Korg Forums

vancutan · Joined: 16 Dec 2016 Posts: 2

PostPosted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 12:24 pm Post subject: Kronos, true main controller? Reply with quote
This might be a question for current Oasys owners or for people that know the Kronos abilities. I'm very excited about the Set List Mode and Smooth Sound Transitions. Those two features alone are going to greatly improve flow during live performances. Feels like Christmas all over again. Haven't been this excited about a keyboard since my Virus TI.

My question...

When stepping through the Set List can Kronos really be the main controller of my entire keyboard setup via midi. It would be so great if, as I stepped through the Set List, all my other keyboards (M3, Virus, Hammond, others) were set to their respective patches, volumes and timing (midi clock). I'm thinking that this would would only be available in Combis and Sequences.

Can anyone shed some light on this?
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voip · Platinum Member Joined: 27 Nov 2014 Posts: 3769

Set List, Program, and Combi modes all transmit program change MIDI messages, if the Kronos MIDI filter is set to let them through, so choosing setlist slot 0 will set the destination patch of whatever is connected to 0, and so on. The recipient device will need its external or incoming program change setting to be enabled for this to work.

Only devices that support smooth sound transitions i.e. the Kronos will continue to produce sound when a Setlist, Program or Combi item is changed.

One thing to bear in mind, if using Program or Combi changes to control external devices, is that the bank on the recipient device is also likely to change when the Kronos bank changes.

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SeedyLee · Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2016 12:41 am Post subject:

Set list mode can be used to recall any program, combi or sequence, so anything you can do in one of those modes, you can trigger with set list mode. In addition, each slot in a set list can override certain settings in the base program/sequence, such as EQ and transposition.

In terms of achieving what you want to do with regards to external hardware, that should absolutely be possible using a combi which you can then select from the set list mode.

I don't use the set list mode as I don't gig, but I really ought to as it's a great way of quickly referencing frequently used programs, or storing comments along with a sequence.
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Current Equipment:
Korg Kronos 2 88, Reface CS, Roland JV-1080, TE OP1, Moog Subsequent 37, Korg ARP Odyssey, Allen & Heath Zed 18, Adam F5, MOTU MIDI Express XT, Lexicon MX200 & MPX1, Yamaha QY700, Yamaha AW16G, Tascam DP008ex, Zoom H6, Organelle, Roland J6 & JU06A

Previous: Triton LE 61/Sampling/64MB/4GB SCSI, MS2000BR, Kronos 1 61, Monotribe, NanoKontrol, NanoKeys, Kaossilator II, Casio HT3000, Roland VP-03, Reface DX, Novation Mininova, MPC One

chini · Last edited by chini on Mon Dec 19, 2016 12:56 pm; edited 6 times in total

I use the Kronos X88 as my main playing keyboard on stage to control/play my Andromeda and rack synths/FX within my rig. However even though the K remains in Setlist mode I don't actually patch change from the Kronos itself. I use a Roland A-50 to patch change the Setlist patches on the Kronos which then send out all the other patch changes, key zoning, cc control etc to the rest of my rig. The main reason I use the A-50 as my patch changer is because it has the unique ability to release a pre-hit patch change once all keys and sustain pedal have been released which lends a much more natural way to move between one set of sounds to another. Yes! the Kronos sounds themselves have the added ability to blend into each other through SST but patch changing direct from the K would change the patches on my other sound sources immediately regardless of if I have still to release any keys or pedal sustained notes. Hence I have my sustain pedal split into two mono jacks cables one going into the K, the other into the A-50. In this way at the point of changing to a new patch if I am using the sustain pedal for example to hold a chord rather than my hands the sustain message controls any internal/external timbres I am controlling from the K and at the same time is holding that patch change I've just hit putting it "in the wings" ready to be released by that same sustain pedal message being transmitted to the A-50. Once I release the pedal the patch change from the A-50 changes the K Setlist patch and everything else in my rig dictated by the K Setlist patch. This combination offers the smoothest way to move generally between overall patches in any large keyboard rig.

Check out the Kronos Midi Filter/Key Zone/Velocity pages both in Combi and Sequence(song) modes for details on the extensive external control available on 16 different simultaneous midi channels. Also check out the External Controllers page in Global mode where you choose what cc messages all the various levers/switches send out. I never assign a Program to the Setlist page as it only transmits on the base channel. Hence Combi and Song patches are all I ever use. I do of course delve into Program mode to alter/write new sound timbres to be used in Combis and Songs.

A tip: recently I have been using a single Song patch to march through the various patch changes during the passage of some of my pieces. It gives you the advantage of running much longer drum patterns and automating patch changes within the sequence tracks themselves. You are limited to triggering the keys on one midi channel in Song mode but if you harness KARMA zoning you can actually transmit on 4 mid channels simultaneously even externally and internally simultaneously if you organise your rig accordingly! Fantastic flexibility! Of course once you get into KARMA on top of its musical creativity it opens up an extremely versatile way of organising the layout of your sounds across the keybed. It's a little confusing at first but well worth persevering with!

So in answer to your original question: Yes! the Kronos makes a fantastic master keyboard!… just for me I prefer to use another remote keyboard to patch change it! For me the patch change on key/sustain release function is the only missing trick under the hood! If The Kronos did have this kind of patch changing ability plus a few more pedal inputs programable on a patch by patch basis (pedal cc assignments only available on a global basis in the K) I would have purchased a K61 long ago plus given myself double polyphony to boot!
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KK · Platinum Member Joined: 13 Oct 2016 Posts: 1422

To send volume changes to other synths along with program changes, you could use SYSEX messages. My Kurzweil MIDIboard can do this and also changes programs only if not currently playing on the keys, otherwise it will once all keys are released.

chini · Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2016 1:31 am Post subject:

KK · Platinum Member Joined: 13 Oct 2016 Posts: 1422

Hi Chini,

I also had a Kurzweil PC2X in the past but I don't think it was able to do that (can't remember clearly). So I really don't think it's a standard feature on Kurzweils.

The MIDIboard is an exception as it's purely a controller (no sounds). I keep it as it has many rare features like poly aftertouch, etc.

chini · Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2016 9:42 am Post subject: Roland A-80 vs Kurzweil Mdiiboard

Bachus · Platinum Member Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 3126

chini