Kurzweil Expression Mate + Ribbon.

[jkhuri44]

Been a long while since i've posted here - hi all

Does anyone in Sydney have one of these?

I bought one months ago - and have been hitting my head against a wall trying to get it to work.
I can get it to make sporadic sounds (yesterday). first time i got quantized notes out of it.
But i'd like to know how the hell to get it working in free unquantised mode on my DAW.
i simplified things as much as possible - using a MIDI to USB (to remove any problems with local control)....
still no dice.

i really really dont want to sell this on...using a ribbon in production has been a huge revelation (currently using one on a modular rig)

[a.d.a.m. baby]

Never heard of these... just googled it and not much info.
How on earth do you achieve "unquantised" mode with a protocol like Midi? Is there some fancy pitchbending going on?
Have you tried using a midi monitor on your DAW to see what is actually coming out of it?

Best of luck, it looks an interesting bit of kit!

[jkhuri44]

damn it - sorry adambaby - i logged in a few weeks ago and saw the forum url was dead/with some server warning - so i thought that was the end, and forgtot to log back in to check for replies!!

The pitch bend is relative to what you set your pitch bend range as. so if i am in absolute mode - i'd set it as 2 octaves/24 semitones. +12 up and -12 down.

For my doepfer (analog ribbon) - playing 2 octaves over 60cm gives me the same spacing as a regular keyboard - almost. Because im playing middle eastern stuff - any smaller gaps - i cant zone into the quarternotes well enough.

with the Kurzweil - its supposed to have a few modes.

*relative mode: it will act as though youre in the middle of a pitch bend wheel as soon as you make contact - then bend either up or down.

*absolute mode/unquantized. Say you play a note 50 cents shy of a D# - it will start a midi event for D# but also with pitch bend of 50 cents up exactly the same moment and then keep recording midi cc.

i did actually install Midi OX for the first time - that was on my list of things to do. i have gotten midi to come out of it - but it has been sporadic. What i will say - is i was thoroughly warned by a synth forum member that it would make me loose my will to live. But i've been gassing over one of these for the longest time - and they NEVER come up for sale.

You're right - there's no damn info about them which sucks for something this complex :/