Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 14:37:00 -0700
From: "Brigman, Corley" <corley.brigman@intel.com>
To: analogue@hyperreal.org
Subject: More Kawai SX240 info (for the archives)

     A more complete picture of this beast (now that I have the manual). 
     For the archives:
     
     Kawai SX240
     
     Oscillator section:
     
     Kind of a 1 3/4 oscillator setup.
     
     DCO 1: Sawtooth, pulse with either pw or pwm. Both can be on at once. 
     On/Off only.
     DCO 2: Squarewave only. Coarse detune up to 2 octaves +/- in 1/2 
     semitone increments. Fine detune +/- one-half semitone. On/off only.
     Sub-osc: Squarewave, 1 octave below DCO1. On/off only.
     Noise: Adjustable, 0-99. White noise it sounds like.
     Brass: Actually a ring-mod osc between DCO1 and 2, on/off separate
     from above (can be on without DCO1 or 2 on).
     No sync options.
     8 voice polyphonic.
     
     Filter section:
     Resonant LPF, non-resonant HPF. Resonance is weird, approaches 
     self-oscillation until res=98 then at res=99 jumps way up to 
     self-oscillation. Last step is a big jump. Sounds best at around 60. 
     Typical SSM2044 filter, i think. Gets whiny with both res & cutoff 
     really high. Kind of dirty sounding. 
     Dedicated ADSR envelope.
     
     VCA: Typical VCA. Dedicated ADSR for volume.
     
     Other: Really cool ensemble effect, MN3009 based. 1 LFO with 
     tri,saw,square and reversible. LFO delay. LFO can retrigger envelopes 
     as well for pulsing effects. Routable everywhere. Three modes: Mono, 
     Poly 4, and Poly 8, with chord memory in P4/M modes. Rudimentary midi, 
     responds on Omni (although I've heard an omni off will let it respond 
     on channel 1 instead, haven't tried it), transmits on channel 1, only 
     midi note on/off, prog change, pitch bend (i think), and sequencer 
     commands supported.
     
     Sequencer: Simple sequencer, step entry. Syncs to midi clock, responds 
     to seq start/stop commands. Transposable. 8 sequences, linkable.
     
     Interface: Two rows of LEDs in a matrix and a single big knob. Three 
     buttons (left, right, up/down (since there's only two rows up or down 
     is the same, and there's only one button). One LED/parameter and it 
     lights up when that parameter is active.
     
     Overall: Good synth, a little strange. Excellent chorus. Filter can be 
     whiny or creamy or rough, unlike many other synths I've used it seems 
     to be very dependent on programming...sometimes it sounds good, 
     sometimes it sounds awful. good bass. 
     
     corley brigman
     intel corp.
     corley.brigman@intel.com
     
     speaking for me, not for intel.