Korg Module Pro notes cutting out

[Leo7]

On certain patches, when I try to play more than 3 notes at the same time, the sound keeps cutting out.

 

I'm using an Ipad air 4, and a Yamaha psr-ew310 connected with usb cable. 

I just purchased this because I wanted a cheap way to upgrade from my old keyboard (yamaha mo6). So I bought this keyboard for use as a midi keyboard.

 

[Delaware Dave]

What kind of usb cable, meaning does it support usb 2.0, 3.0?  Been reading about various issues and they seem to stem around the cable being used.

[Paul Woodward]

I noticed some note stealing. Close everything down, turn off WiFi and Bluetooth and see if that makes a difference...

[CHarrell]

I've noticed this too, especially when using the Ivory piano expansion. Was playing in a band audition with it when I realized what was happening. 😅 I didn't think to turn off Internet or anything.

[Paul Woodward]

Made a noticeable difference on a 9g for me. That and playing from a Korg keyboard, although I can't explain why.

[Reezekeys]

I remember using Module on my Air 2 - with no notes cutting out. Gotta pay attention to the buffer size setting, which iirc is not done inside the app - it's in the iOS settings app.

[Leo7]

Turning off the WI-fi and Bluetooth fixed the problem. Thanks

 

Now I just need to get my sustain pedal to work with Module. Any ideas on why it's not working?

[Paul Woodward]

Setting in your keyboard? In Module pro there is a tick box next to each sound to enable/disable damper pedal. Is organ set to Rotary or Damper?

[Leo7]

The organ is set to Rotary. Maybe it's a setting in my keyboard?

[Paul Woodward]

3 hours ago, Leo7 said:

The organ is set to Rotary. Maybe it's a setting in my keyboard?

Pressing sustain should speed up and slow down the rotary but only for the organ patches. Should sustain the pianos as long as the box is checked.

[CH55]

Hey I’m noticing clipping noises with my Module pro. It seems to happen when I layer the acoustic piano with strings or pads. I tried turning the output volume down and it’s the same thing. It doesn’t seem to handle expressive playing. Wondering if there’s other ways to fix it. I’m using the new iPad Air m2 chip. 

[Reezekeys]

On 7/11/2024 at 7:05 AM, CH55 said:

I tried turning the output volume down

 

Which volume? The iPad's, or the individual modules' volumes? Tha latter is where I would adjust things (i.e., turn them down). Each Module instrument has its own volume control, right? I don't use the Pro version, just the free one hosted in AUM - which has its own volume sliders for all my Module instances.

[Paul Woodward]

On 7/11/2024 at 12:05 PM, CH55 said:

Hey I’m noticing clipping noises with my Module pro. It seems to happen when I layer the acoustic piano with strings or pads. I tried turning the output volume down and it’s the same thing. It doesn’t seem to handle expressive playing. Wondering if there’s other ways to fix it. I’m using the new iPad Air m2 chip. 

Korg really need to update this app as it could go to 128 note poly in an Air 2, but they haven't extended this on newer devices. You could have an M2 pro and sustained pianos with strings will eventually use that poly up. 

[J.F.N.]

7 hours ago, Paul Woodward said:

Korg really need to update this app as it could go to 128 note poly in an Air 2, but they haven't extended this on newer devices. You could have an M2 pro and sustained pianos with strings will eventually use that poly up. 

 

There seem to be loads of headroom indeed, I run it on an Air M1 and even when pushing it using sustain and long sweep arpeggios I hardly get more than 8-9% cpu usage (AUv3 in AUM).

[Paul Woodward]

11 hours ago, J.F.N. said:

 

There seem to be loads of headroom indeed, I run it on an Air M1 and even when pushing it using sustain and long sweep arpeggios I hardly get more than 8-9% cpu usage (AUv3 in AUM).

But are you getting notes cutting off when exceeding the poly limit? I have an M2 yet still stuck with 112 notes limit in the settings after all these years.

