Korg Forums

Chummy · Joined: 09 Dec 2014 Posts: 3

Hey there! never owned a KORG product before. Mainly Roland and abit of Yamaha.

Now question:

1) I heard the build quality on that thing is really bad, especially the knobs that wobble. How bad is it exactly and what are your thoughts on this?

2) How can I multitrack the synth using MIDI with Cubase 7.5 (MIDI notes that I can quantize, not Audio signal) using the synths internal sound engine? I hope this is possible because Multitracking its sounds is something huge for me.

3) Filters are too noisy? any thoughts on that?

For general knowledge, why doesn't the MS feature Sine Wave? Shocked

Redmond Barry · Full Member Joined: 02 Oct 2011 Posts: 131

I love the whole MS series and the Mini is really endless fun.

1) Build quality is okay. I find it perfectly fine for studio use. I'd be a little nervous using it live. The small knobs wobble a fair amount and the big ones are good. I'm not bothered by it, although fine tune adjustments on the smaller knobs take more effort because of the wobble. I still get what I need out of them though.

2) I'm not sure I understand this one. I imagine you'd connect it to your computer via USB for midi control, plug the audio in, send in your midi notes, and record it one pass at a time.

3) I couldn't possibly care less about the noise issue. I almost never notice it and when I do I just roll off the high end a bit on my mixer and it's solved. That being said, I LIKE noise and hiss. I love the sound of tape and cassette etc.. So the people out there who want a clean signal path, their concerns are valid, imo. But some of us actually like it. It depends on you! The MS-20 is a beast, noise is part of it. If you want a clean beast then the Minibrute might be better (which I did not like.. too clean).

A lot of analog synths don't feature sine wave. The MS-20 filter does self oscillate a sinewave though and you can set it to track the keyboard.

Chummy · Joined: 09 Dec 2014 Posts: 3

Hey man, Just ordered an MS-20 MINI, after checking it in the store... I wanted one in a box not from display so I have to wait a week or so Razz

So I was AMAZED by sound quality and the knobs don't even wobble almost at all, SonicState really bashed that synth on that department (Maybe on later production models the knobs got a little more sturdy? is it true?)

Anyhow, as for the MIDI recording, If I get it right, the MIDI in is for a mic or say a guitar to connect to the MS-20 and the USB thing is for USB midi Comp so I can record my MS-20 via midi. So am I correct?

Dang can't wait.

Redmond Barry · Full Member Joined: 02 Oct 2011 Posts: 131

It's a great, classic synth! I'm sure you'll be happy with it. It's really unique, almost like work of art in a way. The midi in is to plug in a midi controller. The USB is also for midi in from a controller (or note data from your computer). You can plug a mic or a guitar into the ESP section of the MS-20. The MS-20's ESP section is practically worth the price of the synth right there. Send a drum loop into the ESP and start patching and you'll get places you didn't know you could go.

Chummy · Joined: 09 Dec 2014 Posts: 3

What's ESP (I'm a noob)?

I know what all the VCO/Filters/LFOs and envelopes do but as for the modular thing I NEVER owned a modular synth or any analog synth whatsoever.

I think this one's gonna rock Smile

Redmond Barry · Full Member Joined: 02 Oct 2011 Posts: 131

The ESP (External Signal Processor) section has an audio in, it also has an pitch/audio to CV converter, and envelope follower. It also has some additional filters too. The audio in also can work as a distortion effect for the signal you put in (or you can patch the MS-20 itself into it for distortion effects). The Pitch converter isn't very accurate, which actually turns out to be a blessing because you can get some wild things out of it. Basically, patch an audio signal into the ESP and start patching every out on there into all the ins on the rest of the MS-20 and you'll find some crazy awesome sounds!

el_hombre · Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2014 1:16 am Post subject:

I use the MIDI in on the mini to control the synth via my Arturia Beatstep sequencer. In terms of the synth's sound engine, the important thing to note is that this is an analog synth, The only midi functionality this synth has is note on/note off (monophonic). You can also use the MS20 as a midi controller (keys only, polyphonic) via the USB cable, but this is only the keyboard, not the synth itself.

