Keyboards/Synthesisers: Korg Synth MS200B
Author: Sonya Waters
When I first laid eyes on the Korg MS2000B I was quite excited by what I saw. It is reminiscent of an old analogue synth that I imagine litter the cobwebbed corners of disused garages somewhere in west Auckland. In my fantasy I get to buy this great classic 70's synth from an old guy at a garage sale for 20 bucks. (He always throws in a vintage Gibson too and some 1940's frocks belonging to his dead wife.) Meanwhile, back in the real world... Korg's MS2000B is a small, good-looking, chunky little synth with knobs and wheels to turn and buttons to press. It sits raised at the back like an old-skool synth. All the panels are made from a sturdy black metal and the side panels have a fake wood grain that would go nicely with any '70s formica furniture. She's petite, measuring 75 x 35 x 14cm and weighs in at nine kilos, which is kind to my back. There's a microphone supplied for the vocoder, but more on that later.
I decided to skip the manual at first and jump straight into exploring the sounds and test drive the knobs, buttons and wheels.
The 16 buttons on the front relate to eight banks of sounds, so you've got a total of 128 programs to play with before altering anything or creating your own. This little 44-keyed animal (that's 3 1/2 octaves, ladies) starts on F and goes to C. The keys are not weighted, but that doesn't really matter because as I quickly found out, this isn't so much a traditional player's synth.
If it's pure piano sounds you're after, this isn't the beast for you. But it would be the ideal synth to buy if you want to veer away from your piano and start exploring sound, as it's extremely user-friendly and heaps of fun.
The 128 factory presets would probably be more familiar, but not exclusive to, folks in the electronica field. There are some great sounds to play with should you want to make house music, techno, drum' n' bass, ambient, or experimental noise. But don't be put off if you're in a pop or rock band, as this synth is great to beef up bass lines or add retro sounding strings and synth textures.
There are a bunch of interesting layered pads that range from new age-y to evil and plenty of charming blips and bleeps to spice things up. The Virtual Patch feature allows you assign modulation sources such as EG and LFO to various parameters. Virtual Patch mainly controls the depth and type of modulation but sometimes applies to different things like cut off and noise level.
Many of the sounds work in combination with either a sequence or an arpeggiator. Change a sequence by going to the Mod Sequence function where you have 16 control knobs to change the filters, volumes and effects. The sequence loop's frequencies appear lit up on 16 buttons as the sound moves from high to low. Likewise, the arpeggiator has a number of controllable parameters that can be changed. The tempo LED flashes in time with the notes, so if you can't use your ears, you can use your eyes.
The MS2000B retails for $1575 - very affordable if you need some instant analogue sounds to play with. It would be a brilliant synth to add to a live set-up in combination with other keyboards or effected guitars. This little baby is perfect if you're looking for accessibility for real-time editing, intuitive performing and/or playing along with pulses and beats. All the controls are right there on the front panel just like the old synths, so there's no time lost in calling up pages and waiting for them to pop up on a screen. An earlier model MS2000 is currently used by drum n' bass act Shapeshifter for those great farty bass sounds, and indie pop group Pine, who add gentle textures to suit their songs. Add the MS2000B and you could also go prog rock like Voom. Comparing these groups shows that the MS2000 is a remarkably versatile creature.
On the front panel the waveform oscillators are clearly labeled with eight different oscillator algorithms, including basic analogue synthesiser waveforms such as SAW and PWM, Cross Modulation, and DWGS (as used on the Korg DW-800.) Oscillator two has a further three types: SAW, SQU and TRI. The MS2000 can be used as a modulator oscillator for the Sync or Ring modulation characteristic of analogue synthesisers. If you want to start totally from scratch, you can use this little synth as a waveform generator, just call up a wave and create your own sound, then save/write it.
If you're anything like me, you may go too far and need a way back to the start. A really useful feature is the original value light. If you get stuck and totally wreck a preset sound you like, keep your eyes on the 'original value' LED. You can use this feature on any of the controls, as they're all individually changeable.
On the back panel are stereo outputs and stereo audio-in which is handy for connecting other keys or going straight out to the sound desk. There's also a sustain pedal input and a foot switch input. (Pedals not supplied as usual.)
The MS2000B is good in the studio, as I found out when I took it along to Arch Hill Studios and laid down some subtle textures on a new Fang song. Somehow the sounds fitted perfectly. (Hmmm... perhaps a new direction for the band?)
The MS's MIDI capabilities mean you can plug in an external sound source and use it as a master keyboard to manipulate the sound, which is handy if you've got a virtual synth program and no keyboard, although there are cheaper options if you're just looking for a master keyboard. You can still manipulate the sound exactly the same way as you do with an internal sound source. Use MIDI plugs to go straight into your computer. If you want to plug in your electric guitar you can be Brian Eno for the day. (Not that I did that of course!)
The built in vocoder microphone can be plugged straight into the front panel. It sits on top of a gooseneck attachment so you can keep your hands free for twisting those dials. I had to go to the manual to get the Vocoder going. A switch on the back changes you from instrument to voice. If you want to use an external microphone you can plug it into the back panel and still access the vocoder sounds.
The vocoder has only one bank of assigned sounds. Freak out your friends by answering the phone as Darth Vader. Yep, it's fun, silly but quite cool if used in the right way. Think Air and Laurie Anderson. Her vocoder sound is on H6. Other recognisable vocoder sounds were Hal from 2001 A Space Oddity and maybe The Orb?
Lastly, the MS2000B's manual I found to be fairly easy to understand if you're familiar with the language of sound. The basic guide takes you through playing and editing in a comprehensive way. The MS also has several demo songs. It's probably advisable to have a listen to these first. You'll get a really good idea of the lush sounds and their expressive potential. Most of the demos fit into the electronica vein but as I've said earlier, don't be put off if you're in a pop band, there's plenty on offer if you like to experiment.
I've really fallen in love with this synth. The sounds are rich and grunty with loads of depth. The controls are accessible and there is monstrous scope for changes and making your own sounds. It would be perfect for live or studio work and would ideally suit a more experienced person, however, it would also accommodate an inventive beginner.
Maybe something could be slipped into the water supply at NZ Musician magazine that would make them forget I have this little synth. Or a world disaster could avert their attention? Yeah, I'm fantasising again.
Sonya Waters provides keys and backing vocals for Auckland band Fang who are currently recording their third album.
