New features you would most like in an update to the iMS-20?

[outbackyak]

Rather than put up a poll (and limit you to the poll headings), I thought I'd just throw a general question at you all, and see what comes out. Then we can get a poll going from the list of features you come up with.

So, what I'm asking is what would you like to see changed or improved about the functionality of the iMS-20?

Here's a few small ones to get the ball rolling:

1. Double tap on a control to return it to its default setting. (They've already got double tap on the control or patch panel to zoom to that section and double tap to zoom out - just add double tap on a control to take say, the LPF cutoff to 10 or the HPF cutoff to zero, or whatever the INIT value is for each control.)

2. A fine entry mode for the controls. (ATM they are all stepped, mainly in units of 0.8. I'd like to be able to go in units of 0.1 for all controls, as I'm sick of the fact you can't set units of semitones accurately for the Osc 2 pitch control, and the way the MG Frequency is either a little too fast or a little too slow, with no in between, etc. Just add a button in that blank bit where it says Voltage Controlled Amplifier to momentarily toggle fine entry mode.)

3. Fully variable gate length in the sequencer. (Not just 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%, and Legato.)

All of these would be easy to implement; now for some harder ones:

4. An extra input jack in the Patch Panel for control of the Osc 1 Pulse Width knob, so you can get Pulse Width Modulation (PWM). (OK, you can fake PWM with the sequencer, but it's not convincing, and it was a common mod to real MS-20's - it's bizarre it was left out in the first place. I can't see them doing it since it would destroy the supposed "authenticity" of the synth - like the original had KAOSS pads. )

5. A set of "many to one" and "one to many" multiples for the patch bay. (a "many to one" multiple lets you produce a single combined control output from several input sources - say, combine EG1 + EG2 Rev Out so you can send them both into the LPF Cutoff input; a "one to many" does the opposite: it lets you take one control output - say, the square wave MG - and send it to several different control inputs. Again, this was a common mod to the original MS-20 , normally as a separate box, since there's not room for it on the original panel.)

6. Add a pitch entry mode to the drum synth so it can be used as 6 separate pitched & sequenced monosynths, not just for un-pitched sounds like drums. (I'm probably asking for too much on this one, but if you don't ask, you don't get. It's quite capable of making musically useful sounds, though EG2 is more limited than the one in the main synth, and they've messed with the filters to make them more "drum friendly".)

OK, that's some of mine - what would you like?

[jdoo]

What I would like to see is Korg get someone like Kurt Kurasaki to post up a "Getting Started" video, like he did for Rebirth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zomsMea6 ... r_embedded

I used Kurt's video to help me get started on the iMS-20, because there isn't anything else close (that I could find , outside your posts Alec). Creating a loop for the drum pattern was a close enough process in the Rebirth video, that it helped me get a feel for generating a good beat / starter for a song on the iMS-20. I learned a lot, just going through those steps. It would be great to have an iMS-20 specific video, marching a user through the same steps (laying in a backbeat) - then going further, by (for instance) setting up the kaoss pads and jamming along with it.

Along the same vein - there is just woeful documentation for the other functions in this software. The posts that you have been making, Alec have gone a long way in helping bridge the gap between the Korg docs, and actually using the software -- but I would like to see Korg step it up.

Would like to see more sample Synth Templates (or post up better instructions, on how to copy synth sounds from songs posted on SoundCloud (and is it a bad thing, that I borrow from posted songs??).

If we are sending a message to Korg - my two cents would be to create some "Getting Started" help files and/or videos. Step through creating a song from scratch - show how to create a drum pattern, add a baseline/rythym, and a lead. Then - show how to post up your creation to SoundCloud.

As far as functionality goes... Is it safe to assume that there is no additional hardware that Korg is adding here - but replicating functionality via software approximation to the physical MS20? If I could ask for anything -- it would be that they implement a "M1" mode. That is -- a three-finger 'swipe' and your iMS-20 becomes a M1 Workstation, with full 16-note polyphony. (one can dream...)

