Korg DW-8000 soundscape - A shadow is near

After fixing and playing the Kawai SX-240, I had searched for other synths that were similar to, or equal to the SX-240. The DW-8000 came across as a potential candidate. I found one locally for a good price ($350) from the original owner. It had more issues than I realized when I arrived. Half of the tact switches were difficult to press. Two keys were cracked and three keys needed complete replacement, so I replaced all the keys and replaced all the tact switches. The price ended up substantially more, doesn't it always?
I reached out to the seller to let them know that I fixed it all up and it's back to 100%. They said thanks, and then dropped out of the conversation. I guess not surprising, but I guess they really didn't want to know any more about the synth they had since the 1980s, not that I planned to continue communicating with them or anything. Just seemed weird to me, like I annoyed them by telling them I was taking better care of it? I don't know.
Anyway - here is my first musings with it before I did any repairs. Note that I did at one point have a Korg DW-8000. I sold it because "The Korg Radias has the same waveforms" which was obviously a stupid reason to part with it.
That said - I doubt it will stay long term. Many things have happened since I posted this video (uploaded June 13th, 2024), and this is just another excellent synth I do not think I need.
Eventide Blackhole VST used for reverb.

[@theaudioeng]

Ohh, wow Midera!! Some love for the DW-8000!! Beautiful again...... Still hav my EX--8000 welded in to one of my racks, as it just sounds so gooooood!! Had the keyboard DW but keybed is very clacky and not pleasant to play to be honest and of course have loads of other better synth action keybeds. More of these ambient soundscapes please 🙏...... ☁️☁️☁️

[@MIDERA]

Hey thanks! I never see EX-8000's, but you know, I bought a JD-990 to replace my JD-800 and... still have both. And guess which gets played more???? Sigh...... I guess I don't mind clacky keybeds and I think I know why! I am always wearing headphones, so I don't hear the clackiness! Thanks :) I've actaully got like 10 other soundscapes as 'unlisted' right now... Maybe I should start a 'members' version where I give links to unlisted videos, lololol... Ah, I don't think I can do that to people. I don't really make money on my stuff anyway. I've considered making my videos monetized, and just using that money to donate to worthy causes - could always start that. Would make about $20/month, but I really don't like ads.

[@d4nial]

Yes! The dw8000 finally getting some ambient light! Made many many ambient / drone tracks with mine a lifetime ago. Favorite synth ever, only because it was my first.

[@MIDERA]

Thanks :) I have two more videos of it I haven't posted yet! I had one back in 2012 - got it for like $100, had to fix it up a little bit, but she worked great... My actual first synth was the Korg R3, but I think I sold it within a week and bought the Radias. Also Korg!

[@andreylozhkin2086]

Hi, thank you for this excellent demo. The issues with the synth that you describe are very usual for DW 8000, probably I would add malfunctioning aftertouch and sometimes failing faders and arp clock. Still, it is a very nice synth with beautiful sound, the best filters ever produced by korg in my opinion.

[@MIDERA]

Hey thanks for the kind words! Aftertouch still works. I don't think it got much use to be honest, despite the failing switches (could've been due to humidity more than over use). And busted keys from lack of care. It clearly fell at one point damaging the underside of the keys which hold it in my place. I do 100% agree with you about the best filter produced by korg. It to my ears sounds almost identical to the Juno filter.

[@EvilDragon666]

@@MIDERA To my ears NJM2069 is a much sweeter sound than the Juno filter. Resonance sings more. Juno sounds a bit more... polite, shall I say. And I think NJM2069 is second to only the Traveler filter from mini/maxiKorg. IIRC NJM2069 was mostly inspired by SSM2044.

[@MIDERA]

I don’t have a Juno any more… but I can get behind what you’re saying. However, the filter of the DW8000 sounds very different from the Kawai SX-240, like way different to me. Could be wrong. Anyway, it is a great filter.

[@alessandrogolinelli3185]

Sempre un grande Piacere ascoltare le tue performance 🙏

[@MIDERA]

Thank you!!!!

[@sonicpulp9417]

Dreamy and atmospheric

[@MIDERA]

Thank you!

[@Psychlist1972]

You coaxed some really nice ambient sound out of the DW. Very different from how it's usually used. I like it.

[@MIDERA]

Thanks! I don’t know how it’s usually used. I don’t watch a lot of videos on them :)

[@anonymous_friend]

I've got an old dw-8000 with cigarette burns for character 😂 It rips.

[@MIDERA]

I swear my last DW had cigarette burns... but that might have been my Akai AX-80. Always adds character, that's for sure! ...or smoke/tar.

[@avanishpatel3076]

Thanks for the beautiful piece, love the DW. Cheers!

