If you use an external MIDI sequencer, you are probably thinking about how powerful it will be putting KDFX under sequencer control. Certainly being able to record, edit, and automate a studio's parameters as part of a MIDI sequence is one of the most attractive aspects of KDFX.
- FX Channel
Any program on any channel can be the one that controls KDFX. On the Effects-mode page, set FX Mode to Program, select the FX Channel you want to control KDFX with, and put your KDFX-controlling program on that MIDI channel. Now any MIDI commands coming from the
sequencer on that MIDI channel will be sent to KDFX.
- Dedicating a Program and Channel
Perhaps the most efficient and least confusing way to do this is to have a dedicated program that controls only KDFX, on a channel that is otherwise not being used to play music. Many K2500 and K2000 users know this trick for automating the old internal effects, but it becomes even
more important given the complex nature of KDFX. It requires sacrificing a MIDI channel, but few users should have a problem with that.
Again, go to the Effects-mode page and, keeping the FX Mode set to Program, set the channel you're going to use as an FX chanson this case, 15 is often a good choice. Go to Program Mode and select Program 199 Default Program. Press Edit, and then KEYMAP, and set the Keymap
parameter to a value of 0 None. This program will now make no sound in response to MIDI notes, and use up none of the K2600's polyphony. Use the buttons to get to the KDFX page, and start setting up your studio and FXMods, or, if you have another program already set
up with the studio and FXMods you want, use Import FX to bring that studio and FXMods into the current program.
Now save the program to a new location, giving it a name like Studio Controller1. You can now use this studio with your sequencer: start by calling up its bank and program number, and then put appropriate MIDI commands into the sequencer for controlling the studio's parameters.
If the MIDI sources for the FXMods are also K2600 onboard controllers, then you can record your parameter changes from the K2600 into the sequencer.
There's a step-by-step discussion of this procedure, beginning on page 12-21.
- Changing Studios With a Sequencer
If you need more than one studio available in a piece, or you want a selection of studios to use in different pieces, simply create new programs the same way, with different studios specified on
their KDFX pages. To switch from one to the other, send an appropriate Program Change command on channel 16 from your sequencer.
Setting up static FXMods in different programs, all of which address the same studio, as we saw earlier, is a good way to make one-shot changes in KDFX parameters without having to construct a bunch of different studios.
Also as we saw earlier, this technique can be useful even when you are playing the K2600 in Setup mode along with a sequencer. If FX Mode is Program, and the FX channel is 16, the sequencer can control the FXMods independently of which setups are in use on the keyboard.