Newbie questions....

[skytech]

Hi everyone,

 

It's been a long time since I had my Korg 01/WFD set up.....let's just say well over 10 years.

It seems to work just fine except for a dim LCD screen, which from what I've been reading is a common malady for this synth.

 

So here are my questions:

 

- is there a way to get new sounds for this synth? I have a MacBook Air that I'm hoping I could download some sound libraries to, but have no idea as to how I'd transfer them to the Korg.

- I'm hoping to use Garage Band with the Korg and am thinking that I could use it as a 'controller' to access and play the sounds that Garage Band comes with. Simply plug in a patch cord from the headphone output on the Mac to my amp and turn the volume off on the Korg to do so?

 

I have a Roland Midi to USB adapter that I'll hopefully be able to figure out how to configure.

 

Thanks for any and all advice.

 

Mike

 

[J. Dan]

I think the latter of your ideas is the best bet. Use the 01/W as a controller and there is a ton of software instruments available that will blow away anything you can do with that Korg.

[skytech]

Thanks for the reply.

 

Any suggestions as to anyone's favourite software?

[allan_evett]

Thanks for the reply.

 

Any suggestions as to anyone's favourite software?

 

For Mac, Logic Pro-X is solid; or you could start with GarageBand, which comes with current Macs (or recent system updates, IIRC). Both have a large number of high-quality sounds to explore, though Logic has much more overall. I've also heard good things about the current Studio One Software, by PreSonus. I had one of the early versions, when I rep'd for a distributor in Colorado. It was good then, and has come a long way since. As well as introducing you to a world of useful sounds, DAW software will provide ways to integrate the audio from your keyboard; there are still several unique sounds in the O1/W.

 

I recommend having that O1/W backlight replaced as well. I suspect it'll only fade more with time. Here's a link to Korg Forum's discussion on that:

http://www.korgforums.com/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=93402&sid=055a1d0caefc7910f812499c58b8829d

[Mr. Nightime]

Not sure if it is the same, but the backlight on my Korg N364 is non-existent, and it has to do with the power output from the supply. I know this because every time I try to use the floppy disk in the machine, it resets. Problem is with a synth that old, it can be very difficult finding the parts needed

 

I have the Korg M1-01/W-Wavestation software for my Windows machine, as well as the M3R rackmount module. While there are some very good sounds in there, a lot of them are very dated. For instance, I would never use the AP sounds in public, but the strings/horns/EP/Clav sounds are still relevant.

[stoken6]

Mainstage is the obvious choice surely if all you want is a set of new sounds? Don't bother trying to get sound libraries onto your Korg, use it as a controller. For now, take audio out of your Mac's headphone socket - you may want to spring for an audio interface in future.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[hatricklov]

Mainstage is the obvious choice surely if all you want is a set of new sounds? Don't bother trying to get sound libraries onto your Korg, use it as a controller. For now, take audio out of your Mac's headphone socket - you may want to spring for an audio interface in future.

 

Cheers, Mike.

Just to dovetail onto Mike's post... if you pick up MainStage and an audio interface, you can sample your Korg 01/WFD's sounds into MainStage using the EXS24 plugin, then you have your Korg's sounds available in MainStage whether you use it as a controller or not!

[skytech]

Mainstage is the obvious choice surely if all you want is a set of new sounds? Don't bother trying to get sound libraries onto your Korg, use it as a controller. For now, take audio out of your Mac's headphone socket - you may want to spring for an audio interface in future.

 

Cheers, Mike.

Just to dovetail onto Mike's post... if you pick up MainStage and an audio interface, you can sample your Korg 01/WFD's sounds into MainStage using the EXS24 plugin, then you have your Korg's sounds available in MainStage whether you use it as a controller or not!

 

Thanks for the info guys.

Definitely makes sense to simply load up on software sounds. The Korg has some dated (but cool) sounds, so I'm thinking it would best spend the rest of its life as a controller.

 

 

[David Emm]

I can speak to this directly. When my 01W began to decay badly, I bought Redmatica's Autosampler and started saving its best sounds, Program and Combi. I'd built up quite a box of floppies from several sources, so it took a while. Its a lo-fi synth compared to Today, but its still one of the better pad and layering machines around. I invested a lot of time in it, so I still get a lot from it in return.

