Korg MS-2000-B

If you are pretty familiar with synthesizers, this is pretty easy to use and straight forward. This was my first synthesizer..but I had read A LOT about synthesizers before getting it. So, by the time I got it, I was able to use it and get the hang of it pretty naturally. This is a great synth. There is SO much you could do with it. I am not a big fan of the presets..mainly because most of them are kinda..techno-ish, typical bad electronic music sounds. Not that electronic music is bad, I love it, but there is a lot of bad electronic music, and this has a lot of those sounds as presets. But anyway, once you get into editing the patches, it is amazing what you could do with this. I've made some great sounds on it that now I could never go on without using. Editing is super easy because of the huge knob/label layout above the keys. it has a great design like a vintage synth..you can also edit via the built in computer but really you can mostly, almost do everything just with the knob layout. As far as the manual..Yes, it came with one..No, I didnt really read it..So, no, I cannot really state my opinion on it. But it is very big..many pages.So, I am sure that it is useful.

This is a 4 voice synth..meaning it can only play 4 keys at a time. I was turned off by this at first..but it really isnt a huge deal. There is plenty to do with 4 keys..although more would be nice. But really, no big deal. It has a few built in effects..I like the delay, not to into the distortion, it's okay though, sometimes..the modulation effects can be cool occassionally..it's got MIDI in and out..it's got a sequencer and an arpeggiator..it's got sine, square, triangle, sawtooth, noise waveforms and one knob that controls waveforms in thr form of instruments..so that one knob has like 60 something instrument replication waveforms..so you have about 70 waveforms to chose from. 2 oscillators..great filter section. I love the filter on this synth. What else..?It is very flexible with what you can assign to the MOD wheel..the PITCH wheel does what it should do. It is pretty flexible as well..it's got a good gate section..and it has an ADSR section for the filter and another for the overall output section..and individual volume controls for each osc..and a knob that brings in some noise when turned up..great, very useful stuff. I love this synth. It is discontinued now..but it used to retail for like $650-700, I think. Which, honestly is cheap for this machine. Now you can find one on eBay for under $400 sometimes, usually actually. Which is GREAT for what this does.

Many of the sounds are pretty realistic..and some pretty analogue synthy sounding..like the leads and bass sounds. very analog. the strings sound very real..you can get a pretty good electric piano sound out of it..like a rhodes. you can get pretty good organ sounds out of it..it is very slightly velocity (touch) sensitive. i think you can alter the velocity but i never have because i like the way it comes stock. it does have aftertouch and that can be adjusted as well, of course..what you can do with this is amazing..especially for the price! you cant beat it. if you want a really good synth..and cannot spend much and are looking into a korg..please, do not go and get the microkorg. i mean, the microkorg is good, but it's just a cute little toy with great sounds. this is capable all of those sounds and more, and easier editing/live performance control..better fullsize keys and more octaves..much cooler design..and use they usually sell cheaper than buying a new microkorg. but if you can only get a microkorg, so be it. they are good anyway..but the microkorg XL is better than the original.anyway, back to ms2000b, great sounds!!i have been particularly happy with the droning sounds i can get from it and electric piano sounds..and basses..it can be very 'boards of canada'..very much actually. am i going off topic..i feel like i am. sorry, i only write reviews out of boredom.. :)

i have had this synth for....three years? yes, a little over. i got one of the last few that korg had in the factory. now they are discontinued..i dont know why. they are amazing. i have never had any problems with it malfunctioning or doing weird things..i have played without a back up..but i am going to get another 10 of these. i think it is very dependable..

i like korg products a lot..i have a few kaoss pad thingys, and a nanoKontrol, and the ms2000b..and a kontrol49..i have also used a microkorg and padKontrol in the past. i've never had a problem with any of these things. the MS2000B is very well built. it is nor plastic, it is aluminum. seems sturdy to me..but dont drop it. i've never dropped mine..i am sure that would freak it out a bit. as far as korg and their costumer support..i havent had a problem with any of their things so i have never contacted them..but, seeing as they're such a big company..i would assume that their customer support sucks a bit..even if they do try, they do not have enough time to get to everybody. whether they try or not..who knows..i dont.

