KVR Audio

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 1:02 am

Some of you may recall that I was hanging out for this thing for months and months. Well, I finally got it last week and whilst it is really good in many areas it has one fatal flaw - you cannot set the MIDI channel that it transmits on. It is set to Channel 1 and that's it. If you want to control different instruments at different points in a song, forget it, it's not possible. Or if you want to control both software and hardware without lots of messy repatching, forget it.
When I posted about this on the Line 6 forum, I got responses from people using Cubase who didn't even know what a MIDI channel is, so clearly it is not designed for hardcore electronic musicians so much as for guitarists who want to dabble a bit with software sequencers. I will probably swap mine for a 49 key XioSynth which is a little larger than I need but it should be far more useful as a controller, if not as an audio interface and I already have a UX2 so that's not an issue.

thecontrolcentre · Post by **thecontrolcentre** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 1:15 am

BONES wrote:I will probably swap mine for a 49 key XioSynth

Good move ... the KB37 is a bit of a toy, really

Killvehicle · Post by **Killvehicle** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 1:26 am

The midi channel assignment flaw is rather insane... Thats inexcusable..

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 3:35 am

thecontrolcentre wrote:
BONES wrote:I will probably swap mine for a 49 key XioSynth
Good move ... the KB37 is a bit of a toy, really

I dunno. A 49 key synth will not be carry-on luggage and the audio I/O is nowhere near as good as the TonePort stuff with GearBox and all. This thing is the perfect size for my needs, in terms of no. of keys vs physical size, and works really, really well except for this one thing. If I want to I can go through and re-jig all our songs to deal with it and put up with the slight annoyance of having to change settings every time I insert an instrument, or I can put up with a synth that either has too few keys or isn't portable enough.
Or I could wait around for the new KORG R3 and keep using the UX2 as I/O, which is firming as my best option - I just need info on release dates for it. At least Line 6 do seem to be trying to help me out and I'm sure they could add MIDI Channel selection via a software update if they wanted to.

TotcProductions · Post by **TotcProductions** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 4:31 am

Thanx for the report Bones. I can't believe they didn't put that in there.

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 8:15 am

I'm surprised that I seem to be the first person to have noticed it.

dachilles · Post by **dachilles** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 1:10 pm

I was also really interested in the KB37. It seemed to fill the bill in all regards. Then I read that is was made kind of flimsy and guessed from the problems that some were having over at line 6 forums that maybe the midi wasnt to well implemented. So I got an Axiom49 and have really enjoyed it.

Much as I like my Line6 gear > Dont hold your breath waiting for software updates.

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 10:07 pm

I don't get the criticism a lot of stuff gets for being flimsy. Look at how the SH101 was made and most of them are still in good working order 20-odd years later. The KB37, like the UX2, feels really sturdy to me - the plastic is very thick and the knobs are rock-solid. My biggest concern is because it has a car-like paint finish that it will get scratched. But it has a car-like paint finish! It's all shiny and lustrous, how cool is that!?!
I've had lots of software updates since I first installed my UX2 a few months ago and the Line 6 Monkey does a great job of keeping everything bang up to date for me. I imagine that making a setting to change MIDI channels would be relatively easy so I am hopeful that it might get done at some point, I just need to convince them that no-one will take their controller seriously without it.

Hellbilly · Post by **Hellbilly** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 10:20 pm

So the only complaint you have with the Toneport is specific to the keyboard version? Just want to ask as i'm about to purchase a UX2 this week and hoping i wont find any nasty surprises with it.

You have good experience with UX2 Bones?

But you are right, it's amazing something important like this just slipped through.

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 11:07 pm

The UX2 is fantastic! I have been really happy with it.

Sascha Franck · Post by **Sascha Franck** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 11:47 pm

I tried the KB37 in the shop, originally I wanted to buy it, but didn't because the build quality really didn't make it for me. I can't second BONES' opinion on this, to be honest.
The concept in general is great, though, especially for guitar players with mobile needs.
I'm waiting for some middle-term reports...

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 1:23 am

What aspect of build quality concerned you? All the knobs are very well attached and the unit is solid as. Sure, the chrome finish looks cheap but it works perfectly well.

Sascha Franck · Post by **Sascha Franck** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 1:37 am

BONES wrote:What aspect of build quality concerned you? All the knobs are very well attached and the unit is solid as. Sure, the chrome finish looks cheap but it works perfectly well.

For me, the knobs didn't give me much of a "solid" feeling. But that's probably because they're plastic (which shouldn't be a problem per se). But apart from that, the in/out jacks didn't look all that shiny either, and that's something I'm really concerned about.

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 12:18 pm

What else would knobs be made of? every synth I have ever owned has had plastic knobs and sliders. I waited until I got home to have a look before replying but my KB37 is every bit as solid as any synth I have ever owned, and more solid than a lot of them. I really don't understand what people expect - I wouldn't want to pay extra for better build quality, it would seem superfluous.

gunnare · Post by **gunnare** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 11:14 am

Thanks for the report bones!
I have been watching this controller closely.
Is the asio driver efficient? I see that the reocommended CPU is 2.5 gHz. It seems to be very high.

All the best
gunnare

Line 6 TonePort KB37 - A Warning