I bought one second hand for £100 in 2007 to use live in an 80s synthpop band. It did 8 years on the road and is still going strong in my studio. Love it.
@@AudioPilz I was very lucky - I bought it as 'not working' turned out to be a dry joint on the power socket. 10 seconds with a soldering iron and it was good as new!
The MS-2000R is a Bread n' Butter goto synth in my studio. I love twisting MS2K knobs and they're all MIDI CC readable for real-time recording and even assignable as a psudo MIDI controler if you want. My favorite trick is to use its MIDI OUT to duplicate sequences to another simple synth like a Behringer Crave, then loop-back that audio into the MS2k's Audio Input jack to blend the synth sequences together in interesting ways.
Still one of my favorites synthesizers of all times. I don't care it can't sound "like an analog", it's simple a cool synth that looks like a lab instrument! I'm in.
I mean, to me that particular fat squelchy bass when resonance is turned up is far, far fatter than when you do it on a Minimoog/moog clone. They loose the bass bottom and volume a lot when turning up the resonance (, as all ladder filters (and lots of others do).. I am even going to be heretic and say that the Moog-filter is a bit overrated. But I prefer the non-ladder filters more. At least for thumpy fat resonant squelchy bass...
It may not sound like an analog now but in 2000 M1s and Tritons were all over the place. This sounded - and most importantly felt - way more analog than that.
I think that "sounds like analog" is a silly way to look at any synth. Analog vs Digital back in the day was as much about how you could edit the sounds by reaching out for a knob or slider and edit in real time instead of digging through menus to edit in jumpy intervals. All that said, I think it can sound sufficiently "analog". Though as a product of its time the qualifier "virtual" is probably more accurate.
For a long time this was one of the best bang-for-the-buck synth to learn the ropes on. Still have mine since ~2002. Even with walls of modular and many vintage bits I've added since, it's still good to just throw the MS in the back seat for an impromptu chillout jam, or to drop it into a writing session as something like a "poor-mans OB 2-voice".
I really wanted this when I was a kid. I mean, there weren’t that many options and despite the voice count being half, it sounded better than the JP8000. But I couldn’t afford it then and can’t justify the price now.
@@raistaparta The price nowadays ($500) isn’t that insane. Quite close to what it cost brand new. I only regret buying it just before MS2000B came out. But well before Microkorg. I like the bigger keys and didn’t feel Micro added anything I’d have wanted.
YES!! I'm so glad you finally covered this amazing and much-maligned synth. It doesn't get the hate today that it did when it was released though. People nowadays rightly recognize it for the classic it is. Not a perfect synth by any means, but it can do a few things especially well. A couple notes: 1. MIDI sync is improved a lot with the last firmware update. I don't think yours has it. 2. On the built-in delay, Korg annoyingly tied the delay level control to the delay feedback control. You can't have loud delay without lots of feedback. Annoying for me, as I often want a single 16th- or 8th-note slap at full volume, but you can't have a loud repeat without a long delay trail. 3. The presets are mostly quite good, and actually usable. 4. I wish you'd spent a bit more time showing off the mod sequencer. It is the MS2000's crown jewel. 5. Onboard distortion is generally awful, especially with lots of resonance. 6. This thing has BASS for days. It's one of my favorite bass synths. 7. The chorus is good. The phaser is great. Finally, the cat montage was so good I couldn't hear the music over my wife's laughing and swooning. Can we try and keep the visuals in check? j/k. Thanks, and see you next time.
nice one, thank you. i was recently up fur buying a ms2000 and then this show popped up. i read all the comments in the video and was in doubt, especially bc of the midi issues, but your comment saves it and i will definitely get one.
@@sudbenzer6603 Mine was my main stage axe until I got an OB-6. As I said it is far from perfect, and if you're not careful programming your sounds can turn to cardboard crap pretty quickly. But it is punchy, it does lovely bass stuff, and crazy/funky/evolving/grovy stuff comes out easy with the arpeggiator and mod sequencer. I hope you like it.
I think we have to mention the clicky clacky keys here, well, they are noisy on my MS2000B. I wasn't aware of the firmware update :o That is superb, thanks
@ghost mall I think it can be linked up and so have more, no? As you may know it comes from the MS-20 lineage, mono, but still I agree with 8, initially
The MS2000 was my first synth when it came out. I fell in love with it when demo-ing it at Guitar Center, so I put it in lay-away lol. I eventually sold it and other pieces of gear to fund the release of the 2006 first MacBook Pro. It was a game changer for me at the time and allowed me to get into DAW recording and video editing with FCP. Flash forward 2022 I seen the MS2000 on EBay for $250 starting bid. I clicked the reminder button and got a text message when the auction was down to the last 5 minutes. I placed a few bids and ended up winning it for $329. I got it in the mail a couple weeks later and started cleaning it. It shined right up and I was able to get all the sticky tape glue, and marker off all the buttons. It had two missing knobs, and I ended up finding a guy in London that had them. Boom it’s now fully restored and functional. I love it ❤ There is something really special about this synth to me, and I guess it will always be #1 in my book. I also ended up getting a Korg Radias for $550 the next month after getting the MS, and that synth is totally underrated. It’s them cheesy presets that give it a bad name, but over all the Radias is still amazing till this day. It should totally be on BAD GEAR sometime!
