Korg x50 (Sound Programming)
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SlipKnoTCraig133
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Korg x50 (Sound Programming)
Hi. I just go the x-50 (previously used a non professional casio) and its awesome. I'm not new to keyboards, but I'm new to all this stuff you have to go through to use these pro keyboards to their fullest. To all you experts out there on operating the x50/x5d/x5 etc to their fullest could you give me some tips? For example, where did you learn how to use yours to the fullest? How long did it take? Where can I learn the full operation of these synths inside and out?
You may hate this answer, but you start by reading the manual and trying to figure it out for yourself. When that fails, ask a specific question about it here.
As far as synth's go, the X50 is really pretty basic. No sampling, no sequencer, etc. For the money, you can't beat it (in my opinion) for what it does. You can't really hurt anything either, as you can reload (or reset) to all the original factory sounds.
One bit of advice: Play around with the features and adjustments for a while to get the hang of it. Give yourself a chance.
Bob
As far as synth's go, the X50 is really pretty basic. No sampling, no sequencer, etc. For the money, you can't beat it (in my opinion) for what it does. You can't really hurt anything either, as you can reload (or reset) to all the original factory sounds.
One bit of advice: Play around with the features and adjustments for a while to get the hang of it. Give yourself a chance.
Bob
Hats off to you for wanting to wade in there 
Do you just have the X50 ? If you have a simpler virtual analog synth like the Korg MS2000 or Roland SH-201, these are perfect for learning about synthesis on because it's all laid out in front of you. If you don't, you can still learn about this stuff on the X50.
Firstly, in the Korg manuals there is always a walk through of Program mode (i.e. where you create your own Programs), so definitely read through that. It won't make sense on the first read, but if you also look at some other synth tutorials at the same time then hopefully you'll begin to see a pattern. The pattern is that most synths actually work in the exact same way, so all the tutorials out there for other gear and just synths in general, will help you understand the X50. The X50 uses a synthesis model called Subtractive Synthesis, which has been used since the very earliest synths were released, so there is a mass of material around. There is something really basic you need to understand before getting the most of that material and that is what Subtractive synthesis means and how the X50 relates to other synths that use it.
In the Subtractive synthesis model you have something called an 'Oscillator' that generates a waveform of the appropriate pitch when you hit a key. The output of the Oscillator is then sent into something called a 'Filter'. The Filter removes some of the harmonic content that you don't want from the waveform (hence subtractive!). The output of the Filter is then fed into an Amplifier which controls the volume of the resulting waveform and ultimately gives you the sound that you hear.
That's it
The oscillator generates a waveform, the filters remove bits of it that you don't want and then amplifier boosts the volume of the signal so it can be heard. Period.
Of course that would be very boring and lifeless if that was all that happened. So the Oscillator, Filter and Amplifier can all be 'modulated'. Modulation means changing the way one thing behaves using another thing. What other things, you might be asking ? Well, there are a whole bunch of things but here are just two :
Velocity : this is a measure of how hard you hit the keys. If you modulate the Amplifier with velocity then the loudness of the sound will change depending on how hard you hit the keys. If you modulate the Filter using Velocity then the harmonic content of the sound will change depending on how hard you hit the keys. etc. etc.
Envelope Generator (EG) : an envelope generator is used to change the nature of a sound during it's brief lifetime, which starts when you hit a key and then ends after you release a key. An Amplifier for example, always has an EG associated with it, allowing you to control how the volume of the sound change over time. It's the first thing you should edit when creating a sound and lets you describe how the sounds volume behaves and changes over time. Is the sound really loud immediately after I hit the key or does the sound's volume fade in slowly after hitting the key. Is the sound instantly silenced when I release a key, or does it fade out gently after I release the key. You program all that kind of stuff using the Amplifier and his associated envelope generator. In the exact same way an EG can be associated with a Filter (the thing that removes harmonics that you don't want). That lets you control how the harmonic quality of the sound changes during the lifetime of a note.
