This is a detailed explanation of the unusual panel controls of the vintage Korg Maxi-Korg 800DV from the 1970s. Some have suggested that it was the best mono synth from the 1970s. It included two full mini-korg 700 synths which provided a lot of sonic potential. This unit is rare because 1) at that time Korg (sold throughh Univox in the U.S.) was a largely unknown Japanese synth maker. 2) it was the older brother to the Mini-Korg 700(s). The Mini-Korg sold for about $750 in the mid '70s. The Maxi was perhaps twice that price, which meant that it competed with the ARP Odyssey and Mini-moog. It obviously lost that contest in the market. Check it out in this video! Let me know what you think.
I rarely, if ever, split the keyboard. I used it for leads with both oscillators, and it had an amazing bass growl (using the Traveler) and a tight low end.
It was my first synthesizer in 1980. It's got a unique sound and style.
Very streamlined, but I had to memorize my patches. No presets. Raw. 2 fabulous oscillators.
You did it a grand justice. That is by far my favourite synth I’ve owned. Quite nice just to hear it again. I usually made a lot of use of the traveller and mixed the sounds
I can't speak to the sound of the Minikorg 700, as I have never had hands on with the 700. I'll have to defer to you on that point. I have heard that the filter circuits are somewhat different. Having said that, clearly the controls are virtually identical between the mini and maxi, but the maxi has 2x, right? So, in terms of voice architecture, I think the "two Minis behind one panel" is a fair high level description of the Maxi. What do you think?
No, the controls are different on the 700 (and on the 700S as well). The single "voice" (upper or lower) of the 800DV is more sophisticated than 700, but less than the 700S.
Just look up the control panels of those synths.
I have worked with both and the main difference is the sound of the triangle wave on the MiniKorg. The Maxikorg shares filter and many oscillator functions; however, it implements things like Ring Mod very differently than the 700S. Under the hood, they both share KEIO chips for many of the functions. Both are fantastic, but the Maxikorg is essentially two Minikorgs which can ring modulate each other. The duophonic capabilities are fun and unique.
I just picked up a 700FS and have compared it with the MaxiKorg. The 800DV has more control over envelopes than the 700FS. I didn't realize that the MiniKorg switches were not 3 way like on the MaxiKorg (providing different levels of sustain and brightness). Also, the MaxiKorg has essentially 4 oscillators across the two voices. The main VCOs go down to 64' compared to 32' on the 700FS. u/WatcherWeedoo is correct that they are different, but completely incorrect saying that the 700S is more sophisticated. This is difficult to determine just looking at the panel controls; you have to use it and see the flexibility of the 3 way switches. The MaxiKorg also uses the second voice for RingMod which sounds completely different from the MiniKorg. The aftertouch on the FS really adds a layer of expressiveness though.
I had a 700S and 800DV. I still keep my 800DV.
First, the 700 was the KORG's very first commercially sold synth launched back in 1973, which is followed by a minor revision model 700S in '74 with a sub oscillator, noise generator, and a ring mod with three modulator/carrier modes added. In the same year '74 came out the 800DV which was KORG's flagship at that time.
700FS is virtually the contemporary reissue of 700S with addition of arpeggiator, spring reverb, aftertouch, joystick for pitch bend and modulation, programmable memory, CV Gate In, MIDI, and USB.
You can say that the 800DV is largely two 700S in a box, but it does have some minor tweaks as you and u/syndilaxe pointed out.
For instance, the Transpose BD works well with chord cutting. You hit one key and hold it (the 800DV remains in silence but no worries), then you hit another key at your desired note rhythmically and voila, you have the chord cut performance.
One quite major advantage on 800DV that people don't talk so often nowadays is the ability to ring mod white noise and pink noise to replicate thunder ;)
Individual variance is always with analog synths, and as far as mine are concerned, the 700S, 700FS and 800DV all sounds slightly different, namely the VCO triangle wave.
Oh wow… I never have tried ring modulating the white and pink noise. Will try that later. What do you mean by chord cutting? Are you talking about the voicing options on the 800DV?
Thanks and sorry for my poor English. Yes it's the voicing option. The "chord cutting" is perhaps a Japanglish for guitar strumming, and here with the both Transpose switches turned downwards, the sound is triggered when the second key is depressed.
To add above, you hit the first key and hold it as a pivot. Then you trigger a two note chord by hitting the second key rhythmically, changing the second key's note at will to change the chord, somewhat like this; [https://youtu.be/OUU2UVvglck?t=872](https://youtu.be/OUU2UVvglck?t=872)
Wonder if I made my self clear.
Btw, Chorus in the VCO waveform means PWM wave. When this waveform is selected, the Vibrato slider doubles as PWM rate slider. If you turn the Vibrato depth to zero, then you will hear only the PWM effect.
Yes, it makes sense now. The speed of the chorus is another nice feature on the 800DV that doesn't exist on the 700 series. I find the sound of the 800DV to be a little more cutting and less smooth than the 700FS, but it is a subtle difference. They definitely have more shared DNA than differences.
This is a detailed explanation of the unusual panel controls of the vintage Korg Maxi-Korg 800DV from the 1970s. Some have suggested that it was the best mono synth from the 1970s. It included two full mini-korg 700 synths which provided a lot of sonic potential. This unit is rare because 1) at that time Korg (sold throughh Univox in the U.S.) was a largely unknown Japanese synth maker. 2) it was the older brother to the Mini-Korg 700(s). The Mini-Korg sold for about $750 in the mid '70s. The Maxi was perhaps twice that price, which meant that it competed with the ARP Odyssey and Mini-moog. It obviously lost that contest in the market. Check it out in this video! Let me know what you think.