 

All of that has remained a solid EXS24 library through my last 3 Macs. Apple bought Redmatica, so now Autosampler is a utility inside Mainstage. I encourage you to consider that carefully, because you can preserve your hardware to a high degree and its essentially upgrade-proof. Yes, you'll lose some of the nuance of the hardware, but you can preserve the heart of it pretty well. Just remember to sample long ENOUGH, so as to avoid the annoying SNIP I left in a few patches due to Sampler's Fatigue.

[skytech]

So here's another question about the good ol' Korg.

 

Used it last weekend and it was run through a sound system along with guitar/bass/vocals.

 

After one song I noticed it had lost volume in the monitor. Mentioned it to the sound gal and she said, "yeah, it was there, faded out and then came back." Hmmmm. Switched patch cord and the box it feeds into. Still seemed to do it.

 

Any thoughts?

[skytech]

Hey,

 

Just sold my 01/WFD to a collector fellow locally......wow, what a beauty bunch of equipment he had!!

 

Looking at buying an inexpensive controller to use with my Mac. Thinking 61 key, but maybe 88, so I can set it up in a corner of the living room as opposed to being in the garage.

Any suggestions? M Audio and Arturia seem to be flooding Craigslist here.

 

Also, is it feasible to use this sort of setup live? I play "out" about once a month where I'm hooked up to a pretty decent sound system.

 

The draw to the controller/Mac setup is the sheer number of sounds available.

 

Thanks for any advice.

 

Mike

[Stokely]

Thanks for the reply.

 

Any suggestions as to anyone's favourite software?

 

I'm on mac, so Logic pro X was the obvious choice. I've used a lot of different sequencers and daws through the years--they are all hard to get going on, since they pack so much functionality in so little space. LPX has a lot of nice DAW features but the real selling point to me is all the nice effects and synths it comes with...I've added to the synths over the years, but it was more a preference thing than a need thing. And they keep adding new features through free updates.

 

Not a fan of *any* of the cheap controllers I've tried. Not everyone is equally picky about key action I tend to ignore the faders and other controls since I can get those on another piece of gear ( I have a Korg nanokontrol I can use for instance). The main thing is getting a nice-to-play action. I got really spoiled with my old Virus (stupidly sold) and later my Kurzweil pc361 (has a couple keys that need fixing)....those keyboards are such a joy to play that it's very jarring to try to use the cheaper actions, and aftertouch is a personal requirement. So a used non-controller keyboard can be an option. All that said, I think the better Novations and Akai and possibly others are pretty good.

[skytech]

Thanks for the reply.

 

And I guess for the real simpleton question: is it easy to use a controller/macbook in a live situation?

[Reezekeys]

And I guess for the real simpleton question: is it easy to use a controller/macbook in a live situation?

Are you asking this as a general question, or only to compare the ease of use of a laptop on a gig versus in a home studio environment? It's really the same thing except for the additional considerations involved with safely transporting and setting up a laptop on a stage. In general the answer to your question is yes, it's pretty easy if you're computer-literate, but not as easy as putting a hardware keyboard on a stand and turning the power on. A few of us on this forum use laptops exclusively. I started using a laptop on stage almost 20 years ago, with a Titanium PowerBook G4, and went exclusively laptop about 13 years ago.

 

Do you want or need the additional variety (and increased quality) of sounds that 3rd-party VI plugins can give you? Do you want or need the additional control over a virtual instrument's parameters when you're playing a gig? Are you ready to deal with possible software conflicts and troubleshoot them? If the answer to these questions is "no" then a laptop/controller setup may not be for you. In my case, I started years ago wanting to bring the best-quality sounds to a gig that I could, and I was also an amateur programmer that enjoyed "getting under the hood" of my computers and software.

 

One thing about going all software is that it won't cost you much to try. You already have the laptop. Mainstage, for $30, has a few decent if not spectacular instrument plugins (I'm not sure if they're the same as what's in Garage Band), controller keyboards in general cost less than workstations, and a Mac's headphone output is perfectly fine to drive an amplifier.

[skytech]

And I guess for the real simpleton question: is it easy to use a controller/macbook in a live situation?

