I've owned two Poly-61Ms. The first I sold and regretted it so much that I bought another 10 years later. Now I'm keeping it forever. I end up using it all over my songs.
I just opened my mint condition pristine Poly61 that I purchased new in 1982, it still smells new and was almost never used, been in the case for 40 years or so. It works perfectly and seeing this video open my eyes to all the things that it can do.
One of the finest sounding KORG poly synths ever made in my humble opinion! I bought one early this year and haven’t stopped loving it’s tone and color! Too my ears much nicer than it’s predecessor the poly six. I’ve got that too and I can tell, at lest with my machine is sounds way better;)
I agree Mark. The Poly-61 has a somewhat cold tone that is unique and (for me at least) it blends just perfectly with other synths in a production. It just adds and offset that creates texture in a special way.
Hello gentlemen. I am currently deciding weather to get a poly-61 or a polysix. I am more into house/garage music and will probably be sampling it and the arranging in a DAW. I love the sound of Poly 61, but as I understand it is limited in controls. Do you think Polysix can produce the same sounds as 61 or is it a different character? Particularly I love pads and strings on Poly61. Can polysix do the same?
@@johnnyutah5097 The polysix is more older sounding and also has a great chorus say late 70s early 80s,the poly61 sounds mid 80s and has a great tone,its also a good beginner synth as the editing has a few less options,both are great keyboards.
I’ve heard a lot of people say that this was their first real synth. I’m one of those people and I think it’s awesome to be part of that club. The Poly-61 just has something about it...
I bought this in 1982. My younger brother had the Poly-6, which had knobs and switches, but this had dual oscillator voices. People have to remember that the Polys and Junos were the least expensive way to get into programmable poly synths at the time. Too bad the 61 didn't have MIDI right away - I moved on to the JX-3P.
Thanks for showing the Juno-60 chorus pedal too. I had a poly 61 back in the 80s and it was incredibly versatile, especially for the price! I never had iy sounding this good though, the Juno-60 chorus pedal really fattened it up! Great video!!!
I just rescued a minty Poly 61 that was starting to have issues. I got a really good deal on it, so I took it to Synapse Audio Systems and had it completely gone through, also added the Mody Poly MIDI interface. Ordered your patches, the "cassette load" worked great, and really appreciate the detailed patch list. Love your channel and enthusiasm for the vintage gear. Totally agree with your assessment of this synth. It sounds great!
Just got this synth today and had to grab your patches immediately. I don't have a way to do the tape interface so I punched in the patches manually. Really appreciate the included reference sheet. I also have your alpha Juno patches, which are amazing as well. Appreciate all you do.
Maybe it's a lot of the music that was made on them in the 80s, but this last pre-digital generation of analog synths sounds kind of melancholy to me (in a good way). A Minimoog can sound funky, a Jupiter can sound warm, but this sounds like 3:00 AM Sunday morning in February, lol!
@@EspenKraft Sure, and I love that bleak moody stuff!, I don't have hardware anymore but have a Roland JX8P emulation, some of the patches have that same feel, cheers!
An excellent set of patches, Espen. I can hear a lot of early Kim Wilde sounds in this. You do realise that this will bring yet another keyboard shaped package through the mail... and a chorus of "how many keyboards do you need!" Ha ha. 2:18 Pac-man is about to eat your right shoulder!
I bought one of these at a second hand store not working with the hopes of getting it working. I have had decent luck in the past looking for the easy fix. This one was beyond my skill level so I sold it to someone with more skill. Love your videos, your singing voice and the 80's style synth music you freely share.
Hello Kraft... Espen Kraft. Your video and custom patches inspired me to get a Poly 61 today. I'll be buying those patches soon. Love your videos... keep it up!
Thank you what wonderful memories I forgot what it looked like and sounded like. I used to own one of these, sure miss it. And the old DX7 with the breath control.. was quit a time for synths in the 80s...
Great video - always loved the sound of Korg analog. Having only the DW-8000 I noticed I never saw a comparison between DW-8000, Poly61 and Polysix. When using only saw and square from the DW I can get pretty hefty analog sounds out of it - but not sure how it compares to the 61 or even P6
Great Video. Was my first keyboard. Used to hook this up with my linndrum & yamaha rex 50 fx unit back in the days. Some great sounds from 5:33 to 6:44 !!
hm even in demos around youtube you can tell a OBX is much wider and deeper in sound. American synths tend to be "brassy", i dont like at all. I prefer cheap japanese machines like this Poly61.
The poly 61 was my favorite in 1988, among the DX7II, D50s and M1s because it could cut thru in a hard rock band when the Juno 106 became way too pretty, both MIDIed together and even with a DX7 on top the KORG worked with loud guitars!
