Last updated on January 13, 1998
1. How to play back these songs from Korgy Park?
2. Are different Korg models compatible?
3. Is there an official Korg site?
4. Is it possible to convert sounds from
other Korg synthesizers?
5. How to install the Korg driver for Windows
95?
6. How to load back the factory preset sounds?
7. How to build a host-to-serial connecting
cable?
1. Selecting banks in Multi mode
2. Saving Multi mode settings
3. Making realtime parameter edits
4. Using combinations in Multi mode
5. Making jungle beats a la Savannah
6. Changing modes via MIDI
7. Saving sounds as a System Exclusive
message
8. Using and converting different file formats
9. Using MIDI controllers
10. Changing effects
11. Getting rid of MIDI-delay
Korg X5
Specifications and FAQ by Chad Gould
Beginner's Synthesizer
FAQ
Can't find the right answers to your questions on these pages? Then mail me, and I'll add your question along with my answer here. Also if you have some knowledge you'd like to share with others you know who to tell it to..
In this section I try to give some answers to the most common questions about the Korg X5 and compatible synthesizers, and most importantly, I'll do my best trying to use a language that everyone can understand, not only Nobel prize winners (although I myself will become a Physicist one day...)
First, you'll obviously need a Korg X5 compatible synthesizer. The X5D can play back all the songs, but the X5 can't play the songs marked as type "X5D" accurately as it doesn't have all the sounds of the X5D (see compatibility). The NS5R could technically play back all the songs, but in practice only those songs that use X5/X5D preset sounds work painlessly. Some day I'll mark those songs somehow, but you can get started by loading the songs by O.C. Priyanto.
If there is a System Exclusive (*.syx) file with the song, then send it to your Korg with a SysEx utility. It is in raw binary format, not X-Edit's or any other utility's custom format, and can include programs and/or multi mode settings, sometimes even global mode settings. Most sequencers can handle SysEx files. If the song uses preset sounds, then make sure you have the (right) presets loaded on your synth.
Not sure how to send the SysEx file? If your sequencer doesn't have a facility for loading and sending SysEx messages, then get a SysEx utility from www.shareware.com (search for "System Exclusive"). Install the program to your computer. Load the .syx-file to the utility and send it to your Korg. It's really that simple! But remember that sending a new sound bank to the X5 erases all the sounds from bank A. You can of course get your preset sounds back (Global mode page 05A).
Play the midi-file with a sequencer or with a midi-file player (Media Player on Windows, MIDIPlay on the Amiga etc.). That's it really, just enjoy the music if you can! :) Please note that some songs (Savannah, Cee-HC) don't like it if you press any buttons on your Korg while playing so it's better to let the song play through and just listen..
Korg X5D is the keyboard version of the X5DR. Both are 100% compatible with the X5, which is the keyboard version of the 05R/W. The D-models have more polyphony (64 notes instead of 32) and more PCM-samples in ROM (8 megabytes instead of 6). Other than that they are identical with the X5 and the 05R/W.
This means that everything made for the X5 and 05R/W (sounds, software and songs) should work with the D-models. But alas, the reverse is not true because of the extra sounds in the X5D(R). That's why you can't listen to the songs marked as type "X5D" with an X5, unless you remap the sounds. To help you do that I have the preset bank of the X5D available here. Not all of those programs use the extra samples of the X5D, so with some luck you can listen to those X5D-songs quite easily!
Proud owner of a brand new N-series synth, like the NS5R? Then you should know that it is soundwise perfectly compatible with the X5D(R), except that the NS5R has some extra sounds and other cool features (see the specs), but the down side is that it doesn't understand X5 sysexes! Don't forget to check out the Unofficial N-Series Homepage...Lucky bastard :)
Note: the only incompatibility between the 05R/W and the X5-series is that the 05R/W does not recognise the second part of the multi mode data dump of the X5-series, which contains track settings. The first part, effect settings, works fine though.
Yes there is! http://www.korg.com takes you to Korg USA ONLINE. It is not very useful (yet), but it exists...
There seems to be a new site coming up at www.korg.co.uk. It should be online sometime this year.
Product Support is available at product_support@korgusa.com.
