Lecture #4: Korg MS-20 & SQ-1 Voltage Control Insights

This video comes from channel subscriber's questions (Huge Thank You!). Here we make the voltage control chart we've used in lectures 2 & 3. We will also see how to transpose the output from the SQ-1 musically according to scale progressions. Finally, there will be DEEP DIVE into some voltage control secrets that will really aid you in setting up your MS-20/SQ-1 integration. This video is a 30 minute whopper so be prepared with your caffeine delivery of choice. . . .you're gonna need it! :-)
As Always, please feel free to ask me questions and I'll be happy to respond. Also, if there are other topic ideas . . . do tell!

[@kirillmalchenko4453]

Thanks!

[@entropydisorder6359]

Thank you very much for this lecture. I have been learning synthesis at home, this is the kind of lecture i am looking for!

[@hadlbah]

It’s my pleasure to help. Also, feel free to reach out to me with questions. Subscriber questions are jet fuel for my channel and I will be happy to take a swing at answering your questions.

[@gkeaoyrge]

Thanks very much for putting this together! Very helpful :)

[@hadlbah]

Glad to help!

[@TadeoValencia]

AMAZING! Thanks a lot for the lectures, thanks for taking the time... I have a question, can you upload the pages used in this video to print them? Greetings from Montréal, and thanks again!

[@hadlbah]

So glad to hear you are enjoying my lectures. I only wish my students felt the same (well, they usually do - but grumble about the exams!) Below are links from my google drive. Please do let me know if these links work. They are supposed to, but stuff can get mucked up a bit sometimes. drive.google.com/file/d/1a-Pd_r2SYpKmWt29uu7yGooZJJxtGcMH/view?usp=sharing drive.google.com/file/d/1Ac5pJhQGQktYdow4zVxiZJIiICcCjjyK/view?usp=sharing drive.google.com/file/d/1S-bnbH7lAXdR1yVTxY7ZywG-weYKLpcD/view?usp=sharing drive.google.com/file/d/1X-EZQ90DyRVvyp9XEl1bynO_4rslK8ye/view?usp=sharing drive.google.com/file/d/14K5QOY3j6gc_-axC-ia0ooehKVoN4nxA/view?usp=sharing drive.google.com/file/d/1g1SN4jMXZlIVsI51RU7vA_amnTJZXgxv/view?usp=sharing

[@TadeoValencia]

@@hadlbah Thanks a lot, I already printed them, greetings from Montréal!

[@rlanguillat]

love your videos - thanks you so much for sharing your knowledge online & from your sauna :-) a question: > you use a Y splitter (doubler) in this video > i saw other videos (but a few only) using such Y splitter, and there are not a lots of informations online about the do's and don't do's with doublers > do you have any tips & tricks? or perhaps would it be the subject for a future video... ? ;-)

[@hadlbah]

Hi Raphael! So glad to hear you are enjoying my video lectures. Yes, my cellar does have that sauna look doesn’t it! 😊. Regarding the 3.5mm Headphone Y Splitters I use. I find them on Amazon in the States, HiFi International in Eurozone and If i recall, I’ve found them in Ginza in Tokyo. Super easy to use. Be careful not to stack too high; they can break things when stacked too high if they get knocked. I have maybe 4 or 5 of them - seems to be enough for my needs. I find them more economical than the patch cords that have the second patch port molded in. And yes, maybe a good lecture topic - maybe a tips and tricks lecture!

[@rlanguillat]

Oh thanks - you are stellar fast, gosh! My related question would be: is it safe to use splitters on the patch panel...? I read: "Splitting an output signal so you get two outs is fine, but don't stack two signals into an input, as you can overload the input which can cause damage." > so most patches are safe, as long one is not going from outputs to inputs? > are there other basic rules to respect with doublers ? (a lil' bit of theory won't hurt there ^^)

[@hadlbah]

