Another reboot from Korg in the MS-20 line - this time a new format - the MS-20 desktop. As well as the form factor change, there are several other changes to the synthesis capabilities
More fx than raw sound, I own a ms20 before you burn me. It's an utterly amazing synth but running it thru eventide fx will make it sound very very different. Well it will make anything sound very different
I wasn't expecting to have goosebumps and tears in my eyes from an intro, but man! what a moving sound. I just love my K2 even more now (clone haters welcome :)) now back to watching the review, but I know Nick will not disappoint!
This looks great! I want one, maybe next year. I have wanted an MS20 for about 10 years, love the sound of it. I agree with Nick that the new features (especially, PWM, Osc Sync & FM) are very cool indeed! These open up the synth to all different kinds of sound design. I looks solid too. I would have liked a more in depth review and without the reverb but this sounds nice already . :)
I know people did modifications like PWM and sync on a lot of these synths (and on the original Minimoogs as well). This is sort of like a pre-modded version. I really like the filtered sounds out of this, and that end sequence was great Nick!
Absolutely cracking review, thanks. Really appreciated the outro, I know that during the review you need to demonstrate the functions but it's always helpful to hear something musical as well.
Nick, I've been a fan of your videos for a long time now and I have to say that opening piece was some of the most beautiful music you've shared in any of the demos/reviews. Really cool!
Fantastic demo as always Nick! You and Marc Doty are the Masters of Demo and explanation. I have made about 5 purchases based on your videos. Keep up the great work.
Nice that you took the time to sneak in the annotated patch point shots after posing the possibility of the missing Osc.2 cv being there also. Thanks ! @6:45 - Maybe pads for adding a pot to adjust the external input gain - ground, wiper, and CW. @6:22 VCA jack in would be another external in but bypassing the filter - the jack switch pad could be for re-normaling the filter path to the vca when there's no jack in the socket ?
Oh God! Why did I watch this? Wah! Bloody beautiful jams Nick! No way I could afford this and I hope they bring out a mini version for euro integration (and cost saving!)... bloody beautiful!
Loved the review and your tracks, thanks Nick. I'm assembling my own as we speak. I also love the PWM input (that will put a stop to my Ebay hunting for a pristine MS-10) but I don't dig the SQ-1 sequencer much though, I still prefer the Korg SQ-10 sequencer from the seventies, or better yet, the Arturia Beatstep Pro. The Arturia runs circles around the SQ-1 and is only a bit more expensive than the SQ-1 and it can also trigger your Simmons drum modules, albeit in 8 steps. Keep up the good work, Nick! A couple months later, I mean that we before we could do paraphonic polypopny we cannot do with the 1v/oct compatibility. So there are lot of things we cannot do with the desktop. So you will you need a mini MS-20 or an original MS-20. So you'd need an original MS-20 or an MS-20 mini to do paraphonic polyphony an additional to an MS-20 desktop kit. But you can do PWM. Or you'll have to go do a lot of modules to emulate the old MS-20, MS-10 and MS-50. If you wan't to hear prestine MS-20 tracks, listen to Fashion Party, by the Belgian band Neon Judgement. Super stuff, with some 808 attached to it!
Hey, Nick-- @ 2:30 you mention an upcoming SQ-1 review. . . don't believe you've done that yet but I think it would be a great idea. Cool little piece of kit, and it's begging you to sequence a couple synths at once with it for us. . .
