Conference napalm::commusic_v1

RE: .0

   As compared to normal list, yeah - it's a good price alright.  Make
   sure you get (IN WRITING) how much memory the thing has in it. You can
   upgrade memory in these dudes.  For all you know, they may have
   stripped the thing, and you're getting 64K.  &*} 

   Seriously, I'd check it out.  The DSS-1 has some REAL decent samples. 

brad_who_can't_believe_he_just_recommended_a_korg

Hi,

Depends on where your buying it.  The dealers are now selling them new
for about that price so it's not that good a deal if your looking at a
used one.   Daddy's in Boston had them for $1525 last week.  A salesman
at Union Music said they were mail ordering out of N.Y. for $1450 although
I've never seen the add myself.

Personally I think it's a good price and would probably go for it. I have one
and like it very much. I can tell you the pros/cons.  Actually I'm surprised
there's not more discussions on these in this notes file. While I'm certianly
no synth giant, the dss seems as good as a lot of the units people discuss
here. My biggest complaint is the lousy samples which come out of Korg. They
certianly don't go out of their way to show off the instrument. I've had no
trouble with my unit in the 9 months I've owned it and have a lot of disks your
welcome to copy If you decide to get it. If you buy one from a dealer don't any
the upgrades until you find out how you want to use the instrument. It could
cost you big bucks and maybe when you understand its limitations you may decide
against it. 

Good Luck,
Frank

< Note 1038.3 by HPSCAD::GATULIS >
>                                 -< go for it >-
        I did. :{)
        Got another couple hundred off though in addition to getting about
        30 Korg disks and a bunch of accessories.  It helps to know the dealer
        cost (which I did after talking directly to Korg.)
                
>My biggest complaint is the lousy samples which come out of Korg. They
>certianly don't go out of their way to show off the instrument. 
        I agree completely; I was quite unimpressed with the majority of the
        samples.  I did like the Indian disk.
        
>If you buy one from a dealer don't any the upgrades ...
        Which upgrades?  Korg has a 2 Meg memory upgrade and SCSI disk 
        interface coming out this month.
        
        I'll have to send you mail about the disk offer.  Thanks.
        
        Robert
        

< re:1038.4  Just in time for christmas >

1. The indian disk is very good.  Actually there a lot of good sounds
   around, the problem is sorting them out and pulling together the ones
   you want.

2. Unless you know synths ahead of time (I did not) you'll find the DSS
   manual next to useless.  It spends a lot of time telling you how to
   operate the controls but doesn't do much in the way of telling you
   what the effect of different things have on musical sound or when
   you would want to apply them.  There's also a lot of subtle parameter
   interraction which they don't discuss.  I put lots of hours into
   figuring out how to operate the instrument. I get better all the time
   but there's still a lot I can't appreciate.  I'd be happy to let
   you borrow a book I bought, think it's called "Everything you need
   to know about the DSS-1".  Coupled with the Korg manual, it's a useful
   way to become familiar with the instrument.

3. I was curious, what did Korg say was the dealers cost? One dealer told
   me $1200 but I have no idea if he was pulling my leg.  The disk prices
   are all over the place. When I last checked, Wurlitzer was getting either
   $10 or $15 each depending on the store, Union music in Worcester was $20
   and they've dropped em' to $10. Daddys in Boston has always sold them
   for $6 but they're they don't seem to get new offerings for months after
   the other places.

4. As far as the upgrade goes it's a pretty long story. The basic upgrade
   to the machine (Korg says at about $500). Doubles the standard memory
   (takes you to 512K), haves the load time of the floppy, gives you the
   scuzzy interface and a generally upgraded Exec. You can buy additional
   memory up to 2meg in 512k chunks (about $100 per 512k according to Korg).
   Before you lay out the bucks there are several things to consider:

   a. If you just want to use the instrument as a plug and play synth, the
      machine probably has adequate memory as is.

   b. If you like to build systems with longer sampled sounds more memory
      and the faster load time will be desireable. The real issue is how
      much memory?  You really have to look at their data and memory
      architecture to see what's possible.  The basic upgrade to 512k
      is not a coincidence (I don't think).  The 512k will fill a whole
      floppy so if you go above that I think your forced into buying
      a scuzzy drive if you want to save what you loaded. There was no
      mention of chaining floppies. Now your into the bucks. 

   c. Another cost saving: the initial upgrade includes installation of
      a socketed memory expansion card. I think I'd do my own expansions
      after the initial upgrade. Chips are cheap and i'm sure they 
      autoconfigure or have a simple jumper scheme for more memory.

   d. Blank disks.... Don't have the number here now but I buy blank floppies
      in bulk (multiples of 50) for $.90 each. That's a good buy, they're
      Sony, double sided double density. 

Best of luck with your new toy. If I can be of any help give me a call.

Frank Gatulis
Dtn 297-6770
 

    It's been more than a year since this note was started. Does anybody
    have any up to date information on the price of a new DSS-1? How
    much should one pay/expect to pay on a used one? Recently I saw
    an ad in the WANT ADS (this past Tuesday's) for a Korg DSS-1. They
    wanted $1290 firm for it I believe. The ad read that it  was "new",
    which I don't know if I really believe. Anybody got the real story
    out there?
    
    Mike D

    
    Mike, I would have bought a new one for $1300 if I wanted one. I
    did look closely at it. I liked the EPS better, myself, although
    it is about 1K more with all the trimmins...
    
    /pjh