Ahh, memories! I’m a professional keyboardist, and this was my very first synth I got while in college. If you took the time to learn to program it, it could do amazing things. The quality of sounds you could squeeze out of it made it a great first synth for me. This was also one of the first affordable digital synths that just tipped the scale into “pro” use vs. consumer toy, given that you could load and save sounds, stereo output, and being able to program from scratch. If you knew how to program it, there weren’t many sounds from that era you couldn’t reproduce well enough for a cover band situation. I played lots of parties with this keyboard!
Love that synthesizer. It's criminally underrated, People often think of it as a toy, but it's a powerfull synth. I have Poly 61, Polysix, and Poly 800, and the youngest P800 is as usefull, as his older brothers :)
In 1986 I was lucky enough to get my hands on one of these. I did endless multi tape recordings with two cassette players, which ended up filling any silence with huge amounts of tape noise. But the little sequencer with 256 notes was a great help to go adding drums, base, guitar and voice. I loved this little synthesiser!
Hahaha thats what 20 years of Arizona garage storage will get you, glad to know you were able to clean it up. Edit: nooo sound 32 the saucer sound that was my favorite!
Can you explain the packing peanuts, too? I'm really just curious. He might be able to re-program that saucers instrument back in? EDIT: Now that I think about it, he could theoretically re-program it back in the same way he did with the factory defaults, just using the raw audio off of Audacity (which is what I think that program on his laptop is).
You can find both the original patches and user-created sounds right here on UA-cam! I have the original tape and owner's manual for mine but I love to see what others have done. Couple tips: the 1/8" input for programming may not work if you are using a stereo 1/8th in cable. I switched to an old mono cable and it worked perfectly. It may take you a few tries to get it to load just right. The key is to play with the output volume of your source (tape deck, computer, etc.) until you give the keyboard the level it is looking for. Try using the "low/hi" switch on the back if you can't get the level just right.
I oddly feel the same satisfaction from the clicks of a well-used and well-maintained typewriter (this is why I really love the intro to 'Black Tambourine' as performed by Beck - actually the whole song is an ASMR thing with the simple bass line and technical but droppy drums not to mention the soft vocals).
Interesting that it was Korg that in the past few years released both the MS-20Kit and MS-20MKit, full sized analog synths that you assemble yourself just down to plug level (no soldering required). I owned and built both, a fantastic synth nerd experience :)
thank you for being in this niche of amateur keyboards. as a musician who primarily uses these "more primitive instruments" I find your channel extremely useful
This was my first professional keyboard, my grandma bought it for me in 1984 along with a 4 channel Peavy mixer and a nice bassy monitor wedge. I wish I still had those. Thank you for this video review. It took me back to a lovely point in my life when I had just discovered synthesis!
I just feel the same way and in the same time thinking about my old Yamaha DX-7 and Korg Vocoder VC-10 ;-) and knowing both of them will love very much this kind of soft treatment... and how satisfying it would be to repair my own stuff in this highly relaxing way. Or just only for making my old synthesizers dust-free again... would already be very great! Yes, indeed : it feels very comfortable to see someone doing this in a professional 'easy'-looking way. I appreciate this comment so much!!!
Wow! What a flashback it is to see and hear the Korg Poly 800 after so many years! It was my first "real" synthesizer, apart from having smaller Casio keyboards which were still fun; especially the SK 1 & 5. After writing and accompanying songs with the Poly 800 in my teenage years, I wound up selling it to a friend with the thoughts of an upgrade, but throughout writing and playing out with other instruments - being centered on the 12-string guitar (as I remain today) - it wasn't until years later when I bought a used Korg 01w/fd - which is fantastic to write and record through. Thanks again for the video. I'm actually going to watch it again right now to listen to the sounds once more.
Nice vid! Korg also released a module version: the EX-800 - which is the same synth in a box. I did a few videos on it including a microswitch repair. They have a very interesting voice structure (which I'm surprised you didn't mention): which is combining square waves together in a step to produce a faux sawtooth sound. So, the synth doesn't actually have a native sawtooth waveform - it has to use a style of additive synthesis to produce it. The envelopes are also something cool - with the extra two stages. People also heavily mod these synths - and there's some interesting projects out there which aren't terribly difficult to implement: check out Moog Slayer (a well needed filter mod) and HAWK 800 (MIDI) mods (not related to me in anyway).
Nice! These poly 800’s often get dissed on for being thin sounding etc,but they are not bad boards,especially the mk 2 version. One tip about those batteries: Sometimes it’s best to wire in some leads and relocate the battery to a safer position so that if it leaks,it’s not onto any fragile electronics. Also- If you want to retain the patches,either dump them through the tape out,or connect the main board to power as you swap out the battery,and often the patches will remain. These keyboards are good for lofi 80’s stuff,with fun and useful features too,like chord memory,and a digital delay that’s not bad.⚡️
I own one of this uniquely underrated poly800. The first time I followed this channel is because of the portasound 470 and vl1 which I also own both of them. How I feel so glad to found and subscribe to this channel! Having you reviewing this poly was like a dream come true!