Great jams and explanation there, Sir! Always love your reviews. Question though, how did you manage to get the duophony in outro jam? I couldn't work it out... Sounded lovely though! :D
SQ-1 CVA to CV in, CV-B to Osc 2 Pitch mod, so the root note (CV-A) transposes the whole lot, but the CV-B sequence runs the intervals between the tow OSCs
sonicstate Ah! That makes sense :D Did the original MS-20 (and mini) have that function too? I don't remember being able to modulate Osc2's pitch independently of Osc1 when I played my bro's. Something to do with the FM-switch? I noticed it's on... Many thanks for the replies :D
HurpADervish I am just looking at an MS20 Image here:upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Korg_MS-20_VCO_Section.jpg Osc 2 has independent pitch.
great review! I very much want this, and link it up to my MS-20 kit :) I hope some modders who know what they're doing (not me ;D) post some of their modifications to this little beasty
This has me more excited for an MS-20 than any other version, including the original. Having 1/4" jacks and the ability to operate volt per octave is huge! I can interface it perfectly with my MU modular synthesizer. Also I've been seeing them priced at $1199 here in the states, not $1700 so there's some more good news.
does this version still have the note priority of the original ms20? I know this is a bit nit picky but i use my external synths sequenced by a daw quite frequently and I sold my ms20 because I was constantly having to edit the midi or the melody would play differently than it would on my other gear.
Fantastic demo, i saw at the end of the video that you shift the pitch of the sq1 sequence with the first row. can you explain it to me please? have not understand it. iS it also posible in the sq1 and ms20 mini combination. thanks a lot.
MS20M is a limited production, as a consequence manufacturing the parts is higher. Analog is also more costly as human setup is required. Don't forget u also get a SQ1 included.
i'd like to see a review of that eventide (max) with various gear (drums and synths etc).....it really seems to make things big. reviews of other fx boxes that are suited for synths and drums as well. keep up the great work guys, been a fan for a few years now.
Now that the FS reissue production is over, hopefully they re-release these modules as kits or pre-built. Still don't understand why korg bothered to release the full size again, without the updates from this module.
Nick, I'm really surprised how come you've not mentioned the MS-50 and that MS-20 desktop looks even more similar to it from before. I really would love to see them together.
Man, I wish I'd picked one of these up when they were still reasonably priced. Might as well go for one of the new MS-20 FS models, 'cause it seems they'll cost about as much as all the used MS-20Ms I'm finding.
does this sound the same as the mini? it is said that the mini is exactly the same but hearing this I'm not sure what to believe. this sounds very fine
sonicstate thx for the response. :) What I really find amusing is that these synth all do sound not very good/deep/phat/whatever, until you put them through digital or analog effects section. In the 80ties I would have loved to have one of those knob encrusted synth, because you can manipulate the sound directly and my digital Kawai K4 was terrible in that respect. No external knob boxes were available at the time that could send Midi CC. But now we have tons of external Midi controls. Why do we need a MS-20 or ARP today? And what is authentic about noise levels unheard of since DSPs became available? I love those old monsters, but I don't think they are any better than digital ones (ok, the JP80s/Integra PWM mode sucks aka massive aliasing ). wkr from Germany
+pcuimac Cos they're fun! Dsp-based stuff usually isn't fun. Life is not all about "what does objectively function best" my friend, it just isn't. I'd never trade the noise away either, or the immediacy etc... I don't want to always rely on my computer, when I'm going to make music. I come from a world of _instruments_ and these old (and new) analog delights inhabit _that_ world. VSTI's dont inspire me. Sure they do _everything_ and are noise free, but look at Hugh Grant; he had Elizabeth Hurley, one of the most sexiest and most beautiful girls in the world at the time, and yet, he still ended up having his schwantz absorbed by a prostitute for 60 quid. My point is, there is no black and white logic to this discussion. You can't apply pragmatic thinking to music and art. It's not math.
a better argument might be that an instrument just works better for intuitive creation. having an array of knobs or sliders makes it way easier to compose shit. Should I get an arp or this ms20? I've been peepsin both
nice review, just picked one of these up, will piece it together once I get off tour,seeing it'll be in pieces, I'll mod it as i go, what mods would you find the most essential...?
