Korg MS2000

MS-2000
Manufacturer	Korg
Dates	2000 - 2004
Technical specifications
Polyphony	4 voices
Timbrality	2
Oscillator	2 oscillators per voice
LFO	2
Synthesis type	Virtual analog Subtractive
Filter	1 resonant lowpass/highpass/bandpass
Attenuator	2 ADSR
Aftertouch expression	No
Velocity expression	Yes
Storage memory	128 patches
Effects	Chorus, delay, EQ, flanger, phaser, ring modulator, vocoder
Input/output
External control	MIDI

The Korg MS2000 is a 4-note polyphony virtual analog synthesizer produced by the Japanese electronic musical instrument manufacturer Korg.

History

Korg's introduction of the MS2000 series synthesizers in 2000 followed a string of groundbreaking developments by the company in the years leading up to its release. Many aspects of those developments, such as Korg's revolutionary MOSS (Multi Oscillator Synthesis System) which had become the basis of the Triton systems and the powerful DSP modules that Korg originally developed for the Z1 workstation all went into the MS2000. Korg wasn't satisfied with just providing past examples of their synthesizer developments. They included additional technologies such as a very capable vocoder, based on their VC-10, a powerful arpeggiator, and a 16 position step sequencer, which could be programmed to be triggered by the arpeggiator. The included "virtual patch" module simulated the analog patch cords of the past, allowing the signal to be routed and re-routed through the other modules such as the LFO's or EG's, as well as cause the MOD sequencer to be re-modulated. This afford unique opportunities to create time-based effects that were impossible with any other available VA synthesizer. Finally, Korg included an onboard effects section, which allowed delay, reverb and chorus effects to be added to the final stage before output.

The synthesizer was offered as either a 44-key board or as a rack module, making use of the system's very complete MIDI implementation. The extensive onboard knobs and buttons could be used to dynamically edit many of the parameters while playing, as well as be used as a control surface for other synthesizers and sound modules. This capability was the attraction of many analog synthesizers of the past and that real-time editability became the cornerstone of VA synthesizers.

At the time of its release, Korg was competing directly with synthesizers such as the Clavia Nord Lead and Roland's JP8080. While both of these VA machines were powerful in their own right, they were expensive. Korg had a reputation for offering powerful machines at affordable prices and while they already had very powerful VA synthesizers like the Korg Triton, Korg Trinity and Korg Prophecy and to offer the much simpler MS2000 at a decent price point some corners had to be cut. The most prominent was its limited polyphony of only 4 voices, but it also only had 128 patches, an external power supply (although this was fairly common with many such devices), and came without expansion options.

There was one feature which was not widely known to overcome the limited polyphony, and that was that if one connected the rack and keyboard together via the MIDI ports, the two devices could be set to produce notes offset to one another in a specific pattern. This ultimately doubled the capability of the system, turning it into an 8-voice synthesizer, completely controllable using either of the control surfaces, although it was likely that most players used the keyboard surface as the master control. This unique feature yet again set the system apart from other systems available on the market at the time, but it was the vocoder and modulation possibilities that caught the eyes and ears of analog-hungry electronic musicians.

Today the MS2000 is still a sought-after synthesizer, prized by its users as having true-to-life analog sounds and returning the joy of real-time sound editing to the control surface.

Synthesis

Signal is generated in a following sequence of steps in MS-2000 synthesis system:

• Oscillators: a patch is comprised by two oscillators (featuring saw, pulse + PWM, sine, triangle and noise), with independent parameters each. Also, an external signal can be used as one of the oscillators, for further processing.
• Filters: signal is processed by a multimode resonant filter with ADSR.
• Amplification: digital VCA with ADSR.
• Effects units: a chorus / flanger / phaser and a delay unit add effect to the dry sound.
• EQ: A 2-band digital EQ is offered per patch.

An interesting fact are the 64 single-cycle, wavetable-like internal waveforms that can be used in the oscillator 1. They were taken from mid-80's Korg DW8000 synthesizer, and allows the creation of bell and electric piano-like sounds, and much more. Also, ring modulation and sync are offered for sweep and vintage lead sounds.

