Global controls are always onscreen regardless of Edit Mode and Pattern Mode view settings. These include the Edit Mode and Pattern Mode buttons themselves at top right, the "transport" Start/Stop and Intro/Fill-in buttons, etc. at the bottom right of the panel. Let's go over these, beginning with the Edit Mode and Pattern Mode buttons.
Edit Mode- These determine which panel displays in the area to the left, above the pattern buttons. Keep in mind that the Edit Mode buttons simply select what's currently viewed, they have no effect on pattern playback or sound.
Off- Nothing displayed with a "blank" panel covering the area. This is pretty much like the original KR-55.
Mix- The Mixer page is displayed. This includes the expected volume, pan, solo, and mute buttons as well as instrument effects bus "send" buttons and signal LEDs to indicate when an instrument it sounding.
Inst- The Instrument Edit page features controls for fine (or not-so-fine) tuning instrument sound editing, plus a wide-range semi-parametric EQ for each instrument. Together, these allow minor to extreme sound tweaking!
FX- The FX page features, you guessed it, KR-55C's array of effects, including overdrive, flanger/chorus, delay, reverb, bus compressor, and bus limiter.
Pattern Mode-
Preset- Selects from one of KR-55C's 144 user rhythms. The Programmer section at right center is hidden.
User- This allows users to program and play back their own custom rhythm patterns. The Programmer section at right center is viewable and its controls are active.
BOTTOM-RIGHT PANEL CONTROLS
Swing- When KR-55C is playing a 4/4 16-step beat, Swing delays every other 16th note by a by a percentage. If this doesn't ring a bell sonically, think of Bobby Brown's "Every Little Step" or imagine the ride cymbal in an old jazz tune... ting, ting-ting-ting, ting-ting-ting... that's swingin' baby! The amount of said every-other-16th-note delay ranges from 50% (i.e. no swing, i.e., don't mean a thing) to 71% (max amount of swing, Frank-approved... actually closer to Captain Beefheart, but you get the idea).
A few of KR-55C's preset rhythms are inherently swung - Waltz, Jazz Waltz, and Rock Waltz. These swing by subdividing steps a little differently: whereas most of KR-55C's patterns are two bars long with 16th-note resolution, Waltz, Jazz Waltz, and Rock Waltz are a single bar with 1/24th note resolution. This higher resolution allows the individual beats to be placed for "built-in" swing feel. Be aware that cranking up the swing knob will make them sound a little funny (like the jazzy little drummer inside the KR-55 had a few too many Manhattans).
Swing and the Factory Preset Patterns
The Swing knob affects the factory preset patterns (i.e. Pattern Mode set to Preset). But keep in mind that since swing affects every other 16th note, it won't have any audible effect on some of the simpler 8th note-based patterns. That's because these patterns don't have any "alternating 16th" notes to swing, capiche?
If you'd like the factory patterns to play back in their original state, make sure to leave the Swing control set to its minimum value. And if you'd like to learn more about swinging, too bad, we're a family company here, so you're on your own.
Sync- Selects between KR-55C's onboard clock and tempo control and external tempo lock from a DAW. The Tempo knob will gray out when Sync is set to Ext mode. Sync is a global control - that is, its setting isn't stored with presets. However, DAW projects will remember its current position. More on this in the DAW mode section below.
Host Sync operates a bit differently depending on whether KR-55C is running in standalone mode or as a plug-in in a DAW, so pay attention, please:
Standalone Mode- When running standalone, KR-55C uses its own internal clock with BPM set by the Tempo knob. The Sync switch defaults to the Off position and is disabled and dimmed.
DAW Mode- When used in a DAW, the Sync switch defaults to the On position. Start and stop is controlled by the DAW transport, and KR-55C's tempo is locked to the DAW project tempo.
The Sync switch is global, that is, it's not stored per-preset. This was done to allow sync while auditioning patterns from the preset library. The potential downside is that some preset patterns have extreme tempo settings that might sound wrong or weird at the current DAW tempo project. However, in addition to "disconnecting" transport and tempo sync, switching Sync to the Off position also causes preset patterns to play back at their saved tempos, allowing the patterns to be heard as the programmer intended them.
If KR-55C is being used in a DAW, the Tempo knob operates differently dependent on the position of the Sync switch.
Sync / Off- Tempo is independent of the DAW project setting and the knob works normally.
