Arturia KORG MS-20 V User Manual
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Arturia KORG MS-20 V User Manual

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USER MANUAL
_KORG MS-20 V

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  • Page 1 USER MANUAL _KORG MS-20 V...
  • Page 2 Thanks DIRECTION Frédéric Brun Kevin Molcard DEVELOPMENT Baptiste Aubry Fanny Roche Marius Lasfargue Stéphane Albanese Mathieu Nocenti Rasmus Kürstein Marc Antigny Pascal Douillard Raynald Dantigny Kevin Arcas Pierre-Lin Laneyrie Christophe Luong Marie Pauli Alessandro De Cecco Yann Burrer Pierre Mazurier Alexandre Adam Hugo Caracalla Loris De Marco...
  • Page 3 Information contained in this manual is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Arturia. The software described in this manual is provided under the terms of a license agreement or non-disclosure agreement. The software license agreement specifies the terms and conditions for its lawful use.
  • Page 4 Thank you for purchasing KORG MS-20 V! This manual covers the features and operation of Arturia’s KORG MS-20 V, one of our many powerful virtual instruments. Be sure to register your software as soon as possible! When you purchased KORG MS-20 V, you were sent a serial number and an unlock code by e-mail.
  • Page 5 Introduction Congratulations on your purchase of Arturia's KORG MS-20 V! We’d like to thank you for purchasing KORG MS-20 V, a virtual instrument recreation of the KORG MS-20: an intuitive and powerful monophonic semi-modular synthesizer with a uniquely beloved sound, one that has graced thousands of hits in all kinds of genres for nearly 50 years.

  • Page 6: Table Of Contents

    2.2.2. Audio and MIDI settings: macOS ................................... 13 2.2.3. Using KORG MS-20 V as a plug-in ................................14 2.3. Playing KORG MS-20 V for the First Time ......................15 The User Interface ..............................16 3.1. Overview ....................................16 3.2. The Upper Toolbar ................................18 3.2.1.
  • Page 7 5.3. The Filter Section ................................61 5.3.1. Cutoff Frequency Modulation ................................... 62 5.4. The Modulation Section ..............................63 5.4.1. The Modulation Generator....................................64 5.4.2. The Envelope Generators....................................66 5.4.3. Cutoff Mod Sidechain and Amplifier Modulation..........................67 5.5. The Patch Panel ................................. 68 5.5.1.

  • Page 8: Introduction

    Oh, and it sounds amazing, too. Before we dive into the wonders of KORG MS-20 V, let's take a quick moment to learn some history. Nowadays, the name KORG is recognized worldwide as an icon of electronic musical instrument design.

  • Page 9: The Ms-20 And Its Family

    That's where Arturia comes in. 1.3. Why a virtual MS-20? Unlike some other models we've created, KORG MS-20 V isn't meant to fill a gap left by a rare or expensive synthesizer. The MS-20 has always been available to musicians who want one.

  • Page 10: Arturia's Secret Ingredient: Tae

    TAE®'s software algorithms result in spot-on emulation of analog hardware. This is why MS-20 V offers an unparalleled quality of sound, as do all of Arturia's virtual synthesizers. TAE® combines three major advances in the domain of synthesis: 1.4.1.

  • Page 11: A Better Reproduction Of Analog Oscillator Waveforms

    TAE® reproduces the result of this capacitor discharge in software. Below is the analysis of a waveform from one of the five original instruments Arturia's software emulates, followed by one made by TAE®. They are both equally deformed by the low-pass and high-pass filtering.

  • Page 12: Direct Filter Circuit Modeling

    Notice there are two lines on the graph. Those are the superimposed frequency domain plots for one of Arturia's virtual instrument filters, and of the hardware filter it's emulating. They are practically indistinguishable, both on the graph and to the human ear. The direct recreation of this analog circuitry causes the same characteristics of the sound to be present, thus giving the user a truly analog sound.

  • Page 13: Activation And First Start

    2.1. Register, Activate, and Install KORG MS-20 V KORG MS-20 V works on computers equipped with Windows 8.1 or later and macOS 10.13 or later. You can use it as a standalone version or as a plug-in for your favorite DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), in Audio Units, AAX, VST2, or VST3 format.
  • Page 14 You can also do this online by logging into your account and then following the instructions here: http://www.arturia.com/register Once you've registered, activated, and installed KORG MS-20 V, it's time to get it to talk to your computer. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - Activation and First Start...