Outstanding patches! Ironically.. I just fixed my Korg EX-800 (Korg Poly-800) module and I can at least play the sounds again. Some of the sounds that you were playing, sounds like similar in timbre. Have a great upcoming weekend!
Great video. I remember when I was a kid my dad had a P61 from new and he was messing around with the tape interface and scrambled the entire internal memory. I had to sit with the factory patch table and enter in all the values one by one 64 times as he had a gig the following night! Happy memories!
I am getting a new issue now though, when I start up the poly61 I'm getting a P5 error and patches 41-68 just just sustain one note and there's no way to turn it off
I have me one of these I am going to drag it out of mothballs. I have your patches now so going to upload them to the Poly61 and give it a new lease of life. Thanks for this.
Hey Espen, I am rebuilding a Poly 61. I was wondering as the Outputs on the back has one 1/4" jack (assuming that its a mono output), have you tested to see if the headphone jack is stereo? Nice sounds btw
This is the first time I get to hear my Poly 61 since I bought mine in parts. I still have alot of the parts in my stash. Sadly, it did not work so I could never hear it. Would be nice to be able to fix it and play it. Espen, you are cheating with the effects lol! Great stuff my friend! Reminds me of my childhood.
@@EspenKraft lol, cheating in a good way. But yeah I never heard the keyboard before. Imagine some one thinking this board has all those effects only to find out.. "hey!?" "what gives!?" no chorus or reverb or whirly?! Whaaaaaat!? LOL. I like it though. :-D
i got this synth for a bargain price in 1986 and i liked very much but the lack of midi made me sell it ,i know there is the poly-61M ,my next synth was an oberheim matrix 6 ...
All the sounds you here are included in the patch bank. The song itself is just that, a song using some of those patches. This is a song I've made up for this demonstration.
This may be the best synth I've seen for the sound and functions I need. Good demo. How do you make a patch for it Espen Kraft? The only thing I looked them up and there doesn't seen to be a midi to run through my computer.
Thanks! This is old school so you just call out one and one parameter and adjust the values of all of them, by hand, one by one. On the synth itself. No Midi here. ;-)
The patch sheet was a great addition. My 61 does not like to receive through the cassette input so being able to enter the patches manually was a life saver (though it took me some time!)
Thanks! Yes, I know many can run into problems with the cassette interface so with the patch sheet at least you WILL be able to get the patches anyways. ;-)
@@EspenKraft have you thought about adding midi to many of your old machines? I'm thinking about doing that with my Polysix and Poly-61. If the answer is yes, is there a particular one you would recommend?
@@peterkadarmusic9728 No, in fact I'd rather take a MIDI retrofit OUT of a synth if it originally didn't come with it. I really don't like retrofitting synths with options that's not factory. I can tolerate a firmware upgrade if it involves lifting a chip from a socket and a new LCD display if the old is unreadable. Lately I've had to tolerate a floppy emulator too, but retrofitting that involves soldering is a big no no in my book. ;-)
I saw Lyle Mays using one with Pat Metheny and he had some awesome sounds coming from it. He used it on the song “Are You Going With Me” and it sounded fantastic!!
Bojan Arežina Ok. Thanks for the clear up. Either way, Korg made some great synths back in the day. Friend of mine STILL has his DW-8000 and poly 800 module. I use to tease him calling him Dino (dinosaur) well, I don’t anymore. Sometime the old is BETTER than new.😌🎹👍🏾
Congratulations! A word of advice...make sure you open it up and check the battery for leakage. This is the number 1 killer of these awesome synths. Even if it isn't leaking and it is the original (blue) battery I would yank it anyway as soon as possible. Replacements can be found on ebay. Enjoy!
@@ebutuoytm7560 Yeah, I got it knowing "something" was wrong with it. The battery had exploded and corroded the entire main board. I am in the process of rebuilding it now! If I give up...there are brand new ones on the market. :)
@@NPrescott Damn, that hurts to hear. I hope you're able to salvage it. I caught mine just in time, a few more months and I reckon I'd be in the same boat. Like you say there's brand new boards to be had, so all is not lost. Best of luck!
@@EspenKraft Good advice Espen. BTW I just won an auction last night for a mint complete-in-box Poly-800, can't say I feel any guilt! When will you do a video on the Poly-800?? I'm not sure if you own one or not. Now to keep my eyes peeled for a Poly-61 & a DS-8.....
Espen, how would I make the patch at 2:18 on another synth? I love that patch but I don't own a Poly-61. What are the basics that I could start with for that patch that I could then dial in on my synth?
