Which Midi-Controller for EMX!?!

gibsonsg87 · Post by **gibsonsg87** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 5:00 pm

You guys have been really awesome! Basically, I am just tired of using the MicroKorgs tiny sized keys and wanted something with bigger/regular sized keys that could work with my current setup. The MicroKorg does everything that I want it to do (which is manually changing the channels 1-5 on the Microkorg as its being used as midi controller and using the 1-5 channel EMX sounds) but these small keys make certain parts more difficult than they really are. I am not even going to use the OTHER Microkorg at my hands for anything and just probably use my bands Yamaha Motif XS8 88-Key Workstation for chords/anything else that I could ever need. So essentially, is there any cheap keyboard with bigger keys that can replace my original Microkorg that manually switches channels 1-5 as it lets me use the channel 1-5 synth parts on a particular present on the EMX? That is all that I want to do because this setup works perfectly for me as I also have programmed presents with drum machine/synth parts for certain verses/intros/outros/etc. and this setup does not mess me up during live shows.

xmlguy · Post by **xmlguy** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 6:26 pm

The most natural replacement for the MicroKorg is the R3. Besides having a regular synth keyboard, it has double the polyphony of the MK and the engine is based on the Radias. You can change the midi channel to anything you want on the R3, of course.

gibsonsg87 · Post by **gibsonsg87** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 6:33 pm

Is there any way that I can separate the synth sounds from the EMX and R3 once connected together? In other words, could I play the R3 with the EMX synth sounds and then play the R3 synth sounds later in the same song while being still connected together?

xmlguy · Post by **xmlguy** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 7:00 pm

gibsonsg87 wrote:Is there any way that I can separate the synth sounds from the EMX and R3 once connected together? In other words, could I play the R3 with the EMX synth sounds and then play the R3 synth sounds later in the same song while being still connected together?

The sounds of the EMX and R3 are separate, so there's nothing you have to do to keep them that way. Midi doesn't connect the audio, it only lets one control the other. To hear them together requires you to mix the audio together, preferably with a small mixer, but you could also hook the audio out from one to the audio in of the other. With a mixer you can just turn down or mute the R3 channel when you don't want to hear it. Using a mixer is always a good idea with 2 or more synths/keyboards because it lets you control the volume levels more easily.

gibsonsg87 · Post by **gibsonsg87** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 7:18 pm

We have a mixer, but I have the audio which I connect from the EMX to the P.A. outputting the sound while using midi cables to hook up the EMX and MicroKorg. So you are saying that I can control the sounds on the EMX by using the R3 (and be able to use its chords) while still having the original sounds on the R3 at the same time?

xmlguy · Post by **xmlguy** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 9:36 pm

Sure, all you have to do is hook the audio output of the MicroKorg/R3 to another channel on the mixer, in addition to the EMX. Then you'll hear both. If you only want to hear the EMX, then turn down the channel for the MicroKorg/R3 on the mixer.

gibsonsg87 · Post by **gibsonsg87** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 4:17 pm

Thanks for your help. I'm probably going to purchase the R3 because it seems like it will do everything that I need, aka change channels to play EMX synth sounds, play its own sounds on the R3, plays chords, and has the bigger keys.