Have you solved the issue of, lets say there is a program change in the middle of a verse, but the PREVIOUS program change is in the middle of the Intro (or some other section). You decide at the end of the Verse that you would like another one, so hit the Marker for the Verse again.

Is the Verse going to start with the PREVIOUS program change, or is it going to start with the sound that got called up in the MIDDLE of the verse?

And how about volume, expression, effects sends etc.?

BTW, it would be INCREDIBLY useful if the Markers could be named and displayed on a screen (maybe at the bottom of the lyric page display) so that, if you forget what each marker does, there is a reminder on screen...

Those markers always act glitchy imo

I think the glitchy nature of mark/Jump at times often comes down to this issue...

The sequencer will try to send out ALL the Program changes, volume commands, and other controllers that it back scans for on the 'One' of the next section, which can often (if there's a lot of them) interfere with the timing of any notes that are ALSO on the 'One' (which is pretty much all of them!).

I think a better system would be to play these PC#'s and controllers on the LAST 1/16th (or 1/8th, whatever works) of the PREVIOUS section, where you wouldn't hear them very much, and they wouldn't interfere at least with the TIMING of the notes on the 'One'.

You might also have issues with some arrangers, that still cut off the sound of a previous Tone when changing to a new Tone, making the glitch no matter what you do to mitigate when the PC# is called for. Fortunately, Roland's have long (I mean LOOOOONG!) been able to change Tones utterly seamlessly, and I for one have far fewer issues with any glitches at Mark/Jump boundaries.

If you plan carefully, and try to avoid having MIDI channels with Program changes on them (most sequencers can split a multi-sound track into separate ones for each sound - as long as you don't end up exceeding 16 tracks, you are good to go), you can avoid most of the glitch pitfalls.

On the Korg PA the markers can be very specifically targeted at timing points. This can be edited down to an individual tick if required..they can also be named whatever you want...

And you can have as many as you want. No restrictions.

The ONLY minor annoyance is that one cannot assign hardware buttons(or footswitches) on the panel to operate it. The markers page is the only place you can select them from and this sits on top of whatever window is open. Mind you, it is quick to get to with just a double button press from the right side of the display (lyrics and score pressed together)

One of the advantages I suppose of having the ability to have more than four mark points.

That's really quite a fantastic improvement to the feature, Dennis. I didn't really dig in too hard to this aspect of the PA3X while I had my friend's one at the house (too busy trying to get his Roland styles into it!).

Mind you, it still doesn't quite address the issue of a PC# (or whatever) being in the middle of the previous section, but you wanting to start at the beginning of the next. But hopefully, there is some kind of back-scanning going on (as most DAW's do automatically), and as long as you can place to the tick where they get played, you should be good to go.

I guess the only issue remains that, don't Korg's still cut off the sound of one Tone when you call up another?

Hopefully, Korg might realize that whatever they are doing with the Kronos engine to prevent sounds from cutting off as you change them would be a boon to ANY keyboard, arranger or WS, and this will soon no longer be an issue.

I would also hope that Korg might realize that the BEST place to have the Markers displayed is on the Lyrics and Score pages, as these are the only pages you are likely to need in SMF mode... and that operating them from your FEET would be a darn good idea (wish Roland had added this!).

That PA3X certainly seems to be slowly getting quite a leg up on some pretty important ideas than the competition. There is much about it I am quite jealous of!

Has there been any accurate leak of what's coming in the new PA3X OS yet?

nah, nothing solid on the new OS front at all -

Sound cut-off still happens if the midi is not programmed to avoid it. No problem for live play as one can adjust a bit...but it's nothing like what there is on the Kronos!! That wee beastie handles this aspect brilliantly well!!

The PA does recognise any markers (with names) that are inserted in DAW software (in my case Sonar X1).

Yes being able to assign a footpedal (even if only to advance to the next) would be quite handy.

But having the CS operated from just two footswitches on the EC5 is a brilliant move imho. One toggles start and stop record and the other toggles start/stop playback...MUCH quicker and easier than fiddling with the buttons. Just that one feature alone justifies the price (cheap) of the EC5!!

Hi Diki

The note being cut off when a new voice is selected is really old hat, and I can’t believe that in 2012 some keyboards still do it. (So I would be surprised if Korgs still do)

I think the Kurzweil K250 was the first to do it in 1983, and I think all the digital organs and keyboards released in the 80s had this feature. (I know Wersi incorporated it in 1984 with the release of their first digital models the DX organ range)

Bill

Bill have a read on the motif forums--it is one of the BIGGEST complaints users have for the Motif keyboards - even the XF!! Yamahas reason is that it is all the insert effects and other sound specific data that needs to get loaded with the sound that causes it..Funny that it still does it with NO insert efx, and a bog standard no system efx sound too hey

The PA is quite good at sustaining when you change a patch as it holds the last notes played until the notes or sustain pedal are released.

There can still be some issues with midis though...but mostly minor, and usually a programming error...

Yep.... both Korg AND Yamaha still cut off sounds to bring the new one in. Except the Kronos. And even that can cut off sounds if it has to load a new synthesis engine in.

Roland tend to take the opposite approach. Rather than cut the sound off to prevent glitches that MIGHT happen (but might not), they let the sound continue, and if a glitch happens from having to load a new effects insert, they let it happen. As sound glitches can easily be prevented by making sure that both sounds either don't use insert effects (it doesn't affect send effects) or they use the same one, you rarely ever hear a thing.

IMO, the better of the two systems.

Dennis, the problem I heard was with anything with a release tail... On Roland's the overlap is smooth and undetectable. On Korg's, not so. One of my favorite tricks is to play pads, and change the pad sound almost every note, so you get this swirling cloud of different sounds all blending together. You simply can't do this on a PA... But the Kronos has it down!

Hmmm okay...I must admit I don't do that...but I will have a try right now....