Petition for Firmware Update for E2 and E2S

[h.vel]

52. and 54. are same
53. and 81. are same

60. copy/paste parts and patterns is already possible. The missing thing is: copy/paste bars (and maybe notes).

12. and 83. are same. If Korg implements MFX send level this will be also possible per trigger/step.

[Sulfur]

Number 8 could be a good compromise for me on my grouping function idea and number 49 is my 4th one, but I don't see the other two:

- Individual bar(s) loop. This could be achieved with Shift + bar number(s) button(s).
- Pattern arrangement function/tool (it could be via software too) to easily move and insert patterns around the machine without getting crazy with a lot of moves like in a Sokoban game (read at the end).


A few comments on some of theimprovements that I need to better understand to be sure to choose right:

29. a user sound bank selection. The ability to save a "part" as a "sound" to recall for later use

Is this referred to the Sampler only? Otherwise what does it mean? If I have to think it on the E2 (no sampler) I read it as a function to save a sound patch, but you can already copy a part sound from any part of any pattern, so I'm afraid I'm misunderstanding this point.

45. direct access to step edit

Since there's already a fast access to step edit mode by pressing Shift + Pad 12 (followed by enter) I don't understand what should be implemented here. Maybe to avoid to press enter? Well, this could be convenient. Or did you mean something else?

60. Add the ability to copy/paste parts/bars/notes/patterns around the whole machine

This is a little confusing to me:
- You can already copy (specifically import) full parts (and part sounds) from any pattern into the current one.
- To copy/paste full pattern you just need to save it to the new location but this exactly raises the problem that I pointed out in my pattern arrangement request. For example to move a pattern from the 20th to the 5th position, if you already have a saved pattern there, you have to go to pattern 5 and save it to a new position, then go to pattern 20 and save it to slot 5. It's not a big deal if you just need this but if you have to insert an empty pattern in an already well organized "pattern library" you should first re-save all of the subsequent patterns one by one starting from the last... totally tangled!
So maybe I'm not understanding what you mean by asking for copy/paste parts and copy/paste patterns neither its usefulness.

A final consideration (just a personal opinion). I'm realizing that the majority of the improvements are common to both versions of the Electribe 2, but at least six are related only to the Sampler one. Having just 5 votes, isn't it enough to risk that the result will be biased toward this unit disadvantaging "normal" Electribe users? I mean, if the votes go all to common features, everyone will have an advantage, otherwise the sampler owners could be privileged. So I'm thinking it could be good to split the list and the votes and that everybody should choose for example 5 common features and other 2 or 3 aside for the Sampler version only (just who has it or who wants to). So the petition could have two different sections. What do you think about it?

[SMK]

Here are 3 you can take off of your list right now; 15, 52, 54. If anything the following should be just an update to the manual not the Firmware:

15. a momentary switch for "part mute"
This is already handled:

Part Mute - Mute Groups
Select and hold down as many parts as you need (or can) while giving the Kaoss Pad a quick tap. Once the lights on your selected mutes change state you can tap the Kaoss Pad again to turn on or off the group. Hit any trigger pad to ungroup the mutes. Mute Groups are not saved.

52. the option toggle pads in jump step mode from latch to momentary
54. the option toggle pads in jump step mode from latch to momentary
This already handled:

Momentary:
1. Set your track pad to Gate Arp (touch Scale off)
2. Be in Step Jump mode
3. Hold down the steps you want
4. Next touch the track pad…you will see the lights on your selected steps go off
5. Reactivate the steps by holding down the track pad

Latch Hold mode:
6. While Reactivating the steps via the track pad quickly tap any of the unlit step pads
7. You can continue to add more steps by repeating 1 – 5
8. To clear Step Jumps in Latch Hold mode hit any of the four step/bar/transpose buttons

While in Step Jump Latch Hold mode you can surf around any of the other modes including Trigger, Keyboard, Sequencer or Mute mode. You can even record new sequences while in this Step Jump mode.

[Cade]

Thank you to everyone for the input. I have tried to incorporate all the additions/questions/comments/corrections and remove duplicates.

