Music Technology: Getting To Know The Korg MS-20 And The Mini

So how much do you really know about music and technology? Technology and innovative instruments can impact music in so many ways, videos and sounds become diverse and productions become unique which sets the mark for upcoming artists. There are a number of technological musical pieces of equipment that can be used to produce music and today we look at the Korg to understand where it came from and how it impacts the sound of music in the world we interact with.

The Korg MS-20

When it first debuted, the Korg MS-20 was like a punch in the face to electronic music. Here you had a great big box of knobs, dials and keys that seemingly attempted to cram everything in electronica into one ungainly shape and expected you to buy it. To understand just how revolutionary it was, you would probably have to leap into a time machine and download the brain of 1970s man. Alternative you could check out a number of reviews such as the review of the novation launchkey.

To give you an overview, the design was more like something that NASA might use than a humble synthesiser. The sheer variety of effects from this chunky box could produce a number of sound combinations roughly similar to the number of atoms in the universe. It was vast, it was huge and it meant business in music technology. Fast forward to 2013, and Korg have debuted their ‘mini’ version and best of all, it’s still analogue. Everything that made the original great is still there, two oscillators, ring modulation, VCA design, a gigantic manual cable patching system, and an added USB drive; a nod to the modern world. For the generation raised on Apple products, this retro monster appears to be a big hit and you could potentially call it the mother of all synths”.

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Starting Out With The Korg Products

The first thing to understand is that the MS-20 is virtually impossible to understand. At least, within the confines of a single article, it is. One of the best features of the device was the near-infinite number of effects you could create using it. All you need to know at first glance is it is basically a keyboard with a dozen or so dials you can twist to manipulate your sound but with step by step tutorials you can obtain the best technological sound and the best way to get to grips with this is by firstly watching this video below: As you can see, the potential for creating effects usually unheard of outside of the 1970s is vast. Provided is competent knowledge of keyboard playing, you can bash out a decent tune – manipulate the device to achieve the sort of sound you need and presto you have a unique track.

Getting To Grips With The Patch Panel

The second thing to realise about the MS-20 is that manipulation is not just confined to those big sexy dials. Using the patch panel to the right-hand side of the instrument opens up a whole new world of effects to explore, each one more 80s than the last. Again, to describe the use and variations is best watched and the below video gives you the full low down on getting to grips with keyboard technology:

The Korg Mini Monophonic Synthesizer Is Here

Without too much of a change, Korg brings the mini to the market. The bulk of the product has undergone weight loss and been slimmed down and an upgrade on sound has hit the digital era. The same engineers have been involved in the production, and the same features still remain so you can rest assured the range and styles of effects remain unchanged. This musical product has been built to its original specification and for that, you get to own a part of history in the music industry. To a generation raised on Garage Band, the Mini will offer a whole new means for generating that perfect sound. With retro currently doing big business, you can bet that the Mini may well come to the forefront of the current electronic music scene – especially among those who appreciate the clarity and range only analogue can replicate. This is a classic masterpiece by Korg.

Author: Thank you to Jenny Beswick who wrote this article and the DV247 Korg MS-20 team who contributed to this article on the product information. We look forward to hearing your thoughts on this product!