Korg Polysix
Encyclopedia
The Korg Polysix is a six voice programmable polyphonic synthesizer
released by Korg
in 1981.
and chord memory voice assignment modes), 32 memory slots for patches and cassette port for backing up patches, and an arpeggiator.
On its release it was, along with the Roland
Juno 6 released around the same time, one of the first times a polyphonic analog synthesizer was available at a cost effective price 'for the masses'. It cost about twice as much as the competing Juno 6 but had far more features and 'real' VCOs
in place of the Juno's DCOs
. It also had on-board patch storage and back up which the cheaper Juno lacked until the upgraded Juno 60
model.
Korg developed the Polysix with an eye on the Sequential Circuits
Prophet 5, trying to provide some of the features found on the more expensive synth in a compact, reliable and much cheaper design. While not as powerful, it used SSM2044 4-pole voltage-controlled , giving the Polysix a warm, rounded and organic sound.
Although the Polysix only had one oscillator per voice, it also featured built chorus
, phaser and 'ensemble' effects (using a 'bucket brigade' analog delay line design), to provide a fuller sound.
, variable pulse wave, or PWM
outputs. The PWM section had its own LFO. In addition, there is a sub-oscillator that allows the addition of a square wave
either one or two octaves below the main VCO
pitch.
The filter has controls for cutoff frequency, resonance, envelope amount and keyboard tracking. The envelope control has a center zero, letting the user select either a normal or an inverted envelope. The envelope is an ADSR type.
The VCA
can be operated from either the envelope or a gate
signal.
The mixed sound of all the voices can be sent to an effects section, which offers three modulated delay-based effects (Chorus, Phase or Ensemble setting). This acts to fatten the sound considerably, and was a key feature at the time of release.
that can be routed to the VCO, VCF or VCA. It has a variable delay before it is triggered.
Like other programmable synthesizers of the era, it had a rechargeable nickel-cadmium battery
that powered the memory when the unit was switched off. The original batteries are now well past their designed lifespan and thus prone to failure, leaving the instrument unable to recall user designed patches from its memory. If the battery is not replaced, it can leak and corrode the circuits. Unfortunately for the Polysix, this battery is mounted on the main processor board and corrosion here can be fatally damaging to the circuitry of the instrument.
Some instruments of its era had begun the move towards digital technology by using DCOs
or microprocessor-generated envelopes. The Polysix, however, used a separate analog VCO, VCF and envelope generator for each voice. Whilst this might have benefits for the richness of the sound, the extra complexity also brings greater tuning problems and more possibilities for failure.
The Polysix keyboard used a light plastic keyboard with conductive rubber contacts. These contacts are often the source of 'dead' keys on the keyboard. This is probably the most common problem on old Polysix units, and one shared with some other Korg instruments that used the same keyboard, such as the Poly-61
and Mono/Poly
.
The patch recall buttons also have a tendency to fail.
and is one of the Korg Kronos
sound engines.
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
released by Korg
Korg
is a Japanese multinational corporation that manufactures electronic musical instruments, audio processors and guitar pedals, recording equipment, and electronic tuners...
in 1981.
Features
The synthesizer's main features are six-voice polyphony (with unisonUnison
In music, the word unison can be applied in more than one way. In general terms, it may refer to two notes sounding the same pitch, often but not always at the same time; or to the same musical voice being sounded by several voices or instruments together, either at the same pitch or at a distance...
and chord memory voice assignment modes), 32 memory slots for patches and cassette port for backing up patches, and an arpeggiator.
On its release it was, along with the Roland
Roland
Roland was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the Matter of France. Historically, Roland was military governor of the Breton March, with responsibility for defending the frontier of Francia against the Bretons...
Juno 6 released around the same time, one of the first times a polyphonic analog synthesizer was available at a cost effective price 'for the masses'. It cost about twice as much as the competing Juno 6 but had far more features and 'real' VCOs
Voltage-controlled oscillator
A voltage-controlled oscillator or VCO is an electronic oscillator designed to be controlled in oscillation frequency by a voltage input. The frequency of oscillation is varied by the applied DC voltage, while modulating signals may also be fed into the VCO to cause frequency modulation or phase...
in place of the Juno's DCOs
Digitally-controlled oscillator
A digitally controlled oscillator or DCO is a hybrid digital/analogue electronic oscillator used in synthesizers. The name is an analogy with "voltage-controlled oscillator"...
. It also had on-board patch storage and back up which the cheaper Juno lacked until the upgraded Juno 60
Roland Juno-60
The Roland Juno-60 is a popular analogue 61-key polyphonic synthesizer produced by Roland Corporation in the early 1980s and a successor to the slightly earlier Juno-6. Like its predecessor, the Juno-60 has some digital enhancements, used only for clocking the oscillators and for saving and loading...
model.
