Ketron SD2 Sound Module

[boing93]

Hi,
anyone used a Ketron SD2 Sound module at all?..particularly for live gigs ?

Cheers
Dave

[JazzCat]

(I'm EDITING this post, to not look like such an idiot )

I use one, but I haven't for live gigs and I probably won't, no matter how much I like certain sounds that it produces. I've certainly changed my mind on that after becoming more educated and trying it with adapters
The SD-2 does NOT have +4 dBu pro line level outs ( 1/4" phono jacks) It has consumer line level outs -10dBu (RCAs)
This means that I would have to run it through the RCAs that I would normally use for a CD player for break music, and not be able to run it through a channel on the board. There goes independent volume control, trim control as well as individual EQ and anything else the channel strip on the board offers. it would be crazy to have to find a preamp to be able to use it in the channel strip.

Nix the above. It works fine with phono plug adapters, and sounded great through my system. Dunno why they stressed in school to NEVER mix signals. I must have really missed something along the way.

It appears to me that the Ketron SD-2 was made for the home computer studio hobbyist. There is no rack mount on it. It just has little rubber feet on the bottom.
The spec sheet is not a spec sheet in my book. It doesn't give info you would expect a spec sheet to give. There is no photo of the back of the unit , even on the Ketron site so you can see the connections, nor does the spec sheet specify RCAs. It claims 32 channel abilities but it only has ONE in MIDI port and one thru MIDI port That sounds like 16 channels to me.

The manual contains minimal info too.
It gives no MIDI Implementation chart, which would have been nice, so you wouldn't have to guess what data may work and what may not.

It is also fairly system exclusive message dependant if you have any desires to really do something with it other than settle for the basics, but the manual does list the SysEx. I am very shaky on how to put sysex to use so I have trouble figuring out what number to change in the string of hex to affect a change. I don't know if it's my fault or the manuals fault there.

[thingyy]

You can get converter plugs RCA to 1/4 phono.

[JohnG]

jazzcat said:

I use one, but I haven't for live gigs and I probably won't.,no matter how much I like certain sounds that it produces. The SD-2 does NOT have +4 dBu pro line level outs ( 1/4" phono jacks) It has consumer line level outs -10dBu (RCAs)
This means that I would have to run it through the RCAs that I would normally use for a CD player for break music, and not be able to run it through a channel on the board. There goes independent volume control, trim control as well as individual EQ and anything else the channel strip on the board offers. it would be crazy to have to find a preamp to be able to use it in the channel strip!! Phffft!

Hi Jazzcat,

For some reason best known to the few remaining grey cells I have, I posted a response to this in the forum on tuned percussion! Silly me.
Essentially though I have the same problem with an MU128 and soldered up some leads for RCA to jack, unbalanced to balanced. Input gain on the mixer needs lifting but otherwise no probs.
Best regards,
JohnG.

[JohnG]

Oh, and another thing!
My MU128 claims 4 x 16 channels but only has one MIDI in. Well actually 2, one front one back, but only one at a time. BUT it has a "host adapter" port which has a mini DIN socket on the back and that connects to an RS232 DB9 plug which goes into the laptop. That will support (with XGworks) 5 x 16 channels. The MU128 very conveniently allows you to overflow one of the 5 to its MIDI out. Now with 80 channels it's possible to create some really wonderful orchestral sounds with a "set" of 1st and 2nd violins, violas, cellos, woodwind and brass "sections". The module also lets you add up to 3 expander cards so better keyboards, a proper DX7, a Prophet 5, a VL synth, vocal harmoniser and massive polyphony. Most of it bought 2nd hand.

It's just such a pity that Yamaha seems to have completely abandoned all its sound modules and XG and all. The web sites have disappeared XG specs gone etc. etc.

Does the Ketron, I wonder, implement its 32 channels via a USB port? Sorry I don't know the unit.

Sorry to ramble on,
Back to work,
Best regards,
JohnG.

[JazzCat]

The SD2 has but one MIDI port in and one MIDI thru. In my book that equals 16 channels, unless I don't know MIDI as well at I thought. LOL!

The only other things it has are:
L&R RCA outs
On/Off switch
Volume slider
Headphone jack (Mini)
DC power

[trout]

Hi,
Yea i have used the ketron SD2 and the sounds are very good ,but a couple of my files played rather strange ?

I only had it on demo for 2 days but took it back to the shop as i did not rate it better than roland VSC

[JohnG]

jazzcat said:

The SD2 has but one MIDI port in and one MIDI thru. In my book that equals 16 channels, unless I don't know MIDI as well at I thought. LOL!

The only other things it has are:
L&R RCA outs
On/Off switch
Volume slider
Headphone jack (Mini)
DC power

Well, that rather rules out more than 16 doesn't it?

The reason I asked is because some sound modules have a USB or "to host" mini DIN plug that allow 2x or even 4x the standard 16.

If you've got some dough to spare there's an MU128 on ebay from synthgear in Japan for a reasonable price. Well, maybe less reasonable in the USofA with the dollar falling fast! That has 128 element polyphony implemented over 64 channels. It also has 2 TS analogue inputs to which you can add live effects. And it has 3 internal slots for adding PLG expansion cards to. Each card added increases the polyphony. They have loads of voices (>1000) but, more importantly, massive editing facilities and a whole raft (no, a ship load) of effects. Then, of course, you really have to get to grips with MIDI SysEx to get them to work well.

However the analogue out is RCA (-10dB) too but I find it works just fine through my mixer with well programmed MIDI files. I looked up the Roland Sound Canvas SC-8850 and that's -10db too and I think the SD-90 is too. I can't believe they weren't meant to be used professionally as they're exactly half width 19 inch rack mount.

Don't know if that's any use to you?
Best regards anyway and please tell us about the course.
JohnG.

[JazzCat]

Yea i have used the ketron SD2 and the sounds are very good ,but a couple of my files played rather strange ?
I only had it on demo for 2 days but took it back to the shop as i did not rate it better than roland VSC

Forgive me for taking so long to reply but again, I spent for-frikkin'-ever trying to find this thread again. Forums and I just don't get along all too well.

I rate it's sounds way above the VSC. The sounds are sampled sounds and are quite nice . My only complaint about some of the sounds is some have a much heavier vibratto than I am accustomed to and I have not gotten used to that. Don't think I will either. Another thing that makes it sometimes sound 'off' on some of those sounds is that the samples are keymapped far enough apart that on higher notes yI hear the vibratto becoming faster and on lower notes, becoming slower. That could have been avoided with more samples and one sample being key mapped to less notes. But heck, you aren't going to get one-to-one samples on something this inexpensive. There are enough sounds that it's easy enough to work around it.

As for files playing strange, well ,there lies the problem of changing to a new module. Maybe those files had something in them that is ignored by what you were playing them in before?
Again a MIDI Implimentation chart would tell you those things... if the SD2 had one.

Or, there may have been no reset in the files and the SD2 was still holding data from the previously played file. I have found that to be the case more than once. As an example, Perhaps a pitch bend not being reset to 0 so whatever is on that channel in the subsequently played file is playing off pitch. No reset and the unit does not know it is supposed to play that on 0 pitchbend.
One quick way to test that theory is to turn the SD2 off, then turn it back on again. That act resets it to all default CCs etc.

For some reason best known to the few remaining grey cells I have, I posted a response to this in the forum on tuned percussion! Silly me.

Yeah, would be cool of a moderator would move that portion of the thread here..... then I might get lucky and find it again. LOL!!