Polyphonic aftertouch?

[Murderhausen]

CS80... what else? Are there any real synthesizers (ie: not workstations) that have polyphonic aftertouch? It seems like brilliant feature and one that many of my keyboards implement in their modulation busses, but not in the hardware. Just curious about which models had self-contained poly aftertouch.

[Stab Frenzy]

SQ-80?

[tim gueguen]

Prophet T8, and if I remember correctly the T8 keyboard was an option for the Synclavier.

[Automatic Gainsay]

Several Ensoniq synths had polyphonic aftertouch. The Roland A80 had it, too.

I find it amazing that polyphonic aftertouch continually comes up. This can be easily simulated with programming, but requires a lot of skill to play with a keyboard and hands.

[jupiter8]

http://www.music-for-film.co.uk/poly_af ... abase.html

[23]

Several Ensoniq synths had polyphonic aftertouch. The Roland A80 had it, too.

I find it amazing that polyphonic aftertouch continually comes up. This can be easily simulated with programming, but requires a lot of skill to play with a keyboard and hands.

Just wondering, but what makes you feel it's difficult to play with a keyboard and hands?

[Murderhausen]

Thanks, Jupiter 8. I actually have an Ensoniq EPS, but don't know if it's worth dragging it out for use as a master controller. As I recall, the global MIDI did not save with the system and was more difficult to set up than more modern keyboards. Amazing action, by the way. Definitely one of the best on a synth/sampler. A nod to Access for their keyboard feel, too (at least on the KB I have; I assume the quality has remained a staple of later models).

[atinyfox]

the matrix-6.

[steveman]

the matrix-6.

Are you sure? Was never aware any Oberheim synth had Poly AT, especially the cheaper models.

[Synthigraphie]

Roland JX-10

[synthRodriguez]

Here is a list of polyphonic instruments to which I refer occasionally.

http://www.music-for-film.co.uk/poly_af ... abase.html

A couple of days ago I picked up a Roland A-50 which has poly AT. The pressure required to activate the aftertouch was over the top, so I replaced the resistor that controls the aftertouch sensitivity with a 50 kohm potentiometer (the rectangular blue thing) in the part of the circuit that shunts current to the sensors. Now it's adjustable and works great. Drilled a small matching hole in the bottom of the chassis so I can adjust it while playing. Haven't had a chance to work with it much yet; that's today's adventure.

JX-10 only has channel aftertouch BTW, not poly (key) AT. It could stand to have the sensitivity modification too.

[V301H]

Rhodes Chroma and the NED Synclavier did use the same keyboard as the T8.

[rhino]

Roland U-20... if the damn flex-cable dosen't break.

[knolan]

The Yamaha DX1 also has Polyphonic Aftertouch.

I own the CS80, T8 and DX1. Polyphonic aftertouch is absolutely wonderful. It transforms an instrument utterly - the ability to affect the filter, amplitude or modulation of individual voices makes a synthesizers as musical as a is posssible. For example, the ability to lean into just the melody note only on a CS80 and achieve vibrato on that note only is simply natural and wonderful, but just not achievable on other current keyboards.

Virtually all synths since the JV2080 and all current softsynths can respond to polyphonic aftertouch so its a shame that manufacturers do not provide PA keyboards. I emailed CME on this two years ago and they said they'd look into it. Actually they emailed back to say that the sensors are very cheap. So it's more the fact that players are not crying out for it than a cost issue as to why it is generally not available.

You _cannot_ emulate PA in software - its a physical thing. In my opinion, once your experience PA, you can never go back. Even on the T8 (where some have suggested it actually takes away from the SC sound) - an otherwise typical polyphonic synth is transformed into a beast of an expressive instrument. And the DX1 is far and beyond two DX7's because of PA. I wouldn't have thought it until I acquired the DX1, but PA radically enhances FM synthesis performance, making for even nore acoustic like playing.

Can you imagine using a PA keyboard with the Arturia's CS80V - now that would be a very intriguing experience and about as close to the expressive power fo the orginal CS80 as would be possible these days.

Kevin.

[EmptySet]

I recall reading that the MIDI stream for polyphonic aftertouch is pretty dense, potentially resulting in stuck notes and a mucked up data stream. Is this true?