Korg Forums

[Carbo]

Just got my SE and am trying to recreate programs I had in my previous synth. I play in a cover band and one of the tunes we play is a Foreigner tune, Feels Like the First Time.

In the beginning of the song is a keyboard part that uses two notes: a D and a G that bounce back forth pretty quick. I can't find a lot of help in the manual re the arpeggiator. I know the answer is in Karma but I can't seem to find a way to allow me to hold those two notes down and get a simple back and forth between them.

I'm sure this is a really dumb question but would someone please reach out and give me some directions. Thank you in advance.

Peter

[Liviou2004]

[psionic311]

The synth engine programs have a step sequencer. See the Parameter Guide for a mini tutorial showing how to create a melodic pattern. The chapter is in the Program Mode: EXi section, under P5: Modulation. Page 178 in the v3.0.2 guide I have.

On the Kronos itself, this is where you find the Step Sequencer:

Common tab / Modulation tab / Common Step Seq

You can have up to 32 steps, but in your case it sounds like you'll just need 2. Every value of 4 = a semitone.

Basically, instead of using an LFO on the pitch of the OSC, you're going to use the step sequencer instead.

If you can learn how to do this, it will be a very valuable skill to have for other cover songs you play that have an arp or sequenced pattern (Sweet Dreams, pulsing 8th note bass, etc). KARMA is trickier to master and won't always get you an exact rendition, as that's not its purpose. KARMA is for creating intelligent variations, not specific sequences.

[Liviou2004]

As you can read, psionic, carbo spoke of an arpegiator, not a step sequencer. Common Step Sequencer and Step Sequencer do not work as an arpegiator.

[psionic311]

If you create a 2 step sequence that loops, you get the effect that Carbo was wanting -- hold one note down and you get a rapid back and forth D G D G D G. Just like in the song.

Give it a try!

[psionic311]

Here's a step by step for future readers.

From Program mode:
EXi1 tab ==> Pitch EG/Mod tab

Under the OSC1 & Sub Pitch Modulation section:
1) set AMS1 to Common Step SEQ
2) Set its Intensity to 25

Under the OSC2 Pitch Modulation section:
1) Only needed if your timbre contains 2 active Exi OSCs
2) Repeat steps 1 and 2 from OSC1 above

Go now to the Common Step Sequencer and set it to loop only 2 steps:
1) Common tab ==> Modulation Tab ==> Common Step SEQ
2) Mode = Loop
3) Start Step = 01, End Step = 02

Notice in the Value section that there is a gray vertical stripe along steps 1 and 2. We will now set these 2 steps to play your note on step 1 and an interval of a fourth for step 2.

Very important key bit of knowledge:
A semitone has a value of 4 in the Kronos step sequencer when the Pitch Mod AMS intensity is set to 25. (see page 178 of the Parameter Guide).

Since we want an interval of a fourth, which is 5 semitones above the original note, the value we want is 5 x 4 = 20. Therefore we set Step 1 to 0 (the original base note you will play on your keyboard), and we set Step 2 to 20 (an interval of a fourth from the previous step).

Value fields
Step 1 = 000
Step 2 = 020

Now when you press a "D" note on the keyboard, you should hear it flip back and forth between a D and a G above it.

The default Duration is a Quarter note = 1. We want 16th notes for each step for this song "Feels Like the First Time". Change the duration of each step so that 16th note = 1.

A quicker way to change all step durations in one go, instead of laboriously setting each step by hand, is to use the shortcut that divides in half each time:

Duration (lower right corner)
1) Press the /2 button a couple times to divide in half each time.

Don't forget to set the Tempo of the song to match, and save the program.

Keep in mind that besides the Common Step Sequencer, there is also a separate Step Sequencer per Exi engine. So for a program made up of Exi1 and Exi2, you have a total of 3 different step sequencers to use as AMS sources. Have fun!

[Carbo]

As a followup to the discussion above, psionic was right on target. Two subsequent hiccups I experienced were the following. The timbre I was working with used two oscillators so I had to apply the same settings to both. The other was that in the oscillator mixer tab there were two relevant faders. One for EXi 1 and another for Exi 2. I needed to turn the second fader to zero to avoid getting a drone sound along with the sequencer sounds I had created.

Sincere thanks to psionic....this forum rocks!

Peter

[psionic311]

Glad you got it all sorted out Carbo. That step sequencer is going to be handy for cover songs. Let us know how you get along, and don't hesitate to ask questions as you learn. This is a pretty good forum with a lot of friendly and helpful people with varying levels of experience.

[jackh]

The Arpeggiator in the Polysix engine might be useful.

[StephenKay]

Hi Jack!

All good suggestions here. Just for the heck of it, here's how to do that "Feels Like The First Time" riff with KARMA:

Program ID-062 Glory Keys (sorta sounds like it, to my recollection)
On Play > KARMA GE Page:
Set GE to 002 Arp Model 003 Up (one of the simple arpeggios)
Set Slider 4 Velocity Accents to 127 (remove velocity accents)
Set Slider 5 Note Range to 10 (limit the range of the arpeggiation)
KARMA On
Play D + G

If the alternation is not fast enough depending on the tempo....

Go to Common > KARMA > GE RTP/Scenes
Set Master A Slot 002 Rhythm Template + Restore [B] Min to 0
Back to Play > KARMA GE Page
Set Slider 2 Rhythm Pattern to 002 or other small values

(What the above Mod did is make the faster rhythm patterns available at the low end of the Slider.)
_________________
Stephen Kay - KARMA Developer • Karma-Lab - karma-lab.com