Many synths can only play one note at a time (they are monophonic). With the arpeggiator on, if more than one note is pressed at a time, the synth will alternate between the notes. They also often have a range control that allows the user to tell the ynth to play additional octaves - so if the range is set to two octaves the synth will play the keys that are held down in the octave that they are played and then in the next octave up/down....
EML Synkey (advertisement)
A computer card-reader allows the musician to automatically position over twenty
sound-producing controls to create and recreate a voicing of the instrument. With the
card reader off, the instrument can be manually adjusted like a conventional
synthesizer. Another exclusive feature of the SynKey is a top-octave divider which
creates the sound effect of thirteen oscillators. The divider produces the basic root pitch
plus the next twelve higher semitones of that pitch in precisely spaced intervals.
The musician merely pushes the appropriate buttons to select the root pitch and any or
all of the semitones desired. The SynKey's 44-note keyboard also incorporates a
second touch feature. This lets the musician apply selective filter sweeps, vibrato or
third-of an-octave bend to individual notes simply by pressing harder on a key. Normal
pressure produces the note without modification.
Two models will be offered: the programmable model, and a standard model without
programming. The programmable SynKey will retail for $1995.00.
