[A6] Bugs & Feature Requests list

[Susan Baird]

Ruud and all,

Here is the list of bugs and feature requests. I've edited and  
organized it the best I could. Someone who knows more than me should  
edit it further and prioritize items. I've bolded the items but if you  
have HTML off you may not see that. That will make it harder to read.  
Ruud, maybe you want to post this to the yahoo group also for feedback.

If someone wants to email me the final version I can make a nice  
looking, fomatted pdf for Ruud to send to Alesis. Also, if someone  
would email me the final revision to put in the T&T document that would  
be great.

Thanks,
Susan



________________________________________________________________________ 
______


.....BUGS.....


• THE SQUARE BUG
If you want a perfect square, there is a bug on the Andromeda that  
prevents 50 (the default ‘midpoint’) from being that value. 52 instead  
is the perfect square number.


• Pulse Setting Bug
A "repair" of the pulsewide setting (50 gives a pulsewide of 50%)


• THE UNISON X BUG
Older Andromedas may have a problem with the Unison X button  
occasionally not triggering onward. The problem has (probably) been  
fixed on newer Andromedas. To get around this, simply turn the Unison  
detune knob.


• PORTAMENTO BUG
I noticed that when using portamento (normal mode) on a mono patch with  
unison (2)turned on, it seems that only 1 voice is affected - the other  
seems to jump right up/down to the destination pitch.  If I switch the  
port mode to 'chord', it works as I expected normal to (i.e. both  
voices slide to the appropriate pitch in unison).Is this by design?

That is an unresolved function. Chord is the setting to use when using  
Unison X.


• Mix Mode
Mix mode is fixed so you can use it from a sequencer and you have the  
same sound in program mode and in mix mode.


• UNINTENDED MODULATION BUG
I've discovered a bug where patches in multimode will randomly get  
unintended modulation (as if from the mod wheel), but I haven't quite  
figured out how this happens.


• NORM2 ENVELOPE MODE
I don't suppose there's any chance that this new OS will implement the  
long-awaited (by me, anyway) NORM2 envelope mode that's referred to in  
the manual but has never functioned differently from NORM1?

Comments on NORM2 Envelope Mode:
No, sorry. This is an incremental release (currently 1.4009)  
specifically meant to deal with jitter. Deeper,
engine-related issues will have a wait a bit longer.

Consequently, we tried opening the LFOs 10 more Hz but it is readily  
apparent that they are digital due to the grit in the waveforms,  
especially at the ranges of modulation that the A6 is capable of. I'm  
sorry to have to recommend a work-around: use Envelope 1 as an LFO,  
looping from Attack to Release 1, and simultaneously modulate Attack  
and Release times from the same controller.


• VCO PITCH SLIDE
One thing that always bugged me about the A6 is the fact that when you  
hit a note the VCO pitch slides up from somewhere to the note you  
press. And you can hear this at the start of each note - which gives  
the effect of a soggy attack, even though the A6 envelopes are fairly  
fast.

Comments on VCO Pitch Slide:
The ultra fast pitch setting in the Engine optmiser does reduce this.  
But I still feel there needs to be more done. No other synth does this,  
so why does the A6 do it? If you recall I posted a comparison before  
between it and my Mks80 which exposed this odd flaw.

Kinda puzzles me - but why isn't the pitch to the VCOs triggered first  
before the the envelopes open up? Which is the way I assume is how it's  
done on all other analog synths.I know on the Minimoog I have, that is  
how it works, the CV is applied to the pitch of the VCOs a fraction  
before the VCA and envelopes trigger.

 > about the vco pitch : i found that not only you need to set the osc  
pitch to fast ( under processor), but also switch >off the background  
tuning.  then the  oscillator tuning/tracking seems to be good...

FYI, the pitch of each voice stays where it was last played. If you  
play a low note on one voice, then play a high note on the same voice,  
the oscillator will need to slew up to the new note before it plays.  
Turning background tuning off helps because that is constantly changing  
every oscillator's pitch and you won't know where it ends up. If you  
are playing in one general register, or pitch, the slewing effect will  
be minimized. Believe me, I tried to fix this anomoly, but was limited  
by the slewing time of the oscillators. I thought that setting the fast  
engine setting on the oscillators fixed it, but obviously not all the  
way.


• AutoTune
One problem i find a bit annoying is that pressing the autotune doesn't  
seem to tune all 32 oscillators perfectly ( at least half of them keep  
drifting ( a very little in most cases), i guess a software problem.  
Any form of manual tuning impemented would have solved this.