Just had one come in with a battery holder installed. Upon inspection, it appeared to be soldered on and re-enforced with, wait for it, JB weld. Yes, JB Weld on the solder pads. I built up a plastic base for the battery holder and super glued it. However, I had covered the polarity markings, and the schematic on the internet is bad. Glad you made this video so I could double check my work.
I love the sound of these things! Thank you for creating and maintaining such a great channel. You should create some kind of multiple track full length compilation, I bet a lot of people would buy it! Myself included!
Ok, with almost 1500 comments you much probably won't read mine. Nevertheless I wanted to let you know that, following your lead, I restored my old Poly800 that now is in great shape in my setup! I really, really thank you, and my Poly800 too!
Ahh, that tune you were playing at 5:20 with patch 21 was reallly nice, would love a longer version :3 Honestly, Christmas for me would be you making a long-ass video just of you playing off-the-cuff tunes like that.
TIP! You don't need to spray paint plastic like this. You can use Black Shoe Polish and get a better result. It's also easier. Cheers! Keep up the great vids! :)
simontay1984 I'm not sure why, but I've been using this technique for years and the plastic is always dry to the touch the next day (nothing gets on the hands). Looks like new again, and lasts too.
Thanks for showing how you removed the volume dial. Gave me the courage to do the same and it enabled me to clean the inside of the dial and now it's working smoothly again.
@ Dark Winter: Just like women.... Fishing for compliments. I HATE that! Drawing artists do the same shit. Like "My stuff sucks and i need to practice a lot more" while their drawings already ARE fantastic >_
@KRAFTWERK2K6 He could be fishing for compliments, but I *really* doubt it. Many artists are perfectionists (I should know), so if their work isn't "best thing since sliced bread" level it must suck. Also, 8bit is a decent keyboardist, but he's certainly no virtuoso. I feel that's where he was getting at. :)
Followed this and it works! Thanks for the video!! Finally have my poly 800 restored to factory. Had the issue of every preset was just weird and muddy. When I did the cr2032 add-on I could finally load the tape, C-batteries didn’t do anything.
Awesome demo 😎🎹 I’m a big fan of Korg(and yamaha)synthesizers and it’s pretty cool you were able to restore this synthesizer. It’s got some really neat synth tones.
I honestly wouldn't mind a long episode. I wouldn't want EVERY episode to be an hour or two long, but a long restoration video or something like that would be rad
I was just thinking that myself. If you can save and load, why not save it into a file on his Mac? That way he saves anything that wasn't Factory so he can reload either or whenever he wanted to.
@@CoolSteve08 its not hard to create the patches. those cheap synths really had a limited number of unique sounds. I would keep these type of boards for maybe a year then you get bored with them. They arent like true analog boards which are about three times as expensive.
It's nice to see a "synthetiszer doctor" making a diagnosis and proposing - and realy doing - a very well working treatment. I'm sure that all the viewers of your 8-Bit Keys channel are all "old synth-stuff"-owners and/or they like to buy second-hand-synthesizers but are afraid to get something in hand that needs a repair. Yes, than it is realy satisfying to see someone who is not afraid to 'open te box' and making that very needed 'surgery' and knowing all electronic compounds and how to get them new and to replace them in a technical good way. Yes, this are all 'feel good videos' :-)
Even if the videos are "lite" versions compared to the typical 8 bit keys I'd still love to see some on all sorts of keyboards anyway! It's a nice intersection of my interests in both music and technology, and you have a great presentation style. The DX7 is one of a few keyboards that was HUGE in the 80s and even into the 90's, we've heard it used on so many hit songs I think there would be considerable interest in a piece of gear like that, even from people who aren't typically interested in this sort of thing.
Just a quick note re: your comments at 13:42. I managed to get hold of a Poly 800 recently and, not only did it come with a flight case, it came with the original cassette _and_ the original printed manual. This manual contains a "pullout" detailing all of the pre-loaded/factory patches (including their parameters), which is possibly missing from PDF versions online. It's only three pages, so let me know if you're interested in a scanned copy.
8 bit keys I just want to say thanks for all those in depth reviews of keyboards and other interesting stuff.Your videos are always informative and well organized.Thanks and respect.
Just added the battery on a poly 800 I got from a friend of mine. Loaded in the factory patches to it by downloading them as an mp3 and "playing" it from my phone while connected to the tape input port. Worked like a charm.
I had one of these on loan from a friend. They're a more capable synth than people give them credit for, and I liked the sounds I was able to get out of it. The interface is its weak point though, as with many 80s "pushbutton" synths. However, there are some great and easy mods you can do to this to really make it shine if you want. Great video as always! Keep up the good work. :)
This is also one of the earliest hybrid synths as the oscillators are generated via a sound chip originally made for arcade machines, though the filters are analog.
I just did this battery upgrade and thanks to your video I was confident going in to the repair which lead to it being successful. You are appreciated.
