Creating Pads via Sequencer or Midifiles

There are a number of sources available for creating your own pads via your sequencer or from midifiles ie
style parts from within your keyboard
style parts from converted styles
midifiles created from programs like Band in a Box or Jammer

Suitable Parts
I tend to look for rythmic parts like arpeggio’s, guitar strums etc or for melodic lines . The main thing to remember is to create a pad that is going to be useful.

Suggestions for using Pads
Mute a rythmic style part and use a pad in it’s stead to give a bit of variety to the style
or
create a mini style by using a piano arpeggio pad as left hand and playing melody with the right.

Recording Sequence for a Pad

When using a style part from within the keyboard or from a converted style, I record a sequence based on the chord of C maj incorporating the 4 styles or style parts that I’m going to use for my pads Example Using
Modern Opera Style ( KN7) APC1 Harp Arpeggio

Press Sequencer Button
Press Record & Edit Button
Press Step Record
Press Chd Button and step record 16 Bars of C Chord

Press CTL Button
Press Rythm Start
Press Movie Show
Press Modern Opera Vari 1
Scroll thru to measure 5 press Vari 2
Scroll thru to measure 9 press Vari 3
Scroll thru to measure 13 press Vari 4
Scroll thru to measure 17 press Stop

Press Exit

Press Copy & Paste Button (Sequencer)
Press APC to SMF Convert
Choose Track 12 and set to accomp 1

Press Convert
Press Exit

Creating Pads

Press Program Menu

Press Performance Pads
Press Seq to Pad Copy
Press First Measure 1 last measure 4
Choose Pad 1
Press Part 1 Track 12
Press OK
Press Edit
Press Part Setting if you want to change sounds etc
Press Exit twice
Press Play Setting
Change “start to Synchro” set loop to “on”
Exit
Press Pad Naming
Press ok & exit

Repeat all the above functions for pads 2,3 & 4 remembering to change the measures and the pad no.

For Pad 2
Press First Measure 5 last measure 8
Change to Pad 2

Pad 3
Press First Measure 9 last measure 12
Change to Pad 3

Pad 4
Press First Measure 13 last measure 16
Change to Pad 4

Creating Pad from Midifile

If creating a pad from a midifile from a program like BIAB or Jammer the steps are basically the same. Try and record your midfile based on the chord cmaj (just makes it easier). Keep a note of where your pad part starts & ends ( which measures) and the midi channel the part is recorded on ie midi channel 12 = track 12.


Load your midifile into the kn sequencer and follow the directions for Creating Pads.
Adjust track numbers if your midi channel is different and adjust your start & ending measures if they differ from my example.


best wishes
Rikki

Rikki,
Good tutorial!
When I get a chance, I'll try it and if I run into problems,(and I probably will), I know now who to ask for help.
I've made a couple of quick trys at making new patterns using Band in a Box but was not too succesful.
Thanks Rikki,
Walt

Thanks Rikki - will have a go, its good to know where to start.

The Performance pads feature of the KN7 could be greatly improved. Joan

Hi Walt,
if you get stuck , let me know. The style I chose to create the pad from was only an example.

I assume you were actually trying to create a style from BIAB? rather than a pad. If so, I may be able to help in that regard also.
Working out "how to" create styles on different brands of keyboards was my hobby back in the 90's. I'm not much good on the musical side of things, but I can usually work out which buttons to press and the process behind the actual creation ( heehee)

I was hoping when I bought my KN7 that I'd do a bit more playing and less fiddling round, but, the style creation bug has bitten again ( the kn7's so full of amazing style creation features), so I'm slowly getting back into it.

If you need any help let me know.

best wishes
Rikki

Hi Joan,
it appears to be a lot of button pushing, but once you get the hang of it , it's really simple.

My problem is , I know how to do it, explaining it is not always that easy. I f you run into problems, let me know.

best wishes
Rikki

Hi Rikki,

Thanks for the Pads Tuitorial. If I wanted to use these newly made Pads in a song that is already Recorded, what would be the best way to edit them into the sequenced song?

Larry Hawk

Hi Larry,
that might best be asked as a seperate question ie "how do I add pads to an already sequenced song". Might be worth mentioning how the song was created ie easy record, recorded in steptime or from a midifile etc as it may determine whether it's possible to add a pad or not.

Unfortunately I'm not an expert on the sequencer as far as recording songs go. To date I've really only used it for style & pad creation or to play back other members songs.( don't like hearing how bad I probably still sound after all these years (haahaa)
I normally just use them when I play in realtime, though, they can definetly be used when recording a new song from scratch.
( just not shaw how you'd add them afterwards, but I can do some further delving if no one else knows the answer)

best wishes
Rikki

Easiest way to add Performance pads, post recording, either Easy Record or Real Time Record.....
Play the song through whilst watching the Sequencer screen and make a note of the bar numbers, where you wish to insert a pad. Then use step record and the Control track, to insert the pad start point. If it is a 'One shot' pad (not looped) then you only need insert the start point. However, if it is a looped sound, then you also need to insert a stop point. So, to insert the pad, cursor forward to the appropriate point in the sequence and then press the desired Pad key. (The selected Pad will Play) If it is a looped sound, then move forward to the desired end point and then press the Pad STOP key. Repeat as necessary.

