i'd certainly hope that after you bought the giant synth with the giant cheque you'd then walk down the street carrying it while wearing your giant sunglasses.
Interesting piece of music and synth history! Synth schools need to be a thing again! There so much to learn about the different available types of synthesis it's not even funny!
They were just about to start synth classes at the local instrument store that's based around lessons for things like drums piano guitar, but they sell synths, so why not? But then the c word hit the world, and then the b word went to "superpartners", so there goes a bunch of their synth sales, and that was that as far as synth lessons. Plus there isn't an established repertoire and pedagogy, so... it would be nice, and probably will catch on eventually.
I dont get how can people go to music schools. The chances of you making good money, or even becoming rich are so much slimmer than for less artistic things you could study. I like music but you need money to buy music stuff, or literally anything else
When you learn how analog synthesis works, you're also learning about music, physics, acoustics & electronics, and it sets you up for a career in any (or all!) of those fields.
1:06 that is correct....My dad visited that "school" in those days...He went to Japan regularly for business and came home with the latest Japanese synth/organ gear .
Obviously, the larger MS20 has a much bigger sound than the original. I noticed it as soon as I heard it. Would be great to hear the even larger one. That thing must sound HUGE!
That thing is ginormous! Also, lovely to see Don Muro mentioned, I discovered about his existence by pure chance, incredible player and synth connoiseur
That's amazing. I knew nothing about this. It's functional but almost comical.. 😂😂😂 I love it. Again, thank you for a wonderfully funny and educational video. You're a true legend Mr Ball.
I used to drool over this synth back in the eighties. It was hung on the wall behind the till at Rose Morris in Denmark Street. Not for sale unfortunately so I bought a Mono / Poly. Still have it. 😊
Without fail, I just find myself singing out loud over your polyrhythm jams. The alterna-grooves you create are irresistible. They are cerebral, visceral, and they rock out. And it's a great way to disrupt the grad students in my lab just outside my door. ;)
Like obviously many others i first thought it was a nice trick with video. But when you explained its purpose it realy made sense. Especially at my age where i need stronger glasses frequently to keep being able to read all the small print. Brings back lots of memories to my first synth, which was an MS 20 and that i enjoyed for over 25 years. One of the most versatile and logically layed out things i had, using it on stage as well as in the studio.
I am just happy to find your videos. You have a very chilled and nice way to show us things that we would never see and hear, and in the end we get a cool track to listen to. Thank you!
While watching this, I can’t help but imagine a Roland school of synthesis with a JD-08 up the front and everyone sat there with binoculars. Great video as always Alex!
Those photos of the synth school classroom are incredible. Bill Gates should have dedicated his career to getting a synthesiser of every desk instead of a laptop.
@noimalma There is always room for more gear.. even if I have to renovate...I have some rare gear videos in the works dropping soon as well. I have a friendly competition with Alex on who can drop the rarest gear...Alex is currently kicking the Royal sh*t out of me in this competition.
4:02 Holy shit! Don Muro! I saw him back around 1986 or so at Penn State--Altoona Campus. He was touring on behalf of Korg, and was demonstrating all of their then-current products.
That is amazing, in the early 80s I bought music grounds Korg display, MS10, 20, 50, SQ, and vocoder, when they sold it off, with it was a large box of manuals, one had the picture of that classroom, I always assumed it was a picture, I am stunned.
what's the story with that beautiful mixing console in the Korg advert: 1:21. Looks sort of like Neumann EQs. I wonder if Korg maintained their own electronic music studio in Japan, or if the ad was shot in some other electronic or broadcast studio.
Am I the only one who would really like to see some semi modular synthesizers built to the size factor? I didn’t get that maybe it’s because my eyes are so good anymore, but I think this is absolutely beautiful.
That's incredible! Great research. You wouldn't believe this story without the hard proof! Great marketing technique! I'd like to see a Blackboard OP-1 or Blackboard Volca! Great video - just amazing!
btw: the late & great florian schneider (ex-kraftwerk) owned one of these giants too... not sure, if this was the HUGE one or the slightly smaller one... i also have sadly no idea, what became of it after florian has died... :-( anyway... thanx for the video, alex! :-)
Ahhhh made back in the days where the term 'beast' really DID apply to synths! Love this video, and love that synth! My goodness. I haven't heard the name Rose Morris in AGES. I bought some stuff with them in the 80's when they were in Tin Pan Alley.. Does that even still exist? Woo that raw synthy goodness.. Great Video. Thank you to all involved in bringing it together!
