Synth Pairing with the MS-20

Redmond Barry · Post by **Redmond Barry** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 2:14 pm

I'm looking for another good analog synth to go with my MS-20. I like weird, unpredictable sounds. I love how you end up with the sounds on the MS-20 and think "how the **** did I get here?" I bought the Bass Station II but man is it clean sounding. I was compairing it to my Microkorg and honestly IMO it's not even that much better sounding. So back it goes and back to the drawing board. I've tried the Minibrute a couple years ago, but it didn't do it for me. The Odyssey actually looks appealing but the $999 price tag doesn't seem right to me for slim keys -- which I associate with reduced cost. I tried a Minitaur but that huge Moog sound kind of squashes everything around it. I actually was thinking maybe a Moog Werkstatt would be good for a thinner and more raw Moog. It'd play nice with my SQ-1. Any thoughts or anyone had experiences with some gear that work well with the MS-20?

Jamie Munro · Post by **Jamie Munro** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 3:45 pm

i've got the microbrute paired with my MS20 and all I can say is WTF !!! it is so capable its unbelievable. it too has that ability to create things in a strange way, the envelopes and filter interaction do strange things that are hard to understand - and it will make anything you like, and I mean anything.

I bought the Odyssey and i've gotta say it's freaking amazing, I can see it surprising me for some time, that too has the quality you are looking for, I haven't noticed the keys at all FWIW, I spend way more time on the faders than the keys anyway

both quality tools - I hear what you are saying about the bass station and im so glad I went the microbrute way, I really am. Add to the fact that you can get it for nothing - £230 - mine is white and it's nice - the standard are going for £205 I saw the other day - that's daft money.

Redmond Barry · Post by **Redmond Barry** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 4:01 pm

I will have to give the Microbrute a test. I have heard of people who didn't like the Minibrute too much (like me) being won over by the Microbrute. The Midi to CV capabilities alone are highly appealing. I'm glad to hear you're loving the Odyssey! I definitely like it a lot from what I've heard. I'm waiting to try one out in person, see how it feels.

Jamie Munro · Post by **Jamie Munro** » Thu Apr 02, 2015 9:03 am

personally I love it. immediate fat sound, much more under the hood once you start playing around.

I also love the microbrute - for the 1st hour I wondered what I had done buying it but now I just sit at it and amaze myself every time its on

channel0 · Post by **channel0** » Sat Apr 04, 2015 11:13 pm

the Microbrute, just like the Basstation 2, has V/Oct, which will give you unpredictable musicality tonewise or (notewise if you like), since the MS-20 works with Hz/V.
Soundwise, I wouldn't write off the Bassstation 2 so easily. I agree it sounds cleaner than a Microbrute, but the overdrive and distortion can add some flavour to the sound.
Adding 2 VCO's (+sub osc) into the EXT in on your MS-20 can make some very messy sounds IMHO.

The Microbrute's CV cababilities are equally appealing though

el_hombre · Post by **el_hombre** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 5:00 am

I've got my MS20 mini and KARP Odyssey set up side by side at the moment, it's a pretty awesome pairing.

Redmond Barry · Post by **Redmond Barry** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 7:44 pm

el_hombre wrote:I've got my MS20 mini and KARP Odyssey set up side by side at the moment, it's a pretty awesome pairing.

It sure looks like it could be! Damn, I guess 95% of what I own is gonna be made by Korg after all.

Redmond Barry · Post by **Redmond Barry** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 7:46 pm

@Channel0, I think I'd actually like the Bass Station 2 more if it didn't sound so 'compressed' to my ears. It's functionality is great. I haven't returned it yet, but I'm getting close. I'm still gonna give it a bit more time.

Jamie Munro · Post by **Jamie Munro** » Thu Apr 09, 2015 6:02 am

Redmond Barry wrote:
el_hombre wrote:I've got my MS20 mini and KARP Odyssey set up side by side at the moment, it's a pretty awesome pairing.
It sure looks like it could be! Damn, I guess 95% of what I own is gonna be made by Korg after all.

Mine live next to each other too.....sick as. Microbrute is attached as I see fit, mostly my ms20 output feeds the input and I drive my ms20 sounds tempo synced with a sequence from microbrute, fantastic.

I'm currently in Vegas and picked up an sq-1 today as got sick of waiting in the uk so I guess my setups going to change a little but I now know how all 3 will be joined up in harmony

Redmond Barry · Post by **Redmond Barry** » Fri Apr 10, 2015 7:12 pm

I love the SQ-1. I is endless fun and incites a lot of creativity. Not to get too abstract with my metaphors, but working with the SQ-1 is kind of like sculpting. You twist a bunch of knobs and activate all the steps, and then just refine and chip away until you get something great. It's a fantastic little box with plenty of creative design choices. It's few flaws (like only C root note) are fairly inconsequential given what it can do (and given it's $99).

channel0, I'm warming up to the Bass Station actually! First, I found that the oscillators start distorting once you turn them past 12 o'clock on the mixer. This is particularly noticeable with higher resonance settings. My uneducated guess is it might start hitting the overdrive circuit past that point (even when overdrive is turned all the way down). Have you noticed this? Anyway, the BS2 is kind of a stealth synth I'm finding. It doesn't scream "I'm alive!" like the MS-20 does, but it fills in so many gaps. I'm leaning towards keeping it.