Playing iPad B3-X with Korg CX-3 as controller

[MrVegas]

Has anybody done this?  My CX-3 was the newer version (but still about 20 years old) but seems to have midi capability.  How much of a hassle would it be to map the software to the CX-3.  It would be nice to control the B3-X virtual drawbars with the physical drawbars of the Korg but not 100% necessary.

 

[Stokely]

I haven't use B3X with a CX-3, but B3X allows you to map any controllers you want to the internal functions.  I haven't yet tried to do drawbars, mainly because I'm not sure what controls on my MODX I'd use for them, but I assume each drawbar is in the list.  So far I am only controlling leslie speed from either mod wheel or footswitch, and I have the leslie gain on a knob.

I believe the CX3 sends regular midi from its drawbars (and not something system exclusive), though I'm not positive of that.  If it does, then you'd just need to know the cc number--unless B3X has a "learn" function, and I don't remember seeing one.

[AnotherScott]

16 minutes ago, Stokely said:

unless B3X has a "learn" function, and I don't remember seeing one.

 

It does. It's not obvious. Even when I saw it described in the manual, it took me a bit to figure out exactly how to do it.

[drawback]

CX3 would make a great controller for B-3X.

[MrVegas]

1 hour ago, AnotherScott said:

 

It does. It's not obvious. Even when I saw it described in the manual, it took me a bit to figure out exactly how to do it.

 

Are you saying that the B3-X manual has a section for explaining how to do this?  If you had trouble, I may NEVER be able to figure it out!

 

[drawback]

I don’t recall if it’s in the manual, but easily figured out. Tap the Gear icon. If you tap on the cc# in the MIDI Controller pane, you can enter any number you want. IIRC Learn is a long hold on the cc# then a quick tap.

[obxa]

As Scott said,  check the manual  and Midi implementation chart  for what CC's  the Korg is putting out.  Should be able to find manual online. 

 

Or hook up the Korg to something like MIdi OX (PC). http://www.midiox.com/

 Apple- Logic/Mainstage will tell you what midi is being generated on the info window. 

 Ipad. Midi Wrench.  https://apps.apple.com/us/app/midi-wrench/id589243566. 

 

Keep a a pencil and paper handy. 

 

That said, (and someone please correct me if not the same as in the desktop app....). if you go into the user controller edit, and select each individual drawbars,  or other switches, controls  etc., click the parameter value,  it should automap and change  when you move a controller or press a switch  on the Korg.    It's tedious, but once done it'll retain for that keyboard. 

 

You don't need to do every single thing.   I have to do this fairly often with using different controllers,  so I usually just do the basics:  9 upper drawbars, vibrato & percussion,on/off and sometimes reverb, leslie volume,  I always map the leslie fast/slow to sustain 64 or modwheel (1).  If you plan on only using the Korg, you can get more detailed and do percussion and vibrato selection, other FX etc. 

 

[AnotherScott]

11 hours ago, MrVegas said:

 

Are you saying that the B3-X manual has a section for explaining how to do this?  If you had trouble, I may NEVER be able to figure it out!

 

 

I just checked the manual, actually they describe it accurately:

Quote

You can also press and hold the value to open a contextual menu where you can select “Learn...” Tap the “Learn...” option and then move your desired controller to instantly assign it to the parameter.

 

I think the problem I had was that the app is fussy about exactly where to press-and-hold. If you don't press in exactly the right spot, you won't get the menu.

[Jon E]

The CX-3 is extremely flexible as a midi controller most, if not all, drawbars, buttons and potentiometers have editable midi CC’s. If i remind it correctly the only potentiometer which is not sending CC is the main volume knob.

 

A question for the B3-X knowable: When controlling the B3-X from a 88 key controller how do I stop the activation of the presets in the octave below the normal 61 key range without zoning on the controller? I am using the iOS version.

[cphollis]

The hard part for me (different controller though) was tracking down exactly where the required MIDI configuration menus might be in the iOS version.  Think of them as B-3X easter eggs in the software, and you might enjoy the process.  After that, it was pretty fun being able to morph all sorts of strange parameters.

[AnotherScott]

1 hour ago, Jon E said:

A question for the B3-X knowable: When controlling the B3-X from a 88 key controller how do I stop the activation of the presets in the octave below the normal 61 key range without zoning on the controller? I am using the iOS version.

 

AFAIK, there's no setting for this in B-3X, so if you can't zone it out on the controller, the way to do it would be to use an app like Keystage or Camelot Pro to do that zoning, so that only certain keys get through to B3X.

[Stokely]

1 hour ago, Jon E said:

The CX-3 is extremely flexible as a midi controller most, if not all, drawbars, buttons and potentiometers have editable midi CC’s. If i remind it correctly the only potentiometer which is not sending CC is the main volume knob.

 

A question for the B3-X knowable: When controlling the B3-X from a 88 key controller how do I stop the activation of the presets in the octave below the normal 61 key range without zoning on the controller? I am using the iOS version.

I have a love/hate relationship with those presets; I'm on a 7-octave keyboard so they are on the lowest octave.  They can be very handy since I don't have a perfect setup to have all the drawbars on controllers, and often jumping to a preset is really convenient.

However, once I get excited with glissandos I tend to hit them all the time which can give odd results.   Nothing horrible generally as I can quickly hit my main preset, which I have on the top-most "B"--the worst that generally happens is that I might leave it on the "balls-out" preset accidentally.