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Wow, the forum has been very quiet lately. That's OK. I have a few more things to add here and then some new threads that should be more entertaining!

Back to Basics: Part IV

Global Mode
Cryptic displays and working with the Loop Phrases

We’ve covered the other basic modes, so I figured I’d complete the circle with some insight into Global Mode.

Accessing Global Mode is as easy as getting into the other modes. Press and hold the BANK/MODE button while pressing button #4, it says “Global” right beneath it. The display will briefly show GLb (for Global). Now this where some people can get confused. The next thing that appears in the display is completely dependent upon whatever the last parameter was that was adjusted in Global Mode. If nothing has been adjusted since you turned the Wavedrum on, the first thing to appear after GLb is usually Pan.

If you continue to press the BANK/MODE button, it will scroll through the options available in Global Mode.

Con = Common
H.ca = Head Calibration
r.ca = Rim Calibration
P.ca = Pressure Calibration

I won’t go into to most of those because the details are covered on page 15 of the Owner’s Manual.

Let’s concentrate on Common, and what that means.
Once the display reads “Con” (with a funny line over the “n”) you can select one of four functions available.

Button 1 = Pan This is for adjusting the global L/R panning settings.
Button 2 = A.In This allows you to adjust the Auxiliary Input Level.
Button 3 = LoP This allows you to select one of the Loop Phrases to play along with.
Button 4 = oFF This is your Start/Stop button for playing the Loop Phrases.

If you’ve already explored the Loop Phrases without powering down the Wavedrum, the oFF screen is what will greet you when you first return to Global Mode. This is why it can be confusing. You don’t always see the same thing displayed in the screen when you first enter Global Mode. It can be easy to think that you’re in some other mode or simply unfamiliar territory. If the last thing you did in Global Mode was adjust the Aux In setting, the next time you return to Global Mode you will see A.In. Once you become familiar with the different settings you should recognize what your seeing, but it’s easy to get confused the first few times in Global Mode, not to mention the hundredth time. Very easy.


Let’s get to those loops!
I’ll refer to Common [Con] as a Sub-Mode of Global Mode. If you’ve made any adjustments to the Panning or Aux In settings, the display will only be showing you the numbers corresponding to those adjustments. If you’re not sure what Mode you’re in, just press the BANK/MODE button. It should read “Con.”

Buttons #3 and #4 control the Loop Phrases.
Pressing button #3 will show LoP and then immediately switch to a number. This is the number of the Loop Phrase that was last selected. By turing the Value knob you can select a different Loop Phrase. Pressing button #4 will start and stop the loops.

Here’s where it gets tricky:
You have no way of knowing how loud the loop is going to be the first time you select “oFF/Play”, so make sure you don’t have your main volume all the way up! Once the loop begins to play the display will read PLY. You can the easily adjust the volume of the loop by turning the value knob. If you press button #4 again, the loop will stop and you’ll see “oFF.” If you turn the dial while the display shows oFF, the numbers you see will still represent the volume of the loop. You won’t be changing the number of the Loop Phrase. To select a different Loop Phrase, you must press button #3 again. Now the numbers in the display will represent which actual loop you’re going to hear.

To summarize:
Button #3 gives you access to which loop is playing.
Button #4 gives you access to the loop volume. Button #4 is also the only way to start and start the loops.

The whole process is extremely clumsy and really not meant for live performance. The biggest problem is that it is very easy to inadvertently switch out of Con mode while a loop is playing. If you go back and forth between buttons #3 and #4, it is very easy to accidentally hit the BANK/MODE button. Hitting the BANK/MODE button twice will actually put you into one of the other Global Modes. If you get confused and then press one of the four buttons, you will enter further into one of the layers of those other modes! If you are desperately trying to change a loop or stop it altogether, you must hit the BANK/MODE again until you return to Con mode, then hit button #4 to stop the loop. If you get distracted for just a moment, you can find that the buttons aren’t controlling the functions you were hoping for. Trust me. Fumbling around to control the loop phrases in the middle of demo or performance is not something I would wish on anyone. Luckily, the master volume is never far away.

The moral of the story is: Exercise some care when accessing the Loop Phrases. If you’re going to use them in a live setting, be sure to practice getting in and out of Global Mode and the sub-mode, Common [Con]. Also, practice selecting, as well as the starting and stopping, the Loop Phrases. Practice that...A LOT!

