This manual was created on trial-error basis and can be incomplete or even wrong in some parts. However it can be perhaps a bit helpful and if you don’t have a manual it’s better than nothing. This document involves Technics KN400 keyboard but I hope there are many similarities in KN-series and the document can help also owners of slightly different keyboards. If you know something not mentioned here or if you know that something written here is wrong, please let me know.

Topics I don’t know or I’m not sure about are marked with (?).

You can use and spread this document freely. It must not be reprinted or sold for any price without written permission of author.

The rear panel of KN contains the following connectors (jacks) and switches:

KN uses something I'll call music parts – sets of instruments that can be played together in some modes – e.g. sax, accompaniment and drums. They are:

These controllers have the same function in all modes of KN.

Instrument of for the active part is selected. Of course, each part can be assigned with another instrument.

The instrument is selected from a matrix of instruments like in chess – JAZZ GUITAR is 2nd row button and 3rd column button, order doesn't matter. Each instrument has 2 variations/timbers – they can be altered with right VARIATION button

Bass instruments are only 16 and so only column buttons are relevant, no variation is available either.

Conductor determines which part is active - Drums/Bass/POLY1/POLY2. Upper POLY2 splits keyboard so that upper part of keyboard plays POLY1 (e.g. piano) and the lower one POLY2 (e.g. organ). See KEY SPLIT.

KN can help you with music playback, so that it adds rhythmic section, bass and accompaniment to your music, or only some of these. Most of the work does it on its own.

Rhythm is selected the same way as a sound – through a matrix of rhythms – again DIXIE is 4th column button (i.e. 4th in the row of buttons) and 2nd row button (i.e. 2nd button in the column of buttons) Variation is also possible.

Not only drums can be added to your music but also accompaniments such as bass-line and background chords. This section helps you to select whether to use it and how to use. If all these switches are off, only drums are used. ONE-FINGER and FINGERED are two methods how to control the accompaniments.

For each rhythm there can be up to 3 accompaniment parts, different rhythm to rhythm - e.g. strings part, piano and guitar part. Switch them on or off to change the fullness of the accompaniments.

These 3 pads represent 3 drums for easy solos and fill-ins during you performance without necessity to switch to KEYBOARD PERCUSSION part. You can assign any drums to them (see Advanced section)

These buttons help you with arranging of music accompaniments. They select ‘optimal’ tempo and instrument for you. You must hold ONE TOUCH PLAY for a few seconds. Differences between them (?).

Use these 4 up and down arrows to change the volume level of DRUMS, ACCOMPs, POLY2 and POLY1. Each number on the display represents one volume level between 0 and 9.

To change volume levels of each accompaniment separately (BASS, ACCOMPANIMENT1, ACCOMPANIMENT2, ACCOMPANIMENT3) press SUB BALANCE and use the up/down buttons as described above. When you are finished with volume adjustments, press SUB BALANCE twice so that the LED is off again.

This button defines how is the keyboard split into 2 parts (if it is split, of course). You can use 3 versions. Press the button repeatedly to change the split point (it is indicated by 3 LEDS - the lit one is the split point)

It involves only modes with auto accompaniments active. If it’s on and you play the right part of keyboard. It adds to the tone lower harmonic tones according to the played accompaniment chord.

E.g. active chord is C major and you play E note so it adds lower C and G. This may make your music more rich and harmonic and it can still be technically very easy. On the other hand the selection of the lower tones need not be always the best.

You can select tempo of the rhythms. Just press UP to speed up and DOWN to - guess what. Press both UP and DOWN simultaneously to reset the tempo to 120.

Transpose the pitch of all the parts up or down by semitones in range of 1 octave. Again UP+DOWN = reset to C.

This enables tuning of KN, up or down. Both buttons reset the tuning to 440 Hz for A.

You can pre-define some values for the keyboard and store them as 4 presets. To activate the preset just press one of the 4 preset buttons. To store the preset values press SET + one preset key. The involved values are: SOUND-SELECT, KEY-SPLIT, AUTO PLAY CHORD, EFFECT, BALANCE, TECHNI-CHORD, ACCOMP PART and (?)

This mode demonstrates some features of the keyboard by demo songs. Press DEMO to start the mode. Press START/STOP to start the main demo song.

To select demo for an instrument select an instrument in the SOUND SELECT as described above. You must first select the row (buttons in column), and then column, only blinking sounds are available. To stop the tune press START/STOP.

To select demo for a rhythm select a rhythm in the RHYTHM SELECT as described above. You must first select the row (buttons in column), and then column, only blinking rhythms are available. To stop the tune press START/STOP.

To exit demo mode press DEMO again

You can define four your own rhythms and accompaniments (from now called styles), COMP 1 - 4. Variation has probably no influence.

To create or edit a style select one of COMP 1 -4 and press RECORD. The LEDs in column will start blinking. Press the button of edited style again. There will be ALL on the display.

Now you can delete all the style by pressing CLEAR.

You can also change QUANTIZE (level of rhythmic corrections made - however this may make the rhythm to exact or even wrong , because of lower rhythmic resolution). Press the button repeatedly to change the level.

Press RECORD again. Now you can record drums. There is a metronome on the display. Dots represent position in the beat and underscore/minus represent 1^st respectively 2^nd beat. Play the drums and they are recorded. You can delete only the drum part by pressing CLEAR.

