AL-1 vs King Korg

[danatkorg]

Yeah I A/B'd some samples I made of my JX10 with the actual JX recently. Most JX factory sounds have some chorus on them. I remember the Polysix chorus helping a lot, trying to get the sound closer, even if they're not the same. The Polysix chorus has that stepping thing going on that the JX doesn't. Still, they give off similar vibes. And my soundtrack pad (was the original from the JX10 or does the 8P have it too?) definitely has chorus.

PS to further enhance the soundtrack pad, put a really really slow triangle LFO as AMS source for the filter cutoff frequency. Keep it very low so it stays subtle.

Note that my intent with this exercise was not to create polished sounds, but rather to explore the "vintage" sounds of the AL-1 in simple, discrete steps.

And yes, the JX Soundtrack patch definitely has chorus. I think I did a version of this for the Wavestation SR, long ago...

[QuiRobinez]

Note that my intent with this exercise was not to create polished sounds, but rather to explore the "vintage" sounds of the AL-1 in simple, discrete steps.

yes, that was exactly what i was waiting for , thanks for your insight and tutorials on this area, i'm going to check it out this evening.

Would it be a wise idea that you start a new thread with your tutorial? I think a lot of people will miss your usefull information when it's burried in this thread.

[danatkorg]

I should add that I'm sure at first I'll make mistakes, leave things out, or take unnecessary side-trips; hopefully with feedback those can be ironed out. For instance, looking at it now I should include more info about why I've taken certain steps (the detuning, the drive, etc.).

SanderXpander, I appreciate your comments, and thinking about it I do agree that it would be good to include an example of what a simple chorus will do to the sound. I just want to avoid delving into effects in general.

[danatkorg]

Note that my intent with this exercise was not to create polished sounds, but rather to explore the "vintage" sounds of the AL-1 in simple, discrete steps.

yes, that was exactly what i was waiting for , thanks for your insight and tutorials on this area, i'm going to check it out this evening.

Would it be a wise idea that you start a new thread with your tutorial? I think a lot of people will miss your usefull information when it's burried in this thread.

Maybe that would be a good idea...

[jimknopf]

Thanks for the effort, Dan!

To me the whole issue is not a "vs." thing anyway. I just have not been successful in getting vintage sounds from AL-1 so far. So I am curious to learn more about this engine.

I will follow your tutorial, and if I find the time, perhaps do the same steps on other synths to compare results.

It would be great to continue with other waveforms (besides saw) later on, especially square and pulse.

[SanderXpander]

I don't mean to muddle the thread, I'm really grateful for the time and effort you're spending here! I just got a bit carried away I guess

[Vlad_77]

Folks, seriously, this effort from Dan is absolutely fantastic. How many official reps on any board have taken the time to respond and create a rather detailed tutorial? Of the "Big Four", only two of them have gone to such lengths and I really am blown away by their dedication to us. So Dan and RichF from Korg, a hearty thank you. Also, even if he doesn't read this, a big thank you to Dave Weiser - formerly of Kurzweil who has started his own business - who has been there for Kurz musicians!

Korg and Kurzweil got our money, but people like Dan, Rich, and Dave went the proverbial extra mile and the other two big manufacturers should really take a page from their books.

Thank you again Dan!

Best,
Vlad

[levioter]

Thanks a lot Dan !

I think (if I can make a suggestion) that what is really crucial in the "Vintage" analog synths sound is the filter.
It may be useful to have tips on the AL-1 filter programming also.

Thanks for spending time to share with us your skill.

Cheers

[curvebender]

Thank you very much Dan!

Nice and informative.

It would be just fantastic if you could do a few more tutorials about creating vintage sounds with the AL-1. (Yes I know, finding the time...)

Again, thanks!

[jeremykeys]

Dan, as a Korg player from the early 70's. I still have my Univox Minikorg; serial number 0293; I think you rock! Helping us the way you do is just fantastic! Thank you very much!

Jeremykeys

[MortenJ]

Adding a Polysix chorus as IFX also helps a lot with the vintage vibe, especially on a patch like that soundtrack pad. It's not really identical to the JX chorus but has a similar vibe.

PS also, thanks, Dan, will try some of these when I get back home in a week or two.

I deliberately stayed away from effects, thinking of the mini, Prophet, and Jupiters, but you're right that choruses were used to fatten things up on various budget and mid-level polysynths such as the Polysix and Poly61, Junos, and JX models. I still have an MKS-70 in my rack, btw, and for many years used a JX-8P.

And Elka Synthex also have Chorus

[SanderXpander]

Without trying to be pretentious, I consider myself a decent synthesist when it comes to subtractive. Yet some of the finer points about AL1 still elude me. Perhaps I need more practice with it, I haven't exactly spent hours experimenting, usually my needs are very specific and if I can't find a sound with one engine I'll move on and try it from a different angle - Polysix has been surprisingly rewarding in this respect, considering how limited it is.

If you're going to make this into a separate thread, I would ultimately enjoy a slightly more advanced section too. Particularly the effects of waveshaping available on certain oscillator types and using the multifilter to mimic other filters are still tricky to me.
Or maybe I should just read the manual