Korg Poly 61 // Why I'm Selling // Underappreciated or Undervalued?

[@vaughanmccarthy6685]

It actually sounds quite nice. I remember in the 90s and 2000s, these were basically considered junk, because it didn't have knobs or sliders and the filter doesn't self oscillate. In addition, the stepped parameter values meant it was quite a bit more limited than even a JX3P, which was almost as unloved at the time. At the time, a Polysix or Juno 6 only cost a couple of hundred dollars more, and were seen as far more desirable.

[@stefpir]

all synths are overestimated and underestimated depending of who knows to use it or like it or not 😁 the problem is : after selling a synth you will realize that this synth was unique. Like all synths. and therefor you will chase for another opportunity to acquire it .. again 😇

[@DarkLightProjector]

I’ve never once seen someone say they were happy they sold a vintage synth

[@Sonikbytes]

This synth sounds surprisingly pleasing to ear and has a very vintage vibe unlike many modern analogs. It has a quirky digital OSC 2 which adds that 'squareish' tone. Also it can be useful for a dawless setup in which you can TRIG the ARP from a drum machine that has trig out.

[@steve--smith]

These are great. Gigged one for 7 years. Rock solid. You can get overdrive Hammond, nice pads, and the unison bass sounds are crisp. Tuning is superb.

[@realestatecult3105]

I remember thinking how restricted this looked when it was first released and now, in the days of mod matrices, it looks even more primitive. Yet it makes some wonderful noises. Makes me think that as you get older, perhaps simplicity is the way to go.

[@neongalaxies5622]

In my opinion, simplicity is always the way to go

[@SacSynths_Jack_Z]

Yeah, I love the Poly-61. It's not for everyone, but it's a great value like the JX-3P.

[@JorbLovesGear]

Great comparison! I have the programmer for my Jx3p, makes it easy to forget the programming is normally a slog.

[@electronicexposure]

oh shit and here you are selling a poly 61. This was my first real synth in 2006, I love the sound of it. Would really like to get another one day.

[@juno6]

Beautiful synth. I´ve bought mine recently (the M version), couple of years ago, and even though I have various analogue polys, I certainly was shocked by its extremely cool 80s sound. For some reason, you can make a variety of sounds that you wouldn´t think it was possible with such a limited range of parameters. But there´s something magical with the bright oscillators and the distorting filter that generates lot of harmonics. The sound is alive.

[@JorbLovesGear]

Well said, I missed it enough to get a second one. Special indeed.

[@matthewcody1757]

I miss my poly 61 very underappreciated synth , I got one here in Australia for $200 in a hock shop in Sydney back around the 2000s , and had it till around 2010 , I then had it stolen ,,, still bummed .

[@JorbLovesGear]

Isn't that the worst, something you're attached to getting taken. Fallen soldiers!

[@rickymangum8977]

Listened to your video on and off while watching tv. lol. Needless to say, I didn't stay focused on your content. However, I just bought a Korg Poly -61. I'm waiting on it to arrive. I have seen so many mixed reviews about the synth so I'm not sure what to expect. I do own a DW8000 and love it. So for me personally, I'm just really into making sound, collecting synths and I hope this brings some pleasure to the ears. Keep up the good work. Peace.

[@JorbLovesGear]

I really do love the sounds of the Poly 61, hope you enjoy it! Cheers and thank you.

[@stevester7840]

thanks so much for this vid. I found it really hard to find quality videos about this synth and this was such exactly what I was looking for. Found a local Poly 61 for 400 but have been apprehensive on buying. This vid finally made my decision on passing, thanks bro

[@JorbLovesGear]

Happy to share the information, that's exactly the goal. I'm sure else who watches might come up the opposite conclusion!

[@reginaldbowls7180]

dude 400 is a steal

[@stevester7840]

@@reginaldbowls7180 it really is but 400 is a lot for me right now haha

[@reginaldbowls7180]

@@stevester7840 it sux that it takes money to make money eh?

[@stevester7840]

@@reginaldbowls7180 *communism intensifies*

[@sentimental7167]

This was all I wanted to know - thanks!