  • Page 15: Initial Setup For Standalone Use

    ! This section only applies to those of you who plan to use KORG MS-20 V in standalone mode. If you are only going to use KORG MS-20 V as a plug-in inside a host DAW or other music software, you can safely ignore this section –...
  • Page 16 128 samples without clicks If you still get clicks, enlarge the buffer size until they stop. The Sample Rate menu lets you set the sample rate at which audio is sent out of • the instrument. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - Activation and First Start...
  • Page 17 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz, which will be perfectly fine for most applications. If you have a specific need to use a higher sample rate, up to 96 kHz, KORG MS-20 V will happily support that. The Show Control Panel button will jump to the system control panel for •...

  • Page 18: Audio And Midi Settings: Macos

    CoreAudio driver built into macOS to handle routing. In the second dropdown menu under Device, choose the audio device you wish to use. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - Activation and First Start...

  • Page 19: Using Korg Ms-20 V As A Plug-In

    KORG MS-20 V's interface looks the same in plug-in mode as in standalone mode. KORG MS-20 V comes in VST2, VST3, Audio Unit (AU), and AAX plug-in formats, for use in all major DAW software such as Ableton Live, Cubase, Logic, Pro Tools, Studio One, and more.

  • Page 20: Playing Korg Ms-20 V For The First Time

    We hope this chapter has gotten you off to a smooth start. Now that you're up and running, the rest of this guide will help you work your way through all of KORG MS-20 V's features on a section-by-section basis. By the time you reach the end, we hope you’ll understand all of KORG MS-20 V’s capabilities –...

  • Page 21: The User Interface

    3. THE USER INTERFACE In this chapter, we'll walk you through the features of KORG MS-20 V, how to find them and how to use them. As with every Arturia product, we have gone to great lengths to make the use of this software instrument as simple and as much fun as possible, while also striving to make sure you never run out of new things to do with it as your knowledge expands.
  • Page 22  ♪ Your computer's keyboard can also play KORG MS-20 V. The top row of letters acts as the black keys on a piano keyboard, the next row of letters acts as the white keys, and the first two keys on the bottom row act as octave shift keys, down/up.

  • Page 23: The Upper Toolbar

    (see below) 3.2.1.1. New Preset... The first option sets KORG MS-20 V to a basic Default preset, a "blank slate" from which you can create your own sound. Note that if you haven't saved the previous preset first, any edits you have made to that preset will be lost.
  • Page 24 Preset in any existing User Bank, but if you enter a new Bank name, that Bank will be created along with the new Preset. This is how you create new User Banks! Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The User Interface...
  • Page 25 Export Bank: This option can be used to export an entire bank of sounds from the • instrument, which is useful for backing up or sharing presets. Saved banks can be reloaded using the Import Preset menu option. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The User Interface...
  • Page 26 The Tutorials control opens the Settings Panel (see section 3.x) and displays a set of tutorials to help you learn how to use KORG MS-20 V. The Help button lets you open this User Manual or access Arturia's online FAQ. And if you're curious about who's responsible for this beautiful instrument, click the About button.

  • Page 27: Preset Browser

    3.2.2. Preset Browser KORG MS-20 V comes packed with lots of useful factory presets, and of course you'll create many more of your own. To help you search through this large preset library, the Preset Browser [p.37] is designed to help you catalog, filter, and search for the perfect preset in just a few clicks.
  • Page 28 The Previous and Next arrows can be MIDI mapped. This means you can use buttons on your MIDI Controller to easily step through the available presets without having to use the mouse at all. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The User Interface...

  • Page 29: Hardware / Sequencer / Effects / Side Panel Access

    3.2.3. Hardware / Sequencer / Effects / Side Panel Access KORG MS-20 V goes well beyond the capabilities of the original hardware – it features its own sequencer and a powerful effects chain. Since the front panel of the original KORG MS-20 doesn't have room for all these extra controls, they've been moved to separate panels that you can hide when they're not needed.

