How do you all save your data?

The Magic Hoof · Post by **The Magic Hoof** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 9:07 pm

I've been reading up on the M3 and I'm a bit confused at some stuff. The M3 has some internal memory but with an expansion board to add 256mb for a total of around 320mb or so. As far as I know you can't save actual midi files but you can save up to 16 song templates which save basic things like the patches, but not FX settings. The M3 says you can save up to 128 songs, but I'm reading that you have to save those songs on external media like a USB drive. I'm kind of confused, because it says you can save 128 songs... but they have to be on an external drive? For one I'm thinking it can't save songs at all like it's saying, and two why should it be limited to 128 if the M3 isn't even saving them? That's weird that the M3 can save actual wav files and sampling stuff, but can't spare enough data for midi files?

I'm very confused as you can tell!

Heated · Post by **Heated** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 9:48 pm

First, yes you do have to save all songs to an external (usb) drive. That's no problem because that way you can save more songs than if it were saved to internal memory and you can back up on your computer or whatever. I believe the 128 number songs is the number of MIDI operated 'songs' you can have going at once when you're operating the m3. What you'll do there is you have the option to create different "songs" for different parts of a whole composition (ie - intro, chous, verse, etc). So you have 128 parts to work with within a 'song'. Second, the m3 can save any data that you have as a standard midi file, but unless you use the templates, your saving to your external source. Hope that helps.

The Magic Hoof · Post by **The Magic Hoof** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 10:18 pm

Thanks for the reply. I'm having a bit of trouble differentiating between a template and a song. I guess the templates (16 user templates, no more, right?) are there just so you can have a quick setup to get a song going. Not sure if the template can store FX settings and panning, etc or not. I guess I've got to leave a USB stick in the M3 to be able to play back my sequences/songs, have to pick one up.

If I must say so though, I think it would have been great to have an option to store midi files internally. You've got internal memory and you've got the 256mb expansion, that's more than enough for the M3 to carry a few midi files. It can store samples, so... Wait, or can it?

Synthoid · Post by **Synthoid** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 11:35 pm

The Magic Hoof wrote: you've got the 256mb expansion, that's more than enough for the M3 to carry a few midi files.

The 256 MB memory expansion is for sample data only... not for programs, MIDI files, or whatever.

Gargamel314 · Post by **Gargamel314** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 5:19 am

these flash drives are pretty cheap... i have like 3 of them that I use (1 for the M3, one for use at my job, and one that i keep on my car keys just in case - has my M3 data backed up on it), they're usually like $10-20, or less depending on where you get them. Also a lot of the M3's come with a 1GB flash drive (which is all you really need), if your from the US. Not sure how the other distributors do it. You can get small ones like this for more money http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/eagletec-u ... ash-drive/ - this is the one that's tiny enough that you never have to remove it from the M3.

Trust me when I say the flash drive thing is the least of your worries, just make sure you keep your files backed up. No, you can't store anything in internal memory. The internal memory that is in there is only for the internal sample data and the M3's operating system.

the 256MB RAM gets emptied every time you power down the M3, just like most synthesizer's sample RAM.

If internal storage is a big deal for you - you might consider something like the Triton Extreme - it has a Compact Flash Card drive - I honestly never even took my CF card out when I had mine. The downer is, these can be hard to find anymore, and they are much more expensive than the USB flash drives. Also, the M50 uses a SD card very much like how the Triton Extreme uses the CF card...but that's as close as you will get to internal storage - it's all removable media. But the USB's are so much more... universal! All computers these days have USB ports...most don't have a SD card or CF card slot.

The song templates that you can save on the M3 are really just empty songs... they're for making shortcuts so you don't have to load up your effects and pick out your patches and drum patterns every single time. You can't actually save song data in them. You can save INITIAL volume settings, pan settings, FX settings, drum patterns, etc.

I totally get how overwhelmed you are w/ all this stuff, it's a lot of info to sort out! good luck in your workstation-shopping!

The Magic Hoof · Post by **The Magic Hoof** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 8:07 pm

Gargamel - you've been of immense help in various threads, so thanks

Rob Sherratt · Post by **Rob Sherratt** » Thu Sep 24, 2009 7:28 am

In fact the most recent M3 XPanded models from Japan are already being shipped with a 1GB internal SD card and the three files EXPCM01.KEP EXPCM02.KEP EXPCM03.KEP are installed on it. If you have one of those machines, you can also install the EXPCM04.KEP file on that card if you wish.

Older machines including those being sold in the USA have a smaller 512 MB SD card with insufficient spare capacity for the EXPCM**.KEP files. So Korg USA provide an external Korg branded USB stick from which the files can be loaded each time the M3 starts up.

Of course these M3's with a 512 MB internal SD card can be upgraded to be identical with the machines shipping from Korg Japan. You can expand the SD card capacity to either 1GB or 2GB yourself and place the four big Korg sample files on it EXPCM01.KEP EXPCM02.KEP EXPCM03.KEP and EXPCM04.KEP, and they will automatically load when the system starts up. MC and I wrote up the procedure here:

http://karma-lab.wikidot.com/korg-m3:ex ... to-2-gbyte

Korg can't approve this procedure even if they want to, because of legislation about opening products containing AC power supplies. The legislation assumes that consumers are idiots who might leave the AC supply connected while opening the box. Maybe in future it will become an approved "chargeable upgrade" procedure and you might be able to get a Korg repair center to do the SD card upgrade for you so there would be no warranty issues.

Meanwhile, if anyone wants to buy "preconfigured" 1GB SD cards from me, they are available at 25 Euros each. The price includes P&P and a charge for loading your M3 system software and EXPCM**.KEP files. You need to provide proof of ownership (eg a scannned receipt) of an M3 or M3M since I cannot ship Korg software and KEP files unless you can prove that you have already obtained it under license from Korg. The cards are individually tested on my own M3 and are warrantied by me for 6 months as supplied. Just send me an Email if you want one.

Note that User Samples can not be loaded from this internal SD card, only the Korg EXPCM01.KEP EXPCM02.KEP EXPCM03.KEP and EXPCM04.KEP files. If you need to load User Samples, you will still have to use a USB pen drive.

Best regards,
Rob