[J.F.N.]

4 hours ago, Paul Woodward said:

But are you getting notes cutting off when exceeding the poly limit? I have an M2 yet still stuck with 128 notes limit in the settings after all these years.

 

Hmm, good question, not sure I've managed to run out of voices, only been using it with either Piano or Rhodes alone, I don't think I can layer in the version I have, that's a paid upgrade right?

[Reezekeys]

I've never heard notes cutting off from reaching a polyphony limit on any of my Module instances. Maybe somebody can upload a midi file of their playingt where this happens, I'd be curious to hear it!

[Paul Woodward]

6 hours ago, J.F.N. said:

 

Hmm, good question, not sure I've managed to run out of voices, only been using it with either Piano or Rhodes alone, I don't think I can layer in the version I have, that's a paid upgrade right?

Yeah, later and split in pro upgrade.

Some forum posts suggest the pianos use 4 voices per key so limited to about 28 notes poly. Layer that and you can see why you might soon run out...

I have noticed note stealing which seems to be inconsistent. Some times Module works fine, others it's a bit patchy.

[J.F.N.]

15 minutes ago, Paul Woodward said:

Yeah, later and split in pro upgrade.

Some forum posts suggest the pianos use 4 voices per key so limited to about 28 notes poly. Layer that and you can see why you might soon run out...

I have noticed note stealing which seems to be inconsistent. Some times Module works fine, others it's a bit patchy.

 

Hmm, I've tried arpeggio runs with 5 fingers both hands, up and then down again, with sustain and in 6 octaves, didn't really notice anything, however, maybe the voice stealing is intelligent enough to make it difficult to notice in such situation. I shall try again and give it more attention.

[J.F.N.]

Just did a quick test run here, if I provoke things radically, I can hear voice stealing but I do perceive it to be quite delicately done, Kurzweil style probably, stealing starting with the most silent ones or something in that line...

[Paul Woodward]

Good to know its ‘intelligent’ stealing (unless its a placebo effect), but the first iPad Pro came out almost a decade ago and it is still listed as the ‘top tier’ device for Module to access the full 112 note poly. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great that you can run this on pretty much any iPad, but they could easily double that poly for any iPad from the last few years.

The app used to be my ‘go to’, but Gadget is getting all the updates (Midi 2.0 when they released the Keystage), yet it relies on having Module for all the main sound engines and expansions. They really need to be updating them both in terms of features. Can you believe, none of the engines respond to even basic aftertouch? You have to buy separate apps in for that (iM1 for instance) and even then its not all of them….

[J.F.N.]

3 hours ago, Paul Woodward said:

Good to know its ‘intelligent’ stealing (unless its a placebo effect), but the first iPad Pro came out almost a decade ago and it is still listed as the ‘top tier’ device for Module to access the full 112 note poly. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great that you can run this on pretty much any iPad, but they could easily double that poly for any iPad from the last few years.

The app used to be my ‘go to’, but Gadget is getting all the updates (Midi 2.0 when they released the Keystage), yet it relies on having Module for all the main sound engines and expansions. They really need to be updating them both in terms of features. Can you believe, none of the engines respond to even basic aftertouch? You have to buy separate apps in for that (iM1 for instance) and even then its not all of them….

 

Agree, as I said before, with these M architecture iPads theres lots of headroom for more voices indeed. Let's hope at some point KORG release an updates Module version, it seems at least they still release libraries for it.

 

And regarding Gadget, that's kind of a host, not available in AUv3, right?

 

[J.F.N.]

I tried here tonight with a couple of pad sounds from a new expansion, and I got clipping noises when doing big over several octaves chords using the sustain pedal.

 

CPU usage still only on 25ish percent.

[Paul Woodward]

The CPU (and RAM) on anything after the first gen of Pro will be doing very little work, a modern one wont even break a sweat. Its a limit of the app which, as already suggested, seriously needs updating. 112 notes max is just ridiculous in 2024. Im no programmer, but I suspect they can’t do much more with Module other than add sound packs. They seem to putting all their development into Gadget and new apps.

