E 1
EK-50 U Owner’s Manual
2
Table of Contents
Main Features .........................................................................3
Part Names .............................................................................. 4
Front panel .................................................................................. 4
Rear panel ................................................................................... 4
Control panel .............................................................................. 5
Display ......................................................................................... 6
Preparing to Play .................................................................... 7
Using the AC adapter ................................................................ 7
Using this instrument with baeries ....................................... 7
Turning the power on/o .......................................................... 7
Adjusting the volume ................................................................ 8
Using the sheet music stand ..................................................... 8
Using headphones ..................................................................... 8
Using a pedal .............................................................................. 8
Basic operations .....................................................................9
About modes .............................................................................. 9
Other functions ........................................................................... 9
Selecting sounds and changing values .................................... 9
Playing the EK‑50U (style mode) ........................................10
Selecting a grand piano ........................................................... 10
Selecting the keyboard set ...................................................... 10
Selecting a set list ..................................................................... 10
Changing the sounds on the left and right (split) ................ 11
Playing in time with the metronome ..................................... 11
Muting parts and changing sounds ....................................... 12
Seing the key and octave ...................................................... 12
Adding eects and embellishments to your playing .......... 13
Auto‑accompaniment (style mode) ....................................14
Playing along with auto-accompaniment ............................. 14
Making changes to the auto-accompaniment ...................... 15
Saving the set list (WRITE) ..................................................... 16
Recording your performance ................................................. 17
Song mode ............................................................................18
Listening to the demo songs ................................................... 18
Playing along with a song ....................................................... 18
Playing back using dierent methods ................................... 18
Editing a song ........................................................................... 19
SETTING functions ................................................................21
Basic methods of use ................................................................ 21
Main SETTING functions ........................................................ 21
List of SETTING functions ...................................................... 22
MEDIA functions ................................................................... 24
Connecting and removing USB ash drives ........................ 24
Basic method of use ................................................................. 24
List of MEDIA functions ......................................................... 25
Connecting to an external device .......................................26
Connecting an audio player.................................................... 26
Connecting powered monitor speakers ................................ 26
Connecting to a computer ....................................................... 27
Appendix ............................................................................... 28
Checking the software version ............................................... 28
Restoring the EK‑50 U to factory default seings ................ 28
Calibrating an expression pedal ............................................. 28
Troubleshooting ....................................................................... 28
List of chords recognized ........................................................ 30
Specications ........................................................................ 31
MIDI Implementation Chart .................................................32
Main Features
3
Thank you for purchasing the Korg EK-50 U Entertainer
keyboard. To help you get the most out of your new instrument,
please read this manual carefully.
About this manual
The EK-50 U comes with the following manuals.
• Quick Start Guide (printed)
• Owner’s Manual (this document, PDF)
• Voice Name List (PDF)
Quick Start Guide
Read this manual rst. This guide explains the basic operations
and other features of the EK-50 U.
Owner’s Manual
This explains how to use the detailed functions of the EK-50 U.
Voice Name List
This is a list of the styles, keyboard sets, demo songs and other
data used on the EK-50 U.
Download the PDF from the following Korg website.
www.korg.com
Conventions in this manual
Symbols ,
Note
,
Tip
These symbols respectively indicate a caution, a supplementary
note, or a tip.
Example screen displays
The parameter values shown in the example screens of this
manual are only for explanatory purposes, and may not
necessary match the values that appear in the screen of your
instrument.
Lists shown at the top of the panel
The styles, songs, and keyboard set categories are listed at the
top of the panel.
Main Features
Playing with dierent sounds
The EK‑50 U lets you play many dierent
kinds of instrument sounds in addition to
piano, violin, sax, drums and so on. ..page 10
Playing along with a style (auto‑
accompaniment)
You can select from dierent genres of
“styles,” which are like a backing band
or rhythm accompaniment. Try playing a
melody in your right hand while playing a
chord with your left hand. ..................page 14
Onboard MIDI/audio recorder and player
An onboard MIDI/audio recorder and player
lets you play along with your favorite songs
or easily make recordings. With the EK-50 U,
you can play back MP3, WAV and SMF les
stored on a USB ash drive. ................page 18
Connecting to an external device and
playing back audio
You can play the audio from external devices, such as MP3
players, smartphones and other mobile devices, computers and
so on, and hear it through the built-in speakers of the EK-50 U.
................................................................................................. page 26
Adding eects to sounds
You can add distortion or reverb to sounds, giving the sound a
dierent character. ............................................................... page 13
Part Names
4
Part Names
Front panel
Rear panel
1.
Cable hook
....................................................................................... page 7
2.
DC 12V jack
( )
..................................................................... page 7
3.
USB TO DEVICE port, USB TO HOST port
( )
........................................................................................................ page 24, 27
4.
FOOT CONTROLLER jack
.............................................. page 8, 29
5.
OUTPUT L/MONO and R jacks
........................................ page 26
6.
AUDIO IN jack
........................................................................... page 26
7.
Headphones jack
( )
................................................................... page 8
8.
Baery compartment
................................................................. page 7
Built-in speakers
(page 8)
Built-in speakers
(page 8)
KeyboardJoystick (page 13)
Display (page 6) Sheet music stand insertion holes (page 8)
1234567
8
Part Names
5
Control panel
1.
MODE section
................................................................................ page 9
STYLE buon
........................................................................ page 14, 16
SONG/[DEMO SONG] buon
............................................. page 18
2.
KEYBOARD SET/[STS] buon
......................... page 10, 14, 15, 16
3.
GRAND PIANO buon
.......................................................... page 10
4.
SPEAKER EQ/[SPEAKER OFF] buon
..................... page 13, 26
5.
SETTING/[EFFECT] buon
............................................ page 13, 21
6.
PERFORMANCE REC/[MEDIA] buon
........................ page 24
7.
[SHIFT] buon
When seing a function enclosed in white lines for a buon,
hold the [SHIFT] buon down and press that buon.
You may sometimes need to hold down the
[SHIFT] buon and then press another
buon or turn the dial.
This icon is used in these cases.
8.
Dial
..................................................................................................... page 9
9.
CATEGORY buon
t
,
u
......................................................... page 9
10.
Numerical buons, + buon, – buon
............................. page 9
11.
ENSEMBLE buon
.................................................................... page 13
12.
SPLIT buon
.................................................................... page 11, 13, 14
13.
TAP TEMPO/[TEMPO LOCK] buon
.................... page 11, 12
14.
METRONOME/[BEAT SELECT] buon
........................ page 11
15.
TRANSPOSE
♭
,
♯
/[OCTAVE –, +] buon
...................... page 6, 12
16.
SET LIST section
............................................................ page 10, 16, 28
• BANK/WRITE buon
• Buons 1–4
17.
STYLE/SONG section
STYLE section
............................................................................ page 15
• VARIATION 1/2, 3/4 buons
• FILL buon
• COUNT IN/BREAK buon
• INTRO/ENDING buon
• Start/stop buon
( )
• SYNCHRO START/STOP buon
• Record buon
( )
SONG section
............................................................................ page 18
• LOOP buon
• A
1
B buon
(A
1
B)
• Rewind buon
( )
• Fast‑forward buon
( )
• Pause buon
( )
• Start/stop buon
( )
• ERASE buon
• Record buon
( )
18.
PART MUTE/[SOUND SELECT] section
.............
page 10, 12, 14,16
Keyboard part
• LOWER buon
• UPPER 1 buon
• UPPER 2 buon
• UPPER 3 buon
Accompaniment part
• DRUM buon
• PERCUSSION buon
• BASS buon
• OTHER PARTS buon
15
2 3 4
5
6 7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
16
17
18
1
Style list
Song list Keyboard list
Power buon (
)
(page 7)
VOLUME knob (page 8)
Part Names
6
Display
Chord
Displays the name of the chord played
within the chord recognition range.
USB icon
Displays when a USB ash drive is
plugged into the USB TO DEVICE
port.
: Displays when the style or
song have stopped.
The octave and transpose state are
displayed to the right.
Octave Transpose
: Displays when a style or
song is being played back.
The current measure position or
remaining number of measures are
displayed to the right.
: Displays the tempo
of the style or song.
: Lights up to display the beat
of the style or song.
Tempo lock icon (page 12)
Displays when the tempo is
locked.
Split point (page 11)
Baery indicator
Displays the remaining amount of
baery power when running on
baeries.
Bank
Displays the bank of the currently
selected set list.
Keyboard display
Displays the keys currently played
on the keyboard, and the split point.
These show the current mode and function. When the display is blinking, the
blinking items indicate what operations are in eect.
: Displays when using style mode. The style name and number appear
below on the display.
: Displays when using song mode. The song name and number appear
below on the display.
: Displays when style mode or song mode are in use. The keyboard
set name and number used by the style or song appear below on the display.
: Displays when the sound for each part used in the keyboard set is
selected. The sound name and number appear below on the display.
: Displays when accessing the SETTING functions. The parameter
name, number, value and so on that are being set appear in the display.
Preparing to Play
7
Preparing to Play
Using the AC adapter
1.
Make sure that the power on this instrument is turned o.
2.
Connect the DC plug of the included AC adapter to the
DC 12V jack located on the rear panel of the EK‑50 U.
Be sure to use only the included AC adapter. Using any
other AC adapter may cause malfunctions.
