Korg Forums

bogo_drummer · Joined: 24 Feb 2012 Posts: 3

Hey guys!

Am playing along other instruments and I have a rather practical question: Can anyone tell me what are the standard keys of the factory programs? I mean, if you set the pitch to [36] and that's F, how do you get an A? And what is [00] in another algorhythm and so on?

Is there a standard pitch or... how do you tune your WD to play along a piano in F minor using program 87 for instance? Hope it's not sorcery I'm speaking of. Many thanks!

WaveDrummer · Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 9:06 pm Post subject:

Unfortunately, I don't think there is a straightforward answer to this.

When adjusting the tuning parameters, some sounds will likely vary by a half-step with each numeric increase or decrease, but this is not always such an exact thing. Sometimes the precise intervals are a bit...vague.

The perceived "pitch" of any given program is often dependent upon the combination of Algorithms and PCMs that are used to create that program. The problem that I often run into (and I believe I touched on this in the "Hangdrum" thread) is that the Algorithms and PCMs don't seem to be tempered to the same relative pitch. They tend to be just slightly off from one another by what often sounds like semi-tones or quarter-tones. This makes working with some of the melodic sounds a bit tricky.

That being said...
Although there is a wide range of tuning for all the sounds in the Wavedrum in Edit 1 Mode, some of the algorithms do allow for extra fine tuning in Edit 2 Mode but that can vary from algorithm to algorithm, and therefore from program to program. And even when fine tuning is available, I'll often find that the sound I end up with is either just slightly sharp or just slightly flat of what I'm aiming for. Confused

In the end, you'll probably just have to experiment with different programs to see what works best for you. I don't think you'll find any "standard keys" with the Wavedrum. It is, to confirm your fears, probably more a matter of "sorcery" to bend the Wavedrum to your will. Subtle manipulation of the sounds, and sometimes altering the balance of sounds within a program might allow you to achieve your desired result. Depending upon whether the sound you're trying to tune is more Algorithm based or more PCM based may have an affect on your success rate.

That's not to say that you might not get lucky with certain programs and find that some of them work perfectly as-is, but there's no set standard tuning throughout the program list.

The Wavedrum is a beast unto itself. Twisted Evil

bogo_drummer · Joined: 24 Feb 2012 Posts: 3

In a way... I was hoping for such a solution. I find the WD to be rather organic than mechanic. Mood, vibe and perception drive this beast, and the ears must keep up!

Many thanks, Mr. WaveDrummer! Have a lovely day!

WaveDrummer · Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 1:06 am Post subject: Re: Thank you!

Kaden · Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 6:20 pm Post subject:

Autotune works, kinda. I've tried it live, via the TC Electronics autotune vocal processor, and in post via the Antares plugin.

The plugin worked better than the hardware.
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WaveDrummer · Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 8:05 pm Post subject:

Kaden · Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 9:38 pm Post subject:

With the plug-in you just match the key and the scale, then muck about with the retune speed to get the pitch swoopiness under control. The problematic issue was getting the autotune to not barf on any non-melodic components that happened to be in the patch, and getting the algos/samples at least in the same ballpark in terms of tonal center. Dialing back the reverb/delay helps tracking a lot, and you *really* need to play cleanly.

I wasn't happy having to dial out the non-melodic elements... the improvement in tracking/glitchiness was substantial, but it robbed the performance of any real life... it coulda have been a particularly artfully assembled sequencer track, but dammit, it was in tune.

If I had to do it again, I'd leave the wavedrum in the case, bodge together a patch in absynth and trigger it from the V-drum pads.
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Bertotti · Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 10:04 pm Post subject:

This is exactly one thing I was trying to suggest when I aksed how you incorporate the wavedrum into your kit. Certainly there are patches that just won't work as a whole. Some others are just off enough that they may work. A bummer actually that there isn't a better way to tune things up. I wonder if waterdrums experiments on adding piezos and tieing in with the current pickups and piezos etc, could be used to add some eqing at these early points in the signal?

Kaden · Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 10:46 pm Post subject:

It's easy to get too hung up on pitch... if you want pitch perfect melodics, use a different instrument. You can get the tuning in the ballpark, which is about as good as you'd expect from most acoustic percussion instruments. The Wavedrum is what it is, and you need to approach the instrument from that standpoint or you'll go nuts.

Korg tends to embrace a certain bit of chaos in a lot it's products anyway... it's kinda cool. I have way more WTF moments with Korg gear than with everything else combined.
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Bertotti · Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 11:55 pm Post subject:

So very true!

bogo_drummer · Joined: 24 Feb 2012 Posts: 3

True in every aspect. Respect!

Bertotti · Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:24 pm Post subject:

You know I get caught in this trap, coming from guitar and mandolin doesn't help in this respect. I don't think it is a bad thing to look for new ways to increase the accuracy of percussive tuning but currently it is a trap to be aware of. I do find, when I think about it, the little bit of chaoss is exactly what draws me to the WD. Well put.