Korg KORG Pa50 user manual Song Play Operating Mode

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Song Play operating mode

The Songs and the Standard MIDI File format

11. SONG PLAY OPERATING MODE

The Song Play operating mode is where you can listen to Songs (played directly from disk), and play along with the Song on the four Realtime (Keyboard) tracks (Upper 1-3, Lower). Since the Pa50 is equipped with two onboard sequencers, you can play two Songs at the same time. This is very useful to mix between two Songs during a live perfor- mance.

THE SONGS AND THE STANDARD MIDI FILE FORMAT

The native Song file format of the Pa50 is the Standard MIDI File (SMF), an universal standard set by all manufacturers. You can read these files with any musical instrument or com- puter.

A difference could be in the sound played by each track. If you recorded a Song with the Pa50 (Song mode), using only General MIDI programs, you can play the same Song on vir- tually any other musical instrument or computer. If you used KORG native programs, you cannot reproduce the same sounds on instruments from other brands.

When you read SMFs in Song Play mode, there is no problem reading files made using only General MIDI sounds. Sounds could be different when playing a Song made on a different instrument: despite the wide compatibility of Pa50 with other, non-standard formats, differences may arise.

If so, go to the Song operating mode and load the SMF. Then, manually reassign the non-matching Programs, replacing them with similar Programs on the Pa50. Then, save the SMF again, and you will be able to play it in Song Play mode with the correct Programs.

TRANSPORT CONTROLS

You can use the separate transport controls for each of the two onboard sequencers. Use the SEQ1 controls for Sequencer 1, and SEQ2 controls for Sequencer 2. See “SEQUENCER TRANSPORT CONTROLS - SEQ1 and SEQ2” on page 18 for more information).

MIDI CLOCK

In Song Play mode the MIDI Clock is always generated by the internal sequencer, even if the Clock parameter is set to External (see “Clock” on page 127). Pa50 transmits only the MIDI Clock message generated by Sequencer 1.

SWITCHING BETWEEN SEQUENCERS DURING EDITING

When you enter Edit mode, you can edit the selected sequencer’s parameters. Go to the main page of Song Play mode, and select the S1 (A buttons) or S2 (B buttons) to select the sequencer you wish to edit (see “Main page” on page 72).

SELECTING A SONG COMPOSING ITS PROGRESSIVE NUMBER

Each Song on disk (up to 9,999) has a progressive number assigned. You can see this number before the Song’s name in the Song Select page.

0001 MYSONG.MID

While in the Main, Song Select, or Lyrics page, the STYLE section doubles as a numeric keypad. You can use it for com- posing the 4-digit number corresponding to the Song you wish to select; the folder selected in the Song Select page will become the current folder. This way, you can speed up the Song retrieval.

Selecting a Song in the Song Select page

1.Open the Song Select page.

2.Select the disk and open the folder containing the Song to be selected. This folder will be used also in the Main and Lyrics page.

3.Compose the 4-digit number corresponding to the Song you wish to select (for example: if the Song is number “1043”, dial 1, 0, 4, 3).

Song number:

000-

After the fourth digit has been inserted, the window automatically disappears, and the Song is selected.

•If the Song number is just 1, 2 or 3-digit long, dial the number, then press ENTER to confirm (for example: if the Song is number “52”, dial 5, 2, ENTER).

Note: If no Song corresponds to the dialed number, the “Song not available” message appears. Press any button to make it disappear.

Selecting a Song in the Main page

While the S1 or S2 field is selected, compose the number corresponding to the Song you wish to select. The current folder is the one selected in the Song Select page.

Selecting a Song in the Lyrics page

Compose the number corresponding to the Song you wish to select. The current folder is the one selected in the Song Select page.

REALTIME AND SEQUENCER TRACKS

The Pa50 is equipped with a double sequencer. Each Song can play a maximum of 16 tracks, for a total of 32 sequencer tracks.

In addition, you can play on the keyboard with four addi- tional Realtime tracks (Upper 1-3 and Lower). You can edit the Volume, Mute status, and Program selection for these tracks on the main page of the Song Play mode.

When you enter Song Play mode from the Style Play mode, the Realtime tracks are the same as the Style Play mode. A