Hook the AC adapter cord onto the cord hook. Do not use
excessive force when pulling the cord o the hook.
Cord hook
AC adapter (included)
When hooking the cord onto
the cord hook, be careful not
to bend this part any more
than necessary.
3.
Connect the plug of the AC adapter to an AC outlet.
Be sure to use an AC outlet of the correct voltage for
your adapter.
Using this instrument with batteries
You can use eight AA alkaline or nickel‑metal hydride baeries
to power this instrument.
Zinc‑carbon baeries cannot be used.
Note:
Baeries are not included, so please obtain them
separately.
Installing batteries
1.
Make sure that the power on this instrument is turned o.
2.
Push the two tabs on the baery compartment cover that is
located on the boom of this instrument to open the cover.
Note:
When turning the
instrument upside down, place it
on a blanket or similar material
to prevent damage to the display,
joystick and so on.
3.
When inserting the baeries, be
sure to observe the correct polarity (“+” and “–”).
Do not mix new and old
baeries, or baeries of dierent
types. Failing to observe this
guideline might cause the
baeries to leak or burst.
4.
Close the baery cover.
Note:
To make sure the correct
baery level is displayed, make the seing on this instrument
for the type of baery you are using (see page 21 “Seing the
baery type”).
Replacing the batteries
The baery indicator is displayed at the top right‑hand part of
the display.
Note:
This indicator will not be displayed while the AC adapter
is plugged in.
When the indicator is blinking, this means that the baeries are
nearly depleted, so replace the baeries as soon as possible or
connect an AC adapter to power this instrument.
Remove depleted baeries immediately. Leaving depleted
baeries in could result in malfunctions caused by baery
electrolyte leakage or similar problems. Also, remove the
baeries if you will not be using the EK‑50 U for a long time.
Turning the power on/o
1.
Turn the VOLUME knob all the way to the left, so that the
volume is down.
2.
Press the power buon to turn the instrument on.
When turning o the power, hold the power buon down
until the backlight on the display goes dark.
Note:
The EK‑50 U will automatically turn o if it has not been
played or operated for a certain amount of time (via the auto
power‑o function).
The time interval is set to 30 minutes at factory default. This
interval can be changed (see page 21 “Changing the auto
power‑o function”).
1
2
Preparing to Play
8
Adjusting the volume
y
Turn the VOLUME knob on the front panel to adjust the
sound to the optimum level.
The VOLUME knob sets the volume of sound coming from
the built-in speakers, the headphones jack and the OUTPUT
jacks.
Using the sheet music stand
Insert the sheet music stand into the two holes for the same on
the front panel.
Using headphones
y
Connect the stereo mini‐plug of a pair of commercially
available headphones to the headphones jack on the rear
panel.
Headphones
Note:
The built-in speakers will not make a sound if a pair of
headphones has been connected to the headphones jack (but
sound will still be outpued from the OUTPUT jacks).
Using headphones at high volume for an extended time
may cause hearing damage. Avoid excessively high volume
levels.
Using a pedal
You can plug an optional pedal (sold separately) into the FOOT
CONTROLLER jack on the rear panel to use as a damper pedal,
or to control the volume.
Use the SETTING function to make the pedal seings, according
to which kind of pedal you will connect (see page 21
“Changing the pedal polarity” and page 21 “Changing the
pedal function”).
Damper pedal, pedal switch, etc.
• When using a Korg DS-1H (damper pedal), PS-1 or PS-3
(pedal switch), this will function as a damper switch. As
with the damper pedal on a piano, you can use a pedal with
this instrument to sustain the notes you play, even after
taking your ngers o the keyboard. You can also make
seings for quarter tone playing.
Note:
Note that the damper eect does not work on the
lower part.
Note:
This instrument does not feature a half-damper
function.
• Connect a Korg EXP-2 foot controller to control the volume
of the keyboard part (see page 10 “Selecting the keyboard
set”).
Basic operations
9
Basic operations
About modes
The EK‑50 U features two dierent modes, a style mode and a
song mode.
Press the appropriate MODE section buon on the front panel
to enter one of the modes.
When turning on the EK-50 U, the instrument will automatically
enter style mode.
Style mode
Style mode lets you select a sound in this instrument and play
it together with another sound you like on the keyboard, as
well as play along with auto-accompaniment (style). You can
also record your playing when using the auto-accompaniment
function.
Song mode
In song mode, you can play back demo songs and user songs as
well as music data les (MP3, WAV and SMF), and play along
with them. You can also edit the user songs easily.
Other functions
SETTING functions
These functions include global seings for the instrument like
keyboard touch, master tune, scale, pitch bend variable range
and so on. There are also seings for pedals that you connect, as
well as MIDI‑related seings.
MEDIA functions
These functions are for saving or loading set lists to/from USB
ash drives, as well as for saving user songs. This also includes
functions for formaing USB ash drives and for system
updates.
Selecting sounds and changing values
Use the dial, the numerical buons, the + and – buons and
the CATEGORY buon when selecting sounds or changing the
values of the seings.
1.
Dial
This is used to change numbers and values.
Turn the dial clockwise to increase the value, and turn the
dial counter‐clockwise to decrease the value.
2.
Numerical buons
Use these buons to directly input numbers and values on
the EK-50 U.
To input a two-digit number using the three-digit display
(for example, “36”), press “0”, “3” and “6”.
3.
+ and – buons
• Press either the + or – buon once to increment or
decrement a number.
• Hold down the + or – buon to continually change the
number.
4.
CATEGORY buons
t
,
u
When you press the CATEGORY buon to select a style,
keyboard set, sound and so on in style mode or song mode,
the rst digit of the number group corresponding to the
category or genre will be selected.
When using the SETTING or MEDIA functions, press the
CATEGORY buon to select a page.
1
2
4
3
Playing the EK-50 U (style mode)
10
Playing the EK‑50U (style mode)
Selecting a grand piano
y
Press the GRAND PIANO buon.
This will quickly select the grand piano sound.
Selecting the keyboard set
The keyboard set is a group of sounds used in keyboard
performance.
There are over 170 keyboard sets, divided into 17 groups.
Four parts are allocated to the keyboard set (the lower part
and upper parts 1–3), which include sounds like piano, strings,
synthesizer, drums and so on. These four parts together are
called a keyboard part.
Lower part Upper parts 1–3
Left side Right side
Split point
Keyboard
part
Tip:
See the “Voice Name List” (PDF) for a list of the keyboard
sets and sounds.
1.
Press the KEYBOARD SET/[STS] buon.
will blink on the display, and the keyboard set
name will be displayed.
2.
Select the keyboard set by using the dial.
Use the CATEGORY buons to switch to dierent keyboard
sets within each category.
y
To revert to the original keyboard set, press the
KEYBOARD SET/[STS] buon while holding down the
[SHIFT] buon.
“
” (Single Touch Seings) will be shown in front of the
keyboard set name.
Selecting a set list
Set lists are used to save and quickly recall your favorite seings
(style, keyboard set, tempo, eects and so on; see page 16
“Saving the set list (WRITE)”).
The recommended set lists are stored in locations 1–4 of bank A.
Bank A-1 will be selected right after the power is turned on.
1.
Press the BANK/WRITE buon several times to select the
bank.
The bank will change in sequential order (A
"
B
"
C...J
"
A...)
with each press of the BANK/WRITE buon.
Tip:
Pressing this buon while holding down the [SHIFT]
buon will select banks in reverse order.
2.
Use buons 1–4 to select the set list.
2
1
Playing the EK-50 U (style mode)
11
Changing the sounds on the left and
right (split)
You can divide the keyboard into a high note range (for upper
1–3 parts) and a low note range (for lower part). This is called a
split function, and the key where the sound changes (the next
note directly below the upper part) is called the split point.
Turn the split function on when you want to play dierent
sounds with your left and right hands. You can also change the
sounds for each part (see page 12 “Changing sounds”).
Split point
Right sideLeft side
Lower part
Upper parts 1–3
y
To turn the split on: Press the SPLIT buon to turn the split
function on (the buon will light). The keyboard will be
divided into two ranges.
y
To turn the split o: Press the SPLIT buon once more
to turn the split o (the buon will go dark). The entire
keyboard range will play upper parts 1–3.
Upper parts 1–3
y
To change the split point: Press a key on the keyboard
while holding down the SPLIT buon.
+
Lower part Upper parts 1–3
Tip:
You can check the split point on the keyboard display,
which is shown in the display.
Playing in time with the metronome
You can practice along with the tempo and beat of the
metronome.
Setting the metronome
Turning on the metronome: Press the METRONOME/[BEAT
SELECT] buon to turn the metronome on (the buon will
light), and press the buon again to make it stop.
y
Seing the beat: Press the METRONOME/[BEAT SELECT]
buon a number of times while holding down the [SHIFT]
buon.
2/2...16/16
"
Click HI
"
Click LOW
"
2/2...
2/2, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 7/4, 6/8, 8/8, 16/16: Beat
Click HI: Accent sound
Click LOW: No accent sound
y
Adjusting the volume: Turn the dial while holding down
the METRONOME/[BEAT SELECT] buon.
Adjusting the tempo
y
Turn the dial while holding down the [SHIFT] buon.
y
Press the TAP TEMPO/[TEMPO LOCK] buon to match
the number of beats of the style at the tempo timing you
wish to set. (For instance, if you want to set a 4/4 beat, press
the buon four times; and for a 3/4 beat, press the buon
three times.)