-- We are just compiling the list here, not voting yet. --

1. Add song mode
2. Add step record function (step note entry)
3. Add the ability to copy chords and notes in step edit
4. Revise the arpeggiator to include Up/down, random, and scales
5. BPM LFO's parameterized by musical values
6. filter improvements (tracking, better high resolution, etc)
7. faster boot and loading times from SD card
8. MIDI channel choice per part (should allow part layering)
9. per part MFX send level
10. Timeslices to be loopable on the E2S as it was on the ESX with 1/30 of a second being repeated
11. better voice management (even when no fx and no polyphony is activated, just 10-11 tracks can play simultaneously without voice stealing)
12. regulate send level of each trigger to Master FX
13. When Scale and Key mode is selected have it over ride pitch knob edits thus making the pitch knob always in key and in scale
14. For the Sampler; when in time slice edit when you have selected 16 slices or less you should be given access to an additional menu options that gives you the option to set all of these slices as parts in a pattern
15. fix attack bug
16. Shift + MFX Send should show MFX Send for tracks on the pads (like track mute mode)
17. the ability to be able to enter notes or chords in sequencer mode
18. a shift command to hit shift+record to activate motion sequence
19. to be able to assign the X-Y pad to do different things and save that with each Pattern
20. On-board Graphical Sample Editor
21. Fix pattern gap when switching patterns
22. To have the trigger button both temporary by holding it down, and locked by double tapping the button
23. Add the ability for sidechaining
24. Add a timestretch function
25. Improve the step sequencer by using the track pad to enter gate and velocity
26. to be able to tie 2 voices to 1 pad's seq/control
27. streaming samples directly from the SD card
28. MIDI local on/off, midi thru
29. a user sound bank selection. The ability to save a "part" as a "sound" to recall for later use on the E2S
30. Pads should blink in Mute mode
31. midi start for event recorder
32. replace the main filter and resonance with the IFX versions
33. a hold feature for the gate arp
34. Gate and step jump sync on and off
35. to easily solo and unsolo one or more tracks
36. Fix glitch/click sound of poly mode and pcm sounds when re-triggering notes
37. Key transpose in sequencer mode
38. to be able to program the mfx all the same for each pattern (or master FX lock)
39. Realtime voice/dsp usage display on screen
40. Fix Noise when audio in is set to thru and power save mode is enabled
41. Revise display screen to display more information (knob values, FX info, etc) - minimum waveform representation on the screen - for quick editing (E2S)
42. Realtime MIDI LFO to pitch, velocity, length value, or motion events
43. increased knob resolution (smoother: pitch/Glide, attack, decay/release, and speed) [less jumping]
44. Export event recordings into .WAV
45. direct access to editing various modifications/parameters of each step
46. follow the playback position on the pads
47. Record with quantize off or alternate quantization
48. Send CC automation values to MIDI out
49. In Mute mode press/hold the Mute button to select tracks/pads
50. Add a preference to control the metronome volume
51. Allow event recorder to sync to a midi clock and allow it to loop
52. Decay and release could be separated (for release press shift)
53. parameter locks (or easier editing of controller values per step)
54. Midi out 'osc' (not set to audio in, just uses the sequencer and cc messages [pad=OFF])
55. Step Edit should support inserting / editing arbitrary cc's
56. addition of an effects trail like on KP3 (this may solve click issues)
57. holding Shift+Part Erase erases EVERYTHING, not just the pad you hold
58. Include both motion sequencing, panning and master effects when exporting pattern parts to .wav files
59. Add UNDO function
60. Add the ability to copy/paste bars/notes around the whole machine
61. Waveform display option (like Minilogue) when sounds are triggered
62. Apply swing and groove values to the events timing
63. MIDI receive/transmit ON/OFF per part
64. Make the step sequence menu circular so you can left arrow from the on / off screen to the velocity screen
65. synced step jump so it stays in time on release
66. display the steps in the Step Jump mode
67. Visual display of scales and chords played on part
68. editable event recorder
69. Change order of time slices
70. Somehow combine the keyboard and sequencer mode so specific notes can be entered via the keyboard/pads instead of rotating the data dial
71. make transposing of whole parts easier
72. For the E2 have the step edit for Oscillator edit just like in the ES2
73. add the ability to nudge notes
74. pre listening before loading samples
75. ability to enter MIDI notes via an external MIDI keyboard in the Sequencer mode
76. When changing a parameter the display should show if the current value isn't the original value anymore (like on the EMX/ESX)
77. Record Mute on/off
78. Legato pattern change mode. Be able to change a pattern before the pattern end, the new pattern is not starting from the beginning, the play position continues where the old pattern was switched.
79. per part play speed - allow a single part to be played at half speed / quarter speed or other option
80. Add the ability to loop individual bars
81. Pattern re-arrangement software to make moving of groups of patterns easier

[h.vel]

Concerning the petition: in common bugs should have high priority and should be mentioned in the petition anyway (so no voting in the poll necessary). First bug fixing, then new features (in my opinion this priority should be always in updates for every gear).

Cade (and others) do you agree?

[h.vel]

Did you delete "pattern chaining" in the poll?