Off topic: Holy _beeeeep_ that Eventide sounds amazing! Think i need to get that! Now to business. This is exactly what i meant back when i said that it was uninspired that they "just" reissued the MS-20. This actually expands on the original premise and is something "more". Which it needed to be 2 years ago, to not just come across as a greedy response to Arturia beating them to it. The fact that they're late to their own party, yet again, and for the 3rd year running assume to headline NAMM with essentially the same piece of kit, is starting to reek of 1-hit wonder, and yet more greed. Also i think this (and the key'ed kit) is too expensive. Apparently it's well built, as opposed to the MS-20mini, which is coming apart almost out of the box. But when the mini is already on the expensive end of its market segment, and at the same time the worst built in that segment. Since when is proper build quality such a premium that i have to pay double for it? Korgs analogue offerings seem like a never ending parade of too little too late, with build quality a rarity that costs. Makes me worry about the Odyssey, they're set to be expensive enough, but all points towards a disappointing quality. But i shall know monday, my local guru said he'd have it on display for testing by then.
Update: They did have an Korg Arp Odyssey on display monday. I took some pictures monday and posted a 1st impressions on g+. Tuesday i was back with a proper camera and a Zoom recorder. So there's a sound demo of the new Odyssey on my channel. I'm not a great player, just fiddling through some sounds, but still. And it sounds great! But worst fears come true, it IS cheaply built per usual Korg.
I used the original ms-20 for many years, now I want one again.I love the pwm! I think it's too expensive though and for that price you shouldn't have to finish the build.
I hope they make an official pre-built version of this for way cheaper. This is exactly what I wish synth makers would start doing again. How many keyboards do I really need on a desk?
KORG!!! do a ms20m mini desktop already!! with the same features as this ms20m desktop..but smaller size and price...but do NOT bring on the hiss from the ms-20 mini.
Sure, the outro is more musical when you add reverb and shimmer on the reverb :) But, ya, I am trying to say, keep it real. We all know what effects can do, hopefully.
The benefit of a desktop version, is, if you already have a midi keyboard, or a sequencer or DAW, you can trigger the sounds via midi, and save the space you would otherwise waste on a keyboard you dont need. :)
civilian sol plug out your toaster oven to vco 1 pwm sending that out back into the toaster oven mod in. take CV from your Keys and run them osc 2 keyboard input. send the keyboard pitch mod into osc 2 mod then send your osc 2 out into osc 1's mod and crank the mod amount up and Bam! you got one funky sounding toaster oven with pitch modulation and analog oscillators!
If they made this with mini jacks instead, it would be a no brainer. I'll probably get the ms-20mini for the time being and hold out in hopes that they realize that's obviously the best option, especially since they're obviously trying to appeal to eurorack users. Really a dumb move going with 1/4" jacks when the full size kit already exist and the ms-20mini users are more likely to want to ditch the keyboard (and this is coming from someone that PREFERS mini keys, I'd still give them up for the additional features of this desktop unit, plus the added room for modifications with preexisting holes). They could probably include all the new features without sacrificing the things you mention if they went ALL mini jacks and did away with the 1/8"-1/4" mult/converters.
If they had made this smaller I'd be placing a preorder now. To me this is kind of bad form on korgs part. Just makes me want to hold off on anything they release since a better(for my needs at least) version might come out a few months later.
Not pissed,just see a company I love cannibalizing their own products a bit.i agree though, everyone always seems pissy about one thing or another korg releases that is top notch and extremely affordable for what it is. I just feel bad for anyone that finally pulled the trigger on either a kit or a mini recently seeing this come out.its always people that can't actually play keyboards doing the complaining too. Dorian concept can rip it up on an original microkorg so what are all these whiners excuses?
+sonicstate, +Peter K: it is not possible to switch filters on the MS20 Mini, only on the kit. Nick obviously got confused at 9:10 - The MS20 Mini only got the Rev1 !!!
Saulo Valerio No, it is not. The poster is wrong and I doubt he has tried that out by himself. The Mini only has the circuitry for the KORG35 filter design, not the rev2 filter. Only the MS20 Kit and the MS20m Kit desktop module have both filter designs. The Kit Keyboard version can be switched by holding down certain keys or via an internal jumper.