  • Page 30: The Lower Toolbar

    3.3. The Lower Toolbar The Lower Toolbar runs along the bottom of the KORG MS-20 V user interface and provides quick access to several important parameters and useful bits of information. The Lower Toolbar, showing a tool tip for a parameter under the cursor 1.

  • Page 31: The Side Panel

    Let’s look at them from left to right. 3.4.1. Settings Tab This tab covers settings to control how a Preset responds to incoming MIDI. The Side Panel's Settings tab Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The User Interface...
  • Page 32 MIDI Channels: Selects the MIDI channel(s) on which KORG MS-20 V will receive • MIDI input. You can select a particular channel, or choose "All" for Omni Mode. Note Priority Determines which note is heard if Poly is set to Mono Retrig or •...
  • Page 33 21st Century expressiveness? If you obtain an MPE controller, you'll have to research precisely how it sends these different types of data. In this manual we'll just cover what KORG MS-20 V's particular settings do. • You can decide how many MIDI Channels it will watch (MPE uses a Master...

  • Page 34: Midi Tab

    3.4.2. MIDI Tab This is where KORG MS-20 V may be placed in MIDI Learn mode. In this mode, all MIDI- assignable parameters on the Hardware Panel are highlighted and you can map physical controls on your MIDI controller to them. A typical example might be to map a real expression pedal to the Master Volume control, or a physical knob on the MIDI controller to the Frequency knob of the Filter section.
  • Page 35 At the top right of the MIDI tab is the MIDI Controller drop-down menu, where you can select templates for many Arturia MIDI controllers. These map physical controls to many “most wanted” parameters in KORG MS-20 V for a plug-and-play experience. A Generic template is also provided for third-party MIDI controllers.
  • Page 36 The MIDI Config drop-down lets you manage different sets of MIDI maps for controlling KORG MS-20 V from MIDI hardware. You can Save/Save As the current MIDI assignment setup, Delete it, Import a configuration file, or Export the currently active one.
  • Page 37 3.4.2.3. Assigning and Unassigning Controls Click the Learn button in the MIDI tab to put KORG MS-20 V into Learn mode. Controls available for assignment are purple. Controls that are already assigned are red, but can be reassigned if desired. The screenshot below shows the assigned and unassigned controls for KORG MS-20 V's Default configuration.
  • Page 38 Absolute: The assigned parameter in KORG MS-20 V tracks the literal value your • physical controller is sending out. Relative: The assigned parameter in KORG MS-20 V will go up or down from its • current value in response to physical controller movements. This is often useful when using endless 360-degree encoders that don’t have physical motion limits.

  • Page 39: Macro Tab

    Brightness , Timbre , Time , and Movement , but you can rename them by double- clicking the name field. The knob above the name corresponds to the knob of the same name in the Lower Toolbar. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The User Interface...
  • Page 40 Right- or control-click on a point to remove it. The first and last breakpoints cannot be removed.  ♪ A simple diagonal line would produce a linear curve, but the potential fun here is to make things non-linear. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The User Interface...

  • Page 41: Tutorials

    In this tab, which can also be opened by selecting Tutorials from the KORG MS-20 V menu, you can click on titles for the individual chapters, which in turn will take you through different areas of KORG MS-20 V in steps. The parts of the panel to focus on are highlighted as you go.

  • Page 42: The Preset Browser

    4. THE PRESET BROWSER The Preset Browser is how you search, load, and manage sounds in KORG MS-20 V. It has different views but they all access the same banks of Presets. To access the search view, click the browser button (the icon looks a bit like books on a library shelf).

  • Page 43: Search And Results

    The Results list beneath shows all Presets that fit your search. Click the X icon at right to clear your search terms. Filter by typing text in the Search field Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Preset Browser...

  • Page 44: Using Tags As A Filter

    Preset you're looking for was tagged with Keys or Pad, select both to broaden the search. Results columns can be inverted by clicking the arrow buttons to the right of their titles (Name, Type, Designer). Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Preset Browser...

  • Page 45: Styles

    Next to the Types and Styles buttons is the Banks button, which lets you do your search (using all the methods above) within the factory bank or user banks. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Preset Browser...

  • Page 46: Search Results Window

    Click the TYPE header in the second column to do the same thing by Type. Click the Arturia logo to the left of TYPE to bring factory-featured Presets to the top of the list. These will appear just under any Presets you have liked [p.42].

