Korg Monotribe modifications thread

[darenager]

^ Get the OS update first

http://www.korg.co.jp/Support/Download/ ... monotribe/

This adds CV in.

[darenager]

You need 4 pole mini jack, tip as GATE, ring2 as CV, sleeve Ground. It has V/Oct or Hz

I can't read Japanese but it looks like you can config it to work with most things.

Edit looks like ring1 is not used

[BugBrand]

Wow, didn't hear of the 2.11 update yet.
Nice.
Need to go back through this thread.. out of touch is me!

[Sperrle]

You need 4 pole mini jack, tip as GATE, ring2 as CV, sleeve Ground.

thanks for info darenager, what kind of the jack is on the other end??? the same?

very strange that there is no info on such epic update?!? all I found is the japanese version...

[darenager]

I think the King Korg cable will have 4 pole 3.5mm but given the pinout it is quite easy to make a converter cable/box to use it with whatever you want. I might start making some not sure yet as might not be worth it.

For example to make a cable for the A4 you want a 4p 3.5mm to a TRS 6.35mm, total cost for cable and parts about £3 time to make 20 minutes.

[radiokoala]

I soldered such a cable but it doesn't work

One side is a 4-pole 3.5mm, and the double cable is split to two separate ones with mono 3.5mm outs (one for cv, another-for gate). When I plug any of those mono e.g. to headphones out, then speaker turns off (as it would usually do, when any cable is plugged). The same with sync in - I plug them, and monotribe stops playing (as it does when a cable is inserted but transmits no signal).

But if I plug a 4-pole jack to any of those outputs/inputs, nothing happens.

To see if cable at all is working I even plugged it with this 4-pole side to headphones out, but inserted not fully, so that a sleeve was not in a socket. Either of mono outs plugged to a mixer transmitted audio okay.

And yes, I have a 2.11 firmware.

What could be a problem??

[darenager]

Sounds like you don't have CV enabled in the set up?

[igormpc]

we need a translation here...
will i have troubles with my installed miditribe?

[darenager]

You can load the pdf into google translate and get the gist of it, I have family staying at the moment so not able to test if the midi still works, should be ok though, but if you don't want to chance it and don't mind waiting a few days I will test it - unless someone else confirms first.

[radiokoala]

Hey igormpc, is your name Igor?? Because if so, well so is mine

Can't not help the namesake, and thank you very much darenager, I figured out everything thanks to your reply

So, a translation:

to make everything work, turn off monotribe and then turn on holding SN+Gate buttons.

Step 1 = activate CV/gate
Step 2 = V/oct or Hz/V mode
Step 3 = normal gate or inverted trigger

So, basically you upload your firmware, then enter this mode and, most importantly, press step 1. CV/gate is now active, and to save changes, press REC.

Then ... that's it, there you go !!

PS: Holy shit I spent nearly two hours already sequencing monotribe from my module...I will upload something soon! (Like audio. )

[darenager]

on the base board (the one with a speaker) there is a 0603 surface mount fuse marked FU1 (it as an M on it), check if that is blown

Yes if it is blown you can simply bypass it with a jumper - you will lose the protection of the (or not as it is blown!) fuse but if you are not able to replace it at least it will get it working again, assuming this is your problem.

[wednesday]

...so if this thing can accept gate triggers I'm assuming the answer to my question is yes, I can use a 12v trigger to sync the monotribe and it won't be damaged?

[radiokoala]

...so if this thing can accept gate triggers I'm assuming the answer to my question is yes, I can use a 12v trigger to sync the monotribe and it won't be damaged?

"In addition, the gate voltage, please fit up to 20V."



BTW, as promised, I updated the CV/gate demo! (Find here)

[Altitude909]

"SYNC IN jack ø3.5mm monaural mini-phone jack
Maximum input level 20V" page 17 of the manua

Edit

Beat me to it :(*

[Suineder]

Hooooooly crap! Missing a whole new operating system is what I get for living under a rock. I'm also curious to know if it'll play nice with my MIDI mod. If so, !

Obviously Korg really want to show off the KingKORG's CV capabilities, but this update will also allow the MS-20 mini to control the Monotribe (fuckin' stoked for that). I don't think it's a coincidence at all.

[JayEm]

For those with proper cables, press record and you can save your sequence. Still only 16 steps though

[radiokoala]

For those with proper cables, press record and you can save your sequence. Still only 16 steps though

Woah Freakin awesome.

I also discovered that in cv/gate mode sync in/out are not tied together, and you have absolutely independent clock out. Drum and synth sections therefore can have two completely separate tempos which again is quite cool!

[Altitude909]

Hooooooly crap! Missing a whole new operating system is what I get for living under a rock. I'm also curious to know if it'll play nice with my MIDI mod. If so, !

Obviously Korg really want to show off the KingKORG's CV capabilities, but this update will also allow the MS-20 mini to control the Monotribe (fuckin' stoked for that). I don't think it's a coincidence at all.

Yes. The only quirk is that when they added 8 more steps, they added them in between the 8th notes, while keeping the time signature the same so if you slave it to a midi clock, it will run at 2x normal time if you want like a normal 16 step sequence

[radiokoala]

Hooooooly crap! Missing a whole new operating system is what I get for living under a rock. I'm also curious to know if it'll play nice with my MIDI mod. If so, !

Obviously Korg really want to show off the KingKORG's CV capabilities, but this update will also allow the MS-20 mini to control the Monotribe (fuckin' stoked for that). I don't think it's a coincidence at all.

Yes. The only quirk is that when they added 8 more steps, they added them in between the 8th notes, while keeping the time signature the same so if you slave it to a midi clock, it will run at 2x normal time if you want like a normal 16 step sequence

Monotribe has a half tempo setting - hold gate and then press 8. That would solve the problem. 8_)

[Suineder]

I know the half-tempo feature affects the sync i/o, but does it really apply to MIDI clock as well? That'd be kind of neat (I added MIDI to my 'tribe, but I truthfully haven't used it much).

Now, what would be really cool is if the engineers found a way to apply active step to all 16 steps in a sequence instead of the 8 sets of two. Not sure how they'd pull it off, though, because you already need three fingers to change the length of a synth or drum sequence. Perhaps add the gate time button? Sounds a bit unwieldy. Whatever, I'm fine with the active step the way it is.

[Altitude909]

Monotribe has a half tempo setting - hold gate and then press 8. That would solve the problem. 8_)

That does not apply to midi clock sync

[telegasm]

Sorry for the dumb question, but would this cable work?

http://www.lunashops.com/goods.php?id=2053

[Suineder]

Sorry for the dumb question, but would this cable work?

http://www.lunashops.com/goods.php?id=2053

Maybe. It depends on how the cable is wired. If, say, the stereo tip connects to the 4-pole tip and the mono tip goes to the second ring or vice versa, it would work. You'd have to do a continuity test.

[bartleby]

i think it's remarkable that they can add (analog) cv/gate control via a (digital) firmware update.

does this mean that the incoming cv/gate signals are first digitized before they control the analog synth section?
and would that in turn mean that incoming cv/gate-notes will be sent as midi notes in realtime if you have the midi out mod installed?
that would make the tribe into a cv/gate-to-midi converter!

has anybody with a midi-modded monotribe and fw 2.11 tried this?

[StepLogik]

i think it's remarkable that they can add (analog) cv/gate control via a (digital) firmware update.

does this mean that the incoming cv/gate signals are first digitized before they control the analog synth section?

That would be my guess. I suspect they just tied the three poles of the input jack to the GPIO pins on the CPU. So, they can do whatever the software dictates.