Playing along to Loop Phrases: How the Oriental Wavedrum is different.
One last thing to mention. With the Silver and Black versions of the Wavedrum, if you go back into Live Mode while a loop is playing, you can select different Programs to play on top of the loop. However, if you change Programs, that slight pause that often occurs means that the Loop itself will also temporarily pause—you won't hear anything until the next Program is loaded.
This doesn't happen with the Oriental version. When you change programs using the Oriental, even though there might be a pause before the new Program is loaded, the Loop Phrase will continue to play uninterrupted.

Whew. I think I’m done with the “basic” stuff for a while.

If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to ask. Either post them in this thread for others to learn from, or send me a PM.

Quick Tip!

Changing the location of a program

What if you want to move one of your favorite programs to a different program number?
Whenever you edit a program, and then save those edits, you always have the option choosing the location that the program gets saved to. If no location is chosen, it automatically gets saved to whatever Program number you started with.

But what if you don’t want to change or edit anything about a program, you just want to assign it to a different Program number? You still have to enter one of the Edit Modes (it doesn’t matter which one) and then press “Write” to begin the process. After pressing the “Write” button once, the Program number will start to flash. You can now turn the dial to any number you choose, hit the “Write” button again, and bingo! Your Program will now be saved in a new location, with a new number.

Keep in mind, doing this will permanently overwrite whatever program was previously assigned to that number, so chose your location carefully! Otherwise you might overwrite another program that you already edited and wanted to keep. Also, moving a program really means copying a program. If you were to move Program #87 to Program #1, you would end up with two copies of Program #87. One in its original location, and the other one in the Program #1 location. Of course, you could then copy any other program to #87, and so on. This can become a bit like a "shell game" if you do it often, so plan your moves carefully and write down what you're doing for a reference.

It gets a bit trickier if you want to rearrange several programs. Suppose you had created some nice programs in random locations but you wanted to have them all in order from Program “00” to Program “10.” First you have to make sure there are no programs between 00 and 10 that you want to keep. If there are, you’ll have to move them to another location (Program#) first. Then you can move your favorite programs to locations 1 thru 10. Of course, your favorite programs will now exist in two places: the one they started in, and one of the newly assigned 1 thru 10 locations.

If you ever want to replace a User Program with any one of the Factory Programs, you can do that too. Or suppose you wanted to have four Djembe programs with the same settings except tuned differently, and you wanted to have them numbered one after another in sequence? You could start with the Factory Program Djembe, copy it one-at-a-time to four locations in the User settings, and then edit the tuning of each one.

Here’s how:
Just dial-up whichever Factory Program (with a “P” in front of the number) you want to start with. Now, enter one of the Edit Modes. Don’t worry about messing up a Factory Program, those are fixed a can not be altered. Once you’re in Edit Mode, press the “Write” button. The display will begin to flash and the “P” will disappear from the display because you can’t save to one of the Factory locations. You can then turn the dial to select any one of the User Program numbers. When you find your destination, simply press “Write” again and you're done. You can repeat this as many times as you like. If at any point you want to bail out of the process, simply press any other button besides “Write.” This will put you back into whichever Edit Mode you began with. Or you can press and hold the BANK/MODE button while pressing button #1 to return to Live Mode.

Remember: since there is no way to “erase” or “delete” the contents of a program location (that is, you can not have a “empty” or blank program), whenever you “Save” or move a program, you will always be overwriting whatever was in the location to begin with.

That was perhaps a bit longer than I intended for a “Quick Tip,” but there you have it!

Wow.

On the ENTIRE thread!

I guess I'll make a pdf out of this!

I wanted to again thank WaveDrummer for his posts. I just bought the Wavedrum Oriental and that makes me a noobie.

Getting realistic info (like about the #26 1812 algorithm) is valuable to me as I'm looking froward to being creative with this instrument as soon as possible - instead of being a 'manual hermit' if you know what I mean. LOL!


Keep'em coming and know this info is appreciated.

Jim

This thread should be a Wavedrum stickey!

Nothing really new to add here, but I've been meaning to include the information we discovered in the Output-Level of the new Wavedrum thread some time ago.
I just wanted to organize this all under one roof. So here is a quick recap of the section on...
Calibrating The Sensors.

