If you’re into your music then the chances are that you’ll be familiar with Korg’s MS-20 synthesizer, a synth that first hit the market back in 1978 and that was in production until 1983. If you own an iPad then you may well be familiar with the synth’s capabilities due to the Korg iMS-20 app that’s available for the iPad, if you’re a bit of a hardware head though then the Korg MS-20 Mini may just be the absolute product that you’ve been waiting for.
The Korg MS-20 Mini is 14% smaller than the original; the overall build is just that little bit smaller than the original and the keys themselves are also smaller than they were on the original synthesizer. Available for around £499.99 from most retailers right now, the MS-20 Mini has the added bonus of being a lot more affordable than the original MS-20, you won’t have to track it down second hand, and you may well find the inclusion of MIDI in and USB connectivity extremely useful, also. The MS-20 Mini stays pretty faithful to the original; the sounds that this synth is capable of producing are very similar to those found on the original MS-20, but it also comes with a few features that bring the synyth into the modern era such as the aforementioned inclusion of MIDI in and USB connectivity, and also the addition of a patch bay.
There’s plenty to love about the MS-20 Mini, although with all the good that you get from this synth you must also accept the potential drawbacks of running the MS-20 Mini in comparison to the original. As this is a much more affordable synth than the original MS-20, this is therefore something that is reflected in the build quality, and the MS-20 Mini’s utilisation of slightly smaller keys may also be worth taking into consideration as you may have a personal preference for the larger keys of the original. The keys aren’t as small as you’ll find on some synths on the market, they are still noticeably smaller than they were on the original model, however, and if you’ve played and been comfortable with the original then it may be worth trying the keys on the MS-20 Mini out before taking the plunge and purchasing yourself an MS-20 Mini.
With the popularity of the Korg iMS-20 iPad app, it’s great that Korg has responded to this by putting an MS-20 Mini on the market, and if you’re not fully satisfied with the touch screen emulator of the iMS-20 then you now have a solution to this other than tracking down a second-hand MS-20 with the added option of adding a Korg MS-20 Mini to your collection.
UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.
