Roland MKS-20

realy easy to use, all the few commands are really intuitive, allowing the immediate usage, without the help of the user's manual

the Polyphony (12 to 16, depending upon the bank) is far away from the very recent E-pianos, but it's sufficient IMO in the 90% of the cases.
The chorus is the best even heard, for me.

The sound is simply amazing.
Many, many musicians have choosen it just for its gorgeus e-piano(1).
You will appreciate the clavi too, but whenever I turn it on, my hands choose preset 1 automatically ;-), and after few seconds the room is full of early 80's Elton John sounds...
Yes, forget the real acoustic piano, its sound is far away from it, but if you're looking for the best 80's e-piano sound... you cannot miss it at all!

I'm looking for a second unit... I cannot even think to remain without it.
It's more than 10 years that I play piano, and I own a lot of other (MODERN) stuff LIKE Motif rack, Korg SG, Triton...
But it's a marvellous piece of 80's synths art, maybe the most appreciable electric piano ever heard, IMO.

This my second review for the MKS-20. I just bought another one today for 50 Euros (= 57 US$ !!). It's from 1987 and almost in meant condition! Let me tell you one thing, this baby is a monster for one reason: the Rhodes sound (Electric Piano 1) is amazing!!
Believe me, I played a real Fender Rhodes for a long time, and the MKS-20 is "almost" the same thing (and it's MIDI). Same expression, same feeling. Warm and fat. It drives me crazy! The only difference is that it sounds a tiny more s"tatic", compare to the real Rhodes that sometime goes naturaly out of tune when you hit harder a key (like a guitar).
The best Electric piano on a synth.
The clavinet is very good too and sounds very authentic especially in the low register.
I don't really like the other sounds, but they have "a" sound. The acoustic pianos are very Elton John from the 80's, and the Electric Piano 2 can sound a little bit like a DX-7.

Nice presets. Good basic-sounding and easy menu.
Store-function and midi-channels have to be figured out but this is no problem, if u are familiar to something like that.

I play a Doepfer PK-88 hammer-action keyboard, and though the basic sound are good, the midi-implementation seems to be a bit to light (i played really pianos before).
The polyphonyis 12 to 16, what is ok, but sucks with sustain-pedal.
U can save up to 16(?) banks per voice on a roland memory-cartridge.
The shaping parametres are, 3band eq (with a full parametric mid), level, chorus(speed, depth), trem(speed, depth)...
In this way the features are very ok for a piano expander (who needs really more?), not to forget the symmetric xlr-outs

The vibraphone is ok (very metallic, percussive and lush), the harps kick ass (u can achieve nice results by equing), so does the clavi, wich fits very well for basses (fat, "slapped", nice "analog" sounding, and well recommend for use through my tube-amp). The pianos don't sound accoustic but really nice (maybe flat, and too plastic-synthetic) and i can imagine, they can really cut through in a ensemble-sound (i jammed with e-guitar and the mks-20). U can say the pianos really sound dynamic and have a sort of unique-expressivness..
Finally the e-pianos: their sounding is very electronic, really dry and "smooth-bottomed", the e-2 a more clicky and "swirling", good ideal e-pianos sounds.
It's an old early digital (12bit) synthesis unit, and so it sounds really fat, u could say quasi-analog.

I would say it's a normal, heay 80s-rack-unit.
But i have some REALLY ANNOYING sound-Artefacts, which primary go away after playing about 30 minuits.
It sounds scratchy, not distorted, but much of the sound is simply sucked away.
I don't know where these bad sounds come from, but i guess their origin is located in the signal-path and not in the digital synthesis-structure...

The presets sound nice; It has a built in memory bank which lets you store your own settings to each of the eight preset sounds. I only wish you caould change the name of the sounds to whatever you wanted to name them. I guess that really doesn't matter.

Polyphony is not the standard; only 12 or 16. The response to midi is the "BOMB"...The effects are the "BOMB"...
Do not buy the P-330 if you can help it...
I bought one and it sounded pretty good, but the chorus and tremelo on the MKS-20 are the best I've heard in any module.