[@valley_robot]

My first synth , I paid 30.00 uk for it , loved it but sold it to my friend for the same price I bought it for as he was more of a synth head than I was at the time (90s) it was very easy to program , I think people didn’t like it because it had buttons instead of knobs , but it worked fine , pissing about with the filter cutoff is so cliche anyway , it could store presets and back them up to tape , I made a record for a shitty little label in the early 90s and this was part of my one man band , I used it’s arp quite a lot in conjunction with my crappy zoom 234 drum machine and my guitar to create simple dark songs that I sang and performed as a one man band in Manchester England in the early 90s , last time I heard the recordings it sounded pretty good , but that was 20 years ago

[@JorbLovesGear]

High key, I really miss my 61, great sounds. Just not a good fit! Nice to hear these things got use on actual projects of the time, exciting to think about them being new.

[@kiko1935]

Aaaahhhh! We need more videos like this in the synth world! Not just the ones who praise a synth and drive up the prices but ones that highlight synths that MIGHT NOT BE WORTH IT. I wish I had seen a Korg Dw8000 version of this video before I went for one lol. After watching your video it's clear that Korg was very guilty of the low resolution parameters bc the DW8000 had the same thing which bummed me out. Also when you use a programmer to adjust say filter cutoff the parameter changes are NOT smooth at all. This basically kills any live performance aspect of a synth for me (not just cutoff but that is an issue). And regarding the Poly61, wow, not being able to mix the volume of both osc is very lame. Old Korg did a lot of weird stuff like this which made me take them less seriously than Roland or Yamaha. All that being said, man this poly61 sounds great 😅 but I understand the frustration. It would be great if you did a video for every mildly obscure synth that exists so people on Reverb can get the honest take. Great work, subscribed

[@fmoll8748]

nice production quality and sound demonstration.

[@JorbLovesGear]

Thank you! Love filling in the story on these middle ground keyboards

[@Michael_Smith-Red_No.5]

Interesting. I like the way this sounds, but the lack of MIDI, combined with the interface. . .yeah. I agree with you there. When you showed a close up of the parameter matrix, I looked over at my Poly-800, and noticed that it has a deeper programming architecture (to my surprise.)

[@JorbLovesGear]

Next synth I plan to talk about is the ex800, exact same architecture as the poly-800. Just a weird one that is!

[@Michael_Smith-Red_No.5]

@@JorbLovesGear Yeah, the oscillators (and fewer of them) all sharing the same filter is a bit of a downer. And the lack of an internal back up battery is uncool. Still, it sounds interesting. Don't regret buying mine! And, it looks retro af, complete with guitar strap pegs. Yessss.--->talking about the Poly-800.

[@davelordy]

​@@Michael_Smith-Red_No.5 _"And the lack of an internal back up battery is uncool"_ You can solder one onto the main board in a couple of minutes,

[@Michael_Smith-Red_No.5]

@@davelordy If one has the equipment and experience in soldering, yes. Otherwise, I'm leaving it to someone else.

[@Tomkarshner]

If your studio is running Logic you don’t need midi, you can edit timing and input. I have one and it’s a very useful instrument. Good luck and have fun

[@jonclyne2918]

Thanks for your comments on the clone board replacement. It isn't cheap but does provide a quick avenue to getting a badly damaged board repaired.

[@MitzpatrickFitzsimmons]

Excellent video... thank you! I had one of these 'back in the day' when I played bass in band and loved it. I bought one a few yrs ago from ebay (cheap) and now it has been tossed around so much that it needs repairs (some dead keys and the joysick came loose)... maybe I'll do some research and try to fix it because I really like this synth if only for the nostalgia it brings.

[@JorbLovesGear]

You should look into it! find out if the original battery is still in there, thats a time bomb for issues

[@itsJoel59]

Hi Jorb, how much would you pay for a broken vs functional Poly61 today? Locally they go for 700 minimum in Sweden. Love your videos!! Much love

[@KurtFuller]

Well, these synths sounds great, but nowadays, there are some much more complete, advanced and afordabble analog synths which you can get these kind of sounds and many things more, like a Minilogue or a Deepmind (and many more to come).

