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Grateful if somebody can tell me what "MD" means in the Kasina playback screen display of KBS sessions; and what are the consequences of altering the percentage values. Can't find anything in the manual or by searching the Forum site. Thanks for assistance.
MD stands for Modulation Depth. It can be set while running KBS sessions.
There is more information about it here.
Hi Tim,
MD refers to Modulation Depth. This feature was introduced in firmware 1.12. It shows up in the KBS player.
This setting works in conjunction with the MOD settings assigned to the UP button on the Control Pad.
Mod KBS + AUX uses the Depth parameter in the KBS file and the MD setting to effect both the tones in the KBS file and an audio stream piped in the AUX jack.
Mod KBS uses the Depth parameter in the KBS file and the MD setting to effect only the KBS tones in the session. Incoming audio will play without modulation.
Mod AUX uses the Depth parameter in the KBS file and the MD setting to effect only incoming audio. The tones in KBS session will be muted.
In addition to modulating the tones in the KBS session, you can use the frequencies in the KBS session to increase and decrease the volume of an audio stream at brainwave rates.
This is enabled by Mod KBS + AUX or Mod AUX. The audio stream currently must come from the AUX jack, that is external audio from say a smartphone. The KBS session provides the instructions for the frequencies of the 'tremolo' effect. The Sound Depth parameter in KBS segment controls how much the audio is chopped up.
In normal use, Mod KBS, the tones in a KBS session are also modulated to create isochronic pulses. Normally this is full depth at 100%. All factory KBS sessions use this besides binaural beats.
For instance at 100% in the KBS segment, the tones in segment and/or the AUX audio stream will be go from full volume to zero volume at each pulse.
Let's say the frequency is 10hz, then it would do this 10 times per second. If the KBS segment had a depth setting of 50% then the audio volume and tone volume would go from 100% (full) to 50% (half), ten times per second. At this setting the modulation is more subtle and you would continue to hear much of the non-effected audio during the pulse.
A volume modulation of 100% is too much for most incoming audio unless it is something like an ambient drone. Rather than have to change the KBS session we introduced the MD (modulation depth) setting for KBS files in the Kasina interface.
The modulation depth setting - MD plus a percentage value - on the Kasina overrides or adds to the Sound Depth parameter in the KBS session. If the KBS segment had a depth setting of 100% then MD 100% would keep the volume modulation of the audio at 100% (multiplying 100 * 1). If the setting is MD 75% on the Kasina and Sound Depth 100% in the KBS segment then the final volume modulation value would be 75% (multiplying 100 * 0.75 = 75)
A quick table of examples:
KBS setting MD setting Result 100 100 100 100 75 75 100 50 50 100 25 25 50 100 50 25 100 25 50 50 25 50 75 37.5 50 25 12.5 0 100 0
In most all cases the KBS Sound Depth parameter in the KBS file on the card will be set to 100% to generate isochronic pulses. That is, unless the segment uses binaural beats at which point the Sound Depth setting will be 0. In most sound files that you would stream through the AUX jack you would like a subtle, but noticeable modulation. The most useful settings are then either MD 50% or MD 25%.
Quick recipes:
KBS playing, no external audio - use either MOD KBS or MOD KBS + AUX (the AUX portion has no effect in this case)
Play KBS session as programmed - MOD KBS - MD 100%
Adjust KBS session tones to 50% of programmed - MOD KBS - MD 50%
Play KBS session as programmed with AUX audio unmodulated - MOD KBS - MD 100%
Play AUX audio lightly modulated by KBS settings, turn off KBS tones - MOD AUX - MD 25%
This is an extensive post but I hope it answers your question fully. If not, please request further clarification.
Best,
Scott
Thank you Andy. Scott's reply was impressively comprehensive.
Best, Tim
Hi Scott,
Great response. And fast, too. As I said in my reply to Andy, your post is "impressively comprehensive". Much more than I expected. Thank you very much.
I'm having great fun and achieving outstanding results down here in Northern New South Wales from creating and enjoying my own sessions with the idiot-proof Wizard. Coming from a large-scale consulting and software development background, I can appreciate the thoughtfulness that has gone into designing and programming the Kasina platform.Great job by all concerned! And it will get better, with such a great team of people behind it.
Best
Tim
Thanks Tim. I'm happy to hear that you are enjoying the Editor. Please feel free to suggest any refinements that would improve it. We aim to please around here :)