The sound that I bought it for was the Piano 1; Kevin Bonds, Jason White, and all the industry gospel musicians use this sound; especially for those slow songs that use only the hi-hat for the beat.
It's in all of Donald Lawrence, Karen Clark, and Judith McCallister's projects.
When I got the module that was my only need....but, after listening to the other sounds....MAN - All of them are used in the projects listed above except the Piano 2 and 3 (These sound "Wack-A-Docous")

The Rhodes and the DIGI Rhodes sound the "BOMB", especially when you add the chorus and the tremelo.

I use the chorus on the Piano 1 sound to give it a thick luscious sound which makes even the sorriest keyboardist sound good - you'll be sounding like the pro's no matter how good or bad you play.

It seems pretty dependable...I bought mine used from a guy on ebay...It was in 98% cosmetic and functionality.

I would buy another if it were lost or stolen...As a matter of fact I'm thinking about buying another just for keepsake, because it literally is irreplaceable.

Presets are fine for me. Easy to edit with Alpha-Dial and buttons, but the P-330 is even easier. Manual is ok.

16 note polyphony on all tones except for Epiano2 and Clavi which has 10 note polyphony. Occasionally I use the Chorus (Rate and Depth settings at 1 and not any higher) or tweek the bass up a bit on Piano 3 patch. MIDI implementation is fine for a piano module (no mod or pitch bend). The P-330 offers a "half damping" effect on the sustain pedal (not so suttle note off activity)if briefly released and pressed. The MKS gives an abrupt note off which is not very "piano-like" IMHO.

Love the Epiano 1 and Piano 3 sounds. Piano 1 is good for layering. The P-330 seems to be mellower in the high octave range and less of a "Thud" sound in the lower octaves for the pianos than the MKS. I've noticed that it is easy to overdrive the analog effects board by playing FF with many notes, whereas the P-330 can't be overdriven. The output is noisy on the MKS yet the P-330 is clean. The module is VERY dynamic sounding, compared to todays sampled modules, which have more realistic piano sounds but are compressed.

I don't think that this is a troublesome unit at all. I had to replace the EL Backlighting on the LCD display, but they are easy to buy and simple to solder in place.

Never called Roland, and repairs I do for myself if easy enough.

If it were to be lost or stolen, I would try to find a P-330 to replace it, but if I couldn't, I would buy another one again I suppose.

The Roland MKS-20 is a rack mounted MIDI tone module version of the famous RD-1000 Digital piano. It occupies 2 rack spaces and is rather deep compared to recent tone modules. This unit does NOT sound like an acoustic piano, but in some respects actually sounds better. The voice archetecture is S.A. which stands for "structured-adaptive". It's a kind of analog synthesis type of thing when compared to the PCM/ sample based machines of today. The Roland MKS-20 has 8 preset sounds which can be edited and stored in a total of 64 memory locations, more by RAM cartridge "MC-16". The parameters which can be altered is limited to: Voice volume, 3 band EQ, chorus on/off, depth, rate, Tremolo on/off depth, rate. Even though the unit doesn't sound like an acoustic piano, it is a very expressive instrument and has a very unique character. The attempts a copying an acoustic piano are: Piano1, Piano2, and Piano3, they range in character from electric grand sounding to almost like an old RMI. Sounds 4 & 5 are a Harpsicord and a Clavinet, which are NOT at all good. Sound 6 is a fairly decent Vibraphone. Sound 7 and 8 are really good Rhodes tine pianos. For editing you get one big wheel and blue backlit LCD display. No patch editor would be available as this unit only has MIDI in and thru, "NO out" it does not send sysex. MC-16 RAM cartridge or pencil and paper are your only patch storage options.
It is very easy to use and has a good manual which can be obtained on the web at: <http://www.ftg.co.uk/studio/mks/index.cfm?mks=20>

The Roland MKS-20 is 16 note polyphonic, not multi-timbral. It can be set to any of the 16 MIDI channels, or OMNI. It accepts velocity, sustain pedal, volume change, patch change, soft pedal, expression pedal, chorus and tremolo change via MIDI. It doesn't recognize pitch bend or mod. wheel, or aftertouch. This unit has a beautiful analog stereo chorus built in, and has both XLR and 1/4 jacks for outputs. It has a volume slider and headphone out jack on the front of the unit.