If you're traveling through Japan, you can see an export-unit "Giant MS-20" at the Museum of Musical Instruments in Hamamatsu City. It's on display with many other enviable specimens including a huge Roland System 700. Well worth a visit!
Excellent video as always! A few years ago I bought a Yamaha CS15 off a man who runs a studio in Wandsworth, London. And on his wall he has one of these! I’d never seen or heard of one of before but he briefly explained they were for schools. If you’d like I can put you in touch with him..? Maybe he still has it
Cool! What an unexpected ad intersting little synth history tidbit. I also love the appearance of the KPR-77. I had one many years ago and have been trying to find a replacement.
I waited years to find a KPR-77 for a good price and wound up with one with the original box, case, cables, manuals, brochures and everything. Great little analogue box.
Fantastic! I would so love to have one of these for playing in a band, mounted vertically so people the keyboard could actually see it being played/adjusted (just like the teacher would do...) Perhaps the band could be called Subliminal Synthesis Education;.. Alas, with only a few being made, that is unlikely. Loved your review of the history and thanks for ensuring the Star Trek theme was in there.
I certainly remember the giant Korg MS-20s turning up at various UK music trade shows during the early 80s. And I have to admit that I'm slightly surprised that some of them have survived the forty odd since then considering how few were made.
I didn't know that there were two sizes. This is a significant discovery! Now Korg will have to make a reissue of these MS-20 GS (Giant Scale) and MS-20 HS (Huge Scale) models 😂
I've seen photos of the "teacher's" MS20 before, but really great to get it all in context! Makes me wonder if any of the alumni went on to greatness :)
Oh man. The MS-20 has always been a synth that I can get along just fine without, but now I absolutely NEED one of these gigantic ones so that I can play it while I wear an oversized foam cowboy hat.
Was that intro jam interpolated from anything? It just sounded so sick I wanna hear a full version of it exists. Awesome playing and very interesting piece of gear and history!
Alex you are the only one in the world that can answer my question, the internet never even asked. What is that whistle sound in the song Laid Back - Sunshine Reggae?
I have one of Don Muro's record albums. He also played the KORG DSS-1, which I also own with my own floppy disks with sounds that I have created, over one hundred so far, drawing waveforms and sampled sounds. 😎
I see, it's the ideal synth to just throw in your bag, to go jamming on the road with your band 😉 At least, with this kind of monstruous size, they where no "insert in the rear side" memes as with the Korg Volcas... (at least I hope so) 😆
I can just imagine going into a music store to buy one with one of those giant cheques
That would be the most perfect moment.
@@AlexBallMusic Dom Jolly would approve 🙂
i'd certainly hope that after you bought the giant synth with the giant cheque you'd then walk down the street carrying it while wearing your giant sunglasses.
@@AlexBallMusicoh alex.... just imagine what a moment like that could do to your life. It makes my eyes twinkle just thinking about it...
And a Giant pocket calculator , to check the change... We dont wanna get f.... over by the salesclerke !
Interesting piece of music and synth history!
Synth schools need to be a thing again! There so much to learn about the different available types of synthesis it's not even funny!
Music college/courses are never far away.
They were just about to start synth classes at the local instrument store that's based around lessons for things like drums piano guitar, but they sell synths, so why not? But then the c word hit the world, and then the b word went to "superpartners", so there goes a bunch of their synth sales, and that was that as far as synth lessons. Plus there isn't an established repertoire and pedagogy, so... it would be nice, and probably will catch on eventually.
@@rleriche5044 Yeah but that's a different kind of beast, isn't it?
@@GizzyDillespee Interesting! I hope the best for the store and that it will manage to do the lessons!
I dont get how can people go to music schools. The chances of you making good money, or even becoming rich are so much slimmer than for less artistic things you could study. I like music but you need money to buy music stuff, or literally anything else
When you learn how analog synthesis works, you're also learning about music, physics, acoustics & electronics, and it sets you up for a career in any (or all!) of those fields.
I can't believe any are still around, unbelievably cool to see it in action
Yep! It's like an MS-20....but REALLY big.
