Korg Zero 8 Effects and Midi Clock

bildeaux · Post by **bildeaux** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 6:50 pm

Does the Korg Zero 8 on board effects lock to an external sequencer's midi clock that is using it as a sound card? Or is the only way the bpm is determined from either the auto detect, or manually entering in the bpm?

Thanks
b.

bildeaux · Post by **bildeaux** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 3:32 pm

Is that a no?

Also, are you able to save a "snapshot" of the mixer so that when you turn it on it keeps the previous effect settings on the master, send and channel?

b.

bildeaux · Post by **bildeaux** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 3:12 pm

Is anybody out there?

b.

holotropik · Post by **holotropik** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 3:49 am

I have pretty much the same questions. I have just recieved my Mixer and playing around with it now. I also want to know if you can save the snapshot of settings for effects...??

I am using my mixer with two Electribes (ESX & EMX). I can midi them up to the mixer and they will follow the mixer BPM settings, but, I want to know if or how I can get the machines to start via the mixer??

m4m · Post by **m4m** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 9:22 pm

this issue will determine if I get one when it hits canada or not as the electribe sx(or live depending if i go laptop-less) is the master clock for the whole set and everyone else is slaved to it

risquedj · Post by **risquedj** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 2:28 pm

Is it me, or does it seem like Korg do not want to address the issues being had w' the Zero Series mixers?

bildeaux · Post by **bildeaux** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 3:32 pm

As far as I can tell, the answer to both of my questions is no. Seems like a no brainer that the on board effects should be able to lock to the midi clock, but there isn't an option to do that.

No way to save snapshots or any changes you make to effects either.

Korg is still silent over all this........

b.

holotropik · Post by **holotropik** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 10:28 pm

I have noticed that things move pretty slow around here, its like a ghost town....?

m4m · Post by **m4m** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 11:09 pm

yes, actually it's the first time i see an answer less than a week after a question

so officially, any one has a zero8 and can confirm it won't act as a midi clock slave to either external midi or firewire midi?
can it at least act as a a master so I can program a start/stop and use it to control tempo and transport for ableton and/or my electribes and kaoss pads

Reggmail · Post by **Reggmail** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 4:54 am

m4m wrote:yes, actually it's the first time i see an answer less than a week after a question

so officially, any one has a zero8 and can confirm it won't act as a midi clock slave to either external midi or firewire midi?
can it at least act as a a master so I can program a start/stop and use it to control tempo and transport for ableton and/or my electribes and kaoss pads

Hello, This cueing problem with the Zero 4 has been an ongoing thing since it came out.
If you think that working with this problem in Ableton is bad, please be ready to pull your hair out with Traktor.
I've been on the phone with Korg almost twice a week and constantly have been experimenting to see any work around's to deal with this situation.
So far Korg is still trying to reproduce the problem and that do not seem to be happening with them.
I told them today that if [Input selector] is put to {Audio + Midi} you can set up routing for a proper headphone cue but lose four knobs, on & off switch, cue, and A & B buttons for midi controlling.
If you put [Input Selector] to {midi} you have all your controllers but now you lose proper headphone cuing.

(Bummer)
They will get back to me on that.

About the midi, I tried to Midi the Zero 4 to my drum machine using standard midi in and out cables, set that proper transmit channels sending MTC from three separate devices and none of the devices was able to send the midi clock to the Zero 4 or Zero 4 to midi devices.
That is very crucial if you want a sequencer, drum machine or DAW to operate that clock in the Z4, it didn't work.
Korg did admit to being aware of that problem and that information went to Japan.
Usually when that happens, it mean an update is on the way.(stay tune)

On saving FX, the only saving that I believe that the Z's allow is your midi control parameter set up's talked about on page 3 on the PDF cd.
It would be a nice idea to be able to store FX parameters as well, I don't know if this could be added in a software upgrade but we can all send this request to Korg.

Hopefully along with the midi problem, the cueing problom would be on the list as well, I will keep everyone informed.
All and all if these bugs could be addressed, I fell that the Z, series mixers would be one of the best mixers on the market today.
If nothing else we will get to see how Korg deals with customers technical concerns for their products.
Peace & blessings.

holotropik · Post by **holotropik** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 10:48 pm

From Korg

“It turns out that the Line inputs (on Jacks) are intended for connection of +4dB devices.
The RCA inputs are intended for -10dB devices.

Almost 95% of gear people have (including even the highest end of Korg synths run at -10dB) so, although not ideal, are best connected to the RCA inputs.

This is the reason for the hiss - if the customer is connecting devices by the Jack inputs which are -10dB devices then they will overcompensate on the channel's input gain control and thus raising the noise floor which results in a noisey overall output.

