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

A layer in a patch is a completely different thing than having more than one osc or dco in a voice. So I don't think your casio comparison is correct. The casios you mention never had more than 8 voice polyphony no matter how many dcos or "lines" per voice were available.

Perhaps E-mu could have said, "4-layer patches" rather than "voices" but there is nothing new about the fact that most modern synths allow you to layer voices, but that such layering eats up polyphony. For example the Roland JV units, etc.

Also remember that layering does not necessarily have anything to do with polyphony, but only does depending on how one uses it. One could have a 4 layer patch that assigns each layer to exclusive ranges of midi note number, or exclusive ranges of key-on velocity for example. I.e. velocity 0-40 sounds layer 1, vel 41-61 sounds layer 2, vel 62-100 sounds layer 3 and vel 101-127 sounds layer 4. In such a patch, one could still hold down 128 separate and discrete and differently tuned voices. On the other hand, if one programs a patch to layer two voices at all time, you are essentially playing two completely different sounds (each with their own adsrs, filters, amps, etc) at the same time, as if you midied two synths together, so yes a single keypress sounds 2 voices, but the fact that it does so simulataneously does not mean they are now converted to 1 voice . . .
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: steve_the_composer 
  To: xl7@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2003 9:06 AM
  Subject: [xl7] Re: polyphony, was "arpeggiator out useless?"


  --- 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.


        Yahoo! Groups Sponsor 
       
       

  To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
  xl7-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com



  Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. 


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]