Korg developed the Polysix with an eye on the Sequential Circuits
Sequential Circuits
Sequential Circuits Inc. was a California-based synthesizer company that was founded in the early 1970s by Dave Smith and sold to Yamaha Corporation in 1987. The company, throughout its lifespan, pioneered many groundbreaking technologies and design principles that are often taken for granted in...
Prophet 5, trying to provide some of the features found on the more expensive synth in a compact, reliable and much cheaper design. While not as powerful, it used SSM2044 4-pole voltage-controlled , giving the Polysix a warm, rounded and organic sound.
Although the Polysix only had one oscillator per voice, it also featured built chorus
Chorus effect
In music, a chorus effect occurs when individual sounds with roughly the same timbre and nearly the same pitch converge and are perceived as one...
, phaser and 'ensemble' effects (using a 'bucket brigade' analog delay line design), to provide a fuller sound.
Audio path
The Polysix had a straightforward synthesis architecture. Each voice had one oscillator with sawtooth waveSawtooth wave
The sawtooth wave is a kind of non-sinusoidal waveform. It is named a sawtooth based on its resemblance to the teeth on the blade of a saw....
, variable pulse wave, or PWM
Pulse-width modulation
Pulse-width modulation , or pulse-duration modulation , is a commonly used technique for controlling power to inertial electrical devices, made practical by modern electronic power switches....
outputs. The PWM section had its own LFO. In addition, there is a sub-oscillator that allows the addition of a square wave
Square wave
A square wave is a kind of non-sinusoidal waveform, most typically encountered in electronics and signal processing. An ideal square wave alternates regularly and instantaneously between two levels...
either one or two octaves below the main VCO
Voltage-controlled oscillator
A voltage-controlled oscillator or VCO is an electronic oscillator designed to be controlled in oscillation frequency by a voltage input. The frequency of oscillation is varied by the applied DC voltage, while modulating signals may also be fed into the VCO to cause frequency modulation or phase...
pitch.
The filter has controls for cutoff frequency, resonance, envelope amount and keyboard tracking. The envelope control has a center zero, letting the user select either a normal or an inverted envelope. The envelope is an ADSR type.
The VCA
Variable-gain amplifier
A variable-gain or voltage-controlled amplifier is an electronic amplifier that varies its gain depending on a control voltage .VCAs have many applications, including audio level compression, synthesizers and amplitude modulation....
can be operated from either the envelope or a gate
CV/Gate
CV/Gate is an analog method of controlling synthesizers, drum machines and other similar equipment with external sequencers. The Control Voltage typically controls pitch and the Gate signal controls note on/off....
signal.
The mixed sound of all the voices can be sent to an effects section, which offers three modulated delay-based effects (Chorus, Phase or Ensemble setting). This acts to fatten the sound considerably, and was a key feature at the time of release.
Modulation
The LFO (known here as a 'modulation generator') is a simple triangle waveTriangle wave
A triangle wave is a non-sinusoidal waveform named for its triangular shape.Like a square wave, the triangle wave contains only odd harmonics...
that can be routed to the VCO, VCF or VCA. It has a variable delay before it is triggered.
Reliability
Although built into a substantial (and heavy) chipboard case, the Polysix has some reliability problems.Like other programmable synthesizers of the era, it had a rechargeable nickel-cadmium battery
Nickel-cadmium battery
The nickel–cadmium battery ' is a type of rechargeable battery using nickel oxide hydroxide and metallic cadmium as electrodes....
that powered the memory when the unit was switched off. The original batteries are now well past their designed lifespan and thus prone to failure, leaving the instrument unable to recall user designed patches from its memory. If the battery is not replaced, it can leak and corrode the circuits. Unfortunately for the Polysix, this battery is mounted on the main processor board and corrosion here can be fatally damaging to the circuitry of the instrument.
Some instruments of its era had begun the move towards digital technology by using DCOs
Digitally-controlled oscillator
A digitally controlled oscillator or DCO is a hybrid digital/analogue electronic oscillator used in synthesizers. The name is an analogy with "voltage-controlled oscillator"...
or microprocessor-generated envelopes. The Polysix, however, used a separate analog VCO, VCF and envelope generator for each voice. Whilst this might have benefits for the richness of the sound, the extra complexity also brings greater tuning problems and more possibilities for failure.
The Polysix keyboard used a light plastic keyboard with conductive rubber contacts. These contacts are often the source of 'dead' keys on the keyboard. This is probably the most common problem on old Polysix units, and one shared with some other Korg instruments that used the same keyboard, such as the Poly-61
Korg Poly-61
The Poly-61 is a programmable polyphonic synthesizer released by Korg in 1982, replacing the Polysix. It was notable as it was the first Korg synthesizer to feature a pushbutton user interface, dispensing from the Polysix's knobs and switches...
and Mono/Poly
Korg mono/poly
The Korg Mono/Poly is a "mono-polyphonic" analog synthesizer manufactured by Korg from 1981 to 1984. This keyboard is the sister synth to the Korg Polysix....
.
