Korg Delta

Ease of use is reasonably easy. I have a few synths so was already familiar with how to use it, I imagine that it is quite easy to pick up having read some of the other reviews.

Polyphonic, split outputs for the synth and string sounds which is so appreciated - well done Korg, this allows you to mix your own blend of synth and string.

very expressive, the joystick is superb. I use this for getting 80's string sounds mostly but if it wasn't for my other synths I would use this for synths sounds more as well. It's a great all rounder which can be used as a dedicated string machine.

Incredible, maybe if you soaked it in a vat of Coca~Cola it might rust a bit, but I bet if it was dried out it would still work.

no need as yet.

I think I paid a little more than previous posters in this forum, but it's a minimal increase and I suppose these things do eventually start to rise in price the older and scarcer they get. Would try and get one again. One of my mates has been looking for a while so if anyone has one kicking around and isn't using it please put it on ebay.
I've been playng around with synths for the last 15 or so years and have the usuals; juno 106, a Farfisa, Nord modular, Yamaha DX7 Emu EK4 and a load of dusty old effects pedals.

Incredibly easy to use, if your new to analog synths and are looking for a way in then this is the one to get, (if you can find one!).

When you consider it's year of manufacture then the features are fab. Fully Polyphonic with some great filtering. I really like the joystick control which really makes you feel your connected to the sounds that your producing. Stereo out so you can split the synth and string sounds is very useful, this makes the creation of layered sounds a doddle.

Amazing Bass sounds and you can dirty up with some white noise if you want. I like the 80's string sound - never recreated effectively on a digital machine. I've used it to record some cheesy 80's style as well as used it live doing some really offensive and dirty Primal Scream tracks from the XTRMNTR album.

It's built like a tank; been knocked over on stage twice - just put it back on the stand and carried on. Awesome.

It's from '79 so I don't know + I've never needed to.

If it were lost or stolen I would try to source another one although it's hard as not many people want to get rid of them. I've been playing for about 10 years and have had many synths and modern bits of kit; novation bass station, a minimoog, juno 106, ARP Odyssey, Roland TR 505, Roland RE201 Space Echo, Korg X5D, Electro Harmonix Bass Synth Pedal, Akai samplers, Yamaha SU10 and other bits and bobs that I forget over the years.

The thing with the delta is you know where you stand with it, it's honest to God analog synth. Comapre it to the Fender Telecaster - pur, simple and gets the job done reliably and its almost indestructable.

For someone who's used to old synths, There are no difficulties what so ever

It's one of the first polyphonics. Not perfect but if you use it for strings, it's OK.

Sounds are 80's. There's no way anything digital can replace that analog feeling. It was build in the 80's, it sounds like the 80's.

Drive over it with a truck... the Delta will still work.

NA

I'm playing synths from back in the 70's. Those vintage things cannot be replaced for me. Like balanced keys are a good thing but the old stuff didn't care about that... they are old, don't expect features that were not available at that time. No MIDI, don't care, one can play without you know! Only difference with today is e.g. on the 1977 YES tour, Rick Wakeman had to have at least 12 keyboards to get the different sounds quickly, now one keyboard is enough to do even more than that.... Depends on what you like

I found this so easy to use, I was impressed on how fast I was able to learn how to use it. Mine came without a manual, yet I found customizaton to be very simple.

What I love most is the cutoff frequency slider, I you can produce a lot of envelope effects without an external lowpass filter(it comes with one).

I use the synth more than the string function, and I found it Ideal for playing house music in a live band setting. Good key response.

Very trustworthy, I've performed several times in my band with the Delta alone.

If I lost it I would upgrade, yet I've developed an affection for it and
it's sound has been recieved well on the San Francisco scene.
Definately a good basic analog synth, with no fuss it's an Ideal used synth buy, yet don't pay too much for it.

As easy to use as they come

This is a very stripped down analog synth. Pretty short on features. Clunky action too. Everyone here paid way too much for this brick. I came here looking for ballpark price figures for reselling, and looks like I may be able to quadruple or more my investment of $40!

Although short on features, you can still squeeze some pretty cool sounds out of this model. Especially bass sounds.

26 years, looks like it fell off a truck and got run over by another truck, and still ticking. Gotta give a high reliability rating. Is a tank, pretty much.

Pitch sometimes goes a bit unstable. I guess that is common with pure analog synths. Right?

I own a Roland Juno-60, which blows this Korg out of the water, and I plan to acquire an Edirol (Roland) midi controller keyboard.

Does it help with music or get in the way? The simplicity of this machine definately helps with creative process.

Anything else I would like to share? How about some body fluids!

Very easy. Self explaining structure. All parameters have individual sliders, knobs or switches on the surface.

Full polyphonic with frequency-divider technology. If you press too many keys the sound will loose its punch a little bit but this is due to this technology. The Harmonic sliders are good for creating different harmonic spectres - much better as this was made in the Poly-800

Very rich overtone-spectre, good Korg filters. Great EQ in the string section. Joystick for precise modulations.
Not a babe for all sounds but if you have some other synths this is a unique addition to your equipment

I have it new but i think i can. It's in a very well condition and everything looks and feels like solid work

This machine was built in 1979 so i am not shure. It shouldn't be a problem to get a switch diagramm in case of failure

Yep

If you have any understanding of subtractive synthesis at all, this will be a breeze. Even if you don't, because of the simple layout and functionality, you'll figure it out quickly.

