Combis 101

kelley2000 · Post by **kelley2000** » Tue Nov 01, 2011 4:52 pm

I am lacking a basic understanding of Init Combis. And Combis in general, I guess. I'm new to Korg and own a Kronos 73. When I select an Init Combi to make my own, I notice that all timbres are preselected to the German Grand, all are set on play and all are volume up. Only the first timbre sounds though. Why is that? And when I select a new sound for timbre one, no problem, new sound. When I select a sound for timbre two, no sound. Ditto for any other timbres. It would seem to me to be a straightforward thing. Timbre on off, then no sound. This doesn't seem to be the case. Appreciate any help for this newb.

Thanks
John

iixorbiusii · Post by **iixorbiusii** » Tue Nov 01, 2011 4:55 pm

Hi,

On my M3, which I think will be similar in this respect, I have to make the MIDI channel the same number for groups of sounds which I want to play simultaneously.

So if I want Timbre 1 to be a Piano, and Timbre 2 to be a String Sound, they both need to be set to the same MIDI channel.

Someone with a Kronos may be able to advise the exact menu route which you need to follow, if you're still stuck...

Hope this helps...
iix.

RonF · Post by **RonF** » Tue Nov 01, 2011 5:00 pm

Page 407 of the Parameter Guide is everything you need. Also....use the HELP button to see similar information.

Think....midi channels.....the keyboard (control surface) plays a midi channel. Each "part" of the combi is assigned to a midi channel. You must match up the control surface with the sound generator(s) via midi....no different than if you were using external hardware synthesizers and a midi controller keyboard. Think of a Combi as a *virtual* studio. You have one master controller keyboard (the Kronos hardware keyboard) and 16 hardware synthesizers (the 'parts' of the combi) scattered around your virtual room. How are you going to connect them and hook them up to control them? Midi cables and midi channels.......that's the ticket!

kelley2000 · Post by **kelley2000** » Tue Nov 01, 2011 5:55 pm

Thanks...I'll dig into that Parameter Guide and adjust the MIDI channels to be the same. I'll report back with my success!

kelley2000 · Post by **kelley2000** » Tue Nov 01, 2011 6:37 pm

Total success. Thanks everyone.

JuneauUnderground · Post by **JuneauUnderground** » Tue Nov 01, 2011 9:08 pm

RonF wrote:Page 407 of the Parameter Guide is everything you need. Also....use the HELP button to see similar information.

Think....midi channels.....the keyboard (control surface) plays a midi channel. Each "part" of the combi is assigned to a midi channel. You must match up the control surface with the sound generator(s) via midi....no different than if you were using external hardware synthesizers and a midi controller keyboard. Think of a Combi as a *virtual* studio. You have one master controller keyboard (the Kronos hardware keyboard) and 16 hardware synthesizers (the 'parts' of the combi) scattered around your virtual room. How are you going to connect them and hook them up to control them? Midi cables and midi channels.......that's the ticket!

That's the best explanation yet of how combis work in both he M3 and Kronos. KISS!

kelley2000 · Post by **kelley2000** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 7:15 pm

Thanks again, everyone. I'm sure I'll be back with more questions since I'm a recent convert to Korg. I've come to the dark side from years of Roland use!!

Cpilot · Post by **Cpilot** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 8:35 pm

I was just looking at some of the factory combis and they have programs that don't play because the midi channel is not set to global. Wonder what they are doing there in the first place as some of them don't belong at all such as drum kits.

Bryan

SanderXpander · Post by **SanderXpander** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 8:44 pm

Karma?

RonF · Post by **RonF** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 10:39 pm

SanderXpander wrote:Karma?

Yup

Cpilot · Post by **Cpilot** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 8:44 pm

Thanks for the suggestion, guys. I'll do some more investigating. Just shows things are that bit more complicated.

Bryan