Korg Poly800/EX800 Users

Hi Poly fans,

I am happy to say that I've made some great improvements to the advanced sequencer mode. It now has real time note insertion and redo/undo of inserts.

Now, I know there are quite a few of you who really don't care that much about the sequencer but I hope that these improvements might make it useful to some of you.

Mostly, I enjoy the challenge of creating a real time sequencer.

At this point, you can only insert one chord or note into a running sequence at a time. Once that one chord is inserted, you have to wait for the sequence to repeat before the next chord or note can be inserted. This is a little annoying but I got used to it quite quickly.

When you're playing a sequence in advanced mode, the "chord" button becomes the undo/redo button. So since there is no quantization of notes, you have to be "in front" of the beat in order to insert chords on time. But, I am going to add a feature to the Poly key that allows shifting the last inserted note back one beat (or forward if you hold down "bank hold") so that you can quickly shift an inserted note to where it should be (usually earlier rather than later). So when you insert a note and it is late, you would just press the Poly key and it would bring your edit earlier by one beat. Keep pressing Poly and it would bring it earlier and earlier.

Let me know what you all think?

Mike

On Wed, 20 Oct 2010, korgpolyex800 wrote:

> Now, I know there are quite a few of you who really don't care that much
> about the sequencer but I hope that these improvements might make it
> useful to some of you.

===================

i'm in the "i don't care much for a sequencer" camp. even if you made the
world's best sequencer, it's still limited by the UI.

> Mostly, I enjoy the challenge of creating a real time sequencer.

====================

ya know... there'd be a market for that is it was done right and not built
into a poly-800. next project? think of something like a cross between a
TR-909, MMT-8 and emu command station, with maybe a few micro-edit
functions from the roland MC-50 & MC-80.

> Let me know what you all think?

======================

i've been quiet for a while (with some progress in recover), but
definitely looking forward to any advances with a 1U rack kit. especially
looking forward to when i can buy one :)


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On Wed, 20 Oct 2010, Atom Smasher wrote:

> i've been quiet for a while (with some progress in recover), but

===============

haha... but still messed up enough that i wrote "recover" instead of
"recovery". sigh....


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"The Matrix is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy.
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Businessmen. Teachers. Lawyers. Carpenters.
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But, until we do, these people are still a part of that
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-- Morpheus, 'The Matrix'

Sounds pretty cool! The Arppegiator is a good idea too. I could really like an arppegiator on the poly. Thanks for all the good work. ; )

J.

--- On Tue, 10/19/10, korgpolyex800 <korgpolyex800@...> wrote:

From: korgpolyex800 <korgpolyex800@...>
Subject: [korgpolyex] HAWK software update
To: korgpolyex@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, October 19, 2010, 6:34 PM

Hi Poly fans,

I am happy to say that I've made some great improvements to the advanced sequencer mode. It now has real time note insertion and redo/undo of inserts.

Now, I know there are quite a few of you who really don't care that much about the sequencer but I hope that these improvements might make it useful to some of you.

Mostly, I enjoy the challenge of creating a real time sequencer.

At this point, you can only insert one chord or note into a running sequence at a time. Once that one chord is inserted, you have to wait for the sequence to repeat before the next chord or note can be inserted. This is a little annoying but I got used to it quite quickly.

When you're playing a sequence in advanced mode, the "chord" button becomes the undo/redo button. So since there is no quantization of notes, you have to be "in front" of the beat in order to insert chords on time. But, I am going to add a feature to the Poly key that allows shifting the last inserted note back one beat (or forward if you hold down "bank hold") so that you can quickly shift an inserted note to where it should be (usually earlier rather than later). So when you insert a note and it is late, you would just press the Poly key and it would bring your edit earlier by one beat. Keep pressing Poly and it would bring it earlier and earlier.

Let me know what you all think?

Mike

--- In korgpolyex@yahoogroups.com, Atom Smasher <atom@...> wrote:

>
> On Wed, 20 Oct 2010, korgpolyex800 wrote:
>
> > Now, I know there are quite a few of you who really don't care that much
> > about the sequencer but I hope that these improvements might make it
> > useful to some of you.
> ===================
>
> i'm in the "i don't care much for a sequencer" camp. even if you made the
> world's best sequencer, it's still limited by the UI.

Well I'm in the "More features the better" camp because I like to push all my gear to the limits. Are you sure you've thought much about how useful the seq Mike is making will be? The UI is fine, it's not meant to be a 32-track sequencer with all the bells and whistles that you use as your master sequencer controlling everything in your rig, it's supposed to be used clocked to another seq, and you can just throw in changes on the fly. It'll be awesome. I feel sorry for anyone running a single sequencer - I make sure even my drum machines and synced and ready to be routed anywhere at any time. Having four or five sequencers clocked together that you can send to any synth with a decent patchbay/merger is the only way of working that I actually find to be FUN.

