Style automatically created from midi file?

SolMan · Post by **SolMan** » Fri Dec 09, 2016 5:58 pm

In researching for a new auto accompany/arranger keyboard I've looked at many videos demo-ing the Pa4X. I recall reading about the unit's ability to create a complete style from a midi file. If this is correct can someone who has done this report on how satisfied they were with the results? I play for my own enjoyment and I prefer playing 40s-80s music and I would need to be able to add to the styles presently on the instrument. (does Korg provide additional free styles for the 4x?)
I've downloaded the manual but "thumbing through" over 1000 pages seems like overkill, seeing as I'm only at page 58 now. But I know how I've not read the manuals for my prior keyboards if I waited until purchase, so this could be time well spent. Isn't the Internet great!!
Thanks

DonM · Post by **DonM** » Fri Dec 09, 2016 6:41 pm

I've had pretty good results converting a few midi files to styles. A lot depends on the way the midi file was made in the first place, but generally, with a little tweeking of volumes afterward, you can make some quite usable styles this way.
As for free styles from Korg, yes they do periodically make new ones available and there is quite a collection available for downloading on their site.
In addition to the manuals, there are excellent tutorial videos on Youtube!
You will love the PA4X

Sam CA · Post by **Sam CA** » Fri Dec 09, 2016 11:12 pm

As long as you're not expecting a refined detailed full blown Style, you should be able to use this feature for the most part, especially if you're playing at home. Unless they update it later, this is a fully automated process and it looks at the midi file in a certain way regardless of what you do. I've tried it in many different ways, and I couldn't improve the results by much by editing the midi file before hand. In some cases edited/cleaner midi files messed up the results even more.

It is a useful feature indeed. Hopefully one day, it will be able to accept some kind of user input such as markers or something.

Check these out:

Korg Pa4x- Midi To Style Converter Feature:

Part 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-0zPp2pHls

Part 2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPQFRpMTFUw

Part 3:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3cL0qPeHSQ

Part 4:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eX8iUFtNJm0

SolMan · Post by **SolMan** » Wed Dec 14, 2016 12:45 am

Thanks Sam, I see I've got to look through the items already in the forum.
Appreciate your help in directing me to these links.

mstodola · Post by **mstodola** » Wed Dec 14, 2016 5:11 pm

DonM wrote:I've had pretty good results converting a few midi files to styles. A lot depends on the way the midi file was made in the first place, but generally, with a little tweeking of volumes afterward, you can make some quite usable styles this way.
As for free styles from Korg, yes they do periodically make new ones available and there is quite a collection available for downloading on their site.
In addition to the manuals, there are excellent tutorial videos on Youtube!
You will love the PA4X

In what way does it depend on the way the midi file was made in the first place?

DonM · Post by **DonM** » Wed Dec 14, 2016 5:45 pm

I'm not sure. All I know is that some of them convert pretty well and some not so well. The Tune 1000 midi files seem to be good and they all follow the industry standard arrangement, as far as what parts are on what channels.
Probably someone who understands midi better than I do could shed some light on it.

chelsea4023 · Post by **chelsea4023** » Wed Dec 14, 2016 6:28 pm

Hi SolMan,

Go to,

https://dopamine4korg.wordpress.com/201 ... -and-bass/

Download the file and load into your Korg PA keyboard. This will fill your user sections with 1,200 styles, 1,400 sounds, 760 pads and 320 performances. All for free !!! And all in addition to your existing onboard styles.

Chris

Stilli · Post by **Stilli** » Fri Dec 16, 2016 11:23 am

chelsea4023 wrote:Hi SolMan,

Go to,

https://dopamine4korg.wordpress.com/201 ... -and-bass/

Download the file and load into your Korg PA keyboard. This will fill your user sections with 1,200 styles, 1,400 sounds, 760 pads and 320 performances. All for free !!! And all in addition to your existing onboard styles.

Chris

Hi Chris,

As someone who is completely new to Arranger type keyboards, I am trying to get the hang of loading new styles, sounds etc. I have read the relevant parts of the manual but am still uncertain what the affects will be if I load this Set.

