K.N.A.T

Issue No. 41

Hello to all the wonderful Ketron users and welcome to issue number 41 of Ketron News and Tips (KNAT). This issue is targeted for September 1, 2004.
If you have a question to ask or a tip to submit, please let me know at jay@ketronus.com. Also I love your comments so don't hesitate to let me have a response.

=============================================
In this Issue:
Band-In-A-Box: In stock Also check my web site www.keyboardstyles.com
News: Midjay
Tips: Grooves
Quotes: Just for fun
==============================================

New Web Site Is Here
Now there is a new web site dedicated to keyboard styles. This site will carries products for most or all arranger keyboards. The Site currently is carrying Band-in-a-Box, Power Tracks Pro and Style Works for nearly all brands of arranger keyboards.
Also included will be style associated products for computer.
This is a very new site and improvements will be coming. Keep your eyes peeled.

BAND-IN-A-BOX
The new BIAB 2004 is in stock both in MegaPak and Pro versions. I have been experimenting with it and it is really improved over any previous version. Check for details at: http://www.ketronus.com/biab.html

News about the Midjay
There is only speculation that it will be available at the end of this month. From the side pictures courtesy of Bob Hughes, it is apparent that it will have a place for the FS13 and/or the Vol/Tonality pedal. This is really good news. That means the it will be a decent replacement for those who wish to carry a lot less and do a lot more. I hope in issues to come there can be much news about the Midjay.

===================================================

TIP

Here is something that has required much study on my part because it is not contained in the manual at all. That is grooves.
It is mentioned in a couple of places mainly to describe what they are and a list of the ones available.
Not a word that I could find on how to use them.
Considering that this feature is so important to the Ketron sound by giving, as it does, a completely live feel to the percussion track, this is a serious omission. Another serious omission is the ability to record grooves in the Pattern Record mode. You can record 7 of the 8 traces, but grooves seems to be left out of the X series stuff. You do seem to have that ability in the XD series to some degree since there is a space for it in the Pattern Record window.
One of the ways that the X series and all subsequent series were so outstanding were the use of grooves.
First -- what is a groove?
What Ketron did is record one or two measures of percussion with live players using authentic instruments under superb conditions so that these measures would retain the rhythmic feel and dynamic flow of great percussion groups just the way they play. They used these recording as samples. Now if you know about sampling you know that when you change the pitch you automatically change the tempo and when you change the tempo you automatically change the pitch. This is one of the few ways that samples resemble tape recording. So Ketron came up with the brilliant idea of breaking these samples into small bits like 1/8 note of 1/16 note pieces. Then they assign each piece to a different note number so that the pieces can come back together and you can use the pieces at different tempos because you don't change the tempo of the little piece, just the speed with which it is called for by the sequence. Typically the note assignment will be on the order of C, C#, D, D#, E, F etc. So by calling for these notes in order you can put the original groove back together with that same live feeling that sequenced drums almost never achieve.
However, adding these grooves to sequenced drums causes the entire track to come alive. Starting with the X series many of the arrangements on many of the styles had these grooves in use.
One way to tell is to select a style and press the Start button and hear just the drums. Then go to the Drum Mixer. (Different places on different models) That would be F10 on the X. Then turn off everything except groove (or on some later models called Drum 2) and see what the groove is doing. In many cases it may be just a tambourine while in the case of Latin Styles nearly all the percussion, except for maybe Bass Drum, is done with grooves.
Up until now I was pretty content just to use the great styles as they came and modify them as needed. Then I started to experiment with what you can do with grooves. My goodness!!!
You can add them to new styles as you wish, you can add some subtle things to those great MS styles that are still so popular. And best of all, you can use them in Standard Midi Files.
Ketron uses MIDI channel 9 for these grooves and I pretty much do the same. I rarely use 9 for much and if I did have a SMF with info on 9 it is simple to move it to another channel. Now here is a fantastic tip. You are not limited to channel 9 nor are you limited to having only one groove at a time playing. There are many grooves on the X and even more on the more recent models.
In many cases all you really want is a tambourine or maybe maraca in 1/8 notes and you are not compelled to use all the notes in a groove. You can do many variations of the same groove if you like. Nor are you compelled to keep the pieces in the typical 1/8 -- 1/16 note format. You can use some of these grooves in a triplet feel and add to swing rhythms just as well . The brushes grooves are especially good for this.
You pretty much have the same control over the groove notes as you do over any other notes in a sequence -- ie. they respond to velocity, volume, expression, reverb etc. just as the other sounds do.
------------------------------------------------------------
Using grooves in songs.
Pick a track on your sequencer.
I usually start with Track 9, Channel 9, but that is not mandatory. I simply do that so that I have consistency in my Standard Midi Files.
The older keyboards such as the X have fewer grooves and the later keyboards have more.
The first command in the events for the sequencer on the Groove track should be CC 0, 4.
Next should be the program change information like 2 for Bolero.
Then add the notes in sequence to the track. In most grooves there are 1-4 different sequences. The cool thing here is the notes do not HAVE to be in sequence if you find something you like better. A great example is the tambourine groove. It works just to play a hit on beat 4 in some cases.

===================================================

===========================================================
As you may know, I put out this newsletter free of charge and I hope to continue to do so. However, I am not independently wealthy and I am forced to derive an income from somewhere. I am a Ketron dealer and I hope to be able to sell to you, my Ketron friends, the products and accessories that you need. I can promise you that no one will beat my price and still maintain the level of service and support that I try to give. To this end you will be my sponsors in what I hope will be a informative and fruitful endeavor for many years to come.
=====================================================

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

QUOTE SECTION
(Sometimes funny, sometimes thought provoking, but always worth the time)

"We expect too much of our government officials; we expect truth, vision, leadership and responsibility while the best we get is comic relief." -- Clerd Farnsworth

"Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence." -- Abigail Adams

"Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock." - Will Rogers

"The more you observe politics, the more you've go to admit that each party is worse than the other."
Will Rogers (1879 - 1935)

===============================================

© Copyright 2004 by Ketron U.S.

||Home | Tips & More | Demos | Downloads | Reviews | Returns | Links | Contact ||

© Copyright 2002 by Ketron U.S