Two LFOs are offered in order to allow cyclic modulation of most patch parameters, and are assignable in somewhat restricted ways using the Virtual Patch feature.

Models

The MS2000 has been a bestseller since its inception, despite some serious limitations (polyphony, limited onboard effects, etc.) and a somewhat limited 128 user memory banks.

The MS2000B. In 2004, Korg introduced a renewed version of the MS-2000, the MS-2000B. Some improvements were made over the original model, being the inclusion of a front panel mic input, and better factory presets. The synth's metallic painting was changed to dark grey/black, hence the 'B' on the name. No other substantive improvements were made.

The MS2000R / MS2000BR These are rackmount versions of the MS-2000 and MS-2000B, as the R on the end of the model number denotes. They require over 5U. They do not have keyboards and are controlled by MIDI with either a computer or hardware controller.

The microKORG In 2002 Korg released the microKORG. It was built on the same DSP engine as the MS-2000 in compact case with 37 mini-keys with almost same specifications as MS-2000 (8-band vocoder instead 16 on MS-2000) and, finally, with fully programmable arpeggiator.

The MS range of synthesizers. The machine was supposed to take the vintage 1970s range of Korg monosynths (the MS-10 and MS-20) to "the new millennium", although owners of the "real analog" vintage models have repeatedly stated that the MS2000's digital sound can't be compared with the "fat" sound of their machines.

These are the specifications for the MS2000B (basically identical to all of the versions):

       Sound Generation Method-
       Analog Modeling Synthesis System-Synthesizer Program Multi Timbral = 2 (max., Split/Dual Mode) 
       Voices = 4 voices Sound Source = 2 Oscillator + Noise Generator, EG x 2, LFO x 2, 
       Virtual Patch x 4, MOD Sequence 16 steps (max.) x 3 
       Vocoder Program Voices = 4 voices Sound Source = 1 Oscillator + Noise Generator, EG x 2, 
       LFO x 2, 16 Channels vocoder, level and pan of each channel can be edited, 
       Formant Shift function

       Programs:
       128

       Effects:
       Modulation effects (3 types), Delay (3 types), Equalizer

       Arpeggiator:
       6 types (programmable on microKORG only)

       Inputs:
       AUDIO IN 1, 2, Level switch LINE / MIC, [AUDIO IN 1, 2(LINE)]Input impedance = 39 k-ohms, 
       Maximum output level = -3.5 dBu (Audio In knob maximum), [AUDIO IN 2(MIC)] 
       Input impedance = 22 k-ohms, Maximum output level = -33 dBu (Audio In knob maximum)
       Input source impedance = 600 ohms

       Outputs:
       L/MONO, R, Output impedance = 1.1k-ohms (MONO = 550 ohms), Maximum output level = +6.5 dBu, 
       Load impedance = 100k-ohms, Headphones, Output impedance = 10 ohms, 
       Maximum output level = 35 mW, Load impedance = 33 ohms

       Control Inputs:
       Assignable Pedal, Assignable Switch

       MIDI:
       IN, OUT, THRU o Display : 16 characters x 2 lines with backlight

       Power Supply:
       DC 9V (AC adapter)

       Power Consumption:
       8W

       Dimensions:
       MS2000B = 737.8(W) x 371.3(D) x 147.7(H)mm / 29.0"(W) x 14.6"(D) x 5.8"(H) 
       MS2000R = 482.0(W) x 233.2(D) x 87.1(H)mm / 19.0"(W) x 9.2"(D) x 3.4"(H) 4U rack-mountable

       Weight:
       7.1kg/15.6 lbs

       Accessories:
       AC adapter (DC 9V, 600mA)

       Keyboard:
       44 notes

References

• MS2000 Owner's Manual, Global Parameters (Page4:E NoteRcv), pg. 55
• "Electronic Musician, Feb. 2000"

External links

• MS2000B at korg.co.uk

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