Press RECORD again to record the bass figure. You can select from the SOUND SELECT which bass instrument to use. Play the bass figure (max. 2 beats). Otherwise same as drums.

Press RECORD again to record accompaniment 1 then 2 and 3 and once more again to finish recording. Now you can use your very own new rhythm and accompaniments.

Is it possible to edit INTRO/ENDINGS/endings and fill-ins (?)

To copy either your ore pre-defined music style, select the style you want to copy. Press RECORD and select one of COMP styles as destination. Now you can edit the style as described in Creating and editing styles section. It copies also intros, endings and fill-ins.

Select any COMP style. Start RECORD and get to drum section. You should press START/STOP if you don’t want to modify the style. Now press simultaneously the drum key you want to assign to the drum pad + a drum pad you want to redefine + INSTR ERASE. The drum pad should be now redefined to a new drum. You can repeat this step with the same pad or more likely with the other 2 pads. When satisfied press so many times the RECORD button so that you get out off the recording mode.

Sequencer records or plays back your recorded songs. This KN has a 3 track sequencer.

Using the POLY1, 2 and ACCOMPANIMENT buttons select which tracks you want to play back. You can play back more tracks - voices at one time. To start the playback press START/STOP.

To stop the playback press START/STOP again .If pressed again it will continue from the point where stopped.

To ‘rewind’ the sequencer switch the track buttons (e.g. POLY1) off and on again.

Pressing FILL-IN will do the same job plus it will change SOUND SELECT to default instrument. How is this defined (?)

Using the POLY1, 2 and ACCOMPANIMENT buttons select which tracks you want to play back.

Press RECORD.

Using the POLY1, 2 and ACCOMPANIMENT buttons select which track you want to record. Play.

When finished press RECORD again. Do not use START/STOP to stop recording as this will start rhythm pattern instead, which is also recorded.

This button probably involves ACCOMPANIMENT/CHORD track only. With this you can record the chord sequence step by step. You can select the chord from the lower part and specify its length wit keys in keyboard SEQUENCER range, define loops and perhaps other things.

Press STEP RECORD. Press the chord AND a key representing note length and repeat these steps. If you press a key representing note length only. There will be rest for this time during playback. Pressing loop icon loops the recorded sequence..

Example:

C major + whole note

A minor + whole note

F major + whole note

G major + whole note

Loop

You can use this track either together with other two tracks or with rhythm & accompaniments as pre-defined accompaniments. In the second case the chord sequence is applied to current rhythm and you can even use INTRO/ENDING and FILL IN.

KN can receive and send via all 16 MIDI channels at least the following events:

• Note On,
• Note Off,
• Program Change,
• Pitch Bend,
• Volume Controller, Sustain Controller,
• Modulation Controller,
• Chorus Controller,
• probably some START/STOP messages and probably other (?)

KN sends Note on and Note off events if a key is pressed or if you play back sequenced data. KN sends something as well if you start rhythms or demo songs, but I didn’t manage to record it yet (?)

and for BASS 1 -16 only.

These events can be probably also sent from sequencer.

Expression pedal doesn’t seem to send any MIDI event.

KN receives at least the following events: Note On/Off, Pitch Bend, Modulation, Sustain, Program Change, Volume, Chorus. It can also record from MIDI IN to sequencer memory.

Press twice SUB BALANCE /MIDI - the display should display MIdI. Within approx. 3 seconds press a TEMPO arrow. Now with TEMPO you can select which music part you want to set-up. They are:

and 2 special parts:

In order to return from MIDI Setup, press SUB BALANCE / MIDI again.

For almost every music part you can assign a MIDI channel. First, select the part and then use SOUND SELECT buttons in the row to assign a MIDI channel 1 - 16. If KN only beeps a few times, the channel is already assigned to another music part.

You can also decide whether the selected part should play through KN’s speakers or only send MIDI events. To select this switch right VARIATION on or off.

It is also possible to set values 0 - 9 for almost every part with BALANCE POLY1 up and down. What’s this good for (?)

Overview

Unlike by an acoustic piano you can change function of the pedal. To do so, activate MIDI setup, part FUn, now, with BALANCE POLY 1, you can change the function. Possible values are:

There are also some switches that seem to be common for all music parts. They are controlled with RHYTHM SELECT buttons in the row and with SYNCHRO and START/STOP. They can be on or off independently on the other switches.

The pedal input expects a resistor connected. If the resistance is about 0 Ohm the expression or volume is maximal. Resistance (very approx.) about 1000 Ohm represents minimal expression.

Expected values on this input are either short or open. The short circuit represent released foot switch and the open circuit represents active/pressed pedal. The open circuit must be really open as resistors about 5K don’t matter. The current is approx. 0.5 mA and voltage about 4.5 V.

If you know the answer, please, let me know:

• PITCH BEND - Can it be redefined (range/function)
• ONE FINGER Chords -How does this work.
• ONE TOUCH PLAY vs. Arranger -differences
• Is it possible to edit intro / endings and fill-ins
• default sequencer instrument -defining of
• STEP RECORD
• recording demo songs/rhythms, how to
• MIDI setup -general settings
• Ctl
• It is also possible to set values 0 - 9 for almost every part with BALANCE POLY1 up and down. What’s this good for (?)