  • Page 47: Liking Presets

    Results list. Use as many of the sorting and filtering features as you need and you will find the exact sound you want every time. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Preset Browser...

  • Page 48: Sidebar

    Clicking My Sound Banks brings up a window with all of the currently available Sound Banks, starting with the Factory bank. User banks appear next to it, and can be deleted, renamed, or exported by right-clicking them. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Preset Browser...

  • Page 49: My Favorites

    To add Presets to a particular set of Favorites, simply drag and drop them over the appropriate color. Then click on the color itself to display your grouping. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Preset Browser...

  • Page 50: My Playlists

    The bottom part of the sidebar displays any Playlists you have created or imported. Playlists are a very powerful management tool for set lists for gigs. Learn more about them in the Playlists section [p.50] below. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Preset Browser...

  • Page 51: Preset Info Section

    “Funky” Style tag and then save that Preset, it will not show up in future searches for Funky sounds. Clicking on the three-dots icon at the top right pops up a menu with organizational options for the Preset. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Preset Browser...

  • Page 52: Editing Info For Multiple Presets

    (macOS) or ctrl (Windows) and click the names of the Presets you want to change in the Results list. Then enter the comments, change the Bank or Type, etc., and save the Preset. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Preset Browser...

  • Page 53: Preset Selection: Other Methods

    Preset name will step through only the results that conform to your search. However, “All Presets” in the drop-down menu always ignores those criteria. Likewise for the Type choices below the line — they always include all Presets within that Type. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Preset Browser...

  • Page 54: Macro Knobs

    These are simply larger duplicates of the Macro knobs in the Lower Toolbar. Move one and its partner moves with it. Assigning parameters to Macros is covered in the Macro Tab [p.34] section of Chapter 3. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Preset Browser...

  • Page 55: Playlists

    The subheading My Playlists appears under My Favorites in the Sidebar. However, when you first start using KORG MS-20 V, you'll have no Playlists yet, and My Playlists won't be there yet. To make it appear, you'll have to create your first Playlist.

  • Page 56: Add A Playlist

    Once you've created some Playlists, right-clicking on a Playlist name will pop up a set of options – you can Rename, Delete, or Export the Playlist to your computer, as a file with the .aplst extension. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Preset Browser...

  • Page 57: Add A Preset

    Preset, click-drag it onto the Playlist name. Click and drag from the Search Results list onto one of the playlists To view the contents of a playlist, click on the playlist name. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Preset Browser...

  • Page 58: Re-Order The Presets

    To delete a Preset from a playlist, right-click on its name to bring up a pop-up menu. This menu also includes Rename, Copy, Paste, and Duplicate options. More management options are described below. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Preset Browser...

  • Page 59: New Song And Playlist Management

    Export Playlist: Exports your Playlist to a location on your computer, with the • filename extension “aplst.” Delete Playlist: Deletes the current Playlist but does not delete any of the Presets • in it. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Preset Browser...

  • Page 60: The Hardware Panel

    Now that we've figured out what all the controls around the edges do, you're probably eager to get to the main event – the controls we use for sound creation on KORG MS-20 V, both original and modern. These are found on the Hardware Panel, as shown above.

  • Page 61: The Oscillator Section

    The two VCOs and pitch modulation controls The KORG MS-20 V signal path begins with a pair of voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs), which provide the 'raw material' for our sound. In this first section of the Hardware Panel, we have not only all of the controls for the VCOs themselves, but also for the various ways in which the pitch of our sound can be modulated.
  • Page 62 , and white noise . PW (Pulse Width) varies the width of the pulse wave, from 50% (Square) to • 0.00% (silence). Unlike the original hardware, KORG MS-20 V offers Pulse Width Modulation (PWM).  PW and PWM also affect the triangle wave in a subtle way, providing a gentle timbral change that is a lot more subtle than what you hear on the pulse wave.
  • Page 63 CPU usage is higher in Unison mode and directly related to the number of voices playing.  Using Unison with MK1 filter requires high CPU processing power. For setups that can't afford it, it's better to use the MK2 filter. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Hardware Panel...

  • Page 64: The Vco Mixer

    5.2.2. The VCO Mixer The VCO Mixer has individual knobs for the level of VCO 1 and VCO 2 before they are sent to the Filter section. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Hardware Panel...