@@rlanguillat Excellent question! Okay, a few of thoughts. (1) If we are patching on a single synth (Intra-Patching), like the MS-20, then the the folks at Korg have designed it such that there really is no way to cause damage independent of how you patch things. Double, triple, add mod wheel, whatever . . . we are gonna be fine. If we are patching two different synths (Inter-Patching) . . . then we have to be aware of control voltage outputs and input limits. On my Moog Matriarch for example, there are a number of 0-10V output control voltages. The MS-20 is +/-5V max. I would be reluctant to port a 10V output signal into a 5V max input patch point. Maybe Korg has patch protected to a 10V input, but I wouldn't bet my 500$ synth on it. Always best to read the manual and follow the max voltage rules. (2) The theory you may be alluding to is Series vs Parallel voltage circuits. These doublers are parallel meaning V total = V1 = V2 = V3 = . . .Vn. The max voltage will only ever be the max of any Vn. Now it's possible there could be some "back voltage" if we have a parallel circuit of 5V and 2V, then the 2V source is receiving a 5V potential. But Korg (and any synth manufacturer) has recognized that we might plug an output into an input and will have protected the unit against damage (to a certain point, Intra-Patching). Also, we can drive down the voltage in a parallel connection.Try an experiment of setting up EG1 (0-5V) parallel into your mod wheel (+/-5V). You can drive the voltage around with the mod wheel and the EG1 envelope timing, but it will never exceed 5V on the MS-20 (Intra-Patch). For completeness of my answer; in a Series voltage circuit V total = V1 + V2 + V3 +...Vn. This is a very different story. You can break stuff if you start connecting things in series (inter-web search "series vs parallel circuit"). The parallel plugs we are using are safe in this regard. Maybe there is a way to make it unsafe (not dangerous to you, but dangerous to your synth) and this brings me to thought 3. (3) Your best tool in the world of modular synths is a nice Digital Multi Meter. Since you are fresh from Lecture 4 then you heard my recommendations regarding DMM specs. I use my DMM all of the time whilst I'm designing patches. It enables me to see what's going on as I hear what's going on. Very immersive. I can also record control voltages in my patch notes so that I can duplicate stuff in the future. The DMM is indispensable! :-)

[@hadlbah]

Hey Raphael just checking: did my reply answer your question?

[@rlanguillat]

​@@hadlbah sorry for the big delay of my answer: i was at the time in a roadtrip and... your reminder did go underwater. thank you for the detailed explanations, this all make sense and after more than a half year spending extended time with my ms20 mini, i definitively begin to grasp these things :-) love also your patch notes - which are more than important with complex patches and if one want to go further than a one-shot jam. good that you underline their importance. as a composer, i always feel the need to fix things (in order to reproduce them more or less exactly in a near future). in that way, i'm currently 'writing' a drone/noise set for MS-20 mini and effects pedals and developing a 'score' of patches, instructions/changes, enhanced with poetic / graphical images. very interesting here, is that writing for synthesizer made me abandon the 'classical' notation for a more text-oriented score, which will be then also 'accessible' for non-musicians. may i share some sonic examples? here's the playlist of the set 'RQ-3 (DarkStar)', which is a work in progress and will be peu à peu updated: soundcloud.com/rlanguillat/sets/rq-3-darkstar

[@adrianbrown471]

Back in the day, when I had a ms20 and a sq10 sequencer, I just patched the sequencer channel to one oscillator and the other oscillator to the keyboard. Then played the note I wanted to program and tune the sequencer to it for each step. Can this not be done with the sq1? Didn't need a multimeter or a voltage chart.

[@hadlbah]

Thank you so much for your comment, Adrian. I completely agree…that will work. I just got super tired of twiddling and listening, twiddling and listening. With the proposed method, once the modal/note progression is decided upon, it’s super fast to dial in the exact voltage and then move on. Additionally, to have any hope of transposing while playing, there is no other way to set the keyboard up as a voltage control device for the SQ1. But there’s more….as a teaching tool it is a super way to gain experience both with the concept of voltage control as well as developing skill with a DMM. I’ve found my DMM super helpful with modular and semi modular patching. So are you telling me you lost touch with your MS20/SQ1? Please say it ain’t so!!!!😁

[@adrianbrown471]

@@hadlbah haha! Sold my ms20, sq10 and a sh101 with a few other bits in the late 80's for £175! Miss them all!

