[1] It was part of Korg's MS series of instruments, which also included the single oscillator MS-10, the keyboardless MS-50 module, the SQ-10 sequencer, and the VC-10 Vocoder.

Additional devices included the MS-01 Foot Controller, MS-02 Interface, MS-03 Signal Processor, and MS-04 Modulation Pedal.

The MS-20 has a low frequency oscillator, labeled "modulation generator", which offers unique controls over the rate and shape of the waveform, which is sent to two outputs: pulse and sloped.

The synthesizer includes two envelope generators with various parameters, providing control over the dynamics and articulation of the sound.

[2] The following year, at the 2014 NAMM Show, Korg announced that it would release a limited edition full-size unassembled MS-20.

[6] At the 2020 NAMM Show, Korg announced a full size reissue of the MS-20, called the MS-20 FS, which retains features from the 2013 kit release such as the Rev1 and Rev2 filter types as well as MIDI compatibility through both 5-pin DIN and USB connections.