Korg Forums

[nj2406]

Hi everyone, apologies for some basic questions but I have just got the MS20 mini and am venturing into the world of CV!

I'm having fun exploring different patches, but i'd love to sequence it with my x0xb0x. When patched into the vco 1+2 cv in, the sequence only plays when a key is held down/hold and release on full, and im unable to utilise the env generator on each note. What am I missing patch wise?

I also have an electribe emx but haven't explored what it can do via the midi in on the MS20, what are the possibilities or should I think about a midi/cv converter?

Thought i'd also add that I am modding my monotron with the CV mod (Din Sync: How to modify a Korg Monotron) for more fun times!

Thanks for any help/suggestions, Nick.

[DrHoo]

Probably best to sequence the ms20m from the midi on the electribe. It only receives note on/off but is great fun. Maybe you could use the xoxbox midi out too, channel 1 only only on the ms20m. You also have a midi thru on the tribe & the xoxbox so you could get all three going together. Pretty good midi options.
If you want to go for c.v you're up against the hertz/volt on the korg v's volts/oct standard on the xox. You might need a sort circuit switch for some applications.

http://www.retrosynth.com/docs/trigger/triggermod.gif

It's been said that the monotribe makes for a good midi to c.v converter with it's latest firmware.

[nj2406]

thanks for the reply. Sequencing the ms20 with the electribe has worked great (although I cant use it as the master as the midi out goes to the ms20), and have got all the machines synced together.

is there a way to sync the MG?

[BobTheDog]

Hi,

Concerning the original question, I don't have a x0xb0x but I take it it has a CV and Gate output?

You need to patch from the gate output on the x0xb0x to the TRIG IN on the MS 20, then your envelopes will get triggered.

You also do not need a converter to get the CV from your x0xb0x controlling the MS20, I have included instructions originally from Steve Ridley at the bottom of this post.

Cheers

Andy


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The Hz./V MS-20 is compatible with V/Oct. synths after all! -

"I can hardly believe no one knows about this already. It is possible to control an MS-20 from a V/Octave keyboard or MIDI/CV converter without a special interface. If you don't believe it, try it . .

When I first got my MS-20, I noticed that the filters don't track the keyboard at all. I plugged the keyboard cv to the filter cv in, but then the filter tracked the keyboard slowly in the lower octave, then went screeching off in search of tweeters to kill! I soon realised that the filter was tracking exponentially. I looked at the schematics and sure enough, both the VCO's and the VCF's have exponential converters on the modulation inputs. (You can tell this is the case, because the synth also goes radically out of tune when you plug the kbd cv to the TOTAL input, and wind up the MG / T.EXT knob in the FM section.)So, if you stick a V/OCT input into the modulation inputs and adjust the MG level for correct scaling, it all works and the filters track too.

Here's how you do it:

1. Plug the performance wheel into the keyboard cv input (middle, right) to disconnect the keyboard.
2. Plug the V/OCT cv from your MIDI/cv converter or another synth into the Total jack (top left).
3. Plug the s-trig. from your MIDI/cv or synth into the MS-20 trigger input.
4. Play a note on your MIDI keyboard or the controlling synth, and adjust the MS-20 performance wheel until you get a sensible pitch.
5. Adjust the VCO mod. levels until playing an octave on your MIDI (or other synth) keyboard gives an octave out of the MS-20. Then adjust the MS-20 performance wheel to coarse tune the MS20 and use the tuning pot to fine tune it.
6. The filter mod level pots adjust filter tracking in the same way.

You lose use of the performance wheel on the MS-20, but that's not a big problem if your MIDI/cv converter or your other synth has pitch bend. You will need a v-to-s trigger converter (i.e. the MS-02 Interface) to control the MS-20 from synths without s-trig. outputs, but they're simple to make (two resistors and an NPN transistor, plenty of circuits posted elsewhere).

I don't have the MS-20 in front of me, so apologies if the names of pots and jacks are not exact. Believe me, it does work!"

(from Steve Ridley)

Somebody else added:

"Beware of one thing... the VCF's are twice as sensitive as VCO's so that you must bring the VCF's mod pots to about 5 where as you would have the VCO's mod pot to 10. I think this can confuse some people the first time they fool around... Actually, if one wants good VCF tracking one has to be careful in trimming..."

[plosive]

that (old) trick mentioned by steve isn't reliable.. you can get close with it, but its still not perfectly in tune.

like bob mentioned you need to connect the gate from the x0xb0x to the ms20 trig in. ms20's trigs are s-trig though, so it still might not work as expected. in that case, send the gate to the ESP's signal in and connect the ESP trig out to ms20's trig in - then adjust the threshold and level till it works right.
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korgs: MS20, MS20 Mini, MS2000, KP1/KP3, Kaossilator, microX, padKontrol, DS-10+, Electribe ESX-1, ER1-MKII, Monotribe+midi

[BobTheDog]

[DrHoo]