  • Page 65: Pitch Modulation

    5.2.3. Pitch Modulation These controls set how KORG MS-20 V's VCO pitches can be externally modulated. All of them default to minimum values when double-clicked. Looking at these controls, you'll notice that many of them are labeled MG/EXT, MG/T.EXT, EG1/EXT, or EG2/EXT.

  • Page 66: The Filter Section

    The two VCFs and cutoff frequency modulation controls KORG MS-20 V has two resonant voltage-controlled filters (VCFs) in series: a Highpass Filter (HPF) followed by a Lowpass Filter (LPF). Each filter has controls for Cutoff Frequency and Peak (resonance). In addition, there are two important function switches: LINK determines if the two filters' Cutoff knobs can be controlled together by moving either one.

  • Page 67: Cutoff Frequency Modulation

    There are two sets of controls for Cutoff Modulation on the two filters. As with the VCOs' Pitch and PW modulation, these can be controlled from a combination of the MG, EG2, the TOTAL CV input, or either of the two Cutoff Freq CV inputs. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Hardware Panel...

  • Page 68: The Modulation Section

    Envelope Generators, and other modulators This section controls the various pre-wired modulation sources in KORG MS-20 V – the Modulation Generator, the two Envelope Generators, and a couple of extra modulation routings that weren't present on the original MS-20 hardware. Any of these can be manually routed or defeated with the right Patch Panel connections.

  • Page 69: The Modulation Generator

    'runs free' on its own. When set to Reset, the MG starts over at the beginning of its waveform whenever a key is pressed. This difference in behavior is especially audible when playing polyphonically. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Hardware Panel...
  • Page 70 (8 bars to 1/32 note). When any Sync option is enabled, the red LED by the button lights up. EG1/EXT controls the MG Frequency from either Envelope Generator 1 or an • external CV source. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Hardware Panel...

  • Page 71: The Envelope Generators

    An Envelope Generator is a control voltage that starts, changes, and then stops, according to settings for several stages that it passes through. Both of KORG MS-20 V's Envelope Generators are variations on the traditional ADSR ( Attack , Decay , Sustain , Release ) type.

  • Page 72: Cutoff Mod Sidechain And Amplifier Modulation

    MIDI velocity data, so notes become brighter as you play harder. Amplifier Modulation lets the overall level be controlled by the MG or by any CV sent to the EG2 Sidechain input on the Patch Panel. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Hardware Panel...

  • Page 73: The Patch Panel

    5.5. The Patch Panel As on the original MS-20, KORG MS-20 V has a patch panel where you can alter or add to the possibilities of the basic signal path, with more elaborate routings and a few extra utilities. We'll go through the subsections of the Patch Panel from top to bottom.
  • Page 74 Then, you can either move it to a new patch point, or delete it by dropping it where there's no nearby patch point. You can also remove a cable by right-clicking on a patch point. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Hardware Panel...
  • Page 75 A multiple (or mult ) is a very handy utility for modular or semi-modular synthesizers. It's just a splitter for CV or audio signals – one input, multiple outputs. The original MS-20 didn't have any front-panel mults, but KORG MS-20 V has as many as you want! Here's how to make a mult.

  • Page 76: The Signal Chain And Its Modulation Inputs

    There are also three places where audio signals can be tapped from the signal chain itself for use elsewhere: the outputs of both VCOs (features added by Arturia) and the final SIGNAL OUT. There is also a MASTER IN, a patch point not available on the original MS-20 (neither was SIGNAL OUT).

  • Page 77: Mg And Eg Routings

    • The KORG MS-20's original MG – and KORG MS-20 V's MG – have two outputs available on the Patch Panel, both of which have waveforms that can be smoothly changed in symmetry using the Waveform knob. One output can...

  • Page 78: Keyboard And Modulation Cv Patch Points

    At the bottom are CV outputs for the Wheel and Momentary Switch, as well as an EXT OUT. Note that the Wheel CV, when not patched elsewhere, provides vibrato (+/- 1 semitone). MIDI Modulation Wheel (CC 1) messages for the purpose of VCO vibrato. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Hardware Panel...

