Volume drop of organ preset when switching combi

JimH · Post by **JimH** » Thu Jul 09, 2015 4:57 am

Sorry if this issue was already discussed. This seems so simple I have to think I'm doing something wrong. Can anyone reproduce this problem? I'm using OS 3.0.2.

1. For this you need a second keyboard to use as a controller for the Kronos. Plug its MIDI out to the Kronos MIDI in. Then set it to output on MIDI channel 2
2. On the Kronos go to Combi mode and select an unused, initialized combi.
3. Select a CX-3 organ preset into channel 2 of the combi. For example, set it to I-A039 "Tom Coster's Full On" although I think any organ preset will do.
4. Now if you play on the controller keyboard, you should be playing the organ sound because, by default, channel 2 of the initialized combi was set to receive on MIDI channel 2. Note the volume of the organ sound.
5. Save the combi.
6. Switch to some other combi, then switch back to the first one you just made.
7. Play the controller keyboard again. The organ is significantly lower volume, very faint. This is the issue.

You can switch the preset from A-039 to some other one, say, A-038 and back again and the volume comes back. But even if you then re-save the combi the problem persists. That is, if you switch to another combi and back again, the volume of the organ preset drops. As far as I can tell, this only happens with CX-3 presets and on MIDI channels other than 1.

This didn't happen to me on earlier OS's. What am I missing?

Niarf · Post by **Niarf** » Thu Jul 09, 2015 6:51 am

Is there an expression pedal ?

JimH · Post by **JimH** » Thu Jul 09, 2015 5:25 pm

Good guess. But I've just unplugged the expression pedal, damper, and USB connection and still have the same problem. Also, the vector joystick can control the organ volume (I guess by default, I didn't dig into it) but that's not it either.

Has anyone tried the above and not been able to reproduce it?

alland · Post by **alland** » Thu Jul 09, 2015 5:37 pm

JimH wrote:
[...]

7. Play the controller keyboard again. The organ is significantly lower volume, very faint. This is the issue.

Cannot reproduce that behavior. Same OS Kronos X, controller keyboard Korg Pa2X Pro.

JimH · Post by **JimH** » Thu Jul 09, 2015 6:10 pm

Thanks. That helps to know, at least.
It's driving me nuts. I'm using an original Kronos on top and a VAX77 under. I cannot create any combi with organ on the lower keyboard because of this problem.

narf · Post by **narf** » Thu Jul 09, 2015 11:26 pm

This happens to me too when I've got a CX3 program within a Combi. I've given up on what's been causing it so I select another Combi and reselect the first Combi and volume levels go back to normal.. Something gets toggled when a program change occurs, maybe a switch setting that's been saved within the Combi.

JimH · Post by **JimH** » Thu Jul 09, 2015 11:30 pm

Well, I finally zeroed in on it, and yes, it has to do with expression. Apparently, organ presets typically have the expression AMS set to the foot pedal CC04. If I set AMS to Off it now at least avoids the volume drop. I guess I need to read up on the expression.

Apparently, if I put the preset on a different MIDI channel in the combi, the pedal doesn't get routed to it and it seems to default some minimum. Maybe there's something in global parameters to allow using the pedal for expression on a different MIDI channel but for now I don't need it. (There's sure a lot of parameters in the Kronos.) I'm not sure why no one else runs into this.

JimH · Post by **JimH** » Thu Jul 09, 2015 11:34 pm

narf wrote:... so I select another Combi and reselect the first Combi and volume levels go back to normal.

Maybe I misunderstand, but that is what doesn't work for me...if I reselect the first Combi the volume is then very low.

JimH · Post by **JimH** » Thu Jul 09, 2015 11:42 pm

Ah, you can also fix it by going into Global settings and set Foot Pedal Behavior to "Reset".

LZ · Post by LZ » Thu Jul 09, 2015 11:44 pm

I have dealt with this for quite a while and have workarounds. Basically, if it's being controlled locally, a CX3 patch will automatically detect if a pedal is plugged in or not and if not, will default to normal volume. If it's being triggered by a remote keyboard, it's looking for the CC for volume, so if it gets no messages, it goes to some low default, not sure what exactly. However, when you're first creating the combi and select the patch, it will play normal volume. It's not until you open it back up later that it will be the low volume. I've handled this 2 different ways:

1) if I don't intend to use the volume pedal for that song, I save a different version of the patch with pedal assignment OFF and use that patch in my combi
2) if I want to use the pedal connected to my Kronos to control organ sounds played on my lower tier controller, I use Karma to remap the pedal to that MIDI channel.

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Volume drop of organ preset when switching combi

Volume drop of organ preset when switching combi

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