well i got my Dss1 a few years ago got a DX7 gave it to a friend this year he came to and asked if i would take it back he lived i a small room i said ok took it in my studio pluged it in played it for fifteen mins and realy i cryed NOW its going to stay with me Were can i get the samples from now
nice page thanks

You can sample on the DSS-1 and record the results without having to save to floppy.

Has there ever been a newer keyboard made that can edit samples like a synthesizer. The DSS-1 looks amazing, but I'm not trying to go back to using 720kb floppies ever again. I heard that it requires the floppy disk drive to be able to sample.. I was hoping I could sample and simply record the results without saving the sound in the DSS-1. Kinda sucks.

My DSS-1 have flopy drive brouk.This model of drive is to old and I must replace.
Can you help me to found solution which drive can change original model of drive.Can I in anny case
use other type of memory.
Thanks,
Mickey

I have had this beast for a bout six months and I must say that this is truly a one-of-a-kind instrument. As a sampler it is dated but warm (VCF) and the sample time is limited, as with any sampler of this era. Still highly playable, however, and the modulation options and keyboard aftertouch make it capable of very realistic and expressive acoustic emulations. As a synth.. wow. The wave-drawing feature is killer and makes for some very bright, "chimey" FM-esque sounds, but with some serious added warmth with the VCF and then some added thickness with the osc sync. I will give this machine five out of five just for the synth engine, no doubt. Add twin delays and the ability to use a sample as a waveform and you have one of the most original machines of it's time and something special to add to your vintage collection. Not to mention you can kill a bear with it (70 lbs or so..). Not that anyone would want to kill a bear.

Glad to see you are enjoying the the DSS-1. Yes, it was popular in early hip-hop, along with the SP-1200 and the Ensoniq ASR-10. You can use it as a drum machine and store some 30 drum samples across the keyboard (some factory disks have this already done). Then apply analog filtering to the drum sounds... cool.

BTW, I am the guy who runs that DSS-1 website where you got the manual. :-)

I have to add that I just got the floppy drive replaced on my DSS-1, and what an improvement... the new drive is QUIET as hell compared to the old, cranky, noisy sucker that was the original factory drive. It doesn't load samples any faster, but it is a lot quieter. Nice. I recommend any DSS-1 owner to get this procedure done, before your current drive craps out on you.

Oh, and I've made some progress on the Analog Monster Disk.... get the latest version from my DSS-1 web site. Systems A and B are complete, and System C is now showing off the "digital" side of the DSS-1, using some samples from the Roland D-50, Prophet-VS, and other digital synths. Some really cool, evolving digital pads are to be had there. System D will go back to analog sounds.

Ooooh, they're not allowing me to type in my web site link anymore.... well just scroll down a few reviews, and you'll see my web site link there.

This message is for the hip hop heads that use the dss-1,yo the 12bit sampling is not that big of a deal to me,i was fasinated my self to find out that the legendary sp-1200 that predated the akai mpc60, sampled at the same rate!and the fact that the the dss-1 dont have a seqencer is no bother to me neither, because iv got a few skills playin keyboard any way. So hey if you got one ya best hold on to it caus its on its way to becomin a saught after classic, just like the lynn drum machin,and the sp-1200. My opinon is that alot of the synths and groove machines of today as far as the sounds go, are just digital remakes of the sounds that were hot back in the days.holla!

this message is for killa cuts, hey i went to a korg website escleusivly dedicated to the dss-1 and down loaded my manual think its like 300 pages long. I got to it through google, just typ in korg dss-1.I hope this will help out.By the way i use mine for killer bass lines and jazzy chords/organ sounds,not one scratch on it, and all it needed was a plug bought it off ebay brand new for 13bucks!

MINE WAS GIVEN TO ME BY A FAMILY MEMBER OF MINE WHO BOUGHT IT USED A FEW YEARS BACK, NEVER NEW HOW TO USE THE THING! SO HE GAVE IT TO ME. NOT ONE SCRATCH ON IT! DOWN LOADED A MANUAL, TOOK ME A COUPLE DAYS TO FIGURE IT OUT. EVERY THING WORKS! THE FAT SYNTH BASS SOUNDS ARE AWSOME FOR GOOD OL FASHION REAL HIP HOP!!!!