>
>
> > Mostly, I enjoy the challenge of creating a real time sequencer.
> ====================
>
> ya know... there'd be a market for that is it was done right and not built
> into a poly-800. next project? think of something like a cross between a
> TR-909, MMT-8 and emu command station, with maybe a few micro-edit
> functions from the roland MC-50 & MC-80.
>

See above. I have a MC-50, and I love it and plan on syncing Mike's Poly 800 seq to it. Mike's seq is not supposed to be a replacement for an MC-50! It's a completely different, and highly complementary concept.

> > > > Mostly, I enjoy the challenge of creating a real time sequencer.
> > ====================
> >
> > ya know... there'd be a market for that is it was done right and not built
> > into a poly-800. next project? think of something like a cross between a
> > TR-909, MMT-8 and emu command station, with maybe a few micro-edit
> > functions from the roland MC-50 & MC-80.
> >

Incidentally, there is apparently a fad happening with boutique sequencers. I had no idea there were so many until some weirdo who apparently bought a whole bunch of them listed them on the local craigslist. Most of them are around the $1000 range, and seem to be inspired by x0x and the Tenori-On. So maybe there would be a market for something good if the price could be brought way down, but otherwise it looks like the competition is steep with a glut in the market.

If I were Mike looking for another project to tackle I'd stick with kits to modify cheap existing hardware. If someone were to be awesome enough to make a MIDI-clock mod for the Akai ME-20A arpeggiator I'll bet it would go over well since the only mass-produced standalone clockable arp is the Oberheim Cyclone as far as I know.

On Fri, 22 Oct 2010, zoinky420 wrote:

> If I were Mike looking for another project to tackle I'd stick with kits
> to modify cheap existing hardware. If someone were to be awesome enough
> to make a MIDI-clock mod for the Akai ME-20A arpeggiator I'll bet it
> would go over well since the only mass-produced standalone clockable arp
> is the Oberheim Cyclone as far as I know.

===================

i've never played with an ME-20A... i was able to install DIY midi-sync
kits into both of my lexicon vortexes. if i still had my notes from that
project i'd post them :(


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http://atom.smasher.org/
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-------------------------------------------------

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but not for everyones greed"
-- Mahatma Gandhi

On Fri, 2010-10-22 at 06:38 +0000, zoinky420 wrote:

> If I were Mike looking for another project to tackle I'd stick with
> kits to modify cheap existing hardware. If someone were to be awesome
> enough to make a MIDI-clock mod for the Akai ME-20A arpeggiator I'll
> bet it would go over well since the only mass-produced standalone
> clockable arp is the Oberheim Cyclone as far as I know.

It wouldn't be hard. Get an arduino, write a program for it that sets
the serial rate to 31250 baud, hang an opto-isolator off the serial
input and you've got a MIDI interface.

Now tell it to toggle an IO pin high when it receives 0xfa (START) and
low when it receives 0xfc (STOP). For bonus points make it pulse a
second pin when it gets 0xfa and not pulse it when it gets 0xfb
(CONTINUE) but still bring the run pin high.

Next we have the tricky bit. MIDI clock is sent at 24ppqn so for every
crotchet note we receive 24 0xf8 (CLOCK) messages. Every time you get
an 0xf8 increment a counter. If you want to generate semiquavers you
need to divide this by four, so every time you count six CLOCK messages
pulse the clock output pin (or rather, pull it high for three and low
for three). For bonus points, have several outputs with different
division rates so you've got 16 steps per 4/4 bar, eight steps, four
steps, dotted 8th and so on ;-)

Gordon MM0YEQ

On 2010-10-22 20:06 -0600, Shayne Cafferata wrote:

> > "If someone were to be awesome enough to make a MIDI-clock
> > mod for the Akai ME-20A arpeggiator I'll bet it would go
> > over well since the only mass-produced standalone clockable
> > arp is the Oberheim Cyclone as far as I know."
>
> second that!

If it's like the ME25S, it won't be easy. The microcontroller in
that one has a built-in mask-programmed ROM and I'd be surprised
if it were easy to dump.

--
André Majorel http://www.teaser.fr/~amajorel/

3rds that!

--- In korgpolyex@yahoogroups.com, Shayne Cafferata <scafferata@...> wrote:
>
> "If someone were to be awesome enough to make a MIDI-clock mod for the Akai ME-20A arpeggiator I'll bet it would go over well since the only mass-produced standalone clockable arp is the Oberheim Cyclone as far as I know."
>
> second that!
>

yeah, don't do that just yet, mike, i'll be with you on this
very shortly! (and drive carefully...-ok, not that amusing)
i want this for my ex800, badly; just had to juggle things
a bit lately.

to the guys talking about those units, i have owned both, and:
a/ the me20a is great because it doesn't follow MIDI clock, and
can go off and do its own thing, generating its own MIDI velocity.
fantastic for peals of notes (WHY did i sell it...?)
in fact, a 'free-running' mode for any arp' on this hawk would be
an excellent feature, if it sent midi out: you'd have an me20a in
your poly800, pretty much...(especially if you could use the sequencer
to program the arp notes and intervals...

