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No. The patch editor only sends patches to the Korg Z1's edit buffer. To overwrite a particular patch on the Z1 you would need to use the Z1's own write utility to copy the patch in the edit buffer to a specific location (eg A037).

If you select Send while using the bank editor, this will send the current bank to the Korg Z1. This will overwrite all patches in a bank (if the Z1's memory protection is switched off), but the program gives a warning message first and you are asked to confirm before this happens.

The Auto Send (Sound Show) feature enables you to quickly try out any or all of the patches in a bank in turn without overwriting the bank in the Korg Z1.

It needs the 3 standard settings below (which will already be in place if you currently send sysex data to the Korg Z1).

This should enable any data to be sent from the program to the Korg Z1.

There may be occasions where data has been sent by the program but does not appear to have been received by the Korg Z1. If so, you may find a solution in the program's Help > Contents > Troubleshooting > Check List > Problems sending to the Korg Z1.

It should work with all standard and most other MIDI interfaces. The following reports have been received:

Emagic Unitor 8 /AMT 8: The status lights on this MIDI interface stay red when the program starts. This does not indicate a problem. The status lights change when Send and Receive functions are activated, and all MIDI operations work normally.

Emagic Unitor 8 and USB 2.0 and Windows XP Pro Service Pack 1: One person reported that he had been having problems generally with his MIDI setup prior to using the program. He was using Unitor 8 together with USB 2.0. To solve his problems he had to use Windows XP Pro Service Pack 1. This particular setup does not, unfortunately, seem to work with the MIDI controls used in the Korg Z1 Editor 2004 program. With this combination the Korg Z1 can "freeze" temporarily, but works normally when switched off and on again.

Korg Z1 multisets contain only bank letters and patch numbers. On the Korg Z1 these numbers are converted into patch names using the currently loaded banks. Similarly in the Korg Z1 Editor program these numbers are converted into patch names used in banks A and B if these banks are loaded.

There is a way to show multiset patch names in the program even if banks A and B are not loaded. When you load bank A or bank B into the program you can select Bank > Map New when each bank is displayed. You only need to do this once. This stores a list of bank numbers and corresponding names in the program's data folder. After that multisets and multibanks loaded in the program will show the names of patches as well as the bank letters and patch numbers, even if banks A or B are not loaded.

Not only can you display the patch names of each multiset on screen. You can also use the print or save list facilities in the program to print out or save lists of each multibank, showing all the patches in each multiset in each multibank.

You could print a list of all the patches used by the multisets in each multibank and then scan this list before deleting any patch. You need to enable your multisets to show patch names (see Q4 above). Then you just load a multibank and select File > Print.

However, to save having to refer to the list each time you move or replace a patch it may be worth doing a one-off reorganisation. You could put all the patches used by multisets at the beginning of bank A or B, sort them alphabetically for ease of reference and then use the remap tools including the new Show Remap utility.

For convenience, the 77 patch names used in the original Korg Z1 multisets (factory presets) have been grouped together here, showing their original bank and patch numbers. You can download the list by right clicking one of the links below (and selecting Save Target As...)

Ian Clark adds: On my own Korg Z1 I then moved all these patches to the beginning of bank B, using Put First, Export/Import (bank) and Sort by Name in the bank popup menu. After moving the patches I used the Bank > Create Remap and Multi > Remap Multibank tools to remap both multibanks. All the original Korg Z1 multisets in multibanks A and B work correctly using their original patches, even though all the patches are located in bank B (at locations B000 - B076). By doing this I can now add, delete and move patches in bank A as much as I like without any risk of affecting any of the multisets.

In the latest version of the program [1.5.191 Feb 6 2005], which is available for a free 28 day evaluation, Init Multi and Init Pattern are now pre-loaded as well as Init Patch. These provide the best starting point for new multisets and new patterns.

With earlier versions of the program the best options for starting a new multiset were either:

a. load an existing multiset and initialise each subsection by selecting Subsection > Default (or F7); or

b. select a multiset on the Korg Z1, initialise it using the Utility option and then send it to the program.

With patterns the best option was to select one of the presets from an arpeggiator bank.

