Radias-Vocoder Recording Problem

[PharmerTom]

Greetings!

I am trying to accomplish what is demonstrated on the Korg Radias Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0JcfeqhSF8
At around 2:45 on the video.

I have gone to Page 58 in the manual, and tried all the steps but I must be missing something.

The Vocoder Program I selected was O09 (Comb-Coder)
It sounds great ... but No matter what I try, I can't seem to get it to "record" as they do in the video ... I must be missing something:

I have tried with Vocoder button both on and off
Routing modulator at Single/Audio and tried Serial/Frmnt play
and I am pushing the Unison Frmnt Rec Button.
It blinks, and turns red when I start my record

I am certain I am missing something obvious ... just not to me ... right now

Any help would be appreciated ...
Thanks!


Thoughts?

[axxim]

Hi,

I can tell you how it works in the R3 and maybe it works similar on the Radias:

1.a. If you are in a vocoder patch: the vocoder LED should be on, press the vocoder button again and it starts to blink

1.b. If you are NOT in a vocoder patch: If the vocoder LED is off, press it once and it starts blinking

2. If the Formant Motion button is off, turn it on

3. Press REC (should start blinking)

4. If you press REC again it starts recording (LED is steady) until you press REC again or the 7,2 seconds are reached

Resuming:
Pressing Vocoder and REC until both are blinking and then pressing REC again starts the recording in any patch. To hear or use the recorded, you need to have Formant Motion activated

Remember that no matter what patch you are, the carrier sound should be good for vocoder effects, that is why the vocoder patches are te better to work with. Also be sure that your mic input has enough level (the audio input LED should lit green)

[PharmerTom]

Thanks for your reply axxim!

I certainly do appreciate ... so I followed your steps ... but still did not seem to work but ... lights blink, seems like it is "recording" but no play-back. I thought I got it to work on another Vocoder program - but it was nowhere near as clean as it sounded on the video ... and now I can't get it to do it again.

"Gosh" ... it looked so simple on the video - (smile) - of course it always does. I'm sure I will get there ... thanks for your help ...

I'll keep trying ... let you all know if I find the big On/Off switch ... that makes it work.

Thanks again!

[PharmerTom]

Getting there .... RTFM - good thought (smile) ... the Easy Start had a step by step:

I still can't get the sound quite right - but much closer, I used one of the blank "Init Programs" (see step 4) instead of trying to record with one of the pre-set Programs. (so that may have been my problem).

Below are the steps ... (copied here so I can find them again, and perhaps to help the next person ... : )
I assume Korg won't mind ...

Thanks again!
-----------------------------

1. Make sure the AUDIO IN 1 /INST and AUDIO IN 2/VOICE knobs on the RADIAS are turned all the waydown.

2. Connect the included headset microphone to the rear panel CONDENSER MIC INPUT, and set the switch to CONDENSER MIC. Alternatively, you can use another type of microphone and connect it to the rear panel INPUT 2 jack > Set the rear panel AUDIO IN 2 level switch to the DYNAMIC MIC position.

3. Slowly adjust the AUDIO IN 2/VOICE knob up until the LED turns green (red indicates clipping) when you speak into the microphone.

4. Select any “Init Program’ in Bank P. Press the VOCODER key, press a note on the keyboard, and speak into the mic. Try adjusting the FC OFFSET and RESONANCE knobs while speaking and playing; FORMANT SHIFT also effectively modifies the sound.

The Vocoder in RADIAS has a new Formant Record function: vocal or other sound data can be recorded so that you can play the Vocoder without having to speak into the mic!

5. After completing Steps 1-4 above, make sure that the ROUTING/ MODULATOR key points to “AUDIO” > Press the FRMNT REC key: it will flash > Press it again so it is solidly lit, and say a phrase up to 7.5 seconds
long > Press FRMNT REC again so it is unlit.

6. Press the ROUTING / MODULATOR key so that “FRMNT PLAY” is selected > Now play the keyboard and hear your phrase!

[X-Trade]

The formant motion is actually stored separately from the program data in its own slots, that the program just selects/references, so it shouldn't matter what program you use to record the formant motion data. It is only recording the input side of the vocoder and not the bands after they have been modulated with the synth sound.

[axxim]

As you wrote, your result with an init'ed program worked better. This is because the most important to get a good vocoder sound is to have a good carrier. For this using a saw or narrow pulse vaweform is the best. Open totally the LPF's cutoff and resonance should preferibly be low or zero.
A good carrier sound will sound very harsh and rude when played dry but this are the best ones.

What the synth records in the Formant Motion are the variation in time of the 16 filter amplitudes according to what is given in the formant input. It is like having 16 time variable modulators for a 16 band equalizer that is applied to the carrier.
So what you record in Formant Motion is not the sound itself, it is rather the shape of its spectrum. This then you can apply to any carrier and here is where the sound gets its characteristic.

If you want take a look at my webpage where I explain short how a vocoder works and give some valuable hints to get better results go to http://www.axxim.de/korg_r3 and select the dial until Vocoder is lit and then select the knob labeled "Basics"