Korg MS2000B Synthesizer Vocoder

Bengal cat sitting on top of the keyboard synthesizer - Korg MS2000B with buttons sliders, piano keys, and signal-flow diagrams.

Adorable Bengal cat atop a Korg MS2000B Synthesizer/Vocoder. From a (now expired) Reverb listing, seen on matrixsynth.

The MS2000 series were virtual analog synths inspired by the infamous “MS” series of the 1970s. They had a cool retro look, and the MB2000B also included a vocoder.

This beauty from Korg combines state of the art analog physical modeling synth sounds with a very vintage Korg appearance. Yes, this sounds as good as it looks! Remember Korg’s MS-series (the MS-10, MS-20 and MS-50)? That’s right, the MS or MonoSynth series are some of Korg’s most sought after analog synths. They were some of the only compact Patchable monosynths of their time, and had a great Korg sound too. While the MS2000 is somewhat “hard-wired”, it offers just as much and more flexibility while maintaining a straight forward and hands-on approach towards old-fashioned editing via dedicated knobs, buttons and flashy lights. In place of actual patch cables and input jacks, the MS2000 features a cool “Virtual Patch” mode in which signal can be routed to various sections of the synth (ie: LFO, Filter or Keyboard Velocity) using the LCD display and paging through various screens.

Released in 2003 with an updated sound set, a sharp new black metallic color scheme and dedicated vocoder mic, the MS2000B and MS2000BR provide a combination of playability, expression and sound manipulation that is at once familiar, yet ready to open a new universe of possibilities. It is also worth mentioning that an MS2000 and MS2000B can be connected synchronously for eight voices of polyphony, as long as the two units have the same samples installed.

https://www.vintagesynth.com/korg/ms2000.php

Merp Friend #BandcampFriday

Our very own Big Merp is back today, as his “CatSynth pic” is the cover for my new digital EP entitled “Merp Friend” (also the name of the title track).

It’s a fun little set of three tunes, each dedicate to one of our cats past and preset (Sam Sam, Luna, Big Merp). A lot of synthesizers were used on this album, the Arturia MiniFreak, the Korg modwave, several Arturia soft synths, along with acoustic instruments and several great musicians. Please do check it out.

Orion with Serge Panels, Make Noise, and More

Our friend Orion returns. This time the Serge Panels are fully operational and patched. We also see a set of standalone Make-Noise synths and controllers, a Focusrite interface, and more.

From justin3am (Justin Sullivan) on Twitter.

Look at my assistant… he knows nothing about patching!

Fortunately, Orion has a good teacher if he wants to know more.