Korg DVP-1

Back in 1986, this rackmount wonder brought digital vocoding to the masses with its own built-in human-like waveforms—oohs and aahs that capture the essence of choral synth voices from Korg's DW series, making it a go-to for that era's robotic vocal magic.

Housed in a compact 2U chassis, it packs four core modes: Vocoder for intelligible voice synthesis controlled by mic input and MIDI keyboard, Harmonize for up to five polyphonic voices adding lush chords to your singing, Pitch Shift for fixed-interval detuning effects, and Internal Wave for standalone synth tones. Front-panel buttons and parameter knobs handle everything from two envelopes, a filter, LFO, and chorus, with 16-bit processing delivering smooth tracking despite some vintage sizzle on fades. Inputs include XLR mic and 1/4" line, outputs offer direct and mix (H:L) plus headphones, all tied to MIDI In, footswitch, and 64 program memories.

Vintage enthusiasts chase it for that unique, otherworldly charm—sought after by producers like Vangelis for its MIDI-controllable harmonies and vocoder usability, though modern users note the harmonizer's distinct non-realistic vibe as part of its appeal.