Korg Forums

[eddie_d]

Hi. Looks like a very informative place and information is what I need right now. Getting back into playing more after years of falling behind on the keyboard technology. I have been active for the past 8 years with a Yamaha VL70-m, WX5 combination so I'm not completely lost but I recently purchased the Pa900 and LOVE it but one thing drives me bananas! I want so badly to be able to turn OFF the automatic vibrato on all the voices and control it myself. Can this be done? I know it is referrred to as "LFO". I want it completely GONE unless I trigger it! On ALL voices. Everytime, no exception. I cannot stand that droning machine like vibrato that nearly all sounds have! Possible? I bought this Korg over the Yammy S950 because of the more in depth control it offers. I really love it but this vibrato thing is starting to sour the whole deal! Got to be just a simple thing I'm missing, right?

Thanks in advance, and nice to meet you all

Eddie

[BillyHank]

Eddie,

Sorry to say this, but I believe just as Yamaha did, Korg recorded the samples with a vibrato.

You can always tell because the vibrato speed is much faster on the higher notes.

This has always been one of my biggest complaints with these keyboards because it destroys any realistic playing of solo voices.

Generally the GM sounds are free of this and the beauty of the Pa900 you can purchase or load your own samples and there are some really good ones out there.

Bill G

[eddie_d]

I am searching the manual. I am in the sound menu looking. Can't find it, it MUST be in there. SURELY I don't have to live with this wobble vibrato. I guess my VL70-m has spoiled me as far as control. I control my vibrato with my WX5 reed on it.

[BillyHank]

I only tried to remove the vibrato on one trumpet voice and changing the LFO had no effect what ever., but I am also new to this keyboard and Korg, so don't give up on this yet - I'm going to keep trying.

Will not be available for a couple of days, so if I don't respond you'll know.

Bill G

[eddie_d]

Oh no. Wow! You have got to be kidding! A piece of technology like this comes with a blunder that huge? How very "70's Casio" of them to overlook something that obvious! I guess I'll have to buy quality sounds for it then. That's just ridiculous!

Would you have any advice as to where I can buy non vibrato high quality samples for this otherwise amazing musical instrument?

[eddie_d]

I really love the DNC voices. Wonderful, BUT if you hold the note any length at all boom, wobbly mechanical vibrato sets in and it's cheap radio shack keyboard sound from there on out BIG bummer! What a horrible goof on an otherwise outstanding intrument. Clearly not a decision made by a musician.

[eddie_d]

I should clarify I don't mean "all" voices. Just the wind instruments. But still, wow, BIG blunder. That one simple detail, making vibrato an option and actually controllable via the mod wheel or better still, aftertouch, would be a huge improvement. It's such obvious issue that I actually "assumed" I would have that control when I ordered this keyboard. Listen to any recording of anybody playing a wind instrument. NEVER do you hear this kind of mechanical whacky vibrato that speeds up on high notes and slows down on low notes and always kicks in at the same time. Dumb. Fake. UNUSABLE on anything but extremely rapid passages whetre you can let off the key before the horrible monster kicks in.

Oh well, I'll just be happy with the rest of it. It's still awesome just a little less so after this disheartening revelation.

[BillyHank]

I hope there are some voices in the solo wind, brass and strings category where this is not true. Because this vibrato destroys any idea of classical solo playing such as cello, trumpet flute, etc.

Sure you want vibrato on some voices as that is normal for them and their use.

I purchased some SF2 files from digital sound Factory, but have only had time to explore only several of the voices I purchased. Very quick easy load into the keyboard and already mapped - I have not tried any wave files yet.
https://www.digitalsoundfactory.com/

Gotta go - later.

Bill G

[eddie_d]

Thanks! I'll check it out. Yeah, I guess I'll have to delve into the non DNC voices Oh well.

[Reuben]

There is usually a work around. For instance on the Jazz Clarinet DNC try this:
Go to Sound Mode, Menu, Basic, Osc Basic Tab.
In Osc 1 change the Osc Multisample from 187 to 191 (Clarinet 3) for both High and Low Multisamples. Do the same for Osc 2.
For Osc 3 change the High and Low Multisamles to 190 (Clarinet 2).
Use the dropdown menu and write to a user slot.
This gets rid of most of the vibrato.

[eddie_d]

Thanks! I'll give it a try. I hope I can do something similar for the sax, trumpet, trombone, and flutes.

I hope I didn't give the impression I'm unhappy with the keyboard. I LOVE it. Truly remarkable piece of equipment in an extremely small, lightweight package.

[Thoraldus]

The answer to your question is that Korg has provided samples with and without vibrato. For example Flute sample 119 has no vibrato on my PA600, while sample 123, 'Flute Vibrato' does. However, I can use sample 119 and add my own custom vibrato using LFO1 & LFO2. Many of the sounds on the Korg arrangers have had vibrato added via the LFO controls. If you open a sound in SOUND mode and set the FREQUENCY to zero for both LFO1 and LFO2 in LFO MODE, you can determine whether the sound was sampled with vibrato or not. Things can get quite a bit more complicated using the control parameters in SOUND editing to determine just how a sound responds to key number, key velocity, damper, joystick, sound controllers, etc. You will find over time as you explore your Korg that there are many ways to accomplish your goals. You just have to 'open the hood' and dig in.
_________________
”It’s easy to play any musical instrument: all you have to do is touch the right key at the right time and the instrument will play itself.”

Johann Sebastian Bach

----------------------------------------------
Rick Stirling - Retired Electrical Engineer - Erstwhile Photographer
Korg Kronos2, Casio MZ-X500, PA600, AKAI MPD32, M-Audio Oxygen 25, ZOOM H6, Cakewalk Sonar

[BillyHank]

Rick,

Thank you for the sound edit info about the various samples - some with and some without vibrato - Man you just got to love this keyboard.

Bill G

[eddie_d]

Thanks!!!!!!! Oh, I've been diggin!!!!! I hope you're right in that they provided a non vibrato one for each instrument. I did not systematically try doing what you said for each voice but "think" (can't say 100% because when I got in there all the options kind of boggled my mind and I lost track of what I was changing! ha ha I'm pretty sure I did try it on several with no vibrato reduction at all but definitely need to try it again though bearing in mind your advice. Sure hope it works! Would be nice to have a "vibrato off" menu setting for each though to simplify the heck out of it.

[Reuben]

In Sound Mode your friend is the Solo Oscillator function found in the dropdown menu. With this you can hear exactly what each osc is doing.
There are several reasons why sometimes you might not hear anything with Solo Oscillator.
1. Check velocity zone - it may trigger say only 110 to 127.
2. The samples might be switching from the front Osc basic page from a Low to High - check Vel SW.
3. Sounds may trigger from other sources than hitting a note. Check Osc Trigger Mode - it could be Staccato only, Joystick or even Assignable 1 for instance.
Compare (also available in dropdown menu) is also your friend where you can check your changes against the original.