Roland MKS-20 - the eight classic sounds

[@EspenKraft]

Great demo Paolo! I have one myself and it's been my go-to piano in many wedding services in the past when I played "lounge" music during dinners etc. I still use this today when I need that El.Piano sound with that beautiful analog chorus on top. I actually plan to have mine modified slightly to get external in to get to that chorus board for other synths etc. When I do it I'll make a video. Cheers!

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Espen, thank you! Agree, such a great, classic unit and that chorus is magical - If you don't want to get the MKS-20 drilled, you might also like to consider Roland's Dimension D rack, the Synthoma Elkorus v3, the Boss chorus pedals of the era, or the new tc electronic June-60 pedal that's been seen online - if they make a stereo version, that is

[@EspenKraft]

Yes, the new TC pedal is interesting, but it has to be true stereo. I have some inside saying it will be, after initially being only mono. The chorus board inside MKS-20 is actually very close to the Dimension D, but with less settings of course. I have too much to do at the moment so we will see later on. Cheers!

[@fortheloveofnoise]

SynthMania man I want an Elkorus

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

Please help me out, Espen. I’ve been watching video after video of the Yamaha SY line from autumn 2022 to now (January 2023), trying to catch a waft of what’s actually the “Piano 3” tone on this module and the RD-1000 keyboard. Is that sound actually not on those models, even though [its equal] was on the first 2 runs of Yamaha Motif & S90 models? Did Roland put it onto one any their ROMpler models which succeeded this unit?

[@gullyfoyle6354]

Amazingly there is no sampling technology involved with producing this classic and classy piano sounds! Legendary Eric Persing explains it very well in his company website. Grazie mile, Paolo. Cheeerio.

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Thank you, Gully

[@jaggass]

And Roland uses similar technology in the V-Piano,Roland RD-2000 etc.

[@gullyfoyle6354]

Yep, but very more advanced and poweful, too! :)

[@trevorwoodley3897]

Yes, a kind of proto-physical modeling. They described it as resynthesis at the time (a Roland rep told me this). The far more advanced Roland physical modeling tech (COSM, SuperNATURAL for eg) is what makes V-Drums, V-Guitar, V-Piano platforms possible.

[@locomotive536]

Have it in Keyscape software - beautiful sound the E.Piano 1 Gospel is.....recommended.

[@StefanoPapaleo-TS]

#1 is Whitney Houston - The Greatest Love of All. I still remember when it came out and it was the end titles of Festivalbar - struck ever since. Too bad how she ended up.

[@SpeedySPCFan]

I was wondering why this thing was so expensive... absolutely grand sound! The EPs are especially beautiful - don't know if I would pay $600 for one, but it is lovely to listen to

[@187onasimp]

Roland MKS-02 Boutique :D They need to make it!

[@electrowayne2918]

That would be nice ! But an MKS-80 would really be ideal hahaa !! Anyone have the number to Behringer :)

[@johntammaro]

As always Paulo, you deliver in great style and skill. Thank you

[@gcoudert]

I remember the MKS-20 and the RD-series pianos. They sounded fantastic (at the time) and ended up on countless hit records.

[@DarylWiseJr]

So glad you did this. There was a reason this was and still is the standard module/synth for Gospel music. Absolutely incredible sound and expression!

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Thank you!

[@geoffk777]

This sounds great in an 80's way. It's amazing how popular this unit still is in Gospel music. It's really the 4 Classic sounds, though (Piano 1 and 2 and EP 1 and 2) or even the one Classic sound of EP 2. The others are nice but not what people still buy this for.

[@5ch3nk]

Great sounding unit, really shines through your playing.

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Thanks!

[@machiwoomiapoo]

The sounds are great. I'll have to keep an eye out for it. :) Take care, Sam.

[@machiwoomiapoo]

Thanks for making this video! Now I know why the MKS 20 is so wonderful. The analog effects are amazing sounding. Take care, Sam.

[@musella974]

Tomorrow, I'm going to buy a Rhodes MK 80.. it's exactly the same as Roland RD1000 and of course the Roland MKS 20 ! The only difference is the Flanger effect in the MK80 ! I love these sounds... so magical ones ! Very good demo Paolo, I love your channel !