This is actually paraphonic, which means that all the voices use the same envelope and that's why the envelope does not retrigger until all voices (keys) are first released and then played again as you can see at 15:57
Wow what a blast from the past.....i saved up for ages as a teenager and bought this keyboard new in the uk , i think it was around £420-£500?? Not sure now what the exact amount was but it was early to mid 80’s. Thanks for this trip down memory lane! Cheers Chris
Corncob Johnson real That blows dude, I got mine on eBay for $350, they seem to go for anywhere from $250 to $500 so if you're patient you should be able to find a good deal on one. I have mine paired up with a Roland JX-3P, they make beautiful music!
I know, right? What are the things that tickles me about him is his absolute and unabashed modesty! Do you enjoy this guy's reviews as much as I do? I hope so!
I respect and encourage your "niche" of Casio-land et al. I also love and respect your ability to turn a grungy gadget into a shiny new gadget. I had access to one of these in 1985, and had lots of fun. Never seen it since though. It was a thick sounding rig compared to others at that price point.
We have one of these as a third keyboard, my step son tends to use it. Why I'm telling you this is that he found files online that he managed to download and then install onto the poly800 via a USB to midi cable using his mac. Changing the sounds at will. We where worried in the first place as we got this secondhand but knew the sounds where not default, but didn't want to brick the keyboard. Anyway it get used a fair bit. You should do more of the pro keyboards, as your vids are more entertaining than some of the youtubers that concentrate on pro keyboards are no way as entertaining as you. Keep up the good work. 😊 PS repair a DX11, I have one and it lost everything as the battery has gone. I could do with an instructional video to help fix.
Ok, now it is sure, 8-bit guy is monitoring me.. I just last week, after it had been sitting for 15 years in the closet, opened my Poly-800 to see why it was not coming back to life.. At least battery was empty, of course but no life, lights come on, power is working and main processor receives clock (that is about where my skills end..). Could be that the eeprom is busted since none of the buttons work but i can't find anything else that is busted, all components seem to work, afaik.
Please do more of these videos, maybe some teaching to play some classic 8bit/16bit era songs... I bought an PSR-6 after watching your videos! Cheers from Brazil! _0/
Most of the keyboards he shows here are hard to find in Brazil... I'm starting with the PSR-6 he listed on the soundblaster video description, and if I can play something, then invest more on finding an upper model, like these casio on his wall, or a rarer Yamaha like yours...
Greetings from Brazil! I'm gonna reply in English so everyone can understand it. João, most of these keyboards aren't rare here in Brazil if you know where to look. In fact, I have the vast majority of the keyboards shown in this channel and only the Yamaha MK-100 caused me some headaches when I was searching for it, as that one is scarce around here. The others, not so much. Now, what IS a problem in Brazil are the prices: our sellers are charging at least three times the price of most of these toy instruments with arguments of "rarity" and "vintage instrument". Take the Casio SK-1, for instance: it is getting more popular between lo-fi/alternative artists out there because it is a cheap toy sampler capable of insteresting things in the right hands, but here in Brazil - HEY! - it suddenly is a "rare vintage sampler used by this and that artist" which costs like 3 or 4 times the price asked everywhere else. Same for the Casio VL-1, which is, like what, the most sold Casio keyboard ever? And let's not even start with this Korg Poly-800, which is a very nice 8-note polyphony analogue synth, but not worth the price of a huge, professional synth as they're charging in our country. So: keep your eyes open, eventually you'll own most of the keyboards shown here. Just please know the value of your money - these are beautiful toy/home instruments, but not worth as much as most of the prices you'll find in Brazil! Good luck! PS.: There were at least five or six PSS-470s (the keyboard mentioned by lilmattere) on OLX in the last six months. It's a common keyboard, and a very nice one. Once again: just be aware of how much you pay for it - there's a guy asking for R$650 or so on Mercado Livre for one, when it actually should cost R$250 or R$300 (or even less, to be honest). Not even a copy with the original box and manual should cost R$650. A guy sold a Yamaha DX-7 the other day for R$700, so why a toy/home keyboard should cost about the same is beyond me.
I got one in a used music shop here in SC for 90 dollars the cmos was dead and it didnt make sound while in the store, I took a gamble and got it, bought the battery and soldered on an old cmos battery holder from a mobo I had laying around, hooked up my phone to the aux jack and used a youtube video for the stock patches, thing plays like a champ. One of my best cheap finds in a bargain bin somewhere.
This video is one of my favorites. I really enjoyed seeing the insides of an almost pro 80s keyboard vs. the 80's almost toy ones you usually do. As far as having the skills to make videos with the nicer keyboards...all that is important is you find a way to make it entertaining and informative. And you definitely have that figured out in all your videos. I would enjoy videos where you restore and repair a DX-7 or some of the lesser known less expensive keyboards from Roland, Yamaha, Korg. If such things exist. Or just some weird ass brands barely known in the US. Or just keep doing what you are doing! I think I will enjoy the videos as long as you are interested in making them. Thanks again 8-Bit Guy!
