Startup in Detail
Front Panel Overview
page 13
1 - Pitch and Modulation wheels
Push the
Pitch Wheel
away from you to raise the pitch of the note(s) you are playing. Pull it
towards you to lower the pitch. Most programs are set so that the pitch wheel will raise and
lower pitch by a whole step, although some programs use the pitch wheel to lower pitch by as
much as an octave. The Pitch Wheel has a spring so that it will snap back to place (i.e., back to the
original pitch) when you release it.
The
Mod Wheel
performs a variety of functions. Different programs may use it for filter sweeps,
tremolo/vibrato, wah, or layer volume.
2 - Arp and SW buttons
The
Arp
button turns on and off the PC3A’s Arpeggiator.
The
SW
button (MIDI 29) can be programmed to do a variety of things. Often it is used for layer
enable or effect enable.
3 - Bank Buttons
The Bank buttons let you choose different banks of programs (e.g., KB3 programs or Classic Keys
programs). Within each bank, you can use the Program and Category buttons to select individual
programs. The Bank buttons have special functions in KB3 mode, indicated by labels beneath
each button.
4 - Sliders
In KB3 mode, the PC3A’s nine sliders emulate an organ’s drawbars. For example, slider A
emulates an organ’s 16’ drawbar. In other modes, the sliders can be used to send values for
different MIDI controllers. Press the Info soft button on the Program mode or Setup mode main
page to see the slider assignments of the current program or setup.
5 - Record/Playback controls
These control the recording and playback of songs from any mode. However, you’ll need to make
sure that the Demo Button parameter on Master Mode Page 2 is set to “Off.” Otherwise these
buttons are used for Easy Audition (described below).
6 - Mode Selection buttons
The eight primary operating modes are described below . Each mode button has an LED that
lights to indicate the current mode. Only one mode can be selected at a time.
7 - Channel/Layer buttons
The function of these buttons depends upon the current mode. In Program mode, for example,
they shift through the MIDI channels, showing the program assigned to each channel. In Quick
Access mode, they scroll through the Quick Access banks, and in Song mode they scroll through
recording tracks. They are also useful in the Program and Setup editors.
