EAMIR padKontrol

The EAMIR padKontrol system uses the Korg padKontrol USB MIDI controller and PC or Mac compatible software to compose music. When the software is launched, the user can select between two modes of operation: Absolute Mode and Relative Mode. Both modes utilize the padKontrol’s 16 touch-sensitive pads to create chords in some manner.

This project was developed by V.J. Manzo, PhD and is available here. More information on EAMIR is available here.

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Hardware:

- Korg padKontrol by Korg®

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Modes:

Absolute

In Absolute Mode, the first three rows of 4 pads will map to the tones of a chromatic scale beginning on C. The first pad will trigger the tone C, the second one C#, the third D, and so on. The fourth row of 4 pads will operate similarly, but instead of triggering tones, they will signify chord qualities. The first pad of the fourth row will enable a major chord voiced across several octaves to be built whenever a user presses one of the pads in the first three rows. If a user wants to play a d minor chord, he will press the second button in the fourth row to tell the software that the chord being built will be a minor chord. Then, when the user presses the third button in the first row, the d will be sent as the chord root and the chord will sound. The touch sensitive pads take the amount of pressure placed on each pad and yield a velocity value (0‐ 127) which will determine the volume of the synthesized sound.

Sustain

By default, the system is in Sustain On mode which means that chords will sustain indefinitely until a new chord is played. When a new chord is played, the old chords decays and only the new chord is heard. With Sustain Off, the chords will only last as long as long as the user is physically touching the pad. The controller is equipped with lights for each pad that illuminate when touched, so the user will know if he is holding down the pad. If two or more of the first 12 pads are held simultaneously, the latter of the pads will be the one that produces the chord. Pressing the first and second pads of the fourth row simultaneously will toggle between Sustain modes.

XY

Both Absolute and Relative mode make use of the X/Y pad at the left side of the controller. A tonic and mode must be selected before playing; this is accomplished in the same manner when in Relative Mode. By default, the key of C Major is selected. The pad then is used to play a monophonic melody in which the X value controls pitch classes of the specified mode, C Major, across a 2 octave range. The Y value controls velocity; a position held closer to the top will yield a higher velocity value. When there is no position held on the XY pad, the velocity will equal zero. This, therefore, yields a note‐off state when the XY pad is not in use. The octave displacement of the 2 octave range can be shifted manually from within the software. A sustain mode can be enabled by pressing the HOLD button on the controller. This will cause notes played on the XY pad to sustain until another XY coordinate replaces it. The velocity (Y) will only change when a new note is triggered. A tapping mode can be accessed by selecting the tapping toggle within the software. In this mode, the tonic will sustain except when notes on the XY pad are played which replace the tonic. When the user stops playing the XY pad, the tonic will sustain once again. This allows the user to tap different points on the XY pad to achieve a unique sound.

Program Changes

The software can route the MIDI data to an external synthesizer, but it also implements General MIDI to achieve internal synthesis. The two knobs on the controller set the MIDI program values for both the XY pad and the 16 pads. These program changes will ultimately change the synthesis timbres.

Inversions

By clicking on the inversion buttons on the right, the user can have the pad generated chords played in different inversions.

Recording

To record a performance as a standard MIDI file, click the button marked “Record”. To stop the recording, press “Stop Record”. You will then be prompted to save the file to a location on your computer. The MIDI file will have the 16 pads on Channel 1, and the X/Y pads on Channel 2. The file can then be brought into any program that works with MIDI such as Pro Tools, Logic, and Garage Band, as well as notation programs like Finale and Sibelius.

Relative Mode

Relative Mode operates similarly to Absolute Mode, but In Relative Mode, the user selects a tonic and a mode before playing. The user may choose from a list of 12 pitch classes and the 28 diatonic modes of the major scale, the harmonic minor scale, the melodic minor scale, and the harmonic major scale (major scale b6). By default, the key of C Major is selected. Each of the 4 pads in the first two rows is voiced according to the chords that naturally occur in our tertian system of harmony. When pressed, the first pad of the first row will yield a C Major chord, the 1 chord in the key of C Major; the second pad of the first row will yield a d minor chord, the 2 chord in the key of C major. If a different tonality is selected, different tertian chords will be built. When a pad is pressed and a chord is played, the software determines the chord function and quality as it relates to the selected mode and tonic, and looks for the chords that normally follow the selected function. When these are found, the lights beneath these pads will begin to blink. If a user pressed the 2 chord in C Major, pad 5 begins to blink and he can easily see that the 2 chord normally resolves to the 5 chords. If the 5 chord is pressed, the chords that normally follow the 5 chord will begin to blink. This blinking does not cause any change in sound, but provides the user with suggestions for their performance with regard to the function of chords in functional Western harmony. Each of the 4 pads in the last two rows creates a secondary dominant (V/V, V/ii, etc.) for each of the chords created by pressing pads 1 – 8 (first two rows). The user can change this secondary dominant chord to a secondary leading tone chord, a minor subdominant or other borrowed chords that tonicize the 7 diatonic chords.

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