Just got my EMX1. Instructions may as well be in Russian.

[Darwin]

After reading the instructions a bit, it seems this piece of hardware is not as "out of the box friendly" as everyone says. I want more than to just tamper with premade patterns.

Can I just start with a blank slate and sequence a completely new drum beat while browsing a list of drum sounds. For example: Start with the kick drum on beat 1 and select a kick drum from a list of kick drums in a sound bank? I hope that sound bank, for the emx, doesn't mean listen to premade patterns and find a sound you like.

In fact, is there a way to completely wipe out all the premade patterns? i want to create completely new music on the emx using the synth and drum sounds (not patterns) provided.

The instruction manual seems to explain everything as if you're using their premades.

This is frustrating. Please help. I just want to make my own beat--not turn knobs to make their beats sound different.

[robosardine]

I've heard it all now. You've read the instructions a 'bit' - and you don't think the Electribe is user friendly and you would like someone to take the time to answer the questions you can't be bothered too look for- on the same forum that has all your questions answered on it if only you could be bothered too look through it. It could not be easier- the manual is perfectly clear. Have you tried reading 'recording a phrase' on page 47? it's very helpful. You don't by any chance have difficulty in getting out of your bed before lunchtime do you?

[Darwin]

You sir, can kiss my ass.

[Darwin]

Oh I forget to ask what page it explains where you became such a condescending prick. I'm new at this stuff, OK? You asshole, you want to lecture me about being lazy? I didn't gain my level of musical proficiency all these years smoking dope and sleeping in, which seems to be your ultimatum. Is that how you roll? Or are you such a loser that you stoop to outright insulting people you don't know on a forum. Whatever makes your epeen grow man. Hmm. So if you go into a music store and ask the clerk to show you how something works and he calls you lazy and tells you to go figure it out, you're okay with that?
And if you even read my questions right, you'd know page 47 doesn't answer it. Anyone can hit record and record a premade pattern. I'm trying to step sequence my own stuff, and yes it is daunting for someone new to this. f*ck off.

[Pastor-of-Muppets]

the difference with a store clerk is he's hoping to get money in exchange for help - on a forum noone makes any money from demonstrating excellent customer service.

I have only used the ESX not the EMX but I assume it's pretty similar. you can absolutely start with a clean slate, you can either erase all the data in an existing pattern, or spin the wheel all the way round and find a pattern near the end that is empty.

Try the Easy Start guide, available from http://www.korg.co.uk/products/dance_dj/mx1/dj_mx1.asp which is much shorter and includes a section on starting from a new pattern. See pages 3 and 4

[tim from texas]

maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan chill... the guy who answered your questions may have answered bluntly but he has a good point about digging into the manual... much less using the search bar on this forum or google... you kinda jumped all over him with the way he responded MORE than his response jumped all over you..

i did a quick google search for the emx manual and found a pdf.. in literally the first 10 seconds of opening the file i went to the glossary and i went to the D's in the alphabet .. i found that on page 70 there is a section on deleting the pattern.... once you delete one pattern its easy to do a ton of them in a row.. you hit write then scroll to the next patten and hit write again.. youve now copied a blank pattern and pasted it in a new pattern deleting the old one.. in 2 seconds too.. you can do that as many times as you want.. page 19 has info on playing a pattern you are right about there is more info on playing whats on the machine rather than creating new.. with a blank pattern you should be a little better off... also on the esx there were blank patterns way deep in the pattern bank after the stock ones... there may be a way to clear out the factory stuff with a command but youll have to google for that..

i own an esx and it took an equal amount of reading AND experimenting to get comfortable on the machine

edit: i went to R for recording and found info on both realtime AND step recording on page 47.. the dood may have rubbed you the wrong way but he is right.. the manual is your friend.. there are people who would have just responded with RTFM (readthefuckingmanual)

[Darwin]

I thought this forum would be helpful, but I guess not. That douche shits on a newcomer to the forum and "I" need to chill? f*ck you too. Ban me

[MrMackie]

Unfortunatly there has probably been too many noobies asking realy easy questions which has made the forum members either not reply or type back sarcastic posts.