[Cade]

Concerning the petition: in common bugs should have high priority and should be mentioned in the petition anyway (so no voting in the poll necessary). First bug fixing, then new features (in my opinion this priority should be always in updates for every gear).

Cade (and others) do you agree?

I agree. The final petition should definitely have bug fixes first, then feature requests.
We probably have a dozen or so that almost everyone can agree on. No poll will be created, but votes (5 votes each - after next Friday) will be useful in trimming down the large list of requests.

Did you delete "pattern chaining" in the poll?

Yes, if there is a "song mode", I agree that "pattern chaining" is redundant.

I still want to put "increase sample memory" back on, but haven't. In my opinion, the brilliant Korg engineers that designed the new Electribes could possibly re-program the box to stream the samples directly from the SD.

[h.vel]

Did you delete "pattern chaining" in the poll?

Yes, if there is a "song mode", I agree that "pattern chaining" is redundant.

In my last post about this topic I meant exactly the opposity. I would love to have pattern chaining, because of 8 or 16 bar patterns AND song mode (both is possible with this request). Please add pattern chaining again. Thanks.

I still want to put "increase sample memory" back on, but haven't. In my opinion, the brilliant Korg engineers that designed the new Electribes could possibly re-program the box to stream the samples directly from the SD.

But there is already 27. streaming samples from SD card (though I'm not shure if this is doable). Or did I misunderstand your point?

[gizmoismogwai]

Looking at that list I couldn't help but think that song mode and pattern chaining are useless if they don't fix the fact that switching patterns causes notes to get cut off. All well and good if I can automate switching patterns but if it makes my music stutter and sound broken then I would have preferred they focus on bugs vs. missing features.

[Cade]

Did you delete "pattern chaining" in the poll?

Yes, if there is a "song mode", I agree that "pattern chaining" is redundant.

In my last post about this topic I meant exactly the opposity. I would love to have pattern chaining, because of 8 or 16 bar patterns AND song mode (both is possible with this request). Please add pattern chaining again. Thanks.

I still want to put "increase sample memory" back on, but haven't. In my opinion, the brilliant Korg engineers that designed the new Electribes could possibly re-program the box to stream the samples directly from the SD.

But there is already 27. streaming samples from SD card (though I'm not shure if this is doable). Or did I misunderstand your point?

Well. Even if the samples were streamed from the SD, there is no guarantee that there would be more sample memory, unless the engineers made sure of it.

-- We are just compiling the list here, not voting yet. --
dark Blue indicates bug fixes

