K.N.A.T

Issue No. 18

Hello everyone and welcome to issue number 18 of Ketron News and Tips (KNAT).
This issue is targeted for March 15, 2003.

This issue has some cool tips this time. There are some answers on the new Operating System for the SD1. I know that a lot of you have other keyboards and modules, but I have very high hopes that the trickle-down effect will have an impact on other current models. For you MS users I doubt that it will affect you since the entire architecture is different and not subject to revision by the simple expedient of reloading from floppy. There are also some tips on the use of the FS13, the 13 switch footpedal.

More about the 4.0 release

Ok, the first thing that I have got to say is that while my upgrade is working perfectly, several of you are having some problems. First and foremost, you must know for sure that you got an uncorrupted download. When computers send packets of information across the internet, any kind of digital "noise" or brief interruption or in many, many cases spyware and virus condition can cause portions of the information to be lost or distorted. If you are on dial-up instead of high speed internet access, this causes even more problems.

Of course, when I say working perfectly, I am referring to a clean download and install and not the "bugs" that Ketron will surely have worked out shortly. Overall I am extremely happy and will keep 4.0 on my SD1 and look forward to 4.1.

Now for those of you who want to revert to the 3.0 OS here are the direction that AJ posted in the Solton Club emails. Here is his email in its entirety.
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Team,

Over all, I am glad that most of you are enjoying OS4.0 for the SD1 from Ketron. There have been some, however that have wanted to use the new OS with eg. the older sound settings. This is possible, however, please take note of the following:

If you want to load the sounds of OS 2.0a - 3.0c (while maintaining OS4.0a), you will have to go to the folder RELOAD (90) and reload the following files:

* -SD1STY0.rld

* -Firm000.snd

* -FLASH086.snd (All of these from the folder).

Yes - you can use the Operating System disk 4.0a together with the files above if you choose to NOT have the new sounds of 4.0a (Note hoewever that you will still have the 'noise' in the Electric Pianos and Organ sounds).

The reverse is also true - i.e have Operating system from 2.0a-3.0c but have the sounds of 4.0 (in this case you will have to load the above files from the newly created Folder - STANDARD).

Due to FLASH format size, the FLASH memory is always re-formated when you change from 4.0 to any other OS or from any other OS to 4.0. In each case, you will have to reload the FLASH styles (if older than 4.0, use the styles in the Folder 90 -Reload, else use the newly created folder STANDARD). The styles must match the OS!

Thanks,

AJ
Prince Ajua Alemanji (AJ)

Computer Engineer (Annalyses & Design)
KETRON S.r.l
Wk Tel: 215-466-3409
"One good thing about music... when it hits, you feel no pain".
"A rich person is not one who has the most, but one who needs the least."

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The Joys of the FS13
Why in the world would anyone need 13 Function switches on the floor? After all pianists have, for centuries, gotten along with only 3. Those 3 give a grand piano Sustain, Softness and Sostenudo. True sostenudo is a tricky little pedal. If you play some notes and then press the pedal, those notes will sustain while you can play other notes that do not sustain after you release the key.
On the FS13 you can choose from a very long list of features you want your 13 to do. Most players have their own setup depending on the needs of the music.
Here is a list of the available choices on the X series 4.0 operating system. Each system has a few different choices.
Sustain; Soft; Sostenudo (true); Arr A,B,C,D; Intro/Endings 1,2,3; Fills 1,2,3; Break; Start/Stop; Count In; Key Start; Key Stop; Rotor On/Off; Rotor Fast/Slow; Registration Up, Down; Tempo +, -; Minor, 7th, minor7th, Augmented, Diminished chords; Glide; Kick, Snare, HiHat, Cymbal, Tom/fx, Tambourine, Latin 1, Latin 2, Latin 3, Groove -- off; Drum, Bass, Chord locks; Fall off; Shake; Overdrive; Delay; Wha Wha; Chorus; Rev; Distort; Text Page +, -; Vocalizer; Jump; Arabic scales 1-13; Microphone Dry; Fade Out; Crash; Voice Down, Up; Harmony; Program; Swell; Transpose +,-; 2nd Voice; Hold; Left Drum; 4 unused.
That comes to about 80 different functions that you can choose from to customize your FS13. Some of these may not mean much unless you try them. A good example is Glide. Unless you know this is a half-step pitch bend that slides your notes up to pitch. It is a very useful key in Hawaiian music as well as some Big Band stuff for horns. Below is the setup I am currently using and the explanation of what each one does.
1. Vocalizer--Turns the Vocal Harmony on and off. Doesn't work unless you have the vocal harmonizer in your keyboard or module and have the mic plugged into the unit as well.
2. Arr A
3. Arr D
4. Jump--Turns the Jump function on and off.
With the Jump off I can only get to Arrangements A and D with the pedals, but with the Jump on when I play Fill 1 or 2 the Arrangement will move up a notch (A to B, B to C etc) or by playing Fill 3 the Arrangement will go in reverse. (C to B, B to A, etc)
5. Fill 1
6. Fill 3
7. Minor Chord
8. Minor 7th Chord
9. 7th Chord
The chord arrangement gives me 6 different chord types. Press nothing and you have a Major chord. Press 7, 8, 9 singly and you have the chord type designated. Press 7 and 8 at once and you get a Diminished chord. Press 8 and 9 together and you have and Augmented chord. (Note: In some operating systems there was also a 6th chord. I personally wish that they would bring back the 6th and add a Major 7th. The 4.0 OS on the SD1 has the 6th.)
10. Intro/Ending 1
11. Intro/Ending 2
If Jump is on, and you press Intro before you play, you will get the ending. If you press Intro while the pattern is playing the Ketron will play the Intro in the next measure of your song and return to the selected arrangement. Turn Jump off and the Intro/Endings work normally. Using the Intro in the middle of the song can create a nice musical turnaround.
12. Break Fill
13. Start/Stop

Some functions are for the Styles and others are for the right hand. It is easy to change the functions on your pedals until you decide which ones are the most useful to you.
Press F3 "Utility"
Press F5 "Footswitch"
You will see a table of selections 1-13.
F5 will let you escape
F10 will give you the factory default on the pedals.
Then use the cursor keys +/- to highlight the various switches 1-13 and use the value keys +/- to select what you want on which switch. Once you have chosen, press Save/Enter and you will be taken to the screen that says "Save Footswitch". You will have 3 choices.
F4 Undo
F5 Escape
F10 Save.
Press Save and you will go back to the Footswitch screen. Use the Exit button to return to the normal screen.

Here is a quick tip. If you plug a sustain pedal into the sustain slot on the back of your keyboard or module you can actually get 14 functions.

Another problem comes up when someone is using the Volume/Tonality pedal. You should know that the Volume/Tonality pedal is automatically wired for switches 10, 11, 12 and 13. So any changes you make on those slots will affect it. If you use both the FS13 and the Volume/Tonality pedal the V/T pedal robs the last 4 switches of the FS13. Too bad they don't make a FS9. This problem affects guitar players more than anyone else. You can probably tell from my FS13 setup, that I use my X4 when playing guitar.

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Visit me at www.ketronus.com. Or email me at jay@ketronus.com

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"Man is the only animal that hears and creates music." -- Clerd Farnsworth

"Life is like music; it must be composed by ear, feeling, and instinct, not by rule."-- Samuel Butler

"Without music life would be a mistake."--Friedrich Nietzsche

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