Members Paolo Di Nicolantonio Posted March 11, 2009 Members Share Posted March 11, 2009 Besides being a synth guy, I've always been fond of samplers. I have had a Korg DSS-1 (aka the aircraft carrier ) for several years and frankly when I got it, all I was interested in was sampling small snippets of waveforms and create wonderful pads with its warm analog filters. I've done that, like I've always done with my trusty W-30, and created a small custom library. HOWEVER, in all these years, I had for some reason never looked at Korg's own factory library from 1987. As I was reading an old issue of Keyboard magazine, the sounds were praised, so I looked on the Internet. Sure enough, the ENTIRE Korg Library - now of course public domain, being more than 20 years old - was available for download. And I downloaded it, and was amazed at how many cool sounds were part of that library. Too bad in 1986/1987 I wasn't into sampling yet... So I decided I had to do a KSS thread about this library! Anyway, this is really like going back to my teen-ager years with these sounds, and since there are 70 original diskettes, I'll post audio examples from 10 diskettes for a week. Comments on these sounds are appreciated - I'm sure you'll like it, and remember: this library is more than 20 years old!!! P.S. Discovering the samples, you will find some notorious samples that made into the ROM of "certain famous Korg workstations" - that's all I'm saying for now NOTE: A Roland SRV-3030D adds light reverb only - when there's delay/echo and other modulation fx like flanger/chorus, its' the DSS-1's internal dual DDL lines. KSDU-001 Piano Grand Piano 1 What to say... this is impressive for 1987. Grand Piano 6 a classical, octave piano. Grand Piano 7 the typical out of tune far west saloon piano. Electric Piano 4 sweet Rhodes through filter/wah! KSDU-002 Brass Alto Sax 1 Not too bad, fairly realistic alto saxophone Tenor Sax 1 Realistic especially in the high registers Sax Ensemble 1 a jazzy groove Brass 3 a nice brass section, with vibrato Brass 5 Quintessential 1980s synth brass, guys! KSDU-003 Strings & Choir Strings 4 the flanging fx is courtesy of the DSS-1 Violin 1 I don't think this is bad sample at all! Choir 1 a standard mixed choir.... Choir 5... and an android one Strings 2 OKAY BOYS and GIRLS, these are the 1980s!!! Check out the wonderfully warm VCFs of the DSS-1 Voice 3 Remember these types of sounds? They were oh- so in vogue back then. KSDU-004 Guitar & Bass G. Guitar 1 a very nice acoustic guitar with nylon strings, isn'it? I supposed "G." stands for "Gut" (strings)? Any ideas of what it stands for? G. Guitar 6 Flamenco version Wood Bass 1 Can you believe in 1986, some clever programmer already thought well to velocity-switch a contrabass string sound with the "smack" version of the same sample? Expressive.. Electric Bass 1 and of course the classic velo-switch from picked to slapped bass... Distorted Guitar This type of sound seemed popular back then, when hair-metal bands were all the rage... KSDU-005 Japanese Inst Koto 1 A beautiful instrument from the same country as Korg... Glissando this is a wonderful sample, is it not? Shakuhachi Not that sample (you know which one I'm talking about.. hint sledgehammer hint..) but this one sounds very authentic to me. KSDU-006 Indian Inst Sitar samples a bit short, but it conveys the idea Rhythm 1 This is fun to play! Some good tabla samples in this patch. Rhythm + Tablas at cruise speed KSDU-007 Bass Groups Harp not too bad! Wood Bass & Piano standard split Electric Bass & Brass 1 Does anybody hear the root of a certain sound from a certain very famous American comedy show of the 1990s that starts from "S" and ends in "d"? I'll give more info later KSDU-008 Pianos II 8' Piano here's another root of another very famous sound... do you know which one? KSDU-009 Electric Guitars 1 & 2 Guitar 2 typical slightly chorused guitar of the 1980s Guitar 5 the classic bluesy Stratocaster. Guitar 2 Quintessential '80s guitar sound KSDU-010 Acoustic Guitar another good example of acoustic Mandolin another little root of another famous workstation sound... know which one? Guitar 1 Wait, wait.. this still holds up! After 20 years... That's it for today - 011 through 020 tomorrow - stay tuned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Voltaire Posted March 11, 