Can you save a "Key Transpose" to a Set List for a

Hal2001 · Post by **Hal2001** » Fri May 17, 2013 12:33 am

I have several songs that I play instrumentally in standard key but tune them down e.g. -2 in Global Key Transpose when I sing lyrics to them. Can I save changed Key Transposition settings for individual songs (I have 1 song per set list) so that my lyrical song variants can just be selected from my Setlist already transposed without having to go through the Global Menu? To clarify, I want all the programs and combis within a particular set list to be transposed at the same time to the same degree. It would be a great convenience to me rather than going to Global mode and then also having to undo it when I go to another song in my setlist. Thanks if you know a trick. Hal

karmathanever · Post by **karmathanever** » Fri May 17, 2013 1:30 am

Hi Hal

Great question Hal - I have only just created a new set list for my band and would also like this feature.

OK, I can hear all you other great musicians saying "...why don't you learn it in the correct key?.." - sadly I'm not a good musician and so I need to "cheat" occasionally

Thanks in advance for any feedback/suggestions

Cheers

Pete

geoelectro · Post by **geoelectro** » Fri May 17, 2013 2:27 am

Your setlist points to a program or a combination. You can set the pitch or transposition of either and save. I would save it in a new location with a note in the name showing the transposition. Like Piano -2.

Geo

karmathanever · Post by **karmathanever** » Fri May 17, 2013 6:26 am

Thanks Geo - will give that a go - that could be all I need.

Pete

Hal2001 · Post by **Hal2001** » Fri May 17, 2013 3:05 pm

geoelectro wrote:Your setlist points to a program or a combination. You can set the pitch or transposition of either and save. I would save it in a new location with a note in the name showing the transposition. Like Piano -2.

Geo

The setlists I have per song often have 8 or more different programs and/or combis in them. Are you saying I should take each program/combi and set it to -2 and save it with a new program/combi name to the new alternate Setlist name? I appreciate your suggestion. However, I was hoping I could do some kind of quick shortcut so that I could just take everything in my Setlist that was downpitched by -2 via Global Mode and save it as a new Setlist name. That way I would not have 8 or more new program/combi names with the name -2 in my library. It may not be possible, but I thought I'd explore to see if there's an easier way. E.g. if I want to save a program with or without Karma, all I have to do is set the keyboard button the way I want it and it's saved according to the last setting that is entered with "Write to Set List." So I might have two versions of a program or combi in my setlist. One with Karma and drums and one without it. Then I can use my foot pedal to initiate the Karma and/or drums on the fly without using my hand to activate either. It would be nice if the Transpose setting could be written to Set List as easily - or almost as easily. Thank you very much Geo for your suggestion.

alland · Post by **alland** » Sat May 18, 2013 6:26 am

Easy transposing feature has been discussed here before (http://www.korgforums.com/forum/phpBB2/ ... hp?t=80947).
Unfortunately you cannot add transpose parameter to SetList, this request is probably added to Kronos wishlist too.
Saving each program/combi/song in needed key is solution, when you have time to prepare and many free slots

For occasional lazy transposing, especially in live setup, Global: Key Transpose is not handy - dificult to access through menus and when transposing, SST is not working.
Some people use external keyboards where transposing is more handy - I use Korg Pa2X Pro.
Kronos can be also transposed via standard transpose SysEx messages and good thing is, that Kronos maintains SST doing so!

Hal2001 · Post by **Hal2001** » Sat May 18, 2013 10:12 pm

alland wrote:Saving each program/combi/song in needed key is solution, when you have time to prepare and many free slots

Thank you Alland very much for taking the time to confirm the required process and explaining it clearly. You and Geo have been very helpful. I had looked up the prior forum before posting but I guess I didn't want to believe that there wasn't a simpler way. Now I'm convinced. I guess the ideal I want is a workstation that also functions conveniently like a stage piano. I may have to go for that second keyboard as you suggested.

Jrperser · Post by **Jrperser** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 4:35 pm

Hal2001 wrote:
all and wrote:[SNIP] I may have to go for that second keyboard as you suggested.
What a ridiculous situation for such an expensive keyboard. Does Korg think these just sit in the studio? I purchased mine to use as a second tier going for the better sounds and key bed over many other boards. Programming this in a setlist is seems overly complex for what should be a simple action to me. Not being able to assign a Global change to one of the programmable switches is frustrating. I've only had the board a couple of days and love the sounds and flexibility and shudder at the thought of setting up various piano +2, -2, organ +2,-2, horn etc... Maybe not going for that cheap board was a mistake.

