Well, small bet with me dj day public ...

A "big bte" of 20 kg, with a conventional keyboard with 5 octaves VLOC and monophonic aftertouch, joystick and expensive Korg (quite handy when you are used) controlling the pitch bend and / or the filter cutoff and LFO X DCO and VCF of the Y In passing, note that even if the keyboard is noisy and rev hard enough, the aftertouch is extremely well calibrated and provides a lot of nuances, which is not the case for all machines.
He sampled 12-bit mono up to 48 kHz, but with a rev limit memory (256 Kwords). It possde 8-voice polyphony with 2 oscillators per voice, and it is unfortunately "monotimbral" (it rpond on a single MIDI channel, and analog processing is the same for all samples rpart on the keyboard). The internal memory can store 32 patches, and disk 4 "Systmes" of 32 patches each.
It allows, in addition to the Sampling, the 128-harmonic synthse additive and even the design of waveforms (a fawn inconvenient, I admit). Above all, it possde part synthse subtractive high quality:
- COD 2 (containing the waveform samples, or drawings synthtises) synchronization and detune (the PWM is accessible by intermdiaire of sync), they can RESOLUTION be lowered from 12 up to 6 bits (rare!)
- 1 VCF (analog) 12/24 dB rsons
- 2 LFOs (one for COD and one for the VCF)
- 2 envelopes 6 paramtres (ADBSSR), one for the VCF and one for the VCA and the decay of gnrateur envelope VCA has its own "keyboard tracking"
- 1 gnrateur ramp for COD
- VLOC can modulate the self-bend, the cutoff of the VCF, VCA, the times of the two envelopes, or even switch between the two COD
- Aftertouch can control the intensity of the LFO, VCF cutoff or VCA.
- There is a single mode where you can rgler the number of oscillators and detune stack
- An equalizer bass / treble
- 2 dlais numriques (DDL) ranging up to 500 ms, configurable SERIES or parallle with feedback and LFO 2 indpendants (reverse-phase switchable) modulating the harsh . Necessary for All make wonderful chorus / flanger "av the hands" ... is a signature of the DSS-1.
Custom settings via a system that is ditables menu srigraphis, two sliders and a Data Entry rtroclair LCD 2 lines of 16 characters.
For transfers, I used the Sound Designer on the Atari era, but Sample Vision should work on PC.
If I score 5 / 10 Part Sampling and 9 / 10 the rest, my bill will not surprise you ...

UTILIZATION

I think we must distinguish the party Sampling (synthse and additive) and Part synthse subtractive ...
The particulirement Sampling is not easy: it is mandatory to save on disk all the samples one at a time before recharging for rpart on the keyboard in a "multi-sound", o need several diskettes and waste of time ... If you want to make synthse additive must manually edit each harmonic on the small LCD screen, and if you want to draw a waveform, you dbrouillez to move the data-entry from vumtre one that tells you the progress in the time axis of the waveform ... Ttonnements guaranteed, but rsultats INTERESTED!
As against the synthse is a subtractive rgal, even if you would like to have "real buttons" when Ms.! All parameters are srigraphis and end up in land well known! However, as pointed out amnesie1, the order by Systm dcevante is often exclusive.

SOUNDS

Sampling the game? Uh ... He should have said that the Korg reconstruction filters, there is! So a lot of aliasing, a sound "dirty" (and worse by reducing the manually RESOLUTION D / A converter) which can be trs INTERESTED some styles. Nothing to see, for example with his contemporary the S-50, we are more in the register Prophet 2000.
For cons, the association of additive and subtractive synthses is a killer ... A style you sound PPG (missing only the wavetable). Many wave forms provided for the original synthse are taken from the DW-8000, but attacking a filter even better.
The filter, precisely: Fully analog, it is my opinion the best Korg has ever included in a synth. 12/24 dB, a rsonance trs cool, and its standard. It is certainly the same (an obscure NJM 2069 made by Korg) as the Poly-800 (1 and 2), DW (6000 and 8000) and DSM-1, but on the DSS-1, they have to least bothered to cbler all the pins! On Poly and DW, they left out 12 dB in the air, and the DSM-1 (rack version), they simply between the religious order of the rsonance mass (no comment ...).
The dlais numriques trs are used and also allow to obtain chorus thick and alive. The PWM is "mulable" by lasynchro oscillators (hint available on the excellent site http://glenstegner.com/dss1/home.html). This will be fun for lead sounds. Put the mono bte, stack the 16 oscillators, detune the rglez between voice and take cover your speakers ...
I know for example trs few post-1980 machines able to reproduce correctly some prs pure synthse the famous string sound of the VP-330 (immortalized by Vangelis), and the DSS-1 is they l (thank you to the DDL!). And you do not have the problem of the single envelope of the VP ... Even better, the brass sound of the above-named CS80 is also reproducible with a beautiful grain (not so far from the original that I know for jou above).
Clearly, if you want a sampler of high quality go your way (especially with 256 Kwords of RAM!). If instead the synthse you are passionate and more you intend to process samples with an original and made trs "vintage", go for it head down ...

OVERALL OPINION

I possde this machine since its release (late 1986), and I must say it is still a special place in my home studio (including physical, unfortunately!). I use it almost exclusively for his part synthse, which gives me trs beautiful tablecloths, trs for lead sounds and powerful, electric pianos and "the DW-8000" friendly. As for the Sampling, its ct "vintage" is INTERESTED in the Mellotron sounds, among others fltes.
The least? Trs a memory limit, a lack of buttons, and a conviviality trs approximate sampler for the part.
In résumé if you want a cheap machine (for how much longer?) That allows you exploded on synthse and sampled more, go ahead! For me it's probably among the very best in analog synthse outside the "SRES values" that everyone rightly connate. Anyway, I will not sell mine ...
PS The DSM-1 is quite DIFFERENT. It possde 16 voice polyphony with a single oscillator per channel (not sync oscillators in passing) and a true 4-channel multitimbral, but the filter is not rsons, especially there no DDL, making it a completely different machine, so if you do not confuse your most interested by the ct synthse ...