Kurzweil PC3: the use of KDFX effects for general improvements

What's the use of some general KDFX stacks

T. Verelst

In mixing pop, rock, blues and funk, and probably quite a few other styles as well, ROMpler sounds aren't very alive, "rock an roll" very little, and sound not quite the same as the original instruments ongood sound systems, and also lend themselves not so good to various kinds of studio processing, not even to adding a Lexicon reverb.

Kurzweil in my opinion is different in that it allows studioi processing to work for various kinds o sounds, also when playing piano with a lot of notes, because when I try some complicated processing I know about from CDs and blurays, the kurzweil starts to sound pretty good though my effects, and they make sense in the same way as instruments sound on good CDs (this has to do with Loudness Curve elements being built into the sound, "rolling" and mid frequency range "anti-megaphone" processing (to prevent CDs from sounding to loud without noticing), high frequency warping which make a nice stereo sound possible, and even the rather standard CD equalisation curves (basically mid range damping and bass and some high end lifting, though this is usually done with accurate equalizer settings, in the case of pro CDs).

That the Kurzweil PC3 (I use the 76 key non-LE non-K machine) responds well to these types of processing among other things means that most likely these types of considerations have gone into the Kurzweil design at some level(s), so I thought I'd try to make it do sound improvents of some kinds I know about in the machine itself, using mainly the KDFX (though I also did VAST multi-compression to bring out details in the samples otherwise unheared).

In this case I've started to make additional effects for mainly ROM sounds (lower two banks), which change the sounds for the better.

Downloads

Musical examples, a little example practice play-along with a short Jerry Lee Lewis example (from CD) and the PC3 piano patch (with the master override effect on, and the Master Settings from below)

   master1b.mp3 44.1 kHz, stereo mp3, 256 kilobit/sec, 3 min 02 sec

A demo of 5 sounds I made with these and similar effect chains, mainly by using ROM sounds and putting in the effects (you could do the same for similar sounds, even drums work, but it may take tweaking), the second piano is the same as in the download:

   master1.mp3 44.1 kHz, stereo mp3, 256 kilobit/sec, 3 min 02 sec

The piano patch for downloading in the PC3, with associated effects:

   stdgrtv4e2l2spb4.pc3 or stdgrtv4e2l2spb4.zip (same contents for when the download type fails in your browser)

The master settings (EQ/multicompress, and the AUX2-override effect)

   master_1851eff.pc3 or master_1851eff.zip

Load these in, and try for yourself, another free download from theover.org !!

Explaining the effects a bit

In the example piano sound, which is based on an edit I'd done a while ago with two pitch shifter effects as insert , which is strange, but it worked, I've changed the soundboard simulation, and added a sidechain-equalized compressor:

PitcherA --> PitcherA --> Soundbrd/rvb --> Compress w/SC EQ

Aux1 adds a compressed distorted components, which acts as sort of a "tube" effect, and in some senses appears to satisfy to actually reduce the perceived distortion in some ways, also when playing chords of a few or many notes:

HKCompressor 5:1 --> ?Distortion+EQ

Aux2 (when not overridden by the Master section) somehow does some mid-range averaging that appears to become this patch, and combined with a nice reverberation:

Expander --> Sweet Flange --> Classic Plate

The averaging and tube subband effects are based on complicated studio considerations, which to an extend appear to influence the Kurzweil sound when tried out in it.

When adjusting effect send (on the ProgFX tab in the Program Edit Mode), or the Wet/Dry of the individual effects (when pressing edit on the insert or aux1/2 effect numbers), you'll often hear the whole sound "adjusting" itself in some way, different than using sends on a mixer: this is the purpose of this exercise!!!

Master Effect Parameters

Use channel 1 in Program Mode to play, and use "Effect-->AuxFX2" to set override to Yes, use the supplied effect chain from the download (number 1851 in my case, called "BKubes!CoTV3i6h2" as the replacement chain, Mod Override to ON, and the upper send level for channel 1 to (+)2 dB (the lower remains [p]).

Make sure you play channel 1 and that all other channels in Program Mode are off, by going over all the channels and typing "0" followed by "enter" on the numerical keypad (so that the effects of other sounds aren't using up KDFX slots, because we need almost all 16 of them).

In the effect chain, the first is "SublteDistortion" followed by "CorusMedChamber", "PseudoAnGtrFlng", and "Widespread".