Are you asking this as a general question, or only to compare the ease of use of a laptop on a gig versus in a home studio environment? It's really the same thing except for the additional considerations involved with safely transporting and setting up a laptop on a stage. In general the answer to your question is yes, it's pretty easy if you're computer-literate, but not as easy as putting a hardware keyboard on a stand and turning the power on. A few of us on this forum use laptops exclusively. I started using a laptop on stage almost 20 years ago, with a Titanium PowerBook G4, and went exclusively laptop about 13 years ago.

 

Do you want or need the additional variety (and increased quality) of sounds that 3rd-party VI plugins can give you? Do you want or need the additional control over a virtual instrument's parameters when you're playing a gig? Are you ready to deal with possible software conflicts and troubleshoot them? If the answer to these questions is "no" then a laptop/controller setup may not be for you. In my case, I started years ago wanting to bring the best-quality sounds to a gig that I could, and I was also an amateur programmer that enjoyed "getting under the hood" of my computers and software.

 

One thing about going all software is that it won't cost you much to try. You already have the laptop. Mainstage, for $30, has a few decent if not spectacular instrument plugins (I'm not sure if they're the same as what's in Garage Band), controller keyboards in general cost less than workstations, and a Mac's headphone output is perfectly fine to drive an amplifier.

 

Gotcha.

Looks like I'll do just fine with a controller/laptop.

Best get myself down to the shop to try out some controllers to get a feel for them and what I like/don't like.

 

[Fleer]

Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol keyboards are quite good, ranging from 25 to 88 keys. As for the latter, Roland just launched their A-88 Mk2 controller keyboard. A third company with interesting controllers is Nektartech. I love their P6 but they"ve got all sorts of different sizes. And then there"s Arturia, also quite worthwhile. On the other hand, I wouldn"t wander into IK Multimedia territory for keys.

[EricBarker]

If you're planning on doing the controller/laptop thing for live performance, I would steer clear of Logic, Ableton or any production DAW. Get Apple MainStage ($30), which is the Logic engine but entirely tuned for live performance. It pre-loads all your patches so you can switch them on demand, and there's tons of quality-of-life features that make it practical for performance use. I've heard of a few people using DAWs on stage, but I honestly don't know how or why they do it, you'd have to create tons of macros or something for them to be responsive to the song/patch switching demands of live performance. The only thing missing from MainStage is a sequencer, but for that I just use Ableton routed into MainStage the few times I need to do that. Other options are Gig Performer, Camelot, or Cantabile, which are all aimed at live keyboard performance. But frankly, MainStage is an amazing bang for your buck. Been using it 7+ years and it's a gem.

 

For controllers, I use an Arturia Keylab88 which I love... particularly the fact that it has a built-in laptop tray. The Komplete Kontrol stuff is okay too, but a lot of the (expensive) bells-and-whistles only work if you're using 100% Native Instruments software. StudioLogic is always highly regarded too.

[skytech]

Thanks for the info Eric.

 

MainStage is definitely in my future.

 

Because I'm on a bit of a budget I'll just be getting my feet wet with GarageBand, and I'm assuming MainStage would be a pretty seamless fit with it as they are both Apple products?

 

 

[skytech]

OK....may have hit a bit of a snafu with MainStage.

 

My MacBook Air only has 4GB RAM.

Been doing some reading and am wondering if this will be unstable? 8GB seems to be recommended.

 

Thanks everyone,

 

Mike

[Ken Beaumont]

I have an older mac book that has 4GB of memory. On it things like Omnisphere 2 works but is slow to initially load. I use light weight plugins like pianoteq, addictive keys and various other plugins. As long as I'm not doing anything that requires a lot of resources simultaneously it isn't a problem. When it gets hairy is when you have say Omnisphere , a large sampled piano and effects all loaded simultaneously. Which is not generally the way I use it. I tend to have simple splits and layers and will tend to use less resource intensive programs. Like the mainstage synth alchemy, pianoteq and lounge lizard or addictive keys.

[Docbop]

From computer POV the less RAM the more the computer has to swap pieces of RAM in and out for all the processes running. The more programs running are creating overhead with context switching swapping pieces of processes in and out of the CPU. So this is why they say more CPU cores and RAM is better so the number of CPU registers and RAM swaps can be reduced.