I don't know what is going on with most reviews of this product, but here is one of it's great points: It uses divide-down oscillator technology... yes, it's the same employed by combo organs (and by the PolyMoog, for that matter), but the outcome is this: Full Polyphony. All of the notes on the Delta can play at once. I know this post is in conflict with other reviews, and I don't know why that is... maybe people don't expect it to be fully polyphonic... if you have one, try it and see. Just start going up the scale from the bottom... it works.
No effects.
No expansion.
No MIDI.
No sequencer.
If you want those things, you're looking at the wrong device.

Every noise this device makes is realistic... because they're all 100% analog synthesizer. (unless you're really looking for the string section to sound like true strings... and heck, good luck with the best synth available today in that respect) There are no presets... you play what you made when you turned the knobs, or slid the sliders. It would work for any style of music that sounds great with analog synths. If you're a techno, etc. person... you're probably not going to like it as much because it isn't MIDI, has no sequencer, and has to be PLAYED MANUALLY.
The keys are surprisingly springy... the feel is much more bouncy than even my Moogs.
There is no velocity or aftertouch... once again, if you're looking for that, you're barking up the wrong tree.

As far as I know, the one I just bought has never been serviced... apart from a broken volume knob, the thing works fantastically, and I get the impression they're pretty tough.
As for using it in a gig without backup... I'll probably have no choice, but it's always a good idea to have a backup when using analog synths on stage.

In 1979, I'm sure there was a great deal of support for it.

If you want fully polyphonic vintage analog sound for a very low price which has a nice variety of tonal possibility and a wonderful filter, not to mention a joystick controller that will not only control pitch but also VCF, MG (very simple LFO), and noise modulation... how can you NOT be SLAVERING over the mere mention of this device? For the price, it cannot be beat. People think these things are worthless... and if you're a DJ, they probably are... but if you're a musician looking for polyphonic analog sound and can't afford a Polymoog, Memorymoog, or even an Opus 3... get this.

No presets and very very easy to use. No editors due to the age and type of synth. No manual but I don't think I'll ever need it.

4 note poly using divide down technology although the string section seems to play more at times. There's no effects and has absolutely no expansion, Midi, velocity, aftertouch and sequencing.

The machines sounds are a mixed bag. The string section is aweful but passable with outboard FX. The synth section is simple but can produce some excellent bass and leads. Mixing it with the string sections can create some passable pads. I can't find a Midi retrofit so it's used as sample fodder. Its synth is limited to only one waveform (Sine, I think) but is still able to produce some interesting sounds.

I got mine in poor condition. I had been trying to get the DELTA, LAMBDA and SIGMA for my collection (I've got them all now) and jumped at the chance of one. Some of the linear pots had the stalks broken off and the keyboard wouldn't play the F/F# throughout the keyboard. I've dabbled with repairing synths and found that one of the three key divider ic's had failed (AMI S10430). I've found a replacement but it wasn't cheap. Would never gig it as it's pretty useless compared to say, my JP6. All the pots do work though but are pretty worn. Still its obviously been used for gigging. It still works so I'm happy.

Korg (UK) have been excellent in the past with my other analogues. However, they have been less than helpful with this machine. I suppose they can't support product indefinitely but they can't provide even a service manual or photocopy. I've sent them other correspondence since with no answer. I'm STILL waiting!

I'm a synth fanatic so I'd be upset if any of my collection was nicked, but its the one that I could live without. My collection at present not including HDrecs/efx/outboard/mixers/PC's etc, Roland JP6, Juno106, Korg Polysix, Poly800, Delta, Lambda, Sigma, X5D, Akai MX73, S950, S2000(x2), Casio CZ1, VL1, Kawai K1r, Moog The Source, Yamaha TX81z. I wish the Delta had CV/GATE or Midi just for the synth section.

No presets - this has a traditional analogue front panel though with some unusual features that I'll mention later. There's no patch memory, you just tweak until you get the sound that you want.

Didn't get a manual with it, but then it hardly needs one if you're familiar with subtractive synthesis.

Four voice paraphonic, which differs from true polyphony in that each voice does not have its own envelope.

Seperate audio outs for the string and synth sections is a plus.

Manufactured in 1979 so there's no MIDI, no effects and no pressure sensitivity. There's a trigger input and CV filter inputs, but no oscillator CV in.

The keyboard is divided into a string and synth section.

The string sound is rich and has eq's, and AR envelope and some control over the harmonic content.

The synth section is unique in having a series of 'stops' like an organ rather than the traditional triangle/sawtooth/square wave selector. This is actually much easier to use to control the level of each harmonic directly. The ADSR routing into the filter can be inverted, and there's a choice of bandpass or low pass filter.

The synth section can sound quite thin, though it tends towards a tighter bass. Very good at organ sounds, also for subtle filter sweaps. There is a joystick controll that acts as a filter cutoff controll horizontally and a mod depth vertically.

Very good at organ type sounds or sounding like a dark circus caliope, some of the synth sounds can be cheesy though. Woodwind type sounds are particularly cheesy, a bit too 1970's for their own good.

It's built like a tank.

This thing could survive WW3.

N/A.

Has some nice features, not the biggest baddest bass around but nice for subtle sounds and layering the string and synth sections gives exceptional results.

I like it best in the midrange, where it can do some very doleful think sounds with subtle filtering.