Korg Model | Possible Sound Sources |
---|---|
05R/W, X5 | 01W, X3 |
X5D, X5DR | 01W, X3, 05R/W, X5, N364 |
There's an utility for Windows 3 that converts from 01W sounds to X3 format: X3to01W.exe. You can use XEdit (for Windows) to convert PCG files (X3 and N364) to X5 format.
I think the i-series synths are directly compatible with the X3, but I'm not sure. The NS5R has more multisounds compared to the X5D, so most of it's programs are impossible to convert to X5 format. Korg's Trinity and Prophecy use a new sound engine, which means we can't get our hands on those fab sounds without actually buying those synths!
Installing the Korg PC/IF-driver for Windows 95. Note: this is the Windows 3.x-driver version 1.1, but some people say it works for them in Win95. There seems to be no Win95-driver anywhere! Boo, Korg...
You must do the following in order for your Korg MIDI drivers to work with Windows '95. First, take the two files "korgsmv1.386" and "korgsmd1.drv" and copy them to "c:\windows\system", then:
You can load new sound banks into the Korg but what do you do when you want back those original factory preset sounds? Easy, just go to Global mode page 05A, which lets you load back all the presets. Note that you can also load a single program or combination if you want which is very useful!
The Korg X5D(R) has all new sounds in its Bank A compared to the X5, but it has the original X5 soundbank in its ROM too. You can load it in from the beforementioned page 05A of Global mode, where it says
05A PRESET DATA ALL OK?
Change "Pre-A" to "Pre-B" (Factory Preset B), select "Ok?", press Yes and confirm that you are sure. This procedure loads the original 100 programs and combinations from the X5 and 05R/W into Bank A. In addition it resets Multi mode and loads in some settings for Global mode. You can find the details in you manual, but the most important ones are Global page 02D/02E, PRG:NUM and EX:DIS. Those settings are fine for playing General MIDI songs, but for X5-songs like mine they won't work! To enable using Bank A sounds you must use PRG:ENA and for receiving System Exclusive messages you need EX:ENA (see How to play back X5 songs)
If you want back your X5D(R) sounds, just load Preset A. Please note that loading erases all data that you had in your synth, so save all important data beforehand!
The X5 has a host port which can be connected to the serial port of your computer, but you need a dedicated cable for this. You can of course buy the cable from your local dealer, but it is cheaper to build one by yourself. Here are the instructions for building the serial cable for the PC, provided by Kim Viljanen, thanks a lot! This cable won't work with Macs because they have a different serial port.
You need two connectors: a Mini DIN 8-pin and a D-SUB 9-pin. Connect them to each other as shown in the following picture. (The picture is also found in the Korg X5 Manual)
So you connect pins 3-2, 4-5 and 5-3, and short circuit pins 7 and 8.
The pin order of the connectors (as seen from the outside) is as follows. Note: the order shown below really is correct, although it may seem illogical!
Mini DIN 8-pin: Fixed! This was wrong before, sorry...
6 7 8
3 4 5
1 2
D-SUB 9-pin:
5 4 3 2 1
9 8 7 6
Of course if you don't know what you're doing you should ask a knowledgeable friend to build the cable for you.
1. Selecting sound banks in Multi mode
2. Saving Multi mode settings
3. Making realtime parameter edits
4. Using combinations in Multi mode
5. Making jungle beats a la Savannah
6. Changing modes via MIDI
7. Saving sounds as a System Exclusive message
8. Using and converting different file formats
9. Using MIDI controllers
10. Changing effects
11. Getting rid of MIDI-delay
Having problems getting the best out of your X5? Then this section might be of use to you. There are some basic sequencing tips for beginners but also a few advice for the more advanced reader.
It is easy to select GM-sounds with Program Change messages, but selecting sounds from Bank A is a little more complicated than that, because in addition to changing the sound you'll also need to change the bank.
Korg X5/X5D manual, second page of Appendix (p.164): When you use an external MIDI sequencer, first send a Bank Select Message, then send the Program Change. Easy, not? :)
"What the heck is a Bank Select Message?!", I hear you ask. Well, for some esoteric reasons it consists of two Controllers: Controllers 0 and 32 which you set to their right values depending on which bank you want, Bank A, GM Bank or GM Drum Bank. Right values? Well look at the table below (or in the manual, page 164).
