Hi,
I am wondering what the best way to set up the KROME for rapid sound changes during live performances.
For example for Verse 1, I might have a certain layer of programs and then Chorus might have a different set of programs layered (in combi mode), Verse 2, Bridge etc ...all with different layers.
I can see two options.
Option 1: Prepare a combi for each part of the song and use a foot pedal to move to the next combi...so there might be a sequence of 4-6 combis for the one song. Would that work? Does the change to the combi work smoothly without the 'sound' cutting out?
Option 2: Set up one combi for the song and using the touch screen, turn on and off programs as needed. I think this could be clumsy, for example doing a quick change to the next part of the song could require 2-3 programs to turn on and off.
Is there another option?
Thoughts/advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
John
Combi changes for different parts of a song
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jcw
- Junior Member
- Posts: 86
- Joined: Sat Jun 10, 2006 8:53 am
- Location: Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
Combi changes for different parts of a song
Proud owner of Krome-88, Micro X and PA-500
Option 1 won't work as intended because the Krome doesn't support smooth sound transitions, and sounds could stop abruptly when a new Program or Combi is selected. Only the Kronos does smooth sound transitions. A few other keyboards and rack synths support some sort of sound continuation, but the sound often changes dramatically if the new patch, program, or Combi uses different effects.
Option 2 is the best bet.
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Option 2 is the best bet.
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Both those option seem awkward. I occasionally use the screen to mute channels but its a bit hit and miss, if you miss the button for example.
Sounds basic and apologises if you've thought about and rejected this but why not just zone the keyboard and set the different sounds to different octaves?
An example could be bottom octave piano and strings layered if you want, next octave a brass pad, next one an organ or whatever you want. That way you won't need to switch combi's which as we know doesn't work smoothly. I've got combi's where I have a bass sounds in the top 2 octaves that I play with my right hand!
The Zones don't have to be octaves, I've often just just a single note for a sound, don't forget you can transpose notes too, so for example you could assign 4 separate channels to the same note range, say C4, then apply the same sound to each four channels, but then transpose one up a third, the next one up a fifth, one set standard at C4, another up a seventh or ninth or simply 12 semitones up giving you a full chord just pressing one single note. That's a great way of producing a really big chord with one finger. (We do Summer Madness by Kool and the Gang, the 2 keyboard chords are really stretched out complicated chords hard to play so I just set them out as above and get 10 notes producing a lovely chord from pressing one note!!)
If you were playing full piano sounds both hands over all 61 / 73 keys then obviously all the above won't work but as you are prepared to use one hand to change combi's or mute / unmute sounds it sounds like you aren't doing that so all the above could work well.
Good luck!
Sounds basic and apologises if you've thought about and rejected this but why not just zone the keyboard and set the different sounds to different octaves?
An example could be bottom octave piano and strings layered if you want, next octave a brass pad, next one an organ or whatever you want. That way you won't need to switch combi's which as we know doesn't work smoothly. I've got combi's where I have a bass sounds in the top 2 octaves that I play with my right hand!
The Zones don't have to be octaves, I've often just just a single note for a sound, don't forget you can transpose notes too, so for example you could assign 4 separate channels to the same note range, say C4, then apply the same sound to each four channels, but then transpose one up a third, the next one up a fifth, one set standard at C4, another up a seventh or ninth or simply 12 semitones up giving you a full chord just pressing one single note. That's a great way of producing a really big chord with one finger. (We do Summer Madness by Kool and the Gang, the 2 keyboard chords are really stretched out complicated chords hard to play so I just set them out as above and get 10 notes producing a lovely chord from pressing one note!!)
If you were playing full piano sounds both hands over all 61 / 73 keys then obviously all the above won't work but as you are prepared to use one hand to change combi's or mute / unmute sounds it sounds like you aren't doing that so all the above could work well.
Good luck!
Splitting/Layering within a single Combi as noted by hartlas is a great way to resolve your issue if you can make it work. I do this where I can, but as I have a Krome 61 I sometimes run out of room, hence the need for multiple Combis occasionally.
If confronted by this challenge, I run with Option 1 - but as noted already by voip, you won't get "smooth sound transition" because that is not supported by the Krome.
When I do this live, I don't use a foot pedal (although you could). All I do is go to my Combi menu and keep it open on the touch screen. I can quickly change between Combis with one touch of a finger mid-song.
I have also tried Option 2 but found it far too cumbersome in a live setting. Especially if trying to change multiple sounds simultaneously.
If confronted by this challenge, I run with Option 1 - but as noted already by voip, you won't get "smooth sound transition" because that is not supported by the Krome.
When I do this live, I don't use a foot pedal (although you could). All I do is go to my Combi menu and keep it open on the touch screen. I can quickly change between Combis with one touch of a finger mid-song.
I have also tried Option 2 but found it far too cumbersome in a live setting. Especially if trying to change multiple sounds simultaneously.
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jcw
- Junior Member
- Posts: 86
- Joined: Sat Jun 10, 2006 8:53 am
- Location: Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
Thanks for the advice.
At the moment I have worked out how to use the Knobs 1-4 as faders, so I can fade layers in or out. Kbs 1 and 2 - volume and expression and Kb3 and 4 - based on IFX - Stereo Limter - Thanks to Dan Stesco.
For one song, I tried the splits in the keyboards...I have an 88 but am used to a 61. I found that I lost which parts of the keyboard had which sounds - but this could be overcome with practice and some sticky labels...
I was also thinking ahead - next year, I will probably need to play keys for school musical and often could be up to 100 or even more patch changes through out the musical. I think i can get around this by programming the patches for groups of songs (some songs segue into others), and the splits on the keyboard may help there.
Has any one used Lemur? I was thinking of setting something up on an Ipad with big buttons to turn on and off programs within the combi, but so far it is beyond my programming experience with MIDI. Something like the ipad app that goes with omnisphere...
thanks again
John
At the moment I have worked out how to use the Knobs 1-4 as faders, so I can fade layers in or out. Kbs 1 and 2 - volume and expression and Kb3 and 4 - based on IFX - Stereo Limter - Thanks to Dan Stesco.
For one song, I tried the splits in the keyboards...I have an 88 but am used to a 61. I found that I lost which parts of the keyboard had which sounds - but this could be overcome with practice and some sticky labels...
I was also thinking ahead - next year, I will probably need to play keys for school musical and often could be up to 100 or even more patch changes through out the musical. I think i can get around this by programming the patches for groups of songs (some songs segue into others), and the splits on the keyboard may help there.
Has any one used Lemur? I was thinking of setting something up on an Ipad with big buttons to turn on and off programs within the combi, but so far it is beyond my programming experience with MIDI. Something like the ipad app that goes with omnisphere...
thanks again
John
Proud owner of Krome-88, Micro X and PA-500
Could the internal sequencer be used for this purpose? If the internal sequencer supports program changes, then you could put program changes into the sequencer at the right times to switch programs. The only difficulty I see here is that the sequencer needs to be running in correct time to what you are playing, but could be an option?