> > so no backup
> > > battery was needed.  (Also wish it had a
> > Sample/Hold function, but
> > > that's easy to add).  The Polysix, like many other
> > polysynths of the
> > > era, used a "state-of-the-art" Nickel-Cadmium
> > rechargable battery for
> > > patch memory backup.  We have since learned, in
> > our folly, that
> > > NiCads are dangerous to the environment (It's the
> > Cadmium - a heavy
> > > metal), and need to be disposed of as hazardous
> > waste, and... They're
> > > prone to LEAKING when aged!  This corrosive
> > crapola that comes out of
> > > 'em is what "re-etches" the Main Processor board,
> > and sends otherwise
> > > healthy Polysixes to the scrapheap.  If you find
> > one, the Very First
> > > Thing to do is:  REMOVE THE TICKING NI-CAD TIME
> > BOMB AFFIXED TO THE
> > > PROCESSOR BOARD!!!  IMMEDIATELY!!  THOROUGHLY
> > CLEAN the board, and
> > > all the nearby traces.  The Old Crow
> > >
> >
> http://www.oldcrows.net/~oldcrow/synth/korg/polysix/index.html
> > has an
> > > Excellent article illustrating how to replace the
> > battery, clean the
> > > key contacts, etc.  Plus, there's a standard
> > Service Manual there,
> > > too.
> > > > I've heard some complaints about the
> > less-than-silent VCAs in these
> > > two dudes.  Korg saved some $$ by brewing up their
> > own VCAs out of a
> > > matched(?) pair of transistors, and of course,
> > analog delay lines
> > > are, by their nature, prone to be noisy.  I've
> > heard of people
> > > substituting VCAs-on-a-chip... Juergen Haible did
> > this to a
> > > Mono/Poly, and said it made a noteworthy decrease
> > in noise.  Me, I
> > > run my Mono/Poly through an old Alesis Noise Gate.
> >  Works great --
> > > and it's adjustable!  ;->
> > > > Hope that helps you out some.  It's hard to assess
> > the two machines
> > > without a listening test.  A great source of info.
> > for the Mono/Poly
> > > is: http://monopoly.highspies.com/.  Some info. on
> > the Polysix, and a
> > > small audio demo can be found at:
> > > http://www.vintagesynth.com/index2.html,
> > >
> > http://www.keyboardmag.com/story.asp?storycode=16209
> > and
> > > http://www.synthmuseum.com/korg/korpolysix01.html.
> > > > Old Korg Freak, Dave Garf
> > > > > ----- Original Message ---- From: toerag_man
> > <toerag_man@yahoo.com> > To: PolySix@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, January
> > 30, 2007 9:51:09
> > > PM Subject: [PolySix] Does the Mono/Poly sound
> > better than the
> > > polysix?
> > > > 1. Does the Mono/Poly sound better than the
> > polysix?
> > > > 2. Does it suffer the same infernal battery
> > problem, line noise etc.?
> > > > > > > > > >
> >
> ____________________________________________________________________________________
> > >  Expecting? Get great news right away with email
> > Auto-Check. Try the
> > > Yahoo! Mail Beta. >
> >
> http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/mailbeta/newmail_tools.html
> > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been
> > removed]
> > > >
> === message truncated ===
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ____________________________________________________________________________________
> Bored stiff? Loosen up...
> Download and play hundreds of games for free on Yahoo! Games.
> http://games.yahoo.com/games/front
> 
> 
> PolySix "Digiest" Page: http://www.acc.umu.se/~amber/Poly6
> Yahoo! Groups Links
> 
> 
> 

>



.sig
-Chromatest J. Pantsmaker
http://www.chromatest.net

jure zitnik schrieb:
> you can try isolating the ground pins on the power connector (a piece
>  of tape does it)

Do not follow this hint.

There are good reasons for the ground pins being where they are and in
case of a heavy malfunction it might be the person using the device that
serves as a conductor instead of the ground pins.

This becomes even less funny when high voltage is conducted by audio
cables that are connected to other gear that is touched directly by
musicians, like e-guitar strings, microphones, etc.

