Hi !
I’m quite new in arranger world, I own SD1 for some time now.
While playing certain styles, especially with higher tempos, it seems to me like after pressing FILL , the first beat of the following bar is slightly delayed.
At first I thought the keyboard runs out of voices, but that delay happens even with only drums playing.
I’m not sure, where the problem is:
 maybe there’s none
 maybe the delay is inserted on purpose
 maybe the FILL sequence is a little bit faster or not quantized and creates that feeling of delayed downbeat
 maybe changing of sequences can't be done without problems on arranger keyboards

I’m not quite sure but I think I also had this feeling when I was testing other arrangers.
In the past, using computer sequencer and a sound module, such delays never happened to me.
Is this just a feeling that I have or is it a problem that can or can’t be solved?

Luka

Hello Luka,
I own the sd1 and I do agree with you on that. I am not new with arrangers and this is the first time I experience delays after fill ins in most of the styles, and also some of the latin styles are not very smooth and sound they are not quantized. I hope they fix these problems with the next o.s. upgrades.

Good luck.

Hi guys,
I experienced the same problem with other keyboards. (e.g. Yammy PSR's, KN's, X1 and SD1) I guess it is caused by too many prgchange commands or just too slow processors and ABSOLUTELY not implemented on purpose.

The SD1's delays are hardly noticeable and to be honest : I do not notice it anymore.

The SD1 has another (unwanted) feature :
After changing to another voice-group and voice, only the very first tones are too loud.

BUT : OS Version 2.0 is on the corner !

Roel

I'll have to check the delay out on my wk8. At high tempo's I wouldn't be surprised if I have a delay also. It's no doubt related to the processor not being able to keep up with all the info being thrown at it. I wonder if the Wersi Abacus chokes a little when doing fills at fast tempos seeing how it runs off a celeron/win98. hmmm... my guess is yes.

I have an X1, and I know the problem persisted for a long time. I think it has to do with the grooves that are involved with that perticular style, may be Dan O, or George K, can elaborate on the problem. !

------------------
George Pchakjian
geopch@aol.com

Had Korg i3 & i30 for 6 years and no delays experienced at all on styles following a fill. My present Roland EM2000 certainly has not delays with all the built in styles or the 400 or so loaded from Zip Drive.
I play friends PSR9000, KN6000, PR903, VA7 and again no delays from fills to style.

Its definitely a problem I feel should not be there on any board.

Graham UK

Team,

Some of the delays you 'might' be experiencing in some of the styles could be indeed due to any of the reasons you've already listed above. In the SD1/X units, I do believe though that the GROOVES do have a part to play with what might seem to be a delay when in transit from a FILL to A, B, C or D. For the most part, in order to avoid such, most of the FILLS have been programmed to carry forth the groove used in the previous ARRANGER part. Eg the DRUM2/GROOVE track of FILL_1 will be what was used in ARRANGEMENT_A. In cases where these vary, you might notice a slight 'glitch'. Since they are LIVE-DRUMS, they really cannot accurately be QUANTIZED because that will then defeat the purpose and eliminate a lot of that 'human' aspect.
A way to reduce this effect would be to turn OFF the AUTO-CRASH. This way, you'll experience a 'smoother' transistion b/w fills and other arranger parts, the reason being that the AUTOCRASH is programmed right on the note. Should you be using eg a LATIN rhythem that's made up of mostly GROOVES (which are not strictly QUANTIZED), there could be a 'clash' in transition.
Hope this helps ... at least from an understanding point as to why.

AJ

I don't experience delays on my Technics KN5000. One of the tricks to preventing fill in delays (at least on my KN5000) is timing. I trigger fills via foot controller pedal (via left foot) and press it on the AND of the last beat of the previous measure before the measure I want the fill to occur on. - Scott

Hi guys !
Yesterday I checked this delay ‘’feature’’ also with external sequencer.
I checked two styles (didn’t have time for more), one country and one 8 beat style. I recorded only drum part with computer sequencer. I started with ARRANGE section, then I pressed FILL 1, after that FILL 2, then again I hold down FILL 1 to record multi-fill (fills 1, 2, and 3 playing one after another).
The record showed what I was afraid of – all the notes were quantized (even those in multi-fill) except the transition from FILL to ARRANGE section. Just those notes on the first bit were all a little to late, all proceeding notes were all right and quantized again.
I recorded the same thing also with slower and faster tempo and the delay was the same – so it’s always there, it is just the most annoying and noticeable with tempos around 120.
The above observations were made with SD1 generating internal clock.
Then I generated the clock with external sequencer and guess what – the trouble was gone, no delays any more.
How could this be? Why is internal clock not good enough to trigger those transitions properly?
I would be glad to get some info from Ketron Company itself. There has to be something to make this thing better, this machine is just too sophisticated to allow such anomalies.
I will do some more tests with other styles and without AUTO-CRASH as A.J. has recommended.
I’ll keep you informed.
Thanks also for your comments.
Luka

George,

I too have a X1. Could you tell me the styles on which this delay occurs so I can try it on mine. There is one intro on one style where I seem to notice a delay between the intro and the style. I'm at work now and don't exactly remember the style where this happens.

A while back Scott mentioned the number of timing intervals per beat or something like that. Could this be the answer?

Tom

P.S. Do you not like your SD-1?