PolysixEX Tutorial: Modifying the String Sound

PolysixEX Tutorial 1B: Modifying the String Sound

! ! ! ! Material: Level: ! Time:! Goals: ! ! PolysixEX Reference Cards and a KORG Kronos. Beginner. 6-10 min. Modifying the string sound created in tutorial 1 - Programming a String Sound.

This tutorial describes step by step how to modify the string sound created in tutorial 1 with the KORG Kronos PolysixEX. The following experiments are explained: 1. But what if I want the sound a bit more mellow-ish? 2. If you hit the keys soft, the sound is soft. If you hit the keys hard, the sound is sharp. 3. But what if I want the volume to change as well? Make it more touch sensitive? 4. If I play staccato, the sound should be soft, and otherwise more sharp.

More to Discover
1. Experiment: but what if I want the sound a bit more mellow-ish?
What setting do you think you have to change to what? Which knob of what part of the Polysix makes a sound sounding sharp or not? Yes, the VCF CUTOFF. Try this, CUTOFF = 5. Now the sound is more mellow. If you want it to give a little edge try to change the setting of RESONANCE. You can leave it at RESONANCE = 1, for example. No youve got the hang of it, what can you do more?

2. Experiment: if you hit the keys soft, the sound is soft. If you hit the keys hard, the sound is sharp.
Go to main tab Mod & Arp. Set SOURCE 1 = Velocity. This means that the velocity will trigger the settings of the four knobs in this External Modulation section. Now set VCF CUTOFF = 3. (it displays VCF Cutoff 1 +03.00) Set VCA GAIN and MG LEVEL to 0. Now play (softly): 1. Eb (G3-Bb3-Eb4) 2. Gm (G3-Bb3-E4) 3. F sus4 (F3-Bb3-C4) 4. F (F3-A3-C4)

2012 Kris Oosting (dongfang)!

PolysixEX Tutorial: Modifying the String Sound

Followed by strongly: 5. Dm (D3-F3-A3) 6. C (C3-E3-G3) 7. F (A2-C3-F3) Hear the difference?

3. Experiment: but what if I want the volume to change as well? Make it more touch sensitive?
Quite simple. For Source 1 in External Modulation set VCA GAIN = 10. (higher values makes it more sensitive) Now the VCA will be inuenced by the velocity as well. You can play with your left hand softly some chords, and play with your right hand strongly a lead. Two different sounds from one setting. Maybe you want to set VCO SUB OSC = OFF for this.

4. Experiment: if I play staccato, the sound should be soft, and otherwise more sharp.
Well, to be honest, I discovered this by accident. Do the following: In External Modulation set SOURCE 1 = Polysix EG. Now it is using the shape of the ADSR envelope to change the VCO Cutoff frequency and VCA Gain. If you want to make the time (duration) between the initial mellow sound to a sharp sound longer, increase the value of the ATTACK of the EG. But now you want even more control of course! Say, what if you play soft long notes, they sound sharp. You want these to sound soft, like in the previous experiment. Possible solution? Add a second source. Try this: Set SOURCE 2 = Velocity. set VCF CUTOFF = 3. Set VCA GAIN = 4. Set MG LEVEL = 0. Try for yourself: Set SOURCE 2 = JS+Y (CC#01). Move the joystick upward (Y+) while playing.

Have fun with creating even more variations of this string sound!

2012 Kris Oosting (dongfang)!