Bad Gear - Korg MS2000
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Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world's most hated audio tools. Today we are going to talk about the Korg MS2000. Is this virtual analog synth and older sibling of the Microkorg still worth getting or is its compact successor the more convenient option? Is it the Macrokorg?
Thanks to Frosties Amp Garage for lending me this piece from the collection.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:58 Overview Korg MS2000
01:25 Sound Examples, Polyphony Limitations
02:05 Oscillators 1 (VA, PWM, Cross Mod, Vox Wave)
02:40 Sample Based Waveforms (Korg DW-8000)
02:50 Oscillator 2 (Sync, Ring Mod)
03:03 Mixer, Filter
03:21 Modulators (Envelopes, LFOs)
03:32 FX Section (Distortion, Modulation, Delay)
03:40 Virtual Patch Matrix
03:58 Multitimbrality
04:05 MS2000 vs. Microkorg
04:31 Modulation Sequencer
04:51 Arpeggiator, Vocoder
05:01 What else???
05:39 Hate
06:09 Jam 1 (Pseudo Analog Sounds)
06:58 Jam 2 (Digital Funk)
07:58 Finale (Drum & Bass)
08:31 Verdict - เพลง
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.
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.
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!
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!!!
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
That day has come! Now all my gear is a bad gear
Congratulations!!! Bingo!!!
Time to buy some new gear I guess
congrats! 🥂
🍻
I loved my MS2000. Great sounds from it and so many things to modulate.
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Same. i have an MS2000BR, this video is a shit show
I would appreciate a BONUS 10 hr video loop of the last cat jam.
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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.
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
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.
That last song was so healthy. This show makes me happy 😁
Thank you so much!!!
I love this little beast. It's my main digital synth and I don't think I'll ever get rid of it.
👍👍👍
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!!!
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 😅
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.
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. :)
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Had my MS2000b since 2004, loved it then and still do.
Nice!
I am always down for some soothing cat content 😸
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Dude, you make the perfect content for me. Exploring classic synths and explaining their history, then making tasteful jams... heaven!
Thank you so much!!!
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.
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I just realized: you haven’t done an episode on the Access Virus. That would be a winner!
Great suggestion, 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!!!
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
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 ;)
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!
I once made a kickdrum with this beast that blew away the 909. It was soo damn deep. I still miss this synth.
👍👍👍
Friday, fish, chips and bad gear. Lovely.
Yummy!!!
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!
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!
The only channel where i need the space bar 200 times in one video...
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Great episode again! Loved the liquid drum and bass! And visuals 😻
Thank you!!!😻😻😻
I literally just took a break from setting up my MS2000B and I see this 😭😭🤣
Nothing personal;)
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
The MS2000 is all over one of my favorite records, Mutemath's Vitals. As such, it will always be a classic to my ears.
This was my first synth and I’ve been using it for 23 years
Nice!
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!!!
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!!!
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!!!
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.
👍👍👍
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 just love your channel! Beside the great information and sonic enjoyment, you have me pause every time for those synth memes that keeps on getting better and better. You are truly a great reviewer of anything that makes noises. I have to say that every time that GAS hits me, I look for one of your reviews to make a decision.
Keep on the great work!
Thank you so much!!!
Microkorg / ms2000 has that late 90/2000 va sound, i love it
Classic!
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!
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
You finally did a video on the ms-2000 thank you
Thanks!!!
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.
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this was one of the best synths I ever owned, sounds amazing, intuitive interface, the matrix is fantastic, insta classic.
👍
Now I want one
😀 😀 😀
I really enjoy the demo tracks you making. Tnx!
Thank you so much!!!
i have to say, I fall under "analog purist" but this has to be one of the best sounding VA synths ever.
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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!
Always enjoy your demonstration jamz.
Thank you!!!
Man you have the best memes, and the cat jam is an absolute banger. 10/10 would listen on repeat
Thank you so much!!!
Another one for the legends, thanks Florian!
Thanks for watching!!!
Dude you're literally tearing my studio apart haha. My MS2000 sits directly next to my DSI Evolver Desktop.
Nothing personal;)
MmmMMmMMmMMmmmm!!!! That last tune was lush af! I wish I never sold mine.
Thank you!!!
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 great episode …and the quick clip of the Nick doll on the mention of PWM had me laughing out loud!😅
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I NEED THIS KORG
😀
Thank God it´s Friday! Awesome episode as always! 🙂👍👍
Thank you!!!
Oh man I've been waiting for this one!
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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…
Hands down one of the best VA synths ever made.
👍
bought this the week it came out, and it's still rockin' (poppin' ?) almost a quarter century later.
Nice!!!
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!
This one really sounded great on almost every example!
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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!!!
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!
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!!!
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!!!
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
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!
I JUST refurbished my ms2000 which I bought when it came out. I’ve been waiting for this :)
Nice!!!
“The coelacanth of synth keyboards” is a beautiful combination of words.
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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!!!
Another fantastic video!
Thank you!!!
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;)
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!
An absolute classic (with the ER-1) of the millennial era. Check out Jexus' free patches for this for a nice variety or sounds. Incredibly fun to play and edit, even if it's only 4 voices. I only wish Korg had better production quality in the era as both my ER-1 and MS2000r have suffered from dead power inputs. Thanks for the vid!
Thanks!!! Big ER-1 fan here!
Perfect timing with the recent Metroid Prime remaster, which sound track contains quite some MS2000 if I remember correctly.
True that!
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;)
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!
Yet another synth I regret selling, nostalgia :) Thank you maestro for all your entertainment!
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!
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Wie immer super video...dankeschön 😊
Vielen Dank!!!
I’ve been waiting a long time for this one! Awesome job as always. I have an MS2000b bought it back in ‘06 or ‘07 might actually sell it because the Micro Korg is a much more compact streamlined version. However I do get slightly more analog feel and ooomph from the 2000b.
Thank you!!! I'll stay with the MK too!
I think I’ve been asking him for at least a year to over this one. He did it justice. So stoked to see the ms2000 reviewed on bad gear. My whole philosophy with it is “it will do” and generally use it as a base signal and modify the sound heavily in my daw. Works great.
This might be the best Nick Batt on the channel yet
Lol spot on!
Sesame Street Nick Batt>All others.
❤️❤️❤️Nick❤️❤️❤️
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!!!
Never thought I'd see How To Drink and Bad Gear together! Great episode.
Thanks!!! Greg is the GOAT!!!
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;)
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!
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
Sounds awesome!
I remember playing with this when it came out, as far as early 2000s VAs go, it impressed me, smooth and characterful with just enough tizzle on top without sounding plasticy or like a swarm of angry jpg bees - more so than some other big names of the time that have well, far more notorious records to their name. Mind, this was also the era well before plugins got gud'.
Yeah, plugins really sucked back then...
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.
The Microkorgs daddy! I love the Altantis reference at the start.
True!!! Thanks!
incredibly underrated synth because people were more concerned at the time with the virtual analogue aspect and sound rather than it's deep ass diving features. It's a unique combination of features... per-step value editing for any parameter on a 16 step seq, a vocoder with sampling, and 4note poly. It wasn't a MS20/10 clone... it was a VC10 and Mono/Poly mixed with some MS10 style routing. Most people don't get why that's sick AF even if the osc's are digital (which was never bad anyways... and the earlier takes on V/A tend to have more interesting quirks anyways). Feel like I should buy a MS2000B before the prices jump again...
Where it's child, the microkorg, is for presets and ease... the MS2000 is experimental by nature.
Word!