The instrument
The PE-1000 Polyphonic Ensemble Synthesiser from 1976 was designed as a stage-ready, polyphonic instrument for brass and strings. The non-stroke-dynamic keyboard covers five octaves. It was supplemented by the PE-2000 with so-called sustained sounds such as organ and strings. In the USA, the PEs were marketed by the Univox label as the K-4 and K-5. In addition to Vangelis, other PE-1000 users include Jean Michel Jarre, Neuronium and Stephen Parsick.
Details
The analogue sound generation of the PE-1000 does not work with a frequency divider circuit; each of the 61 voices has its own sound generation. The mode switch can be used to control three pulse variants, a sawtooth waveform and a chorus. With the octave coupler, the sound can be continuously mixed one octave higher. Like all early Korg synthesizers, including the Mini-Korg 700, 800DV Maxi-Korg, 900 PS and 770, the PE-1000 is equipped with the company's own Traveller Filter. This combines the low-pass and high-pass filters and was also equipped with two resonance controls on the PE-1000. There is also an envelope section with attack, decay and release (called sustain), a modulation section with vibrato and portamento as well as an oscillator waveform selector switch. The six presets (String, Pipe Organ, Brass, Electric Piano, Piano, Harpsichord, Clavichord) can be modified, and the envelope and waveform can also be freely programmed in the ‘Control’ setting. (Source: Keyboards)