[Scott M2]

1) On my MS20 the main (top right) Volume knob does nothing.
Fixing that would be great. (Let me know if it works for you.)

2) I have a very hard time trying to set an exact tempo (like 80.0 BPM) with the Tempo knob.
Being able to type it in, or having a additional fine-tune knob, would allow it to be much better tempo-synced with other systems.

[outbackyak]

What I would like to see is Korg get someone like Kurt Kurasaki to post up a "Getting Started" video, like he did for Rebirth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zomsMea6 ... r_embedded

I used Kurt's video to help me get started on the iMS-20, because there isn't anything else close (that I could find , outside your posts Alec). Creating a loop for the drum pattern was a close enough process in the Rebirth video, that it helped me get a feel for generating a good beat / starter for a song on the iMS-20. I learned a lot, just going through those steps. It would be great to have an iMS-20 specific video, marching a user through the same steps (laying in a backbeat) - then going further, by (for instance) setting up the kaoss pads and jamming along with it.

Along the same vein - there is just woeful documentation for the other functions in this software. The posts that you have been making, Alec have gone a long way in helping bridge the gap between the Korg docs, and actually using the software -- but I would like to see Korg step it up.

Would like to see more sample Synth Templates (or post up better instructions, on how to copy synth sounds from songs posted on SoundCloud (and is it a bad thing, that I borrow from posted songs??).

If we are sending a message to Korg - my two cents would be to create some "Getting Started" help files and/or videos. Step through creating a song from scratch - show how to create a drum pattern, add a baseline/rythym, and a lead. Then - show how to post up your creation to SoundCloud.

As far as functionality goes... Is it safe to assume that there is no additional hardware that Korg is adding here - but replicating functionality via software approximation to the physical MS20? If I could ask for anything -- it would be that they implement a "M1" mode. That is -- a three-finger 'swipe' and your iMS-20 becomes a M1 Workstation, with full 16-note polyphony. (one can dream...)

Agreed: the documentation is lousy. I've not got around to getting wi-fi for my computer yet, so I don't know what the on-line help is like, but the manual at http://www.korguser.net/ims20/html/help ... port2.html is next to useless. Is the online help really no better?

A full M1 workstation on the iPad? Wow, you dream big . I don't think the iPad has sufficient power or memory to run something as sophisticated as that, though I may be wrong. I'd settle for some of the other Korg Legacy VSTs like the Mono/Poly or the Polysix.

But if I could get the M1 or the Wavestation, fully functional on the iPad!!!! Just don't stand between me and iTunes, because you'll be trampled in my rush to buy

PS: there are quite a few vids on YouTube showing the iMS-20 in use, but nobody that I can find has done anything in the way of instructional vids, or at least, not that I can find. They are just people fiddling around with it in the main. You can still get some useful ideas off them; here's an interesting one on the KAOSS pads http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqMXjD16ndE . He doesn't tell you how to do anything, but the idea of changing scale and/or parameter assignment in real time would never have occurred to me!

Since the iMS-20 gives all the modes plus a bunch of different scales a really skilled operator could do some jazz-style improvisation over a backing track using nothing but the Kaoss pads and changing to the appropriate scale or mode for each chord of the backing track. That really skilled operator is not me

[outbackyak]

1) On my MS20 the main (top right) Volume knob does nothing.
Fixing that would be great. (Let me know if it works for you.)

2) I have a very hard time trying to set an exact tempo (like 80.0 BPM) with the Tempo knob.
Being able to type it in, or having a additional fine-tune knob, would allow it to be much better tempo-synced with other systems.

1) The Volume knob? You mean the one in the Patch Panel? It works fine for me, but it is only for the main synth sound, not the drums.

If you want to control the drum levels you have to go to the mixer page; or if you hit "Sound Edit" for a particular drum sound, you can also use the main knob in the Patch Panel to control sound levels for each individual sound. They work together - if a drum sound is still too quiet using just the mixer slider, going to the Sound Edit page for that sound and winding up the main knob may give you enough additional volume not to have to rebalance everything else by reducing the other levels in the mixer page.

