Hi Guys,

I recently bought an X1 and I need some help.

1)Does anyone notice a difference in the sound when playing sounds from Flash Card vs. loading the same sounds from the HD into RAM? In my case I have the Oriental Sound Kit, and when loaded from Flash, certain sounds on the drumkit have a "hissing" noise with them, but the noise is not there if I load the same drumkit from the HD! I have replaced the Flash card, yet still the same problem. Anyone?

2)I - being a rookie with this new machine -must have pushed some buttons to disable the change of sounds when changing styles (or so I believe). I did something to where now when changing styles or even a variation within a style, I end up with the wrong sounds playing the parts, it seems that the sounds are not changing to the new ones (for example sometimes I end up with a piano sound instead of a drumkit!). Does anyone know what I did, or how can I change it back to where works fine. For my styles to sound right I am having to stop the arranger , select a new style, then start again. This is NOT GOOD for live performances to say the least!!!!!

Thank you all, www.geocities.com/mosiqaar

P.s. Ketron_AJ if you read this please email me, you have been highly recommended by George kaye for help on this machine. My email is on my URL above. Thanks.

Are you changing the sound settings of a style ? If so ...... you press save/enter and than F2 for styles ( I assume you are doing this ) . In order to call up the altered style you must engage the button called "CUSTOM STYLE" .
Once the custom style button is lit , press the altered style # using the select keys . All altered styles can only be found after pressing the custom style button !
In regards to the RAM card issue's ....I have never used them ! Sorry . dano

I am using a flash-card and can't notice any difference between sounds loaded in flash-card and the same sounds loaded in ram-memory.
If you do, then i think something is wrong with your machine.

Greetings from Belgium.

Dano,

Let me be more specific. What I am using are the patterns (not the internal styles or custom styles). I did not do any changes to the sounds...As a matter of fact I have only owned the X1 for about 2 weeks and I don't know what I have done to cause this, but what is happening is that if I select Pattern 32 lets say and push START, it sounds fine then if I switch to Pattern 44, Pattern 44 sounds wrong (using the wrong sounds on certain tracks), so if I STOP the arranger then select 44 once more then START again, it then sounds just fine. Can you help?

Ketron User, that worries me in a way...but at the same time, the only time I notice the difference is not when I am using SOUNDS, its when I am using a DRUMKIT, the ORIENTAL DRUMKIT to be specific. I will have to check more carefully to see if there is any difference in the sounds on the card, but I have not noticed any. I hope its not the machine, and simply the flash card, even though like I said this is the second flash card having the same problem with the same drumkit.

Mosiqaar,
Please make sure that:
In the ARRANGER MODE (Page 2) your:-
* LOWER LOCK (F4) is NOT checked, ie unlocked.
* BASS LOCK (F5) is NOT checked, ie unlocked.
* When using the internal pattern(s) of the X1 and you want to switch live from one pattern to another, de-activate access to the RAM CARD (Bank1/2* and RAM LEDs should both be OFF).

With respect to your first question, I have tried (without success) to re-generate the senario with the noise from the FLASH card. Please make sure that the FLASH card is secure in the X1 (when I placed mine in without the pins making full contact, I was able to generate some noise!).

Hope this helps!

AJ

Samer,
Sometimes when things aren't working in their"normal"way, the best thing to do is to load in the operating system. The problem you seem to be experiencing seems like a glitch in the system rather than hardware. When I shipped you the keyboard I think I supplied you with 2 operating systems. The 4.0oriental which was loaded by me and the 3.2o which I supplied on disk. Lou has told me to use 3.2o rather than 4.0o because there could be problems with 4.0o. I have used both and couldn't tell any difference. However, I would suggest re-loading the operating system. Do you have both disks? If not, you can get them from the ketron website or I can send them to you. Here's how to load the system.
With the power off, insert the disk. Turn the power on and the system will automatically load. You will see the files being loaded on the screen. At the end, the keyboard will re boot itself but you're not done yet. Even though you will see the new operating system show up on re-boot, you must push the save/enter button when the keyboard is finished turning on and go to power on setup and push default. Now the system is done.
I really don't think you are having a hardware issue but a software issue.
With all my oriental keyboards I've sold, sometimes when switching on the keyboard for the first time, when you go directly to a oriental pattern, the drum sounds don't change and you hear only a dance drum kit (which makes the oriental pattern sound terrible!). You have to go to drum kit and manually change from a preset drum kit to a user or card kit depending on which you are using. Sometimes this doesn't happen and other times it happens every time you turn on the keyboard. I asked Sandro about this at the NAMM show and his thought was that the pattern wasn't recognizing the program change number saved with the oreintal pattern.
Just so you know, there is no way to re-initialize the X1. All you can do by going to the save/enter and pushing default is to put the channels and values back to their factory settings but you are not initiallizing anything else.
Please try re-loading 3.2o software into your X1 or try the 4.0o again. You never know why computers do what they do.
Just last night I had to do a complete refresh on my HP pavillion. For months now, things have been locking up and causing my family such frustration, and finally I decided to just re-fresh the whole computer and reinstall software and guess what.......?Today it's perfect again. No more problems. Everything is working just like I got it 2 years ago.....I think this could be one of these problems. I wish I was there to do this for you, but I know you can do it. Call me if you have any difficulties loading the software or need my help.
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California

Ketron_AJ....YOU'RE ALIVEEEEEE
I am glad to hear from you.

