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[Flabis66]

Sorry, again a noob question:

I'm reading the Kronos Operation guide (i'm in the Sampling chapter), and I don't understand what is an Ex's (Expansion Sample). Can you explain and give an exemple when we use them?
_________________
Web: https://flabis.com
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/flabis66
Keys: Korg Kronos 2, Korg WAVESTATE, Korg NanoPad2, Kawai CS8, Kawai MP11SE, Yamaha GC1, CVP 105, CVP 503, PSR, YDP, NI S88, Roland Fantom 8, RD88, RD2000, Arturia MiniKeys,
Speakers: M-Audio BX5
Headphones: Sennheizer ATH-M50x, AKG K712pro, AKG K240
Computer: MacBook Air M1
Stand: K&M 18810

[Poseidon]

[19naia]

EX samples are what come in kronos factory set and other sets that you buy from korg shop to install on kronos.
The other option is user sample and that is where you make your own sample or insert whatever sample you want.
You can make your own user samples on Kronos but you cannot make your own EX sample library on Kronos.
You can remove or replace EX samples in Kronos, or install new EX libraries from Korg shop.
EX libraries install with a special key or authorization code from Korg.

[Flabis66]

Thanks, I already read that but still don’t know what it is . So an EX is an instrument ? Like a piano, before the adjustment we make in a program?
_________________
Web: https://flabis.com
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/flabis66
Keys: Korg Kronos 2, Korg WAVESTATE, Korg NanoPad2, Kawai CS8, Kawai MP11SE, Yamaha GC1, CVP 105, CVP 503, PSR, YDP, NI S88, Roland Fantom 8, RD88, RD2000, Arturia MiniKeys,
Speakers: M-Audio BX5
Headphones: Sennheizer ATH-M50x, AKG K712pro, AKG K240
Computer: MacBook Air M1
Stand: K&M 18810

[Poseidon]

[Xenophile]

[voip]

An EXi can be any one of a range of "instruments" within 8 of the Kronos' 9 engines. The HD-1 engine is not included, even though it shares most of the parameters associated with the other engines.

From the Parameter Guide, page 173:
"EXi, or Expansion Instruments, provide a wide variety of synthesis technologies. KRONOS includes eight EXi:
• AL-1 Analog Synthesizer
• CX-3 Tonewheel Organ
• STR-1 Plucked String.
• MS-20EX analog modeling synth
• PolysixEX analog modeling synth
• MOD-7 Waveshaping VPM synthesizer
• SGX-2 Premium Piano
• EP-1 MDS Electric Piano
You can combine any two EXi within an EXi Program. Each EXi has its own, very different parameters, which you can access via the EXi1 and EXi2 buttons at the bottom of the screen. All EXi Programs also include a standard palette of capabilities, including effects, KARMA, key tracking, and the Common LFO and Common Step Sequencer. These standard parameters are available in the pages under the Common button, and are described in this chapter."

.

[19naia]

[19naia]

There is EX and then there is EXi.
The two are not to be confused or assumed to be the same thing.

EXi is for a category of synth engines and usually the synth engines that do not base their sounds on EX library sample PCM’s.

I may be mistaken in the cases where an EXi synth engine will allow use of both EX library PCM as well as other synth modeling types that are normal to EXi category.

[voip]

There are EXi - Expansion instruments, and EXs - Expansion samples. The former can make use of the latter, and the HD-1 engine also can make use of Expansion samples, even though it isn't classified as an EXi.

[Flabis66]

omg, i feel noober now

Let's see in a concrete case:

If I go in the nature and record a few ducks sounds (the duck is the "instrument"). Each sound is saved as a wav file, a sample, right? The collection of these samples are the Expansion Samples?
Then i can create an (EXi ???) where i attribute each sample to a keyboard key.
Then i create a program where i select the (EXi???) and set the vibrato, velocity, attack...
And then when i play a melody I will hear the ducks singing.

So the Exi are similar as VST's? and the Ex's are the wav files in the VST container? Am I right?
And the 8 engines are like NI plugin's that contains boutons to modify the sound in different ways.
_________________
Web: https://flabis.com
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/flabis66
Keys: Korg Kronos 2, Korg WAVESTATE, Korg NanoPad2, Kawai CS8, Kawai MP11SE, Yamaha GC1, CVP 105, CVP 503, PSR, YDP, NI S88, Roland Fantom 8, RD88, RD2000, Arturia MiniKeys,
Speakers: M-Audio BX5
Headphones: Sennheizer ATH-M50x, AKG K712pro, AKG K240
Computer: MacBook Air M1
Stand: K&M 18810

[19naia]

[Flabis66]

Thanks everybody, it’s clear now.

I didn’t expect so long answers, and didn’t ask how to use them, but the manual and all the video tutorials use so many abréviations that I never heard before. And each description of a term in the manual use other abréviations.
So finally I’m totally lost.

But my goodness, I never thought the Kronos will be so complicated to learn. I’m 52 and all along my life I learned a lot of things, from audio visual industry to computers (hardware, os and softwares, even development and web design), and many other things very fast but the Kronos is far the most difficult !
_________________
Web: https://flabis.com
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/flabis66
Keys: Korg Kronos 2, Korg WAVESTATE, Korg NanoPad2, Kawai CS8, Kawai MP11SE, Yamaha GC1, CVP 105, CVP 503, PSR, YDP, NI S88, Roland Fantom 8, RD88, RD2000, Arturia MiniKeys,
Speakers: M-Audio BX5
Headphones: Sennheizer ATH-M50x, AKG K712pro, AKG K240
Computer: MacBook Air M1
Stand: K&M 18810

[KK]

Hi Flabis66,

The Kronos is indeed an enormous synthesizer to master, but don't worry if you feel intimidated at first with it. With time, you will learn and master the sections/modes you want. And with practice, everything becomes easier. And many users only scratched the surface of their Kronos enormous potential.

I see you seem to be francophone, so may I suggest this video below for a start. It is a tutorial on how to sample a simple sound. In your example of ducks, it is even more simple, since you would not need to loop your samples. Start with easy things, only one sample first, then create a program with it and learn how to save everything properly. After a few attempts, everything becomes simpler. Le secret c'est la pratique ! Bon clip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwtSrqYvPE4

[Liviou2004]

Hello Flabis6,

I've got my fisrt synth 40 years ago !! Since then I played on many other keyboards. However, the first time I opened my Kronos, I felt completely lost !! Without knowing where to begin !

Slowly, reading manuals, listening to tutorials, in french and in english, I began to tame the "beast".

What could help is to think of the Kronos not as an instrument but as a full studio, because it's the case. The Kronos is a Worstation, not a simple instrument. So just imagine a room with several keyboards and instruments, drums, percussions, a mixer, a sampler, an effect unit and a multitrack recorder. Here is a Kronos.
This helped me a lot to think like that.

The second thing wich helped me is to know exactly what I wanted to do before turning on the Kronos.
Do I just want to play pliano ? Do I want to play pad sounds ? Do I want to listen and practise some drums ? Do I want to record what I'm playing ? Do I want to compose a song with piano, bass, drums ? Do I want to sample a beautiful sound I just heard and playing with it ? Etc, etc;

So, I suggest you asked this to yourself before turning it on : what I want to do with my Kronos, just now ? Once this question answered, either you know how to do or not.
If not, there are many way to do : this forum, youtube, manuals. But keep your very specific question in mind not other one.

That way, you will progress step by step. But get rid of the idea you will completely master the Kronos in some days or even some weeks. It will take many times.