------------------
Willum

Hi Rikki:
Your explanation is very detailed. However I'm confused (sorry). When creating Pads can a person use a pre-exiting technics built in/composer style? That is, take a built in fill-in, even intro's and endings, and manipulated just right, looped, these could be awesome pads. Of course one would have to pick an accomp part, but just think...

Anthony

Thank you Willum,
saved me doing a lot of unecessary fiddling round to work out how to do it. Had a feeling one of the "sequencing " members would know what to do.
Thank you.
best wishes
Rikki

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bill Norrie:
[B]Easiest way to add Performance pads, post recording, either Easy Record or Real Time Record.....

The aswers to questions lately, lead me to believe that I am starting to grasp this 7000. It's either that, or the answers that are provided are simple and clear, and that's what I really needed.

Thanks Willum, for doing just that.

Rikki,
Have you ever tried using Keyboard Percussion for recording Pads?

If possible, I too would like to record a "fill- in", or parts of Intro/Ending to a User Memory Pad, and maybe add some drum percussion with the Keyboard Percussion Group

Thanks,
Larry Hawk

Hi Anthony,
the answer is YES. That's exactly what I did with my example.
Remember they have to be put thru the apc to smf function first to split the style up into it's individual parts.
In my example , I was after a particular part of the style " accomp 1, harp arpeggio" so when I put it thru the apc to smf function , I only set one of the tracks ( track 12 accomp 1).

Normally if I want to split up a complete style I set it to the following
Track 9 drum2
Track10 drum1
Track11 bass
Track12 accomp1
Track13 accomp2
Track14 accomp3
Track15 accomp4
Track16 accomp5

I found if I kept it to a uniform standard, I'd always know exactly how I had created it.

Remember, you're not only stuck with looped pads, there's "one shot pads" also like a drum roll, that can be used at any time in your sequence for effect by setting your pad to "instant" instead of "synchro" .

Another place to get pads from would be easy composer. Scroll thru and find parts that could sound okay. Also you could create new drum beats by scrolling thru the individual drum parts, and create pads out of these.
Then use them by muting the drums in a style and use the pad instead.

Pad 5 & 6 could even be used as a solo instrument "intro or ending " in a song, because it has the chord progression feature.

Also remember pads 1 to 4 have 2 parts. So I'm guessing ( as I haven't had a chance to try it yet) you'd be able to have 2 individual instruments playing in a pad ie piano & bass or bass & drums.

They're actually quite an amazing feature.

If you have anymore questions, let me know.

best wishes
Rikki

Hello again Rikki:

Hmmm, your yes is not the yes I was hoping for (not your fault). Oh hum, I was hoping for, (again wishful thinking on part) that a composer part can directly be converted to a Pad. A one step process.

Your answer is yes, but a two step process, by converting the composer/APC to SMF first, then use the Sequencer to Pad convert. Oh well... But the bottom line is, "it can be done".

Now, how does one enter those special quotes in replies? It's bugging the heck out me how that is done...

Anthony

Hey Anthony!

In answer to your query about how to add the quotes to your replies, do the following: Instead of clicking on the "Post Reply" button, go to the top of the individual message you are replying to. There you will find several icons, and if you click on each of them you will see what they go to. One of them will be the "Reply w/quote" icon (I think it is the one farthest to the right of the horizontal list of icons). Click on that one and your reply window will open with the quote already printed at the beginning of your reply message box. Within that quote, you can leave the entire message or edit it (as I did yours in this reply). I hope this helps.

Good luck!

Ted

Hello Ted...

Here it goes, followed your instructions, and will see how this looks...

Thanks,

Anthony

hi Anthony,
I think it's definitely a 2 part process, if I discover otherwise, i'll let you know.

best wishes
rikki


[QUOTE]Originally posted by AnthonyCian:
[B]Hello again Rikki:

Hmmm, your yes is not the yes I was hoping for (not your fault). Oh hum, I was hoping for, (again wishful thinking on part) that a composer part can directly be converted to a Pad. A one step process.

Hi Larry,
I haven't tried percussion yet, but I see no reason why it wouldn't work.

I've I'm understanding correctly , you first want to copy a percussion part from an intro or ending and add some extra percussion note's, so that it sounds more like a fill in ?

Basically if you follow the directions in my original post, you can then edit and add/delete additional notes to your pad in steptime to fill it out a bit more.

If you've got something particular in mind, let me know and maybe I can help work it out.

best wishes
Rikki