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Hi all,

I wanted to share our brand new, official Wavedrum video! It has some very captivating performances by Efrain Toro, Jeff Campitelli, Peter Michael Escovedo, and the Benevento/Russo duo.

Feel free to leave us some comments. More info on the Wavedrum (including additional artist performances) can be found at www.korg.com/wavedrum

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhtmLl7BuX0

Hope you enjoy it!

Thanks,
-Rich

No midi no waves let say I want to record wavedrum performance in m3 as midi to be reproduced or corrected later - obviously the rolands spd-30 is better solution for this. We all know how limited to ram resources are m3 in-track sampling. So to whom wavedrum is targeted - live percussionist - yes, studio recording - yes, others - doubtfully. Only justification for omitting midi could probably be the fact that wavedrum produces such intensive midi stream that it is not possible to transmit it via standard protocol.

gjvti wrote:No midi no waves let say I want to record wavedrum performance in m3 as midi to be reproduced or corrected later - obviously the rolands spd-30 is better solution for this. We all know how limited to ram resources are m3 in-track sampling. So to whom wavedrum is targeted - live percussionist - yes, studio recording - yes, others - doubtfully. Only justification for omitting midi could probably be the fact that wavedrum produces such intensive midi stream that it is not possible to transmit it via standard protocol.

I think the reason for not having MIDI is obvious - the triggering of the drum is the actual audio input being picked up from the head. That is why it behaves so much like a real drum. If my thinking is correct, they use the audio input to feed something similar to a convolution (sampled) reverb - where the drum PCM sample actually makes up the response pattern.

Anyway, it is impossible to represent the 'control' input in MIDI because it is actually two or three seperate audio streams - it almost certainly never gets dumbed down to a slow control data interpretation. This is instead intended to be a standalone instrument - how many snare drums do you know that have MIDI?

@RichF, does that sound about right?

ok got it, then it is a different thing!

X-Trade wrote: I think the reason for not having MIDI is obvious - the triggering of the drum is the actual audio input being picked up from the head. That is why it behaves so much like a real drum. If my thinking is correct, they use the audio input to feed something similar to a convolution (sampled) reverb - where the drum PCM sample actually makes up the response pattern.

I think it uses piezoelectric sensors not audio input (two in the rim and one for the skin) which are used to trigger the PCM samples and algorithms.

It might have been possible to make the sensors send note-on messages for three midi parts, but you wouldn't get most of the benefit of what the wavedrum does

X-Trade wrote: I think the reason for not having MIDI is obvious - the triggering of the drum is the actual audio input being picked up from the head. That is why it behaves so much like a real drum. If my thinking is correct, they use the audio input to feed something similar to a convolution (sampled) reverb - where the drum PCM sample actually makes up the response pattern.

Anyway, it is impossible to represent the 'control' input in MIDI because it is actually two or three seperate audio streams - it almost certainly never gets dumbed down to a slow control data interpretation. This is instead intended to be a standalone instrument - how many snare drums do you know that have MIDI?

@RichF, does that sound about right?

X-Trade, you're right on the money, on both counts. The piezo transducers on the head and rim feed an audio impulse into the DSP algorithm(s) you've selected. There are also some PCM samples that can be triggered, but the real magic lies on those 36 synthesis models. There are many different forms of synthesis in action- linear, additive, sutractive, analog modeling, physical modeling, etc.

The DSP models are always in a "note on" state, if you will, and just waiting to be excited by an audio signal from the transducers, or pressure from the head sensor.

The way the Wavedrum creates sound is far beyond the capabilities of MIDI. There's no way MIDI could produce the audio signals needed to drive the Wavedrum. While it's true that the original Wavedrum did have MIDI ports, it still couldn't be triggered by an external source. It could receive program changes and system exclusive commands, and transmit a note-on message.

The decision to remove the partially-implemented MIDI functionality was a huge factor in making this new Wavedrum as affordable as it is.

