I recorded these today using the mic on my Zoom H2. The recordings are not wonderful but I think you can hear the KMA well enough - so here they are.
The venue is one I do gratis - most of the residents are on their way to hospice and many can't speak or move about without help. Not much reaction from them but you can tell they are listening. I play two of these places and always feel blessed when I leave.

http://www.4shared.com/folder/lSpVwSVc/KMA_Gig_Recordings.html

Deane

Hammer,

Thanks for you great heart for those going to a hospice.
Your post really made my day.
The recordings sound very good.

Thanks Deane,
Appreciate your playing for venues like this.
The KMA sounds really good, and nice playing. I enjoyed them all especially Waltz Across Texas.
Keep up your good work

is there a direct link to these songs...?

Donny,
Only the 4shared link provided in the post.
Deane

Thanks so much for sharing those with us Hammer. The KMA is a nice versitle instrument. I love the harmonica sound that you used so nicely on Star Dust and the Texas waltz. I think that is my favorite KMA voice.

Could you tell us which styles you were using? Also considering you have one of the best arrangers out there (Tyros 4) how do you decide on which keyboard to take to the gig?

is there a direct link...they keep asking me to join?

Montunoman,
I gig just about on a daily basis. Even though I have nearly 2000 songs setup on my Tyros 4 that I can use I end up playing the same songs all the time - generally by request. I get bored with the same old sounds all the time so I grab various keyboards for gigs every once in awhile. The KMA is limited by the lack of a variety of styles but the styles I have found useful are very good. That was my complaint when I had the PA1X and PA2X pro too. So far all the places i have played with the KMA the people said they liked it a lot.

Donny,
'the link should work for everyone - no special membership is needed.

Deane

Nope, keeps asking to join.
I like box.net better. No commercials, no sign up etc.
Just a thought
Eric

deane something is wrong it keeps asking you to join?

Ditto!

Gary

Try this link and see if it works.
http://www.4shared.com/folder/lSpVwSVc/KMA_Gig_Recordings.html?refurl=sharedfolderurl

Deane

Still the same...
Have to join.

Still wants me to join. They have changed up everything there. Many of us don't go there now. Wish I could hear the songs though . . .
DonM

Ok, here they are on Box.net. Again, the recordings are not the best. I figured out how to setup my Zoom to get better recordings and will try again.
http://www.box.com/s/d5cf723d4a8d9ea563ef

Deane

Deanne that's MUCH better on boxnet!!! really enjoyed the great live sound of the KMA...love the harmonica......you might wanna try to go direct into the H2 next time to avoid the talking etc ....otherwise nice job as always!! The KMA continues to prove itself !!

come on folks let's get real....

Deane, I bow my head in respect for you performing for these people and I also think you are a better player than I am. But the sound of the Micro here is downright horrible , mainly due to the mike recording I presume and I hope. Months ago you got hold of all of my programming and you have been sorting things out very carefully I know. But even apart from my four years of programming on it ( PA50) this little box sounds so much better than what we hear in these recordings. I know it, you know it and all folks who have one know it. So let us please call a spade a spade.

I am just trying to be honest here Deane, you know I mean well....

kind regards,
John

Hi John,
I mentioned in my post that the recordings were not real good. There are a few people here who wanted to know how the KMA did on live gigs. I am beginning to get things sorted out and have a very good starting point in getting my little KMA setup the way I want. I still hold my position after owning and gigging with the PA1X, the PA2XPro and now the KMA that Korg falls very short of having a wide selection of styles in each genre so the performing pro can add variety to his performance. I don't know anything about the PA3X. I like the little KMA and will continue to use it on gigs and will continue to tweak things until I get what i want.

Anyway, the three songs are just a little taste of what I am doing with the KMA and when I get the recording process ironed out I will post a few more for folks to hear. It is a really great sounding keyboard - especially with the 2 Bose Compacts. Things would go a lot better if Korg had software to help organize performances after you save them.

Deane

Just when we finally have people posting & sharing their work...
It's posts like this that make people NOT POST THEIR SONGS !

Hi,
Very helpful post. Please keep sharing your work with us.
Thanks,
Deaton

Deane,

I'll give you a call in the morning and see if I can walk you through the recording process over the telephone. It's not difficult, just a few things make a huge difference.

Gary

Hi Deane,
Thanks for taking the time to put it up on Box.net.
I enjoyed your recordings.
Eric

Why use these web sites that require you to join when you can attach them to postings here at Synth Zone and they will stay here for ever. You can attach any MP3 up to 6MB. Just use the File Manager link when you post to attach them.

I agree with you 100% Donny. I am guessing some people just don't know that live mic recordings are all about the performance and not about recording quality. They probably just don't perform and record much live to understand the limitations. Anyone can produce a clean recording at home in a controlled environment. But I can listen to manufacturer demos for that. I am more interested intruments being used in a live performance.

Deane has done a great job of letting us hear the KMA being used on a live gig. Bring on more of it.

Deane,

I am glad you did not take offence to my remarks because you know full well none were intended. I only expressed my honest views on the matter.
I am looking forward to hearing your stuff with quality recording, simply line in line out will be amply sufficient to show us your proficiency and the qualities of this little gem.

best of luck,
John

Yes John, if there aren't any vocals a direct line out would work well.

Deanne you got mail

I have used the Zoom H2 with my Tyros 4 several times and used the line in from my T4 headphone output and it worked great. The Korg KMA headphone output level is a lot hotter than the T4's and it seems to overwhelm the H2 and all I get is horribly distorted recordings. I am experimenting with various recording levels on the H2 and will post my findings when I finally get a solution. I think others here also use the H2.

The Korg KMA has a lot more power output than does my T4. I run my Bose speakers a lot lower for the same sound output when using the KMA.

