My advice for Syncing, Playing the Kaossilator through MIDI

[Gambrel]

Yeah so I have figured out a few things in my usage of the Kaossilator Pro. First you can sync it to an external device or sync your external devices to it. There are three settings that you can have to do this. To reach these settings hold shift and hit the preset button that says midi above it. Click the program knob on filter and then on BPM? maybe tempo or synce, not sure, but then you have the option of auto, ext, or int. Auto automatically switches to external when it recieves sync info. ext is just a constant external sync, and internal will allow you to set the bpm on the kaossilator pro, and/or sync other devices to it. A midi cable is not needed if you syncing it to a computer you can use the usb. I have noticed a glitch however in the external sync option, which is when you change the program in ext. mode the pitch shifts momentarily knocking you off beat. This can be remedied by not using ext and using internal at the same bpm or not changing the program while you have loops playing.
okay, so now that that's covered, to trigger the loop banks, sending a midi clip that plays once with as short of a note as possible, can switch your loop banks on and off. The notes on mine are C1, C#1, D1, and D#1. The output on the midi tracks must be Kaossilator Sound. In the free Kaossilator Editor, you can change the notes that trigger it to your liking. It should be noted that in ableton live, to use the external sync on the Kaossilator pro, you must go to your midi options under preferences and make sure that sync is turned on.
Now that that is out of the way, on the Kaossilator Pro, you cannot send Midi note data. I hope a firmware update can fix this, but you can use CC values to play notes. Once again your midi track must route to Kaossilator Pro Sound. The CC values that you adjust to do this are defaultly 12 for the x-axis, 13 for the y-axis, and 92 for the note on note off. In ableton you can make a midi clip with CC data by making a midi clip, and then expanding the options where you would normally enter a note to include envelopes. Then you can change CC values. Once again in the Kaossilator Pro editor you can change the CC numbers that you would change values on.
Also, if you own a PC you can run a program called midi ox that will convert your note data to cc data automagicly. I don't, but there is a forum about using midi ox. It gives links to the charts for 6 oct and 8 oct chromatic scale. Unfortunately last I checked both links are dead, but they were posted by a man who works for Korg apparently as a marketing specialist. Find the forum post by him with the links, and then sometime monday through friday from 9 am to 5 pm call Korg. Their support people have the charts. Just to note I believe MIDIOX is free. also somebody seems to have written a program based off of midi ox once again for windows that can convert the note data to the proper CC's for the differant modes of the Chromatic scale (aeo, Ion, etc.)
Now if your like me and just using ableton, then what you have to do is divide the total number of CC values 9 i think either 127 or 128, by the number of notes in the scale and octave range you are using. For instance the number of notes in 2 octaves of the aelion scale, which I believe is like 15. Not a hundred percent sure because I am not near my equiptment or software at the moment. You may end up with a decimal, which is okay. What I do is do the math to figure out where each note would lie using the decimal. adding the number you get from the division problem for each note, and then rounding the numbers up once I have them all figured out using the decimal value. i.e. 8.4666665 would become 9. It is important that use the decimal value to figure out the positions of notes for CC values, as over 15 or 30 notes rouning up prior to figuring out the values may cause your values to be off. This would be used for CC 12. For CC 13, any value will work, but if you divide the number of CC values by 9 then you can get exact values on the Kaossilator. This will be the Y axis value. Finally CC 92, where I just do the following. a value of 127 for on, and a value of 0 for off. This way I am sure that it breaks the value for note on and is below the value for note off. A bit of advice, 2 quarter notes would need a value of zero at the end of the first to not be played in legato, and if the note value changes, slurring, although you may intentially want to do this at some point. I also noted that the CC values for the X axis (Note on Kaossilator) should be changed in the points where CC 92's value is 0. Otherwise the notes will sound weird as they'll be changing while the note is sounding.

Just one more note on the sync thing. What I do for this depends on if I am improvising notes over the top of the loops or if I'm just triggering loops. If I'm improvising on top of the loops, then I use Internal mode as then it wont jump off beat when I'm changing the program number. Hopefully that glitch will be fixed in the next firmware update. If I am just triggering loops, then I use the external sync mode. It also should be noted that the notes you use to trigger your loops should be as short as possible. I find I can have the Kaossilator Pro synced up for as long as the loops would need to play a song live. Sometimes when I have th oppurtunity I turn off the loop banks manually and re-trigger so that it doesn't drift off time on me, and this seems to work as long as you don't mind making a quick break where no loops are playing off the Kaossilator. Ext Sync mode is what I use when I am simply triggering loops from the Kaossilator Pro. It seems to take a longer amount of time before it drifts off beat. Usually I only really notice it's off sync when I leave the loops playing while I go away from my music equiptment for a few minutes and return pushing the sliders on my mixer up only to discover the loops have continued to play and the Kaossilator's loops are now after like 8 or 9 minutes off beat.
-Nate

[RichF]

(copied from the other thread in which the above information was posted)

Just to confirm, our Product Support team has these MIDI-OX maps. To get them, please call 631-390-8373, or email product_support@korgusa.com.