A two oscillator synth, saw waves, detune them slightly, mix to taste, filer on the low side, tiny bit of resonance, keyboard tracking on, somewhat slow attack, long release, some chorus. Should get you in the ballpark.
Hello, hope you're doing well. When I try to load these patches, the screen just stays on "LOAD" not giving me neither "GOOD" nor "ERROR". If anyone knows what I could be doing wrong, it would be greatly appreciated, thanks!
If you have a fully functional Poly-61 they will work, but the trick is finding the optimal playback level into the TAPE LOAD IN. That will take some trial and error. I've always found playing it back from my iPhone at almost full level does the trick. Good luck!
@@EspenKraft Ah ok thanks so much! Let me know if you have ever experienced my other issue too as I'm having a really hard time getting rid of it: "when I start up the poly61 I'm getting a P5 error and patches from 41 until the end just sustain one note/ no way to turn it off"
What a sound!! and excellent video!!, i have a question: i have to choose between korg poly 61 or korg dw8000 to buy, which do you advise to me for play songs from decade 80?Thanks a lot!
It will not work very well. Roland and Korg uses different type of trigger signals. Use Midi instead. Check the manual for the 8000 to set it up correctly.
I have 2. I will probably need parts from one for the other. Have my battery ready. I would like to purchase your patches. How much and how do I contact you for it..
Hi, my poly 61 will not hold patches after being turned off and on again. Even the original patch I have to put in every time. Each patch does make a sound upon starting up but they are messed up and sounds weird until I re-upload the patches and then it sounds great. Any idea why this is happening? Really like your patches and am going to buy them, thanks!
You must change out the battery inside. Do it as fast as possible as it will leak acid onto the pcb and destroy your 61 if you don't replace it with a new battery.
@@EspenKraft thanks for the response! I have taken apart the 61 semi-recently to clean the key connections and inspect the battery as I had read about leaking and was not able to see any obvious battery leaking, unless the battery is leaking within itself
If it's the original battery, it's completely dead now anyways so change it for one with the same specs. You will not be able to store your patches without a working battery anyways.
Due to health reasons i have not played my poly 61 in years. This has inspired me to take it out of the cupboard and start playing again. I have a korg micro preset aswell, so that will also get a dusting off.
Thanks! If you haven't turned on your gear in years you should check the power supplies etc before turning anything on. You risk frying everything inside.
@@EspenKraft Hi. Thanks for the advice. I will be carefull. Just be nice to play again. I have a few keys that dont respond, so will deal with that. The new patches you have made for the poly 61 are great.
yay. someone who actually likes this synth.... I dug mine up a couple of years ago. it glitches because the battery is way too old and I need to replace it.
Yes, get it replaced ASAP.... I replaced the battery on my Poly-61M just a couple of months ago. It was the original Korg factory installed battery and was actually still working fine and holding its voltage - but it had just started to leak.... I was able to wipe the circuit board clean, but had I left it any longer, the leakage would easily have corroded the tracks on that circuit board !! However, back in 1983, whoever would have thought that battery would still be doing its job 36 years later....??!!?? 😁
This was used by David Sylvian on, I think, Brilliant trees, his first solo album. I know a very talented German synth programmer who is also a very talented musician that swears by the Poly 61 and he has played some of the most desirable synth on the planet. He managed to convince a friend if his - who is a bit of a synth snob and actually owns some of the most desirable synths on the planet! - that the Poly 61 is indeed a very fine synth.
Hey its Arp again :) Yes I'm everywhere. I have an offer to purchase one for around 400 €. Seller saids battery is new, and all working. I cant confirm if course. But would it be worth?
@@EspenKraft Yes I'm aware of the Korg batteries, especially the Polysix' one. The seller confirmed that the battery has not leaked and is new. However he did say: "I think it needs new rubbers for the keys as someone seem to have stuck pieces of plastic on the underside of the keys to make them press tighter but the keys all work" Edit: if I do purchase this synth, I'll be downloading your 64 presets :)
It’s amazing that KORG is so great at making timeless synthesizers but sucks so bad in proper electric pianos and workstations. Where the synths are fat and well rounded, super quality build. Their workstation instruments sound thin/feeble and feel cheap.
Thanks! Didn't you actually watch the video? I say and show explicitly pretty early on that many of the sounds in the Poly-61 can be used (to great effect) with the built-in arpeggiator of the Poly-61. ;-)
I hate that I sold my Poly 61M many years ago. It was my first synthesizer. You needed a sturdy stand for it and some muscles to carry it to the place where we had our rehearsal room :)
What ???!!? You think the Poly-61M is *heavy*....???!!?? Its one of the lightest keyboards I've got !! Back in the day, a DX7 was much heavier - and nowadays, I can only *wish* for such light weights as I struggle to even lift a flightcased Jupiter 80 on my own...... 😰
I've owned two Poly-61Ms. The first I sold and regretted it so much that I bought another 10 years later. Now I'm keeping it forever. I end up using it all over my songs.