Ugh! I was freaking out when you removed the battery knowing everything was stored in RAM! I've had to replace those 2032s on a few instruments that had calibration parameters stored in RAM and went through hell hooking up an external power source WHILE desoldering one and quickly soldering another. Then you mentioned you had the original tape programming recording and I freaked out slightly less, but I'm wondering why you didn't record what was on the instrument to tape before you removed the battery?
Some things to add: - There is a description of the factory patches, but it's not part of the main manual. The scan for the Korg EX800 (module version of the Poly800) has the list at the end. - The patch 42 you showed is number 88 of the factory patches, it#s called "UFO Swoop". - You didn't properly connect some of the cables when you reassembled the synth.
Great video. I have this keyboard under my bed. Got it new 1984. I have never changed the battery. Didn't know that was necessary. I've always kept it wrapped in the plastic fitted bag it came in. No dust that I can see. I have changed some of the loaded settings to create new and more interesting voices. Really good to see what you do. Thanks.
Here's a vote for a two hour review featuring cheesy consumer level music on a fancy professional keyboard!
I will drive over to DFW with my Korg Kronos just to do this if he would do it.
up vote from me, no bias
David lives in DFW.
Make him review the MicroKORG
lol i can image him having the moog... that'd be awesome.
Ahh, memories! I’m a professional keyboardist, and this was my very first synth I got while in college. If you took the time to learn to program it, it could do amazing things. The quality of sounds you could squeeze out of it made it a great first synth for me. This was also one of the first affordable digital synths that just tipped the scale into “pro” use vs. consumer toy, given that you could load and save sounds, stereo output, and being able to program from scratch. If you knew how to program it, there weren’t many sounds from that era you couldn’t reproduce well enough for a cover band situation. I played lots of parties with this keyboard!
It's actually an analog synth.
@@dicey2988 yeah, with DCO’s. True story.
“I tend to focus on the older amateur keyboards”
And that is why I watch your channel. Keep it up and more power to you!
10 years later: "I've changed my mind, I'm reinstalling the strap holders"
10 years and 1 day later: "I cannot find the strap holders."
@@ItsDoctorAmatic
So, is the total time 20 years and 1 day, or...
Strap on
@@oil1252 Good man.
Love that synthesizer. It's criminally underrated, People often think of it as a toy, but it's a powerfull synth. I have Poly 61, Polysix, and Poly 800, and the youngest P800 is as usefull, as his older brothers :)
It really is a cool little keyboard! Definitely has the nostalgic sound of the early 80s!!
Sometimes your best 8bitguy videos are actually the 8bitkeys ones!!
In 1986 I was lucky enough to get my hands on one of these. I did endless multi tape recordings with two cassette players, which ended up filling any silence with huge amounts of tape noise. But the little sequencer with 256 notes was a great help to go adding drums, base, guitar and voice. I loved this little synthesiser!
Love that vintage keyboard sound 💖
The nostalgia always fills my heart when you do these videos.
Of all the synths you showed on this channel, this one is my favorite so far. This sounds lovely.
Hahaha thats what 20 years of Arizona garage storage will get you, glad to know you were able to clean it up.
Edit: nooo sound 32 the saucer sound that was my favorite!
Yeah, I thought the UFO sound was really neat myself...
Sounded like something out of classic Dr. Who.
WHY, oh WHY didn't he save the settings to tape???
@Arne I wondered that as well.
Can you explain the packing peanuts, too? I'm really just curious.
He might be able to re-program that saucers instrument back in?
EDIT: Now that I think about it, he could theoretically re-program it back in the same way he did with the factory defaults, just using the raw audio off of Audacity (which is what I think that program on his laptop is).
You can find both the original patches and user-created sounds right here on UA-cam! I have the original tape and owner's manual for mine but I love to see what others have done. Couple tips: the 1/8" input for programming may not work if you are using a stereo 1/8th in cable. I switched to an old mono cable and it worked perfectly. It may take you a few tries to get it to load just right. The key is to play with the output volume of your source (tape deck, computer, etc.) until you give the keyboard the level it is looking for. Try using the "low/hi" switch on the back if you can't get the level just right.
There's something satisfying about him plugging the cables back into the circuit board.
Amy Carter exactly
I oddly feel the same satisfaction from the clicks of a well-used and well-maintained typewriter (this is why I really love the intro to 'Black Tambourine' as performed by Beck - actually the whole song is an ASMR thing with the simple bass line and technical but droppy drums not to mention the soft vocals).
Amy Carter Old technology is so satisfying.
this, exactly this. weirdly satisfying.
Interesting that it was Korg that in the past few years released both the MS-20Kit and MS-20MKit, full sized analog synths that you assemble yourself just down to plug level (no soldering required). I owned and built both, a fantastic synth nerd experience :)
thank you for being in this niche of amateur keyboards. as a musician who primarily uses these "more primitive instruments" I find your channel extremely useful
You do not give yourself enough credit for being a good keyboardist. As always, excellent posting. Thanks.