Watch your output levels though - you may have to bring down the Master Volume knob on the mixer page to avoid distortion.

2) That is the exact problem I was referring to in my original post:

2. A fine entry mode for the controls. (ATM they are all stepped, mainly in units of 0.8. I'd like to be able to go in units of 0.1 for all controls, as I'm sick of the fact you can't set units of semitones accurately for the Osc 2 pitch control, and the way the MG Frequency is either a little too fast or a little too slow, with no in between, etc. Just add a button in that blank bit where it says Voltage Controlled Amplifier to momentarily toggle fine entry mode.)

Not only is it impossible to set accurate beats per minute, it's worse: if you start off at the default setting (120bpm) and wind it all the way up to 300bpm, you now can't get back to 120bpm - the closest you can get is 119.6bpm!!! Or wind it down to minimum (20bpm) and the closest you can get is 119bpm!!! Very annoying! A fine entry mode would fix this.

(Incidentally this same "can't get back to the default setting" problem is also true of any knob whose INIT value is neither zero nor ten. So that's the Pitch in Osc 2 {Yep - once you've wound it up or down 12 semitones you can't get back to the original zero semitones, so Osc 2 is now permanently out of tune with Osc 1!!!!}, the Waveform in the Modulation Generator, the Decay in Envelope Generator 2, and all the sequencer knobs in the Parameter or Voltage modes. The only exceptions are knobs that are continuously variable in units of one, like Pan in the sequencer, and Pan and Volume in the mixer.)

A "double tap to return to the default setting" feature would fix this particular problem, but it wouldn't fix the fine entry problem.

You can actually use this weird "can't get back to the default setting" limitation to get closer to the setting you require in some cases (Some but not all by any means).

Take the Pitch knob in Osc 2. At the default setting of zero (centred) the closest you can get to +7 semitones is either +6.84 +7.03 semitones. If you wind it down to -12 semitones you can now get back to +7 semitones completely accurately! Same if you wind it up to +12 semitones - +7 semitones is now accurate.

I doesn't work for everything. Closest you can get to +3 semitones is +3.04 normally - not accurate but not bad. Using the "wind it up or down to 12" method, it gets worse, not better: it's now 3.07 semitones.

For down 5 semitones it's better, instead of -4.93 you can get -4.97 which is damn close.

Using this same method you can sometimes get closer to the desired value for the other knobs that are set to non-zero or non-10 on INIT settings that I've mentioned above. For your particular problem of not being able to get exactly 80bpm, winding down to 20bpm makes it worse, and so does winding it up to 300bpm: in either case you end up further away from 80bpm.

You can get closer though, by first winding it down to 20bpm, then up to 300bpm, and then back down. Better, but still not accurate - you can get 79.9bpm. And doing it in the other order - up to 300bpm, then down to 20bpm makes it worse, not better! For any other desired speed, the only thing you can do is experiment with these alternatives, and see what gets you closest. Far as I know this is the only knob that works this way.

But you shouldn't have to do any of this! You should be able to set any damn setting you want accurately and easily. Only a fine entry feature would allow this.

[fridolin]

2. A fine entry mode for the controls. (ATM they are all stepped, mainly in units of 0.8. I'd like to be able to go in units of 0.1 for all controls, as I'm sick of the fact you can't set units of semitones accurately for the Osc 2 pitch control, and the way the MG Frequency is either a little too fast or a little too slow, with no in between, etc. Just add a button in that blank bit where it says Voltage Controlled Amplifier to momentarily toggle fine entry mode.)

this is possible by swiping over the controls... it's a bit tricky to get used to it, but one can adjust the steps by 0.01...

the new feature i'm waiting for is tempo synch via midi!