Seriously speaking…. This episode proved one thing in the end. It’s NEVER the synth, it’s THE USER. You’re demonstration brought the best out of this unit. Happy freaking FRIDAY!!!! 🍾🍾
@@aakash9058 because again, especially with a synthesizer’s physical design, it’s all about THE USER. also…… if you take away the millions of TH-cam critics and opinions about “every single fucking thing” (beetle juice voice) You take away the heard mentality of today that leads to people literally looking to someone else’s opinion before they can even begin to formulate an opinion of their own. You know…… when we feel justified about something based on the comment sections mass approval or Vice Versa
@@WVandellHarris Synths can have bugs, either usability or sound algorithm wise. Thst produce results that usually nobody would want. Or have user interface design flaws that make the users more often do the same mistakes over and over again or search from the wrong places. They can be used well, for sure, but they could have been done much better.
Florian - This came out at the same time as the JP-8000 and I was seriously considering the JP-8080 vs the MS-2000R (mostly because of polyphony). However, I grew to really love the raw nature of the engine in the MS-2000 (and so many others did via the MicroKorg). I finally saw my chance to acquire an MS-2000R when Korg released the Minilogue. Quite a few people dumped their MS-2000s in order to grab the new 4-voice all-analog Korg offering. I was able to get a near mint MS-2000R for $250 (shipping included). Sure, I'd love if it had eight voices instead of four, but I really do enjoy the engine. And, as you noted, it's outstanding for bass and lead sounds that don't require polyphony. Having said that, it's amazing how full the pads on this can sound with only four voices. Thanks for another great episode! Peace.
You gotta try it on bi-timbral mode with 2 mod sequencers going at the same time, it gets totally crazy! Everyone should check the incredible performances that Rene Hell was able to do with just this synth alone.
I've always loved this machine for being a kind of Swiss Army synth. You can get raw analog-ish sounds or dip into the DWGS waves for digital or traditional instrument sounds. The layout is intuitive once you get it figured out. The patch matrix give you the feeling of a semi-modular that makes it worthy of the "MS" line. If you know what you're doing you can get a lot out of this one.
I got my blue MS2000R. and it is still my favourite... Not that i tried every synth out there, but for me this one is a gem... modulating stuff with that sequencer and virtual patch bay.. sooo much fun..
This is by far the synth I regret selling the most. I only sold it cuz i needed rent money, and it's been a decade now but I still miss it. The modulation sequencer is what really made it a gem for me; i basically used it as a drum machine
I remember when I played with one of these for the first time at Guitar Center in early 2000. I was amazed as it was the first time I got to play with a synth that had 'all the knobs'. For a short while, me and my friends (who were there) had replaced the world 'cool' with 'Korg'. I.e. Man, that movie was really Korg! Would I use the synth today? Probably not, but you know, you never forget your first synth crush. :)
Great Job, Great Sounds. Bought my MS2000B in 2003 from Guitar and Amp shop in Brighton better known as GAK. Still going very well although my only annoyance is the "clicky clacky" keybed. A year or so ago I opened it up to check for dirt, fluff etc and to my joy not much fluff was there, plus, the circuit board looked immaculate, very happy with that. Thanks
One of my favorite shows and favorite subject. Always very well done. I would like to see this show beyond the confines of social media platforms and longer, more in depth reviews. Although you do a great job with the existing formula It still seems like you have much more to share.
The jamz alone are worth watching your videos. Personally, I love the MS2000, I used to own the microKorg, I wish that I would’ve kept it. And if I could get a deal, I would get the microKorg
Flashing up an iconic scene from Life of Brian's at the cross-modulation talk is priceless. Do I have to mention I keep coming back for the (sometimes not so) subtle puns mostly? And sometimes I watch the synth reviews too.
Man. I really love Korg Synths. This one is no exception. As a neophyte synth dude, all the knobs appear to make it easier to tweak exotic turn of the century sounds into gems. Proof of concept is how The Prime Minister of the Bad Gear channel worked out so much phat (does anyone say that anymore?) noize from it. Another great episode. Danke!
I had such a good time with that synth, it also was my first access to a serious delay effect send, which I used to make an entire soundtrack once. I spent years trying to find a replacement for that specific delay algorithm and developed a life-long time-based effect obsession.
I still use my MS2000R and my Microkorg to this day! I've had both since around 2008, and even when I wasn't using the MS2000 as a synth, I'd use it as a MIDI controller for VSTs before there was a ton of good options for MIDI controllers. The layout of the front panel is almost perfect for mapping to virtual instruments. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
Only time I felt like a synth genius was having a go on this as a MicroKorg owner, and magically knowing what everything did right away. Would love one now.
I bought this twice, IIRC. One was an earlier version , which had the blue face and the latter was the B with the gooseneck mic for.the vocoder. Apparently there were MIDI sync drift issues, but i never experienced those even when it was part of a multi leyboard via MIDI thru box/hub set up. It had remarkably good presets for the time, was in plentiful (and cheap) supply on the s/h market (i suspect the low polyphony count may have pushed users to dump them quicker than they should have), was easy to program, had a great sequencer and sounded fantastic. I used it on a number of projects & sold it on soon after I aquired a Korg Radias, which was like the MS2000 on steriods. Korg were obviously smart in repackaging it as a microkorg, and so the engine (give or take some minor tweaks) still lives on.
I'm glad you brought up the "why does he keep reviewing classics" thing, haha! I was just thinking that. Time to compensate by looking at the Kawai K-11 next, haha.
