Korg Forums

Hi,

Is there any delivery date known for the EXB-FW FireWire expansion board?
For my assumption the problem isn't to produce a FireWire board rather than to have the M3 pluging ready to support the "total integration".

Cheers
Frank

Our latest estimate is for Late November, 2007.

Regards,

Jerry

You must be joking, sorry to say!
Late November '07 - for an FW Interface - not bad.
FW is really a new and stophisticated technologie at least for Korg.

Cheers
Frank

Hi Jerry, can you confirm/deny whether your 48Khz internal sample rate on the M3 is going to be an issue for anyone who works at 44.1 or 88.2? I am assuming that suporting 96K is trivial if the M3 internate rate is 48K (which TBH Im not sure of either...).

For example, if the audio links back to your DAW are at 48K, and your using Cubase at 44.1, then some sample rate conversion is going to be needed - if in software, or not present at all, then its probaly going to be an unpleasent experience on way or another.

Lets assume for a moment that some users have some very good reasons for sticking with 44.1... with 48K be a problem through either not working at all, or cause huge CPU overhead / and or quality loss?

Can the M3 audio engine rate at 44.1 or 48, or is it fixed at 48?

ta

Hellrider wrote:FW is really a new and stophisticated technologie at least for Korg.

Been living in a cave have we?

FW has been around for a while - actualy - longer than USB2 I think...

And its still a hell of alot better for this kind of use, and probably alot easier to get right. I have to wonder if Access and Roland and others who have tried the TI thing are now kicking themselves for going with USB.

I totaly with you! I can't understand why Korg needs so long time to deliver the EXB-FW.
As I said before my assumption is that the M3 plugin isn't ready to support the FW yet.

Cheers
Frank

Hellrider wrote:I totaly with you! I can't understand why Korg needs so long time to deliver the EXB-FW.
As I said before my assumption is that the M3 plugin isn't ready to support the FW yet.

Cheers
Frank

Korg Japan is a reasonably small company. Every product and option has to be designed by engineers, which would include the hardware and supporting software.

Korg just probably focused resources on getting the M3 itself ready for production, and simply left some of the options temporarily unfinished. The EXB-FW will have some custom aspects to it, even if it is just the connection from the EXB-FW to the M3 main board.

Actually, I think that at an engineering level, USB is easier to implement than FW. Because it is used *everywhere*, there are a lot of low-cost electronic modules available. This results in lower manuacturing costs and more affordable keyboards.

Also, historically FW has been better supported on Macs than on PCs, so it makes sense for manufacturers to go with the lowest common denominator.

Just thank god that they are no longer using disquette like on the Triton...

I have been using Firewire for about 18 months with a Tascam Mixer and Mac OSX = 24 in/out channels. It is rock solid.

I do not know if I can do a pass thru (using the 2nd FW plug on the mixer) or will need another Firewire bus in my computer. The Korg M3 allows pass thru for a 2nd FW keyboard (my Yamaha XS8 is waiting for OSX drivers due in Late August at best).

This will be interesting how this shakes out.

I know since I have had this Korg M3, I have been caught pushing the LCD screen on my Tascam mixer and the Yamaha XS8 ...well at least the iPhone will be out soon, and that will make two screens that I can play with my fingers.

KarmaKazi

Normally the second FW plug is a pass through, so it should work.

about the firewire:
Its indeed rock solid, but thats why the research took a long time.
The 'problem' of FW is that you need an external processor, like you have in ethernet-modules. This makes it more difficult to implement FWcompared to USB. USB doesn't need external control, so it can be sent directly by the main processor. But this makes FW a better solution for audio/video compared to USB. So i think its worth waiting for FW

Help! I don't understand the EXB-FW? What is this for?!!!!

Can anyone verify the capability of the FW card? Does it add any additional audio channels, or is it still just 2x6?

Ilovemusique wrote:Help! I don't understand the EXB-FW? What is this for?!!!!

The EXB-FW provides a digital "mirror" version of the 6 analog outputs and 2 analog inputs PLUS a midi connection.

The EXB-FW is intended for people who want multiple digital outputs and a midi connection via a single FW cable.

synthdogg wrote:Can anyone verify the capability of the FW card? Does it add any additional audio channels, or is it still just 2x6?

The "stock" M3 comes with:
OUTPUTS
-- 6 analog audio ouputs (L, R + Individual 1-4)
-- 2 digital outputs (S/PDIF)

INPUTS
-- 2 analog inputs
-- 2 digital inputs (S/PDIF)

http://www.korg.com/gear/prod_info.asp? ... egory_id=1#

(Optional) OUTPUT
EXB-FW - 6 channels, 24-bit, 48 kHz Sample rate, provides digital output of the same signals as AUDIO OUTPUT (MAIN) L/Mono, R and AUDIO OUTPUT (INDIVIDUAL) 1–4

(Optional) INPUT
EXB-FW - 2 channels, 24-bit, 48 kHz Sample rate

It simply "mirrors" the existing analog connections, but doesn't add to the total number of inputs or outputs (still 2in, 6out)

it's very strange that the EXB-FW don't give you the possibility to play the VSTi of your daw with the out of the m3, like the yamaha m-Lan do over the old motif ES.

is S/P DIF better than Analog output when it comes to latency?
Figured it would as the S/P DIF skips the D/A - A/D step (or?) in signal transfer.