This was my first professional keyboard, my grandma bought it for me in 1984 along with a 4 channel Peavy mixer and a nice bassy monitor wedge. I wish I still had those. Thank you for this video review. It took me back to a lovely point in my life when I had just discovered synthesis!
I really love it when you disassemble things and restore them, it's so satisfying to watch! :)
I just feel the same way and in the same time thinking about my old Yamaha DX-7 and Korg Vocoder VC-10 ;-) and knowing both of them will love very much this kind of soft treatment... and how satisfying it would be to repair my own stuff in this highly relaxing way.
Or just only for making my old synthesizers dust-free again... would already be very great!
Yes, indeed : it feels very comfortable to see someone doing this in a professional 'easy'-looking way. I appreciate this comment so much!!!
Wow! What a flashback it is to see and hear the Korg Poly 800 after so many years!
It was my first "real" synthesizer, apart from having smaller Casio keyboards which were still fun; especially the SK 1 & 5.
After writing and accompanying songs with the Poly 800 in my teenage years, I wound up selling it to a friend with the thoughts of an upgrade, but throughout writing and playing out with other instruments - being centered on the 12-string guitar (as I remain today) - it wasn't until years later when I bought a used Korg 01w/fd - which is fantastic to write and record through.
Thanks again for the video. I'm actually going to watch it again right now to listen to the sounds once more.
Nice vid! Korg also released a module version: the EX-800 - which is the same synth in a box. I did a few videos on it including a microswitch repair. They have a very interesting voice structure (which I'm surprised you didn't mention): which is combining square waves together in a step to produce a faux sawtooth sound. So, the synth doesn't actually have a native sawtooth waveform - it has to use a style of additive synthesis to produce it. The envelopes are also something cool - with the extra two stages. People also heavily mod these synths - and there's some interesting projects out there which aren't terribly difficult to implement: check out Moog Slayer (a well needed filter mod) and HAWK 800 (MIDI) mods (not related to me in anyway).
Nice! These poly 800’s often get dissed on for being thin sounding etc,but they are not bad boards,especially the mk 2 version. One tip about those batteries: Sometimes it’s best to wire in some leads and relocate the battery to a safer position so that if it leaks,it’s not onto any fragile electronics. Also- If you want to retain the patches,either dump them through the tape out,or connect the main board to power as you swap out the battery,and often the patches will remain. These keyboards are good for lofi 80’s stuff,with fun and useful features too,like chord memory,and a digital delay that’s not bad.⚡️
I own one of this uniquely underrated poly800. The first time I followed this channel is because of the portasound 470 and vl1 which I also own both of them. How I feel so glad to found and subscribe to this channel! Having you reviewing this poly was like a dream come true!
Just had one come in with a battery holder installed. Upon inspection, it appeared to be soldered on and re-enforced with, wait for it, JB weld. Yes, JB Weld on the solder pads. I built up a plastic base for the battery holder and super glued it. However, I had covered the polarity markings, and the schematic on the internet is bad. Glad you made this video so I could double check my work.
I love the sound of these things! Thank you for creating and maintaining such a great channel. You should create some kind of multiple track full length compilation, I bet a lot of people would buy it! Myself included!
I borrowed one of these from a friend in the late 1980's - what a lovely bit of kit. You can get some splendidly dark sounds out of it.
15:38 Hey! Patch N°18 was perfect for Van Halen's "Jump" intro. You missed that one.
Ok, with almost 1500 comments you much probably won't read mine. Nevertheless I wanted to let you know that, following your lead, I restored my old Poly800 that now is in great shape in my setup! I really, really thank you, and my Poly800 too!
I love how 80's it sounds. Would love to play this keyboard
Ahh, that tune you were playing at 5:20 with patch 21 was reallly nice, would love a longer version :3
Honestly, Christmas for me would be you making a long-ass video just of you playing off-the-cuff tunes like that.
TIP! You don't need to spray paint plastic like this. You can use Black Shoe Polish and get a better result. It's also easier. Cheers! Keep up the great vids! :)
simontay1984 I'm not sure why, but I've been using this technique for years and the plastic is always dry to the touch the next day (nothing gets on the hands). Looks like new again, and lasts too.
@@DanDuskin if I had to guess, the polish fills the pits and holes that make a surface look dull.
Thanks for showing how you removed the volume dial. Gave me the courage to do the same and it enabled me to clean the inside of the dial and now it's working smoothly again.
Omg 2hr episodes !!!! Let me get the popcorn first !!!
Love this channel!Even though you show us lower end keyboards and synths you show they can sound geeat too!
I think you are underestimating your musical skills... 😃🎹
He definitely is. He's a thousand times better with a Casio than I am... Then again, he's got more experience than me, so...
@ Dark Winter: Just like women.... Fishing for compliments. I HATE that! Drawing artists do the same shit. Like "My stuff sucks and i need to practice a lot more" while their drawings already ARE fantastic >_
Wait...are you trying to be funny? Please try again without the sweeping generalizations. Ending on a compliment does not offset the insults.
