Korg ESX-1

[stk]

Looking at picking one up for some quick'n'dirty drum sequencing and have a couple questions:

General sequencing:
I'm after something to use live, so I want to be able to quickly do things like x0x drum sequencing, settign accents, etc.
How's the general workflow of the ESX?

Switching patterns while playing:
In the manual it looks like you have to go into the menu and select the pattern. Is this so? Seems a little longwinded for something you'd be likely to do live?

Setting pattern length/last step:
Ditto, manual says this is done in the menu, while playback is stopped. Is this so?

MIDI out: Is it possible to output MIDI in order to use the unit as a straight-up x0x drum sequencer?

Thanks!
sk

[Stab Frenzy]

Looking at picking one up for some quick'n'dirty drum sequencing and have a couple questions:

General sequencing:
I'm after something to use live, so I want to be able to quickly do things like x0x drum sequencing, settign accents, etc.
How's the general workflow of the ESX?

I've got an ESX and I'd say these things are definitely its strong points. You just press the button for the sample slot and then press the step you want, easy.

Switching patterns while playing:
In the manual it looks like you have to go into the menu and select the pattern. Is this so? Seems a little longwinded for something you'd be likely to do live?

No menus needed to switch between up to 16 patterns while it's running.

Setting pattern length/last step:
Ditto, manual says this is done in the menu, while playback is stopped. Is this so?

Not sure about this one, it's not something I do.

MIDI out: Is it possible to output MIDI in order to use the unit as a straight-up x0x drum sequencer?

Thanks!
sk

Yes you can use it as a midi sequencer.

[stk]

Great, thanks for the info!

[stk]

No menus needed to switch between up to 16 patterns while it's running.

So that would be the "Pattern Set" function, right?
Mind elaborating on the process of selecting another pattern in realtime?

Thanks!

[spbaker]

if it's anything like the originals, you can scroll thru the patterns while one is playing, once you select the next pattern you want the display will flash and it will play when the current pattern stops- i think you are reading the "song mode" section to get that info.

it sounds right that pattern length is set in the menus....

[stk]

Ah, found it in the manual, thanks lads

[stk]

Meh, just realised the ESXs that are super cheap @ Nova right now are the old SmartMedia ones. Those card seem rare as hens' teeth and twice as spendy

ESX + a handful of those and I'd be almost in Machinedrum price territory

[syzygywell]

I got my esx with the smart media slot.. I had a 35 mg card already and bought a 120 mg card for my kurzweil on ebay for 35 bucks .. this summer btw.

So I would think that having larger sample options for the esx would be more worth while than the emx but I also load samples in straight from audio.

[Paraphonique]

A few more things to add :

External sequencing : although you have something like 15 parts, the ESX can only send MIDI signals through 3 distinct MIDI channels (1 for the "drum" parts 1 to 9 and 1 for each of the 2 "keyboard" parts). Respective channel numbers are to the user discretion.

x0x workflow : the ESX is a straight and unashamed development based on the classic Roland interface.

P-Pho

[anselmi]

General sequencing:
I'm after something to use live, so I want to be able to quickly do things like x0x drum sequencing, settign accents, etc.
How's the general workflow of the ESX?

excellent, super easy and well implemented...lot of functions like save can be performed without stop the sequencer...even save to another pattern location

Switching patterns while playing:
In the manual it looks like you have to go into the menu and select the pattern. Is this so? Seems a little longwinded for something you'd be likely to do live?

as some folks said you just turn the dial and select a new pattern...only drawback is that you don´t have an "enter" key so as far as your current pattern ends the selected one starts...sometimes with a short pattern running and the next one far away in location you don´t have enough time to select it

the other method is pattern set when you just take some patterns and organize them to be selected with the step keys...this got some advantages over the other method but you loose instant on the fly step edit

Setting pattern length/last step:
Ditto, manual says this is done in the menu, while playback is stopped. Is this so?

yep...no way to do that while sequencer is running you can got different copies of your pattern with different lenghts saved in other pattern locations and switch between them live

MIDI out: Is it possible to output MIDI in order to use the unit as a straight-up x0x drum sequencer?

yes...parts 1-9 (drum parts) plus stretch, slice and audio-in part are all performed in the same MIDI channel and with a MIDI note assigned that can be changed in the MIDI menu...it just behave as a drumkit in a sampler where each drum is assigned to a key in teh same MIDI channel

so for control of synth parameters of different parts you have to use NRPN instead of plain CC since they´re all in teh same MIDI channel

then keyboards parts 1 and 2 got their own MIDI channel and their synth paramethers can be extrernally controlled by CC

[Paraphonique]

Oh, another cool thing : CC signals are also transmitted externally and can be automated by using the "motion controls". Very cool.

