The GIANT Korg MS-20!

video upload by Alex Ball

"The story of the giant Korg MS-20 including photos and information never seen before!

Huge thank you to those who helped solve the riddle!"

A search on KORG MS20 Eductional and Giant MS-20 will bring up additional posts. A few were listed for sale on eBay at one point.

Vintage Korg Blackboard Synthesizer Played Vertically! Giant MS-20

video upload by Analogue Solutions

"Here's a clip of the vintage Korg Blackboard synth played vertically (wall-hung)! If you've never tried playing a keyboard vertically you don't know the struggle -- however, Owen did great with this tough part of the song."

Korg Introduces a Giant Sized MS-20, the MS-20GS

via KORG: "Introducing the latest addition to the Korg analog synth line-up, The MS-20GS.

We’ve listened to our users, and we know that Korg synth players have different preferences when it comes to the size of the keys on their synth, which is why we offer synths in both mini and full-size versions... But bigger is ALWAYS better 😏, which is why we are proud to announce the new Korg MS-20GS, or GIANT SIZE! We’ve taken the hit Korg MS-20, with its semi-modular analog signal path and 1/4” patch points, and replaced its 37-key full-size keybed with a 12-key GIANT SIZE keybed.

Tweak and patch your favorite most simplistic nursery rhyme & get ready to never leave your room, cause the MS20GS is all you're ever going to need.... and you probably won't be able to fit it through the door! Just remember, it’s the size of the keys 🎹, not how you use them!"


video upload by Movieclips

NAMM 2013: New KORG Mini MS-20 Revealed in German Magazine?

Rough translation:
"Korg is celebrating their 50th company anniversary this year, the MS-20 turns 35. This suggest paying homage to this cult synth. And indeed, on NAMM 2013 Korg presents a "real", fully analog MS-20, just as we know and love it.

Called Mini-MS-20, it is ca. 15% smaller than the original, and sports a MIDI In and a USB MIDI port. This isn't using surplus Legacy cases as some have speculated (which were 20% smaller) but instead individually designed cases, equipped with a specifically developed keybed. The main PCB is more or less euqivalent to the original, including the components selected to be as close to the original as possible. It is not yet known which filter variant has been chosen, although it may be assumed that, just with the Monotron, it will be equivalent to the Korg35 chip, with slight modifications.

BTW, project management were the same engineers who did the originals. As a consequence, the instruments include the original manual, including patch sheets. You don't have to be a seer to expect a golden future for the Mini MS-20. With a suggested price of 600 Euros, this will find many friends, and will make all those happy who couldn't afford a 'real' MS-20 due to their exorbitant 2nd hand prices"

Update: giant size pic of the front. Click here to see it in its full size glory, or click the pic to the left for a smaller but still fairly large image.  The image is from KORG.de, here

Update 2: And the product page in German.  Googlish:

"MS-20 mini | Monophonic Synthesizer

The MS-20 is reborn! 1978 original circuits come to life

Presented in 1978, the MS-20 monophonic synthesizer, thanks to its rich, robust sound, his powerful, iconic analog filters and flexible patching options to be popular today. The typical sounds of the original MS-20, the Korg MS-20 synthesizer plug-in the Legacy Collection and the iMS-20 app for the iPad, now attracting more than 300,000 users.

Now the sounds of the MS-20, MS-20 are in the mini wakes to new life. The same engineers who developed the 1978 MS-20, today's circuits reproduced faithfully and its physical size reduced to 86% of the original size, without changing the traditional and timeless look of the model or to waive details!

The MS-20 mini fascinated today with absolutely authentic analog synthesizer sounds of his ancestors.

Developer comments

The 50-year anniversary KORG we again engaged in an analogue synth and this effort to create flowing parameter settings that characterize analog synthesizer especially. The original specifications of the MS-20 should remain intact. The developed by us 35 years ago, analog circuits still deliver the same unbeatable, powerful sound, from the lowest bass to the extreme heights. To experience the depth of the MS-20 mini, you have to play it yourself!

Highlights

The MS-20 mini was realized by the engineers of the first MS-20 and used a complete reproduction of the original analog circuit
2VCO / 2VCA / 2VCF / 2EG / 1LFO structure
Self-oscillating high pass / low pass filter with a unique distortion
External signal processor (ESP)
Extremely flexible patching system
Reproduction of the MS20 at 86% of its physical size
Reproduces every detail of the original, down to the packaging, the manual in the original style, the template for the patch panels and patch cables
MIDI IN and USB port"

