#79

I tried modulating the filter of my MS20 with bytebeat modulation from Ornament & Crime via English Tear, and wow… So cool to make a 40 year old synth produce digital like sounds! Unfortunately no sound clips, but I can record some next week.

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#80

This is stunning! Been thinking of picking up a mini again, tempted to attempt this and do all the other mods while it’s open.

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#81

Hello everyone! First post on here!

I’m so excited, I just got a MS-20 yesterday. I’ve been playing keys for a while but never had a true analog synth. I know this song is going to take a ton of work but I really want to learn the synth solo by Cory Henry on the song The Curtain by Snarky Puppy. I will link the video below.

Can y’all point a newbie in the right direction on setting up my starting sound for this track? I understand he mods it throughout, but I want to replicate that sound as much as possible.

Any help is greatly appreciated as I have no clue really what I’m doing! Haha thanks!!!

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#82

Looks like Korg is bringing out another full size reissue with the MS-20FS. Looks like its just a full scale version of the mini in different colors, although it says it has both filter revs. I don’t see a switch on it though so not sure how that works- with an internal jumper maybe? would be a shame to not make it a front panel switch like on the 20M.

The build quality better be substantially higher than the mini at 1300 euros though. I don’t get where that cost is coming from since it isn’t like they really had to re-design anything circuit wise and since the keyboard function is so limited I’m guessing it doesn’t have a particularly fancy keybed. Yes bigger jacks and more metal, but its still plastic sides and the same super limited midi it sounds like too. Really a missed shot here IMO to add something to it, either extending midi functionality somehow or at least making it mod friendly like the 20M. I think I’d hold out for them to hopefully bring back the 20M or see prices on this drop.

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#83

Anyone have a good way of converting hertz/octave to volt/octave and vice versa? Mostly interested in ms-20 for the external audio processor, but would like to use that portion with euro rack as well… thoughts?

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#84

There’s a Harvestman module called English Tear which will do two way conversion, as well as converting the triggers from the MS-20 to the type used in eurorack modules. Disting can also do Hz to Volt conversion, but won’t do the trigger conversion simultaneously.

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#85

Crow can do this! Pretty simple to step up as well

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#86

also pretty sure that the full size MS-20 reissue can function on volt/octave. I can’t find record of it anywhere for the new one, but the initial DIY reissue could switch between hz/octave and more eurorack friendly stuff, so I assume the new one can too.

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#87

That is awesome. Are there instructions on this anywhere? Or how do you go about doing it? Already have a crow so that would be great.

#88

Have any MS-20 Mini owners have the entire keyboard stop working, in the absence of any known trauma? The unit responds to CV from the SQ-1 as expected and is playable in that way but I would like the keyboard to work. Nothing appears to be unplugged inside. Warranty has expired. Haven’t looked at the schematic yet but hoping to avoid sending it for repair if there’s an easy fix or known issue (that’s somehow nowhere to be found online).

#89

What happens if you plug the keyboard CV output into the VCO 1+2 CV in?

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#90

Absolutely nothing, frustratingly, though hopefully this is diagnostic. Nothing inside appeared unplugged and I hit it with some compressed air too. Some contact cleaner too, but no change :confused:

#91

Also well out of warranty.

#92

I think you’ll have to do some more troubleshooting to ID where the problem is, ie does it respond if you play it via DIN or USB MIDI? If so, the problem is probably the keybed connection, if not it is probably something else with the built in MIDI to CV converter.

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#93

also have you tried other functions that attach where the keyboard does like the button/wheel?

#94

dang i’m sorry for the false hope. i did some looking into what h/oct to v/oct actually meant and i fundamentally misunderstood your question haha :disappointed:

but perhaps after the ideas in this git issue are fleshed out, it’ll be possible? maybe @Galapagoose can clear this up for us

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#95

figured this out using the functions mentioned on here:

https://www.translatorscafe.com/unit-converter/en-US/calculator/note-frequency/

output[x].volts = .5 * math.pow(2, n/12). where n is the note number (so this linearizes it, and you’d use n the same way you’d use for v/oct conversion), max is 51. n can be negative, hz/v is interesting to think about… as you get closer to 0 the difference between notes is an exceedingly small value, but as you get higher, the voltage jumps are much higher than 1/12 volt.

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#96

I really do enjoy it as a synth, but I find the patch bay, both fascinating and frustrating. What follows are a list of a few highlights from my perspective.

First of all, the patch points for Oscillator pitch (routed through the pots under the oscillator section) at the top are V/Oct (approximately), whereas the CV inputs on the right are Hz/V: Hz/V is interesting as it provides a linear response so you can use it for some interesting linear FM. Secondly, the external instrument section with its pitch to CV and envelope follower with threshold for triggering can be used to very interesting effect (e.g with noise as input for example, to get random triggers). You can also take the audio back out after the amp, or after the pair of filters (i.e it has 4 filters in total), so you can use it as an input module with or without high+low cut (it can process modular level audio too). Third, the simpler envelope can be made to loop by connecting the output back to the input. Forth, the sample and hold, and modulation VCAs are great additions giving a lot of flexibility; these features, along with the square LFO output, can make for some very interesting self playing patches.

What I find it lacks are good ways of bringing audio in and out at various points in the normal synthesis path. Combining this with s-trig and Hz/v and I find it doesn’t “interlock” with eurorack modular in the same way as many other semi modular synths do. I prefer to think of it as an interestingly structured and sounding mono with a patch bay, vs a synth to build a modular system around.

I also have a question. Did anyone here get the kit version of the desktop module. In particular it was mentioned that there were blank spaces to add ports on the front and labelled, open pads on the PCB for additional patch points. I’m wondering if anyone wired up the full complement and can comment on their experience with this extended patch bay.

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#97

Junko and I made a song utilising this technique (modulating MS20 filter parameters with the Viznutcracker, Sweet!-mode on o_C via English Tear).
The piece is 95% MS20 as sound source, no multi tracking… just a silent flute added in one part and a field recording from a hike we did last summer.

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#98

the above crow code works for controlling the oscillators with v/oct signal. here’s the code for translating the cv signal from the ms-20’s keyboard to get the note (which you can then easily convert to output v/oct if you wanted).

I did this one night and had some grand plans to figure out how to get note changes to register when the cv changes as opposed to having to unpress a note and then press another, but I fell off this idea, and so that’s probably not gonna happen…so figured I’d share rather than letting this rot on my harddrive.

input[2].mode( 'change', 0.1, 0, 'falling' )
    input[2].change = function ()
      delay(function()
        local v = input[1].volts
        local n = math.floor((12 * math.log(v/.9681171)) / math.log(2) + .5)
        print("" .. v .. "v, " .. n .. "n")
      end, .05)

(cc @mattlowery saw you asking about hz/v ms-20 stuff on instagram a second ago and I think I remember you are a crow user, so this stuff might be helpful)

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