OK HERE GOES: LAST EFFORT BY ME TO GET THINGS FOR OS 2.0
This is a long list, and as per my Tone adjust and external control suggestions of last week, I've broken it down into different topics to make it more manageable. I've also broken down between primary and secondary requests where the primary ones try and focus on things which are hopefully easier to implement (rather than radical no hope requests - eg like ability to play 3rd party VSTs) or more important. The secondary ones tend to be more blue-sky and of less use (to me). Thanks to everyone whose ideas I've latched on to.
Suggestions Overview.
A) Tone adjust - suggestions on previous page
B) External control - suggestions on previous page
C) General operations - below
D) Sampling / HDR - below
E) Disk mode - below
F) Karma - below
G) New EXi, EXf, EXs - below
H) Sequencer - below
C) GENERAL OPERATIONS - SUGGESTIONS FOR OS 2.0
1) Add presets (firstly for all the effects as already programmed, but I think a set of presets would also be a useful addtion to the step sequencer as well).
2) Link KBD to control surface - please store by song or make a global setting. I can't think there's many people who don't turn this feature on almost every time.
3) Link KBD to control surface - implement this idea to combi mode as well as sequencer mode.
4) EQ settings. When the graph is shown, link the displayed graph to the track selected, so you can select a track via the control surface and look at it's EQ (without having to use a non-existent fingernail to try and select the tiny blue bar on the touchscreen).
5) Fully editable/saveable programs from Global/Seq mode. I'm not sure how hard this is to implement but is obviously a much requested feature acknowledged by the team. If not poss, then some way of saving programs from these modes, without having to do the convoluted copy tone adjust settings method.
6) SLEEP mode
7) Going from program-global-program it remembered what page you were on; like it does for seq-global-seq changes.
More Banks (esp for programs). This is one of my top requests. Not sure how difficult but I have already run out of program slots. There's lots of ideas of how to extend (more progs per bank (1000 vs 127), more banks (with flashing rather than solid lights) but I don't really mind how implemented. I could live with current combi limitation, but current program bank limitation will become more and more of a pain as new libraries, instruments, samples etc become available. Rather than doubling the current capacity - I think Korg should be looking at quadrupling at least to provide ample headroom for coming years.
9) Request to use Enter/Exit buttons to answer OK/Cancel questions from GUI.
10) Automatic loading of user-selected samples at start-up - much requested and high on my list.
11) Random edit function for all EXi - great sound design feature.
12) Templates for loading each EXi - as just requested by Daz
13) Categorisation/List loading of separate oscillators. I think one of the best features of current software implementation, is that you can change a program/GE in real time from a list and hear the effect in real time before you decide to select it or not. I would like the same feature for oscillators rather than the current copy oscillator function. This would allow you to trial how a currently selected oscillator might sound (when selected from all the available banks) along with any other oscillators and the current effects in real time prior to selection. This would make sound desgin/mixing different oscillator types much easier.
14) Ability to load REX2 files; and then play them from combi/program mode (as orginally suggested by Dan!)
SECONDARY GENERAL REQUESTS WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT BE HARD TO IMPLEMENT
14) Per-track insert effects
15) Simple arpeggiator for tracks without Karma.
16) Calibration of all contol surfaces in global mode
17) Author design guidelines for programs/combis
18) Use of drum samples in wavesequencing (if not already poss)
19) Pads to be able to send midi messages
20) Midi monitor function
D) SAMPLING/HDR - SUGGESTIONS FOR OS 2.0
1) Stereo samples from RAM to be transeferred easily to HDR (and then back and forth between the sampler/HDR)
2) [Sections of ] Stereo files (either 44.1khz or 48khz) to be easily imported to HDR
3) Ability to easily map a number of samples across keys. Eg select 4 samples and they will be quickly assigned across a designated area of keyboard rather than having to be individually mapped.
4) Ability to use auto pitch to map series of samples across keyboard
5) Proper importing of AKAI samples; stereo samples to be put on one oscillator rather than spread across 2, giving up to 8 velocity layers (using both oscillators) that can be assigned to any program. Only if there are more than 8 layers should the importing automatically default to combi mode (as it's very hard to import combis into existing sequences).
SECONDARY SAMPLING REQUESTS
6) 24/96khz sampling (I've put this here as the sound quality seems pretty good to me as is and I'd rather have the extra processing power be spent on many of the other reqests incl. 16 extra midi tracks/16 stereo audio tracks before this one.)
E) DISK MODE - SUGGESTIONS FOR OS 2.0
This is a harder area to try and make sensible suggestions as I have no idea how hard some of these things are to implement given the previous code. Anyway there's lots of comment on this so here goes.
1) Longer file names - as has been done for the PA1X.
2) I'd like the whole system to be much more ambivalent to 44.1khz/48khz files and stereo/mono files (i.e software does the translation in real time or prior to execution in real time without the user having to worry). However if we have to live with the current system then at least let multiple files be converted from 44.1khz to 48khz at the same time. Currently you can't select multiple files and it is boring, boring, boring.
3) Use pointers to samples/audio when loading samples/audio. I'm not a fan of the current implementation of loading/saving KSC files. It leads to the same files being saved in multiple places on the hard drive. For instance I have granular atmostpheres saved on the hard drive and I use it in a couple of songs. Now in the songs I also use a few other sample library sounds. So when I come to load my song, I either have to tediously load all the samples libraries, or use the 'save all' function for my song. This leads to the samples being again resaved in another part of the hard drive. Much better to use a pointer system for samples/audio like that used by Cubase so the system doesn't keep resaving sample/audio files that are already saved. Not sure how hard this is to implement but this will lead to a much better file system.
4) Move function
5) Various functions could be improved by implementing a double touch system (as used on the patch panel of the MS-20) rather than the current open/up system.
6) Ability to audition and playback stereo files from internal/external/CD drives. [Could also go in sampling section]
7) Ability to transfer files/sampling libraries directly from a computer via USB 2.0 cables - this for me an easy area of computer integration which would yield worthwhile time saving measures.
Favourite folders that can be easily accessed
I think it is highly subjective what makes a good starter program and any attempt to provide some kind of prefab sound will likely jar with someones way of working. Presumably this is why it is pretty much a defacto standard to start with the plainest possible sound.