Update 3: some additional specs:
"Keyboard - control voltage output (exponential) (0 - +8 V)
Keyboard - trigger output (+5 V -> GND)
VCO-2-1 + VCO control voltage input (linear response) (0 - +8 V)
VCO-2 control voltage input (linear response) (0 - +8 V)
Second VCO:
VCO-1 + VCO-2 external frequency control input (OCT / V) (-5 V - +5 V)
Third VCF:
External signal input (max 3 Vp-p.)
External control input for the cutoff frequency of the high-pass filter (2oct / V) (-5 V - +5 V)
External control input for the cutoff frequency of the lowpass filter (2oct / V) (-5 V - +5 V)
4th VCO + VCF:
Total external modulation input (T.EXT) (-5 V - +5 V)
5th VCA:
External control input of the initial gain (0 - +5 V)
6th EC:
EC 1 envelope - Normal output (-5 V - 0 V)
EC 1 envelope - turned output (+5 V - 0 V)
EC EC 1 + 2 trigger input (-> GND)
EC 1 trigger input (-> GND)
EC 2 envelope - turned output (+5 V - 0 V)
7th MG:
Delta output (sawtooth positive - Triangle - Sawtooth inverted) (5 Vp-p)
Square-wave output (pulse width - rectangle - narrow pulse) (0 - +5 V)
8th Noise Generator:
Pink noise output (5 Vp-p)
White Noise output (5 Vp-p)
9th Sample and Hold:
Clock trigger input (-> GND)
Sample signal input (5 Vp-p max.)
S / H output (5 Vp-p max.)
10th Modulation VCA:
Control voltage input (0 - +5 V)
Signal input (-5 V - +5 V)
Signal output (-5 V - +5 V)
11th Game Help Manual:
Control Wheel-output (-5 V <-0 v=""> +5 V)
Non-locking switch output (-> GND)"

Vintage KORG Catalog Brochures

The Sound of Tomorrow
PS-3200, PS-3010, PS-3040
KORG TRIDENT MkII
KORG POLYSIX
KORG POLY-61
KORG DELTA
MS-20, MS-10
MS-50, SQ-10, VC-10
MS-01, X-911
KORG MONO/POLY
KORG SIGMA

Giant Steps Into Tomorrow's Music
ESP-1
BX-3
CX-3, BPX-3, PK-13, LP-10
SDD-3000
SD-400, SE-500, SD-200, SE-300
KPR-77
KR-55B, KR-33
MICRO SIX, GT-6, WT-12
Symphonic Piano 80 & 80S

Click the pics to read. You'll find even larger versions on Flickr here.

via André Vezina

CLICK FOR MORE »

Giant Size KORG MS-20 Blackboard Modular Analog Synthesizer

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"UNIQUE ULTRA RARE ANALOG MODULAR SYNTH !

KORG MS-20 BLACKBOARD ( MS-20 XXXL) TEACHER SYNTH!!!

EXTREMALY RARE , CULT AND VERY RARE"

'The Vintage Synth - Volume 3: Korg' 1-11

YouTube via baward — November 24, 2009 —

"Rare, Japanese-language video from some time in the 1990's, taking the viewer on an odyssey through Korg's many instruments, from Korg's synthesizer museum at its Tokyo headquarters.

Two other videos were produced in this series, 'The Vintage Synth - Volume 1: Moog and 'The Vintage Synth - Volume 2: Roland'"

Part 1: "This clip features an interview with Korg's co-founder Tsutomu Kato and footage of the rare DA-20 Doncamatic drum machine (1963) and an early appearance of Korg's famous 'Traveler' filter control - on an organ! (late 1960's.) More to follow."

Part 2: "This clip features the Korgue organ from 1968, as well as Korg's first synthesizer, the Mini Korg 700 from 1973 (here shown in its expanded 2 oscillator version, 1974's Mini Korg 700S.)"

Part 3: "This clip features the Synthesizer 800DV (1974), Synthesizer 770 (1975), and the PE-1000 (1976)."

Part 4: "This clip features the polyphonic, patchable, part-modular and extremely rare PS-3300 (1978)."

Part 5: "This clip features part one of the MS series (1978-79), focussing on the wall-mounted 'education' MS-20 as well as some other early analogue products."

Part 6: "This clip features the MS-20 and MS-50 synthesizers, VC-10 vocoder and SQ-10 analog sequencer (1978-79) in more detail."

Part 7: "This clip features the Delta strings synthesizer, Trident polyphonic synthesizer, and BX-3 analogue organ (1980-81)."

Part 8: "This clip features the first part of an in-depth look at the Polysix synthesizer from 1981."

Part 9: "This clip features the second part of the Polysix synthesizer feature and the one on the Mono/Poly."

Part 10: "This clip features the Poly-800II and the DW-8000 (1985)"

Part 11: "Computer-control of MS instruments (or is it the 05R module?) with 700S, original Korg Wavedrum, as well series conclusion."

Note the giant educational MS20 in the background of the first video. It is functional. Click here for all posts featuring it including pics and one other video.

Sounds of the Korg MS-20

YouTube via Newueel

I found this looking for a video of the giant instructional version of the MS20 posted below. If anyone knows of any, let me know. I seem to vaguely remember seeing a Japanese instructional video of one.