Yes. The Bulk Import tool on its own was designed to directly replace a sequence of patches starting with the bank patch you select (eg 013, 014, 015, 016, 017, 018, 019 ...). However, it is possible to directly replace a number of separate bank patches (eg 003, 017, 045, 068, 088, 089, 102, 116 ... ) if you use the Bulk Import tool in conjunction with the existing Export/Import tool (which swaps patches between banks).

Suppose you have 8 separate patches in bank A that you don't like and want to replace them directly with 8 new patches that you have just downloaded. Here is what to do:

1. load bank A and then select Bank > Swap Banks [to create a temporary Bank B]

2. load bank A again [this will be the active bank A]

3. select File > Import to Bank and select the 8 patch files you wish to Import in the file list. Select bank B, select patch no B120 in the Select start patch to overwrite box and click Import

[The 8 new patches are then imported as B120 - 127, the last 8 patches in bank B. If you wanted to import 48 patches you would select patch no B080 rather than B120. B080 - B127 = 48 patches]

4. click Done

5. in bank A, click on the 8 patches that you want to replace

6. right click and select Export/Import (bank) in the popup menu.

[You will be asked to confirm that you wish to replace these 8 patches with the last 8 patches in bank B]

7. click Yes and that's it!

If the merged file was created by Pete Kvitek's merge utility then it is probably safe to send it to the Korg Z1 using a sysex dump program. Pete is well respected in Korg Z1 circles and his utility has been around for quite some time.

The file created using the merge utility is not actually a Korg Z1 bank file, using the Korg specification for such files. That is why the file will not load into Korg Z1 Editor 2004. The merged file is made up of individual patch files joined together. When sent to the Korg Z1 it treats it as a succession of requests to overwrite individual patches - not as a bank file.

Sysex dump programs and sequencers will happily load files which vary in size and content from the Korg Z1 specification, as they do not check the integrity of the data. This can sometimes cause problems. It is always safest to check the file in an editor program first.

By the way, the new Bulk Import (to Bank) utility provides a fully flexible and controllable tool for merging patch files to form new banks. The Extract to File tool already provides a fully flexible and controllable tool for splitting banks into component patch files. All files created with these utilities conform to the Korg Z1 specification.

Single patch files are small, and sending and receiving them is handled easily. One of the Korg Z1 Editor 2004 beta testers sent 256 patches from the Z1 to the program one after the other, and checked them, with 100% success. This is typical performance for the program.

Larger data places more demands on the Z1, MIDI connections, MIDI interfaces, the various MIDI software components and the PC operating system. Occasionally there may be a problem where one or two bytes are "lost". The program will show this as "unrecognised data", rather than try to load and display corrupted data. This reflects the program's checking system, which is a feature of good editor programs. Sequencer programs which handle sysex dumps, or general purpose sysex dump programs, will happily load the data without checking.

If the "unrecognised data" message appears, data can simply be retransmitted from the Z1. In the experience of the author and the beta-testers it is rarely necessary to retransmit data more than once.

Technical note: Although there could be a number of reasons for "losing" data bytes, the most likely - and consistent - explanation is a one-off resizing of the computer's MIDI input buffer during MIDI transmission which interrupts the processing of the incoming MIDI message. No similar data loss has been experienced or reported in sending banks from the Korg Z1 Editor 2004 program to the Korg Z1.

If the "unrecognised data" message appears often you should refer to Help > Contents > Troubleshooting > Check List > Problems receiving from the Korg Z1 or contact the helpline here.

To undo the swap just select the same rotate option again or select Undo or press Ctrl Z.

Click on the patches and select rotate+ in the (right button) popup menu. If you want to undo the last move just select rotate- or select Undo or press Ctrl Z. When each patch is in the position you want just click that patch to deselect it. Carry on until each patch is in the position you want.

If you want to move the patches by more than one position at a time then you can use rotate++ in the (right button) pop up menu. This moves patches forward by 50%. For example, if you have selected 8 patches it will move them forward by 4 positions. To undo you should select Undo or press Ctrl Z.

Click on those patches and select one of the sort options in the (right button) popup menu. To undo you should select Undo or press Ctrl Z.

Click on the patches and select rotate-- in the (right button) popup menu. To put the patches in their original order just select the same rotate option again or select Undo or press Ctrl Z.