  • Page 79: Sample & Hold, Vca, And Noise Generator

    5.5.5. Sample & Hold, VCA, and Noise Generator KORG MS-20 V has three modules on the Patch Panel that aren't hard-wired. They can be patched into Presets wherever they'll be useful. Sample & Hold is a circuit that takes in a smoothly varying voltage at the IN patch •...

  • Page 80: External Signal Processor

    – and you don't even need an external instrument to use it! It's perfectly happy listening to signals from elsewhere in the synth and processing them. Experiment! Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Hardware Panel...

  • Page 81: Dispersion Controls

    – but what happens when you model a monophonic synth and then give it the option for polyphony? If you're Arturia, you give the user control over what a polyphonic version of the synth might have sounded like if its circuits had a tendency to drift –...

  • Page 82: The Sequencer Panel

    6. THE SEQUENCER PANEL As if its wide range of features and patchable options weren't enough, KORG MS-20 V also features a built-in sequencer with a variety of useful options. Clicking on the Sequencer button in the Upper Toolbar puts the Sequencer Panel onscreen, pushing the Hardware Panel down to make room for it.

  • Page 83: Global Controls

    If you're not used to using Swing in a sequence, start out with a value of about 67%. This is a common Swing value and will sound familiar and catchy. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Sequencer Panel...

  • Page 84: Channel Controls

    The Sequencer Panel might seem simple, but that simplicity lets you get into using it quickly, and you'll soon discover for yourself all the interesting ways a sequential CV can be used to add motion and complexity to each Preset. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Sequencer Panel...

  • Page 85: The Effects Panel

    16 different effect types, and routed in various ways suitable to the patch. There are a couple of worthwhile general functions that apply to the tab and its individual effects. We'll cover those before getting to meet the effects themselves. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Effects Panel...

  • Page 86: Effects Routing

    100% wet. Others, like reverb, are usually placed in Parallel mode so that each instrument can be affected by them without influence from the others. There are no set rules – feel free to experiment! Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Effects Panel...

  • Page 87: Presets

    Every one of the FX has its own menu of Presets that drops down when clicked: As is common elsewhere in KORG MS-20 V, the option to Save an edited preset under the same name, or Save As a new name.

  • Page 88: Fx Sync

    7.3. FX Sync As with other time-related operations in KORG MS-20 V, some of the effects offer a variety of sync options. When these are available, you can click the down arrow next to the parameter, which shows the current choice, and change it from this little pop-up: The options are: Hertz: no sync –...

  • Page 89: Meet The Fx Types

    Still, even though "none" might sometimes be the right choice for a certain preset, it's not very much fun. So let's learn about your 16 other options: the FX Types. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Effects Panel...

  • Page 90: Delay

    DELAY is a generic term for any effect that makes a copy of an input sound and repeats it a short time later. There are several delay FX in KORG MS-20 V, and this first one is a good- sounding digital delay for all kinds of applications.
  • Page 91 This effect is easy to overuse, and can cause listener fatigue, but when combined with very subtle echoes it can produce a beautiful sense of extra space. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Effects Panel...

  • Page 92: Tape Echo

    INPUT VOL is an adjustment of the input gain, not only to make the sound louder • or softer, but to gently saturate the tape and produce a warm character at higher settings. (-12 dB to +12 dB) Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Effects Panel...
  • Page 93 (0.00 to 0.20) PING PONG is an effect where echoes alternate between the left and right sides • of the stereo field. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Effects Panel...

  • Page 94: Pitch Shift Delay

    0.00 (slapback) to 1.00 (infinite repeats without runaway). STEREO DETUNE controls how different the left and right channels' pitches are. • (-100 to +100 cents, where 100 cents equals one semitone) Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Effects Panel...
  • Page 95 Darker echoes die away with less 'clutter' in the audio, and brighter echoes carry a lingering sense of presence. (HP Freq 20 Hz to 10000 Hz, LP Freq 250 Hz to 20000 Hz) Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Effects Panel...

  • Page 96: Reverb

    More damping implies a space full of objects or materials that absorb highs first: carpets, ornate wood, even people. Less damping implies a more 'ringy' space with concrete or tile walls. (0.00 to 1.00) Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Effects Panel...
  • Page 97 INPUT LP rolls off the high frequencies of the input before it hits the reverb. • This softens the overall sound and removes overly tinny treble effects. Its cutoff frequency ranges from 100 Hz to 20000 Hz. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Effects Panel...

