Understanding The KDF File

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Understanding The KDF File

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killerperm

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Understanding the KDF File

(and how it relates to Programs, Combis, and PCG)

Revision 04-Sep-2011 © by Stephen Kay

What is stored in a KDF file?

The diagram to the right is a representation of the

contents of a KDF File. There are a number of Per-
formance Banks (which correspond to banks of
Combis and Programs in the M3, according to the
setting of the Bank Type parameter in the Perform-
ance Bank Display Window), a number of GE Banks,
a number of Template Banks, and several banks of
other data for various purposes.

As shown, Performances are actually comprised of

two separate pieces that are associated with each
other: the Performance Bank piece (that stores the
KARMA-related parameters in the Performance that
you are editing in the KM3 software), and the PCG
Bank piece (that stores the PCG data for that Pro-
gram or Combi, as the keyboard stores it, which
contains all of the synthesizer parameters as well.)
You do not actually see the PCG Bank pieces in the
KDF window, but they are inside the file. (You don’t
see the Name pieces or Note Map Data in the KDF
Window either, but they are accessed in various
name selection dialogs and the Note Map Editor.)

The PCG piece for each Performance is basically

what you get when you do a SysEx dump of a Pro-
gram or Combi. It contains the KARMA settings as
they are stored in the M3, plus all of the other syn-
thesizer and effects related parameters – the entire
Program or Combi.

The Performance piece contains a different non-

Korg representation of the KARMA parameters, as
they are stored in the KARMA software. When you
are using the software, the internal KARMA of the
keyboard is disabled, and you are hearing the effect of the Performance and GE settings that you are
editing in the software. In other words, in normal use, the software replaces the keyboard’s internal
KARMA while you are using it.

It’s important to note that when you select a Performance in KARMA software, it does not dump any
Sysex data to the keyboard. It simply sends a Program Change and Bank Change that selects the cor-
responding Program or Combi. So when working with the keyboard and the software, you should be
editing the KARMA settings in the software, but editing other sound-related parameters in the key-

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board itself, and storing the changes in the location that matches the Performance in the KDF file.
(Yes, you can actually choose a different location to be called up when a Performance is selected, in
the Performance Editor > Korg page, but that is not recommended except for advanced users and
special situations.)

When you edit a non-KARMA parameter in the M3 itself, such as the volume or pitch transpose of a
timbre in a Combi, or the Program in a timbre, or the IFX/MFX, you should save those changes in the
M3 in the normal fashion. However, this does not reflect that change to the PCG Bank piece of the
Performance that is currently stored/loaded in the software. If you were to send that Performance
back to the keyboard via Sysex, it would revert to the previous settings (since you would be sending
the “old” PCG data.)

How does this relate to the sending and receiving of Performances?

The diagram above explains the relationship between sending and receiving Sysex of Programs and
Combis between KM3 and the M3, and the stored data in the KDF file.

When you “Get Performance” from the M3, you have a choice of “Replace” or “Merge”:

Replace: The PCG data of the Program/Combi is stored in the PCG Bank piece in the correct lo-
cation, replacing what was previously there. This includes the KARMA settings as pres-
ently stored in the keyboard. Then, those KARMA settings are converted to the KM3
format, and stored in the Performance Bank piece, replacing the previous KARMA set-
tings. Therefore, the KARMA in the KDF and the KARMA in the M3 are now a duplicate
of each other. Furthermore, the Drum Track On/Off and Switch Mode settings, which
are not technically part of KARMA, but are included in the software to allow you to
conveniently edit and control the Drum Track along with the KARMA settings are re-
placed in the Performances such that they reflect the state of the M3.

Merge: The PCG data of the Program/Combi including the current KARMA Settings replaces
the data in the PCG Bank piece, same as above. However, nothing is done to the
stored KM3 KARMA settings and Drum Track settings; they stay as they are, with all
your edits. This is part one of how you combine edits in the keyboard with edits in
KM3.

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When you “Send Performance” to the M3, the KARMA settings of KM3 are first converted to Korg’s
format, then combined with the PCG data in a temporary buffer, replacing the KARMA settings in the
PCG piece, and the new PCG Program/Combi is sent to the M3. This is the second part of how you
combine edits in the software with edits in the keyboard, and get the whole thing back into the M3.

Note: when you “Get Performance Bank”, you have a third option, which is “Create New Bank” – this does
essentially the same thing as the “Replace” option above, while creating a completely new bank in the KDF
file, leaving the original bank as it is.

Summary of Editing Procedure

- Edit the KARMA related parameters in the KARMA M3 software.
- Edit all other settings in the M3.
- When finished, “Get Performance” from the M3 via Sysex, and Merge it into the location of the KDF
File, preserving the KARMA edits you have done in the software.
- Then “Send Performance” back to the M3 via Sysex, into the same location, thereby combining the
software’s KARMA edits and the PCG data and replacing what was previously in the M3.

This is explained in more detail, along with an in-depth real-world example, in the Tutorial “Editing a
Combination with KARMA M3, and Merging the data with the M3”:
(Editing And Merging A Combi.pdf).

Additional Information

Note that it is not necessary or required to have the PCG Bank pieces stored in the KDF File. On one
hand, it does make the file about 40% larger, although that’s not a large concern in this day and age.
On the other hand, you cannot send the data back and forth via Sysex without the PCG component –
KM3 will ask you to add it if you try to send data from a KDF file that does not contain it. If you are
never planning to use the material you create in KM3 software without running KM3, then there’s
really no need to be sending and receiving Performances back and forth.

In any case, at the top of the KDF window you will see the “Contains PCG Data” checkbox. If you turn
this off, it strips the PCG Bank pieces out of the file. Saving it in that state would result in a smaller file.
If you turn it back on, it would then add blank initialized PCG Data to the file – useful, perhaps, if you
want to initialize a bank in the M3 and there’s no other way to do it. A new KDF File (File Menu > New
KDF…) also contains initialized PCG Data, as do banks added with the Bank Add item from the KDF
Window Menu Button (when the “Contains PCG Data” checkbox is on, of course.)

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