Roland Emphasis-Deemphasis Curves

The wavedata information sampled with a Roland S-7x Series and XV series samplers is treated with a Frequency Emphasis boost, which pumps up the high end. When the Roland plays the sound out of its outputs, its internal hardware filters compensate for the built in frequency emphasis, making the sample sound normal again. Actually, all samplers do this, but the Roland did it intentionally with a much greater effect than normal.

What this means is that if you transferred normal 16-bit wavedata from any other source to the Roland, and then played it through the Roland, it will sound duller since the outputs would be de-emphasizing the high end, without the data being emphasized first. Conversely, any Roland sound data you play through another medium will sound tinny, since the frequency emphasis is not being filtered.

Translator's solution is to mimic the Roland input filters on the way in to the Roland, and mimic the output filters on the way out, by altering the wavedata using a high-quality complex software digital filter.

Translator currently uses several effective algorithms to deal with this issue. You can select these in the Format Options-Roland tab.

• Authentic: this is the ACTUAL filter, coded in the Roland itself. When you compare Translators filter with the data produced by the Roland itself, it gives the most perfect and exact results than any other deemphasis filter available. There is one company that claims they have an "exact" filter, but if you compare the results of that filter compared to the data that the Roland produces (a test can be made using a forced deemphasis using the Roland itself), the data is almost the same, but still different, so it is NOT exact! Translator Authentic filter also is slightly different, but the degree of difference is about 50% less than the other company's filter.
• Standard: This was the original filter we composed using test lab equipment in-house. It's close, but different,
• Darker: Same as Standard, only a little darker.
• Lighter: Same as Standard, only a little brighter.
• Special: We did this for Spectrasonics for their loop/percussion libraries. They needed a filter that was bright enough for percussive sounds.
• Custom: You can manipulate the filter coefficients with the sliders - make your own setting!

There are some people that do not hear the effect of the Roland Emphasis curves; there are people that like it dealt with, but do not need an EXACT replication; and there are people that want it exact or nothing. Translator's digital filters can cater to any of these users. Also, if you actually LIKE the curve and do not want any alteration, you can turn it off in the Options dialog.