[@MIDERA]

Thanks :)

[@ZenMountain]

Excellent synth! Great music, thanks.

[@MIDERA]

Thanks so much!

[@willswitchcraft]

wow..love those first notes bathed in deep verb...........so soothing..................

[@MIDERA]

Thanks :)

[@EvilDragon666]

After looking for ages for an EX-8000, I am not selling mine for the world! You don't need the DW. You need the EX. ;)

[@MIDERA]

Oof - you know, I bought a JD-990 to sell my JD-800. And now I have both, and use the JD-800 more -_- because I don’t like editing on a rack synth. Plus, the EX-8000 is very expensive!

[@EvilDragon666]

@@MIDERA Somehow I managed to get my EX for about 700€... It is also in pretty great condition. Quite stoked! I have to say though, JD-990 is a very good editing experience considering the constraints. Yes there's just one data wheel but the shortcuts kinda make up for it. How often do you tweak 5 params simultaneously on JD-800? ;)

[@EvilDragon666]

Actually I would love to hear DW+Radias combo, now that I think about it...

[@MIDERA]

A “combo” as in, hearing them together, or hearing how similar/different they sound in a comparison?

[@EvilDragon666]

@@MIDERA Hearing them together, split and/or layer.

[@TheSolAlexMusic]

The reverb is still on))

[@MIDERA]

It always is, lol

[@synthnerd4539]

Have you tried the Novation Peak/Summit? I find the basic oscillator shapes very clean but you can import your own and I've added one from my old DW as an experiment - works well. Peak is a good hybrid with one foot in vintage I think.

[@MIDERA]

Hey, I have not tried the Peak/Summit! Sometimes I wonder if I should've gotten that instead of the P12! That said, it seems really cool, but often I don't want to get one because it's so similar to what I already have. To be honest, the oscillators of the DW don't particularly seem *that* special to me. It's more in the filter! But I don't know. I basically only use the saw waves in it. I've used them, but... what is special about the other waveforms, in your opinion? Thanks!

[@synthnerd4539]

@@MIDERA Well, the Peak oscs have the standard saw/pulse/etc on the panel, and you can waveshape them in certain ways - the wavetables are each made of 5 waves that are morphed between, which works well enough for the job. They're very vintagey. The chef's kiss though is that you can draw your own waveforms - there are ten user slots, and using Novation's Components app or browser-based interface, you can draw on a grid or blend using additive harmonics - or, import single-cycle samples. It's way more versatile than people seem to give it credit for, and it's surprisingly easy to do as well. The filter is good, both the VCF and VCA are analogue - and there's drive pre- and post-VCF. For me, adding a touch of drive into the filter helps the basic waveshapes sound less clean. The tables are a bit crunchier by default, and you can draw your own waves as stepped as you like, and it does make a difference. The Peak is one of my most-used synths. I sold a Juno 60 back in 2019 and bought the Peak and some other kit, and have no regrets at all. Took me a while to find what it does best, but it's an absolute pad monster. Definitely recommend trying one. As for the DW, I sold mine and don't miss it - too button clicky. The waves are quite limited aren't they, but I guess nice in that mid-80s way. I like digital waves into analogue filters, there's a pleasing edge to it.

[@EvilDragon666]

@@MIDERA Summit owner here! It is absolutely freaking fantastic. But it strikes different chords (sic) compared to DW/EX-8000. That reverb on Summit is the stuff of gods, though. You probably won't need Blackhole :P

[@EvilDragon666]

@@MIDERA As for the waveforms, you can get quite some interesting bell tones from them. Consider them as a static/preset additive synth of sorts, some waveforms have FM qualities to them. Saw is boring, get colorful! :P

[@MIDERA]

Thanks all - I will get more use out of the other filters, already have one soundscape with them… but I wish the DW had sync or FM. The Peak actually sounds like it has a lot of similarities to the 3rd Wave with the waveform morphing. Very cool. With all the crap I’ve got… probably not in the cards right now :/

[@javiceres]

If we say that the filters sound fantastic, doesn’t it imply that the waveforms you are using to test/taste the filters are at least interesting or stand up to a decent quality ?

[@MIDERA]

I suppose? These just don’t really excite me that much. The filter is the special part.

[@tsitracommunications2884]

I wanna get me an 8000 an 6000 some day. The first part of that tune sounds a bit Vangelisesque

[@MIDERA]

I wonder if the 6000 has any benefits over the 8000... Hmm...

[@EvilDragon666]

@@MIDERA 2 voices less, 8 waveforms less, no arpeggiator, no delay effect, no velocity or aftertouch on the keybed. But it has a chorus! Big whoop. :P