Korg Forums

Hi folks,

I'm a guitarrist (*boooo*) trying to understand the KORG Tr a bit better and have doubts regarding the nature and potential use/benefits of its different audio outputs. I've been reading the manual and am still not entirely sure about this.

What I think I know so far is the following:

- L/R output: sound via master FXs/EQ/Vol
- 1/2: master byass
- these different outputs coud be of use if you want to process specific tracks in your combi with an extenal FX processor; any other advantages? since the BUS select in Program mode affects both oscillators and master send can be set to 0, what use are the individual outputs here?

Finally, what is the difference a) between selecting BUS to L/R or Off b) between selecting 1 or 1/2 (is this just like L or L and R?)

Cheers to whoever has the patience to answer!

well individual outputs are more likely to be used with combination mode. because you want different programs have different effects (within a combi) you normally route them to different IFX slots. However you can also route some programs to indiv. outs for some outboard processing to get you more effect power.

and yes the 1/2 gives you additional stereo out and 1, 2 are just mono outs.

You can also set the output of the IFX to 1/2.

Individual outs are also useful when using the sequencer, particularly live as you can choose to have the click output to one of the alternate outputs.

When recording, the alternate outputs can be useful for recording two different parts of a combi at the same time in the same performance. For example you might have a bass track/timbre, then some drums and a mono piano. You could output the drums on L/R as a stereo set, the bass on 1, and the piano on 2 so that you get them on seperate tracks for adding effects and mixing in your DAW.

Thanks for the insight folks. I'm gonna try it all out this evening, should be fun.

One final thing, what is the difference between selecting L/R and OFF as your BUS and when could/should these be used?

What I hear when playing around with the settings seems to be that the OFF option is only outputting the wet signal from the MFX whereas I can hear both the wet and dry signal with L/R - both ignoring IFX beforehand.

The manual explains the following:

Off: the output will not be sent to AUDIO OUTPUT (MAIN) L/MONO, R or to 1,2 (After passing through the MFX it will be output from AUDIO OUTPUT (MAIN) - now that seems contrdictive to me - Select this when you wish to connect the output to the MFX in a series connection at the send levels specified by "MFX Send"

Ta

The MFX are hardwired to go to the main outputs.
The MFX are what we know as 'send' effects, as you would use on the effect send busses on a conventional mixer. The entire FX section is a lot like a mixer and outboard FX actually.

Anyway, 'send' effects only output the wet signal. The dry signal passes straight through to the output unaltered.
So when turning a track 'off', it will not go to the main outputs. However you can still set send ammounts for the MFX, so you will only hear the wet output. Useful if you want to use the two MFX as extra insert style effects that need to be full-on wet (because you can't achieve that when the dry signal is passed through independently) rather than mixed with the dry signal. A good example would be amp simulators, distortion, rotary speaker, etc.

Traditionally 'send' effects would be used for delays, reverbs, sometimes choruses or flangers too. Generally the kind of effects that you might apply to more than one instrument to tie your mix together better.

ah right, cheers x-trade, this has made me think a bit more about the basic concepts of effects.

To make my current view of things clearer in case anyone is interested in this thread:

Your original signal has a value of 100 (to name a number).

Processing it with a particual fully wet IFX will give you an original signal of 0 and an effect signal of 100 i.e IFX SUBTRACT from your original signal.

Processing it with the same fully wet MFX will give you an original signal of 100 and an effect signal of 100 (assuming send values are 127) i.e. MFX ADD to your original signal.

Therefore, the BUS OFF setting works down the MFX path, which includes the 100 original signal and the 100 effect signal and, but it ignores the main signal giving you only the 100 MFX signal, ultimately the same as the IFX.

Is this correct?

I have tried it out on my TR, the BUS OFF and IFX WET settings sound the same (no original signal) however the BUS OFF is louder. What could be the reason for this? (MFX2 is turned off)