Note:
Pressing the TAP TEMPO/[TEMPO LOCK] buon
any more times will start the accompaniment (tap start
function). You can disable the tap start function (see
page 23 “Tap Auto Start”).
Playing the EK-50 U (style mode)
12
Locking the tempo (tempo lock)
y
Press the TAP TEMPO/[TEMPO LOCK] buon while
holding down the [SHIFT] buon (the tempo lock icon
will light on the display).
Muting parts and changing sounds
On the keyboard part (upper 1–3 and lower) and on the
accompaniment part (drums, percussion, bass and other parts),
you can mute (turn o) individual parts, or change the part’s
sound.
Muting parts
y
Pressing the part buons will mute the respective part(s)
(the buon will go dark). Pressing the buons again will
cancel muting (the buon will light).
Unmute Muting
Changing sounds
1.
Press the part buon for the part you want to change while
holding down the [SHIFT] buon (the part buon will
blink).
and the sound name will blink on the display.
Note:
The sounds for “other parts” cannot be changed.
2.
Use the dial to select a sound.
3.
Press the [SHIFT] buon to return to the previous mode.
Setting the key and octave
Transposing (changing the key)
You can change the key of this instrument in semitones, over a
range of ±1 octave.
The key that is currently set is shown in the display.
y
To lower the key: Press the TRANSPOSE
♭
/[OCTAVE –]
buon.
y
To raise the key: Press the TRANSPOSE
♯
/[OCTAVE +]
buon.
y
To reset the key: Press both the TRANSPOSE
♭
/[OCTAVE –]
and TRANSPOSE
♯
/[OCTAVE +] buons together.
Changing the octave
You can change the pitch of the note that actually sounds when
you play a note on the keyboard, up or down in one-octave
units. You can set the octave within a range of ±2 octaves.
Changing the octave for the entire keyboard part
y
To lower the octave: Press the TRANSPOSE
♭
/[OCTAVE –]
buon while holding the [SHIFT] buon.
y
To raise the octave: Press the TRANSPOSE
♯
/[OCTAVE +]
buon while holding down the [SHIFT] buon.
1
1
1
Playing the EK-50 U (style mode)
13
Changing the octave for each part
1.
Press the part buon for the part you want to change while
holding down the [SHIFT] buon (the part buon will
blink).
and the sound name will blink on the display.
2.
Press the TRANSPOSE
♭
/[OCTAVE –] or TRANSPOSE
♯
/
[OCTAVE +] buons while holding down the [SHIFT]
buon.
Adding eects and embellishments to
your playing
Using the joystick
Vibration
of sound,
brightness,
etc.
Pitch
y
Move the joystick to the left and right to change the pitch
of the keyboard part.
Tip:
You can also set how much the pitch changes (see
page 22 “PtchBndRange”).
y
Move the joystick up and down to change the sound of the
keyboard part.
Tip:
The change in sound when you do this will depend on
the keyboard set.
Adding a harmony to the melody
This adds a harmony to the melody you are playing, to match
the chord. The harmony will vary depending on the style you
have selected.
1.
Press the ENSEMBLE buon.
2.
Press the SPLIT buon to activate the keyboard split
feature (the buon will light).
3.
Play a chord within the chord recognition range, and play
a melody with your right hand.
Selecting eects
Each keyboard set contains two eects (eect 1 and eect 2),
which change the sound and its impression depending on the
eects you select.
1.
Press the SETTING/[EFFECT] buon while holding down
the [SHIFT] buon to display the seings screen for eect
1.
a.
Press the CATEGORY buon u to display the seings
screen for eect 2.
Press the CATEGORY buons to switch between the eect 1
and eect 2 seings screens.
2.
Select the eects using the dial.
“Default” indicates the optimum eect that is set for the
keyboard set by default.
3.
Press the [SHIFT] buon to return to the previous mode.
Setting the eect send level
Here you can adjust the send level for eects 1 and 2 that are
applied to the lower and upper 1–3 parts respectively. This will
change how the eect sounds.
Note:
Depending on the type of eect, the change in sound
may not be too noticeable.
1.
Follow steps 1 and 2 in “Selecting eects” to congure
eect 1 or 2.
2.
Turn the dial while holding down the PART buon to set
the eect send level.
a.
To switch between eect 1 and 2, press the CATEGORY
buon.
3.
Press the [SHIFT] buon to return to the previous mode.
Selecting an equalizer (EQ)
You can add an equalizer eect to make the sound outpued
from the built-in speakers easier to listen to, or to adjust the
tonal character of the sound to match the musical genre you are
playing.
y
Press the SPEAKER EQ/[SPEAKER OFF] buon several
times to select the equalizer.
There are eight types of speaker EQ:
Standard
"
Bass Boost
"
Bass Cut
"
Treble Boost
"
Treble
Cut
"
Mid Boost
"
Mid Cut
"
Loudness
"
Standard ...
1
2
1
1,2
1
2
1
a
1
2
2
a
2
Auto-accompaniment (style mode)
14
Auto‑accompaniment (style mode)
Playing along with auto‑accompaniment
Auto-accompaniment is a function that automatically plays
accompaniment to match the chord that you specify. The
EK‑50 U features accompaniment paerns in various styles,
such as dance, rock, jazz, Latin and so on. These paerns are
called styles.
There are over 280 styles, divided into 17 groups.
Playing with a style you choose
The sounds used in a style (auto-accompaniment) are assigned
to four parts (drums, percussion, bass and other parts).
Together, these four parts are called an accompaniment part.
Accompaniment part
1.
Press the STYLE buon to enter style mode.
will blink on the display, and the style name will
be shown.
2.
Select the style using the dial.
Use the CATEGORY buons to switch the style between
dierent musical genres.
3.
Press the KEYBOARD SET/[STS] buon while holding
down the [SHIFT] buon.
A keyboard set that matches the style will be recalled, and
“
” (Single Touch Seings) will be displayed before the
keyboard set name.
4.
Press the SPLIT buon to activate the keyboard split
feature (the buon will light).
When you turn the split on, all keys to the left of the split
point (the lower part) will become the “chord recognition
range.”
Turn the split o to make the entire keyboard become the
chord recognition range.
Split point
Right sideLeft side
Chord recognition range
Tip:
To change the split point, press a key while holding
down the SPLIT buon. See page 11 “Changing the
sounds on the left and right (split)” for details on the split
feature.
5.
Play a chord within the chord recognition range.
The chord name that you played is recognized and shown
on the display.
Tip:
You can change how this instrument recognizes the
chords you play, by changing the Chord Detect seing in
the SETTING functions (see page 22 “Chord Detect”).
6.
Press the start/stop buon.
The auto-accompaniment will begin, and the start/stop
buon will light up white.
7.
Play a melody on the right side of the split point on the
keyboard, while playing a chord in the chord recognition
range.
When you change the chord, the accompaniment will
automatically follow along.
Tip:
See “List of chords recognized” (page 30) for a list of
the chords that this instrument can recognize.
Tip:
To change or lock the tempo, see “Adjusting the
tempo” (page 11). When you lock the tempo, the tempo
will not change when you select a dierent style.
8.
To stop the auto‐accompaniment, press the start/stop
buon.
1
2
3
3
4
6,8
Auto-accompaniment (style mode)
15
Making changes to the auto‑
accompaniment
Adding an intro or setting a variation
Use the buons in the STYLE section to make changes to the
auto‑accompaniment, such as adding an intro, ll‑ins and
breaks, and an ending.
VARIATION 1/2, 3/4
FILL
Start/stop
INTRO/ENDING
COUNT IN/BREAK
1.
Follow steps 1–4 in “Playing with a style you choose”
(page 14).
2.
Press VARIATION buons 1/2 or 3/4 to select a variation.
Each press of the buons will switch between VARIATION
1 and 2, or VARIATION 3 and 4.
VARIATION
VARIATION
buon
Buon state Variation complexity
1 1/2 Lights white Simple
2 1/2 Lights red Slightly complex
3 3/4 Lights white Complex
4 3/4 Lights red Advanced, complex
The arrangement will become progressively more complex
as you go up from variation 1 to 4.
3.
Press the INTRO/ENDING buon to select the intro.
Each press of the buon will switch between intro 1 and 2.
INTRO/
ENDING
Buon state Intro/ending content
1 Lights white Includes chord changes
2 Lights red Chord stays the same
Tip:
When you press the INTRO/ENDING buon before
you start to play, this will select the intro; and when you
press the buon while you are playing, this will select the
ending.
4.
Play a chord within the chord recognition range.
The chord name that you played is recognized and shown
on the display.
5.
Press the start/stop buon.
The intro will begin, and then the variation accompaniment
will play back.
6.
Play the chords with your left hand and the melody with
your right hand.
7.
Press VARIATION buons 1/2 and 3/4, as well as the
FILL buon and COUNT IN/BREAK buon to change the
playback of the song while you play.
8.
To end the song, press the INTRO/ENDING buon and
select the ending.
The ending will switch between ending 1 (lights up white)
and ending 2 (lights up red) with each press of the buon.
The accompaniment will nish after the ending.
Using the SYNCHRO START and SYNCHRO START/
STOP functions
This function allows you to start the accompaniment when you
play the keyboard (SYNCHRO START), or accompany you only
when you are playing the keyboard (SYNCHRO START/STOP).
