[A6] bugs/feature request list
Synth Man
synthmann at hotmail.com
Thu Aug 19 02:46:46 PDT 2004
hi there,
below is a lists from the code404 A6 list of bugs and feature requests. the
aim is to provide Alesis with a detailed and nicely layed out list of bugs
and features requests since they then would consider doing an OS update. are
there any additional bugs/feature requests from users here that can be
added?
grtz. ruud
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>.....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..
>_______________________________________________
>A6 mailing list
>A6 at roland.code404.com
>http://roland.code404.com/mailman/listinfo/a6
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