In terms of build quality, I haven't been too bothered by it. I take mine out to gig and record and it's always played pretty well. Knobs aren't the sturdiest but the filter frequency ones are stable enough, those are the main ones I use on the fly. I love this synth, it's an aggressive beast. Not sure about the noisy filters. I've read heaps of comments on this but in my 2 years with this synth it's never been a problem for me.

Congrats on your order, you're gonna have a blast. I posted a link on one of the threads here to a sweet interactive patch library that's worth checking out on a weekly basis.

Redmond Barry · Full Member Joined: 02 Oct 2011 Posts: 131

El_hombre, how are you liking the Beatstep? I was thinking of picking one up for my MS-20 too. I have a Volca Sample on the way and with the Beatstep and MS-20 could be a fun trio! Beatstep midi out in to the Mini and the beatstep's cv gate out to the Volca. I'd think should work nice!

el_hombre · Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2014 1:31 am Post subject:

It's pretty fun so far I reckon. At the moment I'm mainly running it into my modular but it works very nicely with midi in to the mini. I like the idea of running the volca too, do you have to mod it to do that?

Redmond Barry · Full Member Joined: 02 Oct 2011 Posts: 131

I've seen a few YouTube videos of the Beatstep's gate out going into a Volca's sync in and working fine so I assume no mods are needed hopefully (unless you want pitch cv of course!).

el_hombre · Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2014 1:54 am Post subject:

Neato, might have to give that one a try. Th

Jamie Munro · Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2015 10:24 am Post subject:

What really gets me about the whole wobbly knob thing is that reviewers said it about the microkorg and then the XL after that. I've had mine for years, they have been to so many live gigs covered in sweat , booze and crap and had so much studio time it's ridiculous and guess what...still fine, not one knob or dial has broken. I expect my ms20 will also still be fine in 5-7 years and if they do get bad, oh I suppose I will take 5 minutes to fix them lol.

If that's the worst thing I have to deal with then I'm fine with that

Ref the filter, that's not where the noise comes from, it's annoying especially on the very quiet triangle but I can live with it, when I got mine the first thing I did was record some sound from the synth to a very simple track with some analogue drum parts and a lead to see how the noise translated itself in the mix, I expected it to be awful, it wasn't that bad and I quickly learned to accept and now I just don't notice it like most users I suspect.

Comments have been made that it's crap for bass because of this, I call BS on that as I can create clean sub bass easily with mine, I suspect most of the really bad smack talk (there are lots of valid comments out there also I add) is from non owners or those unwilling or unable to figure it out so they think it's easier to slag the product to death opposed to accepting their deficiencies
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Jamie Munro · Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2015 10:25 am Post subject:

What really gets me about the whole wobbly knob thing is that reviewers said it about the microkorg and then the XL after that. I've had mine for years, they have been to so many live gigs covered in sweat , booze and crap and had so much studio time it's ridiculous and guess what...still fine, not one knob or dial has broken. I expect my ms20 will also still be fine in 5-7 years and if they do get bad, oh I suppose I will take 5 minutes to fix them lol.

If that's the worst thing I have to deal with then I'm fine with that

Ref the filter, that's not where the noise comes from, it's annoying especially on the very quiet triangle but I can live with it, when I got mine the first thing I did was record some sound from the synth to a very simple track with some analogue drum parts and a lead to see how the noise translated itself in the mix, I expected it to be awful, it wasn't that bad and I quickly learned to accept and now I just don't notice it like most users I suspect.

Comments have been made that it's crap for bass because of this, I call BS on that as I can create clean sub bass easily with mine, I suspect most of the really bad smack talk (there are lots of valid comments out there also I add) is from non owners or those unwilling or unable to figure it out so they think it's easier to slag the product to death opposed to accepting their deficiencies
_________________
Live fast, ride fast