Studiologic VMK 161 organ to control Kronos CX 3 engine

[Canoehead]

Hello All. I am using the VMK, whose watefall action I really like, to control the Kronos. However, since the Kronos uses sysex for drawbar control, there appears to be no easy way to control its drawbars from the VMK.

I understand the Midi Solutions Event Processor might be able to convert the VMK's continuous controller messgaes to the appropriate sysex. Before buyng the Event Processor I want to be certain that this can be done.

I did see an earlier post that listed the sysex strings for the Kronos drawbars, but I'm not sure how to input that to the Event Processor editor.

If anybody knows how to do this, would you kindly post the steps?

I have spoken to Bruce at Ashby and he wasn't certain how to do it and two emails to Korg Canada went unanswered.

Thanks in advance,
Gord

[steeve76]

Hi! I have a VMK 161 organ and I would like to do the same. There's no solution inside the Kronos to assign the drawbars to a CC value?

[Perilous]

Hey there. I have some experience programming external faders to control the CX-3 drawbars through sysex messages. I do it with my Roland A-800 Pro, which comes with the A-Pro Editor where I can type in the sysex strings for all the faders and knobs.

I don't know if the Studiologic VMK-161 Organ has an editor capable of doing this. It should be a standard feature for all MIDI Controllers, right?

If it can't be done by connecting to a computer and using the appropriate software, then that's where the Midi Solutions Event Processor comes in, I think. I have no idea how it works, but I'm thinking about buying one just to figure out how to use it.

I don't have all the values figured out, but cross-referencing the CombiAndSongTimbreSet, KRONOS_MIDI_SysEx, and the Prog_EXi text files on the Kronos disks, I have the basic formula.

Code: Select all

F0 = What all Sysex begin with 

42 = means that the maker is Korg

30 = Receive Current Sample Information Request

68 = means it's a Kronos

43 = Function (Parameter Change (integer))

0B = TYP |11/12| (11 = 0B hexidecimal) {translate whatever 1stTYP# to hex?}

06 = SOC (6, which matches up in the Prog_EXi)

00 = SUB (0, which matches up in the Prog_EXi)

00 = PID (0, which matches up in the Prog_EXi)

xx = IDX (part of parameter id (see combi.txt, etc) ((drawbar1))

00 = valueH Value   (bit14-20)   (*4)

00 = valueM  Value   (bit7-13)    (*4)

yy = valueL   Value   (bit0-6)     (*4)

F7 = What all Sysex end with

Now we run into a bit of a problem. Kronos has two primary modes, Combi and Program mode. The Sysex messages are actually different depending on which mode you want to use.

Since you're using a second keyboard as a controller, I assume you want to use the Kronos itself to control other sounds. That puts us in Combi mode, of course.

Combi mode has 16 Timbres. You have to tell the VMK which Timbre you have your organ program assigned to. You'll have to input these strings nine times for the nine faders with slightly varying values.

F0 42 30 68 43 1C tt 00 04 xx 00 00 yy F7
F0 42 30 68 43 1C tt 00 04 xx 00 00 yy F7
F0 42 30 68 43 1C tt 00 04 xx 00 00 yy F7
F0 42 30 68 43 1C tt 00 04 xx 00 00 yy F7
F0 42 30 68 43 1C tt 00 04 xx 00 00 yy F7
F0 42 30 68 43 1C tt 00 04 xx 00 00 yy F7

tt = which Timbre the faders will be assigned to control
xx = which of the nine faders are mapped to your physical fader
yy = the distance you can push in and pull out your fader.

Maybe I should be saying "drawbar" but I assume they're the same in this post.

Let's assume you're using Timbre 9 for your organ sound. So change all the "tt" to 08. Remember that Kronos usually starts counting up from 0. So Timbre 1 = 0, Timbre 2 = 1, ... Timbre 16 = 0F (remember we're using hexadecimal).

Fader 1: F0 42 30 68 43 1C 08 00 04 xx 00 00 yy F7
Fader 2: F0 42 30 68 43 1C 08 00 04 xx 00 00 yy F7
Fader 3: F0 42 30 68 43 1C 08 00 04 xx 00 00 yy F7
Fader 4: F0 42 30 68 43 1C 08 00 04 xx 00 00 yy F7
Fader 5: F0 42 30 68 43 1C 08 00 04 xx 00 00 yy F7
Fader 6: F0 42 30 68 43 1C 08 00 04 xx 00 00 yy F7
Fader 7: F0 42 30 68 43 1C 08 00 04 xx 00 00 yy F7
Fader 8: F0 42 30 68 43 1C 08 00 04 xx 00 00 yy F7
Fader 9: F0 42 30 68 43 1C 08 00 04 xx 00 00 yy F7

Now we have to change all the "xx" and the "yy" to real values.

Fader 1: F0 42 30 68 43 1C 08 00 04 00 00 00 DT F7
Fader 2: F0 42 30 68 43 1C 08 00 04 01 00 00 DT F7
Fader 3: F0 42 30 68 43 1C 08 00 04 02 00 00 DT F7
Fader 4: F0 42 30 68 43 1C 08 00 04 03 00 00 DT F7
Fader 5: F0 42 30 68 43 1C 08 00 04 04 00 00 DT F7
Fader 6: F0 42 30 68 43 1C 08 00 04 05 00 00 DT F7
Fader 7: F0 42 30 68 43 1C 08 00 04 06 00 00 DT F7
Fader 8: F0 42 30 68 43 1C 08 00 04 07 00 00 DT F7
Fader 9: F0 42 30 68 43 1C 08 00 04 08 00 00 DT F7

All that remains is to define what "DT" means.
A drawbar can be pushed or pulled anywhere between 0 and 8 integers.
This is the tricky part. In my editor, I am able to select the Data Type for DT. "DT0: 7bit" - Min Value = 8, Max Value = 0.

This makes it so the drawbars settings will respond in realtime, since they're different from a button or a switch.

Well shoot. I bet this wasn't helpful at all. This has got to work though, otherwise the VMK was for nothing. I'll post a video tutorial on how I do it and maybe that'll help?

[Mighty_Ferguson]

It should work. I'm using a MIDI Solutions Event Processor+ for this task from a different controller with physical drawbars that transmit a different vendor's sysex, but the Event Processor will do CC to sysex. I'm also using combi mode as described above. It works perfectly for me.

I can paste the proper sysex info in here when I'm back at a computer.