-----------------------------------------------
Page 29 (Appendix) of the Owner's Manual explains where and how to access these parameters but...

The Owner's Manual doesn't seem to mention what the actual Factory Default settings are for calibrating the sensors!?!?

So here they are! These are the setting that both my Silver and Oriental had from the factory.
I haven't had the need to change these at all, so I would recommend using these parameters. If these numbers are too far off, you really start to lose a lot of the dynamic response of the Wavedrum.

Global Mode Factory Settings

Head Calibration [H.ca]
Lo=007 SEn=020

Rim Calibration [r.ca]
Lo=007 SEn=020

Pressure Sensor Calibration [P.ca]
VaL=000 P.Lo=005 P.Hi=100

Press the WRITE button twice to save these settings!

Important note: There is definitely unwanted noise when the Lo setting is below 03, so be careful with that parameter.

Pepperpotty thanks for making this a sticky!

Bought a second hand Wavedrum...and thanks to the great tips from Wavedrummer i managed to get my wavedrum re-headed with a Remo Ebony one.

Plus noted that the sensor height was off...so starting doing the whole calibration process.
While doing so i saw that the previous owner had his wavedrum calibrated with incorrect values (lower then 3 on all sensor settings)....guess that's why he wanted to get rid of his.

Anyways...great part of the Korg forum to be in...

Prime NL wrote:Plus noted that the sensor height was off...so starting doing the whole calibration process.
While doing so i saw that the previous owner had his wavedrum calibrated with incorrect values (lower then 3 on all sensor settings)....guess that's why he wanted to get rid of his.

I'd be willing to bet that more than a few people have screwed up their Wavedrums by altering things they probably shouldn't, and then have either given up on the instrument and/or sold it. The other problem is that when someone else gets their hands on it and doesn't realize how the first owner made a mess of things, then the negative cycle will only continue.

Glad you found the light!

Oh, and thanks, Bertotti for getting this thread bumped into a "Sticky."
It should prove to be helpful. Even the pros have questions about some of the exact issues covered here.


Steve Smith at NAMM 2012 with some questions about the factory loops.

WaveDrummer the amount of work you put into this thread it should be made a golden sticky or printed and sent with every wavedrum! At least linked or mentioned in the documents or operators manual!

EDIT 2 MODE: Part 1
Pre-EQ settings

I recently received a question about Edit 2 Mode.
When this thread was first started I wasn’t sure if it would grow into a full blown manual of its own, but it clearly has, and now I realize that I never really covered Edit 2 Mode in any detail. So let’s get to it!

What is EDIT 2 Mode?
This is the mode that allows us to get inside the various algorithms and really shape the sound at its source. Edit 2 Mode does not apply to any of the PCM sounds or any global settings (that all takes place in Edit 1 Mode and Global Mode). Edit 2 Mode gives us access to the distinctive features of each algorithm in ways that can radically alter the sound in unique ways.

How to get there
Press and hold the BANK/MODE button while holding down button #3. (This button has the label "Edit 2" directly below it.) Once you're in Edit 2 Mode you can change the display screen by either turning the value knob or pressing the BANK/MODE button. You will see these different options for Edit 2 Mode:

E9 = Pre-EQ setting (the "9" in the display represent the letter "q")
H. 14 = Head 1 thru 4
H. 58 = Head 5 thru 8
r. 14 = Rim 1 thru 4
r. 58 = Rim 5 thru 8

Pre-EQ
What this feature really does is offer different sensitivity levels to the head and rim surface so that they can be optimized depending on whether you are playing with hands, sticks, or a mixture of both. This is explained adequately enough in the Owner’s Manual on page 14 but a few things are worth mentioning here.

The following five choices will appear when Button 1 is selected (the other buttons won’t offer any parameters when working with the Pre-EQ ). The first letter represents the head, the second represents the rim.