I just opened my mint condition pristine Poly61 that I purchased new in 1982, it still smells new and was almost never used, been in the case for 40 years or so. It works perfectly and seeing this video open my eyes to all the things that it can do.
Cheers!
One of the finest sounding KORG poly synths ever made in my humble opinion! I bought one early this year and haven’t stopped loving it’s tone and color! Too my ears much nicer than it’s predecessor the poly six. I’ve got that too and I can tell, at lest with my machine is sounds way better;)
I agree Mark. The Poly-61 has a somewhat cold tone that is unique and (for me at least) it blends just perfectly with other synths in a production. It just adds and offset that creates texture in a special way.
Hello gentlemen. I am currently deciding weather to get a poly-61 or a polysix. I am more into house/garage music and will probably be sampling it and the arranging in a DAW. I love the sound of Poly 61, but as I understand it is limited in controls. Do you think Polysix can produce the same sounds as 61 or is it a different character? Particularly I love pads and strings on Poly61. Can polysix do the same?
@@johnnyutah5097 The polysix is more older sounding and also has a great chorus say late 70s early 80s,the poly61 sounds mid 80s and has a great tone,its also a good beginner synth as the editing has a few less options,both are great keyboards.
Funny I sold my poly six and kept my 61. I thought I was nuts, but looks like you had the same preference!
I’ve heard a lot of people say that this was their first real synth. I’m one of those people and I think it’s awesome to be part of that club. The Poly-61 just has something about it...
Cheers!
Those old Korg synths are fantastic. I own the DW-6000 and the sound is brilliant and superb. Thanks Espen! :)
I bought this in 1982. My younger brother had the Poly-6, which had knobs and switches, but this had dual oscillator voices. People have to remember that the Polys and Junos were the least expensive way to get into programmable poly synths at the time. Too bad the 61 didn't have MIDI right away - I moved on to the JX-3P.
Whenever I see a new video of yours posted, I watch it right away. Thanks for your unbounded enthusiasm and inspiration.
Thanks a lot Chris! :)
Creating patch names for a synth that doesn't display patch names is a nice touch and shows how much effort you've put into making them. ;)
Thanks for showing the Juno-60 chorus pedal too. I had a poly 61 back in the 80s and it was incredibly versatile, especially for the price! I never had iy sounding this good though, the Juno-60 chorus pedal really fattened it up! Great video!!!
Thanks! :)
OMG. That was my first polyphonic synth. I bought it when I was 18 on store credit. I used to use it with a Korg SQD-1 sequencer
I have a SQD-1 as well ;-)
I used to have one from 1994 to about 2005. How do I regret having sold it. It even had MIDI retrofitted and was fully working.
It has that italo sound. You hit a Note and bam! It's like a timemachine back to the good old 80s. I use it a lot these days. I love this keyboard.
Cheers!
@@EspenKraft Elon Musk and NASA should complete the Voyager mission and send another one whit a mint Poly 61 on board!...whit new batterie installed..
I just rescued a minty Poly 61 that was starting to have issues. I got a really good deal on it, so I took it to Synapse Audio Systems and had it completely gone through, also added the Mody Poly MIDI interface. Ordered your patches, the "cassette load" worked great, and really appreciate the detailed patch list. Love your channel and enthusiasm for the vintage gear. Totally agree with your assessment of this synth. It sounds great!
Congrats on the purchase and thanks for the support! :)
Ive owned a Poly61 some 22 yrs ago, miss it today cos it sound sooooooo great Thankz Espen ;)
Thanks for watching! :)
Excellent, i have a Juno 60 and i think that this poly61 is perfect to complete the sound.
Yes, that works very well.
Mate these patches you have created are absolutely brilliant 👍🏻👍🏻😎👍🏻👍🏻
Sweet, thanks! :D
Just got this synth today and had to grab your patches immediately. I don't have a way to do the tape interface so I punched in the patches manually. Really appreciate the included reference sheet. I also have your alpha Juno patches, which are amazing as well. Appreciate all you do.
Many thanks for the support! Happy you like them. :)
I just bought one today and I'm loving it. It needs a full restoration, it's making some crazy sounds right now . Nice sounds you have here!
Maybe it's a lot of the music that was made on them in the 80s, but this last pre-digital generation of analog synths sounds kind of melancholy to me (in a good way). A Minimoog can sound funky, a Jupiter can sound warm, but this sounds like 3:00 AM Sunday morning in February, lol!
