This video, ia KORGINC, takes a look at unboxing and assembly of the new Korg MS-20 Kit.
The MS-20 Kit is a full-size recreation of the classic Korg MS-20 analog synthesizer, originally released in 1978.
The Korg MS-20 Kit is expected to have a street price of about $1,400 and to be available in March.
Want! This looks super fun!
Can anyone translate what they’re talking about in the video?
Because of the assembly work involved I think this should be no more than 1/2 price.
Dan
Uhhh… wait a minute. Did he try to put in a slot screw with a cross-head screwdriver at 1:32?
yep! and some female screws on panel, upside down!
if you’re going to criticize, you might like to know the real names. Phillips head (cross) and Flat head (slot)
i would rather have mind made in a factory. i cant build shit.
*mine
Just doesn’t make sense. The fully assembled 86% size (or so) mini ms 20 is half the price. Why didn’t they exhange it? Like this one fully assembled for this price, and a DIY kit mini for half the price? For me it would make much more sense though. If I had to choose, i would get the mini.
So, Dear Korg: Make a Ms 20 mini kit for 300 dollar/euro. Then we have a deal!
Again, I think its completely awesome there’s now a way of getting a new full-size MS-20, I just don’t get why this is a kit. There’s no soldering involved, the labor savings is probably negligible, and it’s twice the price of the mini version. Is it a kit just for the sake of it, like a model airplane? Are we going to start seeing decals and painting tips coming with our synths now? 🙂
Just charge the extra 20 bucks or whatevs so I can get to the music quicker!
Korg is trying to offer a cool synth and an interesting experience for people that want to know more about how a synth goes together. Also – if you’ve seen how modern PCBs are made, this is probably the bulk of the hand assembly of the MS-20.
They clearly don’t want to be doing tech support for people that screw up soldering a complex PCB, though, and they would not want to have people reselling official Korg synths that are built incorrectly.
It’s a bit like a kit with pre-boiled vegetables, just-add-water sauce and 3 minutes microwave bag of meat to give you the impression you are a chef, at 10 times the price of the raw ingredients and about the same price as buying it served on a plate in a restaurant.
I hope these don’t have the white noise problem like the mini does.
What’s the ‘white noise problem’?
I’m interested in this kit so would be interested in knowing about potential problems!
Its analogue so the background noise isn’t as low as a VA or softsynth
A lot of analogue synth doesn’t have this white noise on background. This “issue” is only on Monotron and MS-20 mini.
I have a mopho and is actually analog but digital controlled.
If I put it to maximum you don’t hear any white noise.
I think the white noise in hardware synths is always something in the amp of the synth.
Correct me if I’m wrong.
If you use an envelope for a bass sound and set the low pass filter to a setting for most bass sounds (33%) you will notice very much white noise.
Even when your not triggering the filter with an envelope you notice a lot of white noise compared to a vintage synth.
So I’m not comparing it with newer synths.
There is a discussion about this on gearslutz I think.
I think someone complained about this problem to korg and they found a 70% solution for it.
They say that when you’re recording bass sounds you have to cut off some high frequencies with a low pass filter.
Like I’m writing now it’s a 70% solution to the problem that is NOT a problem for all the consumers.
For some (like me) it’s hell.
For some it doesn’t matter.
It should be a problem with the amp in the synth I think.
I noticed it when buying this but I returned it because of that problem.
First I looked for other people with the same problem and it turns out that its a problem with ALL the MS-20 mini synths.
So if you’re looking for a clean nice bassline this is not your choice.
On the other hand,it’s a beast.
The filters are awesome and by for example triggering the synth with audio and so on….
You can do A LOT crazy and awesome stuff with this synth and the sound is unique.
I bought it simply for the sound of it but you have to realize that it’s an old design and you have to work with cables to get the best out of it.
I’m not so old and I’m used to turn knobs and look to a screen so that was a not a good workflow for me personally.
But again,if you know what you’re doing it’s a wonderfulll beast that will scream your *ss off.
About the white noise on bass sounds,in some cases I think it can be good in your creations but it will depend on what genre of music you’re in.
For some a problem ,for some not.
So I hope with this one this problem is gone?
Per SOS:
“The VCA in the original MS20s produced a pervasive hiss behind the wanted sound, so Korg’s engineers made the decision — and another wise one, in my view — to improve this. The new VCA has no adverse effect on the wanted signal, but reduces the unwanted noise, which I wholeheartedly welcome.”
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/may13/articles/korg-ms20-mini.htm
I’ve just assembled MS20 kit.
The noise is here, as expected to be.
It’s the same noise as in MS20 mini and it’s way louder then average synth have to hiss.
Even if I turn both VCO levels down and leave only open filters, the hiss is present.
But from the other hand, it’s a full-size and 1/4″-jacked midi-enabled MS20 with ESP and it’s filters.
But I agree, its real price is somewhat around $600, not $1400
Pretty neat. That track sounds pretty cool too. I’m assuming that’s with the MS-20? Sounds like it.
I may have an adult responsibility to purchase one of these kits.
In our era of software, downsizing and of everything done for us, it’s refreshing to see Korg offer a traditional synth with awesome sound capabilities in a do-it-yourself kit. You’re paying a fraction of what original MS-20’s sell for to have one with a MIDI port on it that you built yourself!
Those that say they can’t build this, if you can build things from Ikea, then you will probably not have any problems with this….
makes more sense to me to get the ms20 mini, dump another ~800 in modules into my eurorack, and call it a day.
Probably does for most other people too; that’s why Korg is only making a thousand of them! Those who really can’t stand the surface mount potentiometers and mini keys on the mini can have this, more expensive, full-sized version, while those who are happy enough with the mass-produced one can put the extra money towards other things.
What happens when something goes wrong with it or if you f**k up the assembly? Is it all covered under the warranty? Or do Korg just tell you that its your problem as you must have built it wrong.
agree… I have a long and painful history of breaking things just by looking at them.
I just watched the video.
I hope they have a good support that can take some sh*t 🙂
I’m sending mine to China for assembly. My time is better spent making music. If I’m going to build, I want soldering involved.