Korg 01/W Application Notes

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To use the 01 as a MIDI Controller without having the 01 play its own notes, set Local Control to OFF. The 01 will now send all key presses to MIDI OUT (to external Sound Modules) but play only notes that come in the MIDI IN connector.

Using the 01 to play multiple Sound Modules
MIDI notes and commands travel on any of 16 channels. MIDI Sound Modules (including the one inside the 01) are told which MIDI channels they should respond to. You will probably want to use Combi Mode for live performance using multiple Sound Modules. Set up MIDI channels for multiple Sound Modules in Edit Combi Mode P0:TIMBRE, Lines 3 and/or 4.

A common problem is trying to change Programs or Combinations without cutting off notes. This is most noticeable if you use a lot of reverb. In that case, sounds that were nicely reverberating are chopped off as soon as you punch in the new Prog/Combi number.

Secret: This will not happen if the effects settings (Page 8) of the two Progs/Combis are EXACTLY the same.

When you change Progs/Combis, the Sounds you were playing will cut off, but whatever was in the Effects section will continue swishing around, decaying at whatever the fx settings are. This can greatly smooth your transitions.

But how can you copy all those fx parameters EXACTLY from one Prog/Combi to another?

Try EDIT mode, Page 9, Line 3: "Copy Effects All".

"Quick & Dirty" Layering

Normally you might build up a Combi to do this, but you can quickly do simple layering in Sequencer Mode. Try this:

1. Go into Sequencer Mode (Press SEQ).
2. Highlight Track 1 (Press Cursor Down twice)
3. Select Prog A01 (Press Value Up once)
4. Highlight Track 2 (Press the "B" button)
5. Select Prog A36 (Press and hold "B", press and release "3", press and release "6", release "B")
6. Select Page 3 (Press "3")
7. The cursor should be on the MIDI channel assigned to Track 2. Change this channel to be the same as that assigned to Track 1 (probably "1"). (Press Value Down once).

And there you have it. Both Progs will play at the same time. In fact, all Tracks that are assigned to the same MIDI channel will play together. You can layer additional Progs up to the polyphonic limit of the 01 (32 Multi-Sounds).

You can change the individual volumes and pan settings for each layered Prog (on Page 0, Line 6, Button "E" or "F", Value Up/Down).

You can instantly copy the effects settings from your favorite Combi/Prog/Song to this new layered "sequence" (on Page 9, Line 4).

You have just built a simple kind of Combi with up to 16 Progs. You can now assign this "song" a name, save it as a sequence, and still keep all your original Combis.

Splits in SEQ Mode
A "split" keyboard is when a Prog is active over only a part of the keyboard, not the entire length. Splits are often done in Combis. You can split the keyboard in SEQ Mode by using Page 3/4: Channel/Window to set the Key Window (Lines 5 & 6).

You can add also do a "kind of a split" by using Page 1/2 Detune and/or Ttranspose (Lines 5 & 6) to change how Progs (even the same Progs on different Tracks) sound.

How to Copy a Sequence from Cakewalk to the 01/W

A: The best way is to use a disk formatted as a Standard MIDI File (SMF) disk to carry the sequence from your computer to the 01. Load this sequence as a SMF (Click here to see how). Make whatever changes you need to make (like adding effects), then save the sequence to a different disk, this disk formatted as an 01 disk.

A couple things to watch for. First, you must have ROM #62 in your 01 to do this. Second, Cakewalk (and perhaps other sequencers) will include "muted" tracks as part of the SMF (it un-mutes all muted tracks and includes them in the new SMF). You must delete all unnecessary tracks before saving the SMF on your computer. [9807292052]

Outputs 1/L, 2/R, 3, 4

There are four inputs to the Effects Section: A, B, C, and D. These come from the oscillators (patches/programs). In SEQ mode, the A, B, C, and D signals of all 16 tracks are mixed down to four A, B, C, and D signals for input to the Effects Section. The output rules are:

Signals A and B always and only go out 1/L and 2/R.
Signals C and D always go out 3 and 4.
Signals C and D may be mixed with A and B, then sent out 1/L and 2/R.
The headphones output ("PHONES") always and only connects to 1/L and 2/R.

Why Use C/D to 3/4?

2. So drum tracks don't get diluted with effects.
You may not want your drum track to have use the same effects you use on the other tracks. For example, you may have heavy reverb and chorus on a new age-type song. A kick drum and other percussion would lose their punch and attack in a reverb-chorus combination. If you route the drum track to C and D, select Serial Effects Placement, and turn Out3 and Out4 off, then the drum track will appear only at outputs 3 and 4 dry (no effects), where an external mixer can mix it with 1/L and 2/R.

This brings up an IMPORTANT LABELING NOTICE! At the bottom of SEQ screen, Page 8, you will see "Out3" and "Out4". These DO NOT refer to back panel outputs 3 and 4. These are the outputs of Panner3 and Panner4. For details, click here to go to Effects Page 8.

Hard cases are much more expensive (US$200), and though called "hard", they are really made of flimsy plastic with a plastic handle. But they seem to be light-weight and work well, and if you can afford it, they are the only way to go if you are serious about protecting your 01.

Manufacturers of hard cases for the 01 include Korg, SKB (in most music stores and mail-order outlets) and USA Case ( Michigan, USA).

If you are gutsy, you can design and build your own case. I've done that for $20 using quarter-inch plywood, nylon-web straps, and a lot of time (construction is not easy). My current design needs modifications to better withstand travel, so I can't yet report complete success. But it's better than a gig bag without the expense of a plastic case. {99Oct27}

1. Get new Drum Sounds (Multi-Sounds). This means getting a new PCM card to plug in the "PCM Data" slot in the back of your 01. Several cards come with new percussion samples (Multi-Sounds), such as the M&T Card Set (see the list of PCM cards and their contents). But finding cards can be difficult and/or expensive. In that case, you can try...

2. Edit the Drum Sounds you already have. You can edit the Drum Progs to have a different Multi-Sound (sample) on each key, some that weren't included in the factory Prog. You can also change the pitch of each key/sample. Some of the samples sound very different when you start messing with their pitches. Another variable is Wave Shaping. This can produce some very unique sounds, but it heavily trial-and-error.