Hi, Friends.

Wondering if anyone has an answer to this question. On my ancient Roland E96, there was a feature to select levels of drum involvement. I think there were four levels. The lowest level included a very basic drum line. Levels 2 - 4 each added more percussion instruments and complexity to the rhythm patterns.

I have not found anything on my BK-9 to compare with that feature. It seems like the only alteration comes from advancing through style versions 1 - 4.

Anyone have any insights on how to access the percussion elements in this manner?

Thanks,

Del

I've seen multiple views but no responses to date. If this question was addressed elsewhere, please direct me. Thanks. - Del

I am afraid that is one of the long, loooong list of really good features that Roland never had the brains to realize when they had a good thing going..!

About the only way to approximate it would be to edit the style to mute certain drum sounds, save as another style, and switch to it on the fly while playing, either from the style selection folder on your stick (My Styles), or probably more conveniently, to make up extra Performances for each tune that call up the thinned out style (Tune no perc, Tune kick only, etc.)

In fairness to Roland, no other manufacturer adopted a similar system, so it seems that not having the brains to recognize a good feature isn’t an exclusive Roland fault! 😂

But it also illustrates that most issues CAN be worked around using the Performance system and a willingness to think outside the box. Given that we have 999 Performances available to play around with without loading in a different Perf. List, it’s quite possible to think in terms of three or four Performances per tune, just to make complex tasks that normally involve a lot of button pushing and scrolling into a one button push. Plus, you can always dedicate a couple of FC7 buttons to Perf. Up/Down and do it hands free…

We often marvel at how top pro organ players pull off quite elaborate arrangements while both hands and both feet are busy as bees, and the truth is, they mostly organize all the needed changes in registrations into a list and simply step through them one by one. Use the Performance List like this, and you too can pull off elaborate arrangements effortlessly!

Thanks so much for your response, Diki! I suspected that the feature was simply omitted over time. It was quite useful for quickly allowing my "ear" to discern what percussion was "enough" and what was "too much".

You have been very helpful in recommending and describing the process of modifying and assembling groups of performances, and I will need to do some simple sequences, just to learn the process.

I retired from full-time ministry at the end of 2021, and have been taking a bit more time to become more familiar with the deep set of features on my BK-9. I have many avocations and other work that I continue to pursue, but it is wonderful to be able to choose to spend some time in this way.

BTW, I am glad to know that while health and moving tasks had sidelined you for a bit, that you may still be sharing your insight on the Roland arranger forum. You've been incredibly helpful to me and to many others along the way. Thank you.

Even if you don’t have (or can’t find) an FC7, it’s not too difficult to make an adapter with the FC7 DIN plug at one end and some 1/4” female inputs at the other and just plug in a dual tablet type footswitch to do Perf. Up/Down hands free if you need it.

I also really like having the Leslie Fast/slow and on/off on foot switches when trying to do the full B3 thing. Sadly, FC7 assignments are global, not per Performance, it would be awesome to have them vary as needed!

Hi, Diki.

Can you help me understand what you are referring to in this thread? Your response from yesterday (March 5th) actually looks like something you may have offered me on another thread. Is it possible that there was an errant cut and paste?

FWIW, I do have a home-built FC7 pedal that I use. You helped me review an issue with it sometime in the past.

Was there something else that you wanted me to know?

Thanks so much.

I was simply trying to point out ways that, if you went to the trouble of thinning out a style and creating a new Performance that pointed to the edited style, it would be fairly easy to change to the edited styles from the full one, all without making you stop playing to hit little buttons, or do any scrolling through the My Rhythms folder to find it on the fly…

Ah. Thank you for helping me to understand, Diki.