True, I bet the KB37 feels a whole lot better than the vintage MS20 one as well. Shame there aren’t many affordable CV keyboard options besides the keystep!
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Indeed, it’s neither a pitchbend nor modwheel although it sits in that spot - on the Korg it is an integral part of the freely patchable CV (indeed it needs a cable patched in to do anything) - it’d have been nice if Behringer included a pot in lieu of the wheel (or even an expression input) - they have displaced the Korg’s trigger switch which also requires a cable to do anything - so there’s a bit of a precedent)
I guess they’ve placed the onus on midi providing some of the functionality - but it will be resolutely only some - that’s why it is imho still missing (and missed), even on a keyless module - there’s probably room for a slider, but it is what it is
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Do we have any clue what sort of midi functionality will be available? Is it possible to use a midi keyboard mod wheel to do anything?
the funny thing is that the original MS20 really hasn’t changed in price in the last decade. you can still get one for around $1200 or so. not saying that’s cheap, but compare that to how much other vintage synths have changed in the last decade (including the ones Behringer are targeting)… I’m sure some of that is related to Korg making a new version though.
it’s also funny to hear people complaining about the Korg reissue being noisy. the original was noisy and gritty as hell; and that’s why it’s great!
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Yea, I like the grit & noise of the mini, it’s part of it’s charm 
I assumed the original was gritty & noisy as well.
so so true - it’s why I love it - I think I had an especially thumpy VCA on mine as the second board they installed was better - but the overall authentic unpolished character is what I adore - I’ll be keen to see if folk get the same character from the K2 VCA on keying, but the noise is presumably a given
I also had the missing mod wheel in mind when I thought about the K2.
This could be a fun little project for people missing the wheel. No need to build one with all 16 faders obviously https://16n-faderbank.github.io/
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Reverb has it up now. Same price as Thomann. But this says estimated shipping is November, whereas Thomann is 1-2 weeks away.
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FWIW, in terms of build quality, my Neutron is built like a tank. I’ve heard the Model D is also. The pots on the Neutron are super smooth and it’s got a metal housing. It’s a joy to use and offers more patch points than most other semi-modular units in its class. Plus a 3 year warranty which is phenomenal.
Midas team is doing the initial design and production. All this bodes well for the K2. Most people can’t afford a $1200 original MS-20 that may not make it through the shipping process (kicked across the shipping warehouse). Forget who makes it, and forget the price. If it is built well, sounds good, and the customer service is reliable, it is prob a good product.
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Surely it makes more sense to compare this to the MS20 mini at $470 (or like $320 used). FWIW I liked the fast action on the mini’s knobs more than the slower, heavier feel of those on the Neutron.
True but I have like 3 sets of keys already. To each their own. Now let’s talk about what really matters: we have to challenge each other to create an awesome patch and see which one rocks the hardest 
I am very keen to hear how the K2 compares to the original MS20. I know I’ve said monosynths without patch mem arent for me, but after messing with the iMS20, I am having slight GAS for the K2.
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This’ll be my first synth without patch memory. But I’m okay with that because most of the time I sit down at a synth I start from scratch anyway. If there’s a sound I get I really like I’ll sample it
The lack of patch memory has upsides too - practically unlimited parameter resolution! the coarseness of the SE-02 osc pitch tuning controls frustrate the hell out of me tbh 
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depends upon your workflow. but I find that in the studio, patch memory isn’t necessary. usually you want the machine’s controls to reflect what you’re actively working with so you can sculpt the hell out of it before recording. and machines without patch memory do this best. once you’ve recorded it, you probably don’t need it any more.
this assumes, of course, that you don’t work on multiple tracks at a time, or want to be able to take that synth out to perform said track later…
most of my stuff has no patch memory and I love it that way. turn it on, and what you see is what you get. discourages the use of cheating with presets too! 
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I remember before I knew anything about synths and my buddy was getting me into them we were talking about the Juno synths. He had a 60 and mentioned how the 6 didn’t have any patch memory–I was dumbfounded. How on earth do you have a synth without patch memory? Sounds crazy!
But he assured me nah it was fine…You can kind of just make the patch again real quick. And maybe you’ll even get something different/better.
Neon Indian uses an MS20 live. This same friend of mine saw him and said he was blown away by what he did with the MS20…He would fuck it up and make all sorts of crazy sounds and then at some point it would just kind of evolve into the patch he used for whatever song he was playing.
Gonna see him live in about a month, actually.
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yeah the 60 versus 6 is a great example where the synth is so simple, is patch memory really necessary anyway?
would love to see Neon Indian sometime. really love his stuff.
speaking of indie acts on the MS20… always loved what Eliot Lipp did with it as well.
All my polys have patch memory and it’s really nice, but with a synth like the Odyssey or MS-20 it’s super fun to just start from where the knobs are at whatever moment you turn them on. I’ve got an Odyssey but not an MS-20… but I think I’ll have one pretty soon!