2009 Members Share Posted March 11, 2009 very neat, thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Nightsynth Posted March 11, 2009 Members Share Posted March 11, 2009 Wow, that was cool to hear. Interesting how many of those samples ended up in the M1, T-Series, 01, etc. Paolo, you've done quite an amazing job documenting so many synths. Your site has an astounding amount of information and sound examples. It takes alot of time and dedication to do all of that and it should be well appreciated by anyone who checks the site out. I use it quite frequently, even sometimes just to get nostalgic about a synth I've played in the past, sometimes to help me decide if I want to buy something. Thanks very much and keep it coming... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members flat earth Posted March 11, 2009 Members Share Posted March 11, 2009 Great work Paolo Always been a fan of the older under-rated Korg stuff. I just wish it wasn't so damn big Particularly like the KSDU-003 Strings & Choir samples. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Paolo Di Nicolantonio Posted March 11, 2009 Author Members Share Posted March 11, 2009 Hey, thanks guys YES, many of the samples on the original DSS-1 library were the core samples used in the famous M1 - the first "workstation" and the M-series, and the T-series - MORE examples of this to come Here we go with diskettes 011 through 020, enjoy KSDU-011 Group & Orchestra Hits Orchestra 1 the classic orchestral hits, very in fashion in the mid-1980s Band Hit 1 realistic brass hits and the classic "Yes" stab KSDU-012 Brass Hits Big Band 1 very good jazz big band ensemble! It faithfully captures the 1940s atmosphere Big Band 6 and here is the more relaxed, 1960s version KSDU-013 Combined Groups Voices 2 gorgeous choir that works also as a warm vox pad Choir another good choir. 4' Piano piano that focuses on the top octaves Mix Piano excellent jazz piano that works also for Latin, Cabaret, Ragtime, Broadway Show, Classical etc... Choir-Vibes reminds of certain sounds of the 1970s Gremlins remember the movie? KSDU-014 Sound Effects Sound Effects 1 classic FX Sound Effects 1 more KSDU-015 Drums Drums 1 aaah.. the sound of early sampled drums... Drums 3 typical 1980s drums KSDU-016 Latin Percussion Conga & Agogo these are still some good percussion samples! Bongos & Maracas these are cool too Timbales & SE good timbales. KSDU-017 Percussion Chime, Cymbal the DSS-1 goes up to 48kHz of sampling rate... Kit 2 Tree more percussion... KSDU-018 Strings Group Strings $$ gorgeous string ensemble, very warm Violas 10 cool viola sound Power & $ big analog ensemble KSDU-019 Voices Air Vox 1 beautiful ethereal Fairlight patch... a popular patch in the 1980s. Air Vox 7 a variation with the classic flanger effect of the '80s - obtained via the DDL lines onboard UH OH 3 classic humanoid voice UH OH 8 typical sampled vox of the '80s KSDU-020 Brass French 01 classical French Horns Trumpet octaves jolly trumpets Brass Hit1 typical "elephant" style That's it for today... Tomorrow, 021 through 030 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members juno6 Posted March 12, 2009 Members Share Posted March 12, 2009 Hey, you can find all the DSS1 library plus others HERE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Paolo Di Nicolantonio Posted March 12, 2009 Author Members Share Posted March 12, 2009 . Yes, and I would like to THANK the people who have the disks shared and mirrored online - also: http://www.wiseguysynth.com/larry/dss-1/disk.htm http://www.retrosynth.com/gear/dss1/files.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members augerinn Posted March 12, 2009 Members Share Posted March 12, 2009 This is not helping my GAS. At. All. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ChristianRock Posted March 12, 2009 Members Share Posted March 12, 2009 Wow, that's fantastic Paolo.That just shows how Korg and the DSS-1 were far ahead or its time, and were trendsetters. The DSS-1 deserves its place alongside the DX7, D-50 and M1 as a true bar-raising synth, even if it wasn't as popular. Plus, all the other mentioned synths have nothing on the DSS-1's filters (same as DW8000, which I have, truly wonderful filters...) How much does the DSS-1 weight? And does anyone know how the keybed compares to the DW-8000? Is it the same (fast but a bit spongy)? I have to say that this resonant sweep from the DSS-1 is very GAS-inducing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members flat earth Posted March 12, 2009 Members Share Posted March 12, 2009 ...That just shows how Korg and the DSS-1 were far ahead or its time, and were trendsetters. . Always thought the DSS-1 was the 'original' V-Synth idea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DINpluggedIN Posted March 12, 2009 Members Share Posted March 12, 2009 Larry Hendry was a really decent guy, who left us way too soon. Those involved with modular synths are likely familiar with his efforts. (My own contact with Larry was Korg synth related, although not concerning the DSS-1.) I'm glad that his website outlives him, still giving in the spirit in which Larry seemed to thrive. See: http://musicthing.blogspot.com/2005/10/rip-larry-hendry-aka-wise-guy-synth.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ChristianRock Posted March 12, 2009 Members Share Posted March 12, 2009 The fact that you could do this in 1986 without having to do a 2nd mortgage in your house is pretty cool: fIp_QSOPq_0 Too bad it doesn't have portamento though... or I could try and swap my EX-8000 for one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members depulse Posted March 12, 2009 Members Share Posted March 12, 2009 Is there any software that can convert from the DSS format to something more common (Akai, Kontakt, etc)? I'd like to load the samples into my S5000 (or an Emax, if I ever get hold of a rack). Has anyone downloaded all the disks and cares to share the full content in one file? (Yes, I am lazy) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members raffor Posted March 12, 2009 Members Share Posted March 12, 2009 Is there any software that can convert from the DSS format to something more common (Akai, Kontakt, etc)? I'd like to load the samples into my S5000 (or an Emax, if I ever get hold of a rack). Has anyone downloaded all the disks and cares to share the full content in one file? (Yes, I am lazy) I think there is a sample translator software. However, I would not be surprised when the samples are mediocre. Most of the charm and warmth comes from the filter and dual delays. A wonderful board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members McHale Posted March 12, 2009 Members Share Posted March 12, 2009 I have software that "converts" them KIND OF. You have to load the samples into the synth (assuming your floppy still works of course) then the software will read them into your PC as wav files. I converted a few (like the YES samples in the video above) as well as a few others I had created way back when. I NEVER use my DSS-1 anymore but I just can't part with it. It made some of the dirtiest samples possible... -Mc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TropicThink Posted March 12, 2009 Members Share Posted March 12, 2009 Seems like a pretty cool machine, I could definitely make use of this. What's the going rate for these things around the place? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members flat earth Posted March 12, 2009 Members Share Posted March 12, 2009 Seems like a pretty cool machine, I could definitely make use of this. What's the going rate for these things around the place? Over here you see them go for between Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members setAI Posted March 12, 2009 Members Share Posted March 12, 2009 if one of the rudders on your Russian sub falls off- the DSS-1 makes a good replacement- yes it is that big Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ElectricPuppy Posted March 12, 2009 Members Share Posted March 12, 2009 I heard the navy recently announced a new aircraft carrier class, the DSS-1. The first one will be commissioned as the USS Holy Crap It's Huge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ElectricPuppy Posted March 12, 2009 Members Share Posted March 12, 2009 Also, not calling the DSS-1 big or anything, but that last one I saw was surrounded by monkeys throwing bones at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ChristianRock Posted March 12, 2009 Members Share Posted March 12, 2009 Over here you see them go for between Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DINpluggedIN Posted March 12, 2009 Members