Anyone notice that Korg have used some of the same sounds from the Gadget ios app in the E2? not a moan, more just an observation, although other than the standard or classic drum samples used they could have loaded it with different samples.
Then again, I suppose some people wont have Korg Gadget...
E2 PCM Sounds
Moderators: Sharp, X-Trade, Pepperpotty, karmathanever
E2 PCM Sounds
EMX-1, Electribe 2, Electribe Sampler, Korg iOS
It seems all PCM samples of the E2 are kept in the firmware file. I haven't been able to take it apart properly into its building blocks. But in theory it should be possible to change it.
Maybe Korg has used some GPL code somewhere and can be forced to open source it. But I doubt they use any GPL code.
Maybe Korg has used some GPL code somewhere and can be forced to open source it. But I doubt they use any GPL code.
If I remember correctly, the updated firmware OS was only 2 megabytes?
The samples might be flashable but I don't think every OS update contains a whole new set.
The #1 thing Korg could have done to make these things relevant in 10 years would be a total refresh of the PCM samples - or better yet, a PCM editor that could replace the ones we don't want with our own samples.
I think the drum PCM are fairly timeless, but I'd love to replace some stuff. Have a nice standalone editor with a Available Memory Meter, drag drop and rename things, then hit FLASH.
The samples might be flashable but I don't think every OS update contains a whole new set.
The #1 thing Korg could have done to make these things relevant in 10 years would be a total refresh of the PCM samples - or better yet, a PCM editor that could replace the ones we don't want with our own samples.
I think the drum PCM are fairly timeless, but I'd love to replace some stuff. Have a nice standalone editor with a Available Memory Meter, drag drop and rename things, then hit FLASH.
THERE IS NO TIME FOR JOKES! 
Given that the hardware is identical we already do. It shouldn't be too hard for Korg to make an editor for the PCM stuff, like the single hits and stupid vocals are useless. Would be nice to replace them but not a necessity for me. It is peanuts to trigger samples from somewhere else, an iPad/iPhone would do fine using the camera connection kit.
I know it's wishful thinking but how nice would it be if Korg opened the firmware up. At least let us choose modules we want within the h/w restrictions. Like select oscillators and filters and basic PCMs. But I doubt Korg will do it. The fact they release 2 identical units on different in software says enough.
I'd gladly pay $100 extra to get all functions enabled in the box and just choose whatever colour I like best. The sampler at the moment is not for me. As a sampler there are much better units out there. And the loss of the filters it another thing that wasn't really needed. They just did that to differentiate more.
Personally I didn't like the Electribe filter models, but the OB and MS20 are very sweet. If they enabled all filters on the sampler I'd get one instead of the E2. Though there seem to be more limitations when it comes to synthesis on the sampler. Less options and even more shared envelopes and other stuff. Then again I am a synthesis kind of guy. And the E2 has more than enough depth to get a very wide range of sounds out of it.
As someone else mentioned in another thread, an SP404SX might be a better sampler to team up with the E2 than the ES2. It is cheaper than the ES2. It only lacks midi out, but that shouldn't be a problem when slaved to the E2. They'd make a nice combo.
Maybe I can team up with Ted3000, with our combined anger and complaints we can pretty much force Korg to make an editor, including an app and open source the firmware.
Given that the hardware is identical we already do. It shouldn't be too hard for Korg to make an editor for the PCM stuff, like the single hits and stupid vocals are useless. Would be nice to replace them but not a necessity for me. It is peanuts to trigger samples from somewhere else, an iPad/iPhone would do fine using the camera connection kit.
I know it's wishful thinking but how nice would it be if Korg opened the firmware up. At least let us choose modules we want within the h/w restrictions. Like select oscillators and filters and basic PCMs. But I doubt Korg will do it. The fact they release 2 identical units on different in software says enough.
I'd gladly pay $100 extra to get all functions enabled in the box and just choose whatever colour I like best. The sampler at the moment is not for me. As a sampler there are much better units out there. And the loss of the filters it another thing that wasn't really needed. They just did that to differentiate more.
Personally I didn't like the Electribe filter models, but the OB and MS20 are very sweet. If they enabled all filters on the sampler I'd get one instead of the E2. Though there seem to be more limitations when it comes to synthesis on the sampler. Less options and even more shared envelopes and other stuff. Then again I am a synthesis kind of guy. And the E2 has more than enough depth to get a very wide range of sounds out of it.
As someone else mentioned in another thread, an SP404SX might be a better sampler to team up with the E2 than the ES2. It is cheaper than the ES2. It only lacks midi out, but that shouldn't be a problem when slaved to the E2. They'd make a nice combo.
Maybe I can team up with Ted3000, with our combined anger and complaints we can pretty much force Korg to make an editor, including an app and open source the firmware.
I've just checked and both firmware updates are exactly the same size (2097408). It wouldn't surprise me if the whole firmware gets replaced and includes the basic PCM kits. The flash size is probably 2mb. A lot less than the average wireless router.