I had a bandmate who got an MS2000R as a lighter-weight replacement for various combo-organs he used to lug to gigs. It sounded great for leads and solos. The polyphony was a known limitation, but considering a lot of his smaller combo-organs did frequency folding, it wasn't a new restriction. The ease in programming was greatly appreciated. Seems like a good candidate synth for a VST version?
From a distance on my phone I initially thought it was the Oberheim matrix!! Pleasantly surprised at the sound output that you obtained….you are a master audio alchemist!
Wowww ! I really like the sound of this one ! Top notch demos, especially the final one ! I might need this gear, and the techno viking action figure 😂 ! Thank you Florian for this episode !
Oh, that's funny. I was like 2 min into the video and was thinking "What's the big deal, this sounds just like my Microkorg?" and then wham, you answered my question.
MS2K is the reason analog and VA got stronger. When this synth dropped in '99, it was a total game changer, and it was relatively affordable. Still got one. Haven't played it in years, but won't sell.
Second jam was spot on! finish it someday maybe... one of the most fun synths I bought. The knobs are tiny but fun to use and by touching some, they change function. It gets trippy pretty fast - good string, a reverb pedal and voila. Worth in 2019: 500 shipped from japan, one knob needs a clean
How the heck did I miss this one? I dig it. I love me a Korg monster, being the proud owner of a Karma workstation. Nothing like having to memorise a novel to know which generically labelled knob does what!
I've used the rackmount a lot in a friend's studio since the early noughties, and had no issues with the sounds and tweakability. Most importantly, it's the grandpappy of the arpeggiating eevyl overlordly Radias. One of the few synths that can hold its own in a fight with a Virus B
3.5 octaves of full-size keys turned out to be perfect for this synth, hence the size. The rack version's a lot smaller, and you can crudely play it from the buttons.
@@keybeardist I stuck a 9V power supply in mine and soldered it to the motherboard so I can travel with a normal power cord instead of a wall wart. And there’s still room to pack a couple sandwiches!
This made my day! Thanks so much for showing how it’s done. You make this synth really sing! My ms2000 might be broken or I’m just a bad synth programmer because you really brought out some great sounds out of it.
Saw one of these in a pawnshop and was briefly tempted. The condition abated, but I was always curious about it. Glad to be sated by this review. Thank you.
Sold my MS 2000R, always regretted it. Great show and very entertaining. Would love to see Novation Nova here and the A Station, both had great sounds, but the Nova froze constantly on me and the A Station packed so many features, nearly impossible to handle that cryptic LCD...
Wow, great stuff as always! For all the hate it receives for being too "thin", you really got some phat basses out of it. And you really brought your funkiest basslines to this episode! Big fan of this synth, apparently it's heavily used in the Metroid Prime 1 and 2 soundtracks. I bet you would have a lot of fun with an AN1X or an OB12!
Funny thing is I have been looking for the MS2000B desperately for months on my local market, it's not like the synth is rare, plenty units were sold back in the day but fuck me is it hard to find any where I live...
Thanks for the show! I like how Korg sells the same synth in different enclosures: MS2000, MicroKorg, MicroKorg-mk1, MicroKorg-mk1S, MicroKorg XL, MicroKorg XL+, R3, Radias, KingKorg, what else?
R3 und Radias haben eine komplett andere Synthesizer Engine als Microkorg oder MS2000, das Einzige was alle vereint, sie sind digital... selten so einen Blödsinn gelesen!
This has always been a favorite of mine. It doesn't have any balls, but the sequencer modulation trick is awesome and it can sit perfectly on top of even the most dense mix.
How the hell this synth made it to Bad Gear baffles me. This is literally one of the greatest synths of all time and and is one of my favorites and biggest "regret selling" synth. I've considered time and again in getting a Mint one from Japan just to have it again! The Microkorg is a lame parody of this thing! Waiting for you out back for that JP-8080 skit but you REALLY deserve an A$$ whooping for this video! :p
ahh my first synth... I dont miss heaps about it, but that Stairs Pad gave me flashbacks of 2003. The effects section, (in particular the delay), was awesome.
When this came out in the year of its name, I was one of the people that dug it. I understood from the word go that the limitation of four notes had to do with one of the synths it was attempting to tribute, the Mono/Poly. I was always cool with that. I had one for a little while, and I did the best I could with the polyphony being restricted that way. If I could’ve afforded to get it when it was new, I would have bought the keyboard version and then tried getting the tabletop module to supplement the polyphony. I succeeded it with a microKorg XL. Although I was glad to have the 8-note polyphony, one thing I missed was the sequencer. I never learned to program that myself, but I enjoyed just having it on this model. In fact, I’ve never tried to create my own patches on either model.
I-m sure, @@AudioPilz. I thought about getting the software editor for it, but I just became too accustomed to having the presets. That makes it for me less like a synthesizer than a combo organ version of something like the DW-8000.
I’ve only heard about this since the Korg documentary from Alex Ball. I like the end jam you did. It sounds like this synth can be versatile for almost anything. I love synthesizers that can do that.
I only used the VSTi version but this synth is amazing. Korg is anyway a classic synth builder. The filters and modulation options create crazy sounds. This so great to hear all the original sounds and creative ideas with this instrument as a plus. Great video !!