I have to agree with Glen here.it does gorgeous strings and big synthsounds but it is difficult to sample sounds yourself and save it to disk .Also the biggest flaw is the missing portamento.very very sad .It would have turned this instrument to a supersynth and the worth of the synth 2 or 3 times higher.Any way to sample portamento? Anyway its filter is the best i&#xc2&#xb4ll ever heard.

I am presently working on a full 128-patch disk of analog sounds for this beast -- a disk that will truly show off the DSS-1's capabilities as an analog polysynth.

As you know, most of the disks from the Korg library are full of sampled guitars, pianos, and basic ROMpler stuff (boring!). My mission is to create the disk for this beast that was never created.

I have already sampled in some diverse waveforms from sources like the VAZ Modular softsynth -- PWM loops, unision sawtooth loops -- and re-synthesized them within the DSS-1. The result? I am getting sounds out of this beast that remind me of a CS-80, I'm not kidding. Thanks to the wet, musically pleasing filter resonance that is in fact very much like CS-80 resonance.

I currently own a Sequential Pro-One, Roland JD-800, Roland JX-10, Korg Z1, and others ..... and I am still getting loads of fun programming and playing this old, unappreciated DSS-1. Totally and completely underrated. Still capable of sounds heard nowhere else!

When finished with the programming, I'll make the disk available here .....

I just got the dss-1 yesterday and already it has impressed me with its massive, roaring sounds. This machine has 3 great things going for it- Its a sampler, synthesizer and an external effects processor (plug in your guitar or mic, and mess with the twin digital delays while in sample mode.) Plus the synth can produce analog, digital, or wavetable synthesis sounds. You can get these for relatively cheap, (I paid $250) and the dss-1 can wrench out sounds that shame a moog or Juno. Saving to disk is a pain, but you can amass an endless library of sounds, instead of being limited by internal patch memory, (like on other synths of that era.)For all of its dhortcomings, you still can't beat the price, versatlity, and most importantly, it's SOUND.

Glen just gave the DSS-1 world a wonderful Xmas present -- He has put the user's manual in .PDF format on his website. Way to go, Glen! See the DSS-1 resource link on synthsite's DSS-1 page.

I just got one of these off Ebay for 120 Euros.

Inital impressions were, well it has a dicky data slider, and this particular machine has seen a hard life (plenty of scratches and well battered)

But it works. As far as Korg synths go (well compared to a DW-8000 really), the keyboard is very good indeed. This thing must be built like a tank to be still playing OK given the battering it seems to have had.

It took me 4 hours to successfully get some sounds to load up through a floppy. Thanks to:
http://www.wiseguysynth.com...
(Top tip: Use windows 98 or lower to create the disk)

But the sounds...
I've not got through the first half of the first bank, and I'm thinking that I'm going to be getting rid of my Juno60 and my OB12 quite soon. This is the fattest brass sound you've ever heard, the strings and pads that you might have heard from Jean-Michel Jarre, pick-up-and-play basses, this thing just blows anything else I've ever owned right out of the water. Sounds so good, I just have to tell someone about them.

The Korg interface is good. Does exactly what it says on the front panel, and if you can't work that out, you'd need a manual for a vacum cleaner. The DW-8000 was a doddle to program, this is as well - just a few more parameters. You do need to understand the terminology though.

The sounds you can get out of this thing are BETTER than anything else I have ever heard. For that alone, 5/5

Ignore the review below, this is a very warm and powerful sounding hybrid synth. Its sample time was standard for the 1986. Don't use it as a full fledged sampler, rather use it as a synth that can use samples or digital waveforms as the oscillators, much like the Prophet 2000. Who cares about built-in sequencers when you can use a PC based sequencer. (How many people actually use the sequencer on their M1 nowadays, for instance?) It's a synth not a workstation. Twin DDLs are a milestone for 1986; just run it through some reverb and other external hardware FX, which are better sounding in the long run. The fact that you can pick this up for $150 and have the best resonant analog filter Korg ever made, along with the most responsive aftertouch of just about any synth out there, means you get a lot for your dollar. Totally overlooked by stupid bedroom DJs and tweakers with too much money from mommy & daddy - thank goodness, it keeps the price down. It's still a professional quality synth for pro's who can play keyboards, not one-finger sound designers. Very powerful synthesis capabilities, only lacking PWM and a few other things which can be gotten from looped samples anyway. The research that went into the DSS-1 was eventually responsible for the M1, which was the next Korg synth if you don't count the DS8 (which was an FM synth not in the same line of continuity from DW-8000 to DSS-1 to M1).

