K.N.A.T

Issue No. 6

Hello everyone and welcome to issue number 6 of Ketron News and Tips (KNAT).
This issue is targeted for September 15, 2002. Judging by the response, you are enjoying my little newsletters. 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.

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As I write this newsletter in this week of 9/11, I would like to say a particular thanks to Maggie of Bell/Solton whose sons joined the firefighters at the World Trade Center a year ago to help however they could. These people are my heroes and should be yours also. Maggie is also one of the fine people at Ketron headquarters which is located in the New York area. Bless them all for keeping going in most trying times.

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REGISTRATIONS

There are so many things you can save as registrations that you can really speed up your performances.

Even a lot of performers who use registrations to set style conditions miss a bet when performing. A lot of people don't know that your can use registrations to call up Standard Midi Files. You can do this either in Block or Single mode. I recommend Single because you can then associate the registrations with the folder the songs are in. The good thing about this is you can sort your folders by song style, alphabet, number, performance sets or in what ever manner is convenient for you.

Here's how:
Go to the registration number that you want to save and set the conditions that you want on the keyboard. Be sure you are in the folder with the song that you wish to trigger. This is not so important when you are setting the registration, if you are in the Block mode, but it is good practice just in case you want to be in the Single Mode.

Press Save/Enter and when you get the Save screen press F1 "Registr". Check to make sure you have the right number and then in the New Name area write the name of the song file you want. Be sure you write the file name exactly and not the song title. Be careful here because if you are off by even one letter it won't work.

Press F10 to save and you are done.

To use the file, make sure the Registration Button is lit and then call up the number of that registration. You must know the number. If you use Block mode you had better write down the registration numbers somewhere. If you save in the Single mode you can look on the directory for that folder and check names.

After you have called up the registration, press Song Play and the song will auto load. This is cool. All you need to do then is press start and you are off to the races. Also you will have automatically loaded the keyboard condition that you saved as part of the registration so that if you want to have Soft Alto or Piano or whatever your choice, for your right hand you don't have to bother with that. It is done.

Programs

Another very under-used feature is "Program" In coming weeks we will also talk a lot about them. Here is a fun exercise.

Last KNAT we did something in the Steel Mode. This week I want to show you something in the Morph Mode.

Be sure to first go through the program settings and write down the ones you don't like or will not have a use for. We are going to change some so don't lose the ones you like although you can get them back usually. The newer operating systems offer "STEEL" and "MORPH". The Morph setting offers you a way to do something that few other keyboards can do. In the Morph Mode you can use the Modulation wheel to have one sound change to another. Try it! You'll like it.

Here's how:
Go to one of the programs you don't want to keep. Press exit (if you are on the XD9/XD3/SD1) until you get the normal split screen.
Press F8 "Program Edit"
In the new screen pressing F1 highlights the instruments. (You can have up to 4)
Set the new instrument to one of the good vocal "ooh" sounds. Set instrument 2 to the similar quality "Aah" sound.
Go to F2 to set the volume for each instrument. Make the first one about 52 and make the second about 63. Remember that real voices sing "Aah" a lot louder than they do "Ooh". Make sure there are no other instruments set. In fact, Morph only works on the first two instruments set. You can still set a third and fourth which can create interesting effects, but numbers three and four will not morph.

Make sure the "tune" and "shift" all are showing the flat line.
Press the "Page+" button to go to the effects page.

Don't worry about the effects just yet.

Press the "Page+" again to go to the next page. Depending on your instrument, you may have to press once more. Look for the square on the bottom left of your screen.

Press F5 until you get to "Morph". Now when you use the modulation wheel you will get an "Ooh" at the bottom and it will slowly change to "Aah" as you move the wheel to the top. If you play a chord while the wheel is at the top and move it toward the bottom it will reverse just the way you would expect.

Save by pressing "Save/Enter" and rename this to something you can remember like "Ooh-Aah" and press F10 to execute.

Play with this sound a bit and then you can go back and tweak it. Add effects, change voices, mix and match instruments, change pitches and a lot more.

This type of setting also works for other instruments that blend well; or you can use it for some startling effects. You want your flute to turn into applause? Go ahead and be silly. It is Ok. After all you have a Ketron!

Have fun and let me know some of the ideas you come up with on your own. If they are good I'll just put them in the newsletter and give you credit.

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

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*Remember: "It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress."
-Mark Twain

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