i'm tired......it is good. really good. are you thinking..'should i get it?'if you are..YES! you are not going to find anything as good for this price..when you get it should you edit the presets..YES! you will not use it to it's maximum capabilities unless you do this. am i a professional..i dont think so..but in my professional opinion, this ting is amazing. i have played moog synths..access synths..analogue systems..all kinds of synths..if i owned all of those, i would still keep this. it is just as good..in different ways..synths are like people..(that is my deep (and dorky) comment in this review..synths are like people..what a thing to say. but you know what i mean right?) if it was stolen, i would cry for the sounds that i've made on it. but i would get another and try to make those sounds again. i love this synth a lot. and will forever. i like that the keys dont try to feel like weighted piano keys on a midi controller. those keys always suck. keys that try to be weighted are always terrible no matter what. that has yet to be mastered..and in the meantime, i prefer these plastic keys that just feel like you'd expect a synth to feel..yes they are a little cheaper than the keys moog uses..but how much do you moogs cost again?...oh, yeah, that's right. how could i forget? the only thing i wish it had sometimes..is more voice polyphony. 4 sometimes isnt enough for something very particular that i want to but doing. but no big deal. i find my way around this pretty okay. oh yeah, and the vocoder. i never use it. but it is good. it is workable and you can get some pretty sounds out of it. but the presets are not that great..also it comes with a mic for this. which is good.and it has a separate audio in jack for processing other things through the synth..i've done this with guitar..and vocals..pretty cool through all of the filters and effects. so in conclusion i conclude that my conclusion is conclusive to conclude that my conclusion is you should get it. dont even try to figure out if that makes sense..i most likely doesnt. but anyway, get it if you like good synths..bye bye

I think presets are not great. The emphasis is on complex techno sounds which are impressive but there are very few classic analog lead presets. Luckily, it is not very hard to make them from scratch.

Editing is fairly straight forward and if something is not so obvious, you will find it easily in the manual.

The panel looks very attractive at first due to many knobs and buttons for direct editing. However, everything is crammed at the center of the panel, and the knobs, buttons and labels are just too small for my taste. Pity that so much space on the sides of the panel is not used.

Also, most of the labels are duplicated, one for the synth mode and other for the vocoder. Annoying, especially if you don't really need vocoder so much.

After using MS-2000B for a couple of months this form-factor problems are bothering me more and more. I might decide to sell it just because of that.

The keyboard feels plastic and cheap. I also do not like external power supply, adds cheap feel to otherwise very decently built machine.

I can see people complaining about 4 vioce polyphony. Not me, I think 4 voices is really enough for playing synth lines. For sequencing, you have tons of software voices anyway.

I agree with majority of other reviewers. This has very decent analog sound emulation enhanced with a lot of useful additions (arpeggio, sequencer, soft routing, effects, dynamic sound sequencing, even fully fledged vocoder).

Bass analog sounds are particularily convincing and most usefull. Lead analog sounds are more difficult to pinpoint but that is pretty much the same as with real analog machines! The higher you go, the thinner is the sound. And since you are in the lead melody register, you have to play more, not just turn knobs. I guess that is the simple truth behind much of the "thin sound" myth.

With better keyboard, internal power supply and larger knobs, MS-2000B would qualify as professionally built instrument. Like this, it is more appropriate for studio and home use. However, it is still well above the average and not like some plastic toys you can find on the market today.

Never had a problem.

Actually this is a very nice synth. Especially for the price you pay 2nd hand today. Maybe it is not "the ultimate monster analog" but you can get a lot of fun and inspiration from it. And also some pretty fat analog sounds.

I was a bit confused when i first got it, a quick look through the manual told me everything. The manual itself is very good, very simple. Editing isnt too hard.

For a keyboard of this size, I was dissapointed with 4 note polyphony. Built in effects are nothing special. Sequencer is good.

The only big problem i have with this synth is the sounds. 70 percent of the sounds are techno/drum n bass/in your face sounds. I have edited mine a lot to get it suitable for the music i am making (ambient/electronic). If you are into your dance, this is a good synth as it does have some good hard bass. Some more pad sounds would be nice though.

