Korg MS-20

The Korg MS-20 is a patchable semi-modular analog monosynth released in the year 1978 by Korg. It was part of Korg’s MS series of analog synthesizers, and is a big brother to the Korg MS-10. The Korg MS series of instruments also included the SQ-10 sequencer and the keyboardless MS-50 module, the MS-01 foot controllers, MS-02 interface, S-03 signal Processor, MS-04 Modulation pedal and the famous VC-10 Vocoder.

The MS-20, which was in production until the year 1983, is a 2-oscillator monophonic bass and lead analog synth with hard wired patchable connections. However, a user has the ability to override the hard-wiring by using patch-cords. The hard-wired but easily patchable design of the MS-20 was similar to the ARP 2600 that was released in the late seventies, but the latter was much better and bigger. However, in terms of flexibility, the MS-20 offers a lot of flexible control and unrivaled sounds at a better price.

Additional features of the Korg MS-20 include:

Two resonant VCF filters. This part is capable of low-pass, high-pass, band-reject, and notch which are different and quite unique from your everyday low-pass style filter. One can also be able to route external sound sources through the filter section. A good example of a famous person who has used this piece of instrument is William Ørbit who has persistently used the filter to tweak and filter his beats, samples, vocals, and delay returns.
Two VCAs -- hold and sample
An assignable mod-wheel
A noise generator
Numerous knobs
A wheel controller
Trigger button – a pitch-CV converter that helps trigger sounds from attached external sources. Aphex Twin has particularly used this trigger button to feed the input stage of his instrument with drum sounds and other untrackable audio to get the synthesizer to generate a wide gamut of screech/squawp/crunch noises by mistracking the instrument’s filters.

When it comes to the sounds, the MS-20 is unrivaled, making a great and better alternative for Minimoog-seekers. Whatever analog synth sound you wish to generate, trust the MS-20 to generate it for you. Percussive sounds or bass, fat round bass sounds, noise effects, sinuous-worms leads or squiggly-bubbly sounds can all be unleashed from this classic instrument.

Further, the MS-20 isn’t only a great and unrivaled sounding instrument; it is also a great learning-synth. The instrument in itself is very user friendly making it rather easy and spontaneous to operate it while in the process learning and understanding about sound synthesis as well as signal flow.

Notable people who have used the MS-20 include Hardfloor, SkyLab, Air, Stereolab, Astral Projection, Vince Clarke, Biosphere, William Ørbit, Aphex Twin, Jimi Tenor, Freddy Fresh, The Prodigy, OMD, Luke Vibert, Mr. Oizo, Apollo 440, and many more.

Boiled down, even though the Korg MS-20 follows a traditional subtractive synthesis architecture of its two oscillators/vca/filter, the patch panel makes it possible for the rerouting of both the modulation and audio, and it also features an external signal processor. Such great flexibility is what contributed to its resurgence in the analog synths revival experienced during the late 90’s.