The MS20 Korg35 filter, the OTA filter, and the MS50's diode ring filter are all just different ways to implement a Sallen-Key 2-pole filter and make it voltage-controlled, though. They do the same job in slightly different ways.
@@AlexBallMusic The Korg35 is particularly distinctive because of the way the control part works - it's not "just" controlled by the current into the bases of the two transistors used to set the cutoff because the voltage going into the filter changes, and that changes the current between base and emitter. So if you stick a sawtooth in, good and loud, the sawtooth sweeps the cutoff at audio rate! If you stick a squarewave in and look on a fairly accurate audio spectrum analyser you can see the resonance peaks move apart as you make the square louder. The diode ring filter kind of balances the control and input voltage between the two "legs" of the ring, and a similar thing is used in the Steiner Synthacon filter (which loads of us have in Arturia synths now) - just like in a ladder filter as one side goes up the other goes down and they cancel out. The MS50 diode ring filter is a very similar layout to the "traveller" filters as you say, but also the Yamaha CS80 and friends. Finally the OTA based ones are stable no matter what input you stick in, because the inputs of the opamps are always balanced and the gain is set by the current into the bottom of the input pair - the cutoff is totally uncoupled from the input signal. I should do a video on them some time. Edit: I forgot to mention, the Korg Monotron filter is basically a Korg 35 filter but super affordable. They're easy to build, too!
@@klinkske The service manual for the Volca Bass and Volca Keys are out there, and it's a diode bridge S-K filter kind of like the "Traveller" filter. The diode biasing comes off opamps rather than transistors making it more like the MS50 filter than anything.
I have a small handful of channels whose videos I always eagerly await, and yours is one of them. You put so much effort into making quality music during your demos that I sometimes wonder whether this channel is secretly just your portfolio and the vintage gear reviews are merely a cunning cover story :D Not that I'd mind, as I enjoy both elements.
Someone on GS was like, "AB needs to make music instead of gear demos" and I was thinking, "what if you viewed them as music videos instead of as gear demos?" Then the complaint would be "these music videos aren't very comprehensive video manuals!" "Well, what if you viewed them as guides to what makes these synths special?" but really, expectations tend to make all experiences worse, not better. Also, 1978 RU-vid kicks 2022 RU-vid's ass. Even tho there wasn't YT in 78, there's just no room for doubt (and no CGI clickbait, except for on George Lucas' channel)
Yes I admit I'm quite jealous now because Alex is doing exactly what I always wanted to do with the MS Synths but never managed. Getting the sick sounds into a harmonic structure is an art. Hats off Alex! Grüße aus Berlin.
I used to own an MS50. Alex, well done for coaxing so much more out of this beast than I ever could! However the two things I loved on it were the ring modulator, which if fed with the the VCO set at a fixed frequency and the filter swept by one big knob (can't remember its name) on the panel but just through 15v to 0v with the filter in self oscillation, sounded exactly like the beginning of the theme to Dr Who. The second, the filter itself which was just really fat and gnarly, way nicer (dirtier) than that on my MS20. Brilliant video btw. You have definitely mastered the way of the funk!
had the Korg MS-10 when it first came out. Was amazing for its time. Main problem was no digital presets. The band had to wait for me to patch everything for the next song when playing out. But , it could do that sound half-way through Frankenstein really well. and of course the siren at beginning of Riding The Storm Out.
Always loved all this Korg MS ecosystem: a bit tricky mastering from the get-go but immensely rewarding. From the start (1978 for me... 🙄), I've decided to keep all of them in a dedicated set-up physically separated from the "normal" cv/trig rig from moog, arp, roland and such. Saved me a lot of compatibility headaches. If need be, just a few jacks to marry them (preferably through the MS voltage/gate-trig converters)...
I was tempted to get the whole lot and set them up as a rack, but talked myself out of it. 01, 02, 20 and 50 are fine and dandy for me. I can understand to desire to keep them together.
Alex, I love the videos but it's so hard to sit through a whole one, what with having to constantly rewind the demos and listen to them over and over again. Keep up the fantastic work, I speak for everyone here when I say we appreciate the TV show level quality content you make. Edit: If you do see this comment, would you ever consider explaining patch routing and how you approach the process of patch design? You're amazing at making interesting noises and I'd love to have some way of seeing your processes.
Nice work bro, especially following up on the doco. There is a certain beauty in the ms range. I would like to think that they are the mental images of the word "synthesiser" to non-synth folk. 🤔👍
A very big like that you don't fear the odd sounds. Thou shall not fear a one osc synth.. I understand this and the SQ10 is a favourite of Robert Görl.
Ooh the MS-20, thank you! Is the Integrator basically a slew generator? Seems like a no-brainer to remake this thang, but it is large marge. Maybe a different form factor or add a spring tank.
Superb! I’m lucky enough to own one (I was GIVEN it last year and it started me off on my synth journey). I love the filter but I haven’t really learned the synths other functions properly yet. I will now.
@@AlexBallMusic Gosh, yes. I’d love some. I think the most creative thing I’ve done with it so far is run The Archers through it (via the envelope follower of a Koma Field Kit) :)
@@NonsenseInBASIC The Archers - the radio show? Haha. If you already know all this, stop me, but a few for starters: Stick any wave into the divider and it converts it to a square wave sub oscillator down one octave (÷2 output) or two octaves (÷4 output). I take the triangle out and do this, then send it with the sawtooth and pulse wave into the mixer, then connect the mixer to the filter. You then have the same wave arrangement as the Roland SH-101. 😀 Voltage Processor- stick that into the LFO frequency to massively increase or decrease its frequency range. Stick an envelope out into the LFO frequency so it speeds up and slows down over time. Then take the sawtooth out from the LFO to the filter for stutter / shudder effects. Give the S&H a fast clock (say 18khz) and sample the synths output. Slowing the clock gives you audio rate downsampling with aliasing and all. Hundreds more, but there's a few.
