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Support

FAQ

i3

MUSIC WORKSTATION Product page

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Pre-Purchase FAQ

Q  What type of sounds does the i3 have?
i3 contains a variety of over 700 sounds including pianos, violins, brass, basses, woodwinds and drums, as well as synth and other sounds used in the production of electronic and contemporary music.
Refer to the specifications for further details.


Q  Can I add dynamics by playing keys hard or soft?
The keys are touch-sensitive. You can select between Soft, Medium, Hard, and Fixed (i.e. no change) to suit your playing style.


Q  What are styles (automatic accompaniment)?
Styles (automatic accompaniments) automatically add a "backing band" or rhythm accompaniment, and follow chords you play. The i3 contains over 280 accompaniment patterns covering a variety of genres including EDM and the latest contemporary music as well as jazz and Latin music.


Q  Can I play the i3 with the music from a portable music player or mobile phone?
Yes, it's possible by connecting the player or phone to the Audio In jack.


Q  What kind of music file can the i3 playback?
MP3, WAV, SMF (MIDI) can be played back on it. Please refer to the specifications for further details.


Q  Does the i3 work with battery?
It works with six AA batteries (alkaline, or nickel metal hydride).


Q  What kind of USB storage device does the i3 support?
The i3 supports USB memory, disk, etc. formatted to FAT16 or FAT32. Please refer to the specifications for details.


Q  What can I do using a USB flash drive?
You can use it to save user song data that you recorded on the i3, or to play back various types of music file (SMF, WAV, MP3) while you play along on the keyboard.


Q  Which pedal does the i3 support?
Damper pedal switch: Korg PS-1, PS-3
Half-damper switch: Korg DS-1H (i3 does not support the half-pedaling)
Expression pedal: Korg XVP-20, or EXP-2

Questions about playing keyboard

Q  How can I use the entire keyboard to play a single sound (e.g., grand piano)?
When you press the GRAND PIANO / SOUND button (lit red), all keys will play a recommended piano sound. You can also use the dial or the CATEGORY [<]/[>] buttons to switch to a different sound.


Q  When I change sound sets, the split setting also changes.
Depending on the mute setting of the lower part, the split setting is switched automatically.
If the lower part is muted, split will be off.
If you want to turn split on, hold down the SHIFT button and press the LOWER/SPLIT part button to defeat mute.


Q  The left-hand keys (the lower region of the keyboard) don't make sound.
If the lower part is not muted, the keys below the split point will play the lower part. Hold down the LOWER/SPLIT part button and turn the dial to check the volume level.

If split hold (a setting that maintains the split condition) is on, there will be no sound if the lower part is muted. Hold down the SOUND SET button and press the LOWER/SPLIT button to turn split hold off.


Q  No effect even when the ENSEMBLE button is turned on.
It is necessary to play a chord. Confirm a chord is shown on the display by playing a chord in the chord recognition area.

Depending on the sound set that's selected, the ensemble function might be disabled, and in this case the setting cannot be changed.


Q  How can I adjust the volume balance between the keyboard performance and the accompaniment parts?
Hold down the SOUND SET button and turn the dial to adjust. The adjusted balance can be saved in the set list.


Q  Some notes disappear.
The maximum number of voices (notes that can be played simultaneously) is 64. It may exceed the limit when the damper pedal is used to sustain notes, and when this happens, some older notes will be cut off.


Q  The sound is not sustained when I hold down the pedal and release my fingers from the keyboard.
Depending on the sound set / style performance that's selected, the pedal might be disabled, and in this case pressing the pedal won't have an effect.

Questions about Style Play in the Performance Mode

Q  How do I select a style?
When you press the cursor down button located at the right of the display, the style name is highlighted in black, and you can use the dial or the CATEGORY [<]/[>] buttons to change the style.


Q  Can I change the sound of each part in a style?
By pressing the button of the part that you want to change, you can check the current sound and then use the dial etc. to change it. The changed content can be saved in the set list.


Q  When I switch styles, the sound played by the keyboard also changes.
If you switch styles while a style performance (SET1–SET4) is selected, the sound automatically changes to that of style performance SET 1 of the next style.


Q  How do I change the chord without playing a sound?
Hold down the SOUND SET button and press the LOWER/SPLIT button to turn split hold on. The split hold setting is maintained until you turn off the power, but you will hear sound if you switch to a sound set in which the lower part is not muted.


Q  How can I select Variation 2, 4, Intro 2/Ending 2 while playing the auto-accompaniment.
If the variation is on the same button, pressing the same button again will select it. When it is on the different button, pressing it twice will select the variation.


Q  Cannot start recording in the Performance mode.
If the synchro function is enabled, you can't record. We recommend that you start recording with a count-in and intro.

Could you have exceeded the number of recordable songs (999 songs)? In sequencer mode, delete unneeded user songs.


Q  Can I create or edit style performances?
No, you cannot.

* Up to 96 styles can be added from a USB flash drive.
Future plans are for new data to be added to the Korg website. We will inform you when data is added.

Questions about chord

Q  How are chords detected?
When you play the keyboard, the chord is automatically detected and the chord name appears in the display. You can choose the chord detection method ("Chord Detect" in setting mode) from the following: "Fingered 1," "Fingered 2," "Fingered 3," or "Fingered 3/Bass." *

For details, refer to "Playing with automatic accompaniment (styles)" and "Settings for the i3" in the "Owner's Manual."


Q  The chord played and the chord shown on display are different.
The chords that can be recognized by the i3 are listed on the "List of chords recognized" in the owner's manual.

The detection method also changes depending on the "Chord Detect" setting. Select and use the setting that is easiest for you to use.