Bank | cc 0 | cc 32 | Bank # |
---|---|---|---|
A | 0 | 0 | 1 |
G (GM) | 56,57 | xx | 7169-7424 |
GM Drums | 62 | xx | 7937-8064 |
OFF | 58-61 | xx | 7425-7936 |
Note that xx means any number, and cc 0 and 32 stand for Control Change message number 0 and 32.
For example, if and when you want to use a sound from bank A, you set controller number 0 to value 0, and controller number 32 also to 0. After that, when ever you send a program change, you'll get a bank A sound.
Note that you really have to send the program change after the bank change, otherwise nothing will happen!
Some sequencers use bank numbers instead of controller changes - in that case just find the right values from that table. The funny thing is that people seem to disagree what values you should use. For example, I've been told that for bank A you should use a bank number between 7168 and 7295, whereas the table suggest you should use bank number 1... I don't use bank numbers myself so I really don't know what works and what doesn't. (For the mathematically inclined: Bank number = 128*MSB + LSB).
When you have done some composing with your sequencer, it's quite useful to be able to save the settings you have used in Multi mode. That is in fact quite easy provided you have a way to save System Exclusive messages with your computer. You can use your sequencer, or get a dedicated SysEx utility (see Software) for you computer.
Go to Global mode, page 04A, DATA DUMP. Select MULTI, set your computer to record SysEx, and press OK?. Then save the resulting SysEx-data on disk. Next time you start composing, just send your data back to Korg. Don't forget to set Global/02/EX:ENA before it.
With a sequencer you do this by first making sure that you have enabled saving SysEx messages (they are sometimes filtered out for convenience when they are not needed). Then select a sequencer track where you want to save the Multi mode data. Go to Global page 04A, select "Multi". Press record on the sequencer, and then "OK?" on the Korg. Stop recording. Now you have a SysEx data packet in your song, containing all the Multi mode settings. When the song plays, the settings are sent automatically. Note that it's not recommended to have any notes played simultaneously with the SysEx data, or otherwise the data dump might not work or it could slow down playing the song because it takes a little time to send the data.
Also note that on the 05R/W only the effect settings are saved, not the rest of the Multi mode setup. That means that if you wish to make a 05R/W-compatible song with, say an X5, you can't use a multidump to set track settings. Instead you just have to write bank and program changes to each and every track.
All parameters can't be easily edited with controllers. For example if you want to change the length of the reverb in the middle of the song you need to study your manual quite deeply. Or you can do it the easy way, like I did in "Savannah" (Phaser parameters) and "Cee-HC" (Distortion Resonance). This method is based on the fact that the X5 sends out everything you do, every key press and move of the Value-slider, so you can record all your edits to your sequencer!
Thus you select an empty sequencer track and set it to record controller and SysEx data. First you need to have a Mode Change message because otherwise your synth won't know what mode you are in. So switch your X5 to any other mode besides Multi. Hit record, and switch back to Multi mode. Then, while the song is playing, go to the page in multi mode that you want to edit. Select the right parameter and edit it how you wish. Then stop recording. Now when you play back the song your synth automagically edits the parameter exactly like you did! If your timing wasn't quite right you can of course edit the track.
Note that while playing back you shouldn't press any buttons on the synth or you might mess up those real time edits. If you do press a wrong button you'll have to start playing from the first Mode Change again.
IF you for some reason should need the mode change messages, I have them here zipped for you: X5 Mode Change SysEx Messages.
The answer to the problem of "Why can't my sequencer select combination sounds in multi mode?" is as follows:
Combination sounds are, as the name suggests, made of several programs that (usually) play on top of each other. For one note of a combi sound you might have as many as eight programs playing at once. In Multi mode, one program takes one channel (track), thus a combination can take eight tracks. This is quite bad, but you can work with a combination sound, mainly because in the last pages of multi mode (page 22A) there is a "Copy combination to tracks 1-8/9-16"-feature, which allows you to easily copy the programs that a combi needs into multi mode tracks. On page 21A you can copy the effects of a combination (or program) to multi mode. (I've heard that the 05R/W doesn't have these very useful features, which is a pity!)