I am glad I did not buy this piece of junk. even
for a $150. no sequencer on this, very little
sample ram,tiny interface,very limited effects.
korg makes very good synths but the DSS-1 is
nothing but an embarrassment to them. people
can call this the DSS-0!!!!

Great keyboard! still has a sound of its own and as far as todays technologies surpassing this old beast , this old beast will STILL hold its own!

The main review is wrong in saying that it's digital subtractive. It's an analog subtractive synth with additive harmonic synthesis and digital sampling built in. Sort of like a hybrid synth with the oscillators ripped out and replaced with sampling, waveform drawing, or additive synthesis (combining 128 sine waves) as your raw material with which to create your oscillators. It has one of the best VCFs that Korg ever put on a synthesizer. Sort of like a DW-8000 on steroids, but also kind of like a less-endowed M1 but in which you can create your own PCM samples. The DSS-1's analog filter manages to get better mileage from the more basic waveforms (sawtooth, pulse, square, etc.) It's kind of like a transitional synth between the analog/digital hybrids of mid-80s and the romplers of late 80s/beyond. Comparable in features and sonic ability to the Prophet 2000. I love this beastie.

FYI, I have just created a great resource site for this synth - http://glenstegner.com/dss1

There you will find the entire disk image library with which you can create your own floppies for use with the DSS-1. Also on the site you will find 2 great PC softwares with which you can import your own samples (SampleVision) and edit the program parameters (MidiQuest demo version with DSS-1 plug-in). The demo version of MidiQuest will still allow you to edit any patch of the currently loaded System, then you can save the patch by using the DSS-1 control panel! If you buy the program, then it will allow you to edit multisamples and save entire libraries to your PC's hard disk.

Lots of great images of the DSS-1, complete disk library (over 100 disks!), software, pointers to hardware support including how to get a replacement disk drive! Visit the site!

http://glenstegner.com/dss1

Sampler/Ibrid analog Synth, additive synthesis width sampling and generate oscillator, analog filter, double digital delay, unison for the oscillator, this machine have a low price and can make any type of sound you have in mind... Problems, volatile memory of waveform and big dimension...
This sound is very good...

I remember playing one of these back in the late 80s; the drummer of the band I was in owned one and let me use it for rehearsals, but would never let me take it out on the road (one look at its size and knowledge of its weight, and you will see why). I always lusted after one, and now I finally picked one up in mint condition on eBay for $250, less than 10% of its original price!

It's a wonderful sampler/synth hybrid, capable of very thick lush analog sounds due to its analog synth engine and warm filter, as well as being able to emulate a DX7 due to the inclusion of additive harmonic synthesis and the ability to draw your own waveform using one of the data sliders. Sampling rate at 12 bits can be a bit grungy but that gives it its distinctive character. Treat it like a synth with unique capabilities rather than a sampler, and you will be happy. The samples are meant to be mangled by the synth engine anyway.