I bought an MS 2000 when it first came out and used it ad nauseam, then bought the microkorg when it first came out and it seemed a bit redundant so I sold the MS2000. Later I sold the microkorg and bought another microkorg XL. Now that I think about it, my favorite of these 3 synths is the MS2000, basically because of the mod sequencer, the size of the keys, and the interface, because the sound is similar in all three and it is not what makes the difference
Audiopilz: *slaps roof of YT channel*
Full Tracks, Extended Jams, Sample Packs: www.patreon.com/audiopilz
yeah this would be something cool! but it didn't come with 15 meme packs and a stroke warning. how could i trust it
The final track slaps so hard.
I bought one second hand for £100 in 2007 to use live in an 80s synthpop band. It did 8 years on the road and is still going strong in my studio. Love it.
Nice find!!!
@@AudioPilz I was very lucky - I bought it as 'not working' turned out to be a dry joint on the power socket. 10 seconds with a soldering iron and it was good as new!
@@MagicMusicAdam - Wow!!!
A fair price
I also have one and I love it.
The only channel where i need the space bar 200 times in one video...
😀😀😀
I can say it perfectly synchronized: Welcome to bad gear. The show about the woooorld's most hated audio tools.
I think there's an "o" missing;)
@@AudioPilz I agree
@@AudioPilz I concur!
It's somewhere between 2 and 3 syllables 😉
I went back last week to determine if woooooorld was always that way. Glad I'm not alone.
I loved my MS2000. Great sounds from it and so many things to modulate.
👍👍👍
Same. i have an MS2000BR, this video is a shit show
I love my korg ms2000 too....for me is the best ..love it
The MS-2000R is a Bread n' Butter goto synth in my studio. I love twisting MS2K knobs and they're all MIDI CC readable for real-time recording and even assignable as a psudo MIDI controler if you want. My favorite trick is to use its MIDI OUT to duplicate sequences to another simple synth like a Behringer Crave, then loop-back that audio into the MS2k's Audio Input jack to blend the synth sequences together in interesting ways.
Nice technique!!!
Still one of my favorites synthesizers of all times. I don't care it can't sound "like an analog", it's simple a cool synth that looks like a lab instrument! I'm in.
I really like the squelchy timbre too!
Analog is overrated, listen to the music from the Metroid Prime games.
MS2000 is everywhere.
I mean, to me that particular fat squelchy bass when resonance is turned up is far, far fatter than when you do it on a Minimoog/moog clone. They loose the bass bottom and volume a lot when turning up the resonance (, as all ladder filters (and lots of others do)..
I am even going to be heretic and say that the Moog-filter is a bit overrated.
But I prefer the non-ladder filters more. At least for thumpy fat resonant squelchy bass...
It may not sound like an analog now but in 2000 M1s and Tritons were all over the place. This sounded - and most importantly felt - way more analog than that.
I think that "sounds like analog" is a silly way to look at any synth. Analog vs Digital back in the day was as much about how you could edit the sounds by reaching out for a knob or slider and edit in real time instead of digging through menus to edit in jumpy intervals.
All that said, I think it can sound sufficiently "analog". Though as a product of its time the qualifier "virtual" is probably more accurate.
I had this, and sold it, and then bought the used B version with premium price. no regret. it's simply the best synth i've owned.
👍👍👍
Dude, you make the perfect content for me. Exploring classic synths and explaining their history, then making tasteful jams... heaven!
Thank you so much!!!
Something about these 90s and noughties VA synths tickles my "flawed, quirky, but full of soul" bone. Please do more of those
Agreed, will do!
For a long time this was one of the best bang-for-the-buck synth to learn the ropes on.
Still have mine since ~2002. Even with walls of modular and many vintage bits I've added since, it's still good to just throw the MS in the back seat for an impromptu chillout jam, or to drop it into a writing session as something like a "poor-mans OB 2-voice".
Agreed!
I really wanted this when I was a kid. I mean, there weren’t that many options and despite the voice count being half, it sounded better than the JP8000. But I couldn’t afford it then and can’t justify the price now.
@@raistaparta The price nowadays ($500) isn’t that insane. Quite close to what it cost brand new. I only regret buying it just before MS2000B came out. But well before Microkorg. I like the bigger keys and didn’t feel Micro added anything I’d have wanted.
Jam 2 is easily the best one I've heard on the show so far! Bad Gear really highlights you can make magic with anything if you lean into its quirks.
Thank you so much!!! Yeah, I think I hit the sweet spot here
@@AudioPilz You regularly hit sweet spots, your music is truly ace, even with bad gear!
Plus I got extra feels since my cat just died 👍
Im still waiting for the audiopilz live gig :P
@@joemurray2523 Maybe we could crowdfund airfare for him to come to the States for a few weeks :D
I love this little beast. It's my main digital synth and I don't think I'll ever get rid of it.
👍👍👍
That day has come! Now all my gear is a bad gear
Congratulations!!! Bingo!!!
Time to buy some new gear I guess
congrats! 🥂
🍻
I dread that day. All My gear has been featured here , except for two pieces of gear.
YES!! I'm so glad you finally covered this amazing and much-maligned synth. It doesn't get the hate today that it did when it was released though. People nowadays rightly recognize it for the classic it is. Not a perfect synth by any means, but it can do a few things especially well. A couple notes:
1. MIDI sync is improved a lot with the last firmware update. I don't think yours has it.
2. On the built-in delay, Korg annoyingly tied the delay level control to the delay feedback control. You can't have loud delay without lots of feedback. Annoying for me, as I often want a single 16th- or 8th-note slap at full volume, but you can't have a loud repeat without a long delay trail.
