In the day it was known as a poor man’s Moog, however, the MS-20 has since become part of analogue folklore, equally as collectable (albeit a third of the market value) as the Minimoog it was once seen as poor cousin to. Most synthesis-heads would be aware of the genuine Korg MS-20 released back in 1978.
So I hope you understand my indecisiveness with this review, because in many ways this article could easily unfold as a review of the original Korg MS-20. Trust Korg to completely embrace its heritage. But as I mentioned, no manufacturer has gone to the extreme of rebuilding a synth to the original analogue specification - until now. These are hybrids in some respects, fusing 50-year old technology into modern variations. Then there are the plethora of boutique modular analogue synth designs from the likes of Doepfer, Vermona and ADDAC (to name but a few - there are dozens more). The other synthesis big-wig, Roland, has taken the path of paying homage to its vintage designs, with Juno, Jupiter and SH-101 style architecture and cosmetic regalia. Korg itself did a smashing job with the Korg Legacy Collection plug-ins and MS-20ic controller (more on this later), as it has also done with its analogue modelling synths such as the KingKorg I reviewed last issue. And sure there’s been plenty of analogue modelling going on. That said, the Voyager Old School included functions not possible with the original Minimoog, so it wasn’t a strict rebuild. No synth manufacturer has gone to such extremes to recreate a 35-year old design, apart from perhaps, Moog, with its Minimoog Voyager Old School ‘Model D’ recreation. I don’t believe I’ve ever come across this situation.
It’s difficult to decide where to begin with a review of Korg’s latest endowment to the synth-world: The MS-20 Mini. Who’d have thought Korg would go this far back to the drawing board.
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