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Review/ Korg Pa300 / Operative System 2.0/ Expansion of audio levels

Stairway to levels!

Rising the audio levels for KORG Pa300!

By ngel Diego Merlo

With the update of the 2.0 OS:

The youngest in the family
raises his voice, taking the
sound feel to an unbelievable
enhancement
of
volume
perception. This is thanks to the
latest OS version in the Korg
Pa300, which adds a mastering
compressor expansor at the
end of the audio process. KORG
listens to the musicians needs
and implements this mighty
feature in the Pa300 models.

Fundamentals of sound amplitude

Just to start getting into the subject, lets go over some basic concepts about sound physics.
Sound is basically produced by tiny changes in the air pressure (oscillation or pulse), produced
by an elastic body that has been put under vibration. These changes are transferred via a chain
reaction, that reaches our external ear, causing the tympanic membranes to move (together
with the internal series of ossicles), which shake within the cochlea (a spiral-shaped cavity
filled with liquid and hair cells). The vibrations within the liquid of the inner ear cause the hair
cells (cilia) to move, producing an electric impulse (Organ of Corti) which travels to the brain
through the auditory nerve and creates the HEARING SENSE.
The two variables that cause this sound phenomenon (and every sound phenomena) are related
to the AMPLITUDE and TEMPO of the oscillatory movement.
Some may think that an electronic keyboard such as the Pa300 is an electronic instrument that
produces the sound in a digital or electric way. Actually, this is a mistake. What produces the
hearing sense is the SPEAKER. This is the actual elastic body that produces the vibrations (it is
a membrane that oscillates when stimulated by electric impulses) causing micro changes in the
air pressure surrounding us and creating that hearing SENSE.

If we could put a pencil at the top of the speaker and have a piece of paper running in front
of it, we would get a picture showing the changes in air pressure throughout a period of time.
Actually, there is such a device and its called OSCILLOSCOPE. The following is a graph that
represents the variations:

SIGNAL-NOISE
RELATION

VALLEY OF THE SIGNAL

NOISE FLOOR

RANGE
DYNAMIC

AMPLITUDE

PEAK OF THE SIGNAL

TIME
From the graph we can take several important concepts for music in general that we can use to
understand SOUND LEVELS in the keyboards:


NOISE FLOOR: The amplitude of the background noise that every acoustic system
has, whether its electric or digital. Any signal needs to be away from the floor in order to be
heard. The further it is, the better its heard.


DYNAMIC RANGE: The distance between silence and the loudest sound in
amplitude that the system can tolerate. From the floor (silence) up to the roof (HEAD ROOM).
It is measured in dB1. The wider the range, the better. The human ear has a dynamic range
that goes from 0 dB SPL (Sound Pressure Level) to 160 dB SPL, which is the limit the human
eardrum can stand.


SIGNAL-NOISE RELATION: This relation (SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO) is defined
by the difference between the possible dynamic ratio and the noise floor. In any hi-fi sound
device, the SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio) should not be under 90 dB of difference.


PEAKS AND VALLEYS OF SIGNAL: These are the moments of maximum and
minimum amplitude that take place within the time of a sound signal. If the amplitude is too
strong, it will basically hit against the roof (HEADROOM) causing an AMPLITUDE DISTORTION
(sometimes called saturation). If its too low, it will not be able to get through the NOISE
FLOOR.

Decibels are a comparative measure of amplitude, not an absolute value.

The lab challenge

Now that we have gone over the basic principles of sound, we are ready to understand the
challenges that a designer faces when dealing with levels in an electronic instrument. Lets
imagine that we represent the DYNAMIC RANGE of a keyboard, as the capacity of a jug to
be filled with water (the ability of the speakers to create a VOLUME FEEL, without causing
AMPLITUDE DISTORTION).
First of all, lets perform a little experiment in our imaginary lab. Lets imagine that the maximum
capacity of our jug is 120 dB. On a table, we put ten glasses that will fill the jug. Each glass has
a capacity of 12dB. If we pour the content of each glass inside the jug, it will perfectly contain
the total amount of liquid offered by the glasses.

KEYBOARD B

KEYBOARD A

If instead, we have 20 glasses on the table and intend to use them all and they are full of liquid,
by the time we pour the eleventh glass in the jug, it will overflow. So in this case, each glass
should be filled up to 6 dB each. This way, if we pour the 20 glasses inside the jug, it will not
SATURATE with liquid and it will be able to contain them all. The numbers used here are random
and simple, just to make the concept clear.

10 glasses of 12 dB each one.

20 glasses of 6 dB each one.

1 jug of 120 dB.

1 jug of 120 dB.

In reality, this is what happens in the Pa300. Some users pointed out that they felt it sound
stronger than the Pa50sd. And the feeling seems to be correct. But actually, the big difference
between both keyboards is that the Pa50 has a capability of 64 polyphonic voices (64 glasses),
while the Pa300 has a capability of 128 polyphonic voices. Regardless if the power of the
amplification system is similar in both keyboards (with 3 W of difference). That is the reason
why, if we only listen to one instrument and because the polyphonic voices are wide in the
Pa300, the levels have to be lower.
Furthermore, when you use the TOTALITY of the polyphonic voices and reach the maximum
demand of amplitude (by intensely playing the sounds, with many effects and using the complete
sequencer with its 16 multi-timbre parts), then the sound feel will be similar in both keyboards.

