Korg

From the MS-20 to the M1 — synths for every stage

Korg has spent six decades proving that Japan could match, and often surpass, the synthesizer innovation coming out of America and Europe. From the raw, aggressive MS-20 to the world-conquering M1 workstation, Korg has repeatedly been in the right place at the right time with the right instrument — and a few times, they've been so far ahead that the rest of the industry had to sprint to catch up.

History

Korg's origin story starts with a nightclub. Tsutomu Katoh was a nightclub owner in Tokyo who teamed up with engineer Tadashi Osanai to build a rhythm machine — the Donca-Matic — for use in his club. That rhythm machine, released in 1963, was the beginning of a company that would grow into one of the most important musical instrument manufacturers in the world.

Through the 1960s and early 1970s, Korg focused on organs and rhythm machines, building a reputation in the Japanese domestic market. Their entry into the synthesizer world came with the miniKORG 700 in 1973, a modest but capable monophonic synth. But it was the MS-series, launched in 1978, that established Korg as a serious synthesizer manufacturer. The MS-20 semi-modular synthesizer and the MS-10 monosynth brought aggressive, characterful analog synthesis to the market at prices that dramatically undercut Moog and ARP.

The MS-20 was a beast. Its dual-filter architecture — one highpass and one lowpass, both with resonance that could be pushed into screaming self-oscillation — gave it a raw, aggressive character that was completely different from the warm, round Moog sound. The patch panel on the front allowed extensive modulation routing, including an external signal processor that could convert audio signals into control voltages. The MS-20 found a passionate following among experimentalists, industrial musicians, and eventually, electronic dance music producers.

Korg's polysynth era produced several classics. The Polysix (1981) was a warm, affordable six-voice polysynth whose built-in chorus and ensemble effects gave it a lush, immediate sound. The Poly-800 (1983) was one of the first programmable polysynths under $1,000. And the DW-6000 and DW-8000 pioneered digital waveform oscillators with analog filters, a hybrid approach that bridged the analog and digital eras.

The M1, released in 1988, was a seismic event. It was the first true music workstation — a single instrument combining a synthesizer engine (using AI synthesis, Korg's PCM-based approach), a sequencer, drum sounds, and onboard effects. The M1's factory presets — particularly the "M1 Piano" and "Universe" pad — became some of the most widely used sounds in the history of recorded music. The M1 sold over 250,000 units, making it one of the best-selling synthesizers of all time.

The Wavestation, released in 1990, was Korg at their most creative. Using wave sequencing — a technique that strung together multiple PCM waveforms in animated sequences — the Wavestation produced evolving, cinematic pads and textures that were unlike anything else on the market. It became a favorite of film composers and ambient musicians, and its influence can be heard in the pad sounds of virtually every digital synth that followed.

Notable Instruments

MS-20

The MS-20 is the anti-Minimoog. Where the Moog is warm and inviting, the MS-20 is aggressive and confrontational. Where the Moog sings, the MS-20 screams. That dual-filter design — with its peaky, resonant filters that can be pushed into wild self-oscillation and beyond — gives the MS-20 a raw, untamed character that has made it the weapon of choice for anyone who wants their synth to sound dangerous.

The patch panel is the MS-20's secret depth. While it functions perfectly well as a conventional monosynth, patching opens up a world of cross-modulation, external signal processing, and feedback routing that can produce sounds ranging from searing leads to grinding noise to bubbling, self-generating chaos. Aphex Twin has used the MS-20 extensively. The Prodigy's Liam Howlett deployed it for its aggressive bass and lead sounds. Goldfrapp, Portishead, and MGMT have all relied on its distinctive character. Korg's 2013 reissue, the MS-20 Mini, introduced the instrument to a new generation and became one of the most successful analog reissues ever produced.

M1

The M1 didn't just sell well — it redefined what a synthesizer was supposed to be. Before the M1, a synth was a synth, a sequencer was a sequencer, and a drum machine was a drum machine. After the M1, musicians expected all three in one box. The workstation concept that Korg pioneered with the M1 became the dominant paradigm for keyboard instruments through the 1990s and 2000s, and every Yamaha Motif, Roland Fantom, and Korg Triton that followed owes its existence to the M1.

But beyond its historical significance, the M1 sounded fantastic. Its PCM-based synthesis engine, paired with high-quality onboard effects, produced sounds with a polished, professional sheen that sat perfectly in a mix. The "M1 Piano" patch became arguably the most-used keyboard sound of the late 1980s and early 1990s, appearing on hundreds of house, pop, and R&B records. The organ sounds drove countless house tracks. The orchestral and pad patches provided instant cinematic atmosphere. The M1 was the sound of professional music production becoming accessible.

Wavestation

The Wavestation was a synthesist's synthesizer — an instrument that rewarded deep programming with sounds that nothing else could produce. Its wave sequencing technology animated PCM waveforms in ways that created constantly evolving textures, and its vector synthesis-inspired joystick control allowed real-time morphing between four different wave sequences. The result was a pad machine of extraordinary power and beauty.

Depeche Mode used the Wavestation on Songs of Faith and Devotion. Jan Hammer incorporated it into his later work. Film and television composers adopted it enthusiastically for its ability to produce atmospheric, emotional textures on demand. The Wavestation's "Ski Jam" and "Pharoah's Jig" presets became sonic calling cards of the early 1990s. It remains one of the most distinctive-sounding digital synthesizers ever made, and its wave sequencing concept has been revisited and expanded in Korg's more recent instruments.

All Models in Archive (5)

Analog Synthesizers

• Mono/Poly - 1981-1984
• MS-20 - 1978-1983
• Polysix - 1981-1984

Digital Synthesizers

• M1 - 1988-1995

Digital Synthesizers

• Wavestation - 1990-1994