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Kawai SX-240 Voice (KYBD) Assign Help

Kawai SX-240 Voice (KYBD) Assign Help

2011-11-13 by james meagher

Hello all,

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!

(If you subscribe to Analogue Heaven and have already seen this post there I apologize)

Cheers,
James


Re: [kawai-teisco] Kawai SX-240 Voice (KYBD) Assign Help

2011-11-14 by Travis Shire

From what I remember ( I sold off my 240 some years ago), it doesn't automatically stack the DCOs when the assign is changed. You need to use the chord memory and if you want a 4 or 8 osc unison patch, after hitting chord memory just repeatedly press the same key 8 or 4 times. SO....essentially you're assigning the notes for each voice. Its not especially powerful sounding due to the accuracy of the DCOs....you won't get the slight drift between oscilators (or thier calibration) like a real analog synth.
Show quoted textHide quoted text
----- Original Message -----
From: james meagher
Sent: 11/13/11 03:39 PM
To: kawai-teisco@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [kawai-teisco] Kawai SX-240 Voice (KYBD) Assign Help

 Hello all,

 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!
 (If you subscribe to Analogue Heaven and have already seen this post there I apologize) 

 Cheers,
 James

Re: [kawai-teisco] Kawai SX-240 Voice (KYBD) Assign Help

2011-11-14 by james meagher

Of course you are entirely right Travis. I actually figured it out last night after posting this and felt like a twit.

I wasn9;t even at the synth when the light bulb went off - it just suddenly occurred to me that assigning the same voice eight times over (pressing the low C key seven times) in the CHORD MEMORY would produce 8 voice unison (or assigning it twice for the POLY-4 two stacked voices mode).

But thanks for answering! I posted this here, on Analogue Heaven, Gearslutz and VintageSynthExplorer, and you were the only person who answered! But then again I posted a retraction on Gearslutz and VSE after I figured it out . . .

I'm not actually a fan of the unison stacks on my other (mostly VCO) synths. I find the tone produced from all the (naturally or purposely) detuned voices unappealing. This unison MONO mode just makes the tone a little bit beefier and I think I'll use it a lot for certain sounds . . . whereas I never choose to stack all six voices on my Jupiter 6 or Poly6.

Cheers,
James


Show quoted textHide quoted text
On Mon, Nov 14, 2011 at 3:06 PM, Travis Shire <boardjunkie@...> wrote:


From what I remember ( I sold off my 240 some years ago), it doesn't automatically stack the DCOs when the assign is changed. You need to use the chord memory and if you want a 4 or 8 osc unison patch, after hitting chord memory just repeatedly press the same key 8 or 4 times. SO....essentially you're assigning the notes for each voice. Its not especially powerful sounding due to the accuracy of the DCOs....you won't get the slight drift between oscilators (or thier calibration) like a real analog synth.




----- Original Message -----

From: james meagher

Sent: 11/13/11 03:39 PM

To: kawai-teisco@yahoogroups.com

Subject: [kawai-teisco] Kawai SX-240 Voice (KYBD) Assign Help


Hello all,

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 I9;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!
(If you subscribe to Analogue Heaven and have already seen this post there I apologize)
Cheers,
James




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