@KRAFTWERK2K6
He could be fishing for compliments, but I *really* doubt it. Many artists are perfectionists (I should know), so if their work isn't "best thing since sliced bread" level it must suck. Also, 8bit is a decent keyboardist, but he's certainly no virtuoso. I feel that's where he was getting at. :)
I agree.
Followed this and it works! Thanks for the video!! Finally have my poly 800 restored to factory. Had the issue of every preset was just weird and muddy. When I did the cr2032 add-on I could finally load the tape, C-batteries didn’t do anything.
David, don't sell yourself short on your musical talents. You are great. And this was a great video.
I fell in love as soon as your fingertips hit those keys.
Man your music would fit so good in retro games
Awesome demo 😎🎹 I’m a big fan of Korg(and yamaha)synthesizers and it’s pretty cool you were able to restore this synthesizer. It’s got some really neat synth tones.
2 hours of 8bit Keys? Sign Me The Fuck Onto That!
I honestly wouldn't mind a long episode. I wouldn't want EVERY episode to be an hour or two long, but a long restoration video or something like that would be rad
I had a guy try to tell me that the knobs on the sides for straps were actually tuning knobs to adjust the sound. XD
Well done :). The Korg Poly-800 was my first synth back in the mid-80’s :)
Oh man! You should have saved the SRAM to your computer via the audio jack just like you loaded them before changing the battery...
True!!
If I ever buy one of those and it has custom sounds, that's exactly what I'd do.
I was just thinking that myself. If you can save and load, why not save it into a file on his Mac? That way he saves anything that wasn't Factory so he can reload either or whenever he wanted to.
@@CoolSteve08
its not hard to create the patches. those cheap synths really had a limited number of unique sounds. I would keep these type of boards for maybe a year then you get bored with them. They arent like true analog boards which are about three times as expensive.
¡PLOP!
It's nice to see a "synthetiszer doctor" making a diagnosis and proposing - and realy doing - a very well working treatment. I'm sure that all the viewers of your 8-Bit Keys channel are all "old synth-stuff"-owners and/or they like to buy second-hand-synthesizers but are afraid to get something in hand that needs a repair. Yes, than it is realy satisfying to see someone who is not afraid to 'open te box' and making that very needed 'surgery' and knowing all electronic compounds and how to get them new and to replace them in a technical good way. Yes, this are all 'feel good videos' :-)
15:12
Was expecting to hear "Someday, love will find you!"
The love and care this little keyboard recieved, makes me happy inside.
*pulls down shades* is that 1080P I see?
By George, I believe it is!
BLASPHEMY!!!
...what heresy are you spewing?!
The Obsolete Geek When are you going to release new videos? I miss them :(
I see that you are not dead :3
Thank you for covering all the old stuff nobody is interested in. Kudos.
Really digging the background music at 12:30 !
soviut I like the 14:18 moment too
Its called troubled hearts by anders enger
Seeing this vid to confirm the pads are not through the board was helpful. Successfully updated two of these this AM. Thanks for the vid.
Even if the videos are "lite" versions compared to the typical 8 bit keys I'd still love to see some on all sorts of keyboards anyway! It's a nice intersection of my interests in both music and technology, and you have a great presentation style. The DX7 is one of a few keyboards that was HUGE in the 80s and even into the 90's, we've heard it used on so many hit songs I think there would be considerable interest in a piece of gear like that, even from people who aren't typically interested in this sort of thing.
I love how you find the program and immediately play it as a sound file because that sounds just great
Just a quick note re: your comments at 13:42. I managed to get hold of a Poly 800 recently and, not only did it come with a flight case, it came with the original cassette _and_ the original printed manual. This manual contains a "pullout" detailing all of the pre-loaded/factory patches (including their parameters), which is possibly missing from PDF versions online. It's only three pages, so let me know if you're interested in a scanned copy.
8 bit keys I just want to say thanks for all those in depth reviews of keyboards and other interesting stuff.Your videos are always informative and well organized.Thanks and respect.
This is a very impressive instrument, even 40 years later.
Just added the battery on a poly 800 I got from a friend of mine. Loaded in the factory patches to it by downloading them as an mp3 and "playing" it from my phone while connected to the tape input port. Worked like a charm.
I demand a 2 hours long video on DX7!!
I have a dx27 (shit little brother I think) I'd love to see what he can get out of a real synth. It needs his nerd flair ;)
dwarf365 Send it to him
dwarf365 send it to him
dwarf365 send him
Synthmania has done a series of videos showcasing all the factory banks of the DX7.
I had one of these on loan from a friend. They're a more capable synth than people give them credit for, and I liked the sounds I was able to get out of it. The interface is its weak point though, as with many 80s "pushbutton" synths. However, there are some great and easy mods you can do to this to really make it shine if you want. Great video as always! Keep up the good work. :)
This is also one of the earliest hybrid synths as the oscillators are generated via a sound chip originally made for arcade machines, though the filters are analog.
I swear, you're one of the few people that can make assembly montages exciting.
Love that Eargasmic new theme song, 8-bit Guy!