[@JorbLovesGear]

Totally agree, I'm a major advocate for the deepmind. Not to say old synths are useless! They can be excellent additions to a set up

[@rachelar]

They have a key contact issue, like the infamous 106 oscillator chips will fail eventually

[@NunyaB1s]

7 settings of resonance... now I know where Yamaha got the idea for 7 steps of feedback in the DX7 ROFL

[@RayyMusik]

1:24 Aaah! Jorb switches that annoying, too loud sequence *off* ! 1:25 Oh no! He switches it *on* again!

[@SyntheticFuture]

Technically still more hands on controls than my D-50 xD Which I will honestly take to the grave unless for some weird reason it becomes a 30.000 USD synth... unlikely though considering it's the most produced synth ever and about as hated as it is loved xD

[@JorbLovesGear]

I would love a full size D-50, i have the boutique D-05...dont think i would notice enough of a difference to warrant the difference in size and price though

[@planedefiler]

If you add a midi kit to a poly 61, does that give it the same midi functionality as a 61m?

[@amonster8mymother]

The poly61 seems to be a DCO/VCO hybrid. Imho.

[@JorbLovesGear]

What makes you say that?

[@amonster8mymother]

@@JorbLovesGear it's two oscillators. One is bco the other si dco but we8rd kinda clocked dxo

[@ZenMountain]

Jorb, what's the difference in sound between the Poly800-EX800 vs the Poly61-Poly61M?? I own a Poly800, which I love, but I'm tempted to get a Poly61M... will there be too much overlap? Thanks!

[@JorbLovesGear]

The poly and ex 800 generate sound totally differently, plus each voice isn't fully articulated its own filter / filter envelope. They're pretty different, I'm a big poly 61 fan

[@Fortreeyseven]

Do you have a bandcamp or anywhere with music you've made? Would love to listen!

[@JorbLovesGear]

Very flattered, but I actually don't have music out anywhere. Maybe I should start making sure to make things available, even just to see myself improve.

[@Fortreeyseven]

@@JorbLovesGear Would love that! Even if its just messing with a new piece of gear I would def listen 👍

[@kylew706]

Thinking about buying one of these tho 🤔 how tough would it be to add midi? I’ve never done that before

[@JorbLovesGear]

Mods exist, probably well documented but require some electronic work & drilling holes. Poly61M are dope, but always more expensive

[@jamesdefrancesco7765]

In 1983 I had a choice between Poly 61 and MemoryMoog. Chose the Poly 61. $900 for either. Didn't know. Oops.

[@JorbLovesGear]

oh my god

[@gcoudert]

As someone who: a. chose a DW8000 over a Jupiter-6 going for the same price and b. swapped the aforementioned DW8000 and a JX8P+ PG800, all in mint condition and with hard cases for a... broken Korg M1, I feel your pain!

[@Nipottaja]

I'm looking to start playing vintage Synthesizers, perhaps this is a good thing for a beginner such as me?

[@JorbLovesGear]

In the price range, definitely IF you can get some assurance that its been worked on. I wouldn't jump in unless you know its had the battery issue handled, and is known to be working well. Could be a big headache if it has issues.

[@Nipottaja]

@@JorbLovesGear Yes, your right. I've been primarily been looking for a JX-3P though as it seems more reliable and has all those 80s polysynth sounds.

[@JorbLovesGear]

@@Nipottaja my 3p had a ton of issues, and was definitely more expensive. Midi implementation is kind of wack if you rely on that, but the sounds were really really great

[@Nipottaja]

@@JorbLovesGear Oh yes, the midi is really early. And well, if it dosent have the hands on controll, then there's less that can fail.

[@80ssynthfan48]

@@Nipottaja Did you get one in the end?

[@vhs.ghost__]

Is that patch arpeggiating at the end a stock preset?

[@JorbLovesGear]

Don't remember! Might be what's on the panel there, 56

[@vhs.ghost__]

@@JorbLovesGear no worries thanks!