then, you'd have something -slightly -approaching the
'programmable'(if you like messing your head up) cyclone,
which i gave up on because of the amount of time i'd spend
sitting with the manual open, trying to decipher the matrix
of 2character LED symbols, and what they meant.

an incredible, unique machine. it even 'un'crashed my atari
a few times, because it was the first thing in the chain to lock
up: switch it on/off and things recovered(not guaranteed, this!).

i was surprised there was no computer-based editor for its 32?
memories...then it would be a relevant piece of kit.

if anyone wants to post the manual and data sheets for it, i might
be able to make a VST-based editor for it.

in fact, mike, i could do this for the hawk too, if that's of any
use?? i'll be in contact about an order next couple of weeks ;)

regards
D

--- In korgpolyex@yahoogroups.com, Michael Hawkins <korgpolyex800@...> wrote:
>
> So is there some reason why no one has built an arp in a rack that does just
> that?
>
> Or should I rephrase the question to: how much are you all willing to pay for a
> 1RU MIDI arpeggiator? My guess is probably not more than 35 bucks. Which is 5
> bucks less than the cost of the rack enclosure. So you go buy the ME-20A and you
> are 90% happy.
>
> Now back to the HAWK. I am guessing that many of you Poly owners would like your
> Poly to have an arpeggiator. But just how many of you would want to pay the 100
> bucks or so to HAWK your Poly to get that arp? I better there are not too many
> of you.
>
> Nevertheless, I am doing the ARP and maybe I will have it ready as a christmas
> present. But someone better start making donations or I may just have to wait
> until Christmas 2015.
>
> Let me know because it's been very, very quiet around here lately and my
> charitable enthusiasm is prone to fall asleep.
>
> Mike
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: alpoly800 <alpoly800@...>
> To: korgpolyex@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Tue, October 26, 2010 4:49:43 PM
> Subject: [korgpolyex] Re: HAWK software update
>
>
> 3rds that!
>
> --- In korgpolyex@yahoogroups.com, Shayne Cafferata <scafferata@> wrote:
> >
> > "If someone were to be awesome enough to make a MIDI-clock mod for the Akai
> >ME-20A arpeggiator I'll bet it would go over well since the only mass-produced
> >standalone clockable arp is the Oberheim Cyclone as far as I know."
> >
> > second that!
> >
>

Charitable enthusiasm? I thought you were in this to get rich Mike :)

--- In korgpolyex@yahoogroups.com, Michael Hawkins <korgpolyex800@...> wrote:
>
> So is there some reason why no one has built an arp in a rack that does just
> that?
>
> Or should I rephrase the question to: how much are you all willing to pay for a
> 1RU MIDI arpeggiator? My guess is probably not more than 35 bucks. Which is 5
> bucks less than the cost of the rack enclosure. So you go buy the ME-20A and you
> are 90% happy.
>
> Now back to the HAWK. I am guessing that many of you Poly owners would like your
> Poly to have an arpeggiator. But just how many of you would want to pay the 100
> bucks or so to HAWK your Poly to get that arp? I better there are not too many
> of you.
>
> Nevertheless, I am doing the ARP and maybe I will have it ready as a christmas
> present. But someone better start making donations or I may just have to wait
> until Christmas 2015.
>
> Let me know because it's been very, very quiet around here lately and my
> charitable enthusiasm is prone to fall asleep.
>
> Mike
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: alpoly800 <alpoly800@...>
> To: korgpolyex@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Tue, October 26, 2010 4:49:43 PM
> Subject: [korgpolyex] Re: HAWK software update
>
>
> 3rds that!
>
> --- In korgpolyex@yahoogroups.com, Shayne Cafferata <scafferata@> wrote:
> >
> > "If someone were to be awesome enough to make a MIDI-clock mod for the Akai
> >ME-20A arpeggiator I'll bet it would go over well since the only mass-produced
> >standalone clockable arp is the Oberheim Cyclone as far as I know."
> >
> > second that!
> >
>

--- In korgpolyex@yahoogroups.com, joe peak <lovgh2000@...> wrote:

>
> Soon I will get the courage to mod my poly. Quick question: What kind of soldering iron and tip is best for this work?Â

A Weller with as small of a conical tip as you can get.

Thanks........

--- On Mon, 11/8/10, zoinky420 <zoinky420@...> wrote:

From: zoinky420 <zoinky420@...>
Subject: [korgpolyex] Re: HAWK software update
To: korgpolyex@yahoogroups.com
Date: Monday, November 8, 2010, 1:00 AM

--- In korgpolyex@yahoogroups.com, joe peak <lovgh2000@...> wrote:
>
> Soon I will get the courage to mod my poly. Quick question: What kind of soldering iron and tip is best for this work?Â

A Weller with as small of a conical tip as you can get.