This one’s a little hard to explain, but I’m pretty sure it’s a common experience for everyone who has layered a piano (no ARP) with another voice that uses an ARP, and attempt to trigger the other voice’s ARP via the piano voice from a single MIDI controller.

For example, let’s say you create a Multi preset (or Performance on an XS8 for that matter), and set the voice for Track 1 to Full Concert Grand. Range is all notes and all velocities. No ARP. Next, add an acoustic guitar to Track 2. Range is D1 to A6 for both the voice and ARP, and all velocities. For the ARP, I’ll go with one of the strumming patterns in the “Unplugged” section. I can’t quite remember the name for it, but the one that gives you an option between measure and real-time is set to measure. I’m pretty sure that means that the strumming ARP should play uninterrupted for the measure. Obviously, that’s not correct, but the sake of this post, it was my understanding that’s how it worked.

I’m pretty sure that means that the strumming ARP should play uninterrupted for the measure.

CORRECTION:
According to the manual, measure and realtime applies not to key on events, but an ARP change event. That is, if it is set to measure, and ARP 1 is currently playing, pressing ARP 2 on the 2nd beat will wait until the next downbeat before starting ARP 2.

Now when I play piano, I don’t just play whole note chords. I like to add arpeggios (fingers playing single notes that go with the chords), which is where I get into trouble. So if I mute the piano, I can hear that the strumming ARP doesn’t strum for a whole measure, but changes with each note I play on my lovely arpeggios.

I could trigger the chords from the left hand bass notes, but it seems to need at least a root and a third to get the chord right, and my left hand doesn’t span 10th’s very well, nor would it musically make sense to do.

So, the bottom line question here is can I play piano freely, and still trigger semi-correct chords on the strumming guitar ARP?

Thanks!

The only thing you can do to not trigger the arp is limit the note range of the guitar track.

However if you are playing the piano arpeggios in the same key range as your chords that is not going to work.