SYNCHRO START/STOP
SYNCHRO START
1.
Press the SYNCHRO START/STOP buon. The buon
will blink white.
This turns on the SYNCHRO START function.
2.
Play a chord in the chord recognition range to start the
accompaniment.
The buon will change to being continually lit in white.
3.
Press the start/stop buon to stop the accompaniment.
SYNCHRO START/STOP
1.
Press the SYNCHRO START/STOP buon several times,
to make the buon start blinking white.
This turns on the SYNCHRO START/STOP function on.
2.
When you play a chord in the chord recognition range, the
accompaniment will start; and when you take your ngers
o the keyboard the accompaniment will stop. Playing
again will restart the accompaniment.
The buon will blink white while the accompaniment is
playing.
3.
To cancel SYNCHRO START/STOP, press the SYNCHRO
START/STOP buon several times to make the buon go
dark.
Changing the style and keyboard set combination
Each style contains the keyboard set that is optimal for that
style. For keyboard sets on which “
” is shown before the
name on the display, a keyboard set will automatically be
selected whenever you change the style.
Change the keyboard set to create your own combinations of
styles and keyboard sets.
1.
Follow steps 1–4 in “Playing with a style you choose”
(page 14).
2.
Press the KEYBOARD SET buon and then use the dial or
other means to select the keyboard set.
will blink in the display, and the keyboard set
name will be shown below it.
Note:
When you use a keyboard set aside from STS, the
keyboard set will not change, even when you change the
style.
3.
To change the keyboard set back to STS, hold down the
[SHIFT] buon and press the KEYBOARD SET/[STS]
buon.
Auto-accompaniment (style mode)
16
Adjusting the volume of the keyboard and
accompaniment parts
You can adjust the volume balance between the keyboard and
accompaniment parts. This is useful for making a solo that you
play on the keyboard stand out over the accompaniment, or for
simply performing with good sound balance.
Keyboard part
Accompaniment part
y
Adjusting the overall volume of the keyboard part (upper
1–3 and lower): Turn the dial while holding down the
KEYBOARD SET/[STS] buon.
y
Adjusting the overall volume of the accompaniment part
(drums, percussion, bass and other parts): Turn the dial
while holding down the STYLE buon.
Accompaniment part volume
Keyboard part volume
y
Adjusting the volume of individual parts:
Turn the dial
while holding down the respective buons in the PART
MUTE/[SOUND SELECT] section.
Volume of each part
Saving the set list (WRITE)
A set list contains saved seings such as style, tempo, keyboard
set and eect seings. Once you have customized the seings
for a style, we recommend that you save your seings as a set
list.
1.
In style mode, customize the style such as changing the
sound of the keyboard part, changing the octave and so
on.
2.
Press the BANK/WRITE buon to select the bank to save
to.
The bank will change in sequential order (A
"
B
"
C...J
"
A...)
with each press of the BANK/WRITE buon.
• Bank A: preloaded
• Banks B–J: initialized
Tip:
Press the BANK/WRITE buon while holding the
[SHIFT] buon to reverse the order.
3.
Press one of buons 1–4 while holding down the BANK/
WRITE buon.
Your seings will be saved to the set list, and the buon you
pressed will light.
Tip:
Bank A-1 will be selected right after the power is
turned on.
The seings shown below are saved in the set list.
y
Styles
Style number, volume, variation, intro
y
Keyboard sets
Keyboard set number, volume, octave seings
y
Part
Sounds assigned to each part, volume, mute, octave seings
y
Other seings
Eect selected for eect 1 and 2, send level for eect 1 and 2,
tempo, transpose, split on/o, split point, ensemble on/o,
metronome volume.
When you select the variation and intro and save the set list,
these seings will be saved in the set list. The variation and
intro seings can be recalled along with the set list for you to
play.
Note:
Note that the section may not correctly change when you
switch set lists while playing, depending on the set list.
3 2
3
Auto-accompaniment (style mode)
17
Recording your performance
You can record what you played along with the auto-
accompaniment as a user song or as audio data.
Recording as a user song
1.
Follow steps 1–5 in “Playing with a style you choose”
(page 14), or steps 1–4 in “Adding an intro or seing a
variation” (page 15).
Tip:
You can also mute the sound or adjust the volume
of the part, as shown in “Making changes to the auto-
accompaniment” (page 15).
2.
Press the record buon to put the instrument in record
standby mode (the buon will light red).
Note:
Parts that are muted will not be recorded. To record
a part, make sure that muting is canceled (see page 12
“Muting parts and changing sounds”).
3.
Press the start/stop buon to begin recording.
4.
Play the chords with your left hand and the melody with
your right hand.
5.
Press VARIATION buons 1/2 and 3/4, as well as the FILL
buon and COUNT IN/BREAK buon to change the
playback of the song while you play.
6.
To nish recording, press the start/stop buon or the
INTRO/ENDING buon.
The data that you recorded will automatically be saved as a
user song.
Tip:
The name of the user song will be “UserSong,” with a
sequential number added to the end. Up to 999 songs can be
recorded.
Tip:
See “Playing along with a song” (page 18) when you
want to listen to a user song.
Tip:
You can make simple edits to user songs (see page 19
“Editing a song”).
Rec Start Rec Stop
↓ ↓
Mute
Mute
Upper 1 MIDI ch 1
Upper 2 MIDI ch 2
Upper 3 MIDI ch 3
Lower MIDI ch 4
Bass MIDI ch 9
Drum MIDI ch 10
Percussion MIDI ch 11
Other Parts MIDI ch 12-16
Part
Recording
Rec Start Rec Stop
↓ ↓
Upper 1 MIDI ch 1
Upper 2 MIDI ch 2
Upper 3 MIDI ch 3
Lower MIDI ch 4
Bass MIDI ch 9
Drum MIDI ch 10
Percussion MIDI ch 11
Other Parts MIDI ch 12-16
Part
Recording as audio data (WAV le,
PERFORMANCE REC song)
You can record your performance on the EK-50 U at any
time as audio data (a WAV le), regardless of what mode the
instrument is in.
Note:
You will need to connect a USB ash drive to the
instrument in order to record audio.
Tip:
The audio input from the AUDIO IN jack on the rear panel
is recorded along with what you play.
1.
Connect a USB ash drive to the USB TO DEVICE port on
the rear panel.
See page 24 “Connecting and removing USB ash drives”.
2.
Follow steps 1–5 in “Playing with a style you choose”
(page 14), or steps 1–4 in “Adding an intro or seing a
variation” (page 15).
3.
Press the PERFORMANCE REC/[MEDIA] buon (the
buon lights up red) to begin recording, and start playing
the keyboard.
4.
Press the PERFORMANCE REC/[MEDIA] buon when
you’re nished recording. The buon goes dark.
The audio data that you recorded will be saved with the
name “AudioSong” on the USB ash drive.
Note:
Recording will automatically stop in one hour after
you start recording.
Note:
Note that you may not be able to correctly record
data when using certain USB ash drives. For details, see
the Korg website.
3,6 2
5
3,4
Song mode
18
Song mode
Listening to the demo songs
The EK-50 U has 16 built-in demo songs. This shows you how
to listen to the songs.
Tip:
See “Playing along with a song” (page 18) for how to
play along with a demo song.
1.
Press the SONG/[DEMO SONG] buon while holding
down the [SHIFT] buon.
will blink in the display, and the demo songs will
start playing back in order from song D01.
When you want to play back a specic demo song, use
the dial or other means to select the demo song. The demo
songs will play back starting with the song you selected.
2.
Press the [SHIFT] buon to stop.
Playing along with a song
You can play the EK-50 U while playing back a song.
y
To play back an MP3, WAV or standard MIDI le on a
USB ash drive, connect the USB ash drive with your
data to the USB TO DEVICE port of the real panel on this
instrument.
The USB icon (
) will be shown in the top right of the
display.
Tip:
See “MEDIA functions” (page 24) for more
information on the devices and playback formats supported
by the EK-50 U.
1.
Press the SONG/[DEMO SONG] buon to enter song
mode.
will blink on the display, and the song name will be
displayed.
2.
Select the song type using the CATEGORY buons, and
use the dial to select the song.
The song types and SONG/[DEMO SONG] buon states are
as follows:
D.01–: Demo songs (blinks white)
001–999: User songs (blinks red)
R.01–R.99: PERFORMANCE REC songs (blinks white)
M.01–M.99: Music data (blinks white)
Note:
The user songs and PERFORMANCE REC songs
are the recordings of what you play on the EK-50 U
(see
page 17 “Recording your performance”)
.
3.
Press the start/stop buon (the buon will light up white).
4.
Play the keyboard along with the song.
Tip:
To change the keyboard set, see “Selecting the
keyboard set” (page 10).
Tip:
To change the tempo, see “Adjusting the tempo”
(page 11).
5.
To stop playback of a song, press the start/stop buon.
Tip:
The user songs can be edited and then saved to USB
ash drive (see page 19 “Editing a song” and page 25
“Song Convert”).
Playing back using dierent methods
Rewinding, fast‑forwarding or pausing a song
Rewind
Fast-forward
Pause
y
Rewind buon: Press this once to go back one measure. (For
MP3 and WAV les, this will go back two seconds.)
Hold down the buon to continue rewinding.
y
Fast‑forward buon: Press this once to move forward one
measure. (For MP3 and WAV les, this will move forward
two seconds.)
