From wbf@aloft.att.com Thu Nov 3 10:02:40 1994 Date: Wed, 2 Nov 94 16:24:55 EST From: "william.b.fox" To: analogue@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu Subject: Re: PolySix and Poly-61? Damien Miller asked: > can someone tell me the difference between the Korg PolySix and the > Korg Poly-61? The PolySix was released pre-MIDI. I bought one from Mike Metlay and it is a nice one vco/vcf/vca machine. Has a unique shorus circuit. Probably one of the best retrofit kits could be added to make it MIDI. Unfortunately, it is no longer available. The rights have reverted back from Korg to the designer. (Mike knows who that is.) With enough interest, the designer might sell another run of kits but there hasn't been enough interest. Ricard Wolf sent me the documents for the retrofit that he designed. Maybe someday I'll get to it. It does look quite thorough! For the archives, here are the stock features: 900mm wide x 373 mm deep x 132 mm high 11.5 kg 25W, 50/60Hz 32 patch memory tape interface: enable switch to tape jack (1/4") from tape jack (1/4") verify error/cancel found/loading indicators outputs: output headphone inputs: chord memory arpeggio trigger vcf cutoff unison and poly modes six voices arpeggiator w/ latch mode chord memory chorus/ensemble effects 61 note keyboard - non-velocity pitch bend and mod wheels vco: Ocatave (16' 8' 4') Waveform (saw, pw, pwm) PW/PWM (potentiometer) PWM Speed (pot) Sub Osc (off, 1oct down, 2oct down) vcf: cutoff (pot) resonance (pot) eg intensity (pot, -5 to +5) Kbd track (pot; 0 t0 150%) vca: mode (eg, gate) attenuator (pot, -10dB to +10dB) eg: attack (pot) decay (pot) sustain (pot) release (pot) lfo: frequency (pot) delay (pot) level (pot) mod (vco, vcf, vca) effects:mode (chorus, phase, ensemble, off) speed/intensity (pot) misc: volume (pot) tune (pot; =/- 50 cents) bend intensity (pot; max +/- 800 cents) output (high, low, off) arpeggiator: speed (pot; about 0.2Hz to 20Hz) range (full, 2oct, 1oct) mode (up, down, up/down) latch (on, off) on/off key assign mode: hold chord memory unison poly programmer: bank (a, b, c, d) program (1 - 8) manual button write button tape enable switch write enable switch The Poly-61M, on the other hand, came with MIDI. Did you forget the M in the model number or was there a pre-MIDI version of this? I don't know this beast but I have the sneaking suspicion that it is more akin to the Poly-800 which has DCOs that put out staircase shaped waveforms. Bill Fox wbf@aloft.att.com From ricard@axis.se Thu Nov 3 10:03:00 1994 Date: Thu, 3 Nov 94 11:17:51 MET From: Ricard Wolf To: "william.b.fox" , analogue@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu Subject: Re: PolySix and Poly-61? At Nov 2, william.b.fox writes: > Damien Miller asked: > > can someone tell me the difference between the Korg PolySix and the > > Korg Poly-61? > > The PolySix was released pre-MIDI. I bought one from Mike Metlay and it > is a nice one vco/vcf/vca machine. Has a unique shorus circuit. > Probably one of the best retrofit kits could be added to make it MIDI. > Unfortunately, it is no longer available. The rights have reverted back > from Korg to the designer. (Mike knows who that is.) With enough > interest, the designer might sell another run of kits but there hasn't > been enough interest. Ricard Wolf sent me the documents for the > retrofit that he designed. Maybe someday I'll get to it. It does look > quite thorough! For the archives, here are the stock features: I think Kenton has a retrofit as well. > The Poly-61M, on the other hand, came with MIDI. Did you forget the M > in the model number or was there a pre-MIDI version of this? I don't The Poly-61 was originally released without MIDI (and without the 'M'). Korg offered a retrofit (the Poly-61-MRK) for upgrading the non-MIDI version to MIDI. MIDI implementation is basic at best. > know this beast but I have the sneaking suspicion that it is more akin > to the Poly-800 which has DCOs that put out staircase shaped waveforms. I'm not too sure of this, the oscillators (two per voice) are DCO's, but I think the waveform generation is more like the Juno-60, i.e. an analog ramp generated from digital timing. Anyway, the waveforms selectable are saw and pulse. No chorus. Parameter editing is done solely via buttons, and the resolution is awful (16 values for each of the EG parameters for instance). The '61 has a joystick instead of the six's wheels. 64 patch memories instead of 32. I much prefer the 'six: chorus generator is actually more useful than two oscs in this case (since you can't do much with the oscs), and the knobs have a good resolution, as opposed to the 61's button-pressing. Also, the feel of the machine is better, it seems more robust than the '61, although you might have to retune the oscs if it's been out there for a long time. /Ricard -- Ricard Wolf / | \ / | /- email: ricard@axis.se Axis Communications AB /__| \/ | \__ uucp: axisab.se!ricard S-223 70 LUND / | /\ | \ Tel: +46 46 19 18 63 SWEDEN / | / \ | \__/ Fax: +46 46 13 61 30 -- "Und wenn ich diese Taste dr~ck' spielt er ein kleines Musikst~ck" -- From nwilson@morgan.com Thu Nov 3 10:03:11 1994 Date: Thu, 3 Nov 1994 08:15:35 -0500 From: Ab Wilson To: "william.b.fox" Cc: analogue@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu Subject: Re: PolySix and Poly-61? william b fox writes: > The Poly-61M, on the other hand, came with MIDI. Did you forget the M > in the model number or was there a pre-MIDI version of this? I think the M ment module. The Poly-61 (no M) was the standard keyboard version (with midi). > I don't > know this beast but I have the sneaking suspicion that it is more akin > to the Poly-800 which has DCOs that put out staircase shaped waveforms. The main differences that I remember are that archetecture wise the 61 has two DCOs per voice but no chorus. The 61 also looses all the font panel knobs of the 6 to be replaced by seven a segment LED display with (IMHO) not enough resolution for most of the parameters. Because the 61's oscilators aren't syncable, and also since the chorus on the 6 sounds pretty fat, I don't really see the extra oscilator on the 61 being that much of an advantage. The 61 also has an onboard sequencer BTW. Ab. -- From mcjones@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu Thu Nov 3 10:03:27 1994 Date: Thu, 3 Nov 1994 10:42:54 -0500 From: "M. Christopher Jones" To: analogue@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu Subject: Re: PolySix and Poly-61? Ab Wilson wrote >I think the M ment module. The Poly-61 (no M) was the standard >keyboard version (with midi). There was no module version.. the M does stand for MIDI. I have a Poly-61 and it definitely does not have MIDI. >The 61 also has an onboard sequencer BTW. The 61 does NOT have an onboard sequencer. It does have an arpeggiator that will accept an s-trigger sync in (get out your trusty Pro-2). The 61 also has chord memory which is plays all six voices simultaneously. Not nearly as good as true chorusing but there are some nifty trim pots inside that can really beef up the sound. I agree that the parameter controls suck big time and the LFO is way too fast for gentle filter sweeps, but I do like the sound of the filter though. Does anybody know if the filters on the PolySix and the Poly-61 are structured similarly? -Chris ________________________________________________________________________________ "Litho" M. Christopher Jones mcjones@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu ________________________________________________________________________________ C o n c e n t r a t e on my v o i c e..........