Finally ... how does the X50 relate to all the other subtractive synths out there. Originally synths had very basic oscillators that created simple waveforms (typically named after their shape;Saw, Triangle, Square). There are still synths around today that continue to use these basic waveforms, because of the very desirable sound they create. However your X50 has a different kind of oscillator that instead of just generating simple waveforms uses small snippets of recorded audio called samples to generate more complex waveforms. Other than that it works in the exact same way as synths have done for years.
Now ... go read some stuff :
Sound on Sounds Synth School series :
http://www.soundonsound.com/search?sect ... nth+school
A tutorial from the Roland SH-201 (a synthesizer that use simple waveforms but is still subtractive)
http://www.rolandus.com/uploads/CMS/Dow ... is_101.pdf
A couple of tutorials from Alesis (check out the ones about analog synths) :
http://www.alesis.com/index.php?id=56,87,0,0,1,0
A couple of video tutorials about Subtractor (yet another subtractive synth) and also some synthesis tutorials :
http://www.samplecraze.com/tutorial.php
This is just the tip of the iceberg ... hopefully it will give you some insight, maybe even the X50 manual will make more sense. It's really important to not just read, but have a hack around in Program mode and listen to what happens when you change the Filter Cutoff frequency or what happens when you change the Amplifier Envelope settings. Hearing what happens when you change parameters will teach you more about synthesis than reading, as someone very rightly said above.
A final bit of advice ... none of this is complex, it's all very simple indeed ... the real pig is using something so simple to make complex and expressive sounds. So understanding the technology is the easy bit, learning to use it effectively takes practice just like playing an instrument.
Daz.
Do you just have the X50 ? If you have a simpler virtual analog synth like the Korg MS2000 or Roland SH-201, these are perfect for learning about synthesis on because it's all laid out in front of you. If you don't, you can still learn about this stuff on the X50.
Firstly, in the Korg manuals there is always a walk through of Program mode (i.e. where you create your own Programs), so definitely read through that. It won't make sense on the first read, but if you also look at some other synth tutorials at the same time then hopefully you'll begin to see a pattern. The pattern is that most synths actually work in the exact same way, so all the tutorials out there for other gear and just synths in general, will help you understand the X50. The X50 uses a synthesis model called Subtractive Synthesis, which has been used since the very earliest synths were released, so there is a mass of material around. There is something really basic you need to understand before getting the most of that material and that is what Subtractive synthesis means and how the X50 relates to other synths that use it.
In the Subtractive synthesis model you have something called an 'Oscillator' that generates a waveform of the appropriate pitch when you hit a key. The output of the Oscillator is then sent into something called a 'Filter'. The Filter removes some of the harmonic content that you don't want from the waveform (hence subtractive!). The output of the Filter is then fed into an Amplifier which controls the volume of the resulting waveform and ultimately gives you the sound that you hear.
That's it
The oscillator generates a waveform, the filters remove bits of it that you don't want and then amplifier boosts the volume of the signal so it can be heard. Period.Of course that would be very boring and lifeless if that was all that happened. So the Oscillator, Filter and Amplifier can all be 'modulated'. Modulation means changing the way one thing behaves using another thing. What other things, you might be asking ? Well, there are a whole bunch of things but here are just two :
Velocity : this is a measure of how hard you hit the keys. If you modulate the Amplifier with velocity then the loudness of the sound will change depending on how hard you hit the keys. If you modulate the Filter using Velocity then the harmonic content of the sound will change depending on how hard you hit the keys. etc. etc.
Envelope Generator (EG) : an envelope generator is used to change the nature of a sound during it's brief lifetime, which starts when you hit a key and then ends after you release a key. An Amplifier for example, always has an EG associated with it, allowing you to control how the volume of the sound change over time. It's the first thing you should edit when creating a sound and lets you describe how the sounds volume behaves and changes over time. Is the sound really loud immediately after I hit the key or does the sound's volume fade in slowly after hitting the key. Is the sound instantly silenced when I release a key, or does it fade out gently after I release the key. You program all that kind of stuff using the Amplifier and his associated envelope generator. In the exact same way an EG can be associated with a Filter (the thing that removes harmonics that you don't want). That lets you control how the harmonic quality of the sound changes during the lifetime of a note.