All of the above operations only affect the patches you select (highlight). You can use the 4 rotate options and the 6 sort options in any combination to put patches in the positions you want. All other patches remain unaltered.

If you want to move only the patches you select and the patches at the start of the bank which they replace, select Swap First in the (right button) popup menu. To undo the swap just select Swap First again or select Undo or press Ctrl Z.

The new Swap First and Swap Last tools simply swap the patches you select and the corresponding patches at the start or end of the bank. All other patches remain unaltered. With this option the start or end patches which you have just swapped are highlighted in their new positions to make it easy to identify them.

The options Insert First and Insert Last (the same as Put First and Put Last in earlier versions of the program) are rather more powerful. Insert First will put the patches you select at the beginning of the bank and move all other patches back, which changes all patch numbers in a single operation. The patches you selected will be highlighted in their new start or end positions.

Insert First and Insert Last can be very useful if you have a bank which you are free to add to and change as much as you like. If you are not sure whether you want to use Insert First or Swap First you can try them out and select Undo or press Ctrl Z if you change your mind.

The content and timing of any future upgrades will depend very much on comments and suggestions received here.

A new User Group tool has just been completed, and will be included in any future upgrade. With this tool, you can instantly change the User Group setting in any or all of the patches in a bank to any value you choose.

Korg Z1 presets use User Group 1 for all 256 patches. It is a parameter that can have any value between 1 and 16, and can be used for any purpose. Possible uses include grouping patches needed for a particular performance or recording, or marking or protecting patches used in multisets or by a sequencer.

The Korg Z1 has special keys for finding patches in the same User Group, and this feature is unused if all patches have the same User Group. The Super Find tool can instantly pick (highlight) patches with any particular User Group.

The author is considering extending this to other parameters such as link arpeggio. This could be useful if you create a new arpeggiator pattern that you want to use with all your bass patches, for example. You could select all your bass patches using the Super Find tool and then do a single Global Edit to change the linked pattern in each selected patch to the new arpeggiator pattern.

Any future upgrade will include additional shortcut keys. Four new shortcut keys have just been added to the next version of the program. Bank patches can be swapped or rotated by pressing Ctrl + or Ctrl - as an alternative to using the popup menu. Ctrl A selects all patches in a bank, and will toggle between all or none. Crtl \ is a shortcut for selecting 16 out of 128 patches from a random or incremental bank.

One of the beta testers has been working on a table of time values for the EGs. When completed and tested the Editor will be able to show a time in msecs for each EG value from 0-99.

Any comments or suggestions on these or other possible ideas for future upgrades are very welcome.

There are 10 sort options, which can be applied to a group of patches or an entire bank.

Firstly select the patches you want by:

a. using the Bank > Find Patches menu option; or

b. clicking the first patch and pressing SHIFT and clicking the last patch to make a continuous selection; or

c. clicking each patch directly.

Then click the right mouse button and select one of the 10 Sort [...] options in the popup menu.

There are times when you will wish to sort an entire bank. You may want to do a reorganisation of your banks, or to produce different versions of your banks to keep on a memory card with all the patches sorted for ease of reference. To sort an entire bank you should go to the main menu and select Bank > Sort by ... and one of the 10 sort options.

The new Undo feature opens up additional possibilities for using the sort options. For example, you can now do a quick, reversible bank sort to check for duplicate or similar patches. If you have used another editor program that moves patches by using "drag and drop" it is possible that you may have duplicate patches. Getting rid of these patches makes it easier to fit new patches into a bank.

Duplicate patches: you can sort alphabetically using Bank > Sort by Name to check if you have any duplicate patches. Duplicate patch names will appear together. After you've checked, simply select Undo... at the top of the Bank menu or popup menu (or Ctrl Z) to put the bank back to its original order.

Similar patches: you could do a multiple sort (eg OSC1, OSC2 etc) to identify patches that may be the same or similar, even though the names are different. When done, select Undo... (or Ctrl Z) the appropriate number of times to put the bank back to its original order.

Sorting patches by OSC1, OSC2, FX1, FX2, Filt1 and Filt2 will put the same patches next to each other and will tend to put similar patches next to each other. If you select these sort options in reverse order you will have a bank sorted by OSC1, then sorted by OSC2 within each OSC1 block, and so on.