Unfortunately, the sequencer has no way of knowing what programs a particular combination uses. You can of course find that out yourself, and select the right program with a prog/bank change for each channel, but then again you'd also have to copy volumes, pan pots, effect sends, and most importantly, set all the combination tracks to the same midi channel (the last sub-page of every track page). That would be too much at least for me!
That's why I tell you to use SysExes. First copy the desired combination to Multi mode, then just dump the Multi mode settings to the first bar of a track, (see Saving Multi mode settings) and put the necessary program changes for other than that combination sound after the SysEx-dump. That way you'll get the combi you want, and can use programs as usual.
Selecting Combis for Multi mode is truly a pain in the ass, I admit, and there is no easy way of doing it that I know of. Besides they seldom sound as good in Multi mode because of the different effects, and that's why I almost never use them at all.
Yulik Yagudin gave me the following useful tips about using combinations:
First: Combi sounds do not necessarily use all 8 tracks. But even empty tracks are usually set on global MIDI channel and some new user may go along with loosing them. I'd advise always to check the exact number of tracks used in Combi and, if less than 8, after putting it in Multi manually release the empty tracks' channel (and other parameters if necessary) to make them useable as single MIDI tracks. This can probably save tracks and channels for better arrangement.
Second: My experience on X5D shows that Combi sound used in a sequence usually is an energetic kernel of the whole arrangement so maybe it would be wise to copy it's Effects to Multi and try to fit other instruments into that acoustical environment. Also some effect settings in some Combis could be changed without drastic loss in quality. This is a way to free some effects' resources for other tracks.
Some people have wondered how I managed to make those jungle beats for my song "Savannah". No big secrets there, I just got a few jungle beats from Future Music Magazine as a MIDI-file. It was made for a drum machine, so I had to start programming my own sounds for it. A very low bass drum was easy to do, the snares (5 different!) I got by tuning them very high up. Then some snappy hi-hats and cymbals on top of it, plus a very low tom to boost the bass drum in selected places.
Then I tried to play the midi-file with my sounds. It didn't sound that good, but after a little more sound programming I got it working very nicely. I just had to do some volume edits for the beat, then I added lots of Phaser Effect to it and started making wild cut/paste edits. I reversed beats, copied snares to other snares and bass drums, mixed different beats together etc. I also used brightness and attack time controllers for changing the sound of the beats. It's all very easy and extremely fun if you have something to start from.
If you want you can steal my beats from Savannah, just edit them so that they're not exactly the same... The JungleKit is also free for you to use, athough it doesn't have that many new sounds, just the ones I use in the song.
Here are the original jungle beats from Future Music Magazine that I used for Savannah.
Wondering how I got those Phaser edits? See Making real time edits.
Sometimes you need to change operating modes with a MIDI command. This is very easily done with SysEx. The method is exactly the same as in Making real time edits. Press record on the sequencer, then switch your Korg to the desired mode by pressing a button on its front panel. Stop recording and admire the SysEx-message that you have produced...
If you don't have a sound editor or want to send some songs to a friend who doesn't (like me..), then you need to save your sounds as a SysEx message. This is very easy. First, if your sequencer doesn't have a SysEx facility, get a SysEx utility from www.shareware.com (search for "System Exclusive"). Install it. Make the settings mentioned in playing the X5 songs. Go to Global mode, page 04A DATA DUMP. Select what you want to dump. It's safest to dump ALL data, because PROG only dumps Program mode data, not the drumkits that are in Global mode. Set the SysEx utility to record, and press Ok? on the Korg. Wait a few seconds for the dump to proceed. Save the data to a file, and that's it...
When I need to save my sounds and settings I usually save Program, Drumkit and Multi mode data in a single file. That's all the data I need (when I don't want to save combination sounds) and the resulting file is only half as big as the ALL data dump. I just have to make three separate dumps (prog/d.kit/multi) while my sysex utility is recording.
This information was supplied by Hubert Winkler, thanks!
