The "All about Korg DSM-1 http://fr.audiofanzine.com/sampleur/korg/Dsm-1/ http://www.matrixsynth.com/2009/10/korg-dsm-1-digital-synthesizer-rack.html http://www.squest.com/Products/MidiQuest11/Instruments/KorgDSM-1/index.html http://www.wiseguysynth.com/larry/dss-1.htm http://sounddoctorin.com/synthtec/korg/korg.htm Korg DSM-1 Digital Synthesizer rack mount version "RARE" Definitely rare here. I ran a quick search to see if I had any prior posts on the DSM-1 and zero came up. "The DSM-1 comes equipped with a full 1-Megaword PCM waveform memory, for perfectly sampling even the most memory-intensive sound sources. This rich sampling synthesizer module has 16 voice polyphony, 16 individual outputs, and is multitimbral a maximum of 64 sound source split points, at the maximum sampling frequency of 48 kHz, the DSM-1 is capable of recording an audio frequency spectrum even greater than that of the hearing range. All elements of the instrument's design were engineered for optimal sound quality. The DSM-1 has a maximum sampling time of 64 seconds (over a total of 4 banks), and a built-in anti-aliasing input filter. Up to 512 samples and waveforms can be stored to memory. Wave editing functions include operations such as Reverse, Link, Mix, Cross Phase Looping, Back & Forth Looping, View & Edit of sound data, and Pitch Adjust. The built-in synthesizer sound processing function provides 46 separate parameters, including such sound shaping tools as VCFs and VCAs. With the memory storage capability of up to 32 Programs and 32 combinations, the DSM-1 is ideal for creating rich, multi-textured sounds - especially in live performance situations. The data of the DSM-1 is stored to 2-Megabyte, 3.5-inch 2HD disks, providing high capacity storage with exceptionally fast loading time. Ulrich Schmidt a part-time user from Germany writes: I just won the auction on eBay for the Korg DSM-1 (lucky one!), looking forward to get it :-) I'm a DSS-1 owner since nearly 20 years and always surprised of the unbelievable sound of this Dinosaur :-). Thinking the DSM-1 has the same sound capabilities, except the delay. JosÃ(c) Antonio Pereira, from where do you get the SCSI Kit, WOW! I need one urgently! Can u please tell me, where you got it from? PLEASE! Thanks a lot! olivier a part-time user from france writes: i've been using intensively my DSM1 for 15 years and it is still a mainstay in my homestudio..in order to appreciate this machine to the fullest you need something like a 16 channels line mixer rack on top (i use a cheap fostex line mixer 2016) and a bit of discipline i guess, one can make crazy combos with many different programs and variations..the way sounds can be assigned to the 16 outputs is very clever IMO, it can either produce some nice soundswaps, overlappings or pannings etc for each channels/banks once reg-grouped and re-routed (stereo anyone?) possible to select samplerate 8, 16, 32 or 48 for each sound if you need those extra seconds or want the higher or lower def. i only wished that thing had the filters of a dss1. Droll a professional user from USA writes: This Sampler has the secretary sampling method. You can make a HEAVY-PHUNCHY rhythm track with this Sampler. This 12bit machine is "Secret-Weapon" of many famous hiphop Producers. Rick a part-time user from Phoenix, AZ, USA writes: It has a kind of cool, loopy, grainy 12-bit sound. It's great if you just use it for pianos, string sounds or basses, but don't bother trying to use the 16 multiple outputs for drums--they don't work! I could never figure them out, which is too bad, because it came with some really cool Phil Collins and Def Leppard drum samples. But it was useless to me if I couldn't run the snare and bass drum to separate outputs! It's also a nightmare to combine the sounds so you don't have to keep reloading disks. So it gets credit for great sound, but horrible marks for remarkably poor functionality! I should've bought a Roland... José António Pereira a part-time user from Portugal writes: Clean sound for a 12bit machine. Less programming capabilities than the DSS-1 (which I also own) but it's still an elegant sampler with lot of options. I recently got the SCSI Kit and now I'm searching for SCSI hard disk drives for it. Earl Blaize a professional user from USA writes: The DSM-1 is a very hot sampler in my book. Listen to the good things you've read above. I have 3 DSM-1 samplers. I've used it on a few album projects for Imago & Warp records and it's still getting a heavy workout. What makes it cut above many of these other samplers, is that it receives MIDI volume control messages. This is a beautiful feature for automating the audio for mutes and fades. You can create sounds using the built in waveforms. I give it top votes!!! sjmojo a professional user writes: i owned a dsm-1 between 88-93.the 2nd sampler i bought since the akai s7000(quick disks). I sold the akai and one year later I bought the korg. It's quite dry and digital, but