   Niels

yes i know it can be dangerous in case of malfunction - what i meant
was just to figure out if a ground loop is the cause of problems.

jure

On 2/1/07, Niels Ott <niels.ott@web.de> wrote:
> jure zitnik schrieb:
> > you can try isolating the ground pins on the power connector (a piece
> >  of tape does it)
>
> Do not follow this hint.
>
> There are good reasons for the ground pins being where they are and in
> case of a heavy malfunction it might be the person using the device that
> serves as a conductor instead of the ground pins.
>
> This becomes even less funny when high voltage is conducted by audio
> cables that are connected to other gear that is touched directly by
> musicians, like e-guitar strings, microphones, etc.
>
>    Niels
>
>
> PolySix "Digiest" Page: http://www.acc.umu.se/~amber/Poly6
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>

OK for this purpose one can do it like this. But you should state with
your hint that this is never meant to be some kind of solution.


jure zitnik schrieb:

> yes i know it can be dangerous in case of malfunction - what i meant
> was just to figure out if a ground loop is the cause of problems.
> 
> jure
> 
> On 2/1/07, Niels Ott <niels.ott@web.de> wrote:
>> jure zitnik schrieb:
>>> you can try isolating the ground pins on the power connector (a piece
>>>  of tape does it)
>> Do not follow this hint.
>>
>> There are good reasons for the ground pins being where they are and in
>> case of a heavy malfunction it might be the person using the device that
>> serves as a conductor instead of the ground pins.
>>
>> This becomes even less funny when high voltage is conducted by audio
>> cables that are connected to other gear that is touched directly by
>> musicians, like e-guitar strings, microphones, etc.
>>
>>    Niels
>>
>>
>> PolySix "Digiest" Page: http://www.acc.umu.se/~amber/Poly6
>> Yahoo! Groups Links
>>
>>
>>
>>
> 
> 
> PolySix "Digiest" Page: http://www.acc.umu.se/~amber/Poly6 
> Yahoo! Groups Links
> 
> 
> 
>

yes i'm sorry i should have stated that.

jure

On 2/1/07, Niels Ott <niels.ott@web.de> wrote:
> OK for this purpose one can do it like this. But you should state with
> your hint that this is never meant to be some kind of solution.
>
>
> jure zitnik schrieb:
> > yes i know it can be dangerous in case of malfunction - what i meant
> > was just to figure out if a ground loop is the cause of problems.
> >
> > jure
> >
> > On 2/1/07, Niels Ott <niels.ott@web.de> wrote:
> >> jure zitnik schrieb:
> >>> you can try isolating the ground pins on the power connector (a piece
> >>>  of tape does it)
> >> Do not follow this hint.
> >>
> >> There are good reasons for the ground pins being where they are and in
> >> case of a heavy malfunction it might be the person using the device that
> >> serves as a conductor instead of the ground pins.
> >>
> >> This becomes even less funny when high voltage is conducted by audio
> >> cables that are connected to other gear that is touched directly by
> >> musicians, like e-guitar strings, microphones, etc.
> >>
> >>    Niels
> >>
> >>
> >> PolySix "Digiest" Page: http://www.acc.umu.se/~amber/Poly6
> >> Yahoo! Groups Links
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> > PolySix "Digiest" Page: http://www.acc.umu.se/~amber/Poly6
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
> PolySix "Digiest" Page: http://www.acc.umu.se/~amber/Poly6
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>

Again, this solution is equal to taping the ground pins and should never
 ever used permanently.

A DI-Box is the solution to this problem. They are inexpensive.
(Cheapest 2-channel/stereo one here in Europe for approx. 20\u20ac.)

I have experienced noise/humm with USB audio interfaces because of
"dirty power" over USB. That's why I was asking whether the USB thingie
has its own power supply.

   Niels

Chromatest J. Pantsmaker schrieb:

> Does the hum sound like 50 or 60 hz (depending on where you live)???
>
> Get a ground-lift adapter.  They sell them to plug your grounded
> (three prong in america) equipment into older 2-prong outlets.  Use
> the adapter on your polysix or your computer.  I'll let you make the
> choice, but I recommend the polysix.
>

Thanks again for the advice. I am buying a cheap mono
line di box with ground lift tonight (Palmer Pan 01).
Hope it works.

Perry
--- Niels Ott <niels.ott@web.de> wrote:

> Again, this solution is equal to taping the ground
> pins and should never
>  ever used permanently.
> 
> A DI-Box is the solution to this problem. They are
> inexpensive.
> (Cheapest 2-channel/stereo one here in Europe for
> approx. 20\u20ac.)
> 
> I have experienced noise/humm with USB audio
> interfaces because of
> "dirty power" over USB. That's why I was asking
> whether the USB thingie
> has its own power supply.
> 
>    Niels
> 
> Chromatest J. Pantsmaker schrieb:
> > Does the hum sound like 50 or 60 hz (depending on
> where you live)???
> >
> > Get a ground-lift adapter.  They sell them to plug
> your grounded
> > (three prong in america) equipment into older
> 2-prong outlets.  Use
> > the adapter on your polysix or your computer. 
> I'll let you make the
> > choice, but I recommend the polysix.
> >
> 



 
____________________________________________________________________________________
Looking for earth-friendly autos? 
Browse Top Cars by "Green Rating" at Yahoo! Autos' Green Center.
http://autos.yahoo.com/green_center/