Polysix
analog synthesizer

The Korg Polysix was the first "proper" synthesizer to break the barrier of $1,000 retail - and yes, back in 1981-1982 it was a big deal!  A far cry from today's free downloadable synths and plugins on the Internet!

The Polysix was the first analog synthesizer I bought.  I was really looking for something with two oscillators, because I knew that to get "that fat analog sound" you need to have two oscillators slightly detuned apart from each other, but when I heard the Polysix, I didn't care about that theory anymore!

Yes, the Polysix can sound big, lush, and especially classy.  This synth is also one of the first to have on-board effects (chorus, phaser, ensemble), years before the D-50 came along.

One of the things that sold me on the Polysix was its filter (based on the classic SSM chips).  I was able to program a beautiful synth-pad starting from a simple waveform ,and acting on the cutoff knob - adding the finishing touch with the ensemble effect.  At the apartment of the man I bought it from, I had created in a couple of minutes the sound I was looking for:  the warm analog synth-pad.  I was happy, paid the guy, and went home to test it with the rest of my gear (at the time, a Roland D-50 and a Casio CZ-1000).

At home, I discovered another great feature of the Polysix that I didn't even notice at the seller's apartment:  the arpeggiator:  talk about new-age, Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Ash-Ra Tempel... with this arpeggiator I could even play Giorgio Moroder :-)

A favorite pastime of mine was to set a hypnotic arpeggio pattern, then open & close the filter and tweak the resonance very slowly.  I was able to reach nirvana playing a flute melody on the D-50, and bass on the CZ-1000, while the arpeggiator worked its magic - I would play for hours, just letting the arpeggiator go, changing notes, and recording the results in my trusty VestaFire 4-track cassette recorder.

Stream all Bank A audio examples

Stream all Bank B audio examples

Manual:  Korg PolySix owner's manual.pdf from www.vintagesynth.com

Patch charts:  http://www.synth.clara.net/polysixcharts.htm

• fully analog, VCO-based architecture;
• on-board effects;
• easy to use - one knob per function;
• very thick and warm sounds;
• excellent arpeggiator

The "Song made only with this instrument" trial: _________  The Polysix

• Review in "Keyboard magazine" Janfebmarch 198___