If i may digress for a moment: When I first got into synths (1984 or so), Yamaha were reigning supreme with their DX7, and musicians were practically throwing their old analog gear out of windows. My, how times change. In the 90s the techno/electronica/rave movement was singlehandedly responsible for the resurrection of the retro analogs (or rather the $$ speculators hanging around at its fringes). Because of the way I use keyboards (I am a KEYBOARDIST: not just a PIANIST or a SYNTHESIST, but a little of both, with a rig of stacked boards in the Wakeman/Emerson/Banks tradition), I still hold the opinion from the 80s that the old pre-MIDI vintage analogs really aren't worth that much, even after the 90s have passed. I would never ever pay more than $400 for one of those, even if I had a lot of disposable income, except maybe to get involved in the trading and speculation to make some money off of foolish people looking for woodgrain and knobs. The DSS1 and similar digital/analog hybrids from the mid 80s suit me just fine for the analog sounds I need to have at my disposal (alongside my digital piano and romplers for more realistic sounds), and in design, reliability and features, are actually quite superior. Knob twiddling during live performance is not my forte, since I need to have both hands on the keyboards at once, so aftertouch is very important for me as a controller - and most vintage pre-MIDI analogs lack this feature. I do need to program new sounds, and the digital one-parameter access system is no problem for me. What counts is what's under the hood, and the DSS1 has a lot going for it. If I do need to get some wild filter sweeps or somesuch, the joystick and data slider do just fine (how many knobs can you twirl at once?) Another thing I need for gigging is reliability and durability, oscillators not drifting out of tune, etc. That's why I'm so happy to finally get the DSS1 for so cheap. As far as I'm concerned the hiking up of prices of the old analogs has worked in my favor; since I don't do electronica, techno or rave (and don't particularly care for that style, which is basically just a form of mind-numbing disco with electronics thrown in), I have no real use for those in my setup other than to impress people visually. If I ever did buy a vintage analog, it would have to be for cheap and then I would sell it right back into the market for more $$ (join the club...)

Anyway, back to the DSS1 - it's a sleek and sexy (and huge!) beast. People are immediately impressed by its enormous size - bigger than a Roland JD800 and almost measures in depth as a Matrix12. Okay, sampler is a chinzy 256k of memory but that's not important as I use a software sampler for that. The DSS1 needed this size and weight because these were a lot of features for 1986 technology. This board alongside my trusty DW8000 give me all the analog sounds I need, and the DSS1 especially does it with style. There is a massive disk library on the internet and you can use a PC program to convert the disk images to 720K floppies for use with your DSS1. I've already collected a slew of Keith Emerson moog sounds this way. I also found one disk that included a string patch so lush I couldn't believe my ears - very Matrix12-like in fact.

The only regrets are: no portamento(!) and no arpeggiator, but that's okay, the DW8000 do those. As for no sequencer, who cares - we all know what crap in-board sequencers are when we get our hands on a good PC-based sequencer. The last thing I need is a "workstation" instead of just a synth. Besides, I don't use a sequencer for live performance (it's cheating!), only for studio work. MIDI specs are good, and it makes for a decent alternate controller (my primary one is an 88-key weighted controller/digital piano). Another down-side is the rather klunky/noisy keyboard (same as on the DW8000) but I've had no problems with it and it works just fine for one-handed leads.

The DSS1 is an awsome feature-packed analog/digital hybrid with sampling and fits just nicely into my setup. And as for its size and weight, as someone else here said, "just be a man and lug it!"

There's one thing about the DSS-1 that I'll remember until the rest of my days - the SIZE. The pictures just DON'T do it justice, maybe it'll help if I tell you that it's bigger and heavier than my Yamaha DX7 IN A ROADCASE. When I drove it home from where I bought it this March, I had to knock down BOTH back seats in my car, and I still barely got it in. The guy who just picked it up from my house had to do the same in a much bigger car.

The size, however, is absolutely justified for a 1986 machine, for the DSS-1 is was immensely powerful piece of gear back then. A sampler which would treat each sample as an oscillator and could process it the same way that analogue synths process a waveform - through analogue filters, mind you - was something unheard of then and it took a while for dedicated samplers to include this feature.

That's not nearly all, however: the DSS-1 allows you to edit every single frame of the sample or to create a completely new waveform, which you can also draw with a slider. When I first got the synth, I thought this was going to be cooler than it turned out to be. It IS fun, but no matter what I did, I got hollow and/or metallic sounds which got only mildly after having been processed.

Even though the factory sample disks are pretty good, especially the brass and strings, they didn't see much use as I don't use many samples of real instruments in my songs. There was a particular sample disk that I used all the time, however - the orchestra hits. I make 80's pop music and the hits were absolutetly perfect (e-mail me at sartre@siol.net to hear them in action). I wanted to sample my analogue drum machines into the DSS-1 and make sample libraries, but either the sampling on the DSS is a really bothersome thing, or I just wasn't doing it right. The drums lost all their punchiness and there was too much noise because of the 12 bit A/D converters.

