Korg Multi mode and synth resources--a question

[Magpel]

Nothong urgent, no problem that needs solving, just a technical question on which I'm (more than) a little hazy.

 

On the Z1, which as most of you know is a VA and a physical modeling synth, the string, reed, and brass models are so resource intensive that they can't be combined with other osc types (standard VA, EP, Organ, FM, Ring Mod, etc.) In program mode. The EP and organ models, for example can be combined with other models in the Z1s 2 oscs + sub voice architecture.

 

In multi mode, you can use up to six programs in a single sound, and you can combine, say, a modeled brass sound with a modeled reed sound and an organ, dividing up the unit's 12-note polyphony as you see fit.

 

So my question is, what's different about multi mode in terms of the way it uses the synth's resources? Why is it able to process mu;tiple models in one mode and not in the other?

 

Does this make any sense?

[Markyboard]

That's a good question. So here's a stupid answer (but may be right).

 

The architecture probably limits the way resources are allocated at the program level (memory, address lines, interrupts etc).

Also if a program were to use both models, it would not work in multi mode under some circumstances. The designers probably weighed out the merrits of this and chose to limit at the patch level. I'm guessing here but I can see how this is a possibility.

 

The other possibility is that allowing any combination of models might lead to lawsuits due to programming geeks wetting their pants.