1:06 that is correct....My dad visited that "school" in those days...He went to Japan regularly for business and came home with the latest Japanese synth/organ gear .
Ah, fantastic!
That’s one cool dad!
Way cooler than my dad.
And I thought my dad was awesome for bringing home Belgian chocolates! 🤣
Honestly I just assumed it was a normal sized synth and Alex was way smaller than I thought.
Like Dennis Waterman in Little Britain
@@rachelar "I made the theme choon." 😁
gies a drum machine off ye !
Small or far away?
Obviously, the larger MS20 has a much bigger sound than the original. I noticed it as soon as I heard it. Would be great to hear the even larger one. That thing must sound HUGE!
Naturally.
@@AlexBallMusic but hold on, I kind of assumed it would have the same size circuitry etc (or am I just missing the joke?)
korg needs to reissue this giant Korg MS-20 , as a korg and ms20 fan something about it has always intrigued me
That thing is ginormous!
Also, lovely to see Don Muro mentioned, I discovered about his existence by pure chance, incredible player and synth connoiseur
Now imagine if Roland would've done a blackboard version of the Jupiter 8. That would've occupied the entire classroom wall xD
When you need an entire room for just one synth, that's the good stuff.
@@AlexBallMusic Indeed, that's what modulars are for :-D
That's amazing. I knew nothing about this. It's functional but almost comical.. 😂😂😂
I love it. Again, thank you for a wonderfully funny and educational video. You're a true legend Mr Ball.
One of these yellow ones hangs on the wall in a music store in Stockholm, Sweden. I've always wondered what that is. Now I have the answer. Thanks.
my favourite analog mono synth, so much versatility in an affordable package.
I used to drool over this synth back in the eighties. It was hung on the wall behind the till at Rose Morris in Denmark Street. Not for sale unfortunately so I bought a Mono / Poly. Still have it. 😊
Wonderful ! It should be possible to make such one DYI, based on a Ms-20 mini. That would be in the field of Look Mum No Computers 😁
Without fail, I just find myself singing out loud over your polyrhythm jams. The alterna-grooves you create are irresistible. They are cerebral, visceral, and they rock out. And it's a great way to disrupt the grad students in my lab just outside my door. ;)
Cheers. Album of polyrhythm jams coming soon. Finishing it up.
@@AlexBallMusic Excellent. 🧠
Like obviously many others i first thought it was a nice trick with video.
But when you explained its purpose it realy made sense. Especially at my age where i need stronger glasses frequently to keep being able to read all the small print.
Brings back lots of memories to my first synth, which was an MS 20 and that i enjoyed for over 25 years. One of the most versatile and logically layed out things i had, using it on stage as well as in the studio.
Guybrush: "That's the second biggest MS-20 I've ever seen!"
Good clarification of “interesting”. It’s that kind of attention to detail that sets this channel head and shoulders above less interesting channels.
Every episode- just superb.
First tone- straight out of
"Land of the Lost".
Wow, that's absolutely amazing!
I am just happy to find your videos. You have a very chilled and nice way to show us things that we would never see and hear, and in the end we get a cool track to listen to. Thank you!
This is brilliant. Had no idea these giant ones existed. They would have been great in a performance setting as well. Fun stuff, thank you Alex!
While watching this, I can’t help but imagine a Roland school of synthesis with a JD-08 up the front and everyone sat there with binoculars.
Great video as always Alex!
Those photos of the synth school classroom are incredible. Bill Gates should have dedicated his career to getting a synthesiser of every desk instead of a laptop.
Excellent. I look forward to Korg reissuing these, and in similar quantity. 👀
Straight legendary didn't even know about this...I NEED 2 OF THEM. Well done Alex ! You didn't drop the ball on this one.
@noimalma There is always room for more gear.. even if I have to renovate...I have some rare gear videos in the works dropping soon as well. I have a friendly competition with Alex on who can drop the rarest gear...Alex is currently kicking the Royal sh*t out of me in this competition.
I hope making synths like these will stop all the complaints about synth controls being too cramped and hard to use!
Richie Hawtin just debuted... this same idea. Interesting.
That outro jam is killer, great sounds.
Yes! Would've been go great to hear the full version!
