Korg Forums

The PA 4X the PA 1000.
The chord sequencer.

If you make a chord sequence and save it in the song book.
And the chord sequence works perfectly.
.
Where is the chord sequence saved.

In the SBL file or SBD file

duby2 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 01, 2025 12:27 am Where is the chord sequence saved.

Similar to keyboard settings, style settings and chord events are stored in the SBD files of the songbook, although chord events are only stored in style-based entries.

A style can be used in the songbook with its stored style settings and chord events. Nothing else needs to be entered in the songbook other than its style name - and chord events are not stored in songbook, but in styles style setting. Only if settings modified from the original style are to be used should these be stored in the songbook (as style settings, chord events).
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The least effort required to create chord sequences is when recording step backing sequences. SMF songs with chord lyric events or note events for chord recognition are just as good for importing, but are less convenient.

The files of StepBackingSequences are small - e.g. 2 KB for an 8-bar sequence (ne2t8.mid with C/G/Am/F/G/Am/F/C) - and created quickly.
Settings in Sb-entries allow user styles to be used multiple times, thus reducing storage space and effort.

You can see which chord data this file provides in the individual bars after selecting ne2t8.mid in Player1 when starting with Display Lyrics and Marker.
Apart from the trigger time and the chord name, no other data is required to automate any style (displChrds.jpg).

When creating chord sequences, it must be taken into account that the built-in sequencer writes one preceding init bar into the SMF. A chord sequence with a length of 8 bars can be imported using Import and Use Chords with "From measure 2 To measure 9". Otherwise, if the import is incorrect, gaps or shifts in chords will occur (Import.jpg).
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When working with Direct Access, I noticed that styles copied to Direct using Copy/Paste cause an error if they are overwritten as styles for the external songbook with imported chord sequences. Such styles should therefore be supplemented with chord sequences before they are copied to the Direct area using Copy/Paste. It is more advantageous to import the chord sequence into the style-based Sb entry instead in the associated style.

If you use the Direct area intensively, it is advisable to make regular external backups, as a typo can usually result in an entire style bank disappearing.

Hello Duby,
I think there was no reaction to my posts because I couldn't attach the ne2t8.mid file for better information.

Thus, my post wasn't a concrete answer to your question "Where is the chord progression saved? In the SBL file or SBD file".

Actually, chord progressions aren't saved in songbook entries, but rather in the style setting of the style saved for the songbook entry.

If you want to send me a private mail with an adress of mail that would accept attachments like .mid or .txt I will attach the mentioned "ne2t8" file this time as a .mid and a .txt file.

If you open it with a hex editor — e.g., Notepad++ — in hex view, you'll find 16 SysEx control messages (F0 ...... 7F) for chords of the ChordSequence "C G Am F G Am F C," as they are stored as metadata for styles and songbook entries.

The Chord Sequencer does not use MIDI note events, but instead loads the metadata of these control messages into a memories track when a style or songbook entry is selected. This starts playback and transposition of the style player from begin of next bar when the Chord Sequencer LED flashes green.

Because meta events are not standardized, manufacturers use them inconsistently (text, lyrics, chords, markers).
The Chord metadata contains information about the root note, chord, chord type, tension, and bass note, but not the starting point or length, as these are defined by a timestamp.

Thanks I've been busy when I see your post now I love it a lot of good information. thank you for your time.

duby2@juno.com


again thank you so much ..
goood place to start..

look like you are still Still using cakewalk 9 wow.
I also use cakewalk 9 it's much faster for doing MIDI editing.
Now and then I use bandlab cakewalk.

Again thank you very much for your time