POK:wireless foot controller - Korg microsampler as a looper

["Ruelle Benoit" <benoitruelle@yahoo.fr>]

Hello,

Here's something I came accross today:
It's a wireless foot controller that may be useful for some.
It is not midi but works with recorded keyboard keys (double "click" and 
fn+click seems supported).
The site says also that you can remotely load different profiles.
see this video for more info: 
http://www.x-tempozone.com/demos/Elements/7_programming.mov


----


Another thing: I got my korg microsampler last week.
I've been busy and hadn't tested everything but I would like to share my 
firsts impressions.
For the general working please see this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLpejsMlI2I

I must say that I'm very happy with this kb except for some things (see 
below).
It features 2 modes, sample mode (a bank of 3 octaves of single sound/loop 
up to 160sec at 48k) and keyboard mode (you select one of the sample to 
play 
it chromatically).
There is a pattern sequencer (16 patterns per bank, up to 99 measures).
It uses 2 midi channels: one for the keyboard part, one for the sample 
bank.
If a key is not used in sample mode, it plays the key above at the 
corrected 
pitch. So in fact there a "disguised" keyboard mode in sample mode.

Every thing sync (or not) to the given (tap) tempo or to the midi clock.
It is really live oriented, you can sample while the sequencer or another 
loop is running.
You can thus use it as a basic multitrack recorder. If you have a sequence 
running (let say playing a BD and a snare drum), you can resample on the 
"BD 
key" and replace it on the fly (the EDP replace). Nice!

In resample mode (using the internal sound generator as the source, not 
the 
external in) you can even resample on the key you are playing. Let say you 
have a bass drum (1 sec.) on key c3, you can resample a 4/4 loop (4 sec) 
on 
the same key by playing the c3 key live.

You can sequence and gate the inputs, nice for gate effects.

Using the "key gate" mode (the sampling occurs when a key is pressed down 
ON 
the key which is pressed), you can do multisampling easily, just connect 
the 
midi out to your expander and the audio from you expander. In 5 seconds 
you 
can have a multisampled bank.
The time streching is OK (like on the KP3, better than on Roland stuff) , 
you can use either a pitch change (slow down) or the timestretching to 
stay 
sync to the clock. In this latter case, the polyphony is divided by 2.
There is a looper on the FX list (rec/play/overdub) but limited to one bar.

Can it be used as a looper? Well yes and no. You can use it like a KP3 
(see 
beardy man for instance) and you may need some preparation.
The problem #1:when a loop has been sampled it is not playing immediately. 
I 
tried to use the sequencer to trigger a loop every bar and it kind of 
works 
but if you don't start the sequencing on the 1st beat (but a bit after), 
after the sampling ends the loop is not playing during a bar (as the 
note-on 
has already been issued). This bring on the second problem:
problem#2: it is not possible to trigger the sample using midi or the 
sequencer. It is a pity the key gat mode can't use a midi IN note-on. It 
would have allowed to use my fcb1010 or an external keyboard to trigger 
the 
sampling start and/or use the sequencer to start the sequencing on the 
first 
beat.

I need some more time with it but it's  fun to use anyway. At least I can 
quickly use my DSI mopho (monophonic synth) in polyphony using the quick 
multisampling method.

Ben.