I just did this battery upgrade and thanks to your video I was confident going in to the repair which lead to it being successful. You are appreciated.
That keyboard gives a 'Terminator soundtrack' vibe.
That synth is similar to the Juno and polysix in many ways. Both being the defacto sounds of many 80's movies.
Vangelis is known to have used one, not sure if it was in the Blade Runner OST or not though.
Blade Runner came out in 1982. So, no. Vangelis did not use a Poly800 for this soundtrack. It was the Yamaha CS80 that he used intensively.
KRAFTWERK2K6 The CS80 is my absolute favorite synth ever. Blade Runner, The Shining, Doctor Who, and about 100 others..
@@5roundsrapid263 _Shining_ was Polymoog and Moog Modular.
This is actually paraphonic, which means that all the voices use the same envelope and that's why the envelope does not retrigger until all voices (keys) are first released and then played again as you can see at 15:57
That one capacitor at 12:29 looks like it is bulging at the top. If I am correct you may want to replace it.
Good eye. It might just be a trick of the lens but yeah, one of those looks ready to blow.
Yes, it does look like it's bulging.
Yes it definetly is bulging. He should put in a new one.
One of the last things you want going bad in any machine...
If it ain't broke don't fix it!
Sounds like some of my favorite 80's films. Great video!
I realize it's too late for this now, but could you not have offloaded the existing non-factory sounds using the tape mechanism?
There was a way to transfer the information, there was some software I saw recently, but they're gone now from his.
@@helgenx It would have been too much of a quick fix.
Wow what a blast from the past.....i saved up for ages as a teenager and bought this keyboard new in the uk , i think it was around £420-£500?? Not sure now what the exact amount was but it was early to mid 80’s. Thanks for this trip down memory lane! Cheers Chris
You're Dimebag Darrel's 2nd cousin. Don't underestimate your music skills especially when music is already in your bloodline.
I really could just listen to you play stuff all day.
dang it, now poly 800 prices will go up
poly 61 is better anyways.
Buy a DW-8000, it has the joystick and is waaaay better.
Corncob Johnson real That blows dude, I got mine on eBay for $350, they seem to go for anywhere from $250 to $500 so if you're patient you should be able to find a good deal on one. I have mine paired up with a Roland JX-3P, they make beautiful music!
@ Corncob Johnson real: They were expensive already before this video.
Corncob Johnson real I have a half dozen, maybe it's time to unload
David you are an amazing artist and just so you know I'm sure you could make something sound amazing no matter how new or old.
"My music skills aren't that professional" (rough quotation)
*goes on to play absolute majesty*
WHAT
I know, right? What are the things that tickles me about him is his absolute and unabashed modesty! Do you enjoy this guy's reviews as much as I do? I hope so!
I respect and encourage your "niche" of Casio-land et al. I also love and respect your ability to turn a grungy gadget into a shiny new gadget. I had access to one of these in 1985, and had lots of fun. Never seen it since though. It was a thick sounding rig compared to others at that price point.
Out of curiosity, why did you not backup the non-factory patches that were on the keyboard using the tape interface before replacing the battery?
He didn't care
he's too rock n roll for that
Wow a C.G.I. ANIMATION IS HERE
How would you know, @@dizzydaisy909?
@@HelloKittyFanMan. lucky guess?
How'd I miss this in my sub box?! Now I've got 17 minutes of awesomeness now!
Thank you!
The patches you played in the beginning kinda sounded like AnalogAudio1's custom patches for the Poly-800
We have one of these as a third keyboard, my step son tends to use it.
Why I'm telling you this is that he found files online that he managed to download and then install onto the poly800 via a USB to midi cable using his mac. Changing the sounds at will.
We where worried in the first place as we got this secondhand but knew the sounds where not default, but didn't want to brick the keyboard.
Anyway it get used a fair bit.
You should do more of the pro keyboards, as your vids are more entertaining than some of the youtubers that concentrate on pro keyboards are no way as entertaining as you.
Keep up the good work. 😊
PS repair a DX11,
I have one and it lost everything as the battery has gone. I could do with an instructional video to help fix.
Ok, now it is sure, 8-bit guy is monitoring me.. I just last week, after it had been sitting for 15 years in the closet, opened my Poly-800 to see why it was not coming back to life.. At least battery was empty, of course but no life, lights come on, power is working and main processor receives clock (that is about where my skills end..). Could be that the eeprom is busted since none of the buttons work but i can't find anything else that is busted, all components seem to work, afaik.
so... maybe it just needs the factory patches reloaded?
did you ever fix it?
I just got one of these and with the original hardcase. I'm going to have to do this operation on it.
Please do more of these videos, maybe some teaching to play some classic 8bit/16bit era songs... I bought an PSR-6 after watching your videos! Cheers from Brazil! _0/
haha I bought a PSS-470 after watching the video on How video game music works :)
Most of the keyboards he shows here are hard to find in Brazil... I'm starting with the PSR-6 he listed on the soundblaster video description, and if I can play something, then invest more on finding an upper model, like these casio on his wall, or a rarer Yamaha like yours...