H-H = For playing hands on both head and rim
H-S = Hand on the head, stick on the rim
S-S = Sticks on the head, sticks on the rim
H-n = Hand on the head, playing the notches on the rim (presumably with something other than your hand)
S-n = Stick on the head, playing the notches on the rim

But here’s the thing: I always use the H-H setting myself, on every program. I find it to be the most responsive, and I don’t want my Wavedrum changing the way it responds between programs. For one thing, there’s no quick and easy way to tell by looking at any given program what the Pre-EQ setting is. You’d have to go into Edit 2 Mode for each program and check the settings. This is completely impractical to me. Besides, I like to explore each program with a variety of mallet and hand combinations, and I don’t want to be limited to using only one approach to any program. I find that using the H-H setting gives me the most versatility, the most options and the most dynamic range. I like to control the response of the Wavedrum by the way I play it. I don’t want the Wavedrum determining that for me. Not to mention, I don’t notice any benefit whatsoever to using the “n” setting for the notches on the rim. Maybe it’s just me, but it doesn’t seem to really offer anything useful or all that different. Your own experience very well may differ from mine, and your musical needs are likely quite different, but I find that using H-H for every program works just fine, and then there’s no need for me to guess as to which Pre-EQ setting has been selected. If you are really striking the rim hard and find that some sounds are distorting, then you might need to change some of your Pre-EQ settings to the H-S or S-S setting. Or you could just not whack the rim with all your force.

Seriously though, find what works best for you but don’t expect radical differences between these settings.

OK, enough of that. The Pre-EQ setting is probably one of things you’ll have to adjust the least. Let’s get to the cool stuff...

EDIT 2 MODE: Part 2
Editing the Algorithms and customizing sounds

The real purpose for Edit 2 Mode is to manipulate and shape the various algorithms. Each algorithm offers eight different parameters that can be adjusted. But it’s not that simple — the parameters that are available for editing will, for the most part, be different for each algorithm. The only way to understand what those parameters are, and what you are adjusting, is to have the Owner’s Manual in front of you while editing. The manual lists all of the algorithms and what the individual editing options are for each one. There’s no need to repeat it all here, but as an example of the variety of settings to chose from: Algorithm 15 Gong allows you to adjust things like “Gong color” “Dampening” and “Thickness.” Whereas a different algorithm such as 21 Bamboo will give you the option of selecting different scales as well as a fine tuning adjustment. So different algorithms will offer different parameters depending on what’s appropriate for that type of sound.

Another thing worth mentioning is that the list of algorithms in the manual also includes the factory default settings for each of these. Those are the numbers that appear in parenthesis next to the available range of settings. This can be useful if you want to quickly get back to your starting point. One thing to remember though is that if you are editing an algorithm that was originally part of the program you first selected, some of these parameters will be different from the factory default settings. Most of the algorithms are tailored to whatever sound the program is trying to create. The numbers in parenthesis only represent the parameters that will be in place when you select a new algorithm for the first time, not one that has already been altered to create a factory program.
[For Double-Size algorithms (#37 and higher) there is a separate table that shows all the factory default settings on page 27 of the manual.]

One thing that is made more complicated than necessary by the Owner’s Manual in the description of Edit 2 Mode is the distinction between the single-size and double-size algorithms (these are explained in detail earlier in this thread). The manual designates these as “S*” and “D*” but it ends up making for more information than is really necessary. The use of asterisks and abbreviations only clutters the explanation of Edit 2 Mode. What they are trying to explain is that Double-Size Algorithms can not be assigned to the rim (see previous posts), therefore the only time you’ll be using Edit 2 Mode for a rim sound is when you have assigned a Single-Size Algorithm to the rim. Of course the only way to do that is by assigning a Single-Size Algorithm to the head as well. If you select a Double-Size Algorithm for the head, you can no longer select another algorithm for the rim. It really comes down to stating the obvious, but the manual tends to get too technical and complicate what is really a basic concept. So feel free to ignore the “S*” and the “D*.” We’ll cover the necessary information here.


Accessing the parameters; having some fun!

Since there are only four buttons for editing the eight available parameters, they have to be separated into two separate groups. The first screen [1-4] and the second screen [5-8]. That means the buttons themselves will then be controlling either the parameters 1,2,3,4 or 5,6,7,8.

It can get confusing because there are no actual buttons labeled 5, 6, 7, 8.
Once you’re in Edit 2 Mode, you must be aware of which screen you are working with as described in the above post.

