Kaossilator Pro - voice volume variations

[skinnychad]

I have a Kaossilator Pro and love it, the only problem is that the programs or voices (of which there are 200) have EXTREME varations in their volume output. Some are barely audible when played with other instruments, and others overpower everything else in the room. The program volume dial is set at the full volume level while this is happening. This means that if you try to switch from one voice to the other on the fly, the sound can be overwhelming, and unfortunatley not in the good way. This is an issue, mainly because unless I label each voice as "loud" or "quiet", I am unable to use this insturment live. Even then I would feel as if a good portion of the voices (either the loud or quiet depending on how the volume output on my mixer is set) would be unplayable, or at least not very easy to switch to live. Long story short, I am really just hoping someone can respond and tell me that mine is the only defective machine they know about, and that the volume output on their K Pro is consistent from voice to voice.

If that isn't the response I get, then what am I supposed to do, identify the proper level of program volume for each of the 200 voices, and then make that adjustment on the fly so that I don't blast the speakers, lame.

Thanks a ton for any help you can provide!

[xmlguy]

It's not defective. You probably don't have an external compressor/limiter/gate between the Kpro and the PA system. You need one. There should already be one, if the system was engineered to avoid being blown up by any music source with a wide dynamic range and the frequency response of a synth like the KPro.

In other words, a compressed/limited speaker system won't allow itself to be blasted. Once you have the compressor you'll need to practice a bit with it to get a feel of how to set it up for the Kpro and the speaker system. Instead of a compressor you could get an EQ and audio spectrum analyzer - but in that case - YOU become the compressor trying to manage the dynamic range and energy of the output.

[DaveMachin]

I don't notice significant volume differences - but I leave the program volume knob at about half way. Does that make a difference?

[Mr36]

This was actually one of the first things I noticed and it is quite annoying sometimes. It can certainly stunt the spontaneity of a performance. Surely it would have made more sense to have all of the programs output at the same level and be sort of pre-mixed so that no matter which sounds you put together (with the same constant program volume knob position), they will all be heard (to an extent, of course).

[englishhermit]

Agreed. I have the same issue with my JV 1080.

It was something I had overlooked when designing the two KO-PRO MIDI interfaces available from my website. http://www.englishhermit.net I'll have to upgrade them. I'm a bit busy at the moment working on an all singing all dancing arpegiator so it won't be right away.

The solution is to transmit a CC#94 to the KO-PRO which controls the volume knob when transmitting the pitch CCs. It will mean defining a preset volume for each of the voices too, but as my argegiator does that anyway, it won't take too long to do the upgrade.

What a fiddle.

[Gonzo89]

I had this problem and originally looked here for a solution, so I will tell you the answer to my problem. I am running an Electribe ESX-1 and Kaosillator Pro to a Behringer Xenyx 1202fx which is running into my stereo receiver, a Marantz TA-60 (pretty old)

I was just running the wrong kind of cable. I was using RCA to 1/4" TRS when I should have been using TS. I am not sure why this would have an effect on the volume of specific programs. Perhaps some of them are panned more to one side or the other?

Either way, switching from stereo 1/4" to mono 1/4" for the input on my Xenyx 1202fx seems to have remedied the situation for me. Hope this helps.

BTW, I had a few of my friends say that I should get a "proper" PA and that my Marantz TA-60 was not designed to handle such a dynamic high output device. I disagree. IMO if you keep the volume at a reasonable level then it shouldn't matter what you use to power your speakers. Obviously, you can not crank it louder than your amp was intended to play.

[Bowmoney]

there is definitely a difference if you are using the wrong cables, as some sounds only come out of the left channel, with a reverb or effect layered underneath on the right channel...using the correct cables is absolutely an necessity

[Bowmoney]

also, if you are using a mono speaker, there is often some phase cancelling which makes some sounds seem much quieter, like the vibraphone patch, for instance.

[dbLooper]

I just suddenly started having the same problem that skinnychad first posted about. It seems like its a problem with the internal program patch volume. Where as they were all similar in gain output, now that are radically different and some almost completely inaudible.

It totally is the cable!!! Do not use an RCA to single stereo 1/4" jack! Use an RCA to two mono 1/4" cables panned left and right or get a RCA to XLR if you are short on mixer channels.

I at first overlooked the solution to this problem with most of these posts being mistaken of the issue at hand or mentioning other things.

READ Gonzo89's post for what actually saved the day!

And THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to Gonzo89 for figuring this out for reals! I used to have the same issue with my old kaossilator, and I thought it got a little broken in its travels. Good to know it's just a cord issue.