Another electribe2 user was kind enough to share this with me. He asked me to not use his name and info, so I have removed that, but everything else is verbatim. Just some insight into this so you are all aware! Remember, read from the bottom as it is an email chain!
My convo with korg verbatim:
Read from the bottom cuz it is a chain.
>> Hi -----,
Ableton P-Set audio export: Pad #6 does not export with the other clips. Is there a setting I need to change or something I am doing wrong?
>> This is the first we’ve heard of this behavior – with any O.S. – forum searches yield no similar user issues as well. That said, is this across all patterns? Is there a chance that in the pattern you’re exporting there is no note/audio data on 6?
The error seems inconsistent. Sometimes it is just one pad across all patterns, other times it is several pads not exported seemingly at random across a few patterns.
>> This is rather odd. OK, this was sent to development and we’ll see what we can’t find out.
Also, no mute, pan, or solo functions are exported.
>> That’s expected. It’s the raw audio prior to any of those manipulations
Also the original spec sheet said the audio would be 48K / 24 bit, but exports are only 16 bit. Either way, the export function to ableton yields inconsistent results. Do you think I am just using too many layers?
>> I don’t believe it’s a matter of too many layers. If you use 16 parts it should give you 16 files in the .als. That’s the spec and we’ve managed to do it here. Must say we’re beginning to think there may be an issue with this one Electribe.
>> The spec on our site is for internal processing, not audio export. Is there anywhere that actually says that .wav should be 24-bit? If so we’d like to address that.
Also I am using ableton studio version, do I need to install or activate the included live lite version to use all the features?
>> No, not at all. .als is standard for all versions of Live and therefore should act the same across the versions.
Does your list literally exclude a 6.wav or is it there and not audible?
It seems that the wav is excluded from the export.
>> This is rather perplexing. I forwarded this to development on this as well. We’ve never heard of this before.
Also while we are on the subject, it overwrites previous pattern exports each time. Is there a way I can save those on the memory card without overwriting each time?
>> That is expected. The exportation is one-off and unless you went to the card and “hid” those in a folder prior to the next export, it will overwrite. We’ve suggested using the name of the pattern as part of a file structure that allows multiple, non-volatile exports.
Switching Patterns: There is a distinct non-musical pause that occurs when switching patterns. This really make this unit unusable in any live setting. If this was fixed, I would immediately recommend this product to every DJ and producer I know.
>> This dramatically improved in 1.03, but in some cases, depending on how oscillator-intensive the pattern is, there could be small cutoffs or “hiccups.”
Are you saying they have no plans to improve this feature any further, because it is very noticeable and completely prevents pattern based live use of the unit for performance. I will test performance using less parts, in that case the previous version of electribe seems more powerful than this refresh, and you are going to get some seriously bad reviews when people find out. I don’t want that to happen, I want this thing to live!!!
>> No, I did not imply that at all. We have heard of this and development is aware of it. As 1.03 attests to, we are always looking to improve our products and will do so however we can.
If any of these issues MUST be fixed, it is this one. If not I will be returning this unit and sadly will not be recommending it to anyone. I just don’t understand how this brand new product seems less functional than the original.
>> I understand.
>> We’ve recommended that users make sure that all drum parts are set to MONO1 (along with other one note-only synth parts) to help reduce extraneous data. Also, make sure releases are only as long as are needed.
I will try to test once I prioritize the parts and make them mono1, but releases get cut off completely if the sample is played at the end of the pattern. This really puts the musician in a box. For example, often you want one or two lead in notes to introduce the next pattern in a sequence, but notes at the end of the pattern get cut off when the pattern resets and it looses the feel of the groove.
Tell me a little about the effects you’re using as well.
I use the unit as designed, using the mod frequently to add character, and assigning the IFX to almost every pad. I love the FX from the kaoss line that have been included like looper, grain shift, and high pass delay. However, the sensitivity of the touch pad is very low, and it seems slower than the kaoss pads of the past I have used and love.
>> I wonder if there’s any way you could assign the ‘most used’ effect of those to the MFX, and use the MFX Send on the parts you want it on, and then use the inserts for more mission-specific part-related production.
I would imagine that the effects processing, while available on all parts, may be hitting a processor limit based on the combination of effects used. It is possible, even on much more high-end products. Kronos, for example, has an architecture that allows the user to add effects and use polyphony without “governing” but as a result, the user can overwork with processor.
>> Lastly, are you assigning priority to the parts which have released and/or effects with long tails?
I have not tried that yet, but I will test performance once I play with priority settings.
>> OK, let us know.
