r/synthesizers 1d ago

Got my first drum machine and synthesizer today

When my wife told me she was going to an estate sale that had synthesizers, drum machines and other gear, I had to tag along and see what I could get. I’m brand new to collecting synths and drum machines, even estate sales too. So, I just picked up what I could get my hands on in the heat of the moment and go pay.

I ended up leaving with a Korg DSS-1, Behringer Eurorack UB1202 and an Oberheim DX for $300. I took a gamble with not knowing what they were and most of all not knowing if they worked since they didn’t come with cables.

Luckily I had a power cable for the Oberheim DX. I plugged it in and got straight to playing with it all night with no issues. I didn’t know how lucky I was to get such an awesome drum machine that perfectly captures that 80s sound 😭

As for the Korg DSS-1, I’ve yet to find a power cable for it. It’s a mammoth of a synthesizer and I’m not sure about samples being on floppy disks since it only came with one still inserted.

422 Upvotes

40 comments sorted by

98

u/ScantilyCladLunch 1d ago

My god… congrats and fuck you

24

u/nebemakingmusic 1d ago

Thank you I’m honored

44

u/Stratimus 1d ago

lol this dude bought a Korg DSS for cheap and they threw in a $2k+ drum machine

What a find

18

u/nebemakingmusic 1d ago

I don’t think I was the only one that got lucky. There was another guy there that picked up a Yamaha DX7, some cables and an amp for dirt cheap too. I attached a pic from the sale page for ref.

Some people that run these sales just don’t put the effort into researching what they sell and just give you numbers to put in their pocket

9

u/PirateMusicianYorku 1d ago

Roland MSQ-700 sequencer down there too

2

u/hamburgler26 21h ago

Well you got the luckiest, basically a legendary drum machine for free.

10

u/Salt_Courage1164 1d ago edited 1d ago

Dss1 is damn heavy... And a massive sampler, lovely. Consider put a gotek flashfloppy instead of floppy drive, the dss/dsm images are pretty easy to find (I own a T3 who can handle them) https://archive.org/download/korg-dss-1-dsm-1-floppy-mega-collection.-7z

It's good if you start from scratch, and you have nothing to restore from old floppy disks. Welcome to old school sampling world

3

u/Thisisthepolice0 1d ago

Can vouch for the gotek being awesome.

2

u/nebemakingmusic 1d ago

It was definitely an armful lugging it to the car 😂 Thanks, I’ll definitely have to look into a gotek! You gotta start somewhere right?

3

u/baby_feet 1d ago

Some people really click with samplers. Yours rules, it's resonant and less annoying than a mirage. You may never need another keyboard sampler.

2

u/Salt_Courage1164 1d ago

Oh yes, for sure 😄 There's some unit already configured for it on eBay, of course a bit more expensive than the plain ones.

Until then if you use awave studio, I think you can do sample dump standard to send precise samples via midi (hope it's same as t series) such as some already usable single cycle waveforms and use the power of a classic analogue synth editing... This if you aren't lazy and just want to use already done patches

8

u/mike_stifle eurorack/Juno60/Sub37/microMoog/microbrute 1d ago

Starting small I see.

4

u/SevenFourHarmonic 1d ago

DX memories, nice price.

3

u/Hairy_Picture2473 1d ago

I love my dss1. At the time the tech in that synth was unreal. The filter is so beast mode also.

4

u/DanqueLeChay 1d ago

Smash it with a compressor > instant early daft punk

3

u/Instatetragrammaton github.com/instatetragrammaton/Patches/ 1d ago

Score. Better buy a lottery ticket next.

The power cable of the DSS1 seems to be one of those weird 2-prong things that they also used for the Juno 106, I think. Get a replica on eBay - https://www.ebay.com/itm/164951144593 .

http://www.straylightengineering.com/projects/korg-dss-1/the-upgrade-story/ - not sure if you can still get these but replace the floppy with Gotek, then that part will at least already be in the 21st century.

2

u/nebemakingmusic 1d ago

My luck ran out with the cable. I just went around to the stores in my area that I thought would have the cable but they didn’t. You’re right going on eBay or maybe Amazon might be my best bet.

Someone had mentioned the gotek too. I’ll look def look into upgrading it, but until it gets power flowing through it, it’ll have to just sit there and look pretty lol

2

u/artx 1d ago

Pretty cool first kit!

2

u/Weekly_Surround_8750 1d ago

you bubbled its a fire drum machine!

2

u/Acceptable_Share_489 1d ago

some guys understand the assignment.
You can do better....not by much but I'm sure.
Like the last guy said F you man...and enjoy

2

u/cherryultrasuedetups 1d ago

Insane. Have fun!

2

u/crazyculture 1d ago

Nice find! Congrats

2

u/WIsammy123 1d ago

Congrats! The dss1 sounds so good. I had one for a while.

2

u/Killavillain 1d ago

Dude found the Star Trek ship OG controller!

GRATS!

2

u/Ifus1964 1d ago

Fantastic 👏👏👏👏

2

u/Alaedrouche 1d ago

THAT’S YOUR FIRST DRUM MACHINE?

2

u/1991JRC 1d ago

Nice! What kinda music you gonna make?

1

u/nebemakingmusic 19h ago

I want to make some funky or groovy house music but I’ve always been enamored by drum and synth sounds from the 80s and 90s. My next jam I’m going to experiment with more effects and try what someone said and compress tf out of it lol

2

u/kevleyski 23h ago

Pretty neat drum machine! Learn it well do goo things 

1

u/traprkpr 1d ago

Gnarly score. Have fun!

1

u/WilburWerkes 18h ago

DSS-1 is an interesting sampler/synth That DW-8000 engine is worthwhile.

Had one a long time ago

1

u/slushy_fund 11h ago

Nice! The DSS is a heck of a synth, even if I've mostly used it as a midi controller over the years I've had mine. The keyboard on them feels incredible to play, seriously premium instrument. Definitely a studio queen with the weight and time to switch patches. I also got an unbelievable deal on mine, I paid 25 bucks for it at a garage sale, with the manual and a bunch of disks.

1

u/Most-Program9708 3h ago

God I love using the plugin version of this synth

0

u/Tricky-Phrase-77 1d ago

Yea right

1

u/nebemakingmusic 18h ago

I promise you. Here’s some pics of the sale page and I can send you the link to the site my wife uses if you want. Maybe there’s some good sales near you coming up!

1

u/dong_lover 14h ago

Could I get the link? My envy is through the roof

1

u/nebemakingmusic 33m ago edited 29m ago

Sure! This is the page for the sale on the site https://www.estatesales.net/IL/Burr-Ridge/60527/4434429

A majority of sales near me sell trinkets and old furniture so finding instruments or gear is rare but they’re out there

-8

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

9

u/nebemakingmusic 1d ago

I paid $300 altogether

7

u/wishforwingsthatwork 1d ago

It’s in the post lol Jesus