brian_madigan

I think this is the best sounding analog modeling synth out there. Very intuitive interface, workflow makes sense and is quick to get used to. Very nice buttons and knobs. The rotary encoders are not continuous. This makes it feel more like an old analog synth, but when switching between sounds, you can't tell what state each parameter is in. That's the only gripe I think.

If you want 88 keys for cheap without getting some junk, this is the controller. I don't use the drum pads much. They're OK. I do use the transport control, it's nice. good main controller.

I don't know if I got a bad one or what, but this thing likes to make you aware of its existence. Most of the time it behaves, but sometimes it will go MAX VOLUME for no reason. It also was throwing loud bursts of white noise into the audio stream. I tried to get Apogee to fix it or exchange it, but no luck. It's a piece of hardware, and it's always acted up. I keep it on all the time, like most gear, but it needs to be shut off and rebooted every once in a while.

I had the original MS-15? or MS-20 a long time ago, and it was pretty great. This is a little smaller, but the keys are sort of mid-sized, so they're playable. Using this with other Korg analog gear like the really, really inexpensive SQ-1 and any of the Volca boxes is really easy. Or you can just control it via Midi, and it complements eurorack modular gear well too.