3. The presets are mostly quite good, and actually usable.
4. I wish you'd spent a bit more time showing off the mod sequencer. It is the MS2000's crown jewel.
5. Onboard distortion is generally awful, especially with lots of resonance.
6. This thing has BASS for days. It's one of my favorite bass synths.
7. The chorus is good. The phaser is great.
Finally, the cat montage was so good I couldn't hear the music over my wife's laughing and swooning. Can we try and keep the visuals in check?
j/k. Thanks, and see you next time.
Thank you, that sums it up nicely!!!
nice one, thank you. i was recently up fur buying a ms2000 and then this show popped up. i read all the comments in the video and was in doubt, especially bc of the midi issues, but your comment saves it and i will definitely get one.
@@sudbenzer6603 Mine was my main stage axe until I got an OB-6. As I said it is far from perfect, and if you're not careful programming your sounds can turn to cardboard crap pretty quickly. But it is punchy, it does lovely bass stuff, and crazy/funky/evolving/grovy stuff comes out easy with the arpeggiator and mod sequencer. I hope you like it.
I think we have to mention the clicky clacky keys here, well, they are noisy on my MS2000B. I wasn't aware of the firmware update :o That is superb, thanks
@ghost mall I think it can be linked up and so have more, no? As you may know it comes from the MS-20 lineage, mono, but still I agree with 8, initially
I would appreciate a BONUS 10 hr video loop of the last cat jam.
😻😻😻
The MS2000 was my first synth when it came out. I fell in love with it when demo-ing it at Guitar Center, so I put it in lay-away lol. I eventually sold it and other pieces of gear to fund the release of the 2006 first MacBook Pro. It was a game changer for me at the time and allowed me to get into DAW recording and video editing with FCP.
Flash forward 2022 I seen the MS2000 on EBay for $250 starting bid. I clicked the reminder button and got a text message when the auction was down to the last 5 minutes. I placed a few bids and ended up winning it for $329. I got it in the mail a couple weeks later and started cleaning it. It shined right up and I was able to get all the sticky tape glue, and marker off all the buttons. It had two missing knobs, and I ended up finding a guy in London that had them. Boom it’s now fully restored and functional. I love it ❤
There is something really special about this synth to me, and I guess it will always be #1 in my book. I also ended up getting a Korg Radias for $550 the next month after getting the MS, and that synth is totally underrated. It’s them cheesy presets that give it a bad name, but over all the Radias is still amazing till this day. It should totally be on BAD GEAR sometime!
Great suggestion, thank you!!!
@@AudioPilz you welcome brutha man! The King Korg OG is another one I have that I’d love to see on BG!
@@AudioPilz you welcome, glad I could help.
I have the MS2000R - it's a keeper! Thank-you for this review
Thanks for watching!!!
Oh yeah, is a keep it on a box hiding in a closet 😅
ever use SQD mode?
@@billfusionenterprise Not that I'm aware of...
@@55SqueakPip 16 knob are used in a step sequencerer mode
I love your channel man…every time I think about buying something I come and see your take for not just the lolz but the insight
Had my MS2000b since 2004, loved it then and still do.
Nice!
Seriously speaking…. This episode proved one thing in the end. It’s NEVER the synth, it’s THE USER. You’re demonstration brought the best out of this unit.
Happy freaking FRIDAY!!!! 🍾🍾
Sure. But synths can have bad design
@@aakash9058 physically speaking?
@@aakash9058 because again, especially with a synthesizer’s physical design, it’s all about THE USER.
also…… if you take away the millions of TH-cam critics and opinions about “every single fucking thing” (beetle juice voice)
You take away the heard mentality of today that leads to people literally looking to someone else’s opinion before they can even begin to formulate an opinion of their own. You know…… when we feel justified about something based on the comment sections mass approval or Vice Versa
@@WVandellHarris Synths can have bugs, either usability or sound algorithm wise. Thst produce results that usually nobody would want. Or have user interface design flaws that make the users more often do the same mistakes over and over again or search from the wrong places. They can be used well, for sure, but they could have been done much better.
Thanks!!!
Thank you for this, it's been on your list and i asked for it about 3 years ago now you're awesome ❤
Thank you!!!
Florian - This came out at the same time as the JP-8000 and I was seriously considering the JP-8080 vs the MS-2000R (mostly because of polyphony). However, I grew to really love the raw nature of the engine in the MS-2000 (and so many others did via the MicroKorg). I finally saw my chance to acquire an MS-2000R when Korg released the Minilogue. Quite a few people dumped their MS-2000s in order to grab the new 4-voice all-analog Korg offering. I was able to get a near mint MS-2000R for $250 (shipping included). Sure, I'd love if it had eight voices instead of four, but I really do enjoy the engine. And, as you noted, it's outstanding for bass and lead sounds that don't require polyphony. Having said that, it's amazing how full the pads on this can sound with only four voices.
Thanks for another great episode!
Peace.
Great find, thanks!!!
Wonder if it’s possible to polychain a 2nd MS-2000 rack module to double to 8 voices?
@@thedeepblueskys
Yes. You can polychain twoMS-2000's to get 8-voice polyphony.
You gotta try it on bi-timbral mode with 2 mod sequencers going at the same time, it gets totally crazy! Everyone should check the incredible performances that Rene Hell was able to do with just this synth alone.
