korg m3 for the blind

[dfibraio]

OK, so against my better judgement and sanity, I traded in my Korg tr61 and a fantom xr and plunked down some good hard cash and am now an m3 user. I am borrowing an m3 61 until my 73 key shows up from Korg. I still have my radias and plan on mounting it into the korg keyboard components and I even ordered the radias expansion for the m3, because I am a sick man. Now, Korg and all users, here is where I hope I can have some better luck than I have had with access Music.

I am looking to make a contact with anybody in Korg that may be open to exchanging ideas on a way to make this keyboard more accessible to the blind. Currently, I can change sounds, manipulate the slidres ribbon and joystick and even use the x-y pad functionality, but anything related to using the touch screen, i.e. editing sounds, sequencing, combis, etc. is out of reach. The m3 editor is all bitmapped and shows me nothing when I try to use my screen reader application to read the screen. Basically, a slightly worse situation than I had with my Virus TI. I can deal with using the internal programs, and combis. I can have help with loading programs in as long as they don't contain samples. I would eventually like to get into program and bombi editing and sampling. I don't need the sequencer as I use sonar 7 and my motif xs7 for sequencing. I just want the m3 for its wonderful sounds. Now, on the Motif xs side, some gracious soul wrote editor programs for the voice, performance, mix and master modes of the xs. These programs are screen reader friendly and have gbeen a tremendous god send to me. Not to mention that the motif menus don't rap and they don't use a touch screen, but that's another matter. What I am hoping I can do is see about making the m3 editor friendly to screen readers, or an alternative editor written to support the Korg with Korg's help. I don't think that there is a way to modify the m3 os to have all functions available without the touch screen for those who want to do things that way, but if there is a way, that would be wonderful as well. So, I am hoping that I didn't just throw $2800 away, with the radias upgrade. I bought the product because I believe in the Korg sound, now Korg, can you help me, or do I have to sell my keyboard or return it and be sad again. I lost out on a triton extreme for this reason, but I never even thought to petition anybody here for help, before. Yamaha has stepped up wonderfully for the blind on this endeavor. Jerry, steven K, or anybody here who has extensive knowledge or programming skill or anything...this keyboard is a much needed shot in the arm for my keyboard rig. I don't want to give up on it, as it compliments my motif xs7 and the radias is the analog end of things. The only thing missing is a hammond organ emulator which native instrument b4 2 or my vk8m fill nicely. I am at the point where I only have 2 keyboads onstage if this all works, plus a laptop or my vk8m. IN theory this should all work. there is huge potential for the m3 for the blind, especially with software integration, however, we need accessibility and that is why I am here. Call me a pioneer, story of my life. So, can you help me? Help us, the blind community, to have access to a really ass kicking keyboard? I paid my money, so is there anything we can do?

[Synth_audio]

Could you or someone create some brail overlays to mount on the screen when using the M3 editor?

I'm not sure if that would work but perhaps if it helped locate the drop down menus etc that might be some help to you?

Are you using Windows XP? Does that have some feature to 'speak' when you touch the screen or move the mouse?

Regards,

[dfibraio]

Could you or someone create some brail overlays to mount on the screen when using the M3 editor?

I'm not sure if that would work but perhaps if it helped locate the drop down menus etc that might be some help to you?

Are you using Windows XP? Does that have some feature to 'speak' when you touch the screen or move the mouse?

Regards,

Hi. Not really a possibility. The editor is all bitmapped graphics, and blind users generally don't use a mouse when dealing with the comptuer, it is all done through keyboard access. We can simulate mouyse movement, but the issue is that nothing is visible to the screen reader at all. I suppose my hopes lie in sound tower or another company to make an editor that won't use bitmaps, but I doubt that sound tower will make an editor since the m3 has one already. I love the m3, and don'
t plan on giving up on it just yet, but since you are the only reply to this thread, I am not sure how to take that. Some blind users have told me that Korg doesn't care about us, which wouldn't surprise me, however, I figure maybe I can be different. The only thing we really need is one of the following things to happen:

some way to navigate to a parameter on the korg keyboard directly, in the same way you can punch in a number while holding a button to get to the pages, hold down another key and punch the parameter number, say 1 for he first one, 2 for the second, etc. to get to it and then use in/dec, or the rotary dial or numeric keypad to change values. There may be other access issues I haven't found yet, but that would at least open up all the edit screens.

2. make the korg editor screen reader friendly or make some alternate editor or mode for the editor with standard windows controls or alternatives that we can at least write scripts for the screen reader to access.

I've been wanting to try to get with somebody at Korg to try to get these things into the ears that may matter, but I don't have any ideas on who to talk that would not give me a sales pitch or a bunch of talk with no results. I know companies have their bottom line, but the thing is that as an individual who paid $2600 for an m3 73 key keyboard, I want to be able to maximize its potential somehow. There are ways to fix this delimma if somebody would just listen to us, hence the reason I am here.

I think some blind user has tried to make an overlay for the triton touch screen, pre m3 days, but I don't know how well that would work as depending on the screen anywhere can be a hot spot to touch.

[Synth_audio]

What about voice command / control?

Can you control the M3 editor using some voice control software?

I can only imagine your frustration - I get lost easily myself trying to fathom the M3 screens.

[Sharp]

Just think out loud here, but I wonder is there a controller that would allow you to program.

Behringer had a few midi controllers that had tons of knobs on them that could be assigned to all sorts of CC values for real time control. Might be something worth exploring as a possible tool for programming.

Regards,
Sharp,

[dfibraio]

What about voice command / control?

Can you control the M3 editor using some voice control software?

I can only imagine your frustration - I get lost easily myself trying to fathom the M3 screens.

Probably not on the voice command stuff. That would probably take some serious programming and doing and training of the program.

[dfibraio]

Just think out loud here, but I wonder is there a controller that would allow you to program.

Behringer had a few midi controllers that had tons of knobs on them that could be assigned to all sorts of CC values for real time control. Might be something worth exploring as a possible tool for programming.

Regards,
Sharp,

Well, there may be for some things, but I doubt it could give access to every parameter in the system and what about accessing things like media mode to load sounds or samples, or work in combi mode where you have what, 16 parts to work with? It's an idea, but I don't think they make straight programmers like that anymore. The best shot is probably for some kind soul to develope a blind friendly editor for the computer or for Korg to modify the editor or make some mode for a blind user to use it. Barring that, do something to make the m3 not rely on teh touch screen for commands. If memory serves, the trinity still had the ability to do everything from the buttons, but I am not entirely sure. I would lean towards making an editor accessible so Korg doesn't have to modify its m3 os. If they are going to implement autoload functionality for samples at some point that wouldn't be a horrible thing then for media mode. All I really want to be able to do is load sounds in through a librarian program of some sort, an edit programs anhd combis and this can be done with an accessible editor. I don't need the sequencer. For some things, I have sighted help around if I need it, but I want to try to be as independent as I can be with things.