On most instruments there are two separate ribbon/wheels for pitch and modulation, but the RK-100S II has only one ribbon and you have to choose one or the other. Having played synthesizer for 50 years, I am so accustomed to having the two it is quite difficult to now only have one.
I had thought I would be able to add a separate controller for modulation and attach it to the USB, but this goal is proving elusive. I am told the USB on the keytar requires a Korg USB driver, and there are only two: Windows and Mac.
Since I didn't want to perform with one of those two computers duct taped to my keytar, what to do? Anyone else figure out a way to have pitch bend AND modulation the way most synthesizers have?
Performing on the RK-100S II keytar
Moderators: Sharp, X-Trade, Pepperpotty, karmathanever
The RK-100S mk2 has two ribbons. The short ribbon, by the left hand end of the keytar, has a "SHORT RIBBON" button, above the F and F# keys, which toggles the short ribbon's function between pitch bend (red LED) and modulation (green LED). The long ribbon, at the front of the keyboard (or the top of the keyboard in normal playing position), can be switched between pitch and filter using the "LONG RIBBON" buttons next to the short ribbon.
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Yes, I read the manual. Using the short ribbon for pitch would be the normal way to make pitch bends in more or less the way all other synthesizers do it. Then the long ribbon, which is unique to the RK100S, will not help with modulation. Choosing the long ribbon for pitch is no help to someone who has played synthesizer for so long like me, you would have to put your left hand under the right hand and then the short ribbon for modulation would be very far away to smoothly go back and forth between the two ribbons.
How on earth did this instrument end up that way?
How on earth did this instrument end up that way?
OK I have started practicing on the RK100S-II keytar, and I found that unlike every keytar I ever played on, it is possible to use a different technique where instead of wrapping your left hand underneath the short ribbon you can set your left hand on top and get some good control over the short ribbon for pitch bend. This was not possible on the KX-5 as you needed more leverage to press down on the ribbon. Also this didn't work on the Roland keytars because they were very sensitive and it was too difficult to control the pitch accurately without a way to rest your hand for a reference point. I will have to try this on the Vortex.
The problem with the lack of having both modulation AND pitch bend at the same time, I made a little progress on that. If you play down the keytar with your right hand and hold a key near the short ribbon button, it is possible to keep holding the key down AND press the short ribbon button with your right hand which makes it possible to add modulation at the end of a musical phrase with your left hand. The instrument smoothly changes function and I haven't run into any weird things going back and forth with the short ribbon button. Now that I can use the editor to change the pitch bend range, I am getting closer to performance techniques I developed playing on a minimoog starting in 1974 (inspired by Jan Hammer, of course).
The problem with the lack of having both modulation AND pitch bend at the same time, I made a little progress on that. If you play down the keytar with your right hand and hold a key near the short ribbon button, it is possible to keep holding the key down AND press the short ribbon button with your right hand which makes it possible to add modulation at the end of a musical phrase with your left hand. The instrument smoothly changes function and I haven't run into any weird things going back and forth with the short ribbon button. Now that I can use the editor to change the pitch bend range, I am getting closer to performance techniques I developed playing on a minimoog starting in 1974 (inspired by Jan Hammer, of course).