If I load the whole Set folder will it overwrite any of my Factory Sounds/Styles/Pads etc? The documentation that comes with the resource says to unlock the Media, Factory, Global Style etc protect which makes me think that it probably does. I'm not worried about the User Banks being overwritten as long as I don't lose any of the Factory or Global settings.
If it's just a case of them being added to the system in the user banks then that is great.

Martin

chelsea4023 · Post by **chelsea4023** » Fri Dec 16, 2016 1:02 pm

Hi,

You can send Dopamine a message on his website to confirm if this affects your factory settings.
He does post on these Forums also, but under another name.
If I'm not mistaken, 2.5 does not affect factory settings, but 2.6 does improve the drum sounds on about 100 of the factory styles. Have a read on his website and it should be clearer to understand.
I believe you do have the ability via the Korg official website to restore all the original factory settings.

Chris

p.s. It would be a great shame to miss out on all his additional styles, sounds, pads and performances. Many are from previous Korg PA arrangers and are very good.

Stilli · Post by **Stilli** » Fri Dec 16, 2016 1:09 pm

chelsea4023 wrote:Hi,

You can send Dopamine a message on his website to confirm if this affects your factory settings............

Cheers Chris.

MamieNova · Post by **MamieNova** » Fri Dec 16, 2016 8:09 pm

Hi,

I'm the author of the Dopamine set, and I only have a PA600.
On PA4X, I would recommend not to overwrite the factory styles with the Dopamine ones as the set is not optimized for PA4X. The factory styles of the PA4X are probably better. Just use the Dopamine USER styles, plus the other resources: pads, sounds, performances, if you wish.

When you'll be more at ease with loading a set or a part of it, then you can try loading these dopamine factory styles for testing.

Just remind that you should always save your datas before loading any set, so that you can roll back in case it does not suit your needs.

Enjoy !

DonM · Post by **DonM** » Fri Dec 16, 2016 8:22 pm

MamieNova wrote:Hi,

I'm the author of the Dopamine set, and I only have a PA600.
On PA4X, I would recommend not to overwrite the factory styles with the Dopamine ones as the set is not optimized for PA4X. The factory styles of the PA4X are probably better. Just use the Dopamine USER styles, plus the other resources: pads, sounds, performances, if you wish.

When you'll be more at ease with loading a set or a part of it, then you can try loading these dopamine factory styles for testing.

Just remind that you should always save your datas before loading any set, so that you can roll back in case it does not suit your needs.

Enjoy !

Absolutely great advice!

D575 · Post by **D575** » Fri Dec 16, 2016 8:29 pm

Would be good to here some thoughts if any one has downloaded (Dopamine 2.6) and used on PA4X, sounds interesting......

Stilli · Post by **Stilli** » Sat Dec 17, 2016 11:52 am

MamieNova wrote:Hi,

I'm the author of the Dopamine set, and I only have a PA600.
On PA4X, I would recommend not to overwrite the factory styles with the Dopamine ones as the set is not optimized for PA4X. The factory styles of the PA4X are probably better. Just use the Dopamine USER styles, plus the other resources: pads, sounds, performances, if you wish..............................

Enjoy !

Thank you for your advice, still getting my head around loading resources and have no problem with the Direct banks but have never loaded sounds, pads or performances before. I find it a bit daunting and difficult to know what's happening from the manual as information is in a lot of different locations.

Your documentation states that you have improved the internal (GM?) sounds, does that apply to the PA4X. Should I just stick to trying the Styles or are the Sounds and Performances (Keyboard sets) worth loading too?

Stilli · Post by **Stilli** » Sat Dec 17, 2016 12:08 pm

I find the whole setup of memory banks confusing, Why "Favorite 1, 2, 3" etc and then 3 banks "User 1, 2, 3" in the User and Direct sections and why not Bank 1, 2, 3 etc?

Why can you rename the Favorite Banks but not the User Banks? There must be a reason for this configuration but it is not obvious to me.