I recently picked-up a Kawai SX-240, replaced the internal battery and re-calibrated it. Now while I'm really digging the sounds I'm getting out of it (it really does sound fantastic), I've come across one problem that I'd love some advice with.
It seems that the KYBD ASSIGN function which allows you to choose POLY-8, POLY-4, or MONO isn't functioning right. When in POLY-8 mode all is as it should be - one voice per key to a maximum polyphony of 8 keys. However when switched to POLY-4 or MONO the SX-240 continues to only assign one voice per key . . . but it does reduce the number of keys as though it's assigning properly, i.e. in POLY-4 you can only play 4 keys simultaneously before it steals, and in MONO you can only sound one key at a time. Of course in MONO it should be stacking all eight voices (to a maximum of 16 oscillators), and in POLY-4 it should be stacking two voices per key. But it isn't, it's just reducing the polyphony without stacking any additional voices per key.
I did experiment with the CHORD INTERVAL MEMORY this morning to see how that might be affected by this issue. When the KYBD ASSIGN is set to POLY-4 and CHORD MEMORY is enabled you can program one interval to be added to the key you're playing and with MONO set in KYBD ASSIGN and CHORD MEMORY enabled you can program an additional seven intervals to sound from your root note played. This function works 100% as it should. So when I program MONO CHORD MEM with seven additional intervals and pressed one key I get all eight voices sounding different notes simultaneously - but if I turn off the CHORD MEMORY I don't get all eight voices sounding simultaneously on the same note, only one voice.
I am relatively new to this particular synth, so while I've gone through the OM numerous times, if I'm still just missing some basic programming parameter that needs to be changed please set me straight. Or, as is more likely the case I believe, there is indeed an issue with my SX-240's voice assignment, please share any ideas where I might tell my tech to start looking. He's a great guy and a great tech, but until I came along synths weren't his specialty so any direction I can give him in trouble-shooting an issue will save him a lot of time and me a lot of money!
Cheers,
James