If you want a realistic sounding acoustic piano simulator, DON'T BUY THIS! The word on the street is; The GEM real piano module is the way to go for realistic piano sound. I have a Yamaha P-200 that I'm quite happy with in that respect also. The Roland MKS-20 has a unique quality which makes it an eminently useable instrument. It stands out in the mix in rock, country, and gospel. It doesn't work so well for slow sensitive balladish stuff, or solo piano compositions. The FFF velocity end is very harsh. It's best to stay below 110 on the velocity scale.

I bought this unit used from a studio that claimed it worked perfectly. When I received it, it didn't operate. It wound up having a defective IC chip inside. I've since gotten it repaired. I have to assume that they don't travel well. I've heard stories about the country and gospel players buying up as many as they can find for spare parts.

Roland is fantastic, they talked to me about my difficulty, sold me some chips and shipped them out promptly. I've talked to lots of synth manufacturers over the 25 years that I've been playing, and this experience with Roland has been the best by far. Young- Chang Kurzweil get the lowest marks.

The Roland MKS-20 is a very unique and expressive instrument which is why it remains a sought after classic. It has very nice Rhodes type sound "#7" and a piano with the expressive character of a CP-70 electric grand "#1". I like it and I'm glad I bought it. It's the best $160 I've ever spent. I haven't any further problems with it since I replaced the defective IC chip.

I've been using the MKS-20 in the studio and on stage for around 5 years and I think it's one of the best electric piano sounds available.Although the piano is not very "realistic",it definitely cuts through a mix,particularly on stage.It is still used quite frequently in gospel music,which is what I play.The chorus effect(when used on the electric pianos)is wonderful.

The only time I had a problem is when I had some screws loose in the unit(and didn't realize it).once that problem was fixed,it worked fine.It is an older unit,so you don't want to knock it around too much.

I sold my original mks-20(thinking I needed to change sounds).After doing one project without it,I had to buy another one.If mine was lost or stolen,I'd definitely get another one.I'm partial to Roland gear as it is(I also use the XP-50,JV-880,and Dance module)I have used the Mks-20 rhodes on at least 40 different tracks on various recording and it always works.I also used the mks-20 rhodes and piano with grammy-winner CeCe Winans.I highly recommend it.

Pretty straightforward operation, however, have the manual handy for some of the more obscure functions. Patch editing is pretty limited, but the sounds are just classic - dial 'em up and go.

Polyphony is 16 notes, though I believe it's limited to 10 when using the harpsichord and electric piano 2. There is a built-in analog chorus and tremolo, more on that later. You can slap an old-style Roland memory cart in it to store patch edits, but I've never needed to since the presets are the reason to buy the box. (This alone is remarkable.) MIDI implementation is what you need in a piano box - IN and THRU jacks, responds to velocity, volume, chorus, and tremolo messages. There are a small group of voices, but the box has a very specific purpose. It does what it does, and and that's it. For audio - terrific stereo XLR balanced outputs - an engineer's delight. Also features 1/4" unbalanced outs with a level selector.

The acoustic piano voices are by today's standards not sample realistic, mainly because they aren't sampled. The unit's rich SA (Structured Adaptive) synthesis provides ultra-musical expression of synthesized voices. The solid, huge, expressive musicality of this thing earned it spots on many recordings, and continues to be a staple in music production today, even after so many years. The electric pianos, especially with the chorus, make great ballad accompaniment. The vibraphone and harpsichord are pretty fun, and the acoustic pianos, though naked and strange alone, make fantastic expressive layers as part of a MIDIed group. The E. Piano 1 and Piano 3 sounds in particular will sound familiar to your ears, used on countless pop recordings. The on-board analog chorus sounds HUGE, and the tremolo is sooo vibey. (Tip - try layering the E. Piano 1 with chorus with a medium-bright DX7 Rhodes. Then throw on your favorite smooth analog pad. Hello, John Jarvis.) The acoustic pianos are incredible in a band setting - they really rock and rumble for rock and blues. With the rest of the crew rockin' out, the piano sound cuts through the mix just enough and sounds fantastic.