Thanks George for the input, I left you a few Instant Messages today before I went to bed, did you get them?

Ok let me update you guys. Correction to my last entry in this thread...I earlier mentioned that I only notice a difference in the drumkit sound being played from the flash card. I was wrong, today, I was playing accordion1 from the OrientalKit using the Flash Card, and the key G4 was making a background noise when played (the noise was like a bad radio frequency rumbling sound -if that makes sense!). I also still hear the hissing noise with certain keys on the drumkit when played via flash card.

Concerning the style change...I THINK (not sure) that I figured it out. Its all due to the GROUP function that was added to the Arabic Mode. I wanted to be able to change styles without waiting for the measure to end, so I loaded up all 40 oriental patterns under group 1. That enabled the instant style change, but apparently that prevents teh sounds from changing. If you look in the Oriental forum I had pasted what the manual says about the GROUPS. Reading that more carefully, it says to put patterns that use the same instruments under the same group. Today, I took some patterns and Loaded them each in a different group number. The sounds were changing fine, but now the problem is my patterns don't switch until the next measure. CAN I ACHIEVE BOTH INSTANT SWITCH AND VOICE SWITCH???? If not, this sucks!

Another question for you guys. I have some new oriental sounds and patterns which I loaded into my HD other than whats on the flash card. I am able to load those into RAM then insert the CARD into the slot, and be able to access both RAM and CARD sounds (which is great because that more than doubled my arabic sounds -except for the fact that I have those noises on the card). I am able to also play patterns that were done with both "kits" (if I may call them so). The problem is, when I use the RAM patterns I have to go to DRUM SET, and change ARRANGE TO RAM, then if I want to play a pattern using the FLASH CARD drumkits, I have to stop the arranger then go to DRUM SET, then ARRANGE TO CARD, then select my new pattern and play!!!! This in arabic music is a NO NO....CAN't STOP THE ARRANGER. IS THERE A WORK AROUND?

AJ, As far as the pins being well connected, how hard do I need to push this thing in? Would it be ok if I call you on the phone to discuss this sometime? If so please email me your number or if you would rather not disclose that, I am willing to provide my phone number if you give me your email address.

George, I will try reload the OS, but first I would like to talkt o AJ to see what features will I lose if I load 3.2 vs. 4.0.

I feel that I have a sleeping Giant, and I want to wake it up....help please

Samer,
Don't bother loading in the operating system if you have figured out why the sounds weren't changing. It sounds to me like the group thing was the reason. If you don't like that the styles don't change until the beginning of the next measure, remember that the Rolands, Korgs and Yamaha all have to do this and there is no way to change this on their boards where at least Ketron has given you an option.
Hang in there, it sounds like you are figuring a lot of stuff out as you go.
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene

Thanks George, and I hope that I am wrong about my conclusions...I have not bought an arranger in a while now, but the last one I bought before the X1, was the GEM WK2. Sound quality wise I admit the X1 is wayyyy better, but as far as ease of use (which is what everyone praised the X1 about...), that I am not sure I can agree with. More specifically, it did not wait till next measure to change styles unless you hit the fill in key, then it would finish the fill in before taking you to the next style, which is the best of both worlds under my control.

I hope AJ can help me out on this issue.

George, what about the flash card issue? Did you ask Ketron about this? Before I was not too concerned because I only had that one oriental kit and I did not mind using it from the HD. But now, I have to use it from the CARD because I am using the other "kit" I have in RAM (obviously I cannot load both into RAM), so its important that my flash card does not give those noises. I will try pushing the card a bit harder in as per what AJ suggested...

Here is one very interesting scenario that I forgot to mention.

On the Oriental Kit Patterns, there is a Pattern in group 3 (per the manual) and its called FUNKY-2 (I believe). This pattern has the same sounds in Arrangements B, C and D, but has differnt sounds in Arrangement A of the same pattern. When ever I switch from A to B, C, or D (or vise versa) the pattern does not change the sounds until it has played 4 measures of the new arrangements. So going from B to A lets say, the rythem will change but the sounds in the tracks don't until 4 measures later ( I am saying FOUR MEASURESSSSSSS). What the @#$%@#$% is going on there???? That happens to be one of my favorite patterns in the kit and I have to deal with this!!!!

I guess I am disappointed because I was hoping to start gigging with my new X1 right away, but I am having to still take out my older gear because I still don't have the X1 in a good live performance status.