New Synth Day - Korg MS2000B..

[VTypeV4]

Ms2k by VTypeV4, on Flickr

This wonderful (modern classic?) thing arrived a few days back - initial impressions are very good!

Over the years, I've owned a number of classic synths including a Roland Juno 60, a JEN SX1000 and my all time favourite, a vintage Korg MS20. I still have the '20. Whilst a much newer machine, I always wanted an example of an MS2000 when they were current although as a 17 year old student, I never had the funds - any spare pennies went on bass strings!

In terms of sounds, it's got some pointless and silly noises patched in but it also has some distinctly 'classic' sounds including Roland Juno / Jupiter, Mini-Moog, Sequential Prophet and Korg MS series. Despite it's apparently complex panel with a sea of knobs, buttons, legends and diagrams, the Korg is reasonably straight forward to use but above all else, it sounds great. It has all the usual toys with a 16-step four-layer sequencer, arpeggiator, dual envelopes, dual LFOs plus Fat (Phat?) oscillators, variable spec filters and a simple but useful effects unit seem to make it a classic 'one box' hardware solution.

I'll report back after I've used it a little more..

[The Elf]

I never owned one, but I think that's a great little synth. Congratulations!

[BillB]

I did own one (desktop version) and very much liked its sound - it’s an old VA but has ‘something’ good about it.

Two things I didn’t like:
- 4 voice only - but has a form of MIDI overflow if you wanted to buy another!
- I often found that when I dialled up an interesting preset, I couldn’t really figure out how it had been ‘made’. Between the mod matrix and the sequencer lanes, there could be a lot going on behind the scenes, so quite difficult to get a clear picture of the parameters.

Perhaps I was using it the wrong way, and should have just set up an init patch and made my own sounds each time, without worrying how the presets were constructed. But I did want to learn from them and it wasn’t easy. Eventually sold it to fund a Nord 3 Rack, which is the easiest synth to understand in the world- change a patch and (almost) every parameter is displayed for you on the front panel.

Anyway, I hope you like it for its qualities and get to dig in and enjoy it.

[BJG145]

I had one of those once, lovely thing. Enjoy!

(This has rekindled my dormant synth-lust.)

[VTypeV4]

As mentioned, the sequencer part is a bit convoluted and something I'm yet to get a real grip on. I've been able get enough 'movement' in my own built sounds using the LFO / EG virtual patching feature although building something a bit more is on the horizon.

MS2K MS20 CS01 by VTypeV4, on Flickr

The MS2000 pictured with stable mates, MS20 and CS-01.

[Eddy Deegan]

I don't need one, but I want one even though I wouldn't get one if it came up. Not because it's not worth it, only that I'm overflowing with as many as I can handle these days!

In other words, a great buy and enjoy it!

[Matt Houghton]

I had a 2000R once. And a 2000BR twice. Loved them enough that I keep contemplating another...

[VTypeV4]

I took it to a rehearsal and it was absolutely fab:

https://www.facebook.com/Synkronizemusi ... 3691209602

[tea for two]

I took it to a rehearsal and it was absolutely fab:

https://www.facebook.com/Synkronizemusi ... 3691209602

Spiffing.

Would dig hearing this whole song :
https://m.facebook.com/watch/?v=5116010 ... musicgroup
snippet you uploaded 26th September with I think sample of Barrie Konicov speaking, electronic sequence, beats
takes me back to the 90s.

Sister Love released an instrumental titled The Hypnotist early 90s with sample of Barrie Konicov speaking, electronic sequence, beats. Became a classic of Cafe del Mar.
2024 article on it.
https://banbantonton.com/2024/03/11/sis ... migration/

Ambient mix.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nVCE3d_Iw ... 50aXMgbWl4

With beats.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xOt-_jIUN5A

Electronic sequence I remember my favourite part.

[VTypeV4]

I took it to a rehearsal and it was absolutely fab:

https://www.facebook.com/Synkronizemusi ... 3691209602

Spiffing.

Would dig hearing this whole song :
https://m.facebook.com/watch/?v=5116010 ... musicgroup
snippet you uploaded 26th September with I think sample of Barrie Konicov speaking, electronic sequence, beats
takes me back to the 90s.

Sister Love released an instrumental titled The Hypnotist early 90s with sample of Barrie Konicov speaking, electronic sequence, beats. Became a classic of Cafe del Mar.
2024 article on it.
https://banbantonton.com/2024/03/11/sis ... migration/

Ambient mix.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nVCE3d_Iw ... 50aXMgbWl4

With beats.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xOt-_jIUN5A

Electronic sequence I remember my favourite part.

Thanks for taking a look. I'm usually the bass player and the mix / mastering engineer but I do enjoy a bit of synth time. The other half of the 'Disastrous Robots' project, Carl is the one who largely builds the bones of the tracks, adds synth and finds the samples but I definitely think there's more MS2000 in the future of the project.

Some really cool stuff in those links.

[tea for two]

Thanks for taking a look. I'm usually the bass player and the mix / mastering engineer but I do enjoy a bit of synth time. The other half of the 'Disastrous Robots' project, Carl is the one who largely builds the bones of the tracks, adds synth and finds the samples but I definitely think there's more MS2000 in the future of the project.

Some really cool stuff in those links.

Very welcome.
I would really like to listen purchase this whole Disastrous Robots piece (although not for the spoken sample) more for the others parts of the piece.
https://m.facebook.com/watch/?v=5116010 ... musicgroup
Which monitors headphones did you mix master on.
I'm enjoying the bottom. The highs don't hurt my sensitive ears even though the highs are trifle prominent for my ears.