Very good reliability, soild case, all the knobs/buttons are well fixed on. If i can remember, i think it froze for me about a week after i got it, turning it off and back on fixed this, but i have now had it for about a year and there have been no probs.

I once sent Korg a e-mail, got a kind and helpful reply within 2 hours.

If lost/Stolen, i wouldnt buy another, not because i dont like it, I'd just go for one with more sounds to suit my music. I still do use it, and im still getting good sounds from it.

This synth is pretty simple, that is, to someone who knows about synthesizers. It's all right there, nothing hidden inside (ok, there's a few GOOD surprises you can discover if you toy around with some of the parameters, I'll get into that later on). Not hard to get sound out of, turn it on, select a patch, edit to your liking, and its good to go. Presets sound amazing, I love editing, but I really DONT want to over write anything, there's not one bad patch. Amazing. Of course, if you're new to synths, sorry, no manual included, you have to go online.

Polyphony...4!?
Surprisingly, it doesn't matter, this synth is fine with 4. It really is. If you're looking for a polyphony monster, try PS-3300 (also by korg) with its monstrous 48 polyphony (48 vcos). 4 is just fine for what I'm using it for. I use a juno-106 and that suits me just fine. This is a dance machine, not a symphonic device. No. That's a piano.

EFFECTS. Nothing special. Distortion really beefs up the oscillators, gives it a really chunky sound. Also has onboard delay which makes some really wild noises.

Awesome arpeggiator. I've had no problems, I guess others have, but personally, I think it's just fine.

2 lfos. 2 dcos.

Ok, now this is cool. ALong with your standard waveforms, you get 64 DWFS waveforms; wave forms that are specific to certain sounds or instruments. 64. That's a lot to choose from. That brings you to a grand total of around 70 wave forms to choose from.
What more could you want?

AMAZING BASS SOUNDS. I'll be honest, I wasn't a fan of Korg until I bought this. Sometimes I think it's better than a real bass. Seriously, this thing kicks out some killer basses.

On top of that, the keys are touch sensative, but not TOO sensative like some synths. This is just right. Actually, I usually will not play anything touch sensative, but this is fine by me.

The other sounds are amazing too. Great at replicating strings, very realistic.

I've had absolutly no trouble with it. I WOULD gig without back up, but I never do. My back-up isn't really back up, it's my band's other synth, our awesome juno-106. These two definately are great paired together.

Never dealth with them so I can't really say much here...

If I lost this I would die. I love this thing. Compare it to a juno or alesis, or perhaps even the $3000 alesis adromeda. Yeah. It's that good.

If you want weird sounds galore, this is your synth.
It's specialty seems to be bass and strings.

Somethings it could use: Chorus (though distortion on this kind of has that covered), larger polyphony can't hurt (but it's fine as it is), bigger lcd screen.

Other than that, it's amazing.
Now go buy one.

Very straightforward, if you're familiar with analog synthesis it's a no-brainer, all the controls are logically arranged. The presets sound ok, there's a few sounds (like a monster sync lead) it makes that I have yet to create with any other instrument. For the most part though, it doesn't sound spectacular. Shouldn't need any software to program this. Manual is ok

The polyphony isn't an issue with me, I'd far prefer a better sounding keyboard with ONE voice than the 4-voice this provides. Built in effects include standard chorus, flange, phaser, echo, and reverb. It's a good thing it has built in effects too, because its sounds are pretty weak for the most part, and it needs all the presentation it can get. The onboard sequencer is easy to use, and a selling point. No expansion capabilities, and oddly, no digital input or output.

There are some sounds this makes that are unique to it, but overall this just does not warrant the price tag. I was a fool, saw all the dials and lights and assumed I'd be getting some analog recreation. But the sound is pretty weenie (it is better than say, a low-end Yamaha PSR keyboard, but nowhere near a Korg Dw8000). Play some notes up high and hear the aliasing. I find it strange that such an important feature in analog synthesis as a filter is implemented so BADLY here - you absolutely won't be getting Oberheim sweeps and Prophet-5 expressiveness out of this box. And unintended distortion like aliasing makes a major difference if you're trying to use this with OTHER instruments - it just doesn't blend very well in the mix. I have a Korg Trinity with the MOSS card installed and it makes better analog sounds than this! Close your eyes and listen to the sound, don't look at the instrument and assume it sounds good. And if you do this, I guarantee you'll give this instrument two thumbs down.