H. 14 = Head parameters 1 thru 4
H. 58 = Head parameters 5 thru 8
r. 14 = Rim parameters 1 thru 4
r. 58 = Rim parameters 5 thru 8

When working with the H. 14 screen, the four buttons will correspond to parameters 1- 4. When working with the H. 58 screen, the same four buttons will now correspond to parameters 5 - 8. If you advance to the next screen you will be in the Rim editing mode, so it’s important to be aware of which settings you are adjusting — those for the head or those for the rim. If you’re in the middle of any heavy editing, it can be easy to confuse the two. If you’re changing parameters and don’t hear any difference in sound, make sure you are working with the correct setting: Head or Rim.

The only other thing I can think to add here is what was mentioned previously in this thread regarding how algorithms respond when assigned to the rim. I have found that in many cases, most of the parameters available in Edit 2 Mode will have very little, if any, effect when an algorithm is assigned to the rim. The subtleties necessary for more elaborate expression simply aren’t available when striking the metal rim as opposed to playing the head. Remember, the Wavedrum responds to the type of input being sent to the algorithm for processing. It’s not hard to imagine that the information coming off the head will be quite different from the information coming off the rim. I believe the parameters available in Edit 2 Mode are really designed for all the expression offered by the head. That being said, the other parameters available in Edit 1 Mode (tuning, level, etc) will still be quite noticeable when working with algorithms that are assigned to the rim.

Remember: When working in Edit 2 Mode, it is essential to have the Owner’s Manual in order to know what parameters are available for each algorithm.

That should just about cover Edit 2 Mode. As always, please let me know if there are any questions or comments!

Now for pressure curves,
I have been playing around and oddly I gravitate to the same curve all the time. After someone asked in another thread and Wavedrummers reply I have started revisiting them. This isn't so much on how to tweak them but how to use them! I think my favorite is such as it is the easiest for me to bond with and use. I find it an excellent exercise trying to learn the other curves and how to use the effectively.

I know you've lots of threads on the go. Would you do a video of some of the techniques you mention.

I can pan, after that I get lost with what I'm doing or what I'm trying to acheive. I've read your great instructions and the manual (that confused me further). A short Spewtube demo video of some of the simpler techniques would help me immensely.

Best regards

BT

First of all , a big thank you Wavedrummer for this thread .
You seem to know all the questions that the manual does not really cover .
And the answers ….

when I went through the samples a 2nd time in low / ultralow tunings ,
I really got some good new sounds ...

here is , what I have found useful in the beginning ,
if you want to go further than "microediting" the presets.
Most things Wavedrummer did already talk about ,
so here in short form :

The Sample Run

1.read this thread three times
+ read the f manual 5 times until you know the basics
(= edit 1 at the beginning )

2. think BIG
reserve an editing area eg. 90-99 for your work , so you can SAVE a lot

3. it takes some time to know what you are doing ,
so at first get familiar with the materials that you are working with
listen to the samples and ALGos in ISOLATED form

first
a) Rim samples , then
b) Head samples

later
c)Head ALGos (with initial settings first)
d)Rim ALGos (very special ! )

Basic Test Setting for checking the Rim samples

vol 1 =0 / 2=0 / 3=0 / 4=100
decay (1-4) = 30 or more (doesnt mute)
tune (1-4) = 0
presstune = -12 (press gives you low tunings)
(or presstune = +12 for high tune test)
pressdecay = 0 (press doesnt mute)
delay bal = 0 (off)
reverb bal = 10 (little bit) (esp.for ALGo tests , later)

pressing the head doesnt mute , only tune down

get a copy of the PCM list and crayons (or EXCEL)
download this :

http://speedy.sh/7fFAP/RIM-PCMs.pdf
(*.XLS sbd ?)

make notes :

do you like the sample ( in diff. tunings) ?
how many layers ?
melody layers ?
totally different things happening through the layers ?
could this sample be a "carrying element" of your sound composition ?
or is it better as an attack sound ?
-------- (I prefer ALGos as carrying elements , but up to you...)
++++ ... whatever seems to be important for you ...

with cool low tuned samples repeat in "ultralow mode" :
tune = -12 (presstune still -12)

find your personal favourites
Record your session and share it here in this thread

Head samples check
VOL 1=0 / 2=100 / 3=0 / 4=0
the other parameters stay the same
some samples would sound in the loudest layer only on "sweet spots" (crazy)
Attention : RIM Vol = 0 OK?
Now hit the zero rim and listen to Xtalk onto the head PCM
This is different from a “Handsonic programming style”
= very important for ALGOs!!


check it out and make notes
How do you approach and handle editing ??