1. Add song mode and pattern chaining
2. Add step record function (step note entry)
3. Add the ability to copy chords and notes in step edit
4. Revise the arpeggiator to include Up/down, random, and scales
5. BPM LFO's parameterized by musical values
6. filter improvements (tracking, better high resolution, etc)
7. faster boot and loading times from SD card
8. MIDI channel choice per part (should allow part layering)
9. per part MFX send level
10. Timeslices to be loopable on the E2S as it was on the ESX with 1/30 of a second being repeated
11. better voice management (even when no fx and no polyphony is activated, just 10-11 tracks can play simultaneously without voice stealing)
12. regulate send level of each trigger to Master FX
13. When Scale and Key mode is selected have it over ride pitch knob edits thus making the pitch knob always in key and in scale
14. For the Sampler; when in time slice edit when you have selected 16 slices or less you should be given access to an additional menu options that gives you the option to set all of these slices as parts in a pattern
15. fix attack bug
16. Shift + MFX Send should show MFX Send for tracks on the pads (like track mute mode)
17. the ability to be able to enter notes or chords in sequencer mode
18. a shift command to hit shift+record to activate motion sequence
19. to be able to assign the X-Y pad to do different things and save that with each Pattern
20. On-board Graphical Sample Editor
21. Fix note cutoff when switching patterns
22. To have the trigger button both temporary by holding it down, and locked by double tapping the button
23. Add the ability for sidechaining
24. Add a timestretch function
25. Improve the step sequencer by using the track pad to enter gate and velocity
26. to be able to tie 2 voices to 1 pad's seq/control
27. streaming samples directly from the SD card (potentially increase sample memory)
28. MIDI local on/off, midi thru
29. a user sound bank selection. The ability to save a "part" as a "sound" to recall for later use on the E2S
30. Pads should blink in Mute mode
31. midi start for event recorder
32. replace the main filter and resonance with the IFX versions
33. a hold feature for the gate arp
34. Gate and step jump sync on and off
35. to easily solo and unsolo one or more tracks
36. Fix glitch/click sound of poly mode and pcm sounds when re-triggering notes
37. Key transpose in sequencer mode
38. to be able to program the mfx all the same for each pattern (or master FX lock)
39. Realtime voice/dsp usage display on screen
40. Fix Noise when audio in is set to thru and power save mode is enabled
41. Revise display screen to display more information (knob values, FX info, etc) - minimum waveform representation on the screen - for quick editing (E2S)
42. Realtime MIDI LFO to pitch, velocity, length value, or motion events
43. increased knob resolution (smoother: pitch/Glide, attack, decay/release, and speed) [less jumping]
44. Export event recordings into .WAV
45. direct access to editing various modifications/parameters of each step
46. follow the playback position on the pads
47. Record with quantize off or alternate quantization
48. Send CC automation values to MIDI out
49. In Mute mode press/hold the Mute button to select tracks/pads
50. Add a preference to control the metronome volume
51. Allow event recorder to sync to a midi clock and allow it to loop
52. Decay and release could be separated (for release press shift)
53. parameter locks (or easier editing of controller values per step)
54. Midi out 'osc' (not set to audio in, just uses the sequencer and cc messages [pad=OFF])
55. Step Edit should support inserting / editing arbitrary cc's
56. addition of an effects trail like on KP3 (this may solve click issues)
57. holding Shift+Part Erase erases EVERYTHING, not just the pad you hold
58. Include both motion sequencing, panning and master effects when exporting pattern parts to .wav files
59. Add UNDO function
60. Add the ability to copy/paste bars/notes around the whole machine
61. Waveform display option (like Minilogue) when sounds are triggered
62. Apply swing and groove values to the events timing
63. MIDI receive/transmit ON/OFF per part
64. Make the step sequence menu circular so you can left arrow from the on / off screen to the velocity screen
65. synced step jump so it stays in time on release
66. display the steps in the Step Jump mode
67. Visual display of scales and chords played on part
68. editable event recorder
69. Change order of time slices
70. combine the keyboard and sequencer mode so specific notes can be entered via the keyboard/pads instead of rotating the data dial
71. make transposing of whole parts easier
72. For the E2 have the step edit for Oscillator edit just like in the ES2
73. add the ability to nudge notes
74. pre listening before loading samples
75. ability to enter MIDI notes via an external MIDI keyboard in the Sequencer mode
76. When changing a parameter the display should show if the current value isn't the original value anymore (like on the EMX/ESX)
77. Record Mute on/off
78. Legato pattern change mode. Be able to change a pattern before the pattern end, the new pattern is not starting from the beginning, the play position continues where the old pattern was switched.
79. per part play speed - allow a single part to be played at half speed / quarter speed or other option
80. Add the ability to loop individual bars
81. Pattern re-arrangement software to make moving of groups of patterns easier

[apapdop]

I strongly suspect that the "notes being cut off on pattern change" is NOT a bug, but something that is intended to be. My money is on it happens because Korg want the export .wav function to spit out nice 4-bar loops so as not to fox anybody when importing them into Abelton. Just cut that sucker at 4 bars...

Much appreciate all the work Cade is putting into this, at least it's getting folks talking again.

[Can]

First of all mad respect for you OP, i really appreciate your work. Second I have another feature which is easy to implement:
When using the Trigger mode Seq Play let the sequence play when you hit the pad instead of holding it to play the whole sequence. I think that makes way more sense, in this case you could now play it like a Launchpad.

[diallo]

Im new to the forum and dont know if this idea has been brought up but what if instead of 16 parts or tracks there were 64? I got the idea while loading patterns to pads seeing how you had 64 places to put links to patterns on the memory.

Obviously to have oscillation and envelopes etcetc for all those tracks would probably require more processing power than the machine has.

But if you notice, when in trigger and part mute mode the 4 step buttons dont trigger anything.... i dunno. I think it would be so ill if the electribe could somehow be upgraded to all our specs and be a monster production machine.

[Redmond Barry]

I went through the list and don't think I saw anything about when sequencing external gear it eats voices. It doesn't seem like it should do that when it's not generating any sounds, right?

[h.vel]

I still want to put "increase sample memory" back on, but haven't. In my opinion, the brilliant Korg engineers that designed the new Electribes could possibly re-program the box to stream the samples directly from the SD.

But there is already 27. streaming samples from SD card (though I'm not shure if this is doable). Or did I misunderstand your point?

Well. Even if the samples were streamed from the SD, there is no guarantee that there would be more sample memory, unless the engineers made sure of it.

Sorry, I don't get your point. If Korg will implement "streaming samples from SD card" we will have endless sample memory. Then: why Korg should upgrade (the fixed) RAM? And how should Korg manage this, do you want to send your E2 to Korg and they will solder a new RAM (for free)?