An example in the real world

Lets imagine we are in a small room, closely listening to a group of three instruments, all of
them at a very high volume:

The hearing feel in that room will be bearable and probably pleasant. The sum of the individual
volumes of the instruments will fill our sound expectations, reaching 150 dB SPL, so we will
listen clearly and loudly to each instrument.
Lets imagine, in that same room, the sum of various instruments of the same type and some
new ones:

We will forcedly reach the volume limit our ears can bear. We will exceed the hearing capacity
and be close to the limit of pain (what we would call -in terms of electricity- amplitude distortion).
The way to avoid this problem without the instruments stopping is: MOVING AWAY.

That will let us listen to more instruments, clearly now the general volume feel of the group
is the same, but the partial volume of each instrument has decreased individually. This is
what happens when we add more polyphonic voices or more simultaneous instruments to our
synthesizer.

Going deeper
The following presentation is a more technical graphic, which shows how the flow of information
influences the process toward reaching the maximum capacity of amplitude in amplification.

Note On MIDI:
Velocity = 127

16 parts of
multitimbral
and 128
polyphonic
voices.

MIDI controllers:

Insert FX:

CC#07 =127
CC#11=12

Compressor,
EQ,
Reverb, Delay...

Common FX
(send level):
EQ, Reverb,
Aural Exciter...

DSP processing
of realtime
signal:
Converssion
DAC

Final
Amplification:
Electric &
acoustical

This is obviously affected by the velocity at which we have sent the NOTE ON commands, the
level of amplification in the MIDI CHANNEL, managed by controllers #07 and #11 (volume
and expression), the effects that are sent to the inner effects of the PCG (Compressor, Aural
Exciter, Delay, etc.), the sum of all these SIGNAL REQUESTS, in all the MIDI channels and all
the MULTI-TIMBRE parts (specially the ARRANGER MODE and the SEQUENCER MODE) and
the participation of all this AMPLITUDE request in the FINAL effects (as for instance, common
reverb, chorus and now thanks to this new implementation of the OS Compressor, Limiter,
Expander.

The solutions!
So, facing this technical situation, how do we increase our FEELING of a HIGHER VOLUME? The
options are a few:


Enhancing the volume feel by amplifying the whole system via an external
amplification device, such as a powered speaker or even a whole PA system that could reach
levels enough to shake a complete building.


Changing to a higher quality keyboard where we can have a larger amplification
system, such as Pa 600 or Pa900.


Using a Compressor, limiter, expander, which is one of the NEW FEATURES of the
new OS Pa300 v 2.0.

How does a compressor, limiter, expander

work?
Lets look at the following amplitude graphic. Its a digital version of a MIDI file executed
by KORG Pa300, without using the FINAL LIMITER (which means, without using the upgrade
feature in the OS):

Due to this being instrumental music, just produced in the keyboard, we can observe that
the signal amplitude has peaks and valleys in the volume. There are moments in which there
are less instruments in the orchestration -or the playing is softer, and moments in which the
volumes rise considerably. The limit of amplitude will be set by the moment in which dynamics
are stronger in the sum of all their signals.
A compressor or an expander limiter, is a process of the signal. In the case of our Pa300, its a
digital process (DSP) that is set before the final amplification phase, so that it helps firstly to
COMPRESS THE DYNAMIC DIFFERENCES (attenuating the differences between strong and soft)
and secondly to deliver a FEELING OF HIGHER SOUND.
This is not an exclusive technique of our keyboards. Any COMMERCIAL MUSIC is put through
this MASTER COMPRESSION process. So what we now have is that FINAL sound much more
COMPRESSED, in case we need to use the feature. We will discuss the aesthetics of compression
in the future, how to use it, program it and when it is convenient to use. But in order to
understand the process, the following graph represents the same music, but now with the
Pa300 compressor activated:

The VOLUME feel will be absolutely perceived as increased. There hasnt been an actual increase
because the capacity of our jug is still 120 dB (continuing with the previous example). What
happens is that we have softened the differences in volume and this, applied at the length of
a musical performance, gives us the FEELING of an enhanced sound. We havent exceeded the
capacity of the system in amplitude, we have SOFTENED THE DIFFERENCES and then increased
the whole result with the EXPANSOR, thus reaching the top edge of the jug.
In this picture that summarizes the new implementation of the 2.0 OS in KORG Pa300, we can
understand the upgrade:

Uncompressed signal

Pa300 limiter

Compressed-expanded signal

In a future review, we will learn how to program and set parameters for the compressors of the
PCG (software) and also for the final compressors (master) in our KORG keyboards. There is
no doubt that this new feature in the Pa300 will take our professional arranger to a whole new
level in the achievement of sound similar to that of a professional master.
We could later discuss aesthetic issues such as if a master should be very compressed or
not or if we should use the dynamic range without compression, but the truth is, the tool is
there. It works wonderfully. It DRAMATICALLY ENHANCES THE SOUND FEEL of the Pa300 and
all KORG users are grateful for this new UPDATE.

ngel Diego Merlo

diego.merlo@importmusicusa.com

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CREDITS
Content: Angel Diego Merlo
Translation: Denise Francia
Illustration: Silvana Noya
Design: Romina Noel Campanelli

Import Music Argentina SA

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