When I first got this thing (used), I took it in to the shop to get rid of a little dust-related grit at high volume. Since then it's been a rock-solid buddy.

They were great the one time I needed it !

If lost or stolen, I'd have another before the week was out. Nothing else will do.

Very easy to use. Only 8 sounds. Choose a sound, press a button.

2-space rack. Very heavy. Takes a lot of space for very few sounds.
Only 8 sounds: 3 acoustic pianos, 2 electric pianos, harpsicord, clavinet and vibes. Two very good analog effects: chorus and tremolo. No reverb. Very good EQ.

Only 8 sounds: 3 acoustic pianos, 2 electric pianos, harpsicord, clavinet and vibes. At that time (late 80's), they were revolutionary. Especially the acoustic pianos, used by Elton John, Billy Joel... But compare to today's sounds, they are not realistic at all!! Due to the fact that they are not samples, they are synthetic digital sounds. That's the point: these sounds have a usdge personality and presence. My favorite: Electric Piano 1. It sounds incredible. A true classic. The best Rhodes sound I've ever played (think Stevie Wonder "You are the Sunshine of My life" kind of sound. The analog tremolo/autopan effect is warm and bring back that old school soul flavor to the mix.
I give a 10 only for that sound. The rest deserve a grade of 5.

Very solid.

Don't know.

I sold it two years ago, because it took too much space for just one sound. But, I really regret it. I wasn't able to get THAT fat electric piano sound with more curent gear. That sound is best Fender Rhodes sound you'll ever find on a synth.
I want to get another again!

Not much you can do with this unit - only 8 basic sounds (3 acoustic pianos, 2 electric pianos, harpsicord, clavinet and vibes. Maybe a dozen parameters per sound to tweak - EQ, chorus, tremelo, volume. Great feature is the semi- parametric midrange - very useful!

Like I said - only 8 sounds. But they are good ones! No reverb here - this baby is bone dry. Better have some effects in your rack. Midi in, out, through. Takes two rack spaces, and is a bit heavy - maybe 15 pounds. Also, there is only 16 voice polyphony on the acoustic pianos. This is rarely a problem, unless you're into very dense voicings and cinematic arpeggios. However, for some unknown reason the polyphony falls to only 12 on the electric pianos. Now we're talking about some noticable restrictions, and you will hear some obvious voice stealing during some passages. (though nobody in the audience will notice a thing)

It's rather funny that this unit was one of the very first piano modules ever made, and yet more than holds it own against all the current competition. This is not a sample play back machine - it's more of a digital synth with fixed tones. And the tones are very good ones indeed. Much more present and "up front" than any other piano out there. Outstanding live for rock, country or blues. Cuts through a loud band without biting anyones head off. Identical in quality to the massive RD-1000 which means it sounds great. The RD-300 and 250s (which I also own) are a bit inferior - a tad muddier and less deep in dynamics. Any shortcomings? Sure! Real pianos soften slightly and become more woody as you climb the keyboard - the MKS-20 maintains a fixed quality throughout the entire range - which can lead to a very hot upper register when playing loudly. A couple of gliss's will send your sound man (like mine) diving for your channel's slider. Also, I wouldn't make it my first choice for a solo piano gig, you might feel a little naked. A better choice would be the new RD-600 or A-90ex.

I bought mine the first month they came out, maybe 10 -12 years ago, and it's never failed me once. I guess that deserves a 10.

Have had to find out how good or bad they might be.

It's rare to see these units for sale - I guess most users are like me and are very fond of these things. I play all over the states and have to perform with rental equipment all the time, so I've had live auditions for a few different piano sounds. Many pianos that sound good in the showroom or over headphones sound remarkably mediocre on a big stage with a loud band. The MKS-20 always shines. It's not pocket size like the Nano Piano, or Kurzweil MicroPiano, nor does it offer strings, horns, drumkits etc. It pretty much does just a couple things very well. And the piano, at least to me, is priority one! Now if it only had that A90-ex stereo grand sample in it too, it would be the greatest module of all time!