[@IamDennisFuller]

How do you Save / Write a sound? I see the write switch in the back, which is on, but I can’t figure out how to actually save it.

[@JorbLovesGear]

That switch is write protect, it determines if you can write over the already saved patches. I believe press the red write button and choose a location

[@matthewseymour-wright6499]

Hi there yall, I'm a little late here but I was wondering if anyone has any thoughts as to whether the poly 61 or the poly 800/ ex-800 would be a better fit for someone who is in search of a first vintage analogue with the intent of using it in a live environment a fair bit, any response would be much appreciated

[@fredkettler938]

In response to your question, I presently own a Midi updated Poly-61(again - was the first poly synth I ever purchased brand new in 1982 and sold it several years later) and I used to own a Poly 800. The 800 has only one oscillator and sounds quite "thin" as compared to the 61, which can produce some very nice fat bass and lovely pads, stabs, and plucky sounds. Somewhat limited yes, but has a unique sound all its own. I also have a Sequential Poly 600, a Roland JP-8000 (digital waveforms), and a KORG mono/poly (what a beast!). The beautiful thing about vintage 80's analog synths is that they all have their own unique sound. I paid around $850 for a fully refurbished Poly-61 two years ago and the technician who I bought it from installed the midi interface for another $250. Unless you have some special place in your heart for this specific synth, you can likely get way more bang for your $$$ with some of the newer analog synths being produced.

[@matthewseymour-wright6499]

​@@fredkettler938 thanks for the responce, your incite will definitely help me as I continue into synthesizers, particularly those of a more vintage persuasion 👍

[@Pamberjack_]

Sounds amazing. Does anyone make a programmer for it? 🤔

[@JorbLovesGear]

Not possible with a stock 61, unfortunately.

[@RegebroRepairs]

Uh, because I think you also had a Polysix, I think I saw in a different video, and this is exactly the same, just not quite as good? :-)

[@JorbLovesGear]

Pretty different! Poly61 has 2 dco's instead of 1vco and a sub. PolySix has chorus phaser & and ensemble as well. And for me, knobs for control is a huge upside over matrix programming.

[@RegebroRepairs]

@@JorbLovesGear Yeah, the Ensemble was a big loss. They should have kept that on the Poly61, and it would have been a lot better. The Poly61 is a sort of weird halfway synth for me. I get the matrix programming on the Poly-800, that one was really just trying to make the cheapest possibly poly synth, and I can respect that, even if it's not very good. The Poly61 is just, "meh", I guess. It's OK, but lacks that special something. Which of course, is why it's reasonably cheap as vintage gear goes.

[@JorbLovesGear]

@@RegebroRepairs exactly right, the hurdles keep it affordable. Still has excellent sounds!

[@GaitaPonto]

the arpeggiator thing wasn't your best idea.

[@karl9411]

My first synth ,sold it for 50 quid .Dam

[@JorbLovesGear]

Always time to get another!

[@kierenmoore3236]

Underappreciated and underrated are not alternatives, as your title would suggest … It is both, or neither (I’d suggest neither).

[@We.Are.Lockhart]

I would consider a DW-6000 to be better value for money compared to the Poly-61.

[@JorbLovesGear]

I'm inclined to agree, but havent tried one. Definitely different

[@amonster8mymother]

Legowelt breaks the joystick so you have a second lfo.

[@JorbLovesGear]

I've seen some mods to accomplish the same thing, decouple it from the joystick. Damn, that makes me want one again lol.

[@amonster8mymother]

@@JorbLovesGear yea it's just a spring.

[@amonster8mymother]

Watch Kebu he has one.

[@amonster8mymother]

Actually think he takes the spring off so not exactly breaking it.

[@stefpir]

@@amonster8mymother yes he does that. very easy to do and can be done on several other poly of the same period

[@christdolphin69]

ahaha heheh haheh hah ahehhe

[@Pod-e4m]

Sounds dull, I can understand why your selling it...

[@Tomkarshner]

If your studio is running Logic you don’t need midi, you can edit timing and input. I have one and it’s a very useful instrument. Good luck and have fun