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I am trying to MIDI my microkorg to my ESX-1.

Problem is, I am a huge MIDI noob and I need some huge help.

What are these channels?

I do not understand anything. Is there a good MIDI tutorial on the web?

I have googled, and searched this forum, and the korg forums in general, and have came up with nothing.

My manuals are way to confusing. I was hoping someone here would be able to step by step it to me, or jsut send me a link.

It is a Microkorg to an ESX-1 specifically, so that would be great.

Thank you very much Korg Forums.

Setsonics wrote:I am trying to MIDI my microkorg to my ESX-1.

Problem is, I am a huge MIDI noob and I need some huge help.

What are these channels?

I do not understand anything. Is there a good MIDI tutorial on the web?

I have googled, and searched this forum, and the korg forums in general, and have came up with nothing.

My manuals are way to confusing. I was hoping someone here would be able to step by step it to me, or jsut send me a link.

It is a Microkorg to an ESX-1 specifically, so that would be great.

Thank you very much Korg Forums.

MIDI cahnnels are different information buses that can travel a MIDI cable at the same time

each channel could be used as an independent way of send and receive specific MIDI information between 2 or more MIDI machines

each MIDI connector could manage up to 16 MIDI channels at the same time...each channel could used to send

MIDI note ON adn OFF

MIDI note number (wich key/s is played)

velocity (how hard you strike a key or pad)

CC = continous controllers - these are control for parameters such as volume, pan, filter cutoff and so on...they´re inespecific, so you have to assign them to teh parameter you want to control...you could automate parameter changes that way...yopu could assign CC number to any knob in the ESX (i.e CC 71 for the cutoff knob) and then move them to generate CC data from 0 to 127

NRPN= similar to CC but a biut more compliated...leave this for your second approach to MIDI

some parts on the ESX uses CC and others uses NRPN

SysEx = System Exclusive, a way to back up information of a specific machine...for example: backup all your microkorg patches in a computer or program it from a editor program...this kind of MIDI message is specific for a machine, so you can´t load a microkorg Sysex dump into, say, a nord lead or even another korg like the prophecy...




what do you want to do with your microkorg and ESX???

Well thats the thing, I am not sure yet.

I know I want my arpeggiator tempo on my Microkorg to be controled by the tempo of my esx-1.

Does my Microkorg have to be on the same midi channel as my ESX-1?

External? Internal? Auto?

I hooked them up last night, but I was not sure what I could do, very confused. I did a lot of research into MIDI but I am really struggling with it so far.

Thank you very much for your help.

Hi man,
no worries. i will type you a step by step this evening when i get infront of my ESX en microKorg.
Its easy don't worry. just make sure you have a midi cable nearby/connected and i will help you through it.

im not in front of mine right now but just by memory I set the microkorg to channel 1 and auto and esx on ch10. I think the MIDI channels are set that way by default. Of coarse, make sure your audi in thru is on.

Okay friend,

- Plug your midi cable into the microKorg "IN" socket.
- Plug the other end of the same midi cable into the Electribe SX "OUT" socket.
- Turn on the SX.
- Turn on the microKorg.
- Press "GLOBAL" on the SX. Goto "Clock" at set to "Int"(internal).
- Go down to "Midi Ch". Press 'Keyboard Part 1'. It will probably have 'Keyboard Part 1' set as 'Midi Ch 1'. To follow my lead set it to '11' instead. The actual midi-channel doesn't matter as long as the SX and the microKorg are set on the same channel. But I'll explain how to do that in a second.
- Now without switching from "Global" first press "write" twice so you save these global settings in the SX.
- Now hold shift in and press step key 15. Let go. Now you will see "MIDIUtil - Filter" on the screen. Press the flashing '15' step key. You will now see a "PCEN" on the screen with a combination of O & X. Turn the dail until you get this combination: XOXO. Press step key 15 again. You could look this up in the manual but what you just done means that you will be able to send 'CC' data(control messages such as cutoff, resonance, etc.) to your microKorg and you will be able to send note data (note on/off, note length, start arpeggiator, note number, etc.).
- Again, without switching from "Global" first press "write" twice so you save these global settings in the SX.