4:02 Holy shit! Don Muro! I saw him back around 1986 or so at Penn State--Altoona Campus. He was touring on behalf of Korg, and was demonstrating all of their then-current products.
just simply amazing
All this and then... this monster groove outro. Thank you
That is amazing, in the early 80s I bought music grounds Korg display, MS10, 20, 50, SQ, and vocoder, when they sold it off, with it was a large box of manuals, one had the picture of that classroom, I always assumed it was a picture, I am stunned.
so funny Alex as the student 🤓 brilliant !!
I'm hugely excited to watch this! Glad you got hold of it!
what's the story with that beautiful mixing console in the Korg advert: 1:21. Looks sort of like Neumann EQs. I wonder if Korg maintained their own electronic music studio in Japan, or if the ad was shot in some other electronic or broadcast studio.
Love the ‘nerding out’ on the formant style at 3’13” 😂.
🤓
@@AlexBallMusic Another bullseye on quality entertainment and information for us musicians and synth fans. Thank you Alex.
love bizarre stories like this one, thx for sharing.
Yeah, unique and very of the time. Was fun to research.
Am I the only one who would really like to see some semi modular synthesizers built to the size factor? I didn’t get that maybe it’s because my eyes are so good anymore, but I think this is absolutely beautiful.
That's incredible! Great research. You wouldn't believe this story without the hard proof! Great marketing technique! I'd like to see a Blackboard OP-1 or Blackboard Volca! Great video - just amazing!
i saw one of these in a Synth Museum in Florida years ago. Still love the concept.
Initially I thought "Good lord, Alex has shrunk in the wash". Thank you for giving this oddity some limelight!
btw: the late & great florian schneider (ex-kraftwerk) owned one of these giants too... not sure, if this was the HUGE one or the slightly smaller one... i also have sadly no idea, what became of it after florian has died... :-( anyway... thanx for the video, alex! :-)
Big synth. Big sound. I love it
Rose-Morris has been in Demark street since probably the 60s or something. I got my first synth, the MC-202 from there for about £150
Yep, used to work close to Denmark Street. Spent too much money there over the years. 😀
@@AlexBallMusic Turnkey was my favourite - - I never expected it to close!
Im not sure whats the craziest - the size of them MS20s, or you in flip flops :O
Another stoker of a vid - keep up the stellar work Alex.
Ahhhh made back in the days where the term 'beast' really DID apply to synths! Love this video, and love that synth! My goodness. I haven't heard the name Rose Morris in AGES. I bought some stuff with them in the 80's when they were in Tin Pan Alley.. Does that even still exist? Woo that raw synthy goodness.. Great Video. Thank you to all involved in bringing it together!
Like the music piece at the end. Good job
This is just an amazing and hilarious story, thanks for sharing it!
Korg and their weird ideas! That's why we love them.
...But is it heavier than a CS80?
there's nothing in the universe that's heavier than a CS80
Yes or greater
Imagine a giant CS80…
Nothing is heavier than a CS80! Even black holes at the centre of galaxies weigh less!
They should do a CS-80 where the little mini memory section under the flap is a normal sized CS-80. You'd need a team to play it.
"I need an MS-20 sound but bigger".
"Say no more".
😄
A giant in the hands of a giant.
Beautiful
If you're traveling through Japan, you can see an export-unit "Giant MS-20" at the Museum of Musical Instruments in Hamamatsu City. It's on display with many other enviable specimens including a huge Roland System 700. Well worth a visit!
Good god that jam during the credits
BIG thanks for that GREAT story! 🗼🦣😁
Excellent video as always! A few years ago I bought a Yamaha CS15 off a man who runs a studio in Wandsworth, London. And on his wall he has one of these! I’d never seen or heard of one of before but he briefly explained they were for schools. If you’d like I can put you in touch with him..? Maybe he still has it
what a find, epic!
Cool! What an unexpected ad intersting little synth history tidbit. I also love the appearance of the KPR-77. I had one many years ago and have been trying to find a replacement.
I waited years to find a KPR-77 for a good price and wound up with one with the original box, case, cables, manuals, brochures and everything. Great little analogue box.
@@AlexBallMusic Lucky buggar!
Absolutely fascinating! I knew about these things but who know they were still around! Thank you for bringing this to us! Huge Hugz, Alex!
Cheers Andy. Yep, thankfully some have survived!
I think this video is one of your milestones.
