Specifications

Pa
rt 5:
motif CONTRO
L
SECTION
As announced this episode is all about the
controller block.
This includes the keyboard, pitch bend and
modulation wheel, the ribbon controller,
and the knobs and sliders.
KeYboarD
The keyboards of modern synthesizers
have achieved a certain independence due
to the introduction of the MIDI interface.
Strictly speaking, in conjunction with the
MIDI controller board the keyboard can be
considered as a separate unit.
Each key of the keyboard gives the following
information: Note on/off events (which
results in the pitch and the length of the
note), velocity, and aftertouch.
The velocity is measured in terms of the
speed a key is played with. Aftertouch
offers a pressure point after the keystroke.
While holding down the key variable
pressure force generates additional
controller data. The MIDI controller
board adds the pitch (note) to the said
information for each played key.
Normally, this data will be sent to the
second major unit of a synthesizer - the
tone generator. However, a single para-
meter setting in the UTILITY section called
„Local Control“ determines whether the
data of the keyboard is sent directly to the
tone generator (Local = on) or only via
MIDI (Local = off).
Since in electronic instruments no more
mechanics are used beyond the key, all this
information is present in the form of data.
This data can be manipulated accordingly.
For example, you can change the octave
of the keyboard, or add or substract a
value to the notes you play in order to
obtain a transposition. Thus, it is possible to
play in a key which differs from the key you
actually play. Velocity and aftertouch can
also be modulated - the how and why they
are used will be the topic of one of the
following parts of this workshop.
EUROPE.YAMAHA.COM