Anyway, im a noob myself, but will try and help out:

In regards your Question:
"Can I just start with a blank slate and sequence a completely new drum beat while browsing a list of drum sounds. For example: Start with the kick drum on beat 1 and select a kick drum from a list of kick drums in a sound bank? I hope that sound bank, for the emx, doesn't mean listen to premade patterns and find a sound you like"

Yes you can. Select 'pattern' button, then turn main knob till you have a blank page i.e. past all the house/transe/dnb etc preset patterns that come with the EMX. (press play to make sure it is blank of any presets, although you might just get a Bass drum beat, but thats ok you can use that later.
Then sellect 'part edit' button. The first part you can use/modify will be the Bass Drum (BD01). Select any of the 1-16 steps you want to hear this BD on. (If you press the 1/5/9/13 buttons on the sequencer and press play, you will hear the basic 4/4 beat being repeated over and over.) OK, were getting somewhere.

Then select another Part to edit, snare, hi-hat etc and modify that to your liking then select where you want to hear it on the sequencer.

That should get you started. You will now need to play and mess about for some time, which can be frustraiting but also fun as you begin to learn how the electribe functions. Dont worry it will all come together for you. Its taken me a while but have found practice, forum surfing (yes this forum is great) and reading the manual will get you to where you want to go.

I have an ESX, but its almost identical in its programming sequence methods (aside form the synth parts ofcourse) so you should be right.

Give the forum another go, its one of the best for Korg info, and dont be offended by what i call 'keyboard warriors' as they exsist on every forum, and are only as strong as the screen they hide behind.

Peace

[MrMackie]

forgot to mention......,

I went through my preset patterns and deleted a heap of ones i didnt like which enabled me to only have to turn the main pattern knob a small amount to about #10 before i had a fresh pattern spaces to play with each time i turned the electribe on.

Deleting took some time as i wanted to keep a few for future ref on how certain songs were structured, but it was well worth it.

Check the back of the manual in the index on how to delete patterns, renaming etc etc. Dont forget to turn the 'Global button protection' mode off so you can save/edit and delete.

I think when people say the Electribe is easy to program, they are compairing it to others on the market. And from what i have seen, people are right. Once you get the hang of how they work, they actually are.
Any new equipment has a learning curve, its just how steep the learning curve is that matters and how much you can stick at it and can enjoy the ride.

The sound you can get from these little things is awesome for the price. I made a real punchy breakbeat the other day using the standard tubes. It sounds so good i havnt even put in the JJ tubes i still have in boxes sitting beside the machine, lol!!

[tim from texas]

wow man i just layed out a s**t ton of help to you when "no one else would" and you still say f*ck me too? then tell me to ban you? if i could i would man... people like you are the poison of forums like this.. you make those willing to help not want to... the answers to your simple questions are in your hands... i pointed that out nicely WITH page numbers and somewhat of a description of what to do... and yea... f*ck me...

go somewhere else and see if anyone helps you with the way you act..

[Pastor-of-Muppets]

seems like Darwin ignores the actual help and only reacts to the responses he doesn't like

dunno why I bothered trying to help

[Pastor-of-Muppets]

btw I do think Korg manuals could be much clearer. I have three 'tribes and a KP3 and none of their manuals really goes into much depth in explaining the process, just the briefest description of how to do something, which doesn't help beginners who aren't sure what it is they need to do.

The best manual I've got is for an old Akai S-series sampler, which reads like a book, explaining the why as well as the how. It takes longer to read it, but the information is there. But another, more recent Akai manual I have isn't as good. Maybe nowadays companies assume they can save the cost of paying good technical writers to prepare their manuals, because there's so much good info on the web (hahahaha - getting good advice on the web is like asking for tax advice in a nursery school)

[harvestein]

He could have just went to one of the blank patterns in Bank D if he wanted to try it out before wiping eveything.

i thought the presets were a good way to learn the functions.

[robosardine]

Youv'e gained a 'level' of 'musical proficiency' but you can't follow the little pictures of a hand with the numbers on it in sequence showing you what to press... do me a favour. What are you proficient in- Big Dizzy Bears My First Pull Along Dingle Car?

[davethoven]

haha yeah i totally agree, its not intuitive at all if you are used to american made hardware i guess. Its very japanese in the layout/logic and the instructions are pretty bad.