If I do not apply the AMP envelope to a sound, does that conserve brainpower?
>> No, but using the filter as opposed to the filter effects in IFX will. Based on the above I thought I’d through that out there.
Pattern Step Audio Pops and skips: The sweet pattern step feature seems to lag behind the playback. When complex patterns are triggered, audio dropouts and signal interruption occurs.
>> This would be the same as the prior response.
Does this mean the more FX and pads with release settings, the more likely pattern step will sound bad.
>> Akin to the effects discussion above, yes, it is possible that the processor is being overtaxed.
When I first found pattern step I was like OMG this is amazing! Then once I build a song and started playing with it I was like, het this doesn’t really work. This feature would be so cool if I didn’t have to worry about audio pops and drops.
>> Understood. Sharing that with development as with other points.
Master FX lag: Triggering the master fx is not practical because the timing is way laggy, way slower than the instant action of the Kaoss line. Making the best feature also unusable for consistent live performance.
>> Hmmm… in creating patterns myself, I do not experience a lag. Which effect(s) are you trying? Does it seem better/worse depending?
The time based FX lag the most. Looper, grain shift, shifter, ext.. Those seem to trigger just a hair slower than when you touch, and that hair can mean the difference between grabbing the kick for a buildup, and grabbing a loop of nothing.
>> Noted.
Gate, trigger and pad use: Is there any way to set the gate and then use the pads to trigger gated samples or patches?
>> Would you mind elaborating on this one?
What I want is the equivalent of MPC style note repeat. The touch pad based gate arp requires you to use the touchpad for gated playback. I would like to turn gate mode on for a kick, and then when I hit the pad for that kick it triggers the gated pattern.
>> I need to look into whether that’s possible. Thanks for clarifying on that.
I think this revamped Electribe could change the game in the live performance world. But I need to know that you are working on these issues before I invest further time writing tracks on the unit and telling my industry friends about how cool it is. Nothing sucks like writing an amazing track and not being able to export to ableton as advertised, or switch between existing pattern in a performance.
>> We constantly share feedback with the development team and yours will also be shared. We appreciate the depth of the explanations and hope that, where we can provide things to try, these suggestions are helpful.
PLEASE tell me you plan to work on those audio gaps between patterns. If not, I only have a few more days to return the unit, and I promise my peers in the music industry will not be happy when this tool proves to be less functional that its previous editions. That and the Ableton Export problems seem to be the biggest challenge.
>> Honestly, though Korg is aware of it, I would have to say that we’re not going to see an O.S. revision in the next few days.
I really love the sounds and the workflow, and I hope we can expect some resolution to these issues as the developers proceed with the launch.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if you have any further ideas about the ableton issue because that is the main reason I bought the unit and it is not working. The other reason I bought it was for live performance, and I never take gear out to a gig if I don’t think it is reliable.
Hope I am not being too much of a pain in the butt, but maybe I can help expose these issues for the team to work on,
>> Not at all. We want all customers to be happy with their purchases. Happy to share this info and do what we can to help understand what might be going on. You are an early adopter AND a power user, and your impressions count heavily towards our direction as we look to improve.
Sincerely,
James
Product Support @ Korg USA
From: ---------------------------------------
Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2015 10:20 AM
To: product_support
Subject: RE: Electribe Help
Of course I updated the firmware, I mentioned I was a professional user.
Please provide a specific response to each of my questions if that wouldn’t be too much trouble. These problems are systemic. I am responsible for making gear recommendations to hundreds of studio professionals. Before I can recommend this product to anyone I need to know you plan to fix it. Also, I need to know you read my entire email when I send you a long detailed list of things I am having issues with. Your product manuals or parameter guides do not answer these questions, I am asking for your help and I have tried all conventional means of resolution.
I would be happy to speak with someone on the phone to help explain these issues so that you can fix them or explain how to get around them.
------------------
-----------------
---------------
From: product_support [mailto:product_support@korgusa.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2015 10:13 AM
To: -----------------------
Subject: RE: Electribe Help
Hello --------------,
Have you downloaded 1.03? it addresses a number of things and refines the functionality dramatically.
Sincerely,
Product Support @ Korg USA
From: ------------------------------
Sent: Thursday, January 8, 2015 2:12 PM
To: product_support
Subject: Electribe Help
Dear Korgies,
I have had many issues with my new electribe and I want to let you know and see if there is an existing fix, or a fix on the way. I am a professional studio musician and I freaking love this workflow and the sounds. Here are the issues (from most annoying down):
Ableton P-Set audio export: Pad #6 does not export with the other clips. Is there a setting I need to change or something I am doing wrong?
