Please help me with pitch on aftertouch!

belfagor72 wrote:

Hi Guys,
I want to set the pitch bending effect on the aftertouch, it's possible? It's possible for analog part also?
what are the parameters to set?
thanks in advance!

This is done with the modulation matrix (called Matrix Control in Roland lingo). The matrix is unfortunately only assigned to the analog parts and cannot be used for the digital parts. Each of the four analog parts has its own individual modulation matrix.

1. Select one (or several) analog part.
2. Enter the Tone Common section in the menu.
3. Tap away to the Matrix Control parameters.
4. There are four slots in the mod matrix. Select one of them.
5. Set aftertouch (AFT) as source.
6. Select pitch for oscillator 1 or 2 (PIT-OSC1 or PIT-OSC2) as destination.
7. In the Sensitivity menu, enter the amount of pitch bend (-63 to +63).

If you want both oscillators to bend using aftertouch, you will need to use two mod matrix slots, one for oscillator 1 and one for oscillator 2. It's a pity that you cannot use both at the same time, but even with both oscillators assigned to their individual mod matrix slots, you still have two more modulations you can assign.

Thanks very much mimoid!

belfagor72 wrote:

Thanks very much mimoid!

Actually, I realized that for each of the four slots in a modulation matrix, there are four destinations you can set for each source. So you can in fact set both oscillator 1 and oscillator 2 to be affected by the same source (aftertouch) and still just use one modulation slot (and have three left for other purposes). Quite an amazing machine, the JD-XA!

Now if only they'd make that available for the digital/SN section ... sigh ... such a glaring oversight.

Yes, that's really missing.

zombietactics wrote:

Now if only they'd make that available for the digital/SN section ... sigh ... such a glaring oversight.

I think that's because the XA consists of two boards that have not much to do with each other.
The 4 LFOs are on the analog board and can only access the analog targets on the same board. The digital board has it's own lfo logic made from software. Maybe Roland should have put two analog boards into the case instead of doing this crossover thing?

They should just implement a mod matrix into SNS.

JD-XA's keyboard is lovely to play, feeling a bit like a period instrument, such as a harpsichord. Just for fun I made a clavichord patch with Waveform 61: Saw+Sub Wave, and thought to use aftertouch to create (sort of) the "bebung" or pitchbend of the actual instrument. Remember aftertouch is Chanel, not Polyphonic (i.e. not per note, like the clavichord). My work-around was the A-D pitch envelope, just 1 or 2 points. I also experimented with note-synced slow LFO.

It has to be said, aftertouch on electronic keyboards needs very firm pressure to get anything at all, and is kind of on or off, without much control. On the clavichord, you have a springy feel, that gives vibrato, as well as pitch bend on every note from them being "hammered on".