Accent feature works differently on Microtonic & PO-32

Nikita Bogdan126 views4 posts
  • Nikita Bogdan

    Hello! Maybe this topic was discussed previously here, but I could not find a related post.
    I had some experience with Microtonic and PO-32 and found that the accent feature works differently on the software version vs hardware po-32. Within Microtonic you can fill different accents for each instrument when within po-32 the same accent structure is applied for all instruments per pattern at a time. Is it a bug or expected behavior? Or maybe I have po-32 with a defect? Another thing I've noticed – different accents filled in Microtonic work pretty well if transferred to po-32. But if you make any change in these accents within po-32, it breaks apart and applies to all instruments, which makes me think that it was not intended to work this way. This thing is not critical for me, but I wonder if it could be fixed somehow. Any thoughts?

    Btw, thank you for this amazing software, I love it!

  • Peter Tinsley

    I know exactly what you mean. I don't think it's a fault per-se, just a design issue with the PO. I've notice the exact same problem on my (rather expensive) Korg Electribe. The PC/MAC software saves the settings/state of each instrument/part - and each have their own software dials which are automatically recalled/restored to their relative patch positions each time you select an instrument/part. The Po however, has two single hardware dials (for accent/pitch etc) which are generic/global (for all instruments) - this means that while the firmware can store/recall the software value for each part on the PO, the physical dial position cannot be saved/recalled when switching instruments - so when you move the dial, it will start in the wrong position. The only way around this, I think, is a hardware update on newer units - to change the knob from Mixer-style potentiometers to rotary encoders instead, so the knob position remains independent, even when changing instrument parts. Unfortunately, I don't think it's a simple hack - it would need to be programmed in to the PO during manufacture unless you're pretty handy with soldering an arduino to the rotary encoder. Most Synths use potentiometers and have similar issues, some use more modern rotary-encoders to solve the issue - some even have motors attached to the dials to move the dial to it's current position or automate movement. Personally, I don't think it will be fixed on the PO - it's just a quirk due to the simplicity of these pocket units - they have a lot packed into them really so there have to be a few workarounds and shortcomings.

  • Magnus Lidström

    There are per-channel accents in PO-32 too. You can edit them in write mode, by holding down a step and pressing ACC. If you edit global accents they will overwrite per-channel accents.

  • Nikita Bogdan

    Just tried to set specific accents for each instrument in write mode – it worked like a charm) Thanks a lot! I didn't notice that the manual contains the same info, I might skipped it.

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