knudsen@ihwpt.UUCP (mike knudsen) (12/03/85)
I have pretty much narrowed down my synthesizer search to the Akai AX-80 and Korg DW-8000. These keyboards are very similar in features offered and general philosophy. Both are 8-voice with velocity keyboard (Korg also has after touch) and use analog filtering. I'd like to hear opinions and did-you-know-this types of facts that may have been overlooked in the stores. My impression is that the Korg is more powerful in the long run, but the Akai is much easier to fool with the patches, at least at first. (I think someone already posted that opinion.) The Korg starts with a greater variety of waveforms, but the Akai is limited to the good ole basic pulse & sawtooth. Since the salesmen at the store with the Korg didn't know much about it, I have some specific questions about the DW-8000: Can you easily shift the VCOs up or down an octave? Useful, and easy on the Akai. Can you shift one VCO up by octaves and other intervals? A nice Akai feature. Can you detune the two VCOs by a little bit to get celeste & chorus on the Korg? The presets sure sound like it, but I didn't see how to do it myself. (OK, I need more time in the store!) How long does that little home-computer joystick last (used for bending & modulations)? Can that digital delay do flanging or reverb? Seemed awful hard to control. Akai doesn't have it. Can the Korg store your own patches somewhere? Do they overwrite the factory patches? How much do you Korg owners use the arpeggiator? How many users of each are there out there? Like to swap patches? The Korg manual, which I saw only briefly, seems very clear. Someone said the Akai manual stank. The Korg's calypso steel drums are worth the trip to the music store (No. 44). In theory I like the Korg better, but I feel more at home and in control with the AX80. Could this just be from having more time, and a better salesman, on the AX80? Please post or email responses; thanks, mike k PS: The store with the Korg wants $850. He let his last AX-80 go for $690!!