[@XavierRadix]

What a sweet piece of gear.. My favorite sound on this thing is Piano 3 with chorus, and play some juicy 80's pop/rock. I first heard that sound used in a live show DVD from Toto (in 1990). David was rocking that sound for the whole show... Loved it.

[@blueg8731]

Fantastic video. Thanks for this stroll down memory lane. Love that machine.

[@5argetech56]

Absolutely beautiful technique ... Warm and inviting! :)

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

:^)

[@drewskywalkerpa]

it never entered my mind, great playing my friend

[@smilingbuddha2836]

Beautiful touch to show off the dynamics.

[@funkmachine6420]

Man this thing sounds amazing!

[@NatureMovies]

Easy to hear the JV series pianos are descended from these. The Roland D70 also has some DNA from these. Piano 2 is a bit plinky in the midrange, again, like some of the JV pianos. Solid pianos that hold up in mixes. As solo sounds they don't do as well unless layering. With these, VST pianos will layer well.

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

Such a huge sound from a box which came from the same time as the KX88, both of which predated when the “digital piano” even existed. Love to know the first time the hammer-action keyboard built for the KX88 was married to a tone generator like this. Was it the K250? The “Piano 3” preset has a killer CP70 sound. Definitely a precursor to the SY samples. Edit: what I thought was created for the Yamaha SY-77 was, in fact, created for this module and its keyboard counterpart. What helped me figure that out was seeing the name “SA Piano” on one of the piano presets of the Roland VR-09 and reading up about this model featuring a “structured-adaptive” (SA) synthesis engine in place of a sample-playback engine.

[@EternalNaga187]

I love that Epiano sound

[@pproniuk]

I have my own RD1000 - amazing piano with amazing sound.

[@mrtyreus0]

Great Phil Collins shout out!

[@andretmadrid]

I believe that spectrasonics keyscape has managed to capture the essence of the mks20, and go beyond. 🌟

[@cybernitemusic]

You’re a very talented player I enjoy

[@cubdukat]

I always liked Roland's SA piano line. They had the best CP70 sound short of the real thing, and it had the advantage of lower octaves that actually stayed in tune and didn't turn into a harmonic mess... I never noticed how the lower you got with the clavi sound, how you could almost mistake it for a slap bass with a less aggressive attack.

[@kierenmoore3236]

Slappin' da bass!!

[@lundsweden]

Great demo and playing from Paulo as usual! I still think the MKS-20 sound is quite realistic, it has nice dynamics (even if the mechanism is simple, probably just filtering and crossfading hammer and string sounds). THAT Vibraphone patch too is still gold, even in 2021!

[@chappychocardelle7675]

Just Excellent 😊👍

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@midiman5045]

Paolo Very nice demo, Thanks...

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Midi Man, thank you!

[@meentaalmaan]

Beautiful!

[@carl156]

I got one i really like the Hard Drum sounds you get out of it!

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Hmmm.... are you sure you are not confusing the DDR-30 with the MKS-20? This is a piano module.

[@cymonalex]

Love mine too... Maybe a little dated, but they still have a few surprises in them !

[@MrSirGonza]

Great playing as always, Paolo! You should do a video on what technic and chords to use with a harpischord sound. That would be great.

[@АЛЕКСЕЙАЕДОНИЦКИЙ]

once I had it E-Piano specially with tremolo and chorus is fantastic! also vibrophone is beautiful others less impressionating

[@mpinzo0098]

The gospel staple! That module is still used today.

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Yes, still sought after!

[@issiewizzie]

fraizer have left the building :)

[@saam6768]

Those are SUCH good sounds. This thing came out in '86?!

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Yes, '86 - No samples either - S.A. (Structured/Adaptive) synthesis www.muzines.co.uk/articles/structured-sound/1825

[@YOUTUBECOMON]

Nice!,,❤❤❤❤

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@rytmmusic1]

Can you make a tutorial on how to make 90s eurodance? Or how to make the Mr. Fingers - Can you feel it pad? Love ur vids

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Sure, can do - someone else also recently asked the same thing - What exactly do you want to see in a tutorial? The more specific you are, the better: it allows me to do a better video.

[@rytmmusic1]

I would like to see a quick little history of the song Mr. Fingers can you feel it (synths used, date, record label) and just a simple tutorial on how to make the synth pad on a synthesizer (any). But if the pad is a preset Mr Fingers used, I would like to see which synth it was. Just a simple tutorial. Thank you for responding! Love your videos, they teach me alot.