I bought a psr-32 after watching his video on it.
Greetings from Brazil! I'm gonna reply in English so everyone can understand it.
João, most of these keyboards aren't rare here in Brazil if you know where to look. In fact, I have the vast majority of the keyboards shown in this channel and only the Yamaha MK-100 caused me some headaches when I was searching for it, as that one is scarce around here. The others, not so much. Now, what IS a problem in Brazil are the prices: our sellers are charging at least three times the price of most of these toy instruments with arguments of "rarity" and "vintage instrument". Take the Casio SK-1, for instance: it is getting more popular between lo-fi/alternative artists out there because it is a cheap toy sampler capable of insteresting things in the right hands, but here in Brazil - HEY! - it suddenly is a "rare vintage sampler used by this and that artist" which costs like 3 or 4 times the price asked everywhere else. Same for the Casio VL-1, which is, like what, the most sold Casio keyboard ever? And let's not even start with this Korg Poly-800, which is a very nice 8-note polyphony analogue synth, but not worth the price of a huge, professional synth as they're charging in our country.
So: keep your eyes open, eventually you'll own most of the keyboards shown here. Just please know the value of your money - these are beautiful toy/home instruments, but not worth as much as most of the prices you'll find in Brazil! Good luck!
PS.: There were at least five or six PSS-470s (the keyboard mentioned by lilmattere) on OLX in the last six months. It's a common keyboard, and a very nice one. Once again: just be aware of how much you pay for it - there's a guy asking for R$650 or so on Mercado Livre for one, when it actually should cost R$250 or R$300 (or even less, to be honest). Not even a copy with the original box and manual should cost R$650. A guy sold a Yamaha DX-7 the other day for R$700, so why a toy/home keyboard should cost about the same is beyond me.
What a grateful surprise! I thought I was the only braziian who watch this channel.
So cool to know where all those 80's type of sounds in songs, movies, games and special effect sounds came from!
You don't need super musical skills, you can make cool stuff by only having ability to listen carefully.
I got one in a used music shop here in SC for 90 dollars the cmos was dead and it didnt make sound while in the store, I took a gamble and got it, bought the battery and soldered on an old cmos battery holder from a mobo I had laying around, hooked up my phone to the aux jack and used a youtube video for the stock patches, thing plays like a champ. One of my best cheap finds in a bargain bin somewhere.
15:40 i thought that tune sounded familiar. it's "wonder who's crying now" by journey
I subscribed just to hear how much better the intro gets with every other episode or so.
12:56 --- that sight looked weird lol... the way your body shook lol :D
This video is one of my favorites. I really enjoyed seeing the insides of an almost pro 80s keyboard vs. the 80's almost toy ones you usually do. As far as having the skills to make videos with the nicer keyboards...all that is important is you find a way to make it entertaining and informative. And you definitely have that figured out in all your videos.
I would enjoy videos where you restore and repair a DX-7 or some of the lesser known less expensive keyboards from Roland, Yamaha, Korg. If such things exist. Or just some weird ass brands barely known in the US.
Or just keep doing what you are doing! I think I will enjoy the videos as long as you are interested in making them.
Thanks again 8-Bit Guy!
Ugh! I was freaking out when you removed the battery knowing everything was stored in RAM! I've had to replace those 2032s on a few instruments that had calibration parameters stored in RAM and went through hell hooking up an external power source WHILE desoldering one and quickly soldering another.
Then you mentioned you had the original tape programming recording and I freaked out slightly less, but I'm wondering why you didn't record what was on the instrument to tape before you removed the battery?
Boomer. That's why.
I just realized I wasn’t subscribed. I enjoy this channels as much as the main one!
Thank you 8-bit guy!
im really surprised you did not try to dump the patches it had before clean up.
You're a great musician and humble to boot.
New camera?
Some things to add:
- There is a description of the factory patches, but it's not part of the main manual. The scan for the Korg EX800 (module version of the Poly800) has the list at the end.
- The patch 42 you showed is number 88 of the factory patches, it#s called "UFO Swoop".
- You didn't properly connect some of the cables when you reassembled the synth.
1080p!!! Finally!
Great video. I have this keyboard under my bed. Got it new 1984. I have never changed the battery. Didn't know that was necessary. I've always kept it wrapped in the plastic fitted bag it came in. No dust that I can see. I have changed some of the loaded settings to create new and more interesting voices. Really good to see what you do. Thanks.
Bought mine new when I was 15 and still have it. Only just now figured out the button cell issue. LOL
Are you sure the battery wasn't a rechargeable type? might cause damage to the new battery if it was and the board tries to charge it.
@Mr T. Guru i guess it's the same as used on PC motherboards.
you don't give yourself enough credit Sir! you're very humble.
"I don't know what to call this one."
Cyborg Cat. I name it Cyborg Cat.
That’s the dumbest reply I can think of
A friend of mine had the mk.II version of this keyboard back in high school. It was cool seeing it in action again. :)