not clean as the akai. The 16 outs is ridiculous 'coz it's only 4-part multi and only one voice per out. The sound tends to hi-freq and digital. Later I bought an ensoniq eps16plus and kurzweil k2000s to replace it, both of them just easily blew it away by their warmth and fatness. I think the only good thing in dsm-1 is the bulti-in synth function, but again, it's all digital sounding, even though it had sine, square, saw, etc so-called analog-named digital osc. Useless, but I will still give a 2 due to the korg, the name. annoin a professional user from USA writes: I would like to say that I am a faithful fan of Korg designs for over 3 decades. I bought the DSS-1 and used it for 2 years with maximum pleasure, while most of my keyboard buddies went after Akai/Ensoniq. and than I thought that I needed more memory... So I sold it and bought a DSM-1. What A Mistake! I still kick myself for it. The DSM-1 is one of the most complicated/un-user friendly sampler out there.. except for the old Yamaha Tx-16w ( the No. 1 complicated !) just try to assign the 16 outputs and you'll understand. Korg totaly killed the good part of their samplers scheme, and that is why they never did make another sampler again - it was because of the failed and muddy DSM-1. what is good about it: 1. 16 notes poly 2. 4 banks of sound ( X4 times of the DSS-1 ) 3. 16 outputs. Whats bad about it: 1. NO FILTERS (VCF) what so ever. that was the "secret" sauce of the DSS-1 - Analog Filters ! the DSS-1 was a sampler/synthesizer. 2. the 16 outputs are MONO ( only 1 note per output..what were they thinking ?) 3. No digital delay or any effects what so ever and a MONO output !!! 4. I did play both units side by side ( same disk) and the DSS-1 sounded better by far ( the synth section). 5. It is just a plain 12 bit sampler with no character at all. my Casio SK-5 or Yamaha VS-330 has a filter in it ! You have to remember that in those days Korg came out with some of their worse keyboards: 707,Poly 800II, to name a few. I still don't understand why Korg did not leave the Awsome VCF Filters inside this beast - They would of sold thousends. I realy think it was one of their biggest mistakes and the main cause for their ultimate economic downfall before Yamaha stepped in and bought them out and put new designers to work. don't bother at all. FALSE !!! See below and in the manual !!! 1. Aftertouch: routed to LFO, VCF cutoff, VCA level 2. Architecture Class: sampler additive subtractive 3. Audio IO: headphones, analog input 1 mix and 16 individual analog outputs 4. Audio Source: Waveforms can be created via additive synthesis (128 harmonics) or sampling. Samples are 12 bit (16kHz, 24kHz, 32kHz, 48kHz) and can be looped, including crossfade 5. Communication Interface: MIDI In, Out, Thru 6. Effects: None 7. EG: VCF and VCA EGs are 6 element (2 level, 4 rate) with polarity switch (VCF) 8. Expansion: 3.5" DSHD disk 9. Filter: low pass -24dB/oct 10. Form Factor: 3U rack 11. Key Scaling: VCF cutoff 12. LFO: routed to DCOs and VCF (with delay). Waveforms are triangle, up saw, down saw, square 13. Memory: o Multi Memory: 32 o Patch Memory: 32 o PCM Memory: N/A o Sample Memory: 16 samples max 1MB o Sequencer Memory: N/A 14. Multitimbral: 4 15. Pedal Inputs: None 16. Performance Control: auto-bend Trigger footswitch input (triggers selected note) 17. Polyphony: 16 18. Power: AC (IEC C9 to NEMA 1-15P) 19. Released: 1987 20. Sequencer: No 21. Signal Class: digital analog 22. Velocity: routed to EGs (levels and rates), auto-bend depth, and DCO (switch) Ted Perlman a professional user from USA writes: Your review of the mighty DSM-1 is totally inacurate. 1.The unit has 16 separate outputs (not 8) - making it awesome for recording. None of the Akai units have 16. This beast can output all of your drums to a separate input on your mixer. The BOMB! 2.Polyphony is 16, not 8. And it's intelligent 16 - meaning if you have 13 drums set for separate outputs and you only have 3 notes of polyphony remaining, you can set up your loops and samples using the main out and none of the notes will cut off. I do it everyday. 3.It's a 12-bit unit. If you like the sound of the EMU SP1200, you're gonna piss over this baby. 4.Sampling rate goes from 16 - 24 - 32 - 48. I personally sample everything except hi hats and cymbals at 24k, giving me the FATTEST sounds anyone's ever heard - breakbeats, drums, vocals, guitars, basses - yoou name it and this baby gives it something that sounds KILLER. In Closing: I have TWO (2) DSM-1's. If I find another I will buy it immediately. No matter what instruments I get for my studio, this will always be the centerpiece. Not only does it work great, is extremely fast and user friendly, and never fails, but NOBODY has ever heard of it which makes it the ultimate "WORK BEAST"; in my book. If you get one just have a little patience with the manual. In typical Korg fashion it, well, for lack of a better word, SUCKS. But once you figure it out - BOO YAH!