Going to check out Rene Hell thanks!
Thanks for posting!!!
This one really sounded great on almost every example!
👍👍👍
I've always loved this machine for being a kind of Swiss Army synth. You can get raw analog-ish sounds or dip into the DWGS waves for digital or traditional instrument sounds. The layout is intuitive once you get it figured out. The patch matrix give you the feeling of a semi-modular that makes it worthy of the "MS" line. If you know what you're doing you can get a lot out of this one.
Doesn't MS stand for "Mono Synth"?
@@AudioPilz Modular-Semi ;)
I got my blue MS2000R. and it is still my favourite... Not that i tried every synth out there, but for me this one is a gem... modulating stuff with that sequencer and virtual patch bay.. sooo much fun..
Nice!
This was my first synth and I’ve been using it for 23 years
Nice!
This is by far the synth I regret selling the most. I only sold it cuz i needed rent money, and it's been a decade now but I still miss it. The modulation sequencer is what really made it a gem for me; i basically used it as a drum machine
Really liked the sequencer too!
My old band’s set up was based around 2 Electribes (EMX and ESX), a microkorg, an MS2000 rack and an MS2000B.
Those are staples of the bad gear repertoire
@@christopherpederson1021 and a very specific sound
Nice band;)
I have the MS2000BR for the past 10 years; it’s a great synth and I won’t get rid of it ever..
Great video too by the way! Thanks✌🏽
Thank you so much!!!
@@AudioPilz most definitely brother! Keep up the great work
That last song was so healthy. This show makes me happy 😁
Thank you so much!!!
I remember when I played with one of these for the first time at Guitar Center in early 2000. I was amazed as it was the first time I got to play with a synth that had 'all the knobs'. For a short while, me and my friends (who were there) had replaced the world 'cool' with 'Korg'. I.e. Man, that movie was really Korg! Would I use the synth today? Probably not, but you know, you never forget your first synth crush. :)
❤️❤️❤️
Great Job, Great Sounds.
Bought my MS2000B in 2003 from Guitar and Amp shop in Brighton better known as GAK. Still going very well although my only annoyance is the "clicky clacky" keybed. A year or so ago I opened it up to check for dirt, fluff etc and to my joy not much fluff was there, plus, the circuit board looked immaculate, very happy with that.
Thanks
Thanks!!! Yeah, the keybed is not so great!
this was one of the best synths I ever owned, sounds amazing, intuitive interface, the matrix is fantastic, insta classic.
👍
The MS2000 is all over one of my favorite records, Mutemath's Vitals. As such, it will always be a classic to my ears.
One of my favorite shows and favorite subject. Always very well done. I would like to see this show beyond the confines of social media platforms and longer, more in depth reviews. Although you do a great job with the existing formula It still seems like you have much more to share.
yee, this would be so nice.
Thank you!!! Great idea!
The jamz alone are worth watching your videos. Personally, I love the MS2000, I used to own the microKorg, I wish that I would’ve kept it. And if I could get a deal, I would get the microKorg
Thanks!!!
Love the fact that the diagram layouts on the face plate are also big enough to park an Elektron joint or FX pedal.
I had to put the Digitakt sideways tho. A Nord is better for that;)
Best thing about it, I use to have an SP sampler on both sides for processing/sampling
Your work is always great. Thank you for that, brother.
Thank you so much, 3D!!!
Ahhh!! A bad gear episode with a piece of gear I actually have! I've never experienced this feeling before...
Congratulations and welcome to Bad Gear Bingo!!!
Same here :)
Et moi! 😀 Un seul correspondre, avec celui-ci!
You finally did a video on the ms-2000 thank you
Thanks!!!
This thing is my secret weapon. In terms of synths that are just plain fun to PLAY, this guy takes the cake imo
Agreed, very playable indeed
MmmMMmMMmMMmmmm!!!! That last tune was lush af! I wish I never sold mine.
Thank you!!!
Flashing up an iconic scene from Life of Brian's at the cross-modulation talk is priceless. Do I have to mention I keep coming back for the (sometimes not so) subtle puns mostly? And sometimes I watch the synth reviews too.
Thank you so much!!!
Another one well done my friend!
How about the Korg Radius.??
Thanks!!! Great suggestion!
Man. I really love Korg Synths. This one is no exception. As a neophyte synth dude, all the knobs appear to make it easier to tweak exotic turn of the century sounds into gems. Proof of concept is how The Prime Minister of the Bad Gear channel worked out so much phat (does anyone say that anymore?) noize from it. Another great episode. Danke!
Vielen Dank!!!
I had such a good time with that synth, it also was my first access to a serious delay effect send, which I used to make an entire soundtrack once. I spent years trying to find a replacement for that specific delay algorithm and developed a life-long time-based effect obsession.
The delay on this one is really nice!
Seldom has the title "Bad Gear" been so misleading as with MS2000. It is a superb instrument.
You know, one person's Bad Gear...;)
I still use my MS2000R and my Microkorg to this day! I've had both since around 2008, and even when I wasn't using the MS2000 as a synth, I'd use it as a MIDI controller for VSTs before there was a ton of good options for MIDI controllers. The layout of the front panel is almost perfect for mapping to virtual instruments. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
Nice!!!
Only time I felt like a synth genius was having a go on this as a MicroKorg owner, and magically knowing what everything did right away. Would love one now.
