Single line display makes programming hard, so get the programmer if you can. I did and it has opened up the synth totally.
This is capable of some wonderful warm sounds with mine mainly being used for pads and basses. It has a character which the analogue emulators, such as the AN1x I also own, cannot compete with. I've only had it a few weeks, but it has quickly become one of my favourite pieces of gear.
Can be found for about $200 used, and expect to pay upto $100 extra for the programmer.
Rating: 5 out of 5
posted Saturday-Oct-02-9999 at 17:41
johnlerma
a professional user
from usa
writes:
Overall this is a good and useful synth. I make house and techno music and the sounds are just right for the genre. The pads/strings are excellent. Lots of deep, phat bass. Leads are ok. Sound effects are cool. Mine came with a bass kick patch that will blow your speakers!!
Editing is a bitch if you don't have the optional PG-300. You can however do it through your computer. It has excellent midi implemenation. Cubase ,and I am sure other sequencers, let you set up mixermaps, which are virtual knobs and sliders that send sysex messages that can edit the MKS-50.
It has all kinds of good stuff like velocity sensitive, aftertouch, chorus, chord memory.
What I don't like: It is not multi-timbral. The filter is a little weak. It doesn't self-oscillate. But it has it's own character.
It is a fine little synth. I give it 3.5
Rating: 3 out of 5
posted Tuesday-Sep-28-9999 at 17:48
david k
a professional user
from Montreal CANADA
writes:
This beast replaced my Multimoog for bass! The chorus and aftertouch make it sound so fine. . .
Bass on every track here is done with a MKS-50: http://listen.to/davidk
Rating: 5 out of 5
posted Sunday-Sep-26-9999 at 15:36
Kurt "Kee Gee"
a professional user
from Norway
writes:
I have a MKS-50 with the PG300, use if mostly for pads, its a great/fat box.
Could any of u help me out with how to adjust the midi channels on the PG-300? Cant remember how, tryed it all!!?! If you know, please mail me, I dont have a manual for it.
Rating: 1 out of 5
posted Wednesday-Apr-07-9999 at 09:23
mrkrypto
a professional user
from USA
writes:
First of all, this is an analogue. Some people seem confused about what a hybrid really is. A DCO is an analogue oscillator with digital logic to provide stable tuning. It ain't a digital oscillator. A true hybrid would be the PPG Wave 2.3 or the Kawai K3 which use digital oscillators through analogue filters.
That said, I really like my MKS-50. It has nice, sharp waves and a crisp filter. I wouldn't particularly use it for bass, but for pads and ethereal textures it is a perfect fit. You have slightly more controll over the Chorus than with earlier Juno synths, and though many complain that the Chorus is noisy (and it is) I find that this adds to the spaciousness of the timbres. It's got good midi implementation and with the PG-300 you can tweak/program in real-time and record the changes. Beware, however, that there can be some stair-stepping when doing filter sweeps etc. from the PG.
If you want fat basses and leads, look elswhere, there's plenty of other candidates. The MKS-50 excells at pads and effects, and for that it will always have a spot in my rack.
Rating: 4 out of 5
posted Wednesday-Mar-03-9999 at 13:46
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