Dss1 Korg Jun 2026
Today, the DSS-1 is sought after for:
In the mid-1980s, the synthesizer landscape was changing rapidly. The Yamaha DX7 had made FM synthesis the sound of the decade, while the Roland Jupiter-8 and Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 defined the lush analog pads of the era. Amidst this, Korg—having just shocked the world with the affordable digital M1—released a behemoth that bridged the gap between sampling and synthesis: the dss1 korg
Physically imposing and often described by enthusiasts as a "Brontosaurus" due to its 18.5kg weight and massive frame, the DSS-1's internal architecture is a sophisticated hybrid of digital precision and analog warmth. Today, the DSS-1 is sought after for: In
It was a favourite of legendary artists such as , Steve Winwood , and Joe Zawinul , and it remains a go-to for those seeking "in-your-face" vintage grit and massive analog sweeps. It was a favourite of legendary artists such
| | Detail | |----------|-------------| | Manufacturer | Korg | | Production Period | 1986 – 1988 | | Type | Sampling synthesizer / workstation | | Polyphony | 8 voices | | Oscillators | 1 per voice (but can be layered in Multi mode) | | Engine | 12-bit sampling + digital additive synthesis | | Filters | Analog SSM 2044 (4-pole low-pass resonant) | | Memory | 256 kB RAM (expandable to 768 kB) | | Storage | Dual 3.5" floppy disk drives (720 kB DD) | | Keyboard | 61 keys (non-weighted, velocity & aftertouch sensitive) |
It features 8 voices of analog VCF (Voltage Controlled Filter), utilizing Korg's proprietary NJM-2069 chips—the same filter chips found in the legendary DW-8000 synthesizer.
The DSS-1 included several features that were ahead of their time or totally unique: