Jump to content


Please note: You can easily log in to MPN using your Facebook account!

Recommended Posts

The heart of the Wavestate is its wave sequencing oscillators. These form the basis for pretty much everything unique that the machine does, and most of what surrounds them (aside from the vector controls) is not highly unusual for a digital synth.

 

Korg calls it Wave Sequencing 2.0, and it's pretty damn impressive once you get into it. It's complex and detailed, but the guts of the process have been broken out in a way that feels very natural and intuitive to work with... and boy, can it get crazy in a hurry.

 

Lanes

 

Anyone who's done parameter automation in a DAW understands the concept of automation lanes. For every audio track in a project, the many parameters attached to the signal path â volume, panning, aux send amounts, plug-in wet/dry mix, etc. â will all have their own individual automation lanes, and when you move controls on your digital console or control surface, the movements will be written into those automation lanes in the DAW so they're all recalled when you play back your track.

 

On the Wavestate, the concept of Lanes is retained, but has a slightly different application. Each of the seven Lanes in a wave sequence controls one of seven different variable parameters within the Wave Sequence. These are:

 

1. Master

2. Timing

3. Sample

4. Pitch

5. Shape

6. Gate

7. Step Seq

 

We'll get into each one of these functions separately below. The important thing to understand here is that on the original Wavestation, some of these parameters were similar to what we have to work with now, others were considerably more limited or didn't really exist at all.

 

Further, on the Wavestate, each of these parameters now has its own Lane, which means they can exist completely separate in behavior from one another. That includes pattern length, looping, what step of the pattern the loop begins, and where it ends. Setting up polyrhythms, shifting relationships between parameters, etc., is super-easy... and that's even before you get into the fact that this stuff can also be modulated by external controllers on a note-by-note basis.

 

Each Lane can have up to 64 steps. You can select which step you're working on by using the 16 front-panel buttons, using SHIFT or holding down the WSEQ STEPS button to choose which bank of steps you want. They're numbered A1 to D16. Each Lane has its own unique number of steps, and can have a start and end loop point set anywhere within that number, with a set number of repeats (none, 1-100, infinite) per loop.

 

It takes a certain amount of learning to find your way around; at first, you're wondering why there aren't more shortcuts to speed up the process. Then you realize that actually there ARE, you just didn't read the manual (which, to be fair, can be a bit cryptic in places). One of the most handy things you can do is to get fluid with the Wave Sequence Select and Lane Preset buttons, which quickly put you on the right screens to select and edit Wave Sequences and Lanes. Once you're inside a Wave Sequence, the individual Lane buttons let you jump around quickly.

 

Master

 

The Master Lane is the only Lane that can be entirely turned off if you don't plan on using it. It's also the only lane that doesn't have steps, only global settings.

 

If it's turned on, you can specify a time lapse, either in seconds (up to two minutes!) or in bars/beats (up to four measures); after that period elapses (shown by a progress bar in the Overview), all Lanes are forced to reset at the beginning, in sync. Note that the Wave Sequence in every Layer of a Performance can have a different Master Lane setting.

 

Timing

 

In this Lane, the time parameters are individually set for each step in the Wave Sequence.

 

The most important is the step duration in bars and beats, specified by note value (32nd note triplet up to double-breve a.k.a. four measures) times a number of repeats (1-32).

 

Each step can be set as a note, rest, or Gate. Gates are interesting: they mean "hold here when you get here and wait for note-off, then finish up." The manual mentions a really bizarre use of Gates that I frankly wouldn't have thought of: because you can use note velocity to modulate which step a Lane starts playing at, you can turn each step (up to 64 of them) into a note that plays in a fixed velocity range. This is a brute-force way to create a very fine-resolution velocity map! I tried it with three steps (velocity ranges) and it works beautifully, but if you want to do 64 velocity bands, best have a bit of patience and something to drink handy. :)

 

Each step can have its own Swing value, and there's a Speed value that lets the step play back anywhere from 1/100 to 100 times the set value. Why have this? It can be modulated! So you can slow a step down to take forever or speed it up to a barely audible blip as desired.

 

There are also controls for whether or not steps crossfade(XFade) from one into the next, and how the fadeins and fadeouts are shaped (log, linear, exponential). This is a critical parameter that's what made the Wavestation so surprising to people who thought it could only do stuff like Ski Jam! By crossfading between steps, tight rhythms are turned into smoothly blending timbres. Essentially what you're doing is turning the Wavestate into a PPG-style wavetable synthesizer with extremely precise scanning between up to 64 different waveforms. Slick!

 

Finally, there's a Probability setting, from 0 to 100%. Every Lane has one of these. For most of them, it dictates whether the step will take effect or be skipped (more on that in a sec), but for Timing, it determines whether or not the previous step will stretch over the duration of this one. You have to do that, or the Wave Sequence's overall length and timing change abruptly, great for experimental noise music but not so good for what most of us do. You can use Speed to screw around with that if you have to.

 

Sample

 

The Sample Lane controls which sample plays back and how. This is basically the level of control you'd expect from a good solid multisample player.

 

You can choose which multisample you're using, whether playing different keys keeps and transposes the same sample or follows a keymap (for, say, a bunch of drums).

 

Here's an interesting pair of controls: you can decide if a step has a fixed pitch no matter what you play, whether it follows the Pitch Lane or not, or on the flip side, control its playback pitch if you're playing a specific sample rather than letting the Pitch Lane do its thing.

 

Other controls include volume trim, an alternate Start Offset for playing the sample back (not all multisamples have these set), and Probability (see above).

 

Pitch

 

The Pitch Lane is pretty straightforward, with one exception: you can set transpose and detune and probability, but there is also a switch labeled Use Shape.

 

What's Shape?

 

Shape

 

I'm so glad you asked! :D

 

Shape is basically a per-step envelope. You choose from a menu of just under 50 unipolar shapes â conventional AD and ADSR, swells, pulses, etc. â and apply them to steps in the Pitch or Step Sequencer Lanes, or to overall volume of the step (this is an on/off switch).

 

Every shape can be offset above or below zero, set amplitude (including negative), set phase (start point of the shape), and Gate ( if the Gate Lane has a shorter value for this step, will the Shape be squeezed to fit or just chopped off at the end?)

 

Things get really damn crazy when you start doing stuff with Shapes â everything from custom tremolo and vibrato to more drastic warping, up to 64 different ways. Yikes.

 

Gate

 

Gate length for the step, and probability, nice and straightforward.

 

Step Seq

 

Step is basically a per-step modulation source. A Value (think of it as a fixed control voltage) can be set from -100% to +100%, scaled by the Shape Lane if desired. Then you choose what function gets added to the fixed Value: a continuous modulation source like an LFO, a random amount (bipolar or unipolar/positive), or Sample & Hold of whatever the chosen modulator's value is at the start of the note. Now we are deep into sound design territory, because like Shape, each of these modulations is not only variable but programmable PER STEP. Double yikes.

 

Utilities

 

Finally, there are some handy functions to speed up creation of big Wave Sequences: once you have a step or steps programmed the way you want, you can cut, copy, paste, or insert them elsewhere, either all Lanes at once or just the one you're working on right now. You can insert steps at the end of the Wave Sequence, and there's a special function only for the Timing Lane that stretches everything out evenly, making the entire Wave Sequence longer without having to reprogram every single step. And that right there is the biggest timesaver of all the hidden timesavers in this process!

 

Those Little Blinky Lights

 

All the demo videos make a big deal about all the moving and flashing lights and symbols on the main screen (Overview) when you play. At first, they're mainly intriguing (or confusing) eye candy, but once you learn how they work, they can be handy â both for figuring out how a factory Wave Sequence is working the way it does, and for troubleshooting why a Wave Sequence you've created isn't working the way you think it should.

 

Each Lane has a simple set of symbols: the starting step, the ending step, and the loop start and loop end. The latter two take priority in the display - if, for example, the loop end is the same as the end of the Lane, then the loop end symbol will be seen in that spot. As each Lane cycles through steps, a diamond will move from step to step, showing you where you are in each Lane. That's really all there is to it.

 

An X symbol means that basically there is no Lane â it's a single step that repeats forever. This can be a simple "init" setting, or you can assign values from the first step of an existing Wave Sequence or Lane Preset, but basically the symbol means "nothing to see here".

 

The display is monophonic. It tracks the note you've been holding down the longest.

 

Step Solo

 

I have been working with the Wavestate for quite a while now, and I am just now starting to get the full utility out of an editing/troubleshooting tool called Step Solo mode. It works like this:

 

Let's say you have a particular step in a Wave Sequence that's driving you bananas - there's something in there that is just not clicking. Sometimes working on the step while nothing is moving (i.e. you're not playing so the sequence isn't running) is the way to go, but sometimes you need to hear what you're doing in context. Step Solo mode is an interesting way of doing that: it lets you choose a particular step in a particular Lane and freeze your focus on that step, as if you're putting it into a one-step loop.

 

What's weird about this is that it only applies to one Lane at a time; the other Lanes continue to cycle normally with their usual data. So you're hearing the Wave Sequence as it normally runs... except that one of the Lanes is stuck on one value and repeating over and over again.

 

For certain operations, like selecting sounds for playback in the Sample Lane or tuning a step in the Pitch Lane, this is brilliantly handy. For other operations, like Timing, it can tie your head in a knot, or at least distract you down one of the many fun side alleys you'll encounter all the time when programming the Wavestate. :D

 

Saving Your Work

 

As you can imagine, this is a lot of stuff to do at the very lowest level of programming detail in order to get something that works the way you want it to. Once you've got it, you'll want to save it... but after all this work, you'll want to be able to use it again and again in other contexts.

 

The Wavestate makes this really easy: Wave Sequences can be named and saved as separate entities from the Programs and Performances they inhabit, which places them in a searchable library of their own, with one-touch access (the Wave Sequence Select button). There are hundreds of them already in the Wavestate, with reasonably evocative names so you can notate and find them quickly. Saving your own is easy, and like other long lists (Performances, Programs, Set Lists, etc.), you can sort and filter them according to various categories (e.g. Strings, Piano/Keys, Arpeggio, etc.).

 

Going even deeper, you can take the Lane data from a Wave Sequence you really like (e.g. this really cool rhythm you've set up that you'd love to be able to reuse in other Wave Sequences) and save it all by itself as a Lane Preset. These also have one-touch access via the Lane Preset button.

 

If you don't want to give a Lane Preset its own name, it will take its name from its parent Wave Sequence. As a result, when you search through Lane Presets, you'll see familiar names of Wave Sequences used as Lane Preset names, but you won't find every single Wave Sequence represented, as a lot of the factory sounds reuse basic building blocks in many patches.

 

And if even this seems like an outrageous amount of saving and writing to be dealing with, there's a handy fallback to simplify your life: whenever you save a complete Performance, all of its constituent parts are saved at the same time: Programs, Wave Sequences, and Lane Presets. When you call up a Performance, which is the way you'll be using the Wavestate when actually just playing it, all that material will be there. Furthermore â and this is really slick â if you create a new Performance from an existing one and tweak its internal data, the original stuff it started from does NOT get overwritten: you get brand-new versions of everything, and if you screw up, none of the original material is lost.

 

(By default, factory Performances are locked against writing, so you have to create new ones rather than overwriting them. Considering that the Wavestate has an effectively open-ended file system with no limited number of slots at any programming level, this shouldn't be a problem.)

 

Summing this part up: any chunk of a Performance you create can be saved off on its own and referenced in a library for use elsewhere, but even if you don't do that, the Performance will retain the data in a place where it won't be accidentally overwritten.

 

Oh, and by the way...

 

...if you don't want to use a Wave Sequence at all in a particular Layer of your Performance, you can select a single Multisample and just use that. Seems kinda plain-Jane after all the things we just went through, but hey, that's all the Prophet VS ever had, right?

 

Okay. That's the basic guts of what makes the Wavestate special. It takes a while to absorb just how MUCH this can do. And as I said above, the rest of the architecture is pretty standard... next time we'll cover the rest of the voice signal flow (including effects), then modulation, then vectors and global Performance controls (and probably some of the other settings I've missed otherwise). More to come!

 

Stay safe stay well stay connected,

 

mike

Dr. Mike Metlay (PhD in nuclear physics, golly gosh) :D

Musician, Author, Editor, Educator, Impresario, Online Radio Guy, Cut-Rate Polymath, and Kindly Pedant

Editor-in-Chief, Bjooks ~ Author of SYNTH GEMS 1

 

clicky!:  more about me ~ my radio station (and my fam) ~ my local tribe ~ my day job ~ my bookmy music

Link to comment
Share on other sites



Side note:

 

While I was working with the Wavestate and diving deep, that lack of Hold capability was really starting to bug me because it made deep programming dives harder than they needed to be. However, during that process, I was also going through a long-term cleaning out of dead storage space in my studio, and I came across a DIY project I'd built years and years ago (over 20) and completely forgotten about. Apparently this business of not being able to hold notes latched bothered me once before....

 

This is a basic 1/4" TS damper pedal, a cheapass Taiwanese imitation of a Roland DP-2. Halfway up the cable, I'd cut it, stripped it, and exposed the two wires on both ends, then wired them back together with an old-fashioned 2-conductor knife switch in the middle. Depending on which way the switch is set, it can connect the cables normally (restoring standard damper operation), disconnect the pedal entirely, or break the connection in such a way that the synth thinks the pedal's being held down. Voila, drones galore!

 

I need to decide if I want to show it on camera. On the one hand, it's kind of a cool little kludge for this shortcoming, but on the other hand, it would be a constant reminder of something the Wavestate can't do, which is really kind of unfair.

 

BTW, I want to get through a few more of these posts, if not all of them, before I start releasing my videos â because I'm only now starting to really feel the educational arc -- just Wave Sequencing alone will take at least four videos. Thanks for your patience!

Dr. Mike Metlay (PhD in nuclear physics, golly gosh) :D

Musician, Author, Editor, Educator, Impresario, Online Radio Guy, Cut-Rate Polymath, and Kindly Pedant

Editor-in-Chief, Bjooks ~ Author of SYNTH GEMS 1

 

clicky!:  more about me ~ my radio station (and my fam) ~ my local tribe ~ my day job ~ my bookmy music

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Even though I am unlikely to ever own a Wavestate or make your widget, I think you should share it.

 

I don't see it as "unfair", Korg made and approved a marketing choice or R&D did not offer it within the confines of the stated parameters during the design.

It can't do it because Korg did not want to do it, not because they can't do it.

 

Maybe if your kludge gets traction they'll update and include? Meanwhile, I'm pretty sure that there are many owners who would love a workaround so they can use that feature.

It sounds pretty fun to me! Cheers, Kuru

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, Kuru, I am thinking about it. What would be ideal in some respects would be a way to drone one Layer and let the others play normally; you can actually program a sound to do this, but you can't decide to turn this behavior off and on in real time without a lot of menu diving.

 

My latest headscratcher (not because it's impossible but because it really should be done, and therefore taught, with a bit of finesse) is how to replicate the functions of a conventional sequencer using the Wave Sequences. I'm currently wrapping my head around how to most efficiently do ratcheting. More on that as I figure it out.

Dr. Mike Metlay (PhD in nuclear physics, golly gosh) :D

Musician, Author, Editor, Educator, Impresario, Online Radio Guy, Cut-Rate Polymath, and Kindly Pedant

Editor-in-Chief, Bjooks ~ Author of SYNTH GEMS 1

 

clicky!:  more about me ~ my radio station (and my fam) ~ my local tribe ~ my day job ~ my bookmy music

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Let's see if I can get this forum to let me attach a photo....

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jazjul6du1s59ki/Knife%20Switch.jpg?dl=0

 

Blah. just a link. Oh well.

 

This is the knife switch mod to the sustain pedal that I mentioned above. In the picture, the cable has been cut and stripped to expose the two conductors on each side. On the plug side, the conductors are wired to the middle contacts (the hinges of the knife switch), and on the pedal side, the conductors are wired to the contacts closest to the camera (roughly on the left). The contacts farthest from the camera (roughly on the right) are shorted to one another.

 

When the knife switch is thrown forward, it connects the two ends of the cable together and the pedal works as normal. When it's thrown back, it shorts the plug, and when it's up, it has an open circuit. Depending on the type of switch behavior the synth expects, one of these will make the pedal work normally, one will deactivate it, and one will make it drone. It's ugly as sin, but it works.

 

mike

Dr. Mike Metlay (PhD in nuclear physics, golly gosh) :D

Musician, Author, Editor, Educator, Impresario, Online Radio Guy, Cut-Rate Polymath, and Kindly Pedant

Editor-in-Chief, Bjooks ~ Author of SYNTH GEMS 1

 

clicky!:  more about me ~ my radio station (and my fam) ~ my local tribe ~ my day job ~ my bookmy music

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The thing is, there has got to be a pedal out there that does this already? Momentary, latch open, latch closed, selectable with a switch? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Anyone?

Dr. Mike Metlay (PhD in nuclear physics, golly gosh) :D

Musician, Author, Editor, Educator, Impresario, Online Radio Guy, Cut-Rate Polymath, and Kindly Pedant

Editor-in-Chief, Bjooks ~ Author of SYNTH GEMS 1

 

clicky!:  more about me ~ my radio station (and my fam) ~ my local tribe ~ my day job ~ my bookmy music

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi folks. My first post here.

I think I remember years ago a 3 channel Peavey? or Laney? guitar amp that had a combination type switch with a circuit similar as you describe.

It worked channels and and had fx/reverb on - off too. I would think there is a schematic somewhere on line for one.

I don't remember the model. I only remember because the amp was missing it and it was a real pain to get it going and original replacements were rare and costly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to MPN, Norman! We hope you get a lot out of our community!

Dr. Mike Metlay (PhD in nuclear physics, golly gosh) :D

Musician, Author, Editor, Educator, Impresario, Online Radio Guy, Cut-Rate Polymath, and Kindly Pedant

Editor-in-Chief, Bjooks ~ Author of SYNTH GEMS 1

 

clicky!:  more about me ~ my radio station (and my fam) ~ my local tribe ~ my day job ~ my bookmy music

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the welcome. I'm here as I got a Wavestate to use in my hobby music creation and appreciate what you've been posting so far.

I look forward to it. I like the Korg as It can be used as a total recording studio. One thing I would have liked to have seen in the board is an audio input right before the effects section that would allow something like a guitar or voice to be added to the final stereo mix. Like on a Moog.

The machine sure has a lot of things in there. From what I have seen on the net so far; musicians have not even cracked the surface of this devices potential.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The thing is, there has got to be a pedal out there that does this already? Momentary, latch open, latch closed, selectable with a switch? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Anyone?

 

If the now "vintage" Peavey Automix footswitch (I remember those!!!) is truly the only option, then at least a few forumites will build something based on your description and photos.

Or, thanks to Norman (welcome Norman!!!!) they will know where there is one of the Peavey switches and snag it on the cheap because it says Peavey on it and is great bang for the buck.

 

The plug will probably need to be changed or an adapter box of some sort made. Not an insurmountable obstacle by any means. Some of us have been doing goofy bits and dabs like that for a long time.

 

Me? Not this time around. I'd probably end up with a MIDI mixer, multiple keyboards and put rocks on the keys to keep the notes playing!!! :laugh:

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

"...keyboards and put rocks on the keys to keep the notes playing!!! :laugh:..."

 

Ha ha I remember in the late 80's being technologically inept using a small wedge made from a cloth pin ...it was easy but hard physically and electronically on the board, a D-50 I believe. I think as it had problems after that with the after touch getting all wonky 'till it crapped out.

Try to avoid those rocks if you can.

 

Boss makes this foot FS-6 switch.

 

This is the description Boss provides .

"Two switches in one, Boss's new FS-6 combines latch- and momentary-type switching into one unit.

With two switches conveniently housed side-by-side, the FS-6 allows each switch to be set for latch or momentary operation.

Pick the configuration that best suits your playing style and setup."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"...keyboards and put rocks on the keys to keep the notes playing!!! :laugh:..."

 

Ha ha I remember in the late 80's being technologically inept using a small wedge made from a cloth pin ...it was easy but hard physically and electronically on the board, a D-50 I believe. I think as it had problems after that with the after touch getting all wonky 'till it crapped out.

Try to avoid those rocks if you can.

 

Boss makes this foot FS-6 switch.

 

This is the description Boss provides .

"Two switches in one, Boss's new FS-6 combines latch- and momentary-type switching into one unit.

With two switches conveniently housed side-by-side, the FS-6 allows each switch to be set for latch or momentary operation.

Pick the configuration that best suits your playing style and setup."

 

Once again, Boss for the win!

 

I have a pair of Boss FS-5U switches on a small board for channel switching and effects with my Roland Cube 40 gx, great kit. The FS-6 sounds like it can do the trick for the Wavestate.

Even better than a rock!!!

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually, the really classy ambient musicians (cough) use lead fishing weights on the keys. My old trick was to break a Q-Tip in half and stick it between the keys, which would hold one down. They were listed on my gear list as "Q-Tips (for jamming)".

 

I should have thought of the FS-6! I was looking at it when I bought the FS-7, which I now use with my LinnStrument. Must go back and check it out. Does it let you plug in only one cable and have both switches work on one unit? Otherwise it won't do the job...

Dr. Mike Metlay (PhD in nuclear physics, golly gosh) :D

Musician, Author, Editor, Educator, Impresario, Online Radio Guy, Cut-Rate Polymath, and Kindly Pedant

Editor-in-Chief, Bjooks ~ Author of SYNTH GEMS 1

 

clicky!:  more about me ~ my radio station (and my fam) ~ my local tribe ~ my day job ~ my bookmy music

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey, everyone! Thanks so much for your patience. Here's Part 1 of the Wavestate video series, a general introduction and a short patch walkthrough:

 

[video:youtube]

 

Check out the front panel, enjoy the patches, and THRILL to the sordid history of Ski Jam!

 

Thanks for watching, please subscribe and like, and bring all discussions back to this thread if possible.

 

mike

  • Like 1

Dr. Mike Metlay (PhD in nuclear physics, golly gosh) :D

Musician, Author, Editor, Educator, Impresario, Online Radio Guy, Cut-Rate Polymath, and Kindly Pedant

Editor-in-Chief, Bjooks ~ Author of SYNTH GEMS 1

 

clicky!:  more about me ~ my radio station (and my fam) ~ my local tribe ~ my day job ~ my bookmy music

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That was illuminating! My main feeling was nostalgia for my 01Wfd. If this thing had 5 octaves and a display 2x-3x larger, I could imagine hunching over it for hours and further ruining my back. Its clear that Remit #1 is to appeal to dance types, but it also smells very ambient in a classy way. I still regret the mere 3 octaves, as there are some very engaging string and piano-based sounds in the presets. I'm enjoying the fantasy of having this to the right of a Fantom or Kronos. It'd be like the synth version of tweaking a Strymon pedal. Good chapter, Mike.

 "I want to be an intellectual, but I don't have the brainpower.
  The absent-mindedness, I've got that licked."
        ~ John Cleese

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That was illuminating! My main feeling was nostalgia for my 01Wfd. If this thing had 5 octaves and a display 2x-3x larger, I could imagine hunching over it for hours and further ruining my back. Its clear that Remit #1 is to appeal to dance types, but it also smells very ambient in a classy way. I still regret the mere 3 octaves, as there are some very engaging string and piano-based sounds in the presets. I'm enjoying the fantasy of having this to the right of a Fantom or Kronos. It'd be like the synth version of tweaking a Strymon pedal. Good chapter, Mike.

Thanks, David. More to come very soon now that I have the wind in my sails.

 

I would like to believe that a module version would be on the way. Remove the keyboard and put it in a new chassis, small tweaks to the firmware, good to go.

 

In an ideal world, they'd also make a couple of changes to the front panel, but this is extremely unlikely as it would require designing an entirely new main board. The minilogue xd module still has a joystick (which I love!) for this reason; there's no reason to remove it. So yeah, pitch and mod wheels on a module is my guess. Which is fine, they're actually pretty nice wheels :D

Dr. Mike Metlay (PhD in nuclear physics, golly gosh) :D

Musician, Author, Editor, Educator, Impresario, Online Radio Guy, Cut-Rate Polymath, and Kindly Pedant

Editor-in-Chief, Bjooks ~ Author of SYNTH GEMS 1

 

clicky!:  more about me ~ my radio station (and my fam) ~ my local tribe ~ my day job ~ my bookmy music

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually, the really classy ambient musicians (cough) use lead fishing weights on the keys. My old trick was to break a Q-Tip in half and stick it between the keys, which would hold one down. They were listed on my gear list as "Q-Tips (for jamming)".

 

I should have thought of the FS-6! I was looking at it when I bought the FS-7, which I now use with my LinnStrument. Must go back and check it out. Does it let you plug in only one cable and have both switches work on one unit? Otherwise it won't do the job...

It won't. Two pedals either accessible through one stereo cable or two mono cables, and they can't both talk to the same device without some sort of adapter, he muttered to himself as he took out his iPad and started sketching schematics..... :sigh:

Dr. Mike Metlay (PhD in nuclear physics, golly gosh) :D

Musician, Author, Editor, Educator, Impresario, Online Radio Guy, Cut-Rate Polymath, and Kindly Pedant

Editor-in-Chief, Bjooks ~ Author of SYNTH GEMS 1

 

clicky!:  more about me ~ my radio station (and my fam) ~ my local tribe ~ my day job ~ my bookmy music

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Watching the video, I sort of wanted a Wavestate.

I would probably hold down notes and fiddle with knobs and switches as the hours passed. Nothing of any use to anyone would be accomplished.

 

It would be fun though!!!!!

 

I can trigger 3 or 4 synths at once with my Fishman Triple Play pickup. It's slack-jaw music but more cosmic-er than all get out.

Sometimes you just gotta drift where the tides take you...

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

So am I the only one on here that used matchbooks to hold notes down? Maybe it's an old fart thing.

It's getting very difficult to locate matchbooks these day. Got a box off Amazon recently just for this purpose.

As an aside, I quit smoking about 4 months ago. But I used lighters for those. Matches are almost extinct. lol

Hardware:
Yamaha
: MODX7 | Korg: Kronos 88, Wavestate | ASM: Hydrasynth Deluxe | Roland: Jupiter-Xm, Cloud Pro, TD-9K V-Drums | Alesis: StrikePad Pro|
Behringer: Crave, Poly D, XR-18, RX1602 | CPS: SpaceStation SSv2 | 
Controllers: ROLI RISE 49 | Arturia KeyLab Essentials 88, KeyLab 61, MiniLab | M-Audio KeyStation 88 & 49 | Akai EWI USB |
Novation LaunchPad Mini, |
Guitars & Such: Line 6 Variax, Helix LT, POD X3 Live, Martin Acoustic, DG Strat Copy, LP Sunburst Copy, Natural Tele Copy|
Squier Precision 5-String Bass | Mandolin | Banjo | Ukulele

Software:
Recording
: MacBook Pro | Mac Mini | Logic Pro X | Mainstage | Cubase Pro 12 | Ableton Live 11 | Monitors: M-Audio BX8 | Presonus Eris 3.5BT Monitors | Slate Digital VSX Headphones & ML-1 Mic | Behringer XR-18 & RX1602 Mixers | Beyerdynamics DT-770 & DT-240
Arturia: V-Collection 9 | Native Instruments: Komplete 1 Standard | Spectrasonics: Omnisphere 2, Keyscape, Trilian | Korg: Legacy Collection 4 | Roland: Cloud Pro | GForce: Most all of their plugins | u-he: Diva, Hive 2, Repro, Zebra Legacy | AAS: Most of their VSTs |
IK Multimedia: SampleTank 4 Max, Sonik Synth, MODO Drums & Bass | Cherry Audio: Most of their VSTs |

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey, everyone. No, I'm not dead, although this video nearly killed me, and no, I haven't given up, although a couple of times I was tempted.

 

It's one thing to read a manual and turn a few knobs. It's another to actually teach novices how something as complex as Wave Sequencing 2.0 works. I experimented with a bunch of different approaches and didn't like any of them; in the end, I returned to my tried-and-true one-camera method, combined with a custom tutorial patch that made it relatively clear to walk through all the piecesparts.

 

Every other video I've seen has half-assed this part, and I think that does both the wavestate and its potential audience a huge disservice. This little synth is a freaking MONSTER, so you may as well learn how to use it rather than poking through presets.

