When I first received Kore I played with it and read the manual, and within a couple of days I think I got the gist of it. However, there were a couple of things that eluded me. I’ll share them just in case someone else is scratching their heads about the same things.

First thing I wanted to do was create top-level user pages that had only the parameters I wanted to manipulate live. For VSTs and the native effects, this is easy - but what about page-to-page learn for Koresounds in cases where I don’t have the full NI plugin installed? There didn’t seem to be anything in the manual about that.

Kore’s hardware controller is great, but sometimes you want control from another device.

I’m working on a Kore performance and setup that allows the use of a Nintendo Wii Balance Board (as included in Wii Fit) for live performance. I’m having a great fun and can share the results in a few days. But I realized the basic procedure applies to other tasks, as well, and may not be obvious to beginners.

Last week, I covered the way different control pages can be used:

Demystifying Kore Control Pages for Automation and Performance, Pt. I: Different Page Types

MIDI Assignment

In this case, I want to create a user page that covers “macro”-style assignments for my whole performance, so I want a performance-level user page. I can map those eight parameters to whatever I like. (For the Balance Board, I’ll just use the top four, because the hardware has four sensors. If you had an X/Y pad like a Korg KAOSS Pad, you might use just two.)

Then I want to give these MIDI controller assignments, in addition to the usual Kore Control assignments.  From the user page, click “Control.” In the bottom right, you’ll see a “Controller #” assignment. You can type in a controller number directly. (Once it’s typed in, you can drag up or down to change it with the mouse or type a new number.)

If you’ve played with creating Reaktor patches, you know the scenario: you’ve built your insane beat-mangling instrument/effect ensemble in Reaktor, but now you’d like a way to play it without fumbling around on your trackpad. Dropping Reaktor patches in Kore (in plug-in or standalone mode) gives you a nice way to do this:

• You can consolidate parameters you want to control on user control pages, so you only have to think of eight things at a time
• You can use Kore’s sound morphing capabilities
• You get instant hands-on control via the Kore controller
• The Kore controller will even display proper parameter names, as you specify them in Reaktor

The basic steps, as a review:

Derek Bell’s Uzzums is a hacked electric guitar that integrates onboard MIDI controls for manipulating Guitar Rig 3 directly. Result: no food pedals needed; Derek can control Guitar Rig right from his actual guitar, turning it into a kind of hybrid digital instrument.

This video dates to when he first finished the build; he’s been practicing ever since and will be playing on our audiovisual party at the legendary HOPE hacker conference here in New York next month. I expect to get another look at it then, and will definitely share.

Guitar Rig users, how do you control your racks? Do you use the controller from NI, or have you found another solution?

More inspiration from Derek (he created the infamous driver’s license Ableton Live controller):

db3ll @ YouTube