Q  In sequencer mode, the chord indication sometimes disappears.
In sequencer mode, changing the song will reset the chord information.


Q  Chord mode does not work.
Chord mode works only in performance mode.
When you press one of the CHORD 1 through CHORD 8 buttons, the display shows the chord name, and the performance uses that chord while the style is playing.


Q  In chord mode, there's no sound when I press a CHORD button.
If the lower part is muted, the chord sound is not heard.
Hold down the SHIFT button and press the LOWER/SPLIT button to defeat mute (lit green).
Regardless of whether the style is playing or stopped, the sound of the lower part is heard at a fixed volume each time you press the CHORD button.

Questions about Sequencer Mode

Recording
Q  From an empty song, can I create a song by overdubbing my performance?
No, you cannot. In sequencer mode, you can edit each track in real time, and play back songs.


Q  Can I start recording with synchro start or count-in?
No, you cannot. You can record from a specified start location.


Q  Can I record or edit a song other than in real time (performing it again)?
This is not supported. Functions such as copying and pasting recorded data, step recording, and event editing are not provided.
You can erase a region of recorded data by not playing anything while you overwrite-record a real-time performance.


Q  Can the sound or volume of a recorded part be changed afterward?
You can modify the content of the song by performing operations after you start recording. Select the part that you want to change, and start overdubbing. When you change the sound or volume etc. in real time, the changes are recorded just as you make them, and are applied to the song.


Q  Can I record to a SMF song or user song that I recorded in performance mode?
You can record in real time by using "overdubbing" and performing on the keyboard while the song plays back, or by "overwriting a new performance (overwrite)."


Q  Songs on the USB flash drive are not shown.
The i3 can load files that are in the "i3" folder of the USB flash drive. Place the files in the "i3" folder. For details on the supported formats, refer to the specifications.


Q  Can I record my performance along with the audio file (MP3, WAV) that is playing?
You can't record while an audio file is selected. You can use performance recording to record it as audio data.


Playback
Q  Can I change the name of a User Song?
Sorry, you can't.


Q  The metronome sometimes gets out of sync when playing songs.
The metronome may gets out of sync when you play the demo songs, fast forward, rewind, etc.


Q  During the first measure, the tempo of a song is not right.
The settings of sounds, etc. will be stored in the first measure of a demo song, or a song recorded in the performance mode. The first measure contains only these settings, and so it will be played faster. The song will be played at the intended tempo from the second measure.


Others
Q  Is it possible to change the MIDI channel of each part?
It is fixed, and not changeable.

Questions about recording as audio data (performance recording)

Q  Performance recording does not work.
The PERFORMANCE REC button is disabled unless a USB flash drive is inserted.

You can't record in modes other than performance mode or sequencer mode.


Q  During recording, the playback audio has clicks or pops, and is not recorded correctly.
It might be that the writing speed of your USB flash drive is not fast enough. In some cases, executing "Media Format" in media mode may solve the problem.

Use a different USB flash drive. Insert your USB flash drive, execute "Media Speed" in media mode, and use a USB flash drive that has as high a score as possible.


Q  As what type of data is a recorded song saved?
The song is saved as WAV data with the name AudioSong_xxx in the AudioRec folder within the i3 folder of the USB flash drive. One minute of recording will be approximately 10 MB of data


Q  When I play back a recorded song (AudioSong_xxx) on the i3, it seems quieter than the original song.
The playback level is set fairly low. Hold down the SEQ button and turn the dial to adjust the Song Level.


Q  What is the recordable time for performance recording?
Recording will automatically stop after one hour after you start recording. If you then record again, the performance is recorded as a different song.

Questions about media functions

Q  Songs on the USB flash drive are not shown.
iThe i3 can load files that are in the "i3" folder of the USB flash drive. Place the files in the "i3" folder. For details on the supported formats, refer to the specifications .


Q  How many songs can I have on a USB memory device?
The maximum number of songs (including MP3, WAV, and SMF) is 999.


Q  Cannot access the media functions.
Insert a USB memory device.

If the USB logo does not appear in the display even when a USB flash drive is inserted, try reinserting it.


Q  When a USB flash drive used on the i3 is inserted in a PC, I am asked to repair the drive.
Before removing the USB flash drive from the i3, be sure to turn off the power. Inserting or removing the USB flash drive while the unit is running might cause you to be asked to repair the drive, or might damage the USB flash drive or cause data loss.


Q  Want to reorder the songs on a USB memory.
Sorry, it is not supported.


Q  Characters in a name of song garbled, or not shown.
Only the alphanumeric characters (half-width) can be used for a file name on the i3. Please use the supported characters for the file name on your PC.

Questions about the input/output jacks

Q  The pedal does not work as expected.
Check the pedal polarity (setting mode "Pedal Function").

Depending on the sound set / style performance that's selected, the pedal might be disabled.


Q  The volume pedal doesn't work correctly.
It is necessary to calibrate the expression/volume pedal. Please refer to the "Troubleshooting" section, and perform calibration.


Q  Can I control a device that's connected to the MIDI OUT connector?
Note messages etc. are supported, but tempo synchronization etc. is not possible.


Q  Can the USB TO DEVICE port be used to charge a smartphone or similar device?
Charging is not possible.

Questions about power supply and other topics

Q  The power shuts off automatically.
Turn the Auto Power Off function off.


Q  Cannot turn the power off even when the power button is pressed.
Press and hold the power button until the display illumination turns off.


Q  I can't register the setting functions.
The setting functions are saved automatically when the power is turned off. Long-press the power button to turn off the power.