• Hanging Notes in Step Sequencer
Step sequencer hangs while using the pedal.


• HARDWARE BUG
The only really serious hardware "bug" of the A6 every voice on FM  
sounds different... VCA calibration lacking... only solution : very low  
FM settings.

________________________________________________________________________ 
______

.....FEATURE REQUESTS.....


• Mark Steps in Sequencer
A small software update to mark the steps as they are playing. There is  
nothing in the display to tell you where the sequence is, so if you can  
hear something that needs changing - it can take many clicks to isolate  
the event in question.


• LED Knobs as Sequencer
Use the 8 multi led/knobs as a TR-style sequencer (the hardware is  
there!) 16-64 steps.


• Random Arpeggio Setting
Would LOVE to have a RANDOM arpeggio setting, like many old Roland  
synths. And maybe a randomizer like andromizer software "on the box."


• Latch Sequencer and Arp together
 >is there a way to run a lacthed arp (no keys pressed) *plus* the  
sequencer? The sequencer seems to stop the moment I take my hands off  
the keyboard.

The arp can be latched, but as far as the sequencer, that doesn't look  
like an option (unless someone knows something I don't). Although, you  
can still turn both on and use them at the same time, the sequence will  
turn off as the keyboard is let go.


• Send Midi Notes From Sequencer and Arpeggiator
I really like the sequencer. It allows for different sounding patterns  
compared to many synths. I just wish you can send the midi notes out.  
Now that would be something!

 > How do I get the A6's tempo to stay fixed at a tempo without the
 > decimal points? The only tempo I can get it locked perfectly is 120
 > but I generally work at other speeds.

either slave the A6 to an external clock source or use the a6 clock to  
control your sequencer.

The on-board arpeggiator and sequencer do not transmit midi events, no  
matter what you try. a real bloody shame IMHO.


• Step Sequencer
Step sequencer: more than one pattern - real time "recording" into the  
sequencer? Xchangeable patterns as seen on the waldorf Q.. Maybe more  
than 16 steps possible?


• Random Patch Generator
Random Patch Generator a la Prophet VS.


• Sync Delay to Tempo
Sync the delays with the tempo (internal or external) without getting  
the calculator out.


• Auto-Sync to Midi Clock
Having the internal clock automatically sync to MIDI without having to  
set it to sync or manual would be great, since sequencers rarely always  
transmit midi clock when stopped. This would function identical to the  
Virus.


• KB Button
A KB hold button (some sort of sustain). Maybe use hold ribbon and  
ribbon buttons or shift-hold to do so.


• Ribbon Split Feature
Why two Hold buttons? Besides the obvious benefit of always having one  
withing reach, there was at one time some talk about a possible Ribbon  
Split feature.


• Zero Reference Point Option for Ribbon
I would love to have a "zero reference point" option for the ribbon, so  
that wherever you first touch it is "zero" and you can modulate up or  
down from there. This is similar to the way the old Yamaha CS-80 ribbon  
worked.


• Ribbon Controller as Trigger
Ability for programs to use ribbon controller (any value > 0) as  
trigger, instead of keyboard.

For performance purposes though, it sure would be great to be able to  
play it with one hand only.  I wonder if there's a MIDI mapper that  
could "manufacture" a key-on message when it sees ribbon action?  You  
could patch that into a MIDI loop with the Andro.


• Chord Mode by Mix Channel
Chord mode by mix channel (ala seq/arpeg), rather than a global setting  
(this may be a hardware impossibility)


• MIDI Polyphonic AfterTouch
I'd like to see reception of MIDI POLYPHONIC AFTERTOUCH implemented as  
a modulation source.  The A6 currently implements only MONO aftertouch  
over MIDI.

I know the issues over polyphonic aftertouch in the A6's keyboard and I  
am not asking for that.  I have an external MIDI keyboard with  
polyphonic aftertouch (Kurzweil MIDIBoard) that I would use to generate  
polyphonic aftertouch MIDI data.

Considering poly pressure is the ONLY mod source that can distinctly  
mod each voice in a polyphonic patch, I agree 100%.  This feature  
couldn't be substituted with any other for performance purposes, and it  
would make the A6, already an incredibly expressive instrument, the  
most expressive analog I've seen.


• Polyphonic AfterTouch
Fix response to Poly Aftertouch (from an external keyboard, of course I  
  can't even begin to think how much I would love the A6's keyboard to  
transmit PolyAT, but know that it isn't practical).


• LFO Speed Up
LFO speed up, the silly mode for fast lfo mods and halving the voice  
numbers for speed issues (could be in the process menu).