And the person who says this is the best vocoder currently available - get real! Have you actually tried any other vocoder?

Very reliable, never had any issues with it. Rock-solid MIDI performance as far as I can see.

Never had to get support.

It's usable as a controller for other, better analog emulations, with all its assignable dials. And a few presets it has that I like. But for the most part it's just lame quality of sound. Just because I paid money for gear doesn't mean I have to defend Korg - I use my ears to decide if gear is good, not go on about its lovely sound because I'm some kind of company groupie. And my ears tell me this doesn't sound as good as any of the other analog emulation keyboards I've tried, and next to REAL analog gear, like a Roland SH-101, it's laughable. Would I replace it if it was lost? Highly unlikely.

easy editing,most of parameteres have a dediceted knob or button,excellent manual,excellent for programming your own sounds.pretty goob presets enough basses,enough leads,enough pads-effects and some perfomance patch too.

limited polyphony,4 voices,simple effects section chorus,delay,phaser,simple arpegiator,but this synth has a killer on board analog style (3x16 steps) sequencer through which you can process external singals,good keyboard action and lots of waveforms,and very good modulation matrix (8 modulators x 8 destinations x 4 routes ).

excellent analog sound,excellent for basses and leads,fx. Very good for pads ( dwgs waveforms and modulation matrix ).This is a dance syth mainly.

very good.

haven t contact them.

all in all an excellent synth for dance music mainly, which can make the difference in a track with its wild and aggressive filter which in my opinion i havent herd it in another VA synth.The polyphony maybe limited but you dont want it for orchestral sounds.It may not have the craziest technical features but all it counts is the sound isnt it.

I would say very easy to program, the on panel knobs and switches do what they say, and if you know analog synthesis its pretty straight forward.

The 4 note polyphony is a big fat PLUS, as I didn't by this for that reason (playing chords), I wanted an updated, mono lead synth to use in place of my MS-20 (of 27 years.) The MS2000b does just that! I have the Triton Extreme 76 for polyphony! Nuf said there...

The effects of stereo delay add some depth to the sound if you run it a bit in the background and works very smoothly. The chorus is nice too for thickening up the `oscillators'..

I feel that I could depend on this synth. It will be in my lineup of keyboards when our concert season begins in March 2005. Its made of ALL STEEL and I LOVE the Rosewood accents on the sides are a touch of class, and refreshing to see, lots of plastic tend to dress todays equipment.

I can't say anything here.. Since 1976, I have had a new Korg synth nearly every other year and I have not had any real trouble.. Amazing to me is my old DW-8000 from 1986 STILL has the same lithium battery and my programs are still there from those days! My MS-20 and SQ-10, now in their 27th year still function fine. Maybe I'm lucky, but outside of a scratchy volume control here or there, I have not really had to contact Korg for help.. The floppy drive in my DSS-1 still runs fine and that is after years of hard use in smokey clubs.

I would replace it with the same model again.

I've been playing out professionally since 1977 and currently use on stage the Triton EX 76, an EMu PK-6 with the Virtuoso ROM, and soon will integrate the MS2000b. I LOVE how FAT this modeling synth is, I have run my MS-20 and the 2000b into my audio system and made some quick patches up on both in duplicate, they sound so close its hard to tell (there is a little digital artifact in the new model, but not loud enough to bother me). I can say this, when you get down in the low bass range, the 2000b wipes the MS-20's knobs off the panel ! With the MS2000b's EQ system, you can make it as fat as you want - NICE ! The vocorder section I have yet to learn more about, but it is a neat effect.