Nice comparison! :)
@@EspenKraft Sure, and I love that bleak moody stuff!, I don't have hardware anymore but have a Roland JX8P emulation, some of the patches have that same feel, cheers!
too true!
It looks that way too!
That June chorus really adds lot of depth. I bet a Dimension C would be good as well.
Nice! Thanks for posting!
Cheers!
Ty! I used to own this synth and it sounded very good at an affordable price..fond memories!👍
Beautifull filterflows Espen among those nice patches you made 👍👍👍 with regards Rene from Denmark
Thanks man! :)
An excellent set of patches, Espen. I can hear a lot of early Kim Wilde sounds in this. You do realise that this will bring yet another keyboard shaped package through the mail... and a chorus of "how many keyboards do you need!" Ha ha.
2:18 Pac-man is about to eat your right shoulder!
Thanks Andy! Yes, I realize this will mean you're about to receive another package.. love it! ;-)
Hot stuff! Very nice work man, they sound incredible.
Sweet :)
40 seconds in the video and I'm hooked. Such a good sound makes for a great intro :)
Sweet! :)
I have one in storage for you 20 years I think I’m gonna take it out again - wow I miss that sound
I bought one of these at a second hand store not working with the hopes of getting it working. I have had decent luck in the past looking for the easy fix. This one was beyond my skill level so I sold it to someone with more skill. Love your videos, your singing voice and the 80's style synth music you freely share.
Thanks Barry! I appreciate it :)
I bought it second hand in 1982 and i still use it! A peculiar sound that i can't do without
You really make that synth sing !!!
Sweet! :)
It was my first synth i ever played at my friends house.... GREAT
Very cool to bring and enlighten everyone with the technology back then! Great sounds of course.
Thanks! :)
I sold my Korg Poly-61 a few years ago, but this video makes me regret that.
Hello Kraft... Espen Kraft. Your video and custom patches inspired me to get a Poly 61 today. I'll be buying those patches soon. Love your videos... keep it up!
Congrats and thanks! :)
Ennio & Space Oddity are simply beautiful - Awesome work!
Many thanks! :)
Thank you what wonderful memories I forgot what it looked like and sounded like. I used to own one of these, sure miss it. And the old DX7 with the breath control.. was quit a time for synths in the 80s...
It sure was. Thanks! :)
I have both this synth and the Minilogue. I love how this has a such a warmth to its sound compared to the Minilogue.
FASCINATING!
Great video - always loved the sound of Korg analog. Having only the DW-8000 I noticed I never saw a comparison between DW-8000, Poly61 and Polysix. When using only saw and square from the DW I can get pretty hefty analog sounds out of it - but not sure how it compares to the 61 or even P6
Great Video. Was my first keyboard. Used to hook this up with my linndrum & yamaha rex 50 fx unit back in the days. Some great sounds from 5:33 to 6:44 !!
Ca été mon 1 synthe
C est comme ca que j ai débuter dans la musique électronique.
Un synthe vraiment intéressant.
Call me strange but the Poly61 sounds almost as dark and wicked as the OB-X.
It's an underrated beast.
Obviously you have never played an OBX in person
@@synthesizerhome2041 I wish. [whispers] ever so muuuuch.
hm even in demos around youtube you can tell a OBX is much wider and deeper in sound. American synths tend to be "brassy", i dont like at all. I prefer cheap japanese machines like this Poly61.
@@synthesizerhome2041 I own an OB-X and 3 Poly61s. What you wanted to say?
The poly 61 was my favorite in 1988, among the DX7II, D50s and M1s because it could cut thru in a hard rock band when the Juno 106 became way too pretty, both MIDIed together and even with a DX7 on top the KORG worked with loud guitars!
You're right. It cuts through like no other synth.
really excellent . it remember me so many sounds from those years..
Thanks! :)
Outstanding patches! Ironically.. I just fixed my Korg EX-800 (Korg Poly-800) module and I can at least play the sounds again. Some of the sounds that you were playing, sounds like similar in timbre. Have a great upcoming weekend!
Thanks man, you too! :)
Sounds great Espen. You have so much talent and an amazing ability to sound programming.
Thanks Johnny! :)
Very nice sounds you got here! Ever use a Chroma Polaris? I just picked one up and am just starting to dig into it.
Thanks! No, I can't remember ever playing a Chroma actually, but I've seen it in use and it's awesome for sure.
Love my poly 61, unique tone!
Great video. I remember when I was a kid my dad had a P61 from new and he was messing around with the tape interface and scrambled the entire internal memory. I had to sit with the factory patch table and enter in all the values one by one 64 times as he had a gig the following night! Happy memories!