Hold down the buon to continue fast‑forwarding.
y
Pause buon: Press this during playback to pause. Press the
buon again to resume playback from where you stopped.
1
1
1
1
3,5
2
Song mode
19
Playing back part of a song in a loop
This feature lets you play back part of a song over and over (loop
playback).
Quick loop playback
Press the LOOP buon to loop the playback of the current
measure. (For MP3 and WAV les, playback will be looped
from 1 second prior to the point where the LOOP buon was
pressed.)
(MP3, WAV)
1 measure
1 sec.
1.
Press the start/stop buon to play back the song.
2.
Press the LOOP buon at the measure (position) where
playback will loop back (the buon will light up white).
Tip:
The loop can be extended to play back for a maximum
of 9 measures before (or 9 seconds before, in the case of MP3
and WAV les). Use the dial during loop playback to extend
the length of the loop.
3.
To cancel loop playback, press the LOOP buon again.
The instrument will return to normal playback, and the
buon will go dark.
A–B loop playback
Use the A1 B buon to specify a part of a song to play back in
an A–B loop.
1.
Press the start/stop buon to play back the song.
2.
Press the A1 B buon at the start of where you want to
begin the loop (the buon will blink white).
3.
Press the A1 B buon again at the end of where you want
to end of the loop (the buon will light up white).
This will play back the song in a loop between points A and
B.
4.
To cancel the loop playback, press the A1 B buon.
The instrument will return to normal playback, and the
buon will go dark.
Editing a song
You can edit the user songs.
Erasing part of a recording (erase function)
Here’s how to erase part of what you played using the keyboard
part in a user song.
Note:
This will erase a specied range for the keyboard part,
whether it is muted or not.
1.
Select a user song.
2.
Press the start/stop buon to play back the song.
3.
Press the ERASE buon at the point where you want to
start erasing (the buon will light up red).
4.
Press the ERASE buon again at the point where you want
to stop erasing (the buon will go dark).
Tip:
To erase a dierent part, press the start/stop buon to
stop playback, and go to step 2 to erase.
Erase
Erase On Erase Off
↓ ↓
Upper 1 MIDI ch 1
Upper 2 MIDI ch 2
Upper 3 MIDI ch 3
Lower MIDI ch 4
Bass MIDI ch 9
Drum MIDI ch 10
Percussion MIDI ch 11
Other Parts MIDI ch 12-16
Part
2,3
1
BA
2,3,4
1
2,31
Song mode
20
Overlaying parts when recording (overdubbing
function)
You can overlay parts that you play using the keyboard part
when recording a user song. You can also record changes in the
sounds used for the keyboard and accompaniment parts.
1.
Select a user song.
2.
Press the start/stop buon to play back the song.
3.
Press the record buon (the buon will light up red).
4.
Play the keyboard and make changes to the sounds.
y
To change the sounds of a part, press the PART buon
while holding down the [SHIFT] buon, and use the dial
or other means to select a sound.
When you change the sound, that information is recorded in
the part.
Note:
During overdubbing, you can mute or unmute the
keyboard part, but this will not be recorded.
Note:
To record changes to the sound, make the changes
while the part is unmuted. Changes to a sound can be made
to any part besides the other parts. The changes you make to
a sound, as well as your keyboard playing will be recorded
while the part is unmuted.
5.
Press the record buon when you are nished
overdubbing (the buon will go dark).
Note:
To overdub again, press the start/stop buon to stop
playback, and follow the steps from step 2 on.
y
To check the song that you have overdubbed your playing
on, press the start/stop buon and then unmute the part
you overdubbed.
Song Play Rec Stop
↓ ↓
Upper 1 MIDI ch 1
Upper 2 MIDI ch 2
Upper 3 MIDI ch 3
Lower MIDI ch 4
Bass MIDI ch 9
Drum MIDI ch 10
Percussion MIDI ch 11
Other Parts MIDI ch 12-16
Part
Overdubbing
Rec Start Rec Stop
↓ ↓
Upper 1 MIDI ch 1
Upper 2 MIDI ch 2
Upper 3 MIDI ch 3
Lower MIDI ch 4
Bass MIDI ch 9
Drum MIDI ch 10
Percussion MIDI ch 11
Other Parts MIDI ch 12-16
Part
Rec Start
↓
Overdubbing
Overdubbing
Overdubbing
Overdubbing
Overdubbing
Overdubbing
Overdubbing
Overdubbing
Deleting a user song
This will delete a user song that you have selected.
1.
Select a user song.
2.
Press the ERASE buon.
“Delete? No” will appear on the display.
3.
Turn the dial to select “Yes”.
4.
Press the ERASE buon.
The user song will be deleted, and the display will show
“Completed”.
3,52
3
2,4
SETTING functions
21
SETTING functions
Basic methods of use
The basic methods of using the SETTING functions are shown
below.
1.
Press the SETTING/[EFFECT] buon.
This will enter the SETTING functions, and
will
blink on the display.
2.
Press the CATEGORY buon and select the parameter to
set.
3.
Turn the dial to select a value.
4.
After you are nished, press the [SHIFT] buon to return
to the previous mode.
Main SETTING functions
Changing the auto power‑o function
This instrument has an auto power‑o function that
automatically turns o the power when the unit has not been
played or operated for a certain length of time. The time interval
is set to 30 minutes at factory default, but this can be changed.
1.
In the SETTING functions, press the CATEGORY buon
u several times to select “Auto PowerO”.
2.
Turn the dial to select “Disable” or a specic time after
which the power will turn o.
3.
Press the [SHIFT] buon to return to the previous mode.
Changing the pedal polarity
If the pedal connected to the FOOT CONTROLLER jack does
not sustain the sound even when pressed, and if the sound
sustains when you take your foot o the pedal, you will need to
change the pedal polarity on this instrument.
1.
Connect either a Korg DS‑1H damper pedal, or a PS‑1/PS‑3
pedal switch to the FOOT CONTROLLER jack.
2.
In the SETTING functions, press the CATEGORY buon
u several times to select “Pedal Polarity”.
3.
Turn the dial to change the polarity.
− (KORG): This is the factory default seing. Use this seing
when using a DS-1H, PS-1 or PS-3 pedal.
+ (Reverse): Use this seing when the eect of the pedal
appears to be reversed.
4.
Press the [SHIFT] buon to return to the previous mode.
Changing the pedal function
Change the pedal function on this instrument to match the type
of pedal connected, whether a pedal switch, expression pedal or
volume pedal.
1.
Connect the pedal to the FOOT CONTROLLER jack.
2.
In the SETTING functions, press the CATEGORY buon
u several times to select “Pedal Function”.
3.
Turn the dial to select the pedal function.
No Assign: Use this when you are not using a pedal.
Damper: This is the factory default seing. Select this when
using a damper pedal or a pedal switch like the Korg DS-
1H, PS-1 or PS-3.
Expression: Select this when using a expression pedal like
the Korg EXP-2.
Quarter Tone: Select this when playing quarter tones (see
page 21 “Seing the quarter tone function”).
4.
Press the [SHIFT] buon to return to the previous mode.
Setting the quarter tone function
This shifts the pitch of the notes you play on the keyboard
down 1/4 tone.
1.
Connect either a Korg DS‑1H damper pedal, or a PS‑1/PS‑3
pedal switch to the FOOT CONTROLLER jack.
2.
Select
“Quarter Tone”
in “Pedal Function,” SETTING
functions.
Tip:
See steps 2 through 4 in “Changing the pedal function”
(page 21).
3.
Press the [SHIFT] buon to return to the previous mode.
4.
While pressing the pedal, press the key on the keyboard
that will be set to a quarter tone.
On the right-side one-octave of the keyboard display, the
key set for quarter tones will change to black. Press the
key once more while holding the pedal down to cancel the
quarter tone seing.
Tip:
To cancel all quarter tones that have been set, press the
pedal down, and then release the pedal (without playing
any keys).
Note:
All quarter tone seings will be erased when this
instrument is turned o.
Setting the battery type
To make sure the correct baery level is displayed, set which
type of baery you are using.
1.
In the SETTING functions, press the CATEGORY buon
several times to select “Baery Type”.
2.
Turn the dial to select the type of baery you have
inserted.
Alkaline: alkaline baeries
Ni‐MH: nickel‑metal hydride baeries
3.
Press the [SHIFT] buon to return to the previous mode.
1
4
3
2
SETTING functions
22
List of SETTING functions
(*: Factory default seing value)
Page Parameter Seings Contents of seings
P.01 KeyResponse Soft Touch
Medium Touch*
Hard Touch
Fixed_001...127
Sets the ratio of volume change when playing the keyboard at dierent velocities (the
strength at which your ngers strike the keyboard).
P.02 PtchBndRange
(Pitch Bend Range)
Style Seing*
O
01 ... 12
Sets the range of pitch change (how high or low the sound is) that can be made to the
keyboard part using the joystick.
Style Seing: The pitch bend range set for each style.
01...12: The pitch range can be set in semitones (12 semitones=±1 octave).
P.03 Pedal Function No Assign
Damper*
Expression
Quarter Tone
See page 21 “Changing the pedal function”.
P.04 Pedal Polarity -(KORG)*
+(Reverse)
See page 21 “Changing the pedal polarity”.
P.05 MasterTuning 427.5 ... 440.0* ...