Sync / On- Overall tempo is determined by the DAW project setting. When Sync is in the On position, the Tempo knob becomes a multiplier - patterns play in sync with DAW host tempo and the Tempo knob divides or multiples the host tempo from 1/4 to 4X of the DAW project tempo. A setting of 5 = original tempo.
When Sync is enabled, the Tempo knob multiplier position is not saved with presets, however, its position will save with the DAW project.
Tempo knob and LED- When the Sync switch is set to Off position this sets the tempo of rhythms over a range of 30-350 BPM. The LED glows solidly in stop mode (just like the real KR-55), and flashes quarter notes in play mode.
About Tempo Range
The max tempo rate of 350 BPM may seems absurdly fast, and this would be true when playing 4/4 factory (which is most of them) or user patterns. The reason is that the Waltz, and Ballad factory patterns and the the User mode 3 division setting subdivides the steps differently, resulting in rhythms playing back slower. Try one of the the factory Waltz patterns compared to one of the Rock patterns and it's easy to hear why the tempo range has so much "headroom."
Volume and clip LED- Sets the overall instrument volume. Keep your eye on the Clip LED to prevent ugly digital distortion (enabling the Bus Limiter on the effects page helps to prevent this).
IT'S THE MODEL BUTTON AND IT'S LOOKING GOOD - THE MODEL and PATTERN GROUP
Model- There were two editions of the original instrument: the KR-55A and the KR-55B. The 55A was release first, with 48 preset patterns, 16 intro patterns, and 16 fill patterns. The 55B came out later and doubled the number of patterns with 96 preset patterns, 32 intro patterns, and 32 fill patterns. Other than one switch alteration to accommodate the extra patterns (see Pattern Group below), they were functionally identical. The 55B also featured updated cosmetics with a swanky black and gray motif and moderately more festive panel art. Because we're Cherry Audio and we're awesome (and we like to create tons of work for ourselves), KR-55C incorporates both versions into one fabulous plugin. Now how much would you pay?!?
By now you've probably figured out that the Model button selects between the 55A and 55B versions. When the switch clicked, the case art changes, as do most of the preset pattern names. Not that the 55B version doesn't just add more patterns - though some of the pattern names are the same, very few patterns are actually shared between them.
Clicking the Model switch when Pattern Mode is set to User changes the appearance of the enclosure, but has no other effect on operation.
Pattern Group- As mentioned, the 55B includes twice as many patterns, intros, and fills as the 55A. Switching the Pattern Group switch allows access to the "alternate" 55B preset patterns, intros, and fills. If Model is set to 55A position, the Pattern Group switch is dimmed and disabled. (Just waiting for some non-manual reading type to go nuts on the internet about how this a bug and we're a bunch of dummies.)
Intro/Fill-In / Inst Trigger- This button and its panel label change depending on whether you're in Preset or User Pattern Mode. In Preset mode, it beings pattern playback with a fill pattern before playing the selected preset rhythm (for more info, see the Intro/Fill-In section of the Pattern Mode - Preset chapter). When User mode is selected, it becomes Instrument Trigger, and triggers the currently selected drum sound in the Programmer section. It can also be used to "play" instruments into currently running user patterns in real time.
Start/Stop- Starts and stops playback of patterns or songs. The QWERTY keyboard space bar will start and stop KR-55C when running in standalone mode. It's disabled it in the plug-in version because most DAWs use the space bar to start and stop the transport.
Standalone Version Panel Mode Keyboard Shortcuts
We've incorporated a few "hard-wired" keyboard shortcuts into the standalone version only. These only work on the standalone version of KR-55C, not the DAW plugin, because most DAWs have their own keyboard shortcuts, and keyboard control focus (also, some DAWs are super random and buggy about how they handle this. We definitely aren't lookin' at you, Logic.)
The QWERTY keyboard 1, 2, and 3 keys select the Instrument, Mix, and FX views respectively - this works for the 1, 2, and 3 keys above the keyboard and the ones in the keypad. The space bar starts and stops playback.
Alternatively, you can custom assign additional QWERTY keyboard shortcuts in the same way MIDI controllers are assigned - right-click on any control, select MIDI Learn, and hit the keyboard key (or hardware USB/MIDI control) you'd like to assign. It's especially useful to assign the Instrument Trigger button when in User mode.
For more information on shortcut key assignment, check out the MIDI Controllers Setup and The MIDI Tab section.
In the chapters that follow, we'll go over each section's controls in detail.