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Well, I already did a bass walkthrough for the song kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmeXl5uNp9ehfKM , but IIRC not even Mr. Fingers remembers exactly if it was Juno-6/60 or Jupiter-6 - duly noted in the to-do list for the pad.

[@rytmmusic1]

SynthMania ok that sounds cool. if your open to making a eurodance tutorial can u get a synth that lots of people used to make that genre. And explain they’re workflow while making a simple song?

[@EvanPriceMusicChannel]

that "Miles Davis" Song ((It never entered my mind)) -> must have come from PIXINGUINHA - "Carinhoso" published in 1930

[@gaston6340]

Excelente .quisiera leer los comentarios pero no sale la opcion de translate.

[@eukaryote-prime]

Aw man! That looks like the keyboard controller I have, except some of the slider knobs and even one of the metal supports in the slider channel broke off during a move. I wish it were possible to fix it. :( Thanks for the vids, btw!

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

:^) (That's an M-Audio Axiom 61)

[@jaggass]

Elton John still uses one on stage.

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Yeah - he was notoriously an RD-1000 user in the '80s as well

[@sapainca]

There are a lot of rumours surrounding Roland's SAS (Structured Adaptive Synthesis) and why it appears here on the MKS-20 and RD1000 but not later. It is said the engineer left Roland. Supernatural is the the latest iteration after a long gap but Roland don't fully explain what this is. There is magic in SAS - i have the RD1000 and its heavy 48kg! The EQ is analog the Chorus is BBD and there is compression inside, the overall circuit very similar to Roland Dimension D.

[@shermanchow1168]

Is it me or do the 3 Piano and 2 E. Piano patches sound fairly similar to the ones on the JX-8P? I guess that might make sense with Eric Persing behind the wheel for both machines?

[@jimmyhayden562]

Believe it or not, the E.Piano 2 and Vibraphone sound settings were used by Joe Phillips for Barney, it’s true.

[@adambuckles3415]

Piano 1 is the Elton John sound

[@alan93]

is there any info on what the 3 acoustic ones were samples of? When I worked at a keyboard store when they first came out they said that 1. was Steinway, 2. was Bosendorfer and 3. was Yamaha. Or maybe I had 1 and 2 reversed.

[@falangistavaleroso9689]

Twin peaks patch on the vibraphone?

[@yusufansari7897]

how does the piano sounds on the mks 20 compare with the roland jv / xp piano sounds engine sounds presets like west coast piano and other piano presets . i think if you played on a cheap 99 dollar keyboard you would still sound fantastic thank you again.

[@denisdalrin6217]

Thanks

[@Grim5aw]

Intro is very similar to That's What Friends Are For - Dianne Warwick. Yes, I know it's Greatest love of all - Whitney Houston, but three notes are very characteristic.

[@amaurythewarrior]

i'm trying to figure where that "80s piano" sound I have in mind comes from. and i'm not talking about the DX7... i'm thinking very bright 80s piano doesn't sound sample, probably a very processed sample, i'm sure there is a specific model it comes from, anyone got a clue?

[@gcmproductions3499]

I have the software version of this ,still useful in gospel music

[@samthesmartfella]

I wonder if they'll make an emulation of it

[@gullyfoyle6354]

www.spectrasonics.net/products/keyscape/models/mks20_digital_piano.php

[@EspenKraft]

Spectrasonics has this in their Keyscape collection and it's absolutely stellar, VERY close to the original. However, the original still sounds the best with its analog chorus board.

[@samthesmartfella]

Espen Kraft it's always gotta be the original. I'll check if they have any other emulations or more accurately, almost-perfect virtual imitations

[@mbwl07]

There’s MKSensation too which is available for Kontakt and as an iPad app. Not tried it myself but an option.

[@gcmproductions3499]

Samuel The Manual mksensation is good and so is keyscape, they both sound amazing, I have em both

[@romanfrancisty9006]

Question! I just picked up a Roland rd1000 from the original owner in 86. Should it have all of these sounds? It sounds a bit different.

[@jordan6988]

Turn chorus on

[@CrossJeniel]

nice

[@The_Mister_E]

One day, I hope someone makes a proper emulation of the MKS-20. We have sample libraries from cheap to Spectrasonics, but with an algorithmically generated sound the only way to get all it's nuances is to emulate the generation process itself. It may even open the gate for modification to get wilder sounds, or at least higher rendering fidelity!

