Korg Forums

powerslave77 · Joined: 23 Dec 2007 Posts: 1

Hi there,

im very new to midi controlling and have although i have used ableton for a few years now i have never tryed to setup a control surface before.

my issue is well more of a question is that i can map all the keys fine but it seems as if channel 1 of the Zero8 is set as the main output controller for EQ sendFX and the such instead of being controlled by each channel and being able to manipulate each loop individually. Also when i try to change the channels to Audio+Midi so i could in affect use the unit controlled EQs i lose my midi mapping. any idea i know im a newbie but any help would be appreciated

miim · Joined: 08 Sep 2007 Posts: 15

I don't know if this helps, but I use channel 8 for the master output from live. On the master channel (in ableton live) theres a dropdown box by defult reads 1/2. To send to channel 8 on the zero8, select 15/16. Now you have channels 1-7 for midi/audio usage. This is a good starting place for you.

subterFUSE · Full Member Joined: 15 Sep 2007 Posts: 116

Korg made a minor goof when they designed this mixer. That goof is that the Master Bus and Headphone Bus are not separately routable channels for the soundcard.

The Korg Zero 8 soundcard only has 8 stereo channels. They correspond to the 8 upfaders on the mixer itself. Each channel can be set to Audio, MIDI, or Audio+MIDI.

With a software program like Ableton Live, the user has a choice how he wants to mix the music. He can route each track in Live to a channel on the mixer, and mix with "hardware." Or he can route each track to the master output of the software, and mix in the software.

The Korg Zero 8 is capable of operating in both ways, however there is a small catch. This catch involves headphone monitoring. As we all know, DJs who use Ableton Live will want to have a separate output assigned so they can listen to different sources from what is currently playing on the master. To do that with the Korg, then we will have to go in Ableton and assign the output from the headphones to one of the 8 channels on the Korg. Next, we will have to put that channel into either Audio or Audio+MIDI mode. Then we will have to activate that channel's headphone cue button so it turns orange, and make sure that we don't accidentally hit the upfader on that channel.... because then the audience will hear your headphone cue playing on the master. (Not good!)

This is the minor nuissance I was referring to.

It would have been better if the Master and Headphone Busses on the Korg could have been individually assignable from your software program. Then that way you would be able to use all 8 channels on the Zero 8 as full MIDI controls, and still have a separate master and headphone cue. As it stands now, if you want to mix in Ableton and use a headphone cue, then you will effectively lose one of your 8 MIDI channels.

miim · Joined: 08 Sep 2007 Posts: 15

Here, here mate. Could not agree with you more. What a terrible oversight. Do you think it can be corrected? or are we doomed with a korg zero06+1/2. for the rest of our musical lives.?

Mo

subterFUSE · Full Member Joined: 15 Sep 2007 Posts: 116

I made a small error in my description above.

To have a headphone cue for Ableton, the channel on the Korg where you assign the Cue can ONLY be placed in Audio mode. If you leave it in Audio + MIDI, then that channel's upfader will remain in MIDI mode and not control the output of that channel's audio signal to the Master Bus of the Korg.

That means your audience will hear you headphone cue playing on the Master if you use Audio+MIDI mode. You must stick with Audio mode, and make sure not to accidentally hit the upfader on that channel.