Share Posted March 12, 2009 Also, not calling the DSS-1 big or anything, but that last one I saw was surrounded by monkeys throwing bones at it.So, the DSS-1 was mono(lithic)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Paolo Di Nicolantonio Posted March 13, 2009 Author Members Share Posted March 13, 2009 I think there is a sample translator software. However, I would not be surprised when the samples are mediocre. Most of the charm and warmth comes from the filter and dual delays. A wonderful board. Those DDLs are schweeet indeed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Paolo Di Nicolantonio Posted March 13, 2009 Author Members Share Posted March 13, 2009 Here we go with 021 through 030 - enjoy KSDU-021 Guitars Acoustic Guitar 1 a nice, crispy acoustic guitar - not too shabby especially considering this library was made in 1987 ElectrkD nice guitar with juicy '80s flanger - rigorously done with the two DDL lines, guys... I'm only adding a pinch of reverb to all these samples, nothing more Overdrive Guitar hair-metal fare KSDU-022 Pianos Grand Piano A very nice grand piano sound!!! Improves on the one on diskette KSDU-001. Electric Piano + Bass standard split: acoustic bass on the left side of the keyboard, Rhodes on the right. Piano 8 Supremely '80s This is a piano sample edited with the wonderful analog engine onboard. KSDU-023 Flutes & Harp Flutes This is an extremely sweet-sounding flute sound. ALSO works for Mellotron-type. Flutes 2 Realistic, beautiful tone. Tomita 1 Very cool rendition of the analog flute/sounds of the inimitable Japanese electronic keyboardist Taj Mahal Wonderful flute patch, very gentle and expressive Low Harp Lovely bucolic moments KSDU-024 Woodwinds Pan Flute the wonderful Andean instrument Pan 4 the pan flute gets the analog treatment... Zamfir Obviously inspired by the incredible Romanian artist Gheorghe, "the master of the pan flute" Pan Synth this could be perfect to accent a scene of Red Riding hood skipping away through the woods to go visit her grandma. Oboe High okay OboSynth cool... KSDU-025 Strings Strings Fabulous samples that improve on diskette KSDU-003 Strings 2 There's "something special" about how the DSS-1 delivers the sound, I think Orchestra big orchestral ensemble Syn String the classic mid-80s Korg analog filters Solo Strings nice sound KSDU-026 Harpsichord & Organ Harpsichord Realistic harpsichord for classical Harpsichord 4' and this one is more apt to score a 1960s movie Syn Lyra 3 Curiously Pink-Floyd'ish, don't you think? Pipe Organ Powerful church organ, all stops pulled Cathedral huge church organ KSDU-027 Brass Flugelhorn not bad for 1987... Brass 4 reminds me of Herb Alpert for some reason. French Horns Very solemn French Horns, improving on diskette KSDU-020 KSDU-028 Brass & Sax Trumpets trumpet section in the king's yard Brass 3 curiously 1960s cinema style Fanfare 7 Get that fox Sax 1 Again, not bad for being a 22 year old saxophone patch Sax Ensemble sweet swing band style KSDU-029 Percussion Simmons The classic hexagonal kits from the '80s Simmons 2 version with the "Miami Vice" snare Drums recognize something?? Some of these went into the M1... Rock 2 with cool slapback echo obtained with the DDL lines KSDU-030 Electric Guitars Guitar 1 sweet electric guitar sound Chorus 1 nice Strat with chorus, again obtained with the DDL Guitar DDL swingy Rockabilly guitar with slapback echo, courtesy of the Digital Delay Lines Steel 2 The DSS-1 has a cool Auto-Bend feature, you know... Taj Mahal phenomenal patch, extremely cinematic and introspective Guitar 1 The U S of A 's favorite sound Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members synthman1 Posted March 13, 2009 Members Share Posted March 13, 2009 The DSS-1 is one of my all time favorite synths. The fact it uses those gorgeous 12 bit samples and additive synthesis in the osc section is part of the reason why. The 12db/24db switchable filter is simply fantastic. The DSS-1 combines the best aspects of digital - sampling waveforms and analog - filtering technologies. If Korg had any mercy on us die hard DSS-1 users, they would soft synth the damn thing already so I can free up half of my studio space and get rid of all those blasted floppy disks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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