452.9 Hz
Sets the overall tuning for the instrument (drums excepted).
P.06 Chord Detect Fingered1*
Fingered2
Fingered3
Fingered3/Bass
One Finger
Sets the method of chord recognition.
This seing is enabled when the split function is on. When split is o, “Fingered3” is
enabled.
Fingered1: You can play a single note or multiple notes. When you play a single note,
this is recognized as a major chord.
Fingered2: You need to play at least three notes for the chord to be recognized. Playing
only one note will play back in unison. The root and the 5th will be recognized as a
major chord when you play them.
Fingered3: You always need to play at least three notes for the chord to be recognized.
Fingered3/Bass: The Fingered3 seing is enabled, with the addition of bass inversions.
The lowest note of an inverted chord (the lowest note that you play of a chord) is always
considered to be the root of the chord. You can use this to make specify composite
chords like Am7/G, F/C and so on.
One Finger: Chord recognition works as follows.
- Single notes played are recognized as major chords.
- Play the root of the chord and then the white note to the left of it together for a seventh
chord (for example. if you play C3 and B2 together, you will get a C7 chord).
- Play the root of the chord and then the black note to the left of it together for a minor
chord (for example, if you play C3 and B
♭
2 together, you will get a C minor chord).
- Play the root of the chord and then the black and white notes to the left of it together
for a minor seventh chord (for example, if you play C3, B2 and B
♭
2 together, you will
get a Cm7 chord).
P.07 Scale Root Key C*...B Sets the note to be used as the root of the scale.
P.08 UpperScaleTyp
(Upper Scale Type)
KeyboardSet*
Equal
PureMajor
PureMinor
Arabic
Pythagorean
Werckmeister
Kirnberger
Slendro
Pelog
Stretch
User
“P.08 UpperScaleTyp” sets the scale for the upper part. Note that this cannot be set if “P.03
Pedal Function” is set to “Quarter Tone”.
“P.09 StyleScaleTyp” sets the scale used for the style accompaniment part and the lower
part.
KeyboardSet: This is the scale set for each style.
Equal (equal temperament tuning): This is a widely‑used scale in general use, where the
dierence in pitch between each semitone is uniform.
PureMajor (just temperament major scale): This is a scale in which the major chord for
the primary overtones selected harmonizes perfectly.
PureMinor (just temperament minor scale): This is a scale in which the minor chord for
the primary overtones selected harmonizes perfectly.
Arabic: This is a scale that includes quarter tones used in Arabian music.
Pythagorean: This is the scale used in ancient Greece, and is eective for playing
melodies.
Werckmeister: This is an equal temperament tuning used in later‑era baroque music.
Kirnberger: This was a scale created in the 18th century, mainly used for harpsichord
tuning.
Slendro: This is a scale used on gamelans in Indonesia, with ve notes per octave.
Pelog: This is another scale used on gamelans in Indonesia, with seven notes per octave.
When the key is set to “C”, use only white notes when playing (the black note pitches
use equal temperament tuning).
Stretch: This is a scale used for acoustic pianos.
User: This is a user‑dened scale.
P.09 StyleScaleTyp
(Style ScaleType)
Equal*
PureMajor
PureMinor
Arabic
Pythagorean
Werckmeister
Kirnberger
Slendro
Pelog
Stretch
User
SETTING functions
23
Page Parameter Seings Contents of seings
User C Tune –
User B Tune
‑99... +00* ... 99 Cent This is displayed when “User” is selected for “P.08 UpperScaleTyp” or “P.09
StyleScaleTyp”.
This indicates the amount of detuning compared to standard equal temperament
tuning. These seings aect the entire tonal range.
±50: Moves the tuning up or down 1/4 (quarter) tone.
±99: Moves the tuning up or down nearly one semitone.
P.10 Tap Auto Start Disable
Enable*
Pressing TAP TEMPO/[TEMPO LOCK] buon continuously will set whether
performance begins automatically or not.
P.11 MIDI Clock Internal*
External
Sets whether the MIDI clock of this instrument is controlled by the internal clock
(Internal) or by an external clock (External).
P.12 Local Control O
On*
Sets whether the sound generator of this instrument will play or not (“On” to play, “O”
to not play) when the keyboard is played.
On: Notes that you play on the keyboard and MIDI data will be sent to the internal
sound generator and to the USB TO HOST port.
O: Notes that you play on the keyboard and MIDI data will be sent to the USB TO
HOST port, but the internal sound generator will not sound. Turn this seing to “O”
when this instrument is connected to a computer that is set to echo back and when
you want to use this instrument as a sound generator, in order to prevent notes from
sounding in duplicate.
P.13 Audio In Level 0 ... 100* ... 127 Sets the input level from audio devices connected to the AUDIO IN jack.
P.14 Auto PowerO
Disable,
5, 10, 30*, 60,
120 Minutes
See page 21 “Changing the auto power‑o function”.
P.15 Baery Type Alkaline*
Ni-MH
See page 21 “Seing the baery type”.
MEDIA functions
24
MEDIA functions
Connecting and removing USB ash drives
1.
Turn o the power.
2.
Connect a USB ash drive (commercially available) to the
USB TO DEVICE port.
Make sure that the USB ash drive is facing the right
direction when you insert it. If you try to push the drive in
the wrong way too hard, the port on the instrument or the
drive itself may break, or you may lose your data.
3.
Turn the power back on.
The USB icon (
) will be shown in the top right of the
display.
Note:
If does not display, turn o the power and
reconnect the USB ash drive.
Note:
Be sure to format the USB ash drive before using it for
the rst time on this instrument.
When removing the USB ash drive, be sure to turn o the
power rst.
Basic method of use
The basic method of making seings using the MEDIA
functions is as shown below.
The MEDIA functions will not work unless you plug a USB
ash drive into this instrument.
1.
Connect a USB ash drive.
See “Connecting and removing USB ash drives”
(page 24).
2.
Press the PERFORMANCE REC/[MEDIA] buon while
holding down the [SHIFT] buon.
This will enter the MEDIA functions.
3.
Select the menu to set using the CATEGORY buon, and
press the PERFORMANCE REC/[MEDIA] buon.
“Enter [MEDIA]” will be displayed.
4.
Press the PERFORMANCE REC/[MEDIA] buon.
“Cancel [<]” will be displayed.
5.
Turn the dial to select the next function, and follow the
directions shown in the display.
For instance, to select “Yes [MEDIA]”, press the
PERFORMANCE REC/[MEDIA] buon to go to the next
step. To select “Cancel [<]”, press the CATEGORY buon
t
to stop the operation and return to step 2.
6.
When the operation is nished, the message “Completed!”
will be displayed. Press the [SHIFT] buon to return to
the previous mode.
Formatting a USB ash drive
In order to use a USB ash drive on this instrument, you will
need to format (initialize) it rst.
1.
In the MEDIA functions, press the CATEGORY buon u
and select “Media Format”.
The message “Enter [MEDIA]” will be displayed.
2.
Press the PERFORMANCE REC/[MEDIA] buon.
“Cancel [<]” will be displayed.
3.
Turn the dial to select “Yes [MEDIA]”, and press the
PERFORMANCE REC/[MEDIA] buon.
“Are You Sure?” will be displayed.
4.
Turn the dial to select “Yes [MEDIA]”, and press the
PERFORMANCE REC/[MEDIA] buon.
5.
When the operation is nished, the message “Completed!”
will be displayed. Press the [SHIFT] buon to return to
the previous mode.
Loading user styles
You can now load and use Pa50, Pa50SD and microARRANGER
user styles on the EK-50 U. (Supported in software ver.2.0 and
later)
Copy the user styles (les with an .STY extension) and the user
programs (le with a .PCG extension) to a USB ash drive, and
then load them into the EK-50 U.
Note:
Specications vary by product, so the sounds that play
back on the EK‑50 U may sound dierent from the instrument
on which you created the original data.
1.
On your computer, create a folder named “EK‑50 U” on
the root directory of your USB ash drive, and then make
a “STYLE” and “PROGRAM” subfolder in that folder.
2.
Copy the user styles to the STYLE folder, and the user
programs to the PROGRAM folder.
• User styles
From USER01.STY to USER06.STY
• User programs
USER01.PCG, USER02.PCG, USERDK.PCG
Tip:
For user styles and user programs, you can select and
copy only the data you want to load—there’s no need to
select all of the data.
3.
Connect the USB ash drive that contains your user style
and user program data to the USB port of the EK‑50 U.
4.
Following the “Basic method of use,” select and execute
“UserStyleLoad” in the MEDIA function.
5.
When the operation is nished, the message “Completed!”
will be displayed. Press the [SHIFT] buon to return to
the previous mode.
The user styles will be loaded into the EK-50 U memory
from style 901. onward, and the user programs will be
loaded into memory from sound 001. onward. A dot (“.”)
will be shown after each number.
Note:
You cannot use the numerical buons to select these
sounds—use the dial instead.
Note:
If you load a dierent user style after loading these
styles, the previous user styles will be erased.
MEDIA functions
25
List of MEDIA functions
Page Menu Contents of seings
P.01 SetListBackUp Saves all set lists to the USB ash
drive.
P.02 SetListRestore Loads all set lists from the USB ash
drive.
P.03 Song Convert Saves the user songs to the USB ash
drive in SMF (Standard MIDI File)
format.