Don Muro featured on a Korg Flexi disc for the Korg Poly 800 which I then bought. Thanks Don 👍
Yep, Don is ace.
How cool is that!
Fantastic! I would so love to have one of these for playing in a band, mounted vertically so people the keyboard could actually see it being played/adjusted (just like the teacher would do...)
Perhaps the band could be called Subliminal Synthesis Education;..
Alas, with only a few being made, that is unlikely. Loved your review of the history and thanks for ensuring the Star Trek theme was in there.
Also I just saw the colossus behind you ;) when are we going to get a video about that?
Patience, my dear. I'm just warming you up with the giant MS-20.
@@AlexBallMusic you should make a video about a series of different sized ms20s and arrange them like a matrioshka doll
Wow! Amazing!
Hella cool!!
Gots some funk!!!
Just imagine something like this today: giant versions of Roland’s Boutique synths.
In for a penny....
They would turn out like the original size!
Or an SH-5.
Thanks for the video, amazing story🙂👍
I certainly remember the giant Korg MS-20s turning up at various UK music trade shows during the early 80s. And I have to admit that I'm slightly surprised that some of them have survived the forty odd since then considering how few were made.
Yeah, I think there's at least 6 yellow ones in circulation, and that single giant, giant one.
I didn't know that there were two sizes. This is a significant discovery!
Now Korg will have to make a reissue of these MS-20 GS (Giant Scale) and MS-20 HS (Huge Scale) models 😂
That would be genius.
I hope they do !!! 🤞🤞🙏😃
Awesome! Really cool outro jam too. I won't lie, I really want one now. There are no good or justifiable reasons for this though.
Somehow this makes the Korg brand even more cooler.
Beautiful oddballs.
Super cool device!
Fascinating stuff Alex, thanks for your lesson 🙂
Fascinating, I had no idea until thus video that giant MS-20's were a thing
Thanks for the video. 👍😀
I wish I had one of those Giant MS 20s !!! 😂🤣 Anyway very informative. Thanks again 😀👍
The one in Rose Morris was there in the 80's saw it in situ.....wow!
I've seen photos of the "teacher's" MS20 before, but really great to get it all in context! Makes me wonder if any of the alumni went on to greatness :)
Yeah, I wonder how many went on synth journeys!
Hideki at the Korg Museum did the class back in the day, so it struck a chord with him for sure.
That's AMAZING!
I will own this.
You know what's so good in your videos ? You're altogether deliciously British, really funny, and gifted with extraordinary musicianship :)
"Deliciously British" - I like that. :)
Oh man. The MS-20 has always been a synth that I can get along just fine without, but now I absolutely NEED one of these gigantic ones so that I can play it while I wear an oversized foam cowboy hat.
The Sound on the Giant MS-20 is so big :)
👍🏻 Thank you very much for this video. I've an MS20 but I never imagined these big boys existed
Yep, MS-20 comes in a universe of sizes!
Was that intro jam interpolated from anything? It just sounded so sick I wanna hear a full version of it exists. Awesome playing and very interesting piece of gear and history!
i just learned. thanks AB
That's AWESOME
have heard it have seen it, not a new story, but yeah super rare and it's amazing you got hold of one!
Alex you are the only one in the world that can answer my question, the internet never even asked. What is that whistle sound in the song Laid Back - Sunshine Reggae?
I have one of Don Muro's record albums. He also played the KORG DSS-1, which I also own with my own floppy disks with sounds that I have created, over one hundred so far, drawing waveforms and sampled sounds. 😎
WOW MASSIVELY COOOOOOL
That was a helluva jam at the end
Cheers!
Outro was filthy 🤘🏼
I see, it's the ideal synth to just throw in your bag, to go jamming on the road with your band 😉
At least, with this kind of monstruous size, they where no "insert in the rear side" memes as with the Korg Volcas... (at least I hope so) 😆
i saw one of the smaller ones in a music shop window in Stockholm back in the late 90s - always wondered what it was
Love your videos. Great history pieces and you keep it fun. Great jams in here. Let's not talk about the Colossus in the room...
🐘🎚🎚🎚🎛
I truly enjoyed learning about the Giant's and its non identical twin's histories.
I feel Korg missed an opportunity to sell these to big bands to use in music videos. XD Awesome vidoe as always.