[@klinkske]

Hi. I just found you and watched this video. Could i also just use a tuner instead of a multimeter? I guess so. I missed who you connected the multimeter. I probably oozed away in my bath watching this, early. ;)

[@hadlbah]

Hi Klinkske! Yes, I suppose you can. It will take some fiddling time though but, it’s worth a try. The DMM is connected to CV-A and or CV-B out. The nice thing about the DMM (digital multimeter) is you can directly dial in the voltage and the resulting sequence will be exactly what you are looking for. Also, as you expand your studio in the direction of modular and semi-modular you’ll likely find the DMM an indispensable tool. Fantastic question and thanks for reaching out.

[@TadeoValencia]

Prof., I have a question, can I turn polyphonic the MS-20 if I connect a Midi controller like the KeyStep to the Midi In port (not the USB port)?

[@hadlbah]

Greetings Tadeo Valencia! Fabulous question! Thank you for asking. The short answer is no. Direct Midi control of the MS-20 will only be monophonic. Now you do have some options though. First, and simplest, is with a sampler or simpler. You can always create a sample, preferably using the 4 "C notes" on the MS-20. You can record a sample at C0, C1, C2 and C3 from the MS-20. Then, if you have another polyphonic Euro-rack device that accepts samples, then you can simply use the recorded "C" samples across that device. If you have a DAW and a midi keyboard, same solution. For example, I will record my C samples into my Ableton Simpler and then use my Yamaha KX76 midi controller to polyphonically play MS-20 patches. The reason for spanning the MS20 keyboard is to preserve the harmonics across the scale range. Taking only one sample and then applying in across a keyboard range can lose some of the rich harmonics the MS-20 has to offer (unless you want to modulate harmonics across the range of the keyboard). Finally, and perhaps your KeyStep has this, CV, Gate, Mod outputs from any sequencer can be directly patched into the MS-20 just like the SQ-1 CV and Gate outputs can. I'm not sure which KeyStep you own so I'm not sure what the features are. Bottom line is any Voltage Control output, provided it meets the requirements of the MS-20 can be used. The MS-20 tells you right on the patch panel what input voltage range you can use. Now this won't be a polyphonic solution, there are still only two oscillators and two gates, so you cannot get true polyphony from the MS-20 but you can at least get duo-phonic. Does any of this work for you?

[@TadeoValencia]

@@hadlbah Thanks so much for taking the time to answer so clearly, I've been learning so much with your channel and advice... About the midi controller, I own the basic Keystep, the normal one, that's why I was wondering about the polyphony but with the MS-20 Mini I'm using the SQ-1 as a sequencer to learn how to use that combo... Today I used the SQ-1 as a sequencer with the paraphonic patch and it worked really well but honestly I would like to have the possibility to create the samples of the Korg as you said, I'll look for a tutorial because I'd love to have the possibility to play this amazing synth in polyphony. Again, thanks a lot prof, for all your time, I still waiting for your next video, hugs from Montreal!

[@lorddoomicus]

Where can I find that Voltage Black Scales in C chart?

[@hadlbah]

Hi Derrick! Okay, it's really not so easy to find. Try this: www.muffwiggler.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=171335&start=350 You'll have to scroll down to find it. If you’re not comfortable with clicking on this site - I don't blame ya. I was a touch reluctant to open a site called "muffwiggler" but, it does look legit with lots of synth info. Or, if you'd like you can drop me a note: [e-mail] and I'll happily email the png. It's a 66KB file so no weird stuff in it, it's just a raster image.

[@lorddoomicus]

@@hadlbah I found it. Thanks. As a side note, I've heard of that site before. It's a forum site for Synth stuff. I think the name has something to do with Cats ( and the strange connection between cats and Synths ). Great Vides btw. While I do have a solid background in EE, and I actually like math,, I find useful and concise information on how this stuff works from an engineering level highly lacking. Cant wait for your next one.