[J.F.N.]

1 hour ago, Paul Woodward said:

The CPU (and RAM) on anything after the first gen of Pro will be doing very little work, a modern one wont even break a sweat. Its a limit of the app which, as already suggested, seriously needs updating. 112 notes max is just ridiculous in 2024. Im no programmer, but I suspect they can’t do much more with Module other than add sound packs. They seem to putting all their development into Gadget and new apps.

 

Yup it seems stuck indeed, and Gadget is messy imho.

 

In my case here I simply removed this Module instance from AUM and my "Layers" channel, and replaced it with the AudioKit Nerd Synth. Since I am not (yet) doing any live shows, I am in the meantime building my possible rig options and getting familiar with these, just trying to make sure everything is solid before I sit there in a rehearsal room one day.. As I opted for Pianoteq for, I only have one Module instance left, for electric pianos, and so far this has not created any intermezzos for me during practice playing. Will att some point have a look at the Pianoteq electric pianos as well though.

 

What buffer size are you guys normally using? I have opted for 64 samples, as this works great in the Air M1 iPad, I started at 32 to see how that worked out but some instruments seemed to have a tendency to hickup on that even though the CPU usage was nothing to talk about.

 

[Reezekeys]

I'm genuinely puzzled reading these posts. On my iPad 9G I'm at a 64 sample buffer. I usually have three or four instances of Module loaded into AUM - Scarbee, Clav, Hi and Low strings (separate channels because I map a slider to crossfade between them). I play a lot of patches with plenty of sustain pedal. Sometimes I layer strings with the Rhodes. I've never once heard notes cutting out or a buffer underrun crackle from taxing the CPU, which in AUM hardly ever hits 30% on the meter.

 

I also laugh at hearing 112 notes of polyphony called "ridiculous" – I guess I'm showing my age! 🙂 

[J.F.N.]

14 minutes ago, Reezekeys said:

I'm genuinely puzzled reading these posts. On my iPad 9G I'm at a 64 sample buffer. I usually have three or four instances of Module loaded into AUM - Scarbee, Clav, Hi and Low strings (separate channels because I map a slider to crossfade between them). I play a lot of patches with plenty of sustain pedal. Sometimes I layer strings with the Rhodes. I've never once heard notes cutting out or a buffer underrun crackle from taxing the CPU, which in AUM hardly ever hits 30% on the meter.

 

I also laugh at hearing 112 notes of polyphony called "ridiculous" – I guess I'm showing my age! 🙂 

 

If you have the Far North expansion, try the different choir pads, big block chords repeatedly played over octaves with sustain.

 

I have an Air M1, CPU in AUM never goes above 28%.

[Paul Woodward]

112 notes max...

 

[drawback]

4 hours ago, Reezekeys said:

I'm genuinely puzzled reading these posts. On my iPad 9G I'm at a 64 sample buffer. I usually have three or four instances of Module loaded into AUM - Scarbee, Clav, Hi and Low strings (separate channels because I map a slider to crossfade between them). I play a lot of patches with plenty of sustain pedal. Sometimes I layer strings with the Rhodes. I've never once heard notes cutting out or a buffer underrun crackle from taxing the CPU, which in AUM hardly ever hits 30% on the meter.

 

I also laugh at hearing 112 notes of polyphony called "ridiculous" – I guess I'm showing my age! 🙂 

Perhaps your instance & separate channel method is much more CPU-efficient than others who are likely using Module in one-channel, everything on all at once. Captain Obvious here?
 

 

[J.F.N.]

13 minutes ago, drawback said:

Perhaps your instance & separate channel method is much more CPU-efficient than others who are likely using Module in one-channel, everything on all at once. Captain Obvious here?
 

 

 

I use AUM and AUv3 as well.