Junkie XL On The Korg PolySix Synthesizer

In his latest Gear Of The Week video, composer Tom Holkenborg, aka Junkie XL, shares his thoughts on the Korg Polysix and explains why he used it on his most recent soundtrack, for Distance Between Dreams.

The Korg PolySix was one of the first wave of affordable 80’s polyphonic analog synthesizers. It offered a single oscillator per voice, but chorus, phaser, & ensemble effects, along with a sub-oscillator, allow it to create richer sounds.

If you’ve used the Korg PolySix, leave a comment and let us know what you think of it!

19 thoughts on “Junkie XL On The Korg PolySix Synthesizer

  1. Short but you don’t need a lot of time with the polysix to feel its character. Every time I turn it on I’m in outer space with a stupid grin on my face after just a few minutes of knob turning.

  2. Junkie XL, I got a lot of love for you man, but you really need to spend more time on these videos. Explain more than one or two features. You obviously know a great deal about synthesizers in general, and I’m sure the PolySix, so give us something to chew on. This feels dumbed down.

    1. Seriously? .. Junkie XL is just slightly busy these days actually working on world-class projects and making huge bank with his synths, not dicking around doing product demos.

  3. I’ve owned five or six Polysixes since they were first released, and it still is my all time fav. Toyday I have the virtual versions for Reason and for IOS, which have more capability andfar less cost than the original. Still, I would own another for sentimental value.

    1. I’ve had a couple of real Polysix, and used the VSTi version. The software versions are good, digital synths with some nice sound but are nothing like the real thing in the depth, weight and feel. I class them as almost different synths. The ‘fake’ polysix’s sound more like emulations of any generic synth, the real synth is a discreet VCO monster with some of the best filters in the world.

  4. Ouch how lame. Almost any synth can run arpeggios and almost all of them have a filter sweep knob. That is hardly something unique to Polysix. I think he uses the occasion to show off his humongous wall of modular synths. Why would anyone need so much of them? Oh I know… modulars don’t have patch memory, so you need one for every patch you want to keep. Not kidding.

  5. Chaps, Mr XL isn’t saying, “This synth has an arpeggiator and a filter — wowsers!”. He’s just letting you listen to the sound it makes, and a jolly nice sound it is too.

  6. With a room full of such fine audio equipment and electronic instruments I have to wonder why these people can not see the value in a darn lav mic.

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