Thanks! I've done my fair share of typing in patches as well. ;-)
I am getting a new issue now though, when I start up the poly61 I'm getting a P5 error and patches 41-68 just just sustain one note and there's no way to turn it off
Great collection of sounds. I love the early 80s feel of that synth. At 5:32 I was hoping you would start playing Cambodia!
Thanks! I could have done ;-)
Die fand ich alle toll! Wir hatten diesen in den 80ern!
It was great for VH “I’ll Wait” and of course “Jump”, miss it.
I have me one of these I am going to drag it out of mothballs. I have your patches now so going to upload them to the Poly61 and give it a new lease of life. Thanks for this.
Sweet man, thanks! :)
I dig the raw sound as well.
Awesome video, thinking about getting one
Thanks!
wow, gorgeous sounds and excellent demo tracks Espen. Cheers!
Many thanks Allan! :)
Sounds fantastic, lovely synth, had a chance to buy one a few yrs back and now i wish i had.
Great patches Espen!!
Thanks for saying Stu! You should get one now, still possible to get for a decent price :)
@@EspenKraft Definitely on my radar , to find another one.
Fantastic channel, by the way, great work!! All the best
Many thanks! :9
Man EK, you that thing sounding like a Juno-60. I know they were out at the sametime, but they've never sound alike to me. great job .
Thanks Tony! :)
These patches sound wonderful!
Thanks!
Hey Espen, I am rebuilding a Poly 61. I was wondering as the Outputs on the back has one 1/4" jack (assuming that its a mono output), have you tested to see if the headphone jack is stereo?
Nice sounds btw
Nothing is stereo here. ;-) The headphones would always be summed mono. Cheers :D
@@EspenKraft wishful thinking I guess. Thanks for the reply
This is the first time I get to hear my Poly 61 since I bought mine in parts. I still have alot of the parts in my stash. Sadly, it did not work so I could never hear it. Would be nice to be able to fix it and play it. Espen, you are cheating with the effects lol! Great stuff my friend! Reminds me of my childhood.
How can making something sounds beautiful be cheating? ;-) Thanks!
@@EspenKraft lol, cheating in a good way. But yeah I never heard the keyboard before. Imagine some one thinking this board has all those effects only to find out.. "hey!?" "what gives!?" no chorus or reverb or whirly?! Whaaaaaat!? LOL. I like it though. :-D
I don't take responsibility for what someone might think. I only make music. ;-)
i got this synth for a bargain price in 1986 and i liked very much but the lack of midi made me sell it ,i know there is the poly-61M ,my next synth was an oberheim matrix 6 ...
Love this synth, my Poly61 had to do some service maintenance , but the sounds wooow
That sounds so great!
It does. Thanks :)
@@EspenKraft I would like to incorporate the 80's synth sound with my modern electronic lounge music. Time to practice!
@@EspenKraft ... and you're welcome!
Hello Espen. I have a question. Is the song playing at 0:59 included in the patch list? Is it a famous song? Thank you
All the sounds you here are included in the patch bank. The song itself is just that, a song using some of those patches. This is a song I've made up for this demonstration.
@@EspenKraft Thank you for your fast reply
This may be the best synth I've seen for the sound and functions I need. Good demo. How do you make a patch for it Espen Kraft? The only thing I looked them up and there doesn't seen to be a midi to run through my computer.
Thanks! This is old school so you just call out one and one parameter and adjust the values of all of them, by hand, one by one. On the synth itself. No Midi here. ;-)
And if you want there are MIDI retrofit kits available for external sync, sequencing and added features 👌
It reminds me of that SIEL polysynth, nice patches sir
Thanks! :)
The patch sheet was a great addition. My 61 does not like to receive through the cassette input so being able to enter the patches manually was a life saver (though it took me some time!)
Thanks! Yes, I know many can run into problems with the cassette interface so with the patch sheet at least you WILL be able to get the patches anyways. ;-)
Great stuff again..
For those of us from Canada, this synth was also used on Strange Animal by Gowan.
Sounds really great man!
Thanks! :)
@@EspenKraft have you thought about adding midi to many of your old machines? I'm thinking about doing that with my Polysix and Poly-61. If the answer is yes, is there a particular one you would recommend?
@@peterkadarmusic9728 No, in fact I'd rather take a MIDI retrofit OUT of a synth if it originally didn't come with it. I really don't like retrofitting synths with options that's not factory. I can tolerate a firmware upgrade if it involves lifting a chip from a socket and a new LCD display if the old is unreadable. Lately I've had to tolerate a floppy emulator too, but retrofitting that involves soldering is a big no no in my book. ;-)
@@EspenKraft Thanks for replying so quickly. Cheers man!
