Roland AT900 Music Atelier Owner's Manual page 70

Selecting and Playing Sounds
Foot switch effect
Item
ART. CONTROL1
ART. CONTROL2
Recommended pitch range
E2–A5 (when Octave Shift is 0. Middle C is C4.)
Distinctive Features of the Tenor Sax (Art.TenorSax)
From soft and gentle tones to crisp, strong notes, the Art.TenorSax sound lets
you express the broad range of the tenor sax.
Performance tips
An important aspect of sax performance is to make skillful distinctions
between legato and staccato. Be aware of the difference between playing a
smooth phrase with a single breath, and playing a phrase with sharply
distinguished notes.
The first note of a phrase you play will include the slight upward swoop in
pitch that is distinctive of wind instruments. When you play crisp staccato
notes or rapid passages, the corresponding nuances distinctive of a sax will
also be expressed in an appropriate manner.
By letting up a bit on the aftertouch at the end of a phrase, you can express
the sensation of the sound's natural decay as you stop blowing into the
instrument. The same effect can be produced by returning the expression
pedal slightly toward yourself instead of using aftertouch.
The growl effect produced by the foot switch ART.CONTROL2 is particularly
useful when you want to emphasize a phrase in styles such as jazz. It's
effective when used on one or two notes at a musical climax.
Foot switch effect
Item
ART. CONTROL1
ART. CONTROL2
Recommended pitch range
G#2–D#5 (when Octave Shift is 0. Middle C is C4.)
68
If you hold down the foot switch and play the
keyboard legato, you will obtain a portamento
effect in which the pitch will change smoothly.
By playing the keyboard legato while you hold down the foot
switch, you can apply portamento to smoothly vary the pitch
between notes.
By playing the keyboard while you hold down the foot
switch, you can apply a growl effect, as if the performer was
"moaning" while blowing into the instrument.
Explanation
Setting
What is the growl effect?
This is an effect produced by
vocalizing into the mouthpiece
of a sax while blowing. It
produces the powerful and
distinctively distorted sound
unique to a sax.