kimsnarf wrote:Jan_nl wrote:I can't recall if this feature found its way in any other product of Roland, and if not, it's a pity because it's really very good. As a matter of fact, Yamaha must have felt the same when they decided to implement a similar auto-divisi ensemble mode in the Tyros 5.
The Jupiter-80 has a divisi mode but Roland did not advertise it. The included registrations do not utilize it either. When the Tyros 5 later got it Yamaha made a big deal of it. Similar story with the Tone Blender vs the Super Knob. Yamaha get people excited about features Roland already have.
Do you mean the Harmony Intelligence function?
I read the manual, and although it has the divisi mode I think it is different from what the ARX-3 features.
I'm not sure, so correct me if I'm wrong, but the Harmony Intelligence is more of a harmonizer function. It adds additional voices to the note you play, but the auto-divisi in the ARX-3 card is something different.
With the ARX-03, if you play one note, all the instruments you use are assigned to the one note.
If you play two notes, the instruments are automatically divided between the two notes, and the same is true for each consecutive note.
So if you use four instruments like 1 trumpet, 2 saxes and 1 trombone and you play one note, all four instruments will play that one note.
If you play two notes, the upper note is played by 1 trumpet and 1 sax, and the lower note is played by 1 sax and 1 trombone, and so forth.
It mimics what happens in real life and as such it is far more realistic than the traditional 'brass' patch.
Similarly the ARX-03 has a stack mode next to the unison mode.
In this mode, if you play one note, the first instrument will sound.
If you play two notes, the first instrument will continue to sound, but the second will be added on top of that. If you play three notes, a third instrument will be added for the third note, and so on.
Again this simulates what happens in real life and adds to the realism.
Four years after Roland released this card Yamaha came out with the Tyros 5 with a brand new 'ensemble' feature as a special highlight.
It's an important feature and a very good idea, and such a pity that Roland did not incorporate it in other products and did not put it more in the spotlight.
I hope they haven't forgotten it and that they will use it (as well as the Harmony Intelligence feature of the JP-80) in the future as well. I think both features are great and worthwhile additions.