Other than that, I used the DSS-1 as my master keyboard, even though I didn't like the key action very much - way too "clunky" for fast synth solos, if you know what I mean. So after I bought a DX7, it was time for the DSS-1 to go - it was taking up too much space for what it did and I sold it for a fair price. I wasn't particularly sorry about seeing it go, even though it wasn't a bad keyboard. I consider myself very fortunate that nothing broke down during the six months that I had it, especially the disk drive, which is expensive to fix. I'm really happy about all the space I reclaimed in my (bedroom) studio - the next time I buy a keyboard as big as this, it'll be the Alesis Andromeda.

Very competent and sturdy synth/sampler. You can get very synthetic sounds out of it. I'm searching for a PC or Atari software editor for it.

I am one of the few lucky ones to own a DSS Expanded with SCSI and 2meg. I've owned this for about 10 years now and some of those sounds just can't be done justice on another axe. For you others out there with an Expanded ( I hear there's about 6 of us according to Korg Canada ) I have the only known drivers for Turtle Beach Sample Vision 2.0 Dos editor. Works great for looping, etc.... Drop me an email if you're interested ...... I am interested who out there has one ..... or if yours is dead and you want to sell it for parts ....

The most important thing in rating this instrument is to view it as a synthesizer with endless possibilities to create own waveforms. If you look at it as a sampler its no wonder if you are dissapointed. But as a synthesizer this thing is the most versatile piece of gear I have ever seen. From fat analog to cold digital sounds it is all possible. Especially the hybrid sounds have their own character which remind me on the PPG Wave 2.2 and 2.3. The difficulty with the DSS-1 is that it is not easy to understand and to program. From 1989 to 1996 this was my only synthesizer and so I was forced to get everything
I needed out of this machine. After all those years I can tell you it is possible.

A unique features of this machine is to get directly into the sample-ram to edit every single sampleword which is usefull to create one cycle waveforms for subtractive synthesis but which is also a lot of work with over 1000 samplewords. The waveforms on the Korg disks are created with additive synthesis so the classic waveforms like saw, square, triangle are not perfect. With editing every sampleword you can give them a perfect form. Especially the perfect sawtooth sounds much more punchier and fat. If you remind that the original waveforms inside are played with 32KHz samplerate the sampleword editing also allows you to create waveforms with 48 KHz on your own which is also a lot of work but results in a much better sound, especially in the lower octaves.

I can also recommend a usefull modification to get the filter into self-oscillation which expands the sound possibilities very much. For this you have to open the DSS-1 and to recalibrate the trim pots for each of the eight filter modules. This is not very easy and you have to know exactly where you are allowed to recalibrate and where not. If you are interested in this modification please send an email and I can give exact introductions for this operation.

The DSS-1 is a very good synth for all kinds of pads because of its "cheap" filters with a liquid sounding resonance and its VCA section with operates with linear amplification (this means slow attack and decay). Try sampling wavesequences or wavetables from synths like the Korg Wavestation or the Waldorf Microwave and treat it with a filter sweep from the DSS-1 and you have something close to the PPG sound.

Another strong point is the ability to use the DSS-1 as an external digital delay when you give any signal into the sampling input without starting the sampling process. Any parameters of the digital delay you programmed before are kept for your external signal. Also try this with decreasing the bit resolution and a low sample rate of 24 or 16 KHz. The resulting aliasing gives an exciter effect to the sound (but with an interesting lo-fi character).

Even if its a lot of work and patience try to get into the depth of this machine; its worth it.
Don&#xb4t judge the DSS-1 as a bad machine before doing so. It belongs to the most underrated synths
ever.

I don't know why you guys mind the size, this thing is a beast on stage. I use it as a controller sampler and synth. Makes some of the worst, horrifying, disturbing, wretched, car crash noises ever and I love it! Really good for R+B or rap too. I write industrial coldwave stuff and it works fabulous for that too. Get one of these, maybe an external sampler and a rack module and you'll be set AND have a huge twisted beast on stage. Be a man and just lug it. :)

Heavy 26 kg, raw synthesizer with a great and orginal sound. I love mine DSS-1, but i never use the sampler, i use it for cool raw solo base-sounds. A killer!

the DSS-1 is huge & heavy, but still one of my favorites.

the one that guy had must have been broken....the filters are wonderful,
and you get 12 and 24db modes. they're both useful.

