exb-pcm05 board

[synthman50]

Basically, I'm thinking about getting one for my Triton classic , is worth getting? as I already have some VA synths. A supernova mk1 rack an ms 2000r and an ion.

[billbaker]

If you like working with synth tones PCM-005 (vintage archives) is an excellent choice, (IMO) PCM-009 (trance attack) has a slight edge over it. The two together make for a hard to beat keyboard for progressive / metal / techno synth-heavy sounds.

One of my favorite techniques for cobbling together new sounds is to take a basic synth sound as a template then accessing the main osc menu and scrolling through new waveforms just to hear what they sound like. These two EXBs give you a boatload of new possibilities

Keep in mind that you'll be dealing with samples of waves here; you'll hear some artifacts in extreme ranges - not a smooth as true analog or VA... But real close.

I have EXBs and MOSS installed, and for me at least I get much more practical use from the EXBs. I'd say they're extremely useable and worth getting.

BB

[synthman50]

hey BB

Thanks for the info. The Pcm 09 board is some what hard to come by, I've not seen them on eBay. I was thinking of getting pcm 04 (dance extreme) to go with pcm 05. Tell me, how does the triton allocate its memory for these boards?. I know fitting a single board will take up a program bank, (or 2) but what about 2 boards? Also, if I install 2 board's can I use sounds from both of them in the sequencer at the same time?

Thanks.

[billbaker]

Dance Extreme (EXB-04) is a little more Pop-ish bread and butter, but not a bad choice, either.
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Memory for EXBs doesn't impact overall program memory. They are self-contained ROM expansions that automatically integrate with the ROM architecture. In the OSC menu you'll just have an option past standard ROM to chose the EXB waves.

Unfortunately they don't add their own program banks (H-I-J, etc.) so you have to make room for any new programs you want to keep on board.

You don't have to load a full bank of EXB sounds, though. You can pick and choose and load individual sounds from disks. Sounds (programs) loaded DO look for wave locations on the EXB; where you actually locate individual programs in program banks A-E doesn't matter.


If you choose to load 2 boards everything above still holds true - you just have a larger palate of sounds to chose from, and programs look for EXB waves in a smart fashion even with 2 boards.
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Since programs is programs (source of the wave doesn't matter - ROM, EXB, MOSS, User Sample), adding an EXB has no impact on choosing sounds for sequences - only location (Bank-num-num-num) matters.
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There are also EXB drum kits (ROM) with new sounds.

There are EXB arps as well, they load automatically with EXB bank data and you'll need them to hear the combis as intended. They will overwrite user arp slots, and can overwrite each other if you're not careful about loading EXB.pcg data.

FYI: You can pull arp data (drum patters and such) off of EXB.pcg even if you don't have the EXB hardware installed - its a nice zero-cost way to update your Triton.



BB

[Synthoid]

Unfortunately they don't add their own program banks (H-I-J, etc.) so you have to make room for any new programs you want to keep on board.

Yes, that was very annoying... considering how inexpensive memory was, even when those boards were released. Korg should have included two extra banks for programs & combis on the Classic.

I have the EXB-09 and MOSS in my Triton. It's an excellent combination, although I use the MOSS board more. It opens up program bank F, and gives you access to the amazing Z1 synth engine.

[synthman50]

"FYI: You can pull arp data (drum patters and such) off of EXB.pcg even if you don't have the EXB hardware installed - its a nice zero-cost way to update your Triton."

So are you saying I can get the sounds (programe, Combis, arps, ect.) Just from the exb.pcg files without having the boards?. There are files in the download section for these boards.

[Synthoid]

So are you saying I can get the sounds (programe, Combis, arps, ect.) Just from the exb.pcg files without having the boards?.

No. From what I remember the .PCG file he's referring to (in the Triton download section) is only an emulation of the EXB expansion module programs... not the actual sounds (and additional waveforms) themselves. There are 128 programs that will load into bank "E." You will also get some arps and drum patterns.

There are, however, no combinations included.

[billbaker]

I was referring to arp data only. I hacked my classic pretty deeply, including getting rid of many of the arps I didn't want or use in favor of drum patterns from the EXBs, since I find those the most useful arp type (as opposed to synth, bass, or instrument specific strings/strums).

Now you could load program data, but because it's looking for an EXB location it won't work initially. You can go in and edit to drop in waveform from ROM (or from a different EXB) and get some new stuff that way -- also zero-cost.

You can't get the SOUNDS but you can get the structure of the programs which is almost as useful.



BB

[Synthoid]

Now you could load program data, but because it's looking for an EXB location it won't work initially. You can go in and edit to drop in waveform from ROM (or from a different EXB) and get some new stuff that way -- also zero-cost.

You can't get the SOUNDS but you can get the structure of the programs which is almost as useful.BB

Ah OK, Bill. I thought you were referring to one of the .PCG files in the download section that will emulate one of the Triton EXB's.

[billbaker]

Synthoid,

I think that the process (wave substitution) may be what was used to generate the EXB-emulative .pcg bank. I've not checked it out. Is it for an individual EXB or a mixed bag?

If the programmer of that file kept the order of a single EXB bank, then there's no reason why the combi data from the referenced EXB wouldn't work as well.

Maybe enough reason for working out a v2 file for those sounds.


BB

[Synthoid]

The .PCG file in question is for emulating the EXB PCM 08. It only contains 31 programs of piano sounds (using the Triton's stock factory piano samples.)

[synthman50]

Ok, thanks guy's. I think I'll just stick to buying the boards

[synthman50]

Ok guy's, so let me recap here. So I can fit 2 boards and have ALL the sounds for BOTH BOARDS on my Triton at the same time and I get to pick which memory locations they take up when I install them?...is this correct?

[billbaker]

Yes.

Assumes that you keep only A and B banks from the factory set-up. One board loads to C bank (prog) one to D (prog). Associated Combis also load to C & D. Loading these overwrites all data in those banks (i.e., any stuff YOU may have tweaked and saved or downloaded from the net). Full load-in will overwrite some Arp settings (again NOT factory settings but any user patterns saved there); ditto for user drum kits.

The .pcg data that comes with each board allows you to choose the destination file (Bank C or D) and auto-loads all required data including global (drum kits & arps).

So ideally, your data will look like this:

Programs: A + B (stock), C (EXB #1), D (EXB #2), E (User)

Combis: A + B (stock (*)), C (EXB #1), D (EXB #2)

Drum Kits: Stock + EXB #1 + EXB #2 (Auto-load IAW "C" or "D" set-up) + User Kits (there will be open slots)

Arps: Stock + EXB #1 + EXB #2 (Auto-load IAW "C" or "D" set-up) + User Arps (there will be a few open slots)

(*) I'd recommend condensing any excess combis on C or D (factory or user) down to just A or B - keep your faves, leave C & D completely open.

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This leaves you E bank only for personal USER programs, but once the respective C & D programs are loaded you can freely move their combis where you like - they'll reference the correct program locations if you don't mess with original program orders in Banks A & B (factory) C & D (EXBs).

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If you choose to load both EXB slots you need to be very careful about saving and overwriting at the program level because Combis that use that voice will automatically incorporate those changes in all combis that reference that program location... or to put it another way; you can't change your piano program for just one combi without coincidentally changing ALL the combis that use that piano.

In the future ANY and ALL tweaks and changes you want to make should be done at the combi level and programs (for better or worse) need to remain "carved in stone".



BB

[synthman50]

BB.

Thanks for taking the time to explain that, it's much appreciated. It all make sense to me now.