I'm listening mixing on AKG K245 semi open for Bass my poor man's Audeze LCDX lol, on Shure Srh1440 open backs for mids highs. On Audient iD4 mk2 headphone out reportedly according to measurements one of the clearer neutral headphone out in an audio interface upto £500.
I could easily listen to this piece on repeat on my K245. I dig it that much. Although I couldn't listen to it on repeat on my Srh1440 which makes highs prominent. Srh1440 are my harshness checker for my mixes.

[Ben Asaro]

Wow, congrats! That is a synth that is not shy about confronting you with information!

[VTypeV4]

Wow, congrats! That is a synth that is not shy about confronting you with information!

It really isn't! I'm very pleased with it - I've not really struggled to get any particular sound out of it yet although a reverb might have been nice if I'm being super picky. It's really quite inspiring to play..

Thanks for taking a look. I'm usually the bass player and the mix / mastering engineer but I do enjoy a bit of synth time. The other half of the 'Disastrous Robots' project, Carl is the one who largely builds the bones of the tracks, adds synth and finds the samples but I definitely think there's more MS2000 in the future of the project.

Some really cool stuff in those links.

Very welcome.
I would really like to listen purchase this whole Disastrous Robots piece (although not for the spoken sample) more for the others parts of the piece.
https://m.facebook.com/watch/?v=5116010 ... musicgroup
Which monitors headphones did you mix master on.
I'm enjoying the bottom. The highs don't hurt my sensitive ears even though the highs are trifle prominent for my ears.

I'm listening mixing on AKG K245 semi open for Bass my poor man's Audeze LCDX lol, on Shure Srh1440 open backs for mids highs. On Audient iD4 mk2 headphone out reportedly according to measurements one of the clearer neutral headphone out in an audio interface upto £500.
I could easily listen to this piece on repeat on my K245. I dig it that much. Although I couldn't listen to it on repeat on my Srh1440 which makes highs prominent. Srh1440 are my harshness checker for my mixes.

Happy to send you what I have when I get home if you want to send me a PM with your email address?

Our setup that day was Ableton with various soft synths, a Syntrex Erica (VCS3) and the bass was a Squier 40th anniversary Jazz into a Trace Elliot 122H combo..

The whole thing was a live session recorded into Pro Tools via a Midas M32. It was then mixed at home using the home studio PC with Pro Tools, a MOTU 828 MK3 and the Yamaha DM2000. Mastering was completed with an ancient version of Ozone (maybe v5) which is still very useful and still sounds great, too. As for headphones and speakers. I used my (not JBL league) Mackie CX-3 active speakers plus the old pair of Sennheiser HD 25s and a pair of borrowed HD 598s. From memory, I applied a bit of saturation - particularly on the high band just to have it 'sing' a little more as I wanted it quite 'zingy' and modern sounding.

[tea for two]

Happy to send you what I have when I get home if you want to send me a PM with your email address?

Our setup that day was Ableton with various soft synths, a Syntrex Erica (VCS3) and the bass was a Squier 40th anniversary Jazz into a Trace Elliot 122H combo..

The whole thing was a live session recorded into Pro Tools via a Midas M32. It was then mixed at home using the home studio PC with Pro Tools, a MOTU 828 MK3 and the Yamaha DM2000. Mastering was completed with an ancient version of Ozone (maybe v5) which is still very useful and still sounds great, too. As for headphones and speakers. I used my (not JBL league) Mackie CX-3 active speakers plus the old pair of Sennheiser HD 25s and a pair of borrowed HD 598s. From memory, I applied a bit of saturation - particularly on the high band just to have it 'sing' a little more as I wanted it quite 'zingy' and modern sounding.

That be marvelous VTypeV4.
I dig the groove the music easily listen on repeat.
(Although not the vocal sample lol, it's only sparse so I can put with it lol).

Unexpected pleasure reading gear list.
Squier 40th anniversary Jazz digging its smooth tone on your this Disastrous Robots track. I shall look up its 2nd hand prices.
Live session : an unexpected surprise. I really thawd it was assembled piece by piece.

DM2000 DM1000 02R96 with plugin cards there's some bargains out there particularly given their capabilities overall reliability. Were I recording others I would consider them for my usage.

Considering Cr3-x, Hd25, Hd598 you mixed on you handled phat bottom warmly lol.

I can recommend Shure Srh1440 open backs to hear how the highs are doing : whether alright or too bright, harsh. There's some beats based tunes big hits uncomfortable for me on Srh1440 such as The Grid Swamp Thing. Whereas modern as Dua Lipa Break My Heart sounds fine for me on Srh1440. Although I think they processed Dua Lipa's voice to be thinner brighter to cut through only when the song mix becomes big it doesn't sound harsh just too thin nasal. I prefer Dua Lipa's unprocessed / lesser processed voice on her Tiny Desk concert.
(Main song riff Break my Heart based upon Inxs' Guitar riff Need you tonight).

[VTypeV4]

The Squier is absolutely incredible, it is on par with all of the 'full fat' Fender Jazzes I've owned over the years. I have a very early VM series (from 2006) which is equally brilliant albeit a little 'older-skool' tonally..

122H Trace Elliot mod by VTypeV4, on Flickr

The 40th Anniversary Jazz and Trace Elliot combo.

Squier 02r 24 by VTypeV4, on Flickr

And the VM series Jazz.

I'm 100% sold on the older Yamaha desks - I have two DM2K and a single 1K plus an 02R. The both of the 2K's are fitted with the Waves cards which are very good - it's nice to have so much processing as I still thoroughly enjoy mixing OTB.

I'll check out the headphone although I'll probably change the speakers for something a little better than the Mackies first. At the actaul studio, I have a pair of JBL 308s which are fantastic.

As for the Korg, it's still settling in very well indeed - I may even enter the 'One Synth Challenge' thing when I'm off tour..