My known formats are:
.05r | format of the KORG-Sound Editor. Very similar to internal memory format. The global paramaters have 1 byte more, and the first drumkit parameter is missing (seems a design bug). |
.syx | Dump-All sysex-dump |
.imm | sysex dump converted into Korg internal format, as described in the manual (very similar to .05r) |
.5rw .xed | Joost's X-Edit |
.exl | Multi-Mode of X-edit, a series of multi-mode parameter changes in sysex format. |
.sys | Cubase-Studio-Module format, this is a combination of GlobalDump+Multi+Programs+Combis. |
.pcg | X3 soundbank ("two" banks), importable with Xedit. |
You can convert .syx, .sys, and .exl with syxtomid.exe (see Korgy Park) to a midi file which can be sent e.g. with windows media player, or MIDI-jukebox players. Importing into sequencer may cause problems.
If Korg Editor saves .x5 in X5 mode, then .05r and .x5 is the same.
I have also a converter to .5rw (.xed) format (a bunch of cryptic .bat files), but:
Converting between all formats is easiest by using the Korg as clipboard. You can attach up to three programs to the Korg-PC I/F Windows driver, and then run the two programs simultaneous. E.g. load a pcg-file with Xedit, send it to 05r/w (Programs, combis, drums) and then receive it with Cubase Studio Module. Works with Korg-SoundEdit as well, also Dumpster, WinJammer, PowerTracks, Cakewalk, ...
Controllers, you really can't sequence without them. Here's some help for those who can't understand what the Korg X5 Manual is trying to tell.
Controllers are simply MIDI messages, but it is easiler to think of them as something that has a definite value that can be changed, like a knob or a slider. MIDI controllers have 128 possible values: 0-127.
First, a list of available controllers that I compiled from the Manual. The important ones (in my opinion) are written in bold letters and after the table there are more detailed descriptions of them.
No. | Name | Notes |
---|---|---|
0 | Bank Select MSB | Use with controller 32 to change banks |
1 | Pitch Modulation | Vibrato |
2 | VDF Modulation | Wah Effect, VDF = (variable digital) filter |
4 | Foot Pedal On/Off | Selects Main/Sub Scale, values 0-63/64-127 |
6 | Data Entry MSB | |
7 | Volume | Defaults to 100 |
10 | Panpot | Values: 0=A15,..., 64=CNT,..., 127=B15 |
11 | Expression | Volume |
12 | Pedal 1 Effect Control | If FX Dyn Mod Src= PEDAL1 |
13 | Pedal 2 Effect Control | If FX Dyn Mod Src= PEDAL2 |
32 | Bank Select LSB | Use with controller 0 to change banks |
38 | Data Entry LSB | |
64 | Hold On/Off | Damper On/Off, values 0-63/64-127 |
72 | Release Time | Values: below 64=shorter, above 64=longer time |
73 | Attack Time | Values: below 64=shorter, above 64=longer time |
74 | Brightness | VDF Cutoff, values: 0-63=darker, 65-127=brighter |
91 | Effect 1 Level | Send C Level (usually reverb) |
92 | Effect 1 On/Off | Values 0/1-127 (Off/On) |
93 | Effect 2 Level | Send D Level (usually chorus) |
94 | Effect 2 On/Off | Values 0/1-127 (Off/On) |
96 | Data Increment | Increases selected parameter by one step |
97 | Data Decrement | Decreases selected parameter by one step |
100 | RPN Parameter No. LSB | Selects parameter for editing, values: 0=Pitch Bend Sensitivity, 1=Transpose, 2=Detune |
101 | RPN Parameter No. MSB | Selects parameter for editing, value always zero |
120 | All Sound Off | |
121 | Reset All Controllers | Useful in the beginning of a song |
122 | Local Control Off/On | Values: 0=Off, 127=On |
123 | All Notes Off | |
124 | Omni Mode Off | All Notes Off |
125 | Omni Mode On | All Notes Off |
126 | Mono Mode On | All Notes Off, values 0-16. |
127 | Poly Mode On | All Notes Off |
Sometimes you might want to use other effects than the default Hall and Chorus in your song. The advanced korgie might even wish to change the effects in the middle of the song. How can you make that happen?
One way is to simply use a SysEx multi mode data dump (Global mode page 04A). Just dump the data and record it into a sequencer track. You get two messages this way, the shorter one of which is what you need so you can delete the bigger one (note that with the 05R/W you only get one message which is the correct one). Then simply move the message where you want it to take place, normally in the beginning of the song, but nothing prevents you from putting it in the middle of the song.
