KP3 loop doesn't stay synched to internal drum

i11uminatus · Post by **i11uminatus** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 2:22 pm

Recently read jrizzo's post
http://www.korgforums.com/forum/phpBB2/ ... hp?t=46625
and xmlguy's excellent response, but I'm still not clear why I should be experiencing the following bad sync:

I dial up a BMP on the KP3, set the program to drum1.
I press the HOLD button and then touch the pad to set up a drum beat.
This drum beat should exactly match the KP3's set BMP.

Then I hit the SAMPLING button, (beat length of 8) and, with my left hand I choose BANK A, with my right hand I'm playing a keyboard bass line, playing along with the KP3 drums.

I finish the 8 beats and the loop is recorded and starts to play back. Great.

The problem is, if I now just sit and listen the two start to drift apart until they are nastily out of sync. Why would this happen? The drums should be perfectly matched to the BMP and the looped sample should also be cut to the exact same measure.

Why am I getting drift?

I could record this and post a link to an mp3 if anyone would like proof.

BeatsfromDP · Post by **BeatsfromDP** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 3:22 pm

i just got my KP3 yesterday so this might sound dumb...but I'm thinking that since it might just be a timing issue, you ought to try adjusting the start point setting.

I have somewhat of a similar problem - I'll record from my mp3 player into the mic jack (don't currently have the cable for line in yet), and the loop will play immediately. I switch from mic in to line in, which results in only my loop playing. After a few bars, I'll kill the loop and at the same time switch back to mic in, and the transition should be smooth from the loop back to the playing song, but it isn't. I find that sometimes the BPM isn't EXACT with my sample, and I think that might cause some eventual drifting.

darthballs · Post by **darthballs** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 3:48 pm

nahhhh the internal drum patterns are off. it doesn't time correctly to any bpm.

as far as the other syncing issues, it looks like they're not as bad as I originally remembered (I just re-bought a KP3 off craigslist for super cheap), but the internal drum patterns are definitely programmed off sync. nothing you can do about this, sorry :/

BeatsfromDP · Post by **BeatsfromDP** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 5:16 pm

I find that hard to believe - does anyone else feel this way, or is it possible that the user's timing is just off? I mean, I can get the drum patterns to sync just fine, but if I touch the pad a fraction of a note off-beat, yeah it's off, but that's obvious...

i11uminatus · Post by **i11uminatus** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 8:27 pm

@BeatsfromDP - I'm definitely not an experienced user, so it's certainly possible that I'm not timing my loops perfectly, but that would be an explanation if the problem were that my loops were always out of sync with the drum machines. I'm talking about my loops starting in synch and then drifting out of sync over time. Perhaps I'm wrong, but it seems to me that regardless of when I hit the bank button, it should still capture a loop that's a perfect match in length to the set BMP. If I hit the pad with poor timing they should start and stay perfectly out of sync, not drift apart. Am I wrong?

@darthballs - If that's true then isn't that kind of ridiculous? I mean, Korg is a reputable company that makes all kinds of musical gear. If they make a drum machine that can't keep a beat then how do they ever sell product?

BeatsfromDP · Post by **BeatsfromDP** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 5:47 am

Have you tried the Shift+Align to set all of the samples to start at the same time? Which trigger setting do you have the pads to - default? I know what you're saying about if anything they should be perfectly out of sync - if you have two 4-measure loops and one starts on 3 and the other on 1, they should always come around and restart on 3 and 1 (just an example)...I'm kind of a noob to the KP3 myself (only had it 2 days), so I'm not sure, but I'm pretty certain that the drums aren't "off".

i11uminatus · Post by **i11uminatus** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 3:10 pm

In this case was only using one sample, so aligning samples was not the issue.

Trigger setting - can you show me where this is documented? I've been through the manual and cannot find info on trigger settings.

Pastor-of-Muppets · Post by **Pastor-of-Muppets** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 3:53 pm

the new trigger types are only available if you've updated to OS v2, which is available from http://www.korg.co.uk/downloads/kp3/KP3 ... pdater.zip

That zip file includes an update to the manual which explains how they work

Edit: that link is the PC updater, there's a Mac version too, both are availble from http://www.korg.co.uk/products/dance_dj/kp3/dj_kp3.asp

darthballs · Post by **darthballs** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 5:54 pm

i11uminatus wrote: @darthballs - If that's true then isn't that kind of ridiculous? I mean, Korg is a reputable company that makes all kinds of musical gear. If they make a drum machine that can't keep a beat then how do they ever sell product?

oh it's totally ridiculous. I mean its primary function is not a drum machine, but you figure if they're going to supply a stock drum pattern, it'll work right?

You can test it easily yourself, just set the bpm to something, say 120.0, then sample a metronome at the same tempo, or something out of your computer that you can set the tempo on (mixmeister, ableton, etc), or a drum machine. The best thing to sample would just be a 4/4 hi-hat quarter note pattern, something simple.

Keep that loop playing, play DR01 for 20 seconds or so and it's alllll jacked up. It's not a matter of aligning either, whatever is driving that drum pattern's clock is just slightly off.

Now you can just release your finger and quickly restart every 4 measures or so and force alignment, but you're SOL if you want to sample the pattern into a loop.

Again, I know it's really difficult to believe this (it's not like it's Korg's first product), so please just try the above yourself

mitspats · Post by **mitspats** » Sun Apr 18, 2010 8:23 pm

i record a drum sample...from my mp3 player...then i edit and resampling it into an other kp3 bank....i play them both the same time...no problem....but after a while...they are off....!!!!!!!...
even when i use the align button...it corects it for just a while ..and then they are off again..
please help...

mitspats · Post by **mitspats** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 9:29 am

that means kp3 is waste of money....????

there is no way to use it as a programmed looper.... ?????

anyone..??

mitspats · Post by **mitspats** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 9:31 am

is this happens with kaossilator pro as well?????

polyoptics · Post by **polyoptics** » Thu Apr 29, 2010 9:00 pm

I have a 2 kPros and they play in perfect sync with each other, seemingly for infinity.

I HAD a kpro and Kp3 and I had the same issue as you. I returned the kp3 as this was a complete deal breaker for me.

There are a heap of posts about this and possible solutions, but no definitive answer of how to keep the kp3 in sync with the kpro.

Some suggestions i've found:

- usb link to computer for midi sync?
- midi link between kp3 and kpro.
- trigger method of kp3 patterns.

As far as i know, non of these methods actually fix the problem, but its hard to tell because most of the threads end without a conclusion.

If you figure it out, be sure to post back into this thread please.

Good luck