- Go over to the microKorg. Turn the second dial to "MIDI". Goto "Local" and set to "AUT"(automatic). Then goto "Midi Ch" and set this to '11'. Good now the SX is set-up as master while the microKorg is set-up to take clock commands from the SX. And the microKorg can be controlled from the SX 'keyboard Part 1'.
- But first without pressing anything else also press "write" twice on the microKorg so that you save these settings.

Haha, we're getting there. The fun starts to come now..

- Set the SX back in "Pattern" mode.
- Go to a microKorg patch without an arpegg switched on.
- Go to the SX and choose 'keyboard part 1' again. (make sure there is no sample selected for this 'part') Switch the 'keyboard' button on. Play some of the step keys on the SX. Wow did I really hear that? Did the microKorg play notes when I touched the buttons on the SX. (if not there is a problem but let me know).
- Use the arpegg. on the SX. Does it trigger notes on the microKorg? Cool.

That is what midi does. It allows you to control other midi gear.

Here some more advanced tricks:
- The cutoff and resonance on the SX incidently have the same CC numbers as the microKorg's Cutoff and resonance. Play notes on the microKorg. While doing that and having the 'keyboard part 1' still selected on the SX, turn the cutoff knob on the SX. Cool, it should control the cutoff of the microKorg.
- Also incidently the PAN, LEVEL, GLIDE, are all the same.
- Check the back of the manual for the microKorg's midi CC numbers. Check the back of the SX's manual to see what the default midi CC numbers are for the SX's knobs. You can actually change the midi CC numbers on the SX to match the midi CC's on the microKorg.
- So what this means is you can control the parameters of the microKorg with the knobs of the SX. Motion sequences will also work for the microKorg.
- In this manner you can program patterns on the SX and include the microKorg as an instrument on 'Keyboard Part 1'.
- If you have a microKorg patch with an arpegg the SX will trigger the arpegg when you press a note on the SX. Play with "Latch on/off" on the microKorg and the Note Lengths on the SX to work the arpegg. I could explain how this works but I think you get it now otherwise let me know.
- You could control the microKorg duophonically by setting "Keyboard Part 2" on the SX also to midi channel 11. This though would sacrifice you another Part on you SX.

Wow, i hope this is all clear to you. Let me know how you get on.
I remember the first time I controlled my microKorg with my Electribe via midi > Bliss, Joy and happiness.

Worked perfect.

I had roaring synth lines arpeggiating on my ESX-1 from my MK.

That was unreal! You can really open up your possibilities.

I found a sweet acid style sound so fast!

This is great, I thank you much for taking the time to help me with this.

I understand MIDI a lot more now.

Again, thanks a lot. this opens up a lot of possibilities for me!!

hey guys, i understand all this and love it. I however do not have the ESX, i have the ES-1 mkII. A lesser expensive rhythm production sampler. It does not have a "keyboard" part. I have 8 sample parts(8 keys) that will send MIDI note information. These keys also however are assigned to audio samples. SO hitting a key on my sampler will sound its assigned sample and also send a midi note thats heard on the MK. I am running MIDI out from the sampler into the MIDI IN of my microkorg. So i hear my samples and the midi note on the MK at the same time, this goes away if i miss match the channels. How can i take advantage of hooking these two up together? Any way to make the sampler play the MK other than just a single note? should i be hooking them up differently? Any ideas on how to make these work together?

what notes are being sounded? like is it c, csharp,d and so forth or is there gaps? either way, find which sample plays the lowest note and use that for the bass drum and then set up the microkorg nice and basstastic and bam a nice fat layered kick drum. maybe set up the microkorg so its got a really long decay time and then jack up how far the pitch bend works and you could wheel out bass lines all night long.

thats a pretty good idea there, but then i'm only limited to one bass line per beat. I will need to just hook them both up to ableton to take advantage the best. THanks

Could someone sticky this or copy it to classic threads?

The ultimate goal for most people is just syncing the clocks for arp and for the tempo in general. So the arp and the drums line up seamlessly. I could give 3 craps about controlling them from each other.

Maybe that's just me