Switching Patterns:
There is a distinct non-musical pause that occurs when switching patterns. This really make this unit unusable in any live setting. If this was fixed, I would immediately recommend this product to every DJ and producer I know.
Pattern Step Audio Pops and skips:
The sweet pattern step feature seems to lag behind the playback. When complex patterns are triggered, audio dropouts and signal interruption occurs.
Master FX lag: Triggering the master fx is not practical because the timing is way laggy, way slower than the instant action of the Kaoss line. Making the best feature also unusable for consistent live performance.
Gate, trigger and pad use: Is there any way to set the gate and then use the pads to trigger gated samples or patches?
I think this revamped Electribe could change the game in the live performance world. But I need to know that you are working on these issues before I invest further time writing tracks on the unit and telling my industry friends about how cool it is. Nothing sucks like writing an amazing track and not being able to export to ableton as advertised, or switch between existing pattern in a performance.
MAJOR UPDATE - RESPONSE FROM KORG CONCERNING THE ELECTRIBE2
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1_inch_punch
- Senior Member
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Thanks for all of that and keeping us updated.
Last edited by 1_inch_punch on Thu Feb 05, 2015 1:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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thebiglebowski
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thebiglebowski
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thebiglebowski
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Hey Roblabs,roblabs wrote:guys lets just squash this and focus on the topic on hand.
nothing much left to discuss here. An educated guess is that the next firmware update will be aviable when the Sampler version will be released. And that will probably happen at Musik Messe.
In the meantime, there's a lot of stuff that our E2's can do, so lets focus on that.
Electribe2 / Volca Beats / Volca FM / Monologue
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Octahedron
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2014 8:34 pm
yeah honestly the only good thing i get out of this is that they check the forums to see what we're talking about.... this is my first time being an early adopter.... and for the most part i enjoy being on the forefront of general public device feedback.
Let's try to keep the reverse engineering e2pat file structure on the down low though in case they see it and block it somehow in a further update!
Let's try to keep the reverse engineering e2pat file structure on the down low though in case they see it and block it somehow in a further update!
APC80 - kaoss pad quad - Launchpad - Launch control - an iPad Air 2 with a slew of useless gimmicky apps - electribe 2 free! - and future volca owner.
Thanks for posting this. As mentioned in the discussion there is a cpu overload contributing to the pattern change issue. That there guys is a physical barrier & i can't see the tech team ever sorting out the issue without recalling the units & upgrading the hardware.
My unit has not been switched on this year & i doubt it will be again. I just can't bear the thing with all the compromised features.
My unit has not been switched on this year & i doubt it will be again. I just can't bear the thing with all the compromised features.
My current Korg gear. MS20 Mini... & now the .... Oh, maybe not !
...Had a few other Korg things over the years.
...Had a few other Korg things over the years.
I made a clean sounding pattern from a very messy one last night, by taking their advice, making mono tracks mono, assigning priority to certain tracks, it really did make a difference. But, its such a shame, in this day and age, that the CPU isn't able to run the machine flat out, we have to work within it's limits. Still, its very "old skool" to have to work within processing limitations I guess.
Apple has shown that the programming language can make a tremendous difference in utilizing the hardware 100%. The iPhone 6 may only have 1 GB of RAM, but it still has the smoothest gui on the market, compared to other "better spec'd" phones. I believe many of these bugs will be fixed if Korg re-writes some of the firmware, if possible, and we know this is possible, considering the rumors regarding replacing the firmware with the Sampler-firmware.RedHouse wrote:I made a clean sounding pattern from a very messy one last night, by taking their advice, making mono tracks mono, assigning priority to certain tracks, it really did make a difference. But, its such a shame, in this day and age, that the CPU isn't able to run the machine flat out, we have to work within it's limits. Still, its very "old skool" to have to work within processing limitations I guess.
We also have to remember how fresh this unit really is. Unfortunately, bad support can destroy a lot of hardware. I remember in the old days the Creative Drivers for the Creative Soundcards. So many bugs etc, so the community took over the whole thing and to this day are still updating drivers for the old sound cards.
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Owner of the Korg Electribe 2!
Owner of the Korg Electribe 2!
Another good example is console games. Pick any console and compare the games that came out the first year and games that came out 5 years later. Perfect example of woftware overcoming hardware limitations with more knowledge of the hardware
APC80 - kaoss pad quad - Launchpad - Launch control - an iPad Air 2 with a slew of useless gimmicky apps - electribe 2 free! - and future volca owner.