  • Page 98: Distortion

    7.4.5. Distortion Distortion offers the most options of any KORG MS-20 V FX type. It might seem strange to you that all this effort should be put into a 'fuzzbox', but electronic musicians have known for years that there are many different kinds of signal distortion, each with its unique sonic signature –...
  • Page 99 'fold over' the peaks of waveforms to create more harmonics, there are unusual types such as Asymmetrical, Wiggle, Stairs, Howl, Core, Push, and Climb. Want to know how all these funky shapes sound? Try them for yourself! Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Effects Panel...

  • Page 100: Bitcrusher

    1.00 x (highest quality) to 80.0 x (trashed). The more downsampling, more aliasing affects the sound, with inharmonic frequencies 'folding down' below the highest frequency the bitcrusher can deliver. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Effects Panel...

  • Page 101: Compressor

    Sometimes it's useful to blend the dry sound with the compressed sound, making the compression an added effect rather than a 100% control of dynamics. You can do this with the DRY/WET slider. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Effects Panel...
  • Page 102 This is often used for digital mastering to prevent clipping. MAKEUP is an automatic makeup gain control that you might find works very • well for you. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Effects Panel...

  • Page 103: Multiband

    For ratios under 1:1 (expansion), the lines will be further apart than the 1:1 reference lines shown outside the bars. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Effects Panel...
  • Page 104 ATTACK and RELEASE adjust the onset and removal of compression (-1.0 to 1.0) • A drop-down menu lets you choose between combined compression and expansion (ABOVE & BELOW) and compression alone (BELOW ONLY). Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Effects Panel...

  • Page 105: Chorus

    (0.00 to 0.900) LFO Wave Shape lets you choose between a sine wave and triangle wave for the • LFO, which produces a distinctly different set of motion to the sound. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Effects Panel...
  • Page 106 Sometimes one voice is all you need for a tiny bit of thickening or vibrato, but three voices is overwhelming. (Of course, getting overwhelmed can be fun, too.) Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Effects Panel...

  • Page 107: Chorus Jun-6

    Note that if a stereo patch where Phase is turned all the way up is mixed to mono, the two sides will cancel each other out and the chorus will disappear – a common and annoying discovery for guitarists whose stereo chorus pedals always worked this way! Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Effects Panel...

  • Page 108: Stereo Pan

    Parallel routing, inverting one LFO and synchronizing the two panners produces centered effects that widen and shrink the stereo field, as one panner moves the sound left while the other moves the sound right. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Effects Panel...

  • Page 109: Phaser

    FEEDBACK controls how much of the phase-shifted audio is fed back into the • input to be phased again, intensifying the effect and giving it a resonant character. (0.00 to 0.990) Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Effects Panel...
  • Page 110 LFO Wave is selected from the waveform button on the display. It opens a • drop-down menu of six different waveforms, each of which will produce a significantly different phasing. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Effects Panel...

  • Page 111: Flanger

    (0.001 to 10.0 ms) DEPTH is the amount of variance in the set delay time. (0.00 to 10.0 ms) • Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Effects Panel...
  • Page 112 One changes the LFO waveform from a sine to a triangle, producing a dramatically different flange; the other inverts the polarity of the feedback, producing two different tonal spectra. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Effects Panel...

  • Page 113: Flanger

    7.4.14. BL-20 Flanger The BL-20 Flanger is based on the sound of Arturia's Flanger BL-20 plug-in, which is in turn based on the sound of a rare but beautiful-sounding hardware flanger from the 1970s. It doesn't provide all of the BL-20's capabilities, but it still sounds amazing! RATE is the speed of the LFO that varies the delay time.

  • Page 114: Multi Filter

    CUTOFF: sets the cutoff frequency from 20.0 Hz to 20000 Hz (LP, HP, BP) or • 2000 Hz (CombFB, CombFF) RESONANCE: sets the resonance of the filter. (0.500 to 15.0) • Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Effects Panel...

  • Page 115: Parametric Equalizer

    • Q sets the bandwidth of the peak or steepness of the shelf. (0.100 to 2.00 for LS • and HS, 0.100 to 15.0 for the three peaking bands) Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Effects Panel...

