I also have over 10 WAV files including program data which can be loaded into a Poly-800 if you’ve got an audio cable connecting your computer’s sound card to the Poly-800 (under $5 from Radio Shack, not included).Īdditionally, I have included sysex patch transfer software for Macintosh OS9, OSX, and PC (I don’t have a Poly-800 any more, so I can’t test it) as well as some data in sysex format.
As a former owner and programmer of the Korg Poly-800, I made PDFs of the User Manual, Program List (including not just the names of patches, but all the settings), and MDK ROM sheet (that’s the rare ROM upgrade that allows first generation Poly-800 keyboard synthsesizers to transmit patch data via Sysex). It also was relatively inexpensive and could play either 4 or 8 voices of polyphony depending upon whether one used one or two oscillators to make a sound. It was the first synthesizer manufactured with MIDI onboard, so it was a popular controller for other synthesizers. The Korg PS-800 was widely popular under its nickname, the Poly-800.
Includes: 500+ Patches, Librarians, Manual, Program List, Mod Info, more
Please note, we cannot accept a return on a kit once an attempt has been made to install it.Vintage Synth Rescue Kit: Korg Poly-800/EX-800 If you want to pay using some other method, please get in touch via the CONTACT page. Payments are processed via Paypal, but you can pay using a credit or debit card without having a Paypal account. They can be quickly loaded into a MDK equipped poly800 via a midi utility program like MidiOX
There is every possibility that Korg fixed this issue with this OS release, although we cannot say this with absolute certainty as is difficult to claim a fault isn't there when you aren't 100% sure how to reliably force it to happen!īelow are a couple of Poly800 mkI sound banks that we have found on the net as WAV files, and have converted into midi sysex files via this mod. We have not been able to replicate this bug using the updated operating system used in this mod. The original operating system on the Poly800 mkI has a known bug in it that can cause parts, or all of the sound memory to be erased under specific circumstances involving certain midi operations. Installation is quick and easy, although you will need to cut a couple of PCB tracks and solder in a few wires.
Notes - Use this guide if you are buying now. Wire colour sequence: RED, BLACK, YELLOW, BLUE, GREEN, WHITE, GREY, BROWN The CURRENT V3 build guide can be downloaded HERE, Wire colour sequence: RED, BLACK, YELLOW, GREEN, BLUE, WHITE, BROWN, GREY The V2 build guide can be downloaded HERE,
Notes - unless you have an old kit that was never installed you'll probably need a later guide version Wire colour sequence: RED, BLACK, YELLOW, WHITE, GREEN, BLUE, GREY, ORANGE The original build guide can be downloaded HERE, If you're just checking out how easy this is to install you can use any of them, but to avoid any confusion later on its probably best to go with the latest V3 one. As you will see when you read the guide, this is important. They are all identical apart from the colour order of the wires. This kit consists of an updated operating system in the form of the POLY MDK EPROM chip, a small MDK PCB, a couple of PCB mounts, and an eight way wiring loom.ĭue to the fact that the chinese sellers we buy the wiring looms from seem to be incapable of sending us cables with the same colour sequence of wires more than twice in a row, we now have three different versions of the build guide. The fact it has no keyboard and so therefore didn't need the keyboard scanning routines in the operating system, gave Korg some extra space to add the facility for sysex transfer. The EX800 already has the ability to transfer data over sysex. The original Poly800 mkI's only allowed you to save and load sounds from cassette, like on early home computers, although WAV or mp3 recordings of the audio data played from your computer also work once you've figured out the correct levels. What is does is allow you to load and dump the entire patch memory to and from your synth and your computer via midi system exclusive (sysex) data. The Korg Poly800 MDK was an upgrade kit for the Poly800 mkI that Korg released for what seems like about 20 minutes in the late 80's.