Awesome
I saw Lyle Mays using one with Pat Metheny and he had some awesome sounds coming from it. He used it on the song “Are You Going With Me” and it sounded fantastic!!
he used a dw-8000, i'm not sure about the poly-61
Bojan Arežina Ok. Thanks for the clear up. Either way, Korg made some great synths back in the day. Friend of mine STILL has his DW-8000 and poly 800 module. I use to tease him calling him Dino (dinosaur) well, I don’t anymore. Sometime the old is BETTER than new.😌🎹👍🏾
I am FINALLY going to go pick one of these up tomorrow!! I am trading a brand new Behringer Model D for the Poly 61 in somewhat working condition. :D
That's a great move. Congrats :D
Congratulations! A word of advice...make sure you open it up and check the battery for leakage. This is the number 1 killer of these awesome synths. Even if it isn't leaking and it is the original (blue) battery I would yank it anyway as soon as possible. Replacements can be found on ebay. Enjoy!
@@ebutuoytm7560 Yeah, I got it knowing "something" was wrong with it. The battery had exploded and corroded the entire main board. I am in the process of rebuilding it now! If I give up...there are brand new ones on the market. :)
@@NPrescott Damn, that hurts to hear. I hope you're able to salvage it. I caught mine just in time, a few more months and I reckon I'd be in the same boat. Like you say there's brand new boards to be had, so all is not lost. Best of luck!
Master of the Krafts! ;)
is the noise coming from the synth itself? or is it the interface? Great demo :)
Thanks! You might refer to the external chorus that mimics the Roland Juno chorus.
Espen, worth it looking for one of these if I already own two DW-8000s or would it just be redundant?
They sound different, better to have one of each, than two DW-8000, but best to have all three of course.. ;-)
@@EspenKraft Good advice Espen. BTW I just won an auction last night for a mint complete-in-box Poly-800, can't say I feel any guilt! When will you do a video on the Poly-800?? I'm not sure if you own one or not. Now to keep my eyes peeled for a Poly-61 & a DS-8.....
Crolodon Congrats, but I have a video with the Poly-800 on my channel. Haven't you seen it?
@@EspenKraft I had no idea, no I haven't. Will watch now!!!
The first synth I ever played. I was hooked.
Outrun 😍
Espen, how would I make the patch at 2:18 on another synth? I love that patch but I don't own a Poly-61. What are the basics that I could start with for that patch that I could then dial in on my synth?
A two oscillator synth, saw waves, detune them slightly, mix to taste, filer on the low side, tiny bit of resonance, keyboard tracking on, somewhat slow attack, long release, some chorus. Should get you in the ballpark.
Sound reminds me of alpha juno. I like it !!! :-)
Hello, hope you're doing well. When I try to load these patches, the screen just stays on "LOAD" not giving me neither "GOOD" nor "ERROR". If anyone knows what I could be doing wrong, it would be greatly appreciated, thanks!
Nvm figured it out! Audio interface wasn't loud enough.
If you have a fully functional Poly-61 they will work, but the trick is finding the optimal playback level into the TAPE LOAD IN. That will take some trial and error. I've always found playing it back from my iPhone at almost full level does the trick. Good luck!
@@EspenKraft Ah ok thanks so much! Let me know if you have ever experienced my other issue too as I'm having a really hard time getting rid of it: "when I start up the poly61 I'm getting a P5 error and patches from 41 until the end just sustain one note/ no way to turn it off"
What a sound!! and excellent video!!, i have a question: i have to choose between korg poly 61 or korg dw8000 to buy, which do you advise to me for play songs from decade 80?Thanks a lot!
Thanks!
I'd go for the DW-8000. More versatile.
I bought the tr707 and i will use the rim shot trigger output to conect with the arpegiator of dw8000? is this works?
It will not work very well. Roland and Korg uses different type of trigger signals. Use Midi instead. Check the manual for the 8000 to set it up correctly.
Thanks a lot ! again !! Regards from Argentina!!!
I have 2. I will probably need parts from one for the other. Have my battery ready. I would like to purchase your patches. How much and how do I contact you for it..
Links are in the description to the video. My email is in the about section at the front of my channel if you want to buy directly off of me. Thanks!
Hey guys, qeustion, is this thing a mono one? It seems to have only 1 output. Is that a mono or stereo plug? I know the PolySix is mono.... thanks
Mono
@@EspenKraft Thanks!
Hi, my poly 61 will not hold patches after being turned off and on again. Even the original patch I have to put in every time. Each patch does make a sound upon starting up but they are messed up and sounds weird until I re-upload the patches and then it sounds great. Any idea why this is happening? Really like your patches and am going to buy them, thanks!
