OVERVIEW midi module with just a bunch of controls: master tune (50 cents) , 4 sliders mixer, dynamic slider , headphones output, 20 buttons and a very simple segment numeric display. MKS7 Exists in black version the same, but white (ivory) one cannot be rackmounted.
Back panel terminal connectors:
- pitch bender sensitivity knob
- Modulation sensitivity knob
- Bass detune knob
- mix out (with 3 impedances switch)
- separate out for rhythm
- separate out for bass section
- separate out for chord
- Midi Interface IN + THRU
SOUND OSCILLATOR core CPU NEC D7811G-102 manages on 6 DCO ( IC X MC5534A WG waveform generators) from juno106 + 1 slimmed-down + a digital drum kit. The oscillator features 4 wave sapes: square with variable width, triangle wave, square sub-oscillator (set to 1 octave lower) + white noise.
STRUCTURE: The Mks7 logic is composed by 4 sections each with individual volume set and assigned Midi channel (it can be changed by panel). Edit parameters are quite limited and external exclusive program is necessary:
1- MELODY : 2 allocated voices assigned to Midi Channel 1
2- CHORDS: 4 voices assigned to Midi Channel 3.
NB: Pretty strange, the chord section sounds like those old arrangers!
3- BASS: Monophonic assigned to Midi Channel 2. The bass can be directly detuned by rear pitch knob. The Bass oscillator DCO is slimmed down compared to melody.
4- 11 digital voices PCM assigned to Drum Midi Channel 10; the sounds are partially derived from Roland TR-707 cult machine. ROM with 1/kit 11 sounds: drum, snare drum, low tom, mid tom, hi tom, rim shot, claps, hihat open/close, ride and crash. it Cannot be edited.
TIP: it is possible to assign 6 DCO as a single part, a kind of Juno 106. The procedure is a complicated combi: Press MIDI + Rhythm + Bass+ Chord + Melody. While holding the CHORD button, press the MELODY button.
EFFECT internal warm analog chorus based on bucket brigade MN3006 + Mn3009 + MN3101 driver
FILTER: Classic analog filter based on IR3109 with 2 modes: Lowpass resonant (self-oscillating) at 4 poles + Highpass (not resonant)
LFO: Single delayed triangle modulator, relative frequency range from 0.1 to 30 Hz and 3 destinations: DCO pitch, VCF cutoff and DCO pulse width
ENVELOPE: 1 ADSR (4-segments) EG for both VCA amplitude and VCF cutoff filter based on same dreaded 80017A (also VCA read about the issues and fix) Note: bass generator (DCO "7") has its own EG.
MEMORY: 100 ROM melody tones sound + 20 ROM bass sound, NO RAM sound...a shame! sound must be edited from external software (CTRL. org is free)
Roland MKS-7 Superquartet
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