The Master section, comprised of a 5 band (2 shelving) Parametric Equalizer, followed (not the other way around in this case that makes a difference) by the Master (3 band Multi-) Compressor has the following settings (like follows from the download), must be "Enabled":

Master EQ:
Para1
In/out       :In            Out Gain    : 12dB

Bass Gain : 3.5 dB   Treb Gain : -8.0 dB
Bass Freq : 98 Hz    Treb Freq : 1047 Hz

Para2
Mid1 Gain : 20.0 dB   Mid2 Gain   : -16.0 dB
Mid1 Freq : 22 Hz      Mid2 Freq   : 73 Hz
Mid1 Width: 0.500      Mid2 Width : 0.460

Para3
Mid3 Gain   : -2.5 dB
Mid3 Freq   : 123 Hz
Mid3 Width : 1.650

Master Cmpr.:
Para1
In/Out: In    Outgain : 14 dB
SC Input : (L+R)/2 ComprsChar: L&R
FdbkComprs: In      Crossover1: 311Hz
                                 Crossover2: 9956Hz

Para2
Atk Low     : 70.0ms   Ratio Low      : 1.2:1
Rel Low     : 88ms      Thres Low      : -24 dB
Smth Low : 9.6ms      MakeUp Low : -7.5dB

Para3
Atk Mid : 0.1ms Ratio Mid       : 2.7:1
Rel Mid     : 12ms      Thres Mid       : -32 dB
Smth Mid : 0.2ms     MakeUp Mid : -3.5dB

Para4
Atk High    : ms    Ratio High       : 10.0:1
Rel High    : ms      Thres High      : -30.0dB
Smth High : ms      MakeUp High : -3.0dB

Of course when you're done playing with these settings, youmy want to switch the Multi Compressor off, and set the all EQ settigns to 0dB. before loading in my Master settings, you may want to save your own, if you made important changes to the normal neutral settings. The master compressor and eq work ok with other sounds, but without the effect 2 override effects, a part of the intention is gone.

Another master section setting I used:

Master EQ:
Para1
In/out       :In            Out Gain    : 16dB

Bass Gain : 5.0 dB   Treb Gain : -11.0 dB
Bass Freq : 98 Hz    Treb Freq : 5920 Hz

Para2
Mid1 Gain : 16.0 dB   Mid2 Gain   : -18.0 dB
Mid1 Freq : 22 Hz      Mid2 Freq   : 73 Hz
Mid1 Width: 0.500      Mid2 Width : 0.460

Para3
Mid3 Gain   : -2.5 dB
Mid3 Freq   : 123 Hz
Mid3 Width : 1.650

Master Cmpr.:
Para1
In/Out: In    Outgain : 10.5 dB
SC Input : (L+R)/2 ComprsChar: L&R
FdbkComprs: In      Crossover1: 311Hz
                                 Crossover2: 9956Hz

Para2
Atk Low     : 43.0ms   Ratio Low      : 2.3:1
Rel Low     : 490ms    Thres Low      : -28 dB
Smth Low : 9.6ms      MakeUp Low : -4.0dB

Para3
Atk Mid : 0.1ms Ratio Mid       : 2.7:1
Rel Mid     : 72ms      Thres Mid       : -32.0 dB
Smth Mid : 0.2ms     MakeUp Mid : -7.0 dB

Para4
Atk High    : 0.0ms   Ratio High       : 10.0:1
Rel High    : 4ms      Thres High      : -33.5dB
Smth High : 0.1ms   MakeUp High : 0.0dB

Some further reading

This page on my server about tube and mid range averaging effects (with 192kHz/32 bit floating point /channel Linux LADPSA/JACK effects).

A short example of a RO M PC3 epiano trough processing (Keyboard magazine Forum)

All right, all right, another PC3 download (idem) about some studio effect usage

A warmer piano sound with tubes (idem)

Chasing the KwackerKnack ? (cunka forum) about a certain aspect of the sound engine

Strange EPiano error (idem) keys not sounding while pressed when certain "balances" are struck with my sounds

Can a Kurzweil sound fat analog ? (idem) effects of combined VAST/KDFX multicompression

A youtube video I made about low-mid band processing and mid-range averaging applied to an AC/DC CD, and measurements of the output signal with 1/3 oct spectrum analysis and a FFT based spectogram, simultaneously.