This is not a bug report so I'll move it to the main 3.4.1 topic instead. I did respond to you on reddit, but here's my response pasted here as well:
I think one issue is the way people are describing the new set up in respect to envs, filters & LFO. some youtubers talking about how 'if you change the filter on one keygroup, it affects all the others as well', or 'A program can only have one Keygroup XL'. This is not really describing how the new keygroups are constructed and is leading to confusion
Think of it in terms of 'blocks'. An 'advanced' keygroup instrument consists of a 'keygroup block'. This contains all the individual keygroups, where each keygroup is itself a 'block' consisting of sample assignments, layers and config parameters. After the main keygroup block comes the 'filter/env/lfo' block. This acts on the keygroup block as a whole. Then you have the kg stack etc.
[keygroup block] > [env+filters+LFO] >[Utilities] > [KG Stack] > [track FX]
The mod matrix kind of exists outside of all this and can target individual elements within the first two blocks.
In a legacy keygroup, you still had a 'keygroup block' containing individual keygroups and those individual keygroups had all the samples, layers etc. But they additionally each had their own filter/lfo/env. There was no separate 'filter/env/lfo' block that could act on the 'keygroup block' as a whole.
For many instruments, having env/filter/lfo per keygroup was a restriction as more often than not, if all keygroups needed the same settings here (very common) you had to use 'ALL' to adjust together, and automating something across the entire instrument was not possible using keygroups alone (e.g. a filter sweep or adjusting an instrument wide LFO), so you'd need to use FX plugins instead. The new way is much better for this, at the expense of not being able to have different filter/env settings on individual keygroups, excepting what may be possible via mod matrix, or with individual keygroup insert FX (via the pad mixer).
Legacy mode is likely better for some stuff, but generally the advanced mode is really very good, and not just for all the crazy 'synthesis' style examples you are seeing, it's great for more 'traditional' instruments as well
mi03 wrote:Not sure if its a feature or a bug, but its not mentioned in the manual
1. A program can only have one Keygroup XL. Once you have switched a keygroup into this mode, you can add new keygroups but they will all use the LFO/Filter/Envelope/Mod Matrix settings you applied in the first keygroup. You may switch the other keygroups into Legacy mode where they will all have their own settings, but they will then lose access to the new features in XL. So essentially Keygroup XL is more of a program type than a keygroup type.
2. In Keygroup XL the standard two LFOs are polyphonic (each voice starts a new LFO). There is a Reset toggle to control whether the LFO cycle retriggers with key or pad presses, however it's almost a moot point since the LFO is not monophonic and thus every key/voice has it's own LFO and there is no way to make them move together in unison.
3. The two Global LFOs are in fact monophonic, and thus if you are looking for a traditional synthesizer LFO to create a vibrato or tremolo effect across the entire instrument, these Global LFOs are the ones to use, they will affect all voices simultaneously.
4. The Global LFOs are also permanently in free-running mode and do not have a reset toggle.
5. Akai have still not implemented a free-running LFO Reset toggle in the legacy keygroups, despite this being a long-standing popular feature request.
6. Because of 5. above, it's still completely impossible to assign a free running LFO to any sample in a Drum Program. You cannot for example attach an LFO to a cymbal sample and make a notch filter sweep around on that sample over time, because Drum Programs are in legacy keygroup mode, and are permanently retriggering. So while the Keygroup XL is welcome, it has made no improvement to modulation limitations that exist in Drum Programs.
also when i solo a track on the main mode screen and change track with the main encoder the solo uses to follow the track im going to. sometimes it unsolos the track and does a weird short animation over the mute button then