Another way is to do it the real time edit way. Press record on the sequencer, then manually change the effects from the Korg's front panel. This is also a good way of editing effect parameters in mid-song.
Editor's note: This is a story by Timo Raita (thanks a lot for this ingenious idea, Timo!). If you have any questions or comments, mail them to him (Timo.Raita@iki.fi), not me. -Janne
A standard MIDI bus is rather slow (31250bps if I correctly remember; correct me if I'm wrong.), and causes noticeable delays to sequences if there is many events on the same beat. Korg's host interface is not too much faster (38400bps. Why didn't Korg's engineers make it a parallel bus to get more bandwidth?).
What you can do, is to use both an ordinary MIDI interface and Korg's host interface simultaneously. You will get a total of 69650bps bandwidth between your PC and your Korg, although all of it will practically never be used, since there is no proper software to share MIDI-events equally between two interfaces (Maybe one of us could write such program? If you have experience of writing Windows-based MIDI applications, maybe you should try it...). Instead of, you will have to do the sharing channel-by-channel (or track-by-track in your sequencer). It can be done individually for each sequence by using your sequencer's port-setting to determine the used MIDI output device for each track, or a "fixed" sharing can be done with MidiMapper. In this case, you will need to create your own MidiMapper setup and specify for example even channels to ordinary MIDI port and odd channels to "KORG PC I/F Synth Port". Don't forget to set up your sequencer to use MidiMapper as MIDI output device.
You don't need any special tricks (for example self-made cables) to connect up your equipment, but to make sure all korgies understand what I mean, I will specify it closer.
MIDI controller PC Korg synth module =============== =========== ================= MIDI out----------------MIDI in MIDI out MIDI out--------MIDI in serial port-----host interface
I have tried the double-bus-method only with a synth module (05R/W), but I'm not sure if this principle works also on keyboard models. If you have one, try it, and tell me if it works or not (As you might guess, you should connect your PC's MIDI in to Korg's MIDI out instead of separate MIDI controller). At least you will have to be careful with the MIDI thru settings to prevent loops, since you are forced to allow your sequencer to receive MIDI input from your Korg. If your sequencer hangs up and Korg's MIDI-LED lights all the time, there is probably some kind of loop (don't worry; it will not damage your equipment). You can break a loop simply by switching off your Korg. I suppose that you can't use the host interface to transfer MIDI-data from Korg's keyboard to your PC, since Korg always echoes the data coming in through the MIDI in jack to the host interface. Instead of, the MIDI out jack should be free of the stuff coming in through the host interface, if you check the box "Independent Synth / MIDI Out" in the KORG PC I/F Driver setup window.
One known problem with the double-bus-method is that the PC-architecture reserves only two interrupts for serial ports. So you can use only two serial ports simultaneously. If you have a serial mouse in addition to Korg's host interface, you can't use other peripherals that plug in a serial port. This was a real problem for me, as I have two other devices (modem and HP48GX) that plug in a serial port. I solved this problem by using a Microsoft InPort Mouse with its own interface card, so mouse is no longer blocking a serial port IRQ.
If you have other problems, please report them to me.
You might have wondered, how did I invent this possibility. Before I bought my Korg, I had used Sound Blaster AWE32 as the main synthesizer of my home music studio for more than two years. After buying a Korg, I had a hard time getting used to the slow MIDI-bus; there was no bottleneck like this between the sequencer and the synth while using soundcard's internal synth.
When I got a host cable, at first I tried it with my Thinkpad, and it worked fine (Yeah, now I have a portable music workstation!). Regarding to the user's manual, it was even possible to connect other MIDI-devices to Korg and control them through the host interface. Of course, I wanted to try how it works, and I used my desktop computer as "other MIDI-device". So Korg was connected to two computers at same time, and I tried silly things like using a sequencer to record MIDI-data which was coming from a sequencer (or a game) running on the another computer, and playing back sequences from both computers at same time. ;-) Then I got an idea: If both interfaces can be used at same time, wouldn't it be possible to connect them to the one and the same computer? I tried it, and there really was a noticeable difference in the MIDI-delay!
Korgy Park - under constant
Konstrukzion.
This page is brought to you by Janne
Simonen.
E-mail: jsimonen@cc.joensuu.fi