it's basically a souped-up DW8000 with sampling. Special features include
sync (which works OK, but how often do you see sync on a sampler? i did
get half-decent sync leads out of it with just squarewaves....), DUAL independent
delays.

they call the LFOs MGs (mod generators) which is probably why that guy got confused.
pretty obvious when you use them though.

wish it had some multitimbrality & more outs, actually i wish the DSM-1 was REALLY
a rackmount DSS1 (with at least the filters??) but oh well. I still think the dss-1 is
a bargain for the cheap prices they are fetching nowadays. i love the raw sound
of it. 12 bits isn't really a detriment, i've heard it said that this (at 12 bit) sounds
better than an akai s1000 (at 16 bits).

I love mine and would pay 650 guilders (approx 300$) for it again if it broke down or got stolen.
However,I still haven't located a manual so if someone can help me out it would be much appreciated.

Very cool lo fi instrument. Great for lofi breakbeat type stuff, and I love the synthesis ability. drawing waveforms is fun and exciting. Only had it for a few hours and already getting interesting sounds out of it. The short sample memory doesn't bother me, the point of sampling is chopping and rearranging to make new stuff, not to sample a whole song and add vocals to it.
interface was pretty easy to pick up, but I wonder if anyone has the manual so I could get deep into this thing. If you find one of these snatch it up...

I have had one a few years back and there was one feature that i have never seen on any other sampler; with a slider you could change the sample playback from 12 BITS TO 2 BITS!!!!!!!!!
Filter were good too!
....but it was too big ....

I have a love-hate relationship with this instrument. I love it for its dark and organic but still lush sound. The other way around i hate it for its teadious interface, slow diskdrive and not to mention its size!! I'll never get rid of it though, I know i would miss it right away...

I can't forget how difficult it was to carry my DSS-1. At the shop they told me it was a great sampler. 1Meg of Ram they said. At the time I thought that ammount of memory would suffice.
But Oh Surprise there was not technical info about the real capabilities of this beast.
It doesn't took me long to realize that memory was only 375Kb and that it was incredibly difficult to operate as a sampler. I was very dissapointed indeed.
The next day I decided to use the DSS-1 for a song I was writing. I struggled to to put a couple of 4/4 loops and a now memorable synth lead.
Using MIDI program changes...remember there's no multitimbral option for the DSS-1. Just Set your recieve channel and play... I was able to play with different sounds along the song.
The synt lead with the help of the built in double delay and basic EQ was a real hit. Using the joystick for VCF (yeah! VCF) modulation gave also brilliant results.
In my opinion the DSS-1 is really poor as a sampler (12bit, reasonalbe 48Khz, magre 375Kb RAM) but come to its own when used a synth. Great personality, real VCFs, VCAs and LFOs and almost 20Kgs. of weight makes it a heave choice... even today...

Yeah, the disk drive is slow, but this machine is the bomb. Mad phat when it comes to sampling. 16-48k sampling rates. I don't even have the manual yet and have been able to pretty much figure it out. Haven't stopped playing with it since I got it. Now building my studio and for $250, couldn't go wrong.

http://www.retrosynth.com/f...

Here you will find the files that corley brigman and others have assembled of DSS-1 sample disks. Go wild with that copyqm program. You'll be glad you did.

I have two of these beasts. and they rule. sampling is easy and making loops is a snap. it does drum loops really good!. Then go back and resynthesize them. Awesome. Yes some of the Library sound are not good specially basses. (remember the 80's samplers were mainly used for creating "money" sounds not imaginary. but I redid all of them to MY taste and they rock. the synch is loud and ripping. CONS: as mentioned: slow disk drive,small RAM, no SCSI. I would like to get the SCSI kit and whatever upgrades KORG had to offer. If I could get those I would definetly buy the rack mount I spied the other day. I love this machine and I have the Emulator 3. and I dont use it as much because the korg just rocks and you can monitor you sampling process. The E3 cannot!

I bought this monster in 1986 and have used it constantly both in the studio and on gigs. I am still amazed at the sounds that can be extracted from it and of course, having had it for so long, I find it fairly easy to programme.

Yes, it is very slow and you are limited to only so many sounds, as you can only access sounds that are on a floppy disk.

Does any one know if there is an editor available anywhere?