Finally ... how does the X50 relate to all the other subtractive synths out there. Originally synths had very basic oscillators that created simple waveforms (typically named after their shape;Saw, Triangle, Square). There are still synths around today that continue to use these basic waveforms, because of the very desirable sound they create. However your X50 has a different kind of oscillator that instead of just generating simple waveforms uses small snippets of recorded audio called samples to generate more complex waveforms. Other than that it works in the exact same way as synths have done for years.
Now ... go read some stuff :
Sound on Sounds Synth School series :
http://www.soundonsound.com/search?sect ... nth+school
A tutorial from the Roland SH-201 (a synthesizer that use simple waveforms but is still subtractive)
http://www.rolandus.com/uploads/CMS/Dow ... is_101.pdf
A couple of tutorials from Alesis (check out the ones about analog synths) :
http://www.alesis.com/index.php?id=56,87,0,0,1,0
A couple of video tutorials about Subtractor (yet another subtractive synth) and also some synthesis tutorials :
http://www.samplecraze.com/tutorial.php
This is just the tip of the iceberg ... hopefully it will give you some insight, maybe even the X50 manual will make more sense. It's really important to not just read, but have a hack around in Program mode and listen to what happens when you change the Filter Cutoff frequency or what happens when you change the Amplifier Envelope settings. Hearing what happens when you change parameters will teach you more about synthesis than reading, as someone very rightly said above.
A final bit of advice ... none of this is complex, it's all very simple indeed ... the real pig is using something so simple to make complex and expressive sounds. So understanding the technology is the easy bit, learning to use it effectively takes practice just like playing an instrument.
Daz.
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SlipKnoTCraig133
- Full Member
- Posts: 100
- Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2007 11:19 pm
How long did it take you to learn this Daz?On your X50 a good starting point for creating sounds is the Program E127 : Init Program. That program is initialized with default values so it's basically a blank slate. It's provided specifically for sound designers ... an elite group which you are shortly about to join
Here's a little exercise for you :
1. Go into Program mode and select the program E127
2. Hit the Menu button and select Basic (notice that menu contains familiar words from y'day : OSC, FILTER, AMP)
3. On the OSC1 tab on the Ed-Basic page select the field labeled 'High' and try scrolling thru some of the available values whilst hitting the keys. You're changing the waveform/sample used by the oscillator. Obviously choosing the right one for the kind of sound you're creating is an essential part of creating a sound.
4. Hit the Menu button again and go to page Filter1
5. Ensure you're on the tab called Basic and try changing the value of the field Frequency in the A section, whilst hitting keys or sustaining a chord. When the value is high you hear the full fat waveform, but when you decrease it you hear the brighter elements of the waveform being filtered out. You're doing subtractive synthesis right there
6. Now press the Menu button again and select Amp 1/2
7. Select the Mod tab. We're going to modulate the amplifier. Before doing so, try hitting the keys at various hard and soft levels. Nothing changes does it, the sound just stays the same ... no change in volume. It's ignoring you
8. On the Mod tab change the value "Amp Mod Velocity Int" from 0 to a larger number like 32 and listen to how the volume changes in response to how hard you hit the key. Velocity is modulating the amplifier. That's a key technique to making sound even remotely usable.
9. Now select the tab called EG just to the right of the Mod tab that we are on now. Notice that at the moment the sound starts immediately when you hit a key and becomes silent immediately after releasing the key.
10. On the EG tab you'll see two rows of information at the top left of the display. The first starts with an L and the second a T. In the second row which starts with a T select the value labeled A and start increasing it slowly. Look at the graphic to the right and notice how it changes. Press a key and listen to how the sound now fades in when you hit a key. Now change R in the second row and notice how that affect how the sound fades out after you release a key. You just edited Attack time and Release time of the Amplifier envelope, a fundamental part of programming a sound. Changing the volume envelope can change a sound from a great fast lead sound into a soft pad.
Report back when you're done
Daz.
Here's a little exercise for you :
1. Go into Program mode and select the program E127
2. Hit the Menu button and select Basic (notice that menu contains familiar words from y'day : OSC, FILTER, AMP)
3. On the OSC1 tab on the Ed-Basic page select the field labeled 'High' and try scrolling thru some of the available values whilst hitting the keys. You're changing the waveform/sample used by the oscillator. Obviously choosing the right one for the kind of sound you're creating is an essential part of creating a sound.
