TRON: Arpeggio Sequencing/Programming

Published on Jun 27, 2018 Kris Lennox

"The MB, whilst having the usual arpeggio sequencing patterns (i.e. up, down, up/down, random etc), can also be programmed. Very handy. And the included work ('The Son of Flynn' from the Tron Legacy soundtrack) is a great piece to demonstrate.

The arpeggiator - in this mode - will arpeggiate any 4-note chord in the manner you program it. The blue lights illustrate the steps.

Reading vertically from low-high: the bottom 4 squares represent notes 1-4 in octave 1, the next 4 up represent octave 2 etc. And any step can be deactivated - simply push the red button to switch that step on/off.

Very visual, very easy to program. And being all there in front of you, editing individual steps etc is easy.

The other day I was having a look at a JD-XA, and was talking through it with the Roland rep. Stunning machine, but one of the potential issues seems to be when you deactivate a step, reactivating it resets the pitch. With the MB, if you deactivate a step then reactivate it, the programmed pitch is maintained.

However, in Roland's defense, the rep I was talking to was quite new on the job. I'll need to research it more, as the JD-XA is quite the powerhouse - and massively under-rated.

Back on track - I wasn't too fussed RE exactly replicating the tone of the original track, as the purpose of the vid is to show the arpeggiator outwith its standard patterns.

Best
Kris"