Current: This saves the user song
currently selected in song mode.
ALL: This saves all user songs.
P.04
UserStyleLoad
Loads Pa50, Pa50SD and
microARRANGER style data from a
USB ash drive.
See page 24 “Loading user styles”.
P.05 Media Format Format the USB ash drive.
See page 24 “Formaing a USB
ash drive”.
P.06 SystemUpdate This updates the system on this
instrument.
Storage media that can be used
The EK-50 U supports the use of USB storage devices such as
FAT16 or FAT32‑formaed ash drives or disks.
Supported capacities
FAT32: Up to 2 TB (2,000 GB)
FAT16: Up to 4 GB
File and folder structure
When saving data to USB ash drives from this instrument, or
when formaing USB ash drive, a folder named “EK‐50” will
automatically be created on the media.
When using the MEDIA functions “SetListBackUp” and “Song
Convert”, the les shown below will be saved to the folder.
SetList: The “SetList” folder will be created, and a le named
“SetListData_##.json” will be saved to the folder. The “##”
characters above are a placeholder for the le number, which
can be from 01 to 40.
UserSong_###.mid: This represents a user song le on this
instrument that has been converted to a MIDI le (SMF format
0). The “###” characters above are a placeholder for the le
number.
AudioSong_#.wav: This is song data that was recorded as audio
data using PERFORMANCE REC. The “#” characters are a
placeholder for the le number.
The WAV, MP3, SMF and MID les in the “EK‑50” folder can be
loaded into this instrument as user songs.
When you insert a USB ash drive into the EK‑50 U, the
instrument searches for the relevant les in the “EK‑50” folder,
and displays these les as a list from M01 to M99 in song mode.
The supported formats for each le type are as shown below.
WAV: Supported sample rate = 44.1 kHz
MP3: Supported sample rate = 44.1 kHz, VBR compatible
SMF, MIDI: SMF formats 0, 1
SetListData_01.json (A-1)
SetListData_05.json (A-4)
SetListData_06.json (B-1)
SetListData_40.json (J-4)
EK-50
SetList
.....
USER01.STY (901. −916.)
USER02.STY (917. −932.)
USER06.STY (981. −996.)
STYLE
.WAV
.MP3
.SMF
.MID
.....
..... .....
AudioRec
AudioSong_1.wav
PROGRAM
USER01.PCG
USER02.PCG
USERDK.PCG
(001. − )
.....
Connecting to an external device
26
Connecting to an external device
Connecting an audio player
You can connect an audio device such as an audio player to the
AUDIO IN jack (stereo mini-phone jack) on the rear panel of
this instrument, and hear the sound of the audio device playing
back through the built-in speakers of the EK-50 U. This is useful
for playing along.
Stereo mini-cable
Audio player or
other device
1.
Turn the volume on this instrument and on your audio
device all the way down, and then turn the power o on
both units.
2.
Connect your audio device to the AUDIO IN jack on the
rear panel of this instrument using a stereo mini‑cable.
3.
Turn the power of the audio device on, and then turn on
the power of the EK‑50 U.
4.
Play back sound on the audio device, slowly turning up
the volume. As you raise the volume on the EK‑50 U, you
should be able to hear the sound coming through the
speakers.
5.
To adjust the volume balance, raise the volume on your
audio device while playing the keyboard of the EK‑50 U
along with the sound.
To adjust the overall volume level, use the VOLUME knob.
Tip:
You can adjust the input level of the audio device using
the “Audio In Level” (page 23) parameter in the SETTING
functions.
6.
When turning o the power, stop playback on the audio
device, turn o the EK‑50 U, and then turn o your audio
device, in that order.
Connecting powered monitor speakers
You can connect audio equipment such as powered monitor
speakers or a home stereo to the OUTPUT jacks on the rear
panel of the EK-50 U, which lets you hear what you play on this
instrument through your audio equipment.
Powered monitor speakers
The audio output on this instrument uses a higher signal
level than ordinary home audio equipment like CD players. For
this reason, playing at an excessive volume may damage the
external audio equipment. Use particular care when seing the
volume.
1.
Turn the volume down all the way on this instrument and
on the external audio equipment, and turn o the power
on both devices.
2.
Connect the OUTPUT jacks of this instrument to the audio
input jack(s) of your external audio equipment or other
device.
Tip:
When using monaural sound, connect to the L/MONO
jack.
3.
Turn on the power on the EK‐50 U, and then on the
external audio equipment.
4.
Turn up the volume of this instrument gradually and play
the keyboard. Adjust the volume balance by turning up
the volume of both this instrument and the external audio
equipment.
5.
When turning o the power, rst turn the power of the
external audio equipment o, and then turn o the power
of this instrument.
When you will not be using the built‑in speakers
You may want to turn o the built‑in speakers and output the
sound from the OUTPUT jacks only, such as when you are
playing onstage.
1.
Refer to “Connecting powered monitor speakers”
(page 26) when connecting external audio equipment.
2.
Press the SPEAKER EQ/[SPEAKER OFF] buon while
holding down the [SHIFT] buon.
The built‑in speakers will turn o and will not make a
sound.
Tip:
Also, if you connect a pair of headphones to the
headphones jack, the built‑in speakers will shut o.
3.
To turn the built‐in speakers on again, press the SPEAKER
EQ/[SPEAKER OFF] buon once more while holding
down the [SHIFT] buon.
Connecting to an external device
27
Connecting to a computer
The EK‑50 U is equipped with USB TO HOST port, which can
be used to connect to a computer, allowing this instrument to be
controlled using DAW software as a MIDI sound generator, or
to be used as a controller.
To connect the EK-50 U to a computer via USB, install the
KORG USB-MIDI driver on your computer. Download the
driver from the Korg website, and install the driver by following
the accompanying documentation.
What is MIDI?
MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a worldwide
standard for communicating various information between
electronic musical instruments and computers.
Connecting to a computer
Connect the USB A port of your Windows PC or Mac to the
USB TO HOST port of this instrument with a USB cable, and try
sending and receiving MIDI messages.
Tip:
For the MIDI‑related seings to make after connecting, see
“MIDI Clock” (page 23) and “Local Control” (page 23).
About MIDI channels
The MIDI channels that are used in style mode and song mode
when you select a user song are as follows.
Ch01: Upper 1 part
Ch02: Upper 2 part
Ch03: Upper 3 part
Ch04: Lower part
Ch09: Bass part
Ch10: Drum part
Ch11: Percussion part
Ch12–16: Other parts
Note:
Note that the MIDI channels used when playing back an
SMF will depend on the seings in that le.
Appendix
28
Appendix
Checking the software version
1.
Press the power buon while holding down the [SHIFT]
buon.
The software version number of the EK-50 U will be
displayed following the opening screen.
2.
Turn o the power, and then turn it on again.
Restoring the EK‑50U to factory default
settings
This restores the seings of this instrument to the factory
defaults.
Note that this will initialize (reset) all of your song lists,
user songs and the seings you have made in the SETTING
functions. For this reason, any user songs you have recorded
or any new set lists you may have made will be overwrien
and lost. If you want to keep your user songs and set lists, save
the data to a USB ash drive using the MEDIA function (see
page 25 “SetListBackUp”, page 25 “Song Convert”).
Do not turn o the power on this instrument while it is
initializing. If the initialization fails, you may be unable to use
the instrument.
1.
Turn o the power.
2.
While holding down the [SHIFT] buon and the BANK/
WRITE buon in the SET LIST section, press the power
buon.
“FactoryPreload” will be displayed, and the start/stop
buon in the STYLE/SONG section will blink.
3.
Turn the dial to select “Yes”, and press the start/stop
buon in the STYLE/SONG section.
The initialization will begin.
Once the instrument has been restored to the factory default
seings, “Completed” will appear in the display.
4.
Turn o the power, and then turn it on again.
Calibrating an expression pedal
Calibrate the expression pedal (such as a EXP-2) that you have
connected to the FOOT CONTROLLER jack, and set the pedal’s
variable range.
1.
Connect the expression pedal while the EK‐50 U’s power is
turned o.
2.
Press the power buon while holding down buon 1 in
the SET LIST section.
“Pedal Calib.” will be displayed, and the start/stop buon in
the STYLE/SONG section will blink.
3.
Press the start/stop buon in the STYLE/SONG section.
“Measuring Min” will appear on the display.
4.
Bring the pedal all the way down (towards you), and take
your foot o.
The value will appear on the display.
5.
Press the start/stop buon.
“Measuring Max” will appear on the display.
6.
Press the expression pedal upward all the way (away from
you), and take your foot o.
The value will appear on the display.
7.
Press the start/stop buon.
“Completed” will appear on the display, which completes
the calibration.
8.
Turn o the power, and then turn it on again.
Try operating the pedal to make sure that it is working as
intended. If the pedal does not work correctly, repeat this
process from step 1.
Troubleshooting
If this instrument is not operating as expected, check the
following points.
The instrument will not turn on.
Is the AC adapter plug connected to the AC outlet?
Have you pressed the power buon?
The power will not go o.
Did you hold down the power buon for a while?
The power turns o by itself.
The auto power‑o function may be enabled.
No sound is heard from the speakers of this instrument
when the keys are played.
Is the instrument’s volume turned up?
Is a pair of headphones connected to this instrument?
The speakers will not produce sound when headphones are
connected to this instrument.
