WAV corruption and Sampling Volume.

[XDelusion]

I recently picked up a KP3 off of Ebay.

So far this little device is a bit on the overwhelming side, but I'm slowly trying to wrap my mind around it all.

The problem I'm currently having is the part where you put WAV files onto your SD. I can get them on fine, and I am saving them in the correct format as per the manual, but the problem is that when I play them on the KP3, the sample plays back with a sort of hollow sound and with lots of pops.

I can adjust the BPM to fit what the sample needs to play at the correct speed, but still the sample sounds hallow and with lots of pops.

I have went into GoldWave editor and reduced the volume, but this does not resolve the issue.

On the other hand, once in a while I will get a sample to load and play correctly, but when I begin to use it in conjunction with another sample, the two together will again begin to produce pops and bad feedback.


Lastly when I am trying to sample into the MIC port, I have been trying to keep the light on the KP3 in the orange rather than the red, but half the time the volume on my recorded samples are so horribly low that they can not be used with my other louder samples.


Any advice?!?!


Oh and why is it that when you export with the KP3 Editor, that it fails to see other wav files in the directories I'm saving too?

[MarcusCarab]

First, make absolutely sure your WAV files are saved at a sample rate of 48khz/16-bit. Other sampling rates/depths will work but the KP3 will convert them and you can't trust it to do a good job - I'd guess that's the issue with your pops.

Secondly, it's best not to use manually loaded WAVs for your loops. The KP3 just isn't as good at looping them as it is with the native KPS files.

So you should use the KP3 Editor program on your computer to load up your loops and make sure the BPM/beat-count is the way you want it for each one. Then you can save them down as KPS files or save sets of four (along with programs and settings) as KPA files - or you can use the built in transfer (very slow) to send them straight to the KP3 then save them down from the machine (again very slow).

It's a bit of a pain in the ass but you will get much, much better and cleaner loops if you do it that way. Then you can use the 0-199 .WAV slots for one-shots and sound fx and stuff where it doesn't matter as much if they get a bit screwed up, and might even result in cool effects.

As for the mic input on the KP3, it's nothing special - unbalanced, not a great preamp. You're much better off running the mic through a preamp in a mixing board or an audio interface or something first, then running that into the regular line-in of the KP3. Also that way you can get multiple different sources going into the KP3 at once.

[XDelusion]

Thank you for the response, and yes that is the sample rate at which I had saved my WAV files.

Oddly enough, I had tried the editor and had exported the files back into WAV format, but I get the same results.

I had once tried to save in KPS format, but the machine did not recognize it.

As for saving in KPA format, can you explain how that works, I.E. how I get the Export option to show up? The only options I am presented with is to save in WAV, AIFF, and KPS.

[MarcusCarab]

To make KPA files from the editor, use the ALL SAVE button in the top left corner of the window (once you have samples loaded into all four banks, and all your global settings configured the way you want them)

It's weird that the KPS files weren't working. Make sure you are using the correct LOAD command from your KP3 when trying to load them - there are two version. "SMP A - D" and "Snd A - D". The first one is for KPS loops and the second one is for WAV files. That means you can have 0-199.kps and also 0-199.wav on the same card, and load them as you choose

Personally, I don't really use WAV files, and I do all my saving and loading on the KP3 itself, only using the editor to import loops and transfer them - it's really freaking slow, and it might not be right for your purposes (i mostly use full KPA files, and rarely load individual loops), but it ensures all the loops are working nicely. Here's my process:

- Import 4 loops into the Editor, set them all up with BPM/beat count
- Set KP3 to the matching BPM (kp3 is weird about keeping BPMs straight so I just do this to be safe)
- Transfer All to KP3
- Set up my program presets to go with those four loops (important to set at least one bpm-locked program here to ensure the tempo saves properly)
- Use the KP3's Save ALL function to save it straight to the SD card in one of the numbered slots
- Use the KP3 to save some loops individually if I want to
- Switch to USB mode and back up the KPA/KPS files on my computer

It's a pain and some of it is probably unnecessary, but it works flawlessly and avoids some of the odd behaviours that have bugged me in the past (especially to do with saving the BPM).