Korg Forums

[NigelB]

Hi
I have a Korg Kronos 2 and I am trying to find a way to select presets on a lighting desk controller via the Kronos. The lighting desk controller (ADJ MYDMX GO) is an app being run on my iPad, and is connected via midi using the Kronos usb ‘output’. The lighting app has 40 presets, and these can be recalled via midi note info. , so, for example, if I press low C on my Kronos keyboard, the midi note info will select preset 5 lighting state on my lighting desk app...so that’s all good, and proves that it is working.

However, what I would like to be able to do would be to allow a combi to send out that same note info when recalled. So, if I’m playing at a gig, and have all my Kronos sounds set up in a setlist as combis, then I could have a different lighting preset ‘assigned’ to each combi..and hence song...and have it trigger the lights as a preset at the same time as I select the combi for that particular song.

Is this possible? I’ve been trawling the internet for days now and can’t find any info. As I mentioned, the lighting controller only responds to midi note info, so maybe that will be the inhibiting factor?

Many thanks in anticipation for any ideas.

[Grog96]

Hi Nigel,

Sadly I don't think it's possible to automatically transmit a note when a Combi is selected. You can have it automatically transmit Bank Select and Program Change CCs...

• On the Play > ProgSelect/Mixer tab, set a track's Status to "EX2" and specify the Bank/Program number 000~127.
  
  
• On the Timbre Parameter > MIDI tab, specify the track's outgoing MIDI Channel and Bank Select MSB & LSB values.

I don't have an iPad, but you might be able to get an app similar to the likes of MIDI-OX (which is for PCs only). This excellent utility can, amongst other things, sit between the hardware MIDI IN and any other MIDI software, and then be configured to respond to MIDI events (such as Bank Select and/or Prog Change), and send a note to its MIDI OUT. Hopefully someone more Apple-aware than me can suggest a suitable app...?
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Current gear: Korg Nautilus 73, Korg Kronos X 61 (non-booting!), Korg Krome 73,
Gathering dust: Korg 01/Wfd, Korg M1, GEM S2, AKAI S2800, EMU Morpheus, Casio AZ-1 + midiBeam
Band: Harmony Of Spheres

[NigelB]

Hi
Thanks for the info. I had no idea there was a way of converting midi signals. I will do some research re ipad apps and let you know how I get on.

[Geoff Flynn]

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Korg Oasys 76, Korg Kronos 2 61, Korg Wavestation EX, Roland Jupiter X, 2 x Roland A800 Pro, Yamaha SY77, MacBook Pro Retina 15-inch Core i7 2.7GHz 16GB / 768GB, MainStage 3, Cymatic uTrack24, Samson S Patch, U-PHORIA UMC404HD Audio interface, Yamaha MG16XU mixer

[NigelB]

Hi. I was going to try both of your ideas,but I haven’t got very far with this as I have encountered a few other problems! Firstly the lighting app is sending out midi note messages back into the Kronos, so for instance, note 63 is the lighting app’s tap tempo, and it is constantly send out a couple of signals based on it’s tap tempo!! If you press any other ‘button’ such as a preset it also generates a note message and hence plays the Kronos. (I am using the usb out for the midi). I can’t find a way to disable all midi data input into the Kronos. However, if I change the Kronos global channel then that stops the generated notes from the lighting app being played. I guess if I bought a 5 pin midi to usb/lighting bunch of adapters then I could just come out of the Kronos midi out and not have anything plugged into the midi in...that would do the same job. Maybe that is the disadvantage of using one usb connection?Problem 2 is that no matter what global ch the Kronos is on, the lighting app receives note info...and there are no settings in the app to adjust it’s receiving channel. Equally, after a few more hours on google/forums, I can’t find a way of adjusting the ipad’s midi settings. So, because of this, whenever I am playing the keyboard, all the induvidual midi notes are being received by the lighting app, and hence triggering all the various lighting controls like a possessed lighting operator!! I have seen a purchaseable app called Midiflow which might be the sort of thing that was mentioned above and allow the control of these settings but I’m not 100% sure.