Yeah, I had the exact same experience!!!
I bought this twice, IIRC. One was an earlier version , which had the blue face and the latter was the B with the gooseneck mic for.the vocoder.
Apparently there were MIDI sync drift issues, but i never experienced those even when it was part of a multi leyboard via MIDI thru box/hub set up. It had remarkably good presets for the time, was in plentiful (and cheap) supply on the s/h market (i suspect the low polyphony count may have pushed users to dump them quicker than they should have), was easy to program, had a great sequencer and sounded fantastic. I used it on a number of projects & sold it on soon after I aquired a Korg Radias, which was like the MS2000 on steriods.
Korg were obviously smart in repackaging it as a microkorg, and so the engine (give or take some minor tweaks) still lives on.
Midi sync is rather bad but still kinda usable
Another one for the legends, thanks Florian!
Thanks for watching!!!
I'm glad you brought up the "why does he keep reviewing classics" thing, haha! I was just thinking that. Time to compensate by looking at the Kawai K-11 next, haha.
Great suggestion, thanks!!!
I had a bandmate who got an MS2000R as a lighter-weight replacement for various combo-organs he used to lug to gigs. It sounded great for leads and solos. The polyphony was a known limitation, but considering a lot of his smaller combo-organs did frequency folding, it wasn't a new restriction. The ease in programming was greatly appreciated.
Seems like a good candidate synth for a VST version?
Wouldn't that be the current Korg VST collection with the added Microkorg plugin?
@@AudioPilz seems like it should be, but your A/B of the MS2000 with Microkorg sounded like siblings more than twins.
Man you have the best memes, and the cat jam is an absolute banger. 10/10 would listen on repeat
Thank you so much!!!
From a distance on my phone I initially thought it was the Oberheim matrix!!
Pleasantly surprised at the sound output that you obtained….you are a master audio alchemist!
Thank you so much!!!
I bought one of these brand new just after it was first released. It sounded great and I had hours of fun with it!
😀😀😀
Another great episode …and the quick clip of the Nick doll on the mention of PWM had me laughing out loud!😅
😀😀😀
These videos are the main way I know another week has gone-bye by this point, and it keeps being sooner than I think it should be.
❤️❤️❤️
Wowww ! I really like the sound of this one ! Top notch demos, especially the final one ! I might need this gear, and the techno viking action figure 😂 ! Thank you Florian for this episode !
Thank you!!! Techno Viking action figures for everyone!!!
@@AudioPilz Unfortunately Techno Viking has blocked all Techno Viking merchandise sales with cease and desist lawsuit, google it up!
Cat Viking might be available though…
Oh, that's funny. I was like 2 min into the video and was thinking "What's the big deal, this sounds just like my Microkorg?" and then wham, you answered my question.
😀😀😀
MS2K is the reason analog and VA got stronger. When this synth dropped in '99, it was a total game changer, and it was relatively affordable. Still got one. Haven't played it in years, but won't sell.
👍👍👍
Second jam was spot on! finish it someday maybe... one of the most fun synths I bought. The knobs are tiny but fun to use and by touching some, they change function. It gets trippy pretty fast - good string, a reverb pedal and voila.
Worth in 2019: 500 shipped from japan, one knob needs a clean
Thank you!!! Shameless plug: there's a longer jam on my Patreon;)
I am always down for some soothing cat content 😸
😸😸😸❤️❤️❤️
Yet another synth I regret selling, nostalgia :) Thank you maestro for all your entertainment!
Thank you so much!!!
How the heck did I miss this one? I dig it. I love me a Korg monster, being the proud owner of a Karma workstation. Nothing like having to memorise a novel to know which generically labelled knob does what!
Dude you're literally tearing my studio apart haha. My MS2000 sits directly next to my DSI Evolver Desktop.
Nothing personal;)
I've used the rackmount a lot in a friend's studio since the early noughties, and had no issues with the sounds and tweakability. Most importantly, it's the grandpappy of the arpeggiating eevyl overlordly Radias. One of the few synths that can hold its own in a fight with a Virus B
It's the Microkorg Prequel episode :D I was always surprised at the sheer size of the MS2K, it has no business being that size.
It's a substantial piece of gear but surprisingly light
3.5 octaves of full-size keys turned out to be perfect for this synth, hence the size. The rack version's a lot smaller, and you can crudely play it from the buttons.
If you open it up, it is literally 99% empty space. I considered hiding an Axoloti or two in mine for some extra FX processing.
@@keybeardist I stuck a 9V power supply in mine and soldered it to the motherboard so I can travel with a normal power cord instead of a wall wart. And there’s still room to pack a couple sandwiches!
This made my day! Thanks so much for showing how it’s done. You make this synth really sing! My ms2000 might be broken or I’m just a bad synth programmer because you really brought out some great sounds out of it.
Thank you!!!
I bought one, didn't like it, lent it to someone and then got it back and loved it.
😀
Saw one of these in a pawnshop and was briefly tempted. The condition abated, but I was always curious about it. Glad to be sated by this review. Thank you.
Pawnshop MS2000s? Always a temptation;) Thanks!
Hands down one of the best VA synths ever made.
👍
loving the soothing cat content meets post-breakbeat liquid funk melodic drum & bass
Thank you!!!
Sold my MS 2000R, always regretted it. Great show and very entertaining.
