Emu XL-7 & MP-7 User's Group

--- In xl7@yahoogroups.com, aeon <aeonlux@a...> wrote:
> On 6/17/03 9:44 PM, "steve_the_composer" <smw-mail@p...> wrote:
> 
> > As long as we're talking about polyphony, let me ask, does
> > 128 voice polyphony = 32 notes x 4 layers per note?  Or do
> > I have 128 4-layer voices?
> 
> think of it as 128 total layers
> so 32 4-layer voices...
> or 16 4-layer voices with voice-chorus
> or 16 4-layer dual-link voices
> or 10 4-layer tri-link voices (for that killer dozen-detune-saw 
patch)
> 
> etc.
> 
> 
> cheers,
> aeon

If this is true, and I have no reason to doubt what you say, I feel 
deceived by the folks at E-Mu.  The XL-7 manual reads: 

> The extremely flexible yet easy to use 4-layer synthesizer voices
> make it easy to build sounds of any kind. Layers can be switched or 
> crossfaded using key position, velocity, real-time controllers or
> any modulation source. 128 voice polyphony ensures that you can
> play and sequence the most complex material. XL-7 also contains 50
> different 2nd to 12th order resonant & modeling filters which are
> used to shape and modify over 1200 waveforms contained in 32
> megabytes (MB) of ROM.

Line 1 unmistakably refers to 4-layer voices.  Without question each 
VOICE has 4 layers.  That is, 4 layers = 1 voice. Two lines later, 
the reference to 128 voice polyphony implies 128 4-layer voices.

Other manuals for E-Mu's 128-layer synth gear repeat the error 
prominently in the introduction. People who look at manuals in the 
store prior to buying are therefore deceived when they read the 
introduction.

Almost 20 years ago the folks at Casio listed their CZ-3000 and 
CZ-5000 as having 16 1-DCO voices or 8 2-DCO voices.  A few years 
later, the 8-voice VZ-8m could have as many as 8 lines (DCO/DCA) per 
voice. They didn't say it had 64 voice polyphony.

If the 128-voice E-Mu gear is really 128-layer gear, they should 
spell this out clearly for consumers.  

Thanks for setting me straight on gear that I first thought truly had 
128 voice polyphony.