I've heard that Korg is partnering with Samsung/licensing their LED television display technology. The second generation Wavedrum will have an LED display mounted under the drum head and be tied into the software somehow. A USB port will let you edit using an external laptop with greater ease than is presently available. The display is capable of visuals with good resolution - similar to the Samsung LED TV, which has a picture as good as any LCD television but is much brighter. I think Korg chose the LED technology instead of LCD because it stands up to being hit with drumsticks through the skin better.

The TV display inside the drum opens up a range of possibilities that have these objectives:

1. Programmed, visual control and playing surface will reconfigure with each preset, making it easier for the user to instantly know where and how to hit or touch the surface.

2. When viewed from above, the player will be seen to be interacting with the drum head in a very visual way. This will make for great videos and on-stage performance.

3. One mode will make the colored areas on the drum light up in response to the users hit-velocity. Thus the audience will see a very visual, exciting display and the user will have instant visual feedback of what is being played.

One example is colored areas representing the different sounds in one of the "Tabla" modes. The high pitched "tabla" is red and up to the right, and the lower pitched "bayan" is blue and to the lower left. A fuzzy blended green area falls in the middle. So now the player knows to press with the palm of the left hand in the blue area and tap with the fingers of the right hand in the red area.

As the pitch changes, the blue area shimmers and brightens, or can be set to color shift to purple. Makes for a constantly changing display that looks amazing on video!

In one of the synthesized drums sound programs, the in-between areas are larger and the blended color indicates this clearly. That is where the sounds get especially interesting as they are mixing sounds from several regions of the drum.

In one of the "Steel Drums" programs, the regions are very clearly defined, and the under-head visual display clearly shows that. This makes it very easy to play specific notes, just like a real steel drum. There is no learning curve anymore to know which area shows which pitch. There is even one mode ("Beginner Steel Drum") that shows the note letter ("C" "E" "G" etc) for each pitch region. In another Steel Drum program, there is a blended color region at the bottom of the drum area where you can make pitch changes.

This incorporation of a visual display right under the drum surface adds an amazing level of ease to the playing, and makes watching the player really hypnotic and interesting. Wait til you see the demo video on this version!

Having the USB port on the side is a much-needed feature. This makes it possible to store programmed sounds in a PC or laptop. Although it might be possible for the drum head visual display to also work this way (as a sort of computer monitor), Korg didn't implement this. Instead they are keeping the drum head solely as a visual display for the musical aspect of the instrument. Maybe they will use it more as a computer display in the 3rd generation unit, but this would likely involve a lot of software programming, since it will have to somehow switch modes.

As it is, having a laptop or netbook plugged into the Wavedrum makes it MUCH more usable, since you can see a name for each program, and a list of all the parameter settings. With a quick mouse movement, it is easy to change a setting and instantly hear the change. Much easier than plodding through all the on-board menus and having just the one knob to control the parameter amounts.

Synthpercushjon wrote:I've heard that Korg is partnering with Samsung/licensing their LED television display technology...

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Sounds excellent, please let us know when you have built a prototype.
- Your friends at Korg

(of course, none of the above is true... but I was hoping for a Photoshop mockup, at the very least!)

"“Samsung LED TV, which has a picture as good as any LCD television but is much brighter.”

Humm...I'll stick to Sony for LCD as Samsung is disturbing to my eyes that like a bit more reality...but a Panasonic Plasma is my next set as I dislike the lamps used in LCDs and LEDs are not there yet…

BYW: You know you are not supposed to say what Korg is coming up with but since you did that was just to throw Roland's techs off.

The system is using 3d tech all the way but unlike you I can keep a secret. Paulo Mattioli’s image is stored and comes out for lessons, but that’s all I can say for now.

Mickey Hart: “The Drum Circle is a huge jam session. The ultimate goal is not precise rhythmic articulation or perfection of patterned structure, but the ability to entrain and reach the state of a group mind”

John^^

How about creating a programming tutorial for those of us who are just getting into electronic percussion? Up till now virtually everything I've tried (and purchased) has seemed too gimmicky but the Wavedrum has great potential so I want to get deeper into the parameters. However, the learning curve is very steep for us synthesizer noobs. I would even pay for a good tutorial.