Rhodes CHROMA - STRUCTURE; INSIDE THE CHROMA

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STRUCTURE
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A
DUAL CHA.NNE L
BOARDS
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A
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A
A B
_ BI-
A B f.-
B t--
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A
A
B
B l-
B l-
B 1-
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EXTERNAL
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CENTRAl COMPUTER
4. _ ~ 1 COMPUTER 1
" - 7' EXPANDER
CONTROL
P.oNEL
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KEYBOARD
LEVERS &
PEDALS
INSIDE THE CHROMA
The Chroma's central computer controls aIl
aspects
of the instrument. Keyboard information,
the control panel, the cassette player, pedais and
levers all send their information to the central
computer. There are eight dual channel synthesizer
circuit boards which produce all of the Chroma 's
sounds.
They aIso connect ta the central computer.
The Chroma 's sixteen synthesizer channels each
consin of an oscillator. waveshaper, filter and ampli·
fier. The channels are ~ouped into eight pairs 50 that
they may be reconfîgured, or "repatched," thus
providing a wide variety of sounds. For ease of
programming, one ai the channels in each pair is
labelled the "A" cha,mel, the other the "B" channel.
The central computer control& the oscîllators.
filters,
and amplifiers directly. The computer digital-
Iy generates 32 envelopes (two peT channel) and 16
low frequency sweep signaIs. The control of the syn-
thesizer channels Îs completely digital. Signais from
the levers, pedals. control panel or the keyboard are
aIl encoded digitally, processed by the central
computer, and then sent ta the synthesizer channels.
AH of thè parameters which determine a sound
(including features like the keyboard split, trans-
position lever functions, etc.) are stored digitally
in
the Chroma's memory; therefore, programs may
be recalled in their encirety. This same information
may also be sent out ta a cassette, or ta an external
computer or even another Chroma.
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