Would love to see Novation Nova here and the A Station, both had great sounds, but the Nova froze constantly on me and the A Station packed so many features, nearly impossible to handle that cryptic LCD...
Thank you! Great suggestion!
Microkorg / ms2000 has that late 90/2000 va sound, i love it
Classic!
I just realized: you haven’t done an episode on the Access Virus. That would be a winner!
Great suggestion, thanks!!!
I JUST refurbished my ms2000 which I bought when it came out. I’ve been waiting for this :)
Nice!!!
Fun fact, due to the engine similarities in the ms2000 and the microkorg you can actually mod the original patches from the ms2000 onto a microkorv
True that!
Wow, great stuff as always! For all the hate it receives for being too "thin", you really got some phat basses out of it. And you really brought your funkiest basslines to this episode!
Big fan of this synth, apparently it's heavily used in the Metroid Prime 1 and 2 soundtracks. I bet you would have a lot of fun with an AN1X or an OB12!
Thank you so much!!! Metroid Prime is strong with this one!
Funny thing is I have been looking for the MS2000B desperately for months on my local market, it's not like the synth is rare, plenty units were sold back in the day but fuck me is it hard to find any where I live...
Lots of them in Japan!
Great episode again! Loved the liquid drum and bass! And visuals 😻
Thank you!!!😻😻😻
Thanks for the show! I like how Korg sells the same synth in different enclosures: MS2000, MicroKorg, MicroKorg-mk1, MicroKorg-mk1S, MicroKorg XL, MicroKorg XL+, R3, Radias, KingKorg, what else?
Thanks for watching!!! AFAIK the MK XL and RADIAS have the same engine which is not identical with the original MK
R3 und Radias haben eine komplett andere Synthesizer Engine als Microkorg oder MS2000, das Einzige was alle vereint, sie sind digital... selten so einen Blödsinn gelesen!
@@maninblack9000 Any proves to read please?
isn't this thing in some of the electribe boxes as well?
It seems Korg Prophecy is in the same row as a predecessor.
This has always been a favorite of mine. It doesn't have any balls, but the sequencer modulation trick is awesome and it can sit perfectly on top of even the most dense mix.
Sequencer tricks for days!
How the hell this synth made it to Bad Gear baffles me. This is literally one of the greatest synths of all time and and is one of my favorites and biggest "regret selling" synth. I've considered time and again in getting a Mint one from Japan just to have it again! The Microkorg is a lame parody of this thing!
Waiting for you out back for that JP-8080 skit but you REALLY deserve an A$$ whooping for this video! :p
Forgive me Father for I have synthed;)
Friday, fish, chips and bad gear. Lovely.
Yummy!!!
“The coelacanth of synth keyboards” is a beautiful combination of words.
😀😀😀
ahh my first synth... I dont miss heaps about it, but that Stairs Pad gave me flashbacks of 2003. The effects section, (in particular the delay), was awesome.
Yeah, really liked the FX section too!!!
I literally just took a break from setting up my MS2000B and I see this 😭😭🤣
Nothing personal;)
Perfect timing with the recent Metroid Prime remaster, which sound track contains quite some MS2000 if I remember correctly.
True that!
i have to say, I fall under "analog purist" but this has to be one of the best sounding VA synths ever.
👍
bought this the week it came out, and it's still rockin' (poppin' ?) almost a quarter century later.
Nice!!!
Good timing! Metroid Prime Remastered recently came out and its soundtrack makes heavy use of the synth.
True that!!! I should have put that in the episode!
When this came out in the year of its name, I was one of the people that dug it. I understood from the word go that the limitation of four notes had to do with one of the synths it was attempting to tribute, the Mono/Poly. I was always cool with that. I had one for a little while, and I did the best I could with the polyphony being restricted that way. If I could’ve afforded to get it when it was new, I would have bought the keyboard version and then tried getting the tabletop module to supplement the polyphony.
I succeeded it with a microKorg XL. Although I was glad to have the 8-note polyphony, one thing I missed was the sequencer. I never learned to program that myself, but I enjoyed just having it on this model. In fact, I’ve never tried to create my own patches on either model.
Programming the XL can be very tedious...
I-m sure, @@AudioPilz. I thought about getting the software editor for it, but I just became too accustomed to having the presets. That makes it for me less like a synthesizer than a combo organ version of something like the DW-8000.
I’ve only heard about this since the Korg documentary from Alex Ball. I like the end jam you did. It sounds like this synth can be versatile for almost anything. I love synthesizers that can do that.
If you like the digital sound it's a total allrounder
I only used the VSTi version but this synth is amazing.
Korg is anyway a classic synth builder.
The filters and modulation options create crazy sounds.
This so great to hear all the original sounds and creative ideas with this instrument as a plus.
Great video !!
Thank you!!!
I bought an MS 2000 when it first came out and used it ad nauseam, then bought the microkorg when it first came out and it seemed a bit redundant so I sold the MS2000. Later I sold the microkorg and bought another microkorg XL. Now that I think about it, my favorite of these 3 synths is the MS2000, basically because of the mod sequencer, the size of the keys, and the interface, because the sound is similar in all three and it is not what makes the difference
That sequencer is rad!
I once made a kickdrum with this beast that blew away the 909. It was soo damn deep. I still miss this synth.
👍👍👍
This might be the best Nick Batt on the channel yet
Lol spot on!
Sesame Street Nick Batt>All others.
❤️❤️❤️Nick❤️❤️❤️