Zencore Update?

26 Apr 2026, 12:21

Around since 2019, will Roland update the Zencore engine for the devices and utils that use it? It has a lot of potential, such as wavetable playback, and possibly vector synthesis. Sample/ROM sound start offset position. If you could load a wavetable in, and pan the left/right channels on each partial to centre, you could run 8 wavetables and maybe have them modulating each other, or a sample modulating a wavetable. FM too, is there any reason why Zencore can't have FM and 32 preset algorithms to choose from? Imagine having FM on one partial, wavetable on another, VA on the 3rd, and a user sample on the 4th. Patch designer's dream come true! The Zencore engine can make just about anything, it's very flexible and deep. It's like a top-of-the-range, four partial synth that can use samples on each partial. It really could do with an updated version after 7 years, but the idea of Zencore is one of Roland's best.

Re: Zencore Update?

26 Apr 2026, 13:12

A really useful thing to add to the Zencore engine would be a 'sample effector'. This is basically a sample editor that allows you to run any loaded/ROM sample and play it through any combination of the Zencore effects (including delay and reverb) and save the output directly to sample RAM (without overwriting the original sample). This was on Protracker nearly 40 years ago. It means you can resample a whole drum kit, each pad through different effects, and then change the sample on the pad to the effected one, giving you unlimited effects for a drum kit. And if the Zencore drum machine has 32 or 48 different pads, by means of an 'octave shift' key, you can use samples of the same sound put through different effects, all from the same kit. A vocoder effect, and/or harmoniser, would allow you to treat vocal samples in the sample editor. For it to work, you would need to stop the machine while in 'sample destructive effect mode'.

Re: Zencore Update?

26 Apr 2026, 13:34

Lastly, we've used a Roland VT4 for many years. We use it as a pitch shifter and as a reverb, as it sounds sort of like a spring reverb. We use it as a vocal/sample pre-amp, and also as a send/return for the pitch shifter/reverb/echo. VT4 would be a very useful effect to add to the Zencore Effects section, which is already very good, but needs a few more additions. The Zencore Limiter we often use as a wideband EQ with gain, probably the most-used effect.