Try the unisono-mode ;)

... and you&#xb4ll kick your EMUlator....

I have owned two of these DSS-1's for about seven years and I realy like them ! Nice fat sounding pads are the main draw for me. The DDL's really add depth. REAL VCA's VCF's are nice and I consider the sampler part to basically make this a versatile analog synth because you can use ANY waveform as your basis for synthesis. Most old Analog at it's time only had saw, square, and pulse. Here is a kicker for you. My one DSS-1 is one of SIX known in CANADA with 2 meg of memory and SCSI support ! You can imagine the pros that that added. Also has the upgraded 50% faster drive, backlit display as well. I just have too many synths .... may have to sell one ! ..... It was my favorite axe for years but I really like the newer stuff too.... Definately a worth while button. Stay away from factory disks, they give you a rash ......

Excellent synth , havent had any of the drive problems I am hearing about . I have run into keyboard triggering problems , but its nothing that cant be taken care of with a screwdriver and 15 minutes of time . Wouldn't trade it for anything ,because I haven't heard any other synths that offer its characteristic unison thickness . I'm actually searching for another with the ram upgrade and the scsi port (if it exists)

I tend to agree with the other reviews. It can make some cool synth sounds,

it's not at all user-friendly. Brass:good Strings:ok Bass:fair piano:fair
If anyone is interested, I'm considering selling mine. It's mint cond.

Includes several disks by New Age Software. Some good sounds.

I LOVE this synth. Don't consider it as a sampler, but as a real, fantastic

synth with (limited) additive and (wonderful) substractive synthesis. I find it

very easy to program, and I made analog string sounds which can easily remind of

CS-80 ones ... The reasons ? A very nice 12/24 dB filter, a pretty oscillator

sync, 2 usable built-in digital delays. The cons : no pitch envelope, no PWM.

But if you want a cheap, very interesting synth (and if you have enough physical

strength ...), consider buying this one.

Best synth sounds : strings, fat sync solo sounds, brass

A bit lousy : basses, thin solo sounds

Crappy : sampling part ...

Great keyboard! still has a sound of its own and as far as todays technologies surpassing this old beast , this old beast will STILL hold its own!

Killer unit- had it since 1986. Yeah the drive is SLOW, limited memory, and you need to be a weight-lifter to lug the beast around, but sounds smooth and fat. I'd be using mine more but the original floppy drive has been out for almost a year. Anyone know how to fix it CHEAP?
I notice that several individuals seek copies of the manual. I've got the user manual, but it is VERY long and would be a real pain to photocopy. I suppose if enough people were interested it could be scanned or something. Feel free to e-mail me if interested.

I have been using my Dss1 for about 5 years now, I am looking to finally sell it regretably, it is in Good condition with no internal or mechanical problems whatsoever the machine works like a horse and it has some of the best sounds that I've heard for the money,(the #1 button is missing on the front panel,however you can steal program by either replacing it or use the tip of a pencil like I do)

I will sell it to an interested person for 350.00 firm; plus shipping and handling.

The DSS-1 was an excellent synthesizer. I find its sampling less than optimal,

but far from useless- as I usethe sampling section as a way to acquire waveforms

for the more than adequate subtractive synthesis system built into it. The additive

synth section is weak. Being able to draw your own waveforms is fun, if less

useful than one might imagine. The built in digital delays provide some fine

chorusing and delay effects. I have two of them and have them sample each other.

This results in some remarkable sounds. I am pleased with my DSS-1. I just wish

it had a SCSI out and more RAM....
If anyone reading this knows how I can acquire a SCSI port or more RAM for this

tank of a synth (it's made out of particle board, metal and plastic!) please

let me know!
HW

There doesn't seem to be anything this machine can't do ! It's a limited sampler by todays standards but it's still great for sampling most short duration things

and then you can synthesize the sample and layer it with whatever you want. As a synth alone it's great ! Buy one if you can! By the way, without a manual this thing is very hard to use -( I've got a third party "bible" thats about 200 pages long ! I don't have the factory manual for it so I can't help you guys out who are looking for one. :-( ) I paid $500 for mine at a music store in Regina on the last tour.

for some sample disks, try:

http://www.geocities.com/su...

most of the factory library is there, as well as some
non-factory disks. enjoy....