GregC · Post by **GregC** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 4:37 pm

Jrperser wrote:
Hal2001 wrote:
all and wrote:[SNIP] I may have to go for that second keyboard as you suggested.
What a ridiculous situation for such an expensive keyboard. Does Korg think these just sit in the studio? I purchased mine to use as a second tier going for the better sounds and key bed over many other boards. Programming this in a setlist is seems overly complex for what should be a simple action to me. Not being able to assign a Global change to one of the programmable switches is frustrating. I've only had the board a couple of days and love the sounds and flexibility and shudder at the thought of setting up various piano +2, -2, organ +2,-2, horn etc... Maybe not going for that cheap board was a mistake.
LOL. cheap boards are better

Derek Cook · Post by **Derek Cook** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 5:20 pm

karmathanever wrote:Hi Hal

Great question Hal - I have only just created a new set list for my band and would also like this feature.

OK, I can hear all you other great musicians saying "...why don't you learn it in the correct key?.." - sadly I'm not a good musician and so I need to "cheat" occasionally

Thanks in advance for any feedback/suggestions

Cheers

Pete

And when you need to practice away from the band, it's usually against the original. I've only ever been in one band, where everything was in the original key! Bliss...

Not being a trained player, I can't transpose on the fly either!

jeebustrain · Post by **jeebustrain** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 6:20 pm

I had this problem earlier this year. I joined a cover band that played every song 1/2 step down. What I did was set up my combis (about 55 of them) with the individual timbres transposed -1. I had to fiddle with a couple of the one-shot type sounds (on single keys), but it worked.

I wasn't really interested in relearning all the songs in a different key, so I did this. When I wanted to practice at home, I just played those same combis, but the the global transpose at +1.

I ultimately solved my problem by quitting that band an joining a better one that played everything in the original key

I do agree, though, that it would be nice if there was a way to set a transposition by setlist. That would save me from needing duplicate combis (same songs, different bands). It also would be nice if there was a way to transpose from the front panel via some shortcut (but that has already been discussed here ad-nauseum).

NJkeysman888 · Post by **NJkeysman888** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 6:34 pm

Jee, that is the Exact situation I find myself in now. A new band that my friend & bass player wants me to play with does everything 1/2 step down. So I was hoping there was a way to at least lower a combi by 1/2 step without having to go into each timbre. But I don't think that is the case and certainly we cannot do it by set list.

As for practicing songs, I use Amazing Slow Downer which can not only slow songs down and keep the original pitch, I can also lower the pitch and save them to practice against.

So I either have to have duplicate songs in different keys to practice against, or duplicate Comibis to play; or BOTH! Ugh.

jeebustrain · Post by **jeebustrain** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 6:55 pm

yea - most of the time I was using youtube videos to learn the songs and never actually made the effort of getting an audio file I could slow down, so this was the simplest option for me.

I personally think the combi transpose method is the quickest. If you get into the groove of it, you can go thru about 50 of them in the span of 15-20 minutes. I'd suggest using a stylus though - I also used the keypad for all of my typing, which makes things a lot quicker.

Jrperser · Post by **Jrperser** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 7:43 pm

Singers get old and guitar players want to play in Eb like Stevie Ray. Unless you really enjoy playing killer solos in Eb, Ab and Bb, you have to transpose. Yes, I can transpose on the fly, but I have better technique in some keys than others because I no longer spend 4 hours a day just practicing. I may wind up relegating the Korg to the studio and buying something else for live to sit on top of my Motif.

SanderXpander · Post by **SanderXpander** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 8:33 pm

Most of the time, if a song has to go in a different key, I learn it in a different key or transpose the sheet or whatever. Reasoning being you have a better idea of what your voicings will sound like (+/- 1 or 2 is ok-ish but more and your chords start to sound weird) and at the end of the the day, I feel like I've learned something and have become a more flexible musician.

However, I appreciate that there isn't always time for this and I've also "cheated" on occasion. I think it would be great to have a one up/one down button on the setlist. I'm also wondering if it isn't possible to program the NanoPad this way using SysEx.

By the way I would rather play solos in Eb, Ab and Bb than in E, A and B!