Korg MS-20 Mini

[redchapterjubilee]

I too am excited about the MS20 Mini. But instead of buying that why not just buy the new Moog Sub Phatty? Its street price is about $1,000? For the $400 difference in price, I think it's totally worth it to save your pennies and buy the Moog.

Think of it this way: if you bought both the MS20 and a Minibrute (which a lot of people are saying they will), you could've saved $100 by buying just the Moog. And plus, you'd have a Moog!

Chuckles indeed. But really. I was whole hog into the idea of this Moog when I started to hear the rumors about it last year but when it actually showed up...coupled with the MS-20 rumor proving to not only be true but be at that price...killed the Moog dead for me, though I'm sure it will be a groovy synth. It's almost what I've been after them to make for 10 years now. If there were only 5-7 more keys I'd have swung towards the SubPhatty.

[Bitexion]

The Moog is nice and all..but it has nothing special about it. 2 VCOs, a filter, hard sync, yada yada yada..sounds nice sure, but so do alot of other synths that have waaaay more interesting features.

[SSquirrel]

They wouldn't move one cent on the Minibrute, but they didn't need to either.

If you never get a product shipped to you to sell, you never have to budge on price

Nah, the Moog phattys do nothing for me anymore. I'm done with simple 2-vco monosynths. It has to be something different like the MS-20's patch panel or the crazy filter/oscillator of the Minibrute to be any interesting.

The only negative I'm seeing on the Sub Phatty (SuP to differentiate from the Slim Phatty's "SP"?) is that it has no option for CV Outs like can be added to the LP. It sounds fantastic and if I were made of money this year (have to buy new living room furniture and such instead) I would probably pick it up. But the Minibrute and MS-20 Mini still taunt me too.

[tekkentool]

I too am excited about the MS20 Mini. But instead of buying that why not just buy the new Moog Sub Phatty? Its street price is about $1,000? For the $400 difference in price, I think it's totally worth it to save your pennies and buy the Moog.

Think of it this way: if you bought both the MS20 and a Minibrute (which a lot of people are saying they will), you could've saved $100 by buying just the Moog. And plus, you'd have a Moog!

MY experience playing a phatty says they have a decent basic sound but are a bit boring, sub phatty is interesting because it added some stuff I thought was sorely missing, in particular the Noise Generator, but I mean compared to what kind of flexibility you'd be getting out of an MS20, or an MS20 combined with a Minibrute for not much more. I mean I know what I'd go for, one filter is boring man!

[Arddhu]

Payback for the fish that killed Steve Irwin

[Hybrid88]

Why is Australia so expensive?
While it's 599 Euro here it is $739 at storedj, list price. They'll probably keep it at that without a discount until demand slackens. They wouldn't move one cent on the Minibrute, but they didn't need to either.

It's coming up as 699 for me?..

Sweet, they reduced the price already, it was $739

[Infrasound]

OK, down to $699 as others have noted, but still $100 more than Europe.

[calaverasgrande]

I had just assumed it would be a grand or so.
Sweetwater says its $599.
Dang, and here I am trying to buy a couple of K10's for a nice humble little 2000 watt keyboard rig.
Well that's my money spent for the year.
PA, MS20, SEM and a CV sequencer.

[yellowecho]

Will it be possible to use a software sequencer from an iPad to trigger the MS-20 via midi using iRig?

[calaverasgrande]

Will it be possible to use a software sequencer from an iPad to trigger the MS-20 via midi using iRig?

According to the Sweetwater description it has a midi in (no mid out?) and USB in.
I am kind of excited by
"ESP (External Signal Processor) utilizes the pitch or volume of an external audio source to control the synthesizer"
Pitch tracking? Can't wait to try that out!
Also pretty enthused that for what most other new single osc (or single osc with sub-osc) synths cost, this one has two oscs. Pretty feature rich. I was pretty hyped up on the Sub Phatty and Minibrute, but look like Korg will be seeing my money before Moog or Arturia.
Though I am nerd-lusting after the white Moogerfoogers.
and if they come out with a white CP251 I am all over it.

[Walter Ego]

I am kind of excited by
"ESP (External Signal Processor) utilizes the pitch or volume of an external audio source to control the synthesizer"
Pitch tracking? Can't wait to try that out!

Still not sure why this keeps popping up as an updated feature. It was the feature that put the MS-20 way ahead of its time, and helped shape the future of techno, drum n bass, etc...that's one of the features that made it so sought after in the first place--being able to process anything through that gritty filter. That's one reason I jumped so quickly on the Monotron bandwagon and one reason I can't wait to get my mitts on this lovely piece of history.

[redchapterjubilee]

Will it be possible to use a software sequencer from an iPad to trigger the MS-20 via midi using iRig?

I foresee that happening. Maybe sequence it from the electribe app, or I figured I'd use the iPolysix app to sequence via midi over USB. Or maybe buy Phaedra or something like that. Then sync that via Bluetooth to the iPhone clocking the mono tribe...

[calaverasgrande]

I am kind of excited by
"ESP (External Signal Processor) utilizes the pitch or volume of an external audio source to control the synthesizer"
Pitch tracking? Can't wait to try that out!

Still not sure why this keeps popping up as an updated feature. It was the feature that put the MS-20 way ahead of its time, and helped shape the future of techno, drum n bass, etc...that's one of the features that made it so sought after in the first place--being able to process anything through that gritty filter. That's one reason I jumped so quickly on the Monotron bandwagon and one reason I can't wait to get my mitts on this lovely piece of history.

I can process audio through the filter of several of my synths. None of them have pitch and envelope tracking. Only a couple of mine do external audio envelope tracking. It's kind of uncommon and I wasn't aware that the MS20 did that.
Taking a close look at the old MS20 front panel it has pretty extensive external input facilities. Most synths just have an aux input (and sometimes there isnt even a level knob for that!).
I'm mostly fascinated with the sounds of a couple new wave and industrial bands (like Kas Product) that were known to use that box.
I am utterly ignorant of house/techno/drum and bass etc. I've herd of Aphex Twin, but thats about it.

[Walter Ego]

I'm mostly fascinated with the sounds of a couple new wave and industrial bands (like Kas Product) that were known to use that box.

I'm fairly certain Covenant have used it on every one of their records for very sexy processing of DX-7 lines and pads. It gives those sounds a very organic and gritty feel. I also started noticing that in the late '90s, most of the synthpop bands I saw play live were using either an MS-20 or MS-10 on stage. I still just can't believe Korg pulled this move.

[calaverasgrande]

It's super weird to me. I only just found out about the MS20 a few years ago. Then I started recognizing it in videos from bands in the early 80's. Then Korg is re-issuing it?
I'm ambivalent about the 83% size shrink.
I am hoping that a matching step sequencer comes next.
Maybe something that looks like the old school SQ10 but has pattern storage?
(sorry I am kind of obsessing on CV step sequencers lately)