[NigelB]

Hi. I was going to try both of your ideas,but I haven’t got very far with this as I have encountered a few other problems! Firstly the lighting app is sending out midi note messages back into the Kronos, so for instance, note 63 is the lighting app’s tap tempo, and it is constantly send out a couple of signals based on it’s tap tempo!! If you press any other ‘button’ such as a preset it also generates a note message and hence plays the Kronos. (I am using the usb out for the midi). I can’t find a way to disable all midi data input into the Kronos. However, if I change the Kronos global channel then that stops the generated notes from the lighting app being played. I guess if I bought a 5 pin midi to usb/lighting bunch of adapters then I could just come out of the Kronos midi out and not have anything plugged into the midi in...that would do the same job. Maybe that is the disadvantage of using one usb connection?Problem 2 is that no matter what global ch the Kronos is on, the lighting app receives note info...and there are no settings in the app to adjust it’s receiving channel. Equally, after a few more hours on google/forums, I can’t find a way of adjusting the ipad’s midi settings. So, because of this, whenever I am playing the keyboard, all the induvidual midi notes are being received by the lighting app, and hence triggering all the various lighting controls like a possessed lighting operator!! I have seen a purchaseable app called Midiflow which might be the sort of thing that was mentioned above and allow the control of these settings but I’m not 100% sure.

[Geoff Flynn]

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_________________
Korg Oasys 76, Korg Kronos 2 61, Korg Wavestation EX, Roland Jupiter X, 2 x Roland A800 Pro, Yamaha SY77, MacBook Pro Retina 15-inch Core i7 2.7GHz 16GB / 768GB, MainStage 3, Cymatic uTrack24, Samson S Patch, U-PHORIA UMC404HD Audio interface, Yamaha MG16XU mixer

[Grog96]

[NigelB]

Hi Grog96!
Before I changed the Gch it was set to 1.

I’ve done the Prog/drum track trick as you suggested and unfortunately I have established that the lighting app is transmitting on ch1 and unfortunately it is receiving on all channels.

Sometimes the Korg seems to not play any notes whilst I’m playing, as if it’s frozen/jammed, but if I change the Gch to another midi ch...and then back it then ‘un sticks itself’ and then starts playing notes again!! Also, whilst in Gch1, (the only ch that the lighting app transmits on), some Kronos notes which correspond to the various lighting ‘buttons’ end up playing as if sustained. Maybe there’s some weird midi feedback loop going on??

[Grog96]

Tsk, that's bad news - particularly with no MIDI configuration settings in the app. I found the app's manual online and have been searching it for any clues, but no luck.

Earlier you mentioned using actual MIDI cables instead of USB, and only connecting the iPad to the Kronos's MIDI Out (leaving MIDI In unconnected). I can see how that would remove any issues of a feedback loop, and hopefully prevent the freezing/jamming/sustaining; it's worth a try.

But then we're left with the issue of sending lighting messages to the app without sending unwanted Note On events from your keyboard playing. For that, you need to follow Geoff's advice above and use Songs in Sequencer mode.

One thing I'd suggest is to give RPPR a go.

• Check the RPPR box on the main tab.
  
  
• Ensure track 16 is set to Play, not Mute.
  
  
• On the Track Parameter > MIDI tab, change all track Statuses from BTH to INT, except for track 16: set it to EXT.
  - This cuts down on all the unwanted Note On events; only track 16 will send out MIDI messages.
  
  
• On the Pattern/RPPR tab, record the note that triggers the app into User Pattern U00, at position 001 01.000.
  - I notice that the manual lists note numbers in the range 0~71 as commands; that's C-1~B4. On a 61-key Kronos your lowest note (C2) is number 36, so half of those command notes can't be recorded directly. The solution is to record any old note into the pattern and then modify the note via the Event Edit menu option.
  
  
• On the RPPR Setup sub-tab, configure a suitable key (e.g. C#2) to trigger the pattern:
  - Check the Assign box.
  - Pattern will be U00 by default.
  - Set Track to 16.
  - Set Mode to "Once" so that it won't repeat.
  - Set Sync to "Off" so it sends immediately when you play the trigger key.
  

With RPPR you don't need to press [START/STOP] twice, or make the song play for 300 bars; just press the assigned key to send the message. You could also assign a few different patterns to some other unused keys (anywhere on the keyboard, even in the middle if you want) so that you can play them ad-hoc during your performance to change the lighting FX.


Incidentally, I noticed in the manual that it's not just notes - there are also a few MIDI CC's mentioned:

[NigelB]

Thanks. It’s all becoming a bit of a nightmare this! I’ll get a midi din/usb cable first and eliminate that problem before doing the other stuff just in case I end up chasing my tail.

By the way...Geoff, I can’t see your posts anymore...it just ssys ‘html’...not even a link.

Thanks

Nigel

[Grog96]