  • Page 116: The End (For Now)

    7.5. The end (for now) And with that, we've concluded our tour of KORG MS-20 V, and now it's time to get programming!

  • Page 117: The Basics Of Subtractive Synthesis

    – even new ones based on digital processes like sampling, ROM playback, wavetable scanning, and vector synthesis. While the original KORG MS-20 (and therefore, naturally, also the KORG MS-20 V model) has a few unique elements to its architecture, it still serves as an excellent platform for learning the basics of how synthesizers work.
  • Page 118 LFO to have it happen in a repeating cycle. On KORG MS-20 V, a pulse wave is available on both VCOs and the MG, but VCO1 has only two fixed pulse widths available, while the MG's pulse width is variable and VC)1's pulse width has PWM.
  • Page 119 The sine is the purest of all waveforms: it has only one harmonic, the fundamental , and nothing higher. This waveform wasn't available in the original MS-20, and isn't available in the KORG MS-20 V either, but we are mentioning it for completeness as it's often an option on an LFO.
  • Page 120 A ring modulator can be created when an oscillator modulates another oscillator. • On KORG MS-20 V, Ring is one of the available settings on VCO 2. The ring modulator combines the VCO sounds and outputs the sum and difference of their frequencies.
  • Page 121 VCO's waveform, a separately mixable part of one VCO's output, or a separate source that is mixed in later. On KORG MS-20 V, VCO1 has white noise as a selectable waveform, and on the Patch Panel there's a separate Noise Generator that can supply white or pink noise as needed.

  • Page 122: The Voltage Controlled Filter (Vcf)

    HPF before the LPF, as the MS-20 does. (You won't find a synthesizer with only an HPF; they're not that useful for making conventional sounds on their own.) Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Basics of Subtractive Synthesis...
  • Page 123 The Bandpass Filter (BPF) technically isn't a filter of its own on the MS-20 or • KORG MS-20 V. It's what you get when you put the two filters, HPF and LPF, in series and adjust their cutoffs so that only a certain band of frequencies around the cutoff (called the center frequency here) gets through.

  • Page 124: The Voltage Controlled Amplifier (Vca) And The Full Signal Path

    Modulation control has been added to MS-20 V. When we put all the pieces together, our signal path looks like this: The KORG MS-20 V signal path Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Basics of Subtractive Synthesis...

  • Page 125: Modulation: Making The Sound Change

    The Release is the time that the sound will take to drop back to silence once we • stop the envelope. ADSR envelope Interestingly, the MS-20 has two Envelope Generators (EG), and neither of them is a traditional ADSR! Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Basics of Subtractive Synthesis...

  • Page 126: The Keyboard

    When we let go of the key, then the release happens. These signals shape the volume of a note (starting and stopping it) and its tone over time (to simulate the behavior of acoustic instruments, etc). Naturally, on KORG MS-20 V, these signals come from a MIDI controller.

  • Page 127: The Low Frequency Oscillator (Lfo)

    If we apply the LFO to the VCA level, the volume goes up and down and we have tremolo . The KORG MS-20's original MG – and KORG MS-20 V's MG – have two outputs available on the patch panel, both of which have waveforms that can be smoothly changed in symmetry using the Waveform knob.

  • Page 128: Seeing The Whole Picture

    8.3. Seeing the whole picture... Here's a diagram of a complete synthesis voice on the Korg MS-20 V, courtesy of the front panel: A complete KORG MS-20 synthesis voice, with the signal path and all modulators • 2 VCOs with selectable triangle, sawtooth, square (with and without PWM),...
  • Page 129 – commonly used for turning noise into a random voltage) • 1 External Signal Processor Put it all together and you have a synthesizer that's been inspiring sonic exploration for decades. Arturia - User Manual KORG MS-20 V - The Basics of Subtractive Synthesis...

  • Page 130: Software License Agreement

    The License is not a sale of the original SOFTWARE. 2. Grant of License Arturia grants you a non-exclusive license for the use of the software according to the terms and conditions of this Agreement. You may not lease, loan or sub- license the software.
  • Page 131 (a) return of the purchase price or (b) replacement of the disk that does not meet the Limited Warranty and which is returned to Arturia with a copy of your receipt. This limited Warranty is void if failure of the software has resulted from accident, abuse, modification, or misapplication.

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