The patch recall buttons also have a tendency to fail.
Software
There is a software emulator of the Polysix included in the KORG legacy Collection called PolysixEX. This same software emulated Polysix was also part of the LAC-1 expansion for the Korg OASYSKorg OASYS
The Korg OASYS was a workstation synthesizer released in early 2005, 1 year after the successful Korg Triton Extreme. Unlike the Triton series, the OASYS was implemented on a custom Linux operating system and was designed to be arbitrarily expandable via software updates, with its functionality...
and is one of the Korg Kronos
Korg Kronos
The Kronos is a music workstation manufactured by Korg that combines nine different synthesizer sound engines with a sequencer, digital recorder, effects, a color touchscreen display and a keyboard...
sound engines.
Trivia
- The Korg Polysix is the source of Japanese rock band PolysicsPolysicsis a Japanese new wave and rock band from Tokyo, who dubs its unique style as "technicolor pogo punk". It was named after a brand of synthesizer, the Korg Polysix. The band started in 1997, but got their big break in 1998 at a concert in Tokyo...
's name. - The keyboard riff for Europe'sEurope (band)Europe is a Swedish rock band formed in Upplands Väsby in 1979 under the name Force by vocalist Joey Tempest, guitarist John Norum and drummer Tony Reno. Although widely associated with glam metal, the band's sound incorporates heavy metal and hard rock elements...
1986 song "The Final CountdownThe Final Countdown (song)"The Final Countdown" is a rock song by the Swedish band Europe released in 1986. Written by Joey Tempest, it was the first single from the band's third studio album which was also named The Final Countdown. It is considered by some to be the band's most recognizable and popular song. The song...
" was composed on a Korg Polysix around 1982, although it was actually recorded on the record using a Roland JX-8P synth layered with a Yamaha TX-816 FM synth module to achieve the custom sound. - Around 22,000 units were sold in total.
Notable Users
- Tears For FearsTears for FearsTears for Fears are an English new wave band formed in the early 1980s by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith.Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, they were initially associated with the New Wave synthesiser bands of the early 1980s but later branched out into...
- KitaroKitaro, better known as , is an award winning Japanese musician, composer and multi-instrumentalist who is regarded as one of the pioneers of new age music.-Early life:...
- Eat StaticEat StaticEat Static is an electronic music project from Frome, Somerset, England formed in 1989 by Merv Pepler and Joie Hinton. Hinton left the group in February 2008 after 18 years to spend more time with his family.-History:...
- Damon AlbarnDamon AlbarnDamon Albarn is an English singer-songwriter and record producer who has been involved in many high profile projects, coming to prominence as the frontman and primary songwriter of Britpop band Blur...
(Blur / Gorillaz) - Keith EmersonKeith EmersonKeith Noel Emerson is an English keyboard player and composer. Formerly a member of the Keith Emerson Trio, John Brown's Bodies, The T-Bones, V.I.P.s, P.P. Arnold's backing band, and The Nice , he was a founder of Emerson, Lake & Palmer , one of the early supergroups, in 1970...
- Geoff DownesGeoff DownesGeoffrey "Geoff" Downes is an English rock keyboard player, songwriter, best known as the keyboardist for the bands The Buggles, Yes and Asia, of which he is the only consistent member. When he was a keyboardist for The Buggles, he played multiple keyboards to achieve a New Wave technopop sound...
- Astral ProjectionAstral projectionAstral projection is an interpretation of out-of-body experience that assumes the existence of an "astral body" separate from the physical body and capable of traveling outside it...
- Robert RichRobert RichRobert Rich may refer to:*Robert Rich , American ambient musician*Dalton Trumbo, American screenwriter and novelist, used pen name Robert Rich because of blacklisting*Robert Rich, 1st Earl of Warwick...
- Jimi TenorJimi TenorJimi Tenor is a Finnish musician. His name is a combination of the first name of his youth idol Jimmy Osmond and the tenor saxophone. His band Jimi Tenor & His Shamans published its first album in 1988, Jimi's first solo album appeared in 1994. "Take Me Baby" became his first hit in 1994...
- Jean Michel JarreJean Michel JarreJean Michel André Jarre is a French composer, performer and music producer. He is a pioneer in the electronic, ambient and New Age genres, and known as an organiser of outdoor spectacles of his music featuring lights, laser displays, and fireworks.Jarre was raised in Lyon by his mother and...
- Jens JohanssonJens JohanssonJens Ola Johansson is a Swedish power metal keyboardist and pianist. He is notable for his high-speed neoclassical and fusion style.-Biography:...
- Spacehotel
- Roger Powell
- The KinksThe KinksThe Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
- PolysicsPolysicsis a Japanese new wave and rock band from Tokyo, who dubs its unique style as "technicolor pogo punk". It was named after a brand of synthesizer, the Korg Polysix. The band started in 1997, but got their big break in 1998 at a concert in Tokyo...
(naming themselves after this instrument)