You must change out the battery inside. Do it as fast as possible as it will leak acid onto the pcb and destroy your 61 if you don't replace it with a new battery.
@@EspenKraft thanks for the response! I have taken apart the 61 semi-recently to clean the key connections and inspect the battery as I had read about leaking and was not able to see any obvious battery leaking, unless the battery is leaking within itself
If it's the original battery, it's completely dead now anyways so change it for one with the same specs. You will not be able to store your patches without a working battery anyways.
@@EspenKraft ok thanks a bunch!
Due to health reasons i have not played my poly 61 in years. This has inspired me to take it out of the cupboard and start playing again. I have a korg micro preset aswell, so that will also get a dusting off.
Thanks! If you haven't turned on your gear in years you should check the power supplies etc before turning anything on. You risk frying everything inside.
@@EspenKraft Hi. Thanks for the advice. I will be carefull. Just be nice to play again. I have a few keys that dont respond, so will deal with that. The new patches you have made for the poly 61 are great.
This is amazing. Have you done a patch set for the PolySix by any chance? I’d love to be able to load up some Espen-powered patches on that board!
I don't have a PolySix, but if I did I would definitely have made own patches for it! :)
Kraft espen kraft
yay. someone who actually likes this synth.... I dug mine up a couple of years ago. it glitches because the battery is way too old and I need to replace it.
15 minute job sir. Be careful it doesn't leak and ruin the PCB
Yes, get it replaced ASAP....
I replaced the battery on my Poly-61M just a couple of months ago. It was the original Korg factory installed battery and was actually still working fine and holding its voltage - but it had just started to leak.... I was able to wipe the circuit board clean, but had I left it any longer, the leakage would easily have corroded the tracks on that circuit board !!
However, back in 1983, whoever would have thought that battery would still be doing its job 36 years later....??!!?? 😁
This was used by David Sylvian on, I think, Brilliant trees, his first solo album. I know a very talented German synth programmer who is also a very talented musician that swears by the Poly 61 and he has played some of the most desirable synth on the planet. He managed to convince a friend if his - who is a bit of a synth snob and actually owns some of the most desirable synths on the planet! - that the Poly 61 is indeed a very fine synth.
Ok so this is worth it? I’ve been seeing a hella lot of these showing up on eBay. I would rather get a poly six but this sounds pretty awesome
Only you can decide if it's worth it ;-)
@@skyko Why?
@@skyko I got mine for € 50. Sure, for about 450 € used you get much better synthesizers, but the Poly-61 is still not bad.
Hey its Arp again :) Yes I'm everywhere. I have an offer to purchase one for around 400 €. Seller saids battery is new, and all working. I cant confirm if course. But would it be worth?
400 euros is ok if it is indeed in a great condition. Have the seller confirm that the old battery han not leaked and ruined traces on print.
@@EspenKraft Yes I'm aware of the Korg batteries, especially the Polysix' one. The seller confirmed that the battery has not leaked and is new. However he did say: "I think it needs new rubbers for the keys as someone seem to have stuck pieces of plastic on the underside of the keys to make them press tighter but the keys all work"
Edit: if I do purchase this synth, I'll be downloading your 64 presets :)
Battery leak is the worst . You can always fix the keys quite easily. Good luck! And the presets will be there waiting. Cheers! :D
It’s amazing that KORG is so great at making timeless synthesizers but sucks so bad in proper electric pianos and workstations. Where the synths are fat and well rounded, super quality build. Their workstation instruments sound thin/feeble and feel cheap.
Sweet sounds, Espen!
How are you making the arps? Is there an arp built-in the synth?
Cheers!
Thanks! Didn't you actually watch the video? I say and show explicitly pretty early on that many of the sounds in the Poly-61 can be used (to great effect) with the built-in arpeggiator of the Poly-61. ;-)
@@EspenKraft thank you. I missed that slide.
I have found nothing that has the same sounds korg makes. No vst for the 61 or dw8000 that isn't sampled. And the ds8 forget about it.
I can hear Kids in America on that bass
I hate that I sold my Poly 61M many years ago. It was my first synthesizer. You needed a sturdy stand for it and some muscles to carry it to the place where we had our rehearsal room :)
You should try carrying the Korg DSS-1... ;-)
@@EspenKraft Maybe I could nt, but the DSS-1 could carry me :)
What ???!!? You think the Poly-61M is *heavy*....???!!?? Its one of the lightest keyboards I've got !!
Back in the day, a DX7 was much heavier - and nowadays, I can only *wish* for such light weights as I struggle to even lift a flightcased Jupiter 80 on my own...... 😰
I want one
Ultrasounds.... thats what i need...