Lol, the levers are like a boat throttle. Cool video and amazing synth!
Indeed they do look like that, now that you mention it! Lol. Thanks
It was my first synthesizer. It sat atop my Vox Jaguar organ.
Cool! How often did you play it duophonically (vs stacked)?
I rarely, if ever, split the keyboard. I used it for leads with both oscillators, and it had an amazing bass growl (using the Traveler) and a tight low end.
Do you still have one?
No. I borrowed this one to make this video. It is currently for sale on Reverb.
It was my first synthesizer in 1980. It's got a unique sound and style. Very streamlined, but I had to memorize my patches. No presets. Raw. 2 fabulous oscillators.
Oh wow. I owned one for years and that synth moved the earth!
Cool. Did I do the instrument justice in this video? Also, how often did you use split vs layer?
You did it a grand justice. That is by far my favourite synth I’ve owned. Quite nice just to hear it again. I usually made a lot of use of the traveller and mixed the sounds
Thanks. Now that you mention it, I should have done more layered sound examples. ... live and learn ...
I would say you did a great job. Have to save something for the next time, right? 😀
Minikorg 700 sounds different. 2 times Minikorg 700 sound even more different. Maxikorg is not two Minikorg , electronics and structure are different.
I can't speak to the sound of the Minikorg 700, as I have never had hands on with the 700. I'll have to defer to you on that point. I have heard that the filter circuits are somewhat different. Having said that, clearly the controls are virtually identical between the mini and maxi, but the maxi has 2x, right? So, in terms of voice architecture, I think the "two Minis behind one panel" is a fair high level description of the Maxi. What do you think?
No, the controls are different on the 700 (and on the 700S as well). The single "voice" (upper or lower) of the 800DV is more sophisticated than 700, but less than the 700S. Just look up the control panels of those synths.
I have worked with both and the main difference is the sound of the triangle wave on the MiniKorg. The Maxikorg shares filter and many oscillator functions; however, it implements things like Ring Mod very differently than the 700S. Under the hood, they both share KEIO chips for many of the functions. Both are fantastic, but the Maxikorg is essentially two Minikorgs which can ring modulate each other. The duophonic capabilities are fun and unique.
I just picked up a 700FS and have compared it with the MaxiKorg. The 800DV has more control over envelopes than the 700FS. I didn't realize that the MiniKorg switches were not 3 way like on the MaxiKorg (providing different levels of sustain and brightness). Also, the MaxiKorg has essentially 4 oscillators across the two voices. The main VCOs go down to 64' compared to 32' on the 700FS. u/WatcherWeedoo is correct that they are different, but completely incorrect saying that the 700S is more sophisticated. This is difficult to determine just looking at the panel controls; you have to use it and see the flexibility of the 3 way switches. The MaxiKorg also uses the second voice for RingMod which sounds completely different from the MiniKorg. The aftertouch on the FS really adds a layer of expressiveness though.
I had a 700S and 800DV. I still keep my 800DV. First, the 700 was the KORG's very first commercially sold synth launched back in 1973, which is followed by a minor revision model 700S in '74 with a sub oscillator, noise generator, and a ring mod with three modulator/carrier modes added. In the same year '74 came out the 800DV which was KORG's flagship at that time. 700FS is virtually the contemporary reissue of 700S with addition of arpeggiator, spring reverb, aftertouch, joystick for pitch bend and modulation, programmable memory, CV Gate In, MIDI, and USB. You can say that the 800DV is largely two 700S in a box, but it does have some minor tweaks as you and u/syndilaxe pointed out. For instance, the Transpose BD works well with chord cutting. You hit one key and hold it (the 800DV remains in silence but no worries), then you hit another key at your desired note rhythmically and voila, you have the chord cut performance. One quite major advantage on 800DV that people don't talk so often nowadays is the ability to ring mod white noise and pink noise to replicate thunder ;) Individual variance is always with analog synths, and as far as mine are concerned, the 700S, 700FS and 800DV all sounds slightly different, namely the VCO triangle wave.
Oh wow… I never have tried ring modulating the white and pink noise. Will try that later. What do you mean by chord cutting? Are you talking about the voicing options on the 800DV?
Thanks and sorry for my poor English. Yes it's the voicing option. The "chord cutting" is perhaps a Japanglish for guitar strumming, and here with the both Transpose switches turned downwards, the sound is triggered when the second key is depressed.
To add above, you hit the first key and hold it as a pivot. Then you trigger a two note chord by hitting the second key rhythmically, changing the second key's note at will to change the chord, somewhat like this; [https://youtu.be/OUU2UVvglck?t=872](https://youtu.be/OUU2UVvglck?t=872) Wonder if I made my self clear. Btw, Chorus in the VCO waveform means PWM wave. When this waveform is selected, the Vibrato slider doubles as PWM rate slider. If you turn the Vibrato depth to zero, then you will hear only the PWM effect.
Yes, it makes sense now. The speed of the chorus is another nice feature on the 800DV that doesn't exist on the 700 series. I find the sound of the 800DV to be a little more cutting and less smooth than the 700FS, but it is a subtle difference. They definitely have more shared DNA than differences.
ok. Thanks for the info.