You could send these sorted patches to your Z1, and listen out for any that sound like duplicates or candidates for removal. To do this you should select the patches you want to send and then select Auto Send (Sound Show) in the right popup menu.

If you want to do an exact check on 2 (or more patches) that seem like duplicates you can put them into the patch editor (Put in Patch Editor in popup menu) and then select System > Compare Last. This will tell you if the last 2 patches loaded in the patch editor were identical. If it is only parameters 1 to 16 that are different, the patches are identical apart from name.

The Korg Z1's Multi Oscillator Synthesis System (MOSS) has amazing capabilities. Many synthesisers use just 1 oscillator type to generate sounds. The Korg Z1 has 13 different oscillator types, many of which can be combined. This makes it a very powerful, but also rather complex, synthesiser.

The best way of understanding each oscillator type is to select and compare patches produced using each of the oscillator settings. The Super Find and Auto Send (Sound Show) tools make this particularly easy:

1. load bank A or B (or both) into the program

2. select Bank > Find Patches ( or Ctrl F)

3. in the Find by Type box select OSC1

4. select one of the 13 oscillator types in the drop-down list

5. click Find and then Done. All the patches which use this oscillator type as the primary oscillator (OSC1) will be highlighted in the selected bank.

6. right click on any of the highlighted patches, and then select Auto Send in the pop-up menu. When you select Start on the Auto Send screen the patches will be sent to the Korg Z1 in turn. You can play them as they are sent, or hear them play automatically using the Sound Show option.

As well as the preset Korg Z1 banks A and B, you may have other Korg Z1 banks. In order to check all of your patches which use any given oscillator you would need to check each bank separately. To avoid this, you could first set up a library folder with all your patches sorted by oscillator type. You would only need to do this once, and then you can add to it as necessary:

1. select Settings > File Names and check that the Patch name format box is set to oxx patch name. (This will automatically save patch files with the primary oscillator number followed by the patch name)

2. load a Z1 bank into the program, and select all 128 patches by clicking on the first patch and pressing SHIFT and clicking on the last patch

3. click the right mouse button and select Extract to Files in the popup menu

4. select (or create) the folder you wish to use as your library folder, and then click Save. The 128 patches will be saved as 128 patch files in just a few seconds

5. when you have done this for each of your banks, you will have a folder containing all your patches sorted by primary oscillator type:

o00 Standard OSC

o01 Comb Filter OSC

o02 Variable Phase Modulation OSC

o03 Resonance OSC

o04 Ring Modulation OSC

o05 Cross Modulation OSC

o06 Sync Modulation OSC

o07 Organ Model

o08 Electric Piano Model

o09 Brass Model

o10 Reed Model

o11 Plucked String Model

o12 Bowed String Model

The author's patch library, containing 772 patches sorted by oscillator type and then alphabetically can be downloaded here:

Having created a patch library folder you can then use the Bulk Import and Auto Send (Sound Show) tools whenever you wish to check out a group of patches with the same oscillator type:

1. load any bank into the program (as a temporary bank)

2. select File > Import to Bank to put the patches you want from your library folder into the bank

3. highlight these patches and then select Auto Send in the right button popup menu.

It looks as if you did not uninstall version 1.4 of the program before installing version 1.5. By leaving version 1.4 in place you would receive extra choices of which files you wanted to keep or replace when you installed version 1.5. It is likely that you opted to keep the version 1.4 help file (as the screen message is unfortunately not very helpful).

Uninstalling a program is a standard Windows function. Just select Start > Settings > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs and then select Z1 Editor 2004.

If you did not uninstall version 1.4, it is likely that there will be 2 entries in the Add/Remove Programs list. It is advised that you uninstall both, and then re-install version 1.5.

When you uninstall the program, you may receive a message that some items could not be removed. If you are installing a new version of the program, this message can be ignored.

The program data folder contains your own settings (eg for MIDI, file name prefixes, random values, parameter defaults) and may have additional files for bank maps and checking and comparing patches. By leaving these in place the settings for the new version of the program should remain the same as for the older version. You may wish to check the various options in the Settings menu when you run the new version of the program.