@@AlexBallMusic Awesome. Thankyou! I’ve got some homework to do. That’s all new to me. I ‘think’ I have enough patch cables for that - this thing just devours them. Glad you managed to bag one (and one that says ‘Expander module’ too, mine just says ‘Synthesizer’). I feel very lucky to have been given one. It was in a god awful state from a filthy house clearance. So my introduction to synthesisers was stripping the whole thing down and then trying to learn possibly the worst first synth of all time :)
@@NonsenseInBASIC It's your first synth?! Oh boy, yeah that's in at the deep end with something that's also very unconventional too. Sounds like you're doing an amazing job, most would have quit before they began.
Exalint vidjo as always. WAS DIS DO was amazing. Alex Ball knows a lot more about looking after gear than I ever will but using the Super 6 keys as an arm rest made me a little uneasy.
Aren't the footcontrols supposed to be used with the FEET? (Just kiddin' ;-) That ARP 2600 patch sounds very much like something Klaus Schulze did in '76>'77. Bu the way: subbed!
@@AlexBallMusic No, Suppose the synthesizer is playing two or more sounds at the same time in loop. Does the synthesizer apply sidechain between the sounds? Or which sound does the synthesizer prioritize?
These are monophonic, one note at a time. If you play two keys at once then they apply a note priority to assign the pitch to the oscillator depending on the synth design. Most vintage synths use low note priority meaning the lowest held note plays. Some synths let you change this. A vintage synth also will seldolm retrigger the envelopes unless all keys are released though,again, some let you change that.
@@ULYS5ES OK, no that isn't how it works. For it to play two sounds at once it would need a discrete signal path to be set up. If two components are combined via the mults, then those are just summed. There's no side chain element. You could stick a sound into the envelope follower, invert the output and use that to duck another signal.
@@AlexBallMusic I see. So do modern synthesizers or keyboards, say a Roland, apply sidechain between sounds? And which sound do they prioritize while playing them all together at the same time? Drums, leads, synths, bass? How it's determined and why don't we hear them overlapping eachothers?
This will get you well on your way. I also do some tricks and layering, but a lot are libraries by these guys. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hUseyvZHn10.html
Cheers! Yep, SQ-1 to sequence and also for 2 channels of MIDI to CV, which is very handy indeed. I have the 50 hooked up to my computer basically. And yes...it's mine! (Evil laugh)
Not only am I blown away at how incredibly enticing your documentary style video production is, but I am thoroughly impressed at your song writing. It's groovy as hell
I really like the music you play in all of your videos. Are there CDs for sale anywhere? You should do a video megacut with all of your music bits strung together for background listening; I'll bet you have hours!
There’s something about those mid to late 70s synths that still sound so futuristic. I’m also very happy when you do jams that have a 79-80 vibe; catchy but threatening! :)
@@AlexBallMusic Also thank you very much for providing us with one rare synth treasure after another. You are the Supercar Blondie of the synth world 😍
Alex, thanks once again for yet another brilliant video. In 1979 I got my first synth, a MS10. Followed by a MS20. I remember gazing at product folders from Korg, containing pics of the MS50. In the early nineties a music shop placed an ad saying that they planned to sell old forgotten stock, collecting dust. One of the items was a MS50. Took me only half a second to decide to get it right away. Never regretted that decison. A rare piece indeed and once you get your head around the technique, it is a true gem. An expander, as well a synth and an effect unit, all in one.
Always appreciate your videos and the level of effort you put into the compositions. They really push the extremes of what the instruments range can offer without being clinical - it's great. On another note, I've been pining for a MS-50 video from someone for so long... always wanted to hear one in action. To any MS-20 fan they certainly look like a killer piece of kit.
Thanks Thomas. It's a joy to play around with this stuff. And yes...the 50 completes the 20. For starters it has PWM that the 20 inexplicably doesn't. 😃
I was thinking that I need to take it up to Sam as he's not only Mr MS-10/20, but I saw he got the accompanying SQ-10 sequencer recently. Would be fun to put that all together with a phone exchange and furbie organ. 😃
Yesssssss !!, at last a fantastic Ms 50 vid. I guess if you have good knowledge of the ms linage from the 10, the 50 is just a bigger leap up to extra Korg MS Jedi power ( Well sort of.😂😂), anyways I just loved the music , 💪🏾🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
My tech(s) pretty much always have something that's being fixed up. That said, I've taken tips on what to buy and what not to buy and it's incredible how well made and how reliable a lot of it is. My System 100m is ridiculous, even the original jack cables work.
I had a dream that Geert Van Schlänger did a review of the MS-50. Instead I get this Alex guy telling me all about it. I have heard Alex described as "Geert, but sleazier... and British". We will have to make do.
Very cool. You always make great videos that are informative, but also very entertaining, concise and enjoyable to watch. The MS-50 (and MS-20, MS-10, and SQ-10) always makes me think of Chrislo Haas (DAF mk II, CH + BB, Liaisons Dangereuses), who was the Korg MS master/mad scientist, rivaled only by Kurt Dahlke (DAF mk I, Pyrolator, Der Plan).
Hi Alex I love your videos I've had a korg ms 10 since 94 and around that time I always wished there were videos like this to watch but there weren't, I remember buying copies of future music and thinking how cool would it be to put this cd rom in and there's a guy explaing exactly how to use all my equipment . I don't watch the BBC or ITV anymore , just amazing videos like yours and various other people produce for free for us all to enjoy and learn from . Ps this Ms 50 video is class and will probably be the best video about it on the Internet forever 👏