 

My original plan was to get the entire process out of the way in one video. As it is, I cover a bit more than half the territory at a general level, with a deep dive into global functions, and it's still the longest video I've ever made.

 

The next part, which will come a lot quicker, will finish off the topic of Wave Sequencing 2.0, and then I plan to post here with more details about the rest of the sound architecture, and move on to more videos to cover that territory.

 

Comments and questions welcome. Enjoy:

 

[video:youtube]

 

Stay safe and well,

 

mike

Dr. Mike Metlay (PhD in nuclear physics, golly gosh) :D

Musician, Author, Editor, Educator, Impresario, Online Radio Guy, Cut-Rate Polymath, and Kindly Pedant

Editor-in-Chief, Bjooks ~ Author of SYNTH GEMS 1

 

clicky!:  more about me ~ my radio station (and my fam) ~ my local tribe ~ my day job ~ my bookmy music

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Was just having a look at the Wavestate topic at the GS forums and spotted Dan P.'s post re a desktop/module model. Short version, Korg [still] have no plans for a desktop Wavestate. Post here: https://www.gearslutz.com/board/showpost.php?p=15088211&postcount=3272 and I'll upload a screen cap too, so you don't have to follow the link.

 

Amortization aside, which I understand (and assuming there also won't be any Wavestate EX version with 61 keys and aftertouch), I would love to see is a third party modify the current model -- perhaps re-casing it or something. But I don't think that would happen either -- it would be too expensive and there are intellectual property rights to consider. I kind of doubt that Korg would grant a license to a third party company for modding or repackaging the Wavestate. All mods would have to be done by users. I do think a fully functional, real time software editor would make a purchase of the current model more palatable. Particularly because I'm not a fan of the screen on the Wavestate either.

 

So this latest update from Dan is a huge disappointment for me, given how much I love the hardware Wavestations. I suppose at some future date Korg may release a software version of the Wavestate, but I won't be buying it. Unless something amazing happens, I'm unlikely to ever get a Wavestate. :(

1546.thumb.jpg.c3274860b21c70774539a81fe31ab662.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

So this just happened:

 

The Korg Wavestate SE

 

The folks over in KC are rightfully thrilled, and I'm about as non-thrilled as I can be. I never thought I would see a keyboard add aftertouch and not be thrilled by it... but from what the picture shows, they didn't do anything to improve on the user interface.

 

Trying to push forward with my video series on the original Wavestate has been really hard on me because the UI is so convoluted, and if this model had made any front-panel fixes to improve on that, I would have had a hard time just sucking it up and getting through it.

 

Now I see that I've got to push forward, and hard, because I've been getting messages on my YouTube channel that folks are relying on me to explain how the Wavestate works in a way they can understand. There's never going to be a proper explanation of how this beastie works if I don't do it and make it as clear as possible, so it's become a top priority for me to get back to work and back to updating this thread regularly.

 

Thanks to everyone for their patience.

 

mike

Dr. Mike Metlay (PhD in nuclear physics, golly gosh) :D

Musician, Author, Editor, Educator, Impresario, Online Radio Guy, Cut-Rate Polymath, and Kindly Pedant

Editor-in-Chief, Bjooks ~ Author of SYNTH GEMS 1

 

clicky!:  more about me ~ my radio station (and my fam) ~ my local tribe ~ my day job ~ my bookmy music

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Phew. This was like swallowing a golf ball, but it's down. Herewith Part 3 of my video series on the wavestate. Originally this was going to cover ALL of Wave Sequencing 2.0, but the subject was so deep that I had to split it into three videos. Fortunately, I shot and edited them all before I made that call, so it was pretty straightforward to do the re-edits.

 

Part 4 will go live a couple of hours from now, and Part 5 goes live tomorrow at that time. Part 6 will follow, along with a revived writeup here in the thread, very soon after that... after this hunk, the rest will be a LOT easier!

 

Thanks again for your patience, folks.

 

[video:youtube]

Dr. Mike Metlay (PhD in nuclear physics, golly gosh) :D

Musician, Author, Editor, Educator, Impresario, Online Radio Guy, Cut-Rate Polymath, and Kindly Pedant

Editor-in-Chief, Bjooks ~ Author of SYNTH GEMS 1

 

clicky!:  more about me ~ my radio station (and my fam) ~ my local tribe ~ my day job ~ my bookmy music

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here you go, the next two parts. After this, a pull back into the more familiar synth architecture, and a look at modulation etc.

 

[video:youtube]

 

[video:youtube]

 

Thanks for your patience... keeping up the pace now!