4. Hit the Menu button again and go to page Filter1
5. Ensure you're on the tab called Basic and try changing the value of the field Frequency in the A section, whilst hitting keys or sustaining a chord. When the value is high you hear the full fat waveform, but when you decrease it you hear the brighter elements of the waveform being filtered out. You're doing subtractive synthesis right there
6. Now press the Menu button again and select Amp 1/2
7. Select the Mod tab. We're going to modulate the amplifier. Before doing so, try hitting the keys at various hard and soft levels. Nothing changes does it, the sound just stays the same ... no change in volume. It's ignoring you
8. On the Mod tab change the value "Amp Mod Velocity Int" from 0 to a larger number like 32 and listen to how the volume changes in response to how hard you hit the key. Velocity is modulating the amplifier. That's a key technique to making sound even remotely usable.
9. Now select the tab called EG just to the right of the Mod tab that we are on now. Notice that at the moment the sound starts immediately when you hit a key and becomes silent immediately after releasing the key.
10. On the EG tab you'll see two rows of information at the top left of the display. The first starts with an L and the second a T. In the second row which starts with a T select the value labeled A and start increasing it slowly. Look at the graphic to the right and notice how it changes. Press a key and listen to how the sound now fades in when you hit a key. Now change R in the second row and notice how that affect how the sound fades out after you release a key. You just edited Attack time and Release time of the Amplifier envelope, a fundamental part of programming a sound. Changing the volume envelope can change a sound from a great fast lead sound into a soft pad.
Report back when you're done
Daz.
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SlipKnoTCraig133
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- Posts: 100
- Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2007 11:19 pm
! Thanks. So is that the basic process one should start with when creating their own program?That was more just an exercise in using/hearing some of the basic programming elements, but yeah that was a small part of the kind of process you go through making a sound.
There are a lot more things to set up, along the same lines as what I've already described. For example in the exercise I mentioned making the Amplifier sensitive to Velocity so that the volume would change depending how hard the keys were hit. There are a bunch more things like that you need to setup that make the synth engine change what it's doing in response to what you play and what controllers you operate. That's a key part of making a useful and expressive sound.
Most people already know all of the theory but don't know that they do If you hit a piano key softly and then play the same note with more force the second note isn't just louder. The tone of the sound changes, the second note will sustain for longer etc. etc.
So much detail to get into and so little time. Gotta run ...
Daz.
There are a lot more things to set up, along the same lines as what I've already described. For example in the exercise I mentioned making the Amplifier sensitive to Velocity so that the volume would change depending how hard the keys were hit. There are a bunch more things like that you need to setup that make the synth engine change what it's doing in response to what you play and what controllers you operate. That's a key part of making a useful and expressive sound.
Most people already know all of the theory but don't know that they do
If you hit a piano key softly and then play the same note with more force the second note isn't just louder. The tone of the sound changes, the second note will sustain for longer etc. etc. So much detail to get into and so little time. Gotta run ...
Daz.
More from Korg : http://www.korg.com/service/downloadinfo.asp?DID=1324
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The Magic Hoof
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For anyone that may read this in the future, I encourage you to do what Daz has said. I never thought to program my own sounds because I believed it to be too complicated. I started reading the manual for my X50 and in about two hours time, I knew almost everything I needed to know to program my own sounds from bare minimum scratch.
TWO hours folks. You can learn a completely new trade in just a few hours time and be ahead of 95% of synth players, once again in just a short amount of time, just like Daz said. He's seriously not kidding. I know enough after those two hours to let someone tell me what kind of patch they want and program it from memory of what I read, and that's from just a couple of hours of experimenting.
TWO hours folks. You can learn a completely new trade in just a few hours time and be ahead of 95% of synth players, once again in just a short amount of time, just like Daz said. He's seriously not kidding. I know enough after those two hours to let someone tell me what kind of patch they want and program it from memory of what I read, and that's from just a couple of hours of experimenting.