Then again, if they E2 does a checksum check the modified firmware shouldn't flash. In 1.03 it didn't check anything on the firmware update file, cuz thats how I bricked mine. The file was;t copied properly to the sd card but the E2 flashed it anyways, resulting in a white screen and no documented recovery mode (yet).
If there's an option for a jtag or some other connection to the board itself and has some recovery option we can experiment. Or if Korg decides to let us know how to boot the E2 in to recovery where it flashes (for example) a firmware from the root of the sd card on boot.
I am sure there is a recovery method. The manual mentions not to hold down any buttons while turning it on. There must be a bunch of boot modes. Doesn't the Kaospad has boot mode to boot with 8 bars enabled? Would be nice to know what the E2 is hiding
Then again, if they E2 does a checksum check the modified firmware shouldn't flash. In 1.03 it didn't check anything on the firmware update file, cuz thats how I bricked mine. The file was;t copied properly to the sd card but the E2 flashed it anyways, resulting in a white screen and no documented recovery mode (yet).
If there's an option for a jtag or some other connection to the board itself and has some recovery option we can experiment. Or if Korg decides to let us know how to boot the E2 in to recovery where it flashes (for example) a firmware from the root of the sd card on boot.
I am sure there is a recovery method. The manual mentions not to hold down any buttons while turning it on. There must be a bunch of boot modes. Doesn't the Kaospad has boot mode to boot with 8 bars enabled? Would be nice to know what the E2 is hiding
I'm pacified with the latest firmware fix. But I would really like Korg to continue development and let us know what's in the pipeline.dutchcow wrote:
Maybe I can team up with Ted3000, with our combined anger and complaints we can pretty much force Korg to make an editor, including an app and open source the firmware.
Big ideas, hardware as a long-term supported platform, make people reconsider them.
How about a vocoder, an editor, and new filter types by Winter NAMM?
They can't do a (complete) checksum, because they don't know how the firmware does look like look after they updated it. So there's no way to tell the correct checksum to the machine in advance. They'd have to add the checksum inside the firmware itselfe, load that hash in advance, check it and only then perform complete flashing. But I imagine they do a checksum over the PCM parts (in case they are included in the firmware) to restrict people from changing those bits. They also probably have some magic number / String to tell the ES2 and E2 firmware apart. Like the EMX and ESX files do. It might be possible to hex edit those to have swapable firmware or even changing the PCM's.Then again, if they E2 does a checksum check the modified firmware shouldn't flash
However it needs experimenting and if every failure bricks the box, it's a problem...
Edit: It may also be worth a try to figure out key combinations at startup, similar to EMX / ESX: http://www.midimonster.de/wsb/media/EMX ... Manual.pdf
Honestly, i'm happy with the E2, I like how I can just jam & write with it where ever, I love it's workflow & enjoy not staring at computer screen or mouse clicking like madman!
The E2S will be the cherry on the cake for me, I'll probably get rid of the ESX & just work with them 2 learning them inside/out.
The E2S will be the cherry on the cake for me, I'll probably get rid of the ESX & just work with them 2 learning them inside/out.
EMX-1, Electribe 2, Electribe Sampler, Korg iOS
Thanks for the link. I guess we have to wait for the service manual to leak for the E2/ES2. Someone here had opened the E2 up. Don't remember if it had pins for a serial or jtag. I already bricked one and with no way to recover I'm not willing to experiment, unless someone buys me one of course_INTER_ wrote:They can't do a (complete) checksum, because they don't know how the firmware does look like look after they updated it. So there's no way to tell the correct checksum to the machine in advance. They'd have to add the checksum inside the firmware itselfe, load that hash in advance, check it and only then perform complete flashing. But I imagine they do a checksum over the PCM parts (in case they are included in the firmware) to restrict people from changing those bits. They also probably have some magic number / String to tell the ES2 and E2 firmware apart. Like the EMX and ESX files do. It might be possible to hex edit those to have swapable firmware or even changing the PCM's.Then again, if they E2 does a checksum check the modified firmware shouldn't flash
However it needs experimenting and if every failure bricks the box, it's a problem...
Edit: It may also be worth a try to figure out key combinations at startup, similar to EMX / ESX: http://www.midimonster.de/wsb/media/EMX ... Manual.pdf
Edit: Found the thread.
They could use a checksum in the firmware itself. The idea is that if the file is changed by accident (bad download for example) they can verify that against the checksum. All the hardware has to know is where in the firmware the checksum is and how it was generated. This guarantees that the firmware is complete, as it's distributor intended, and not much else.They can't do a (complete) checksum, because they don't know how the firmware does look like look after they updated it. So there's no way to tell the correct checksum to the machine in advance.
The other thing they could do is signed firmware. As in, the firmware includes a private-key signature, with the hardware having the public key to verify it with. This would make it hard to distribute third-party firmware.
But I think it's likely that they do neither, and I believe that if you feed your e2 messed up firmware you'll brick the device.