Korg MS20 mini as master keyboard/midi controller

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purpleduck
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Korg MS20 mini as master keyboard/midi controller

Post by purpleduck » Wed Jan 30, 2013 6:14 pm

I am planning to get the new Korg MS 20 mini as my first hardware synth. Think it's a good choice.

It has a MIDI in and USB out. Will it be possible to use it as a master keyboard to control software synths? I doubt I'll be able to map the knobs to Ableton, I'll buy a separate controller for that.

Not sure if USB out means I can use it as master keyboard.

Ajbbklyn
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Re: Korg MS20 mini as master keyboard/midi controller

Post by Ajbbklyn » Wed Jan 30, 2013 6:19 pm

From KORG's web site:

USB:

Type B, USB-MIDI Input/Output

* Only note messages (velocity is not used) can be transmitted and received.

MIDI:

MIDI Input

*Only note messages (velocity is not used) can be transmitted and received.
Andy Baum
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purpleduck
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Re: Korg MS20 mini as master keyboard/midi controller

Post by purpleduck » Wed Jan 30, 2013 6:23 pm

Thanks. I somehow missed that.

Lower Levels
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Re: Korg MS20 mini as master keyboard/midi controller

Post by Lower Levels » Fri Mar 01, 2013 1:28 am

Forgive my new-ness but does it having in/out note messages this mean you can still trigger notes, from the ms-20 mini in ableton? As in can could you still use it to control the midi enough to say write a riff?

foetus666
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Re: Korg MS20 mini as master keyboard/midi controller

Post by foetus666 » Fri Mar 01, 2013 4:26 am

Lower Levels wrote:Forgive my new-ness but does it having in/out note messages this mean you can still trigger notes, from the ms-20 mini in ableton? As in can could you still use it to control the midi enough to say write a riff?
Yes you can write riffs on it but you wont have any velocity sensitivity. For example if you used it to play a rhodes keyboard sound it would be quite un-expressive. Same with drums. You could smak some patterns in but you would have to edit velocities in the midi clip editor to get more vibe if that is what's required.

I went with the Minibrute from Arturia and so far I am in love. I skipped the Ms20 mini as I already have a Monotribe with similar sounding oscillator and I remember owning the MS20 Legacy Controller for the old software VST and the constant patching was a pain in the butt to achieve simple things.

MiMa
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Re: Korg MS20 mini as master keyboard/midi controller

Post by MiMa » Tue Mar 31, 2015 11:45 am

Sorry to bring back this old thread but it may be most proprietary for my noob question.

If I have understood correctly MS20 mini simply does not have local off midi functionality ?

What I mean is that I cannot play some VSTI with MS20 mini's keyboard same time as sequencer is playing another sequence from MS20 mini ?
It seems that keyboard is always hard wired to synth engine... unless I use patchbay (which still goes little bit over my head) in which case I cannot her usb midi at all ?

At least I have not get it to work, if I try to play VSTI I always hear MS20 sound as well, unless I mute MS20 external instrument channel and then I cannot hear it at all.

ImNotDedYet
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Re: Korg MS20 mini as master keyboard/midi controller

Post by ImNotDedYet » Tue Mar 31, 2015 1:36 pm

MiMa wrote:Sorry to bring back this old thread but it may be most proprietary for my noob question.

If I have understood correctly MS20 mini simply does not have local off midi functionality ?

What I mean is that I cannot play some VSTI with MS20 mini's keyboard same time as sequencer is playing another sequence from MS20 mini ?
It seems that keyboard is always hard wired to synth engine... unless I use patchbay (which still goes little bit over my head) in which case I cannot her usb midi at all ?

At least I have not get it to work, if I try to play VSTI I always hear MS20 sound as well, unless I mute MS20 external instrument channel and then I cannot hear it at all.
MS20 Mini doesn't have a sequencer for one, nor am I aware of any local off for the Mini. IMO, the Mini's a great little synth, but using it as a controller isn't idea due to the lack of velocity and aftertouch, not to mention the small keys. If you want to sequence it from your DAW, just print the audio, then play your riff to record MIDI into the "other track." Just remember you'll have to make any velocity adjustments by hand to the MIDI track that you'd want.

doghouse
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Re: Korg MS20 mini as master keyboard/midi controller

Post by doghouse » Wed Apr 01, 2015 3:15 pm

The MS20 MIDI implementation is really poor. It's a lousy choice as a master keyboard for a DAW, sorry.

There is no local off, period. You cannot use the keys when you are playing the synth from a sequence in Live. The best workaround is to record the MS20 audio as soon as you have the sequence in Live the way you want it, then mute the MIDI track. You can always re-record it later in the production process if you want to make changes.

timday
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Re: Korg MS20 mini as master keyboard/midi controller

Post by timday » Wed Apr 01, 2015 4:08 pm

doghouse wrote:The MS20 MIDI implementation is really poor.
Well, to be fair, it was never intended as a MIDI controller. After all, the original was from before MIDI existed.....

doghouse
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Re: Korg MS20 mini as master keyboard/midi controller

Post by doghouse » Thu Apr 02, 2015 1:28 pm

Well to be unfair, since the only MIDI out is over USB Korg obviously intended it to work with computers and local off would be expected.

Why even bother throwing in such a half baked feature? I wonder if the KOdyssey has this same problem.

mholloway
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Re: Korg MS20 mini as master keyboard/midi controller

Post by mholloway » Thu Apr 02, 2015 4:25 pm

A short range of very tiny, very cheap plastic keys as your MASTER KEYBOARD?

How the heck did you come to the conclusion that THAT would be a good choice??

The thing may be cute or fun in its own right, but as a master midi controller it'd be a disaster.
my industrial music made with Ableton Live (as DEAD WHEN I FOUND HER): https://deadwhenifoundher.bandcamp.com/
my dark jazz / noir music made with Ableton Live: https://michaelarthurholloway.bandcamp. ... guilt-noir

logicbomb.de
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Re: Korg MS20 mini as master keyboard/midi controller

Post by logicbomb.de » Thu Apr 02, 2015 5:46 pm

Wow, so the MS20-Mini won't even send or receive CC data over USB?


dang that sucks.

was something I was keeping an eye on if the price came down or a got lucky in a garage sale, but this is definitely a deal breaker.


Guess I'll stick to the Legacy Collection VST and my SL MKII.


to the OP, if you HAVE to have an MS-20 keyboard, you're probably better finding a used MS-20iC that Korg Released with the Legacy Collection back in the day as that was specifically designed as a MIDI controller
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