[outbackyak]

2. A fine entry mode for the controls. (ATM they are all stepped, mainly in units of 0.8. I'd like to be able to go in units of 0.1 for all controls, as I'm sick of the fact you can't set units of semitones accurately for the Osc 2 pitch control, and the way the MG Frequency is either a little too fast or a little too slow, with no in between, etc. Just add a button in that blank bit where it says Voltage Controlled Amplifier to momentarily toggle fine entry mode.)

this is possible by swiping over the controls... it's a bit tricky to get used to it, but one can adjust the steps by 0.01...

the new feature i'm waiting for is tempo synch via midi!

Wow, thank you! I didn't find this because I automatically changed the Knob Mode to linear in the settings page (I found the rotary mode hard to control, and most of my PC music programs use linear control, so I'm used to it).

I'll still keep the knob mode on linear for most things, but when I need finer control it's quick enough to change the settings.

Tempo sync - absolutely! And Sonoma Copy and Paste too!

[jdoo]

2. A fine entry mode for the controls. (ATM they are all stepped, mainly in units of 0.8. I'd like to be able to go in units of 0.1 for all controls, as I'm sick of the fact you can't set units of semitones accurately for the Osc 2 pitch control, and the way the MG Frequency is either a little too fast or a little too slow, with no in between, etc. Just add a button in that blank bit where it says Voltage Controlled Amplifier to momentarily toggle fine entry mode.)

this is possible by swiping over the controls... it's a bit tricky to get used to it, but one can adjust the steps by 0.01...

Agree. You can step through (most?) controls by swiping left/right for single values, and up/down for increments of 10. It is fiddly though, and it would be great if there was a way to trigger just typing in the value you want..

[outbackyak]

2. A fine entry mode for the controls. (ATM they are all stepped, mainly in units of 0.8. I'd like to be able to go in units of 0.1 for all controls, as I'm sick of the fact you can't set units of semitones accurately for the Osc 2 pitch control, and the way the MG Frequency is either a little too fast or a little too slow, with no in between, etc. Just add a button in that blank bit where it says Voltage Controlled Amplifier to momentarily toggle fine entry mode.)

this is possible by swiping over the controls... it's a bit tricky to get used to it, but one can adjust the steps by 0.01...

Agree. You can step through (most?) controls by swiping left/right for single values, and up/down for increments of 10. It is fiddly though, and it would be great if there was a way to trigger just typing in the value you want..

Yes, type in would be best.

Been practising with swiping it for a bit now, and the way I found works best for me is tap and hold the knob and swipe sideways as far as you can from the knob, then use a rotary motion while you are still holding it. Not perfect, still hard to get it to set to exactly the right setting (it tends to leap to a new setting when you let go) but it works so long as you have knob mode set to rotary, not linear.

And for knobs at the extreme left or right of the interface it doesn't work well at all, unless there's some trick I haven't figured out yet; e.g. the Osc 1 PW knob: you can't get far enough left when you swipe to move it in units of one.

Any thoughts?

[CG]

I'd like to see a piano roll for the main synth section and drum machine when using synth sounds for easier pattern creation. Seems kind of backward to have to use a SQ-10 type sequencer. The retro vibe is great and cool for tweaking but give the users more direct controll over the sequence.

Also 16 patterns seems pretty limiting - am I missing something with this complaint?

What about simple midi clock in or out for syncing with other gear?

[Drum]

The only thing I miss regularly is tap tempo, but I like the idea above for a sequencer piano roll too.

[buggs1a]

I want an awesome easybto use and understand manual that covers everything.

I want more sounds/interments. Not just the ability to change the included sounds like the clap or high hat or drum sounds.

Tutor videos too.

[stacoja]

Tempo MIDI sync ! And Sonoma Copy and Paste !

jan

[loopstationzebra]

You guys are KILLING ME.

I can't believe that huge list doesn't contain full MIDI implementation.



Only MIDI sync is mentioned further down this thread - but barely.

[strata189]

+1 for full midi and copy/paste.
Korg's offerings don't seem interested in playing nice with others...