Kurzweil K2000Rs users - Can I do this?

Damo303 · Post by **Damo303** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 10:52 am

K2000Rs users?

Hey guys, I've just got my hands an a K2000Rs. Originally I purchased this for the sampler but I've been really impressed with the quality of the synth sounds too.

Ideally I'd like to trigger drum samples on the K2000's sampler (preferably by sequencing them in the K2000 and then triggering them from Cubase's Midi clock, this way I can make use of the swing quantize feature) and at the same time on a different output play synth presets also using Cubase (but not by sending midi clock signals, just by playing and recording the notes).

Any experienced users out there that can tell me if its possible to do this with the K2000R? Is it possible to trigger drum samples via midi clock from the sampler section at the same time as playing synth patches?

dougt · Post by **dougt** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 10:57 am

Sure. The K2000 is 16-part multitimbral which means you can play 16 different sounds on 16 different MIDI channels at once if you wanted to. Just set you program with the drum sounds on a different channel that the ones with synth sounds. You can also sync the K2000s sequencer to MIDI clock to sync it with Cubase.

Damo303 · Post by **Damo303** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 10:59 am

Thanks I thought so but if i'm triggering the K2000's sequencer with Midi clock on one channel wont this effect the synth sounds i'm trying to play on another?

dougt · Post by **dougt** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 11:05 am

No, if the drums are on channel 1 then you can play the synth sounds on channel 2...

evening · Post by **evening** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 1:28 pm

Congrats on the k2k purchase. highly rated but undervalued in the synth world IMO.
I see these things going for $300 in local stores, and it's just silly.
There's very little that the K2XXX won't do, but the price of admission is studying the manual

Are you trying to sync the internal sequencer of the k2k to Cubase or just triggering notes on the k2k from cubase?

You can alter how it receives clock and how it responds to start & stop messages.
The k2000 has midi syncable LFO's so you might not want to disable clock reception all together.

Remember that drum programs (anything with more than 3 layers) in the k2000 need to be on the drum channel, which I think is 10 by default but can be changed in the master pages. Later versions of the OS allow drum programs on up to 8 channels

Damo303 · Post by **Damo303** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 1:40 pm

hi, thanks for the reply. Yes i've started reading the huge manual but so far it seems a pretty good and easy to understand format.

Yes I am trying to sync the internal sequencer to Cubase for the drum samples but i'd also like to trigger the notes of the synth presets on a different midi channel.

My ideal setup would be:

4 Mono outputs running sampled drums using the K2k's internal sequencer via Cubase midi clock.

2 Stereo Outputs running the K2k synth sounds by just triggering the sounds.

Is this possible?

JB · Post by JB » Fri Oct 13, 2006 11:14 am

Yes, the K2000 can perform this easily.

All you need to do is set the Kurzi to receive MIDI clock and Cubase to send it on the appropriate channel/MIDI output.
When you press Play on Cubase the K2000 sequencer should then start in sync.

Assign your Program that contains the drum sounds to the Drum Channel (or alternatively assign this Program to any MIDI channel and set the Drum Channel in the Master page to align with this).
Any incoming MIDI (from Cubase) on this MIDI channel will trigger the appropriate sounds, alternatively if you decide to record a sequence for that channel in the Kurzweil sequencer you can.
Each MIDI channel on the Kurzweil allows it to receive sequence data either locally, from an external MIDI source or from both.
I think the default is "both" and this is what I leave mine set to even though I control it from Cubase 99% of the time.

The outputs can be assigned in a couple of ways. I tend to do this in the Output page within the Program editor (select the program to be edited, press Edit, select the Layer that you want to adjust the settings of, use the >> soft-button to get to the Outputs page and set accordingly). Alternatively there is a master override of the Output settings outside of the Program editor - it's all in the manual.

Alternatively, the K2000 can load and save MIDI Type 0 and Type 1 sequence files via floppy disc so you can always record a sequence in Cubase and load it into the K2000 and vise-versa if you prefer the "swing" of one particular sequencer but want to arrange the sequences into a Song on another.

Congrats on geting the K2000. I have a K2500RS and have pretty much ditched all of my other hardware and run a PC-based system with the exception of still using the Kurzweil for synthesis and sample mangling alongside Reaktor.
It's the only piece of hardware that I have no intention to sell.... and that's after owning it from new since 1996.

Damo303 · Post by **Damo303** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 11:26 am

Thanks, yes I love the machine so far. So powerful!

Its quite tricky to learn but so far I have made a successful keymap of my own samples and assigned the keymap to my own Program. At the moment its working fine using Cubase as a sequencer.

That's as far as I've got.

The confusing bit is how I go about making a drum loop from my keymap using the K2000's sequencer which I can then trigger using the midi clock?

I guess this is all done in Song mode and not Program mode?

JB · Post by JB » Fri Oct 13, 2006 1:02 pm

Yes, Program mode is purely for sound creation/modification (oscillator/sample/filter/layer/output/LFO/Envelope parameters etc).

Song Mode has two main functions:
a) sequencing
b) assigning Programs to MIDI channels

So, to make a sequenced drum pattern using the K2000 sequencer you'd need to:
Go into Song Mode, select MIDI Channel 1 (using the up/down buttons to the left of the screen), use the dial or number pad to select a Program (i.e. your drum sound program), set your quantisation values (e.g. 1/16ths), set the sequencer into Loop mode (so that it cycles on the same sequence), press Play & Record on the sequencer menu buttons beneath the screen and drum in a pattern, stop the sequencer and save the sequence (this also sets the sequence length, I usually just record for 4 bars without playing any notes just to set the sequence length and save it before bothering to play any notes).

After you've recorded a sequence you can then set the K2000 to receive MIDI clock and set MIDI clock to be sent from Cubase - the K2000 should then respond to Start/Stop commands in Cubase.

When you save the sequence it saves the Program to MIDI channel assignment.
This is useful to know because it comes in handy even when using Cubase as your sequencer.
What I tend to do is assign my Program to MIDI settings in Song Mode (e.g. assign Program 123 to MIDI Channel 1, Program 726 to MIDI Channel 2 and so on).
After making these settings I then record a short blank sequence and save it (for example to Song memory location 123) which stores these MIDI channel settings.
If I then want to start on a new project I can re-assign different Programs to MIDI channels and save it to a different Song number (for example to memory location 276).
Now, if I wanted to go back to working on the first Song again I can pop into Song Mode, select Song 123 and it automatically assigns the Programs to MIDI channels as previously set.
Likewise if I then decided to work on the second project again I'd just switch to Song 276 and all Programs assignments would change accordingly.

JB · Post by JB » Fri Oct 13, 2006 1:15 pm

also, if you're already sick of staring at the K2000 LCD have a look here:

http://www.tangentcats.com/index.htm

I haven't used VASTprogrammer myself yet but intend to as soon as I'm re-united with my K2500R.

Damo303 · Post by **Damo303** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 1:17 pm

Wow thanks so much, i'll try this exercise at the weekend.