 

mike

  • Like 1

Dr. Mike Metlay (PhD in nuclear physics, golly gosh) :D

Musician, Author, Editor, Educator, Impresario, Online Radio Guy, Cut-Rate Polymath, and Kindly Pedant

Editor-in-Chief, Bjooks ~ Author of SYNTH GEMS 1

 

clicky!:  more about me ~ my radio station (and my fam) ~ my local tribe ~ my day job ~ my bookmy music

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...
I ran through your posts and try to learn from them. I read the wavestate comes with 740 programs, 240 performances and 1000 wave sequences. what I am wondering how many factory presets(sounds) comes with the synth. I am one that is a newbie to programming. with my other synths, I just go through the presets, edit them and save them. if I get 60 presets saved, I am happy. I usually buy library of sounds from people and then save the ones that I like. I researched a couple of sites that sell their sounds and it really impressed me. so my question is, how many presets come with the synth and how much space is there to save them for quick recall(in addition to loading them in the favorites category. will I have any problems loading the purchased libraries. thank you in advance for your help as your reply will determine if I buy this synth. thank you again.......Larry
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I ran through your posts and try to learn from them. I read the wavestate comes with 740 programs, 240 performances and 1000 wave sequences. what I am wondering how many factory presets(sounds) comes with the synth. I am one that is a newbie to programming. with my other synths, I just go through the presets, edit them and save them. if I get 60 presets saved, I am happy. I usually buy library of sounds from people and then save the ones that I like. I researched a couple of sites that sell their sounds and it really impressed me. so my question is, how many presets come with the synth and how much space is there to save them for quick recall(in addition to loading them in the favorites category. will I have any problems loading the purchased libraries. thank you in advance for your help as your reply will determine if I buy this synth. thank you again.......Larry

You can set up 64 performances in Set Lists of 16 items each, but there's no easy way to count all of the programs it comes with... the list is alphabetized and there's no numbering system for these libraries. Sorry I can't be of more help, Larry, but if you're worried about not getting enough good sounds, I think you'll be fine.

Dr. Mike Metlay (PhD in nuclear physics, golly gosh) :D

Musician, Author, Editor, Educator, Impresario, Online Radio Guy, Cut-Rate Polymath, and Kindly Pedant

Editor-in-Chief, Bjooks ~ Author of SYNTH GEMS 1

 

clicky!:  more about me ~ my radio station (and my fam) ~ my local tribe ~ my day job ~ my bookmy music

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
very new to the wavestate. I finally managed to make a new set list for myself. now I am going through the factory sounds. what I don't know is how do I load the factory sounds that I like into the new set list that I made, which now is empty. I am not good at all with synths as I just edit factory sounds or buy libraries for my synths then save them for quick recall. could you please walk me through step by step how to do this. thank you in advance.........Larry........lsjanca@aol.com
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Hi Larry, sorry for the late answer. Writing Performances to Set Lists is easy, but the thinking around it may not be, especially for a novice. So:

 

1. Set Lists are called Set Lists for a reason. Because you can create as many Set Lists as you want -- each one with four banks of 16 Performances -- you can make one for each show you play, to use as an actual set list.

If you're doing that, figure out your song order ahead of time and figure out which Slot should have which Performance, so you can just punch through them in order. If you're just gathering cool sounds in one place, the order doesn't matter.

 

Once you know where you want to put things:

 

2. Make sure the SET LIST button (to the left of the big square buttons) is lit, rather than the WSEQ STEPS button.

 

3. Call up a Performance you want to put in your set list, whether a deliberate spot for a show or just something you found while hunting around and think is cool.

 

4. If you want to put the current Performance in a different Bank of your Set List than the one it's showing right now, hold the SHIFT button and press the one of the first four big square buttons. That will choose Bank A, B, C, or D, and the appropriate LED will light up to show you which Bank you're on.

When you do that, all the big square buttons will start flashing. That's the Wavestate's way of telling you, "I'm still set to the Performance you were using, and I won't change it until you hit one of the Big Square buttons on this new Bank to choose a new Performance."

 

3. Hold down the WRITE button and then hit the Set List button where you want to put the Performance.

The display will show you the Performance name and the target slot and tell you to press WRITE to proceed.

 

4. Press WRITE.

The display will show you exactly which Performance is going to get written to which slot in which Set List (by name). It will tell you that if you press ENTER, you're done, but if you got this far and managed to make a mistake, hit any other button to cancel the whole thing.

 

5. Press ENTER.

 

This brings up a salient point, by the way: I could have just told you to RTFM as it's all on Page 10, laid out neatly... but those instructions have a mistake in them. If you follow their directions to change Banks before writing a Performance to a Set List, the Wavestate will think you're trying to do something else and you won't get any further. This is a recurring problem with the manual, and only one of the many ways in which Korg makes the Wavestate as hard to learn as possible.

 

Hope this helps.

Dr. Mike Metlay (PhD in nuclear physics, golly gosh) :D

Musician, Author, Editor, Educator, Impresario, Online Radio Guy, Cut-Rate Polymath, and Kindly Pedant

Editor-in-Chief, Bjooks ~ Author of SYNTH GEMS 1

 

clicky!:  more about me ~ my radio station (and my fam) ~ my local tribe ~ my day job ~ my bookmy music

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...