The part buons might all be muted.
Is the volume down on the pedal connected to the FOOT
CONTROLLER jack?
If sound is not heard when pressing some keys, you may
have exceeded the instrument’s maximum polyphony.
The local control in the SETTING functions should be set to
“On”.
Are the speakers set to o?
Press the SPEAKER EQ/[SPEAKER OFF] buon while
holding down the [SHIFT] buon.
The keyboard parts might all be muted.
The sound will not stop.
The functions or polarity for the pedal might not be set
correctly.
The sound seems to be doubled.
If you are using a DAW, make sure that the local control
seing in the SETTING functions is set to “O”.
The sound coming from external audio equipment is
distorted.
The inputs of the powered monitor speakers and other
equipment might be overloaded.
Adjust the volume on this instrument using the VOLUME
knob.
The pitch is o.
Is the transpose function set correctly?
Has “MasterTuning” in the SETTING functions been set
correctly, as well as the program’s octave and tune edit
parameters?
Is the scale set correctly?
See “UpperScaleTyp” (page 22) and “StyleScaleTyp”
(page 22) for these seings in the SETTING functions.
The quarter tone seings may be enabled.
Check the “Pedal Function” (page 22) in the SETTING
functions.
Appendix
29
I hear unwanted noise.
When the volume for a part is raised, the digital signal
processing may overload the signal, which could cause
distortion or other noises. This is not a malfunction.
Try lowering the volume on each part buon.
You may hear distorted or noisy sounds due to input
overload with certain eects. This is not a malfunction.
In certain electrical environments, you may hear noise due
to a ground loop or other factors.
The pedal switch or expression pedal connected to the
FOOT CONTROLLER jack doesn’t work like it should.
The functions or polarity for the pedal might not be set
correctly.
See “Pedal Function” (page 22) and “Pedal Polarity”
(page 22) for these seings in the SETTING functions.
Is the variable range of the expression pedal set correctly?
Calibrate as shown on “Calibrating an expression pedal”
(page 28).
I cannot record a user song.
The maximum number of user songs is 999.
You may need to delete one (see page 20 “Deleting a user
song”.)
MIDI signals sent to/from this instrument and a
computer are not being correctly received.
Is the USB cable connected correctly to the USB TO HOST
port?
The instrument does not let me access the MEDIA
functions.
Is your USB ash drive correctly plugged in?
If the USB ash drive is correctly plugged in, you should see
in the display.
Appendix
30
List of chords recognized
These are the main chords that will be recognized when the chord recognition on this instrument is set to “Fingered2”.
2-note
T
T
T
T
3-note
T
T
T T
T
Major
2-note4-note
T
T
Major 6th
3-note
T
4-note
T
T
Major 7th
2-note
T
3-note
T
T
Sus
2-note 3-note
Sus 2
3-note
T T
T T
2-note
T T
T
4-note
T T
TT T
Dominant 7th
4-note
T
T
Dominant 7th Sus 4
3-note
T
T
3-note
Flat 5th
4-note
T
T
Major 7th Sus 4
T
4-note
Major 7th 5
T T
T T
4-note
Dominant 7th 5
T
4-note
T T
Minor 7th
3-note
T
4-note
T T
Minor-Major 7th
3-note
T
3-note
T
T
Diminished
4-note
Diminished 7th
4-note
T T
Diminished Major 7th
4-note
T T T
Minor 7th 5
3-note
T
T
Augmented
4-note
TT T
T
Augmented 7th
4-note
TT T
T
Augmented Major 7th
3-note
T T
Minor
2-note
T
4-note
T T
Minor 6th
= constituent notes of the chord = can be used as tension
Specications
31
Specications
Function EK-50 U
Keyboard 61 keys (velocity sensitive)
Normally C2–C7 (adjustable in the range
[C1...C6]–[C3...C8])
Touch control Soft (light), medium (standard),
hard (heavier), xed
Sound
generator
Stereo PCM sound generator
Maximum
polyphony
64 voices
Sounds Over 702 sounds, 41 drum kits (including GM-
compatible sound sets)
Keyboard sets More than 170
Eects Accompaniment part: 2 stereo digital multi-
eects
Keyboard part: 2 stereo digital multi‑eects
More than 173 variations
Styles More than 280 presets
2 intros, 4 variations, 2 lls, 1 break, 2 endings,
synchro start/stop, tap tempo
Demo songs 16
Audio player MP3 (44.1 kHz)
WAV (44.1 kHz)
Sequencer Record Real-time recording (style
mode), maximum of 999 songs
(approx. 100,000 notes), 12 tracks
(4 keyboard parts + 8 auto‑
accompaniment parts), original
format (can convert to SMF0)
Playback Supports song play (playing
on the keyboard during song
playback), SMF (Standard MIDI
File) format 0 or 1
Scales 11 types (including user scale)
Controls Power buon, VOLUME knob, joystick,
STYLE buon, SONG/[DEMO SONG] buon,
KEYBOARD SET/[STS] buon, GRAND
PIANO buon, each buon in the PART MUTE/
[SOUND SELECT] section, SETTING/[EFFECT]
buon, PERFORMANCE REC/[MEDIA] buon,
SPEAKER EQ/[SPEAKER OFF] buon, [SHIFT]
buon, ENSEMBLE buon, SPLIT buon,
METRONOME/[BEAT SELECT] buon, TAP
TEMPO/[TEMPO LOCK] buon, TRANSPOSE
♭
and
♯
/[OCTAVE –/+] buons, dial, CATEGORY
buon, numerical buons, + buon, – buon,
each buon in the STYLE/SONG section, each
buon in the SET LIST section
Set lists 10 banks × 4
Metronome Tempo, beat, volume
Tempo 30–240
Transpose C (–12) to C (0) to C (+12)
Tuning 427.5–452.9 Hz
Function EK-50 U
Input/output
jacks
FOOT
CONTROLLER
jack
6.3 mm phone jack
(half-damper not supported)
AUDIO IN
jack
3.5 mm stereo mini-phone jack
OUTPUT L/
MONO, R jacks
6.3 mm phone jack (unbalanced)
Headphones
jack
3.5 mm stereo mini-phone jack
USB A port
TO DEVICE port: For connecting a
USB ash drive
USB B port
TO HOST port: For connecting a
personal computers
Speaker system Amp: 10 W × 2
Speakers: 120 mm double-cone speakers × 2 (bass
reex box‑type)
Speaker EQ: 8 types
MIDI USB MIDI
Display Custom LCD with backlighting
Power supply AC adapter (DC12V,
)
AA baeries (alkaline dry cells or nickel‑metal‑
hydride baeries) × 8
Baery life: When using alkaline dry cells: approx. 7 hours
Power
consumption
8 W (0.1 W on standby)
Dimensions
(width × depth
× height)
994 × 392 × 132 mm/39.13” × 15.43” × 5.20” (not
including sheet music stand)
Height with sheet music stand aached:
329 mm/12.95”
Weight 7.5 kg/16.53 lbs. (not including sheet music stand
or baeries)
Included items Quick Start Guide, AC adapter, sheet music stand
Accessories
(sold
separately)
DS-1H damper pedal
PS-1 pedal switch
PS-3 pedal switch
EXP-2 foot controller
* Specications and appearance are subject to change without
notice for improvement.
MIDI Implementation Chart
MIDI Implementation Chart
Function...
Transmitted Recognized Remarks
Default
Change
Mode
Default
Messages
Altered
Note
Number
True Voice
Velocity
Note On
Note Off
After
Touch
Key’s
Channel
Pitch Bend
Control
Change
Program
Change
True Number
System Exclusive
System
Common
Song Position
Song Select
Tune Request
System
Real Time
Clock
Commands
Aux
Meassages
Local On/Off
All Notes Off
Active Sense
System Reset
Notes
Mode 1: Omni On, Poly
Mode 3: Omni Off, Poly
Mode 2: Omni On, Mono
Mode 4: Omni Off, Mono
O: Yes
X: No
Consult your local Korg distributor for more information on MIDI implementation.
Basic
Channel
[ENTERTAINER KEYBOARD]
Model: EK-50 U
O 0–127
*************
O 0–127
0–127
0, 32
1, 2
64
6
7, 11
10, 91, 93
71, 72, 73
74, 75
76, 77, 78
98, 99
100, 101
120, 121
0–16
X
0–16
X
0–127
0–127
O 9n, V=1–127
O 8n, V=0–127
O 9n, V=1–127
X
0–127
*************
3
X
X
Date: 2018. 6. 28
Version: 1.00
X
X
*************
X
X
O
O
OO
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
XO
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
O
X
X
O (123–127)
X
X
*4
*1: EK-50U will transmits Sequencer data.
*2: Includes setting of inquiry and master volume.
*3: When the MIDI Clock setting of the Setting function is External, the EK-50 U will recieve this message.
*4: Depending on the selected program, there may be cases in which it is not possible to sound the whole range.
Bank Select (MSB, LSB)
Modulation
Damper
Data Entry (MSB) *1
Volume, Expression
Pan pot, Effect 1/2 send *1
Harmony contents, EG time (Release, Attack) *1
Brightness, Decay time *1
Vibrato rate, Depth, Delay *1
NRPN (LSB, MSB) *1
RPN (LSB, MSB) *1
All sound off, Reset all Controllers *1
*2
*3
*1
*1
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www.korg.com
Published 06/2022