[@kierenmoore3236]

Nice. Have you seen the Korg Grandstage video yet, Paolo?

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Yes, seen the Grandstage, great keyboard

[@jaggass]

Will the MKS-20 make an appearance on a future session?

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Yes, with DX7 mkII probably

[@187onasimp]

How does this compare with the INTEGRA?

[@craigshaw141]

Thanks for the demo. Personally I would have loved you to have shown a bit more of the dynamic range of these sounds rather that just playing lightly all the time. This module is a powerhouse and is able to bite if spanked. Maybe you can let loose next time? Thanks again.

[@bojackhorseman5367]

agreed - the MKS-20 sounds sweet and warm when played delicately, but... when you're in the mood to let off some steam there's nothing more satisfying than the way this thing responds to aggressive playing on certain settings. Piano 1 and E.Piano 1 are especially expressive in this regard - E.Piano 1 has a nasty distorted roar when it reaches 'terminal velocity', and Piano 1 has a really satisfying hard-timbred 'slamming' characteristic that actually sounds and feels kind of mechanical... in a good way! The best example of this I can think of is Elton John's performance of "the bitch is back" from the johnathan ross show in 1990...

[@arthaur]

Very old sound, it's magic.

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

:^)

[@holzVFX]

can i sample this?

[@lavela7508]

Luis Miguel?🥺🤩

[@TheLineofEpicHeroes]

May i ask, is the keybed of this Axiom better than the keystation's in both feeling and velocity response especially on the black keys? Because keystation has a super bad keybed, not really full size keys and the black keys are so stiff that are almost unplayble. Is it the same with the keybed of this controller?

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

The KeyStation is an entry-level keybed, it's perfectly fine for light-action stuff, synths, organs fx etc., but for sounds that require expression like pianos, you might want a keyboard with better/heavier action. The Axiom is much better, but there are better still - it depends on the budget, and it's also a personal preference thing

[@TheLineofEpicHeroes]

Ok, thank you for the answer, i was hoping Axiom had a better keybed than keystation and it does according to you! Have you tried any Novation Impulse keyboard, if yes do you think that keybed is even better that Axiom's?

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

Yes, I used to have the Impulse 61 - loved the Impulse, very smooth action.

[@Niersteentje]

What midi keyboard is this? It looks quite nice.

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

M-Audio Axiom 61

[@Niersteentje]

@@SynthManiaDotCom Grazie mille :)

[@elil.2054]

I've got a similar module from Yamaha - EMT-10. Bought it for $20, still have no idea what to use it for. ;) This Roland probably sounds better though.

[@sauermusicDE]

Skip to 4:24 and get inspired by what you hear: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iHbaZ39pmbmFkLM

[@_P_M_]

I always assumed these were samples. Here's some detail on SA synthesis. www.novelmusic.com/roland/Technical/default.htm

[@XPJV]

Real harpsichord sound must have a release click sound.

[@wreckage-vs5jv]

In today's money more than $6k. And if you run it thru a Strymon or Boss 500 series it sounds like that.

[@LouisSerieusement]

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

:^)

[@LouisSerieusement]

the last one was cheesy as hell (in a good way) and it is a wonderful 80's romance theme ! It really made my morning better :)

[@SynthManiaDotCom]

If you don't happen to know that "cheesy" last piece, it was a super-duper top-charting amazingly-successful - tons of money generating - amazingly popular chart topper called "Greatest love of all", sung by a gal called Whitney Houston - that my generation grew up with (the original version was from George Benson) - kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4rdnYl6oapqaNk

[@LouisSerieusement]

awesome thanks a lot ! I'm sure my girlfriend knows about this song but she is in Spain at the moment :( cheers :p

[@EmiPianoMX]

Found one. $150. But I'm broke...

[@chieftp]

I think this is one of those units you would buy only if you wanted to own every musical instrument ever made.

[@5argetech56]

Paolo is just that sort of person! Life is too short....

[@naturesinterface6663]

It's probably very cheap.

[@5argetech56]

Wrong... $575 used!

[@naturesinterface6663]

5argeTech /\ - Wow. I sit corrected.

[@flangelouder]

Lush

[@larryfinke6133]

Cool module, great video, but this is the most awful piano I’ve ever heard lol!