It sounds like a Martini garnish, but why have all the keyboard manufacturers dropped the dedicated Portamento key? There are some sounds that would benefit from using the portamento during live play, mostly synth sounds, but some acoustic as well.

Can you name any other features that have been dropped over the years that should make a comeback?

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Al Giordano
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Korg Pa2xpro, Roland VK8-M, DW Collectors Series Drums, Roland TD-12 Vdrums, Roland SPD-S.

It's still there, just deep in a menu somwhere. Although you don't find dedicated portamento buttons on the panel these days unless you buy something like a Moog "Little Phatty" for example, the function will be under a menu in the voice editing parameters.

Al..live and well on the G70..as is mono mode too..although it is a touch screen selection..not a button..works the same way though..

[This message has been edited by Fran Carango (edited 07-31-2008).]

Couple of features I miss big time on my Tyros 2. First is the style groove function. It was a very cool tool to have to manipulate the styles in real time. It's still there on the T2, but only accessible in the style creation mode. The last arranger that I had that allowed me to apply it in real time was the PSR740. I've since had the PSR1000, 2000 and T2, and none of them had a real time control for it.

I also miss having onboard patch editing capability, though it never was a strong point in any of the Yamaha arrangers I had, nor is it a real strong point even on the Motif series. Both my PA80 and MZ2000 have deeper onboard editing than any of my Yamaha boards.., but those aren't my main gigging boards. I also have the Motif ES6 and an old PSS480 ( circa 1989 ) which is still kinda cool for somewhat cheesy but usable ( and authentic ) analog and FM voices. Even the PSS480 has deeper synth editing functions onboard vs the T2. I bought it new for about $200.00 at a K Mart when it first came out. It has a portamento button. So does my MZ. None of my other boards do.

AJ



[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 07-31-2008).]

Thanks Fran,

See, I have not spent enough time on the G70 to know what features exist or not. Mono mode is good for soloing.

Alive and well on Ketron products too!

On Ty2 you can preset a Portamento time value on a voice part in the Mixing Console. On a normal voice that won't immediately become active, but if you press the mono button you start getting the Portamento effect. Put mono back to Poly and PM stops.
You can also inhibit the PM from being applied - even if mono is set - by playing true staccato.

A further refinement is to assign a pedal to Portamento. Now even if the voice is set to mono the PM will only occur if the pedal is pressed. Presumably so you can play in Mono without skidding all over the place and only apply the PM to the intervals that you choose.
John

G70 has portamento on/off as an option for footswitch or FC-7, for hands free usage...

As do the Korgs

Although it’s been around for a good many years, I don’t think it really caught on in the Arranger/Organ market and so it sort of got buried. (If you know how to use it, then manufactures probably assume that you would probably not have any problems finding it in the menus)

Bill