• FM More Accurate
FM could be more accurate, maybe this is not an OS-issue.


• FM
Doing FM as was mentioned is pretty much impossible to do for pitched  
sounds, unless you use the voice in mono.  I believe it is truly a VCA  
problem which causes a difference between every voice.  I would like  
the the A6 for FM sounds, but it's okay since I have plenty of digital  
FM synths, which tuning isn't a problem.  Although it sure would've  
been nice to do analog FM with the A6. That's probably my biggest gripe  
with the A6, but I don't see how they can fix it unless they can tune  
all 16 VCAs to the same level.


• Filter FM to Filter 1
Filter fm to filter 1 separately adjustable so no need to fm filter 2  
also to mod filter 1 with osc speed.. (atm one has to set a minimum fm  
to filter1 to get fm on filter 2..)


• Scaling of Resonance on Filter 1
Scaling of resonance on filter 1 and tuning it down with resonance  
could be scaled and optimized for bigger range of resonating to  
colouring by the filter - in short: more like the moogs do it.. ;) IMO  
this is a calibration thing..?


• Mods
Maybe make it possible to make an lfo a simple env. (AD or so..) To  
have room for more mods. So one could have them as simple AD/AR to mod  
the filters independently.


• Mod Page
One page where you could see all modulations at work in one patch - a  
dream.


• Display Update
Maybe: check the display update: sometimes when the seq. Is running the  
value will not be updated on the display. Or it takes very long.. So:  
better it takes long rather then it doesn't update..It should update  
with pressing the view button at least


• Alternate Tuning
I would love to see the possibility to do alternate tuning.

 >From the AH thread on synth temperament:

"The Korg MS2000 VA has a very user-friendly capability to play in  
different scales. Choices are equal, pure major, pure minor, arabic,  
pythagorean, werckmeister, kirnberger, slendro, pelog, and a  
user-defined scale."

Even if limited to 12-tone scales this would be a great feature.


• Knobs Range
Knobs range can be shifted or when you select a button you can use the  
ribbon for fine adjustment.


• Change Default Presets
The ability to change the default preset right away instead of copiing  
it about 127 times.


• Toggling Between Pages
A straight toggling between two or more pages (like b.e. tracking  
generator and ribbon/modulation page) or even more convenient, to be  
able to immediately reach the source when pressing softbutton one when  
editing a modulation. Much further would be the possibilty to  
completely interact the software parts with all there values as source  
and /or destination and even maybe a possibility to calibrate the  
available values myself (like with the softsynth reactor).


• Pot Values
Also helpful for live would be a function where I could set the value  
when the pots react. Now it's just when you go through the original  
value or otherwise when you "breathe" at the pot.


• FineTune Mode
A fine tune mode while changing values with whatever knob (like  
shift-turn a knob will give smaller steps).


• Envelope Re-triggering
Implementation of envelope re-triggering in mod-t/g mode (it works in  
mod-trig mode), which I only discovered recently.


• Note Priority
Note priority (hi/lo, in addition to the current "latest"  
implementation) modes for mono programs.


• Sostenuto Pedal
Sostenuto pedal (pedal does not affect notes turned on *after* sustain  
pedal is pressed, only ones being held when pedal is pressed) option  
per program. (subsequent keys still get note off from key/MIDI, not  
pedal).


• Two "Real Keyboard" Voice Stealing Modes
Two "real keyboard" voice stealing modes (if the key/MIDI note-number  
of a currently-sustaining voice is played, that A6 voice is re-used,  
either re-triggering or continuing the same envelope).

That's a REALLY good idea, and (like poly pressure) something that  
could never be done except by doing it this way within the keyboard  
itself.  I'd put that up there near number one.  No question that this  
would make an audible difference in patch behavior.


• Facility to Create Patch Bank Offline
Facility to create patch bank offline (not part of OS, but still pretty  
useful)


• Feature to (re)-Name Patches Offline
A feature to (re)name patches offline is also sorely needed IMHO  
because that is too much of a drag on the A6 itself.

I once owned a Kawai SX240 (also sold under the Teisco brand IIRC) and  
this synth - quite a decent Jupiter 8 clone btw - had one brilliant  
feature: the keyboard "doubled up" as a character input device where  
each key pressed would enter a letter or number.  It has always amazed  
why this feature hasn't been adopted by other manufacturers; it cant be  
that difficult to add to any software driven engine. Perhaps its  
patented?


• Hardware
There are hardware things, that may not be considerable like rack a6,  
modular a6 (the asics freely routable like nordmodular), ringmod behind  
filters & routable to oscs / feedback..