Korg Polyphonic Ensemble P

Back in 1976, this beast became Korg's first fully polyphonic analog synthesizer, blending monosynth guts with string machine polyphony to deliver true multi-note magic when most polys were still a pipe dream.

It packs 61 synth-action keys—light and responsive for fluid playing—driving up to 61 voices, each with its own VCO churning out saw, pulse, or square waves through shared lowpass and highpass filters with resonance, plus a single ADR envelope for attack, decay, and release shaping. Seven presets nail orchestral staples like strings, brass, pipe organ, electric piano, piano, harpsichord, and clavichord, with a user slot for tweaks via the Traveler filter control, vibrato, and glide. Left-hand section handles expression via Traveler pedal, plus sustain and glide pedals, all feeding a mono 1/4" out from its hefty wooden road-case body (942 x 372 x 212 mm, 18.5 kg).

Vintage hunters love its warm, organic tones that cut through mixes even today, though the preset-only limits and single-envelope design draw notes for lacking deeper editing—still, it's a holy grail for that authentic '70s orchestral poly vibe.