Korg Forums

[go2ldook]

OK, I am lost. I tweaked the CX-3 organ preset to get the sound I wanted to use in a Combi. Tried to save it. I now understand you cannot do that without over-writing a preset, at least until October when the update comes out which includes more empty User banks. So I decided to save to disk. Here is where I am lost:

Saved it to disk, did PCG only. I assumed I could just save the tweaked preset, but looking at what it does though, I assume I saved the entire catalog of stuff...all banks, including the tweak to the CX-3 organ. Then I assumed I would need to load that whole thing, go to Combi mode, and begin creating my combi, pulling up the CX-3 organ under it's original name. Figured it would sound the way I had tweaked it. But no...it still sounds like the original preset.

Sorry if I am stupid. I am new to workstations. I cannot wait until October to create all the sounds I need. Many of them will be combis with multiple splits, and I need to make the programs sound right to create the combis. Could someone PLEASE hold my hand through this...simple terms please...what do I need to do??? I have looked at the manual...still confused.

[go2ldook]

Have to say, having used a computer with soft synths in FL Studio with ease to accomplish what I want, I am a little frustrated by the difficulties I am having doing what I would have expected to be simple tasks.

[michelkeijzers]

A PCG file can contain banks of programs, combis and the global data. You can select which program banks and which combi banks to save.
Also it contains drum kits, arpeggios, set lists and some other items.

If you wish to save a program and you do not have a bank free, the easiest way is to find a bank where you can store such a program. However, since there is only 1 bank free and if you don't want it to be an EXI bank, you need to overwrite another program (e.g. one you don't like).

Overwriting a program cause combi making use of a program to be ruined (since it uses the overwritten program). To prevent this, find out if it is used by a combi. Sadly enough, this is not possible. Luckily I have an app that can analyze this (see my signature for more info).

When Korg has the update available there will be enough banks with empty slots so the need to overwrite a program will be over. Checking by which program a combi is used will probably not go away soon.
_________________

Developer of the free PCG file managing application for most Korg workstations: PCG Tools, see https://www.kronoshaven.com/pcgtools/

[burningbusch]

Program Bank U-G should be available for your programs, but if it's not don't be afraid to over-write any of the Programs. You should be able to find something, somewhere that you can live without for a while. ALL Program banks can be over-written (I-A through U-G with the exception of the MIDI Banks in I-G)

To prove to yourself that anything you over-write can be retrieved later do this:

Press the DISK button
Select FACTORY and press OPEN
Select PRELOAD.PCG and press OPEN
Select PROGRAMS and press OPEN
Select any Bank, g.e. I-A and Press OPEN
Select a program and press LOAD

Notice it asks if you want to load it into the original location. Press CANCEL.

You can load single programs, multi or entire banks.

All of the Programs and Combis can be retrieved from the SSD. Don't be afraid to over-write things you won't need for know. You're probably best off finding an area that you're pretty confident you won't need short term and use it.

Busch.

[go2ldook]

But was my original thinking about writing PCG to disk wrong? I assumed it worked this way:

You turn on Kronos and you do a bunch of work...edit some programs to your liking. Then you can save the PCG to disk, and you end up creating a file that you can load that has all the Kronos presets on it except the ones you changed...they now load up as your edits.

[michelkeijzers]

In case you don't want to ruin combis:

In the following list you can see which combis are using what programs (e.g. program U-E000 is used by combi I-A033, program U-E001 is used by combis I-A017 and I-A063 etc). Missing programs are not used by any combi, thus can be overwritten without ruining combis if you don't like the program of course.

U-E000: I-A033
U-E001: I-A017 I-A063
U-E004: I-A067 000/006
U-E009: I-A028
U-E012: I-A061
U-E019: 000/005
U-E023: I-A011
U-E057: I-A036
U-E063: I-A033
U-E071: I-A017 I-A088
U-E074: I-A025
U-E079: I-A017
U-E080: I-A068
U-E089: I-A006
U-E091: I-A061
U-E102: I-A033
U-E111: I-A062
U-E112: I-A054 I-A060
U-E115: I-A082
U-E116: I-B091
U-E119: I-A075
U-E120: I-A052
U-E122: I-A073
U-E126: I-A005
U-E127: I-A086
U-F016: I-A010
U-F024: I-C126
U-F025: I-A098
U-F031: I-A058
U-F032: I-A058
U-F082: I-A000
U-F102: I-A058
U-F114: I-A033
_________________

Developer of the free PCG file managing application for most Korg workstations: PCG Tools, see https://www.kronoshaven.com/pcgtools/

[burningbusch]

No, it should have worked as you described. When I save a .PCG, I usually only save the bank that I made edits. At the time of saving I will click on Program, press NOTHING and then click on the Bank I want to Save and then go through the other Options (combi, etc.) and click on NOTHING. But that's just to save space and load time.

Busch.

[wan]

I get the feeling that you are missing one step. If you want to save an edited program you must write it to any program slot in a bank, you can't just save it to the SSD without this step.
When you save the PCG to the SSD you save all the combi's, programs etc that are in the current banks. When you don't write your program to a slot in the banks it won't show up in the saved PCG.

Hope this helps
_________________
Grtz Wan

[go2ldook]

I think I am just going to initialize the one empty user bank for Exi sounds. Most of what I will want to edit right now will be Exi synths anyway. Doubt many HD-1 sounds will require tweaking for my purposes. That will get me through till the firmware upgrade.

The Kronos is overkill for me. I am a guitar player. I will use the actual keyboard very little live. Mostly I will be building hyper-split keyboards to put needed notes, chords and such within one octave so I can trigger them with my Roland bass pedals unit with my feet while playing guitar and singing. Could have done this with something else, but I wanted to be as future proof as possible with my one and only synth purchase. Need to load or create samples to trigger as well. Kronos fit the bill.

I appreciate the feedback from everyone. I will post more stupid questions until I get the hang of this thing.

[burningbusch]

[go2ldook]

SO you guys are saying that you would still have to write over the program presets. You would then have to save to PCG on disk, then reload the original preset if you wanted it back...??? That's all just crazy. Like I said...if I can figure out how to initialize the empty user bank as EXi, I will just do that. Definitely will be more user friendly with the upgrade come October.

[jimknopf]

And that brings us back to simplicity if you combine both, go2lddok. Nothing crazy at all!

1. You can save and overwrite any program just by clicking "write program"

2. You do not have to be concerned even a little bit about losing anything, even when overwriting the original program, because - other than on other synths - all original programs can be restored ONE BY ONE (not all as in other factory resets) from SSD (factory content) with a few clicks - just as Bush described above.

It's the most elegant patch handling of all synth systems I know. On the brand new JP80 for example you can't even exchange patches at all. You can only backup and restore the whole patch base: that makes any user patch exchange completely impossible.

The only update I wished would be export of single sounds (instead of whole banks). That would make sound exchange even more easy.
_________________
Kronos 73 - Moog Voyager RME - Moog LP TE - Behringer Model D - Prophet 6 - Roland Jupiter Xm - Rhodes Stage 73 Mk I - Elektron Analog Rytm MkII - Roland TR-6s - Cubase 12 Pro + Groove Agent 5

[burningbusch]

[go2ldook]

Yep...got it.

[Fred S]