In closing, I would like to see reverb in the effects list AND EXPONENTIAL portamento (would be switchable/adjustable like the Alesis A6). The Linear (like a Mini Moog) which is what unit comes with is great, but it won't work all that well with a lead such as ELP's `Lucky Man'. Other then that, I believe Korg has done a nice job getting that MS-20 analog sound and ease of panel controls as my direct acid test prooved to me when I ran them side by side. The ablitity to put your programs into 128 memory locations is very convenient. And if you run the mono mode with UNISON, you have the ability to run ALL EIGHT `oscillators' at once AND detune them as little or as much as you want! So, as a mono sythesizer ALONE, it does exactly what I need. Its much more then a toy to make noises with, it can also be VERY warm AND musical !

I bought this used, but in like new condition. The more I use it, the more I love it. The presets are ok, gives you some idea of what it can do and the range it has, but really, you don't buy something like this for the presets. Editing patches can get complicated, but it depends on how detailed you're getting. It'll be a while before I can confindently say that I fully know my way around it- which is a good thing. The manual is pretty good- it's the same manual as the MS2000 with just an insert for the vocoder mic.

4 voice polyphony- now, I may not be the best keyboardist in the world, but I know when to quit. 4 voice is not that much, but I hardly ever feel the need to use more than that at any time because the sound sounds rich enough without it. The only time that it gets a little cumbersome is when you have a split board- then it's 2x2 and that can be a little tricky- but it all depends on how well you adjust sound

It is only as good as you know it... In other words, the more you learn the instrument, the more you realize it can really do whatever you want it to do. It's an modeling synth, so if you can't make it sound the way you want it, you don't know it well enough.

Never had a problem with it. I used to have the MS2000R- but I had problems with the notes cutting off as if the data from the midi keyboard stopped sending the info- so I sold it and bought the MS2000b- never had a problem since.

Never needed it.

I love it- I think this is a keeper. Ever since I saw it, I knew it would be the one for me. I like being able to adjust the cutoff, patches, LFOs and delays while playing and there's not much else out there that I know that does that as well as the MS2000 series. I'd definitely buy a new on if it were broken and I'd kill the family of the person who stole it from me.

Fairly good layout and set up. I bought the floor demo @ Guitar Center for a discount. I didn't get the manual. I can get it on-line but why?

Low polyphony but I bought this Korg as a stand alone supp. to my Kurzweil, Yamaha and Emu gear. Vocorder is the main feature I was after and it RULES!!!!

The synth sounds are killer. The vocorder is the best available today and the built-in gooseneck mic works incredible. The great synth and top-notch vocorder are worth the price alone!!!!

In all fairness, I have not had this unit out on the road and kicked the living sh*t out of it. I have a feeling that it is not made of iron and should be treated as a delicate electronic instrument and it should last for years at home, or on the road.

Again, for the purposes I needed (good synth and vocorder), this is the best thing out there for the money. You can pay alot more and get a synth with more features, you will be hard pressed to find a better vocorder for any price, (do the research).

ROM 1.08

Presets are fairly easy to manuever through. Editing patched are as easy as twisting a knob. Very hands on = Very functional. The manual is useless. It does not get into the details of editing pathced through the menu, but with some trial and error it can be done.

Polyphony? What Polyphony?

You can upload presets via midi signals which is a plus. There's a built in mod and delay, but their second rate. Nothing to call home about. ***VERY IMPORTANT NOTE*** When using the arpeggio the tempo drifts. You can try up'ing the tempo, but then it'll go to fast. I've contacted tech support and this is the response I received "MS2000BR does have an issue where it drifts when synced to external gear. Unfortunately there is no fix for this and the unit is as is."

In other words, if you're using the arpeggio in your music-- it'll NEVER work. No fix, no patch, no good!

Good synth sounds, but you'll never get a tube type offect with this unit. Great for background noise or cool little sounds here and there. The pads sound cool, but I've never felt that they sound good in a mix.

Can you depend on it? Sure. Would you use it on a gig without a backup? Sure.

After asking them about the arpeggio issue I asked them if they could assist me in returning the unit back the my local Guitar Center since I had passed my 30 day return date by 37 days. They simply turned the other way and said, no. They don't stand behind their product, they're impossible to reach, they supply simple canned responses.

My experience with this product tarnished my opinion on all Korg products in general. I say spend the extra bucks and get something you won't regret buying 2 months later. Luckly for me, Guitar Center understood my situation and was more than happy to help me with returning the unit. Take caution before buying Korg.