Korg MS2000 polyphonic synthesizer - rack unit version - preamp only - 2000s

The Korg MS2000 is a virtual‑analog polyphonic synthesizer built around a versatile digital modeling engine that emulates classic analogue synth behavior. It offers 4‑voice polyphony (or dual/split‑timbre operation), two oscillators plus noise per voice, a multimode resonant filter (low‑pass, high‑pass, band‑pass with selectable slopes), two ADSR envelopes, two LFOs, and a flexible modulation matrix. On top of that the MS2000 includes a built‑in effects section (chorus, delay, flanger, phaser, EQ, distortion, etc.), a 16‑band vocoder, a 6‑pattern arpeggiator, and full MIDI control, making it extremely flexible. The unit is capable of basses, leads, pads, sequences, external‑audio processing via its audio input, and classic synth textures. I adore the flexibility of this iconic synth, which shows why its younger sibling (the microKORG) went on to sell by the hundreds of thousands. For these captures the signal runs full‑power through the open VCF and VCA to let all the analogue‑style modeling character come through. Two versions were captured: one clean (through a lightly saturated preamp, but overall neutral), and one distorted. The distortion mode of the MS2000 is not the most versatile of its functions (compared to its modulation or effects options), but it remains a defining colour and a hallmark of early‑2000s synth design. These captures were made using a Matribox II as the DI interface. They join my personal archive and are provided strictly for non‑commercial use.