Thanks,
-Rich

[englishhermit]

Hi

An upgraded version of my KO-PRO - MIDI Keyboard interface with improved keyboard handling is available at no charge from my website. It runs on Windows XP (Vista + 7 - not tested) and requires MIDI OX (uses the APIs) and the VB (service pack 6) Runtime available from Microsoft. Written in VB, the source code is available if you want to modify it.

It automatically selects the correct CC map for each program - just set up the KPRO as Rich F describes.

http://www.englishhermit.net/kaosspro.html

[AkashicRecords]

Would anyone be interested in discussing a KP4 or "Kaoss Infinite" as I call it?

http://www.korgforums.com/forum/phpBB2/ ... ca8c49b1e4

lemmie know!

ramzgt@gmail.com

[zamo591]

first scuse me I'm french and does not speak very well the english.I bought a korg kaossilator pro as well as a keyboard midi to behringer umx250.
I would like to take advantage of sounds of the kaossilator by provoking them by means of my keyboard for it I have to try to link both by a cable midi (keyboard: midi out-----towards-----midi in: kaossilator). But nothing takes place..
My question is this the one, what that is is possible to make him(it) and how?
think you.

[Mr36]

Firstly, you're excused for being French.

As for your wishes, you can't do it directly. You need a computer in between the MIDI keyboard and the Kaossilator Pro with a program running to translate the keyboard's output to messages the Kaossilator Pro can understand.

[englishhermit]

zamo591

I'm afraid Mr36 is right. The translation from MIDI note data to the CC data required by the K-PRO needs a computer with a MIDI connection to each device unless you are an electronics wizard.

My program is basically a work around until Korg provide a firmware upgrade. A lot of people have been put off by the non standard MIDI interface. It might even increase sales if fully implemented.

[Mr36]

I definitely think that it would. And, at the same time, if the bank buttons (at least) would respond to something other than notes. For people using instruments that involve using both hands to play them, such as the not-so-popular guitar, being able to use a MIDI footswitch other than the FCB1010 would be useful.

Just for this minority, I think they should do it. I mean, I know there aren't that many guitarists in the world. Especially ones that would like an easy way into synth sounds and the world of electronic music. But I think Korg would still benefit from implementing this.

[zorro40]

Hi all,

So, first of all let's pretend that I am a guitarist with little synth knowledge, and that I am looking for an easy way to tap into synth sounds.

I know that I can't connect the Korg Kaossilator Pro to my keyboard via a midi cable.

I use a Mac, and record using the simple Garage Band program.

Is there software that I can use to establish a MIDI connection of my Korg Pro to my keyboard through my computer, or do I need to be using Ableton or a PC to do it?

If anyone could provide simple detailed step by step instructions on how I could do this, I would be very grateful.

I appreciate your help!

[Bowmoney]

you CAN use midi

[senseiken]

Hello everybody, I recently bought a K-Pro and tried to use it as a "normal" expander... Then I found this thread.

Guys, are you saying using a master keyboard (in my case the Axiom 25) -> midi out -> midi in - > K-Pro it's nearly IMPOSSIBLE...? We are really obligated to put a PC in the chain in order to map EVERY single note...?? '^_^

Hell, you know, playing on that square it's quite funny, above all when you want a bit of impredictability, but I would fell better if I could play a bassline directly from a keyboard.

I bought it after viewing the NAMM video in wich I noticed the standard 5-din midi cable connected between the Kaossilator Pro and a midi keyboard...

[Mr36]

For notes, a computer is required to mediate. The standard MIDI cable you may have seen was most likely for tempo sync only.

[Miggz McFly]

For notes, a computer is required to mediate. The standard MIDI cable you may have seen was most likely for tempo sync only.

its because there are no actual notes transmitted from the KPro, am i right

(don't have one yet, will be getting one for christmas)
but per my research, the KPro only provides CC info, not notes on/off info. correct?


sidenote = its sad that i have to ask for it for christmas, when i use to be single i would go right on out and buy it. ehhh marriage

[Mr36]

That's right. The pad responds to CC messages. In fact, three messages are required for one note (X axis value, Y axis value and Pad On).

[Ynot]

The way i do it is bring up the midi key map editor on the play or record button or both and hit whichever bank i want to be the one to start/stop my whole setup. Pc to tr8 via usb then 5 pin midi to ---rythm wolf--tb3----kopro---bass station2----mpd32 and back to tr8. Keeps the kopro from drifting i can have the loop on for an hour with 0 drift. Hope this helps someone