Pro Audio Support

Q:
Can I use the Tempo of my sequencer to control the parameters in my K2500/K2600?
 
A:
Yes. Here's how:

Using the Tempo Control Source

If you have a K2500 with v4 or later of the operating system or a K2600, you will have a Control Source called Tempo. This control Source uses the K2500's own internal clock or an external clock (depending on the setting of the Clock parameter on the Song Mode MISC page). There are two main applications you would want to use this Control Source for.

Syncing LFOs to a sequencer clock

Start by setting the LFO's rate control to "Tempo"

For eighth notes:

Set the LFO Max Rate to 8.00Hz, set the Min Rate to 8.0/64 == .125Hz (the closest value available is .12Hz).

For quarter notes:

Set the LFO Max Rate to 4.00Hz, set the Min Rate to 4.0/64 == .0625Hz (the closest value available is .06Hz)

For sixteenth notes:

Set the LFO Max Rate to 16.00Hz, set the Min Rate to 16.0/64 == .25Hz

As an explanation, you divide the Max rate by 2, six times, because the tempo control source covers 6 doublings of tempo, from 3.75BPM to 240BPM. The Max rate corresponds to the LFO rate when the tempo = 240BPM.

Syncing sampled drum loop to sequencer clock

Choose a sampled drum loop program.

Edit the program, go to the Pitch page, and set Src1 = Tempo, and Depth = 7200ct.

Still on the Pitch page, set the Coarse/Fine tuning based on the drum loop's original tempo. If the loop was originally 120BPM, set the Coarse tuning to -60ST. For other tempos, you may need to tune it while listening to the click from your sequencer, until the sampled loop stays in time with the sequencer tempo. Keep in mind that you will of course be changing the pitch of the sounds along with the speed of the sample playback.

Once again, as an explanation, the Depth of 7200ct is six octaves, corresponding to six doublings of tempo.

Controlling the LFO Rate with a FUN

In the description above on syncing an LFO to the clock, you may have noticed that the values you set for eighth and quarter notes are not the exact values you need. This is due to the limits of resolution values in the K2500. However, it is possible to use FUNs to get finer resolution.

The simplest FUN would have to be "a-b" , with "a=Tempo", and "b= .16", because what you want to do is subtract 1/6 = .16666... to slow it by a factor of two to get eighth notes. You can see that there is error here too.

To compensate for the error, you could use (again, this is for an eighth note LFO).

FUN1 = (a+2b)/3, a = -ON, b = OFF (computes -1/3)
FUN2 = a/2+b, a = FUN1, b = Tempo (computes Tempo - 1/6)
and patch FUN2 to the LFO rate control

Change FUN2 to "a+b" to halve the rate again for quarter note LFO

To get half notes, subtract 3/6, to get whole notes, subtract 4/6, to get double whole notes, subtract 5/6.

(tempo - 3/6) = (tempo - 1/2) =>>
FUN1 = a/2+b, a = -ON, b = Tempo

(tempo - 4/6) = (tempo - 2/3) =>>
FUN1 = (a+2b)/3, a = OFF, b = -ON
FUN2 = a + b, a = FUN1, b = Tempo

(tempo - 5/6) = (tempo - (2/6+3/6)) = (tempo - (1/3+1/2)) =>>
FUN1 = (a+2b)/3, a = -ON, b = OFF
FUN2 = a/2+b, a = -ON, b = FUN1
FUN3 = a + b, a = Tempo, b = FUN2