Korg Forums

darins · Joined: 24 Sep 2016 Posts: 7 Location: TN

Hey all-

First post here, I've had my Kross (8 Cool

for like a year and a half - I've used it almost exclusively as a really overly powerful digital piano but now with the stuff my band is doing I'm expanding into more sounds and, while not getting into any serious program editing or anything, I still find myself overwhelmed trying to navigate the menus and wrap my head around stuff.

Right now I think I can break my confusion down into 2 separate questions:

1. I ordered a footswitch for changing programs, and digging through the menus I see how I can assign that function to the switch - but how do I actually create the list/order of programs I want it to step through? This is something that is fairly volatile and will likely change from gig to gig so I need to be able to stay on top of it - not sure where that stuff is stored.

2. Is there a split function beyond the 'quick split'? Like can I create a split with 3 or 4 different programs? There are a couple songs we do where this could be useful.

Thanks for reading!

OpAmp · Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 8:57 pm Post subject:

Hi,

I would not say these are basic questions...

1. I'm not sure about the functionality to change programs using a footswitch. I guess it must be done via the favorites. Set up a list of favorite programs and then you can scroll through them with the switch. But I might think you can faster select a new favorite using the 16 step sequencer buttons.

2. Yep. Combi mode. You can lay out up to 16 programs over the span of the keyboard. And it is not limited to split, but also layering, even velocitiy switching or acombination of them.

Have fun.
_________________
microKORGXL, Kaossilator Pro, monotribe, SQ-1, volca fm, Kross 88 BK
Alesis SR18, Akai Miniak, Fender Strat, Line 6 Spider II 112, Zoom MS-50G

darins · Joined: 24 Sep 2016 Posts: 7 Location: TN

Thank you for that - they seemed basic in comparison to some of the other things I was reading in here that's for sure!

I looked at the favorites thing as well but may need to look a little more in depth - the footswitch controls appear to allow me to increment or decrement through a program list but that relies on me having the list in a certain order. If the footswitch can control favorites that would work, there are a couple cases where I need a really fast switch and I'm not coordinated enough to take hands off the keys to press a button. Sad, I know.

Combi mode sounds awesome, I'll read more into that - thanks again!

sutekh · Junior Member Joined: 10 Jul 2016 Posts: 88

1) Wish I knew how to do that. Please let me know when you find out. Been using the Favorites buttons but the sound cuts out momentarily when you switch. Would the foot switch remedy that?

2) You can split/layer a whole bunch of sounds but it's not as easy as the quick split/layer buttons. You have to fumble thru menus to designate the Key Zone for each sound and it takes a while.

OpAmp · Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2016 9:47 pm Post subject:

Hi,

1) sutekh is right. Switching a program will cause momentarily sound interrupts. Especially because you're talking about switching fast, this could be a potential issue for you. And no the footswitch will not be solving that. On top of that the footswitch will be either going to the next or the previous favourite, but it can not go in both directions without reconfiguration. I think you better try to explore a combi mode with splits to quickly change sound within one song. It is 'just' a matter of moving your hands some octaves.

2) Setting up a combi on the workstation itself may be cumbersome because of the menu diving, consider to use the editor on PC/MAC to do that.

Enjoy
_________________
microKORGXL, Kaossilator Pro, monotribe, SQ-1, volca fm, Kross 88 BK
Alesis SR18, Akai Miniak, Fender Strat, Line 6 Spider II 112, Zoom MS-50G

darins · Joined: 24 Sep 2016 Posts: 7 Location: TN

I think a momentary interrupt should be fine - my problem is removing hands from keys to push a button and then bring them back, I just struggle with the interface on the keyboard a bit and was thinking a footswitch might be easier. I think it arrives today so I'll test it out and report back.

I did also find the Kross editor and put that on my laptop which is a lifesaver - the menus on that keyboard are a nightmare to wade through, but even the application is not terribly intuitive on how to save stuff, rename things, etc - still plenty of poking around to do in there.

studio99 · Full Member Joined: 25 Jun 2013 Posts: 103

I use the favorites all the time.
Button pushing is far more controllable and easier to manage than a footswitch in my opinion.

Within a song I often use piano, organ, flute and brass etc.

The solution to sound continuity is more musical than technical:
Arrange your songs so you aren't changing patches in the middle of a run or solo. Change between verse and chorus or at logical phrases etc.

That way the switch sounds logical and musical Smile

Just a thought.

Good luck!

Pat

sutekh · Junior Member Joined: 10 Jul 2016 Posts: 88

I'm going to try this out later, but maybe if you turn the Master FX off it will switch between sounds without a gap.

Another way I've been trying to figure out is to put all your sounds into one Combi and then switch MIDI channels when you want to switch sounds- but how would you do that without a controller?

Let's say you have a piano/string split for one part of the song so you put those on MIDI channel 1. Later you have Organ so that's on channel 2, etc etc You can route the sounds to different FX within the Combi. You should be able to switch sounds seamlessly because the FX setup would remain the same. But somehow you'd have to change which MIDI channel is being triggered by the keys at any given time...