[chando]

yeah.. I've been lusting over a ESX-1... and I have no intention of ever hooking up it's audio. Seems like a cheap answer to an Elektron sequencer .... as long as you just keep it in the studio,

[16osc]

workflow is great. the poor man elektron for sure.

[stk]

the poor man elektron for sure.

What I've been wanting to hear, just never quite said it out loud myself

[16osc]

and the emx1 is the poor mans monomachine. both are nice and great deals used.

[anselmi]

I got all 4 and there´s some overlaped concept between EMX and monomachine for sure
the sound is very different and complementary though

about machinedrum and esx I can´t say that the esx is close enough to say it´s the poorman machinedrum

MD is much more related to synthesis and the ROM/RAM machines are very different oriented than the sample concept of the esx

[syzygywell]

I got all 4 and there´s some overlaped concept between EMX and monomachine for sure
the sound is very different and complementary though

about machinedrum and esx I can´t say that the esx is close enough to say it´s the poorman machinedrum

MD is much more related to synthesis and the ROM/RAM machines are very different oriented than the sample concept of the esx

I have 3 of the 4 (no emx) and I agree. The esx is almost like a merger of MD/MPC concepts. and the sound is very different and complimentary. I've thought about picking up an emx as well. I actually like the sound of both machines and they are stupid cheap relatively speaking.

I love what this guy is doing with his korgs.. he has a relatively inexpensive set up.2 FR revolutions and emx, esx, ravolution 309 and a novation maybe too housey/acid for some but his stuff is fun. In fact talking with him is what made me finally decide to go with the esx.

[video][/video]

ETA sorry correction He only has one FR rev.

[stk]

Thanks for the info, all.
I believe my ESX turns up tomorrow, so should be a fun weekend. Looking forward to shedding that mf through the modular

(wish it had LFO or MIDI CC control over sample start/loop points for extra shreddage, but oh well).

[anselmi]

(wish it had LFO or MIDI CC control over sample start/loop points for extra shreddage, but oh well).

It has CC (and dedicate knob) control of sample start, not loop...a shame...
Also it has a reverse button that is really cool to be operated live

you´ll be surprised by the amount of cool features that little inexpensive box has

[EMP3]

A lot of musicians I know, and respect, say an ESX is one of their core machines which they would never be without.

I totally agree. A no-brainer addition to any studio.

Much of this track is ESX. It's amazing what you can fit into the 20-odd Mb of the old version...

http://soundcloud.com/emp3/emp3-bank-10-v1-excerpt

[stk]

Well it's been fun so far, but one of the output channels is acting weird - fuzzy/distorted and heavy transients are followed by a "trail" of hiss.
Also, on powering on there's a distinct "rush" of hiss in the right channel.
This is through 'phones as well as line outs, so it's nothing external.

I'm guessing (hoping, praying!) that one of the cheap/nasty tubes is faulty.
Unfortunately for me I purchased it from the US (From Nova, I'm in Australia) so sending it back for warranty would be an expensive option.

I'm probably going to go out on a limb and buy a couple JJ ECC83S tubes to whack in there, and hope it solves the problem

Thoughts (and sympathies ) welcome.

[Stab Frenzy]

Ah, that's a bummer. I reckon it's probably just gonna be the tube though. I'm not sure exactly how they route the signal though the two stages of the two tubes, but try swapping over the tubes with each other. If the hiss goes from the right to the left you've located the source of the problem.

Have you tried using the other outputs? Are they clean? Also does the noise change depending on what level you have the tube drive setting at? I found that the tubes were best left at 9 o'clock or below for the stuff I was doing with mine, but I'm not that much of a fan of starved-plate tube distortion.

[wenzel]

Does anyone know if it's possible to use the ES-1 or ESX-1 as a drum machine and simultaneously send midi to an external bass synth for a minimal beats+bass live setup? I'm increasingly finding the workflow of DAWs a bit stifling, and I'm interested in getting something a little more immediate.

[Stab Frenzy]

It is with the ESX-1.

[carlcalm]

Late in the game but I will add, I couldn't live without my ESX-1, you can really do anything you want with it and if you can't, you're not trying hard enough.