Good news: in the new beta OS I'm testing this is one of 3 aspects Korg have addressed.
- MIDI Clock slave of bpm synced effects via Firewire from your computer sequencer (e.g. Live_)
- MIDI Clock transport controls
- Input Gain/Trim compensation controls in the System -> Setup page ... (this allows connection of -10dB devices to the jack inputs for line level devices so using the RCAs is no longer necessary).”

peace.

m4m · Post by **m4m** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 3:19 am

HOly Friggin Sh*te!
that is good news, and now i will probably make my move and order, hopefully it'll ship here in canada before christmas

bildeaux · Post by **bildeaux** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 5:52 pm

Glad Korg is listening. Any idea on when the update will be out of test?

Many Thanks
b.

subterFUSE · Post by **subterFUSE** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 11:59 am

Reggmail wrote:
m4m wrote:yes, actually it's the first time i see an answer less than a week after a question

so officially, any one has a zero8 and can confirm it won't act as a midi clock slave to either external midi or firewire midi?
can it at least act as a a master so I can program a start/stop and use it to control tempo and transport for ableton and/or my electribes and kaoss pads
Hello, This cueing problem with the Zero 4 has been an ongoing thing since it came out.
If you think that working with this problem in Ableton is bad, please be ready to pull your hair out with Traktor.
I've been on the phone with Korg almost twice a week and constantly have been experimenting to see any work around's to deal with this situation.
So far Korg is still trying to reproduce the problem and that do not seem to be happening with them.
I told them today that if [Input selector] is put to {Audio + Midi} you can set up routing for a proper headphone cue but lose four knobs, on & off switch, cue, and A & B buttons for midi controlling.
If you put [Input Selector] to {midi} you have all your controllers but now you lose proper headphone cuing. (Bummer)
They will get back to me on that.

About the midi, I tried to Midi the Zero 4 to my drum machine using standard midi in and out cables, set that proper transmit channels sending MTC from three separate devices and none of the devices was able to send the midi clock to the Zero 4 or Zero 4 to midi devices.
That is very crucial if you want a sequencer, drum machine or DAW to operate that clock in the Z4, it didn't work.
Korg did admit to being aware of that problem and that information went to Japan.
Usually when that happens, it mean an update is on the way.(stay tune)

On saving FX, the only saving that I believe that the Z's allow is your midi control parameter set up's talked about on page 3 on the PDF cd.
It would be a nice idea to be able to store FX parameters as well, I don't know if this could be added in a software upgrade but we can all send this request to Korg.

Hopefully along with the midi problem, the cueing problom would be on the list as well, I will keep everyone informed.
All and all if these bugs could be addressed, I fell that the Z, series mixers would be one of the best mixers on the market today.
If nothing else we will get to see how Korg deals with customers technical concerns for their products.
Peace & blessings.

I have been playing with this Cueing issue a bit.

The only way to Cue from Ableton is to assign the Cue output in the software to one of the eight mixer channels on the Zero8. Then you assign the Master output from Ableton to another channel. Next, you turn the Input dial for the channel you've assigned as the Cue so that it is in either (Audio + MIDI) or (Audio) mode. Then you click the Cue button on the mixer for that channel so it lights Orange. Make sure your up-fader is all the way down, or else the audio will play on the master. Then click on the Cue button in Ableton and it will play over the headphones which are monitoring that mixer channel on the Zero 8.

This method works, but you lose one of your MIDI control channels on the Zero8. You can't use that channel with Ableton or else the audio will play over the master.

The reason we can't cue properly from Ableton is because with the Korg Zero 4/8 we don't have the ability to assign audio from Ableton directly to the Master or Headphone busses. Instead, we are being forced to route the audio through the Zero4/8 mixer first. Essentially, we are having to run two mixers. (Ableton is acting as our mixer, and then we have to mix again on the Zero8)

An ideal solution would be for us to have the capability to assign directly to the Master Bus and Headphone Bus. Then we could bypass the Zero8 mixer and monitor the audio from Ableton directly without losing one of the MIDI channels. This way you could play and mix in Ableton, while recording in Ableton, play the audio through the Zero 8 without losing any of your 8 channels, and still be able to run a proper Cue.

What are everyone's thoughts? Does this sound accurate, or am I a complete retard who is missing something?

Honestly, I find this fairly disappointing. You would hope that in designing this piece of gear they would enlist the help of people who know and use programs like Ableton Live. But looking at this situation makes it hard to believe this was done. I don't see how anyone who uses Ableton to DJ could possibly overlook this Cueing snafu.

We're not talking about some obscure feature that nobody uses. This is basic cue monitoring we're talking about here. One of the most important requirements for DJing.

MTG · Post by **MTG** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 8:41 pm

I agree, its pretty ridiculous that this mixer was delayed for 2-3 months and we still have this problem. Like you said, its a basic function of DJing, not some obscure feature.

I for one pray this problem can be fixed with a firmware update. Could anyone post a picture of the Audio I/O config within the Zero Edit Software? Hopefully they can simply update this software to include headphone/master bussing options, much like every other sound card on the market.

Please hear our cries Korg! I want to give you my $1300 but its kind of hard when I can't even cue what I need to!