John, no offense taken.
Donny, got your email - thanks.

Deane

Hi Deane,

Why would you want to use the headphone out of the Korg , it has a full stereo LINE OUT next to the headphone out. You should not have any distortion connecting this line out to your line in on the Zoom. You can then trim the recording volume probably in two ways, first with the volume sliders of the Korg ( cause I seem to recall they respond to the line out as well ) and of course with the recording level on the Zoom recorder.

regards,
John

John,

The line out shouldn't change with the volume adjustment--it should remain constant. The headphone out, at least with most keyboards, is directly effected by the main volume control. There is an input adjustment on the Zoom-H2 for both the mic and the Line-In.

When vocals come into play, the only option using the KMA, unless the vocals were fed through the keyboard's auxiliary input, would be to use the Bose L1 Compact's Line-Out, which is pretty hot, and adjust the H2's input down to about 50 percent. This would prevent clipping and distortion during the recording, while at the same time still provide a recording identical to what the audience is hearing, and without audience background noises. The H2's mics are somewhat omni-directional and relatively long ranged, therefore, they'll pick up just about every noise in the room.

Good Luck,

Gary

John,

The line out shouldn't change with the volume adjustment--it should remain constant. The headphone out, at least with most keyboards, is directly effected by the main volume control. There is an input adjustment on the Zoom-H2 for both the mic and the Line-In.

Hi Gary,
I am afraid you are wrong there. I know that normally speaking a line out should not be aligned to the volume knobs etc. but believe you me it does with the Micro, and to the best of my knowledge it does so with most Korg keyboards. I just double-checked in my own set up where the Micro is coupled to a Yamaha PSR900 and like I said, also the Line Out of the Micro runs via the volume sliders.
In a way this is a bonus to Deane, cause as I mentioned earlier on this way he can trim the recording level to perfection in two ways.

regards,
John

Nigel ... thnx for that reminder ... I know I never think of that when posting a song ...

Also, for those of you who had a problem with the 4shared site, could it be the browser you are using? ...

Deanne ... thnx for posting your songs ... playing for NH is a most rewarding gig ...
BTW ... that is some set-up for a 1 hour gig ...

Hi Tony,
I learned years ago if you plan on getting paid for your work you need the good equipment for the job. I get lots of comments about my gear. I also feel like the audiences I play for deserve to have entertainers who take the jobs seriously.

Deane

Deane ... we all do what we do in our own way, and the only thing that matters is that the audience likes what we are doing ... By NO MEANS am I "criticizing' your set up ... just by comparison, I played a NH on Monday using my KN6000, Digitech Harmonizor, and one Podium 10, and the best words I heard were "we can't wait for you to come back" ...
As I said, do what we do, make beautiful music, and satisfy the audience ...

You may be right with Korg, John, but Line Out levels are traditionally fixed--not variable and not effected by volume controls. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_level Anything other than a fixed level would not really be considered Line Out output voltage.

Gary

Hey guys, mute point. My KMA does not have a line out - midi out -but no line out.

Deane

Looks like you'll have to use the Line-Out on the L1 Compact.

Gary

Gary,
Missed your calls - played multiple gigs today. There is no Aux line out on the KMA. I'll keep experimenting with the various options until I get a good setup. I tried again today using the headphone output and using three different record levels from 25%, 50% and 75% and all three were distorted. The real challenge is most of the styles have different volume levels and it is tricky to get the record levels set for a gig. I tested it on my T4 it worked perfectly - really strange.

Deane

Hey guys, mute point. My KMA does not have a line out - midi out -but no line out.

Hi Deane,

Either there is a separate version for the USA market or you are mistaken.....
At the back from left to right you have Headphone out, Line in, and then
OUTPUT Right and OUTPUT left/mono. They are the line out and though I agree with Gary on principle these outputs go via the volume sliders............

regards,
John

John
I presume he knows about those as he uses them for his speakers. He probably wants to direct record while mains are in use.

Hi Bernie,

You are correct of course, something I overlooked.
But like you say where is the problem in feeding the Micro via its Line Out in the the Line In of the Bose set , and connecting the Line Out (at the back of the BOse) to the Zoom Line In ?
I don't know what level comes out of this Bose line out, but I repeat once more that on the Micro the outgoing level of the line out is also controlled by the two master volume sliders.
In comparison line dancing is beginning to sound like a piece of cake....


John

A small mixer could solve this whole problem...just sayin'

Correctimundo

This little mixer w/Fx could handle any OMB act with mixing and recording...I love mine..

Ok folks, these should be a lot better. Recording setup was from my Bose L1 Compact into the Zoom H2.

Here is the link again.


http://www.box.com/s/d5cf723d4a8d9ea563ef

Having being sceptical about the Micro arranger from the beginning, I must say Deane you make it talk loud and clear.

I really enjoyed listening to those tunes, very tasty.

Frank

Deanne much better quality on all except stardust which was a bit weird in recording quality but in STEREO ? ...But, waltz across texas, tenderly, it had to be you, don't get around much, were clear and sounded very good but were all in MONO as it all came out of my left speaker only?..was that intentional..or?

Donny,
not intentional but the recordings were done from a single Bose Compact. I ran both KMA outputs into the Bose using a combo cable.
I wasn't trying to do stereo - just to get a better sounding set of recordings.
Deane

Deane ok that explains it well you certainly succeeded on getting a better recording this time around for sure......hope to hear many more tunes down the road...appreciate you sharing your work...thanks.

Hey Deane

Mono or stereo, you went to a lot of trouble. We know how good the KMA sounds, and it was just a matter of getting the technical aspects in order.

Thank you for your efforts and very enjoyable presentation.

Bernie

Now you've got it! Sounds a whole lot better, and it's a great representation of the way the keyboard sounds to your audiences.

Thanks Deane,

Gary