Owner’s Manual Bedienungsanleitung Mode d’emploi
SPECIAL MESSAGE SECTION This product utilizes batteries or an external power supply (adapter). DO NOT connect this product to any power supply or adapter other than one described in the manual, on the name plate, or specifically recommended by Yamaha. WARNING: Do not place this product in a position where anyone could walk on, trip over ,or roll anything over power or connecting cords of any kind.
PRECAUTIONS PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE PROCEEDING * Please keep these precautions in a safe place for future reference. English WARNING Always follow the basic precautions listed below to avoid the possibility of serious injury or even death from electrical shock, short-circuiting, damages, fire or other hazards. These precautions include, but are not limited to, the following: • Do not open the instrument or attempt to disassemble the internal parts or modify them in any way.
Welcome to the MU15 Congratulations and thank you for purchasing the Yamaha MU15 Tone Generator! The MU15 an advanced, yet easy-to-use tone generator providing exceptionally high-quality Voices, built-in effects, XG format and General MIDI (GM) compatibility, plus direct connection to computer — all in a highly compact and portable package.
English GM System Level 1 “GM System Level 1” is a standard specification that defines the arrangement of voices in a tone generator and its MIDI functionality, ensuring that data can be played back with substantially the same sounds on any GM-compatible tone generator, regardless of its manufacturer or model. Tone generators and song data that meet the “GM System Level 1” bear this GM logo.
Table of Contents How to Use This Manual .......................................................................................... 8 The MU15 — What It Is and What It Can Do ........................................................ 10 What It Is... ................................................................................................... 10 What It Can Do... .......................................................................................... 10 About General MIDI (GM) ........................
Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Appendix 52 53 53 54 54 54 55 56 56 57 57 58 58 59 59 60 60 61 62 63 63 64 64 65 68 69 Troubleshooting ...................................................................................................... Error Messages ........................................................................................................ Specifications .......................................................................................................... Index .........................
How to Use This Manual How to Use This Manual You are probably eager to try out your new MU15 Tone Generator right away and hear what it can do, rather than have to read through a lot of instructions before you can even get a sound out of it. Since the MU15 is so easy to use, you could play it right “out of the box” without even having to glance at the manual. However, to get the most out of your MU15 and to avoid damaging it, we strongly suggest that you take time to read the sections introduced below.
How to Use This Manual 5) Reference English Once you’re familiar with everything above, lightly go over this comprehensive guide to all editing functions. You won’t need (or want) to read everything at once, but it is there for you to refer to when you need information about a certain feature or function. 6) Appendix Use the sections in the Appendix as necessary. For example, the Index will come in handy when you need to quickly find information on a specific topic.
The MU15 — What It Is and What It Can Do The MU15 — What It Is and What It Can Do What It Is... The MU15 is a compact, highly portable and easy-to-use tone generator. It features XG compatibility with a stunning variety of 480 XG Voices (including 128 GM Voices) and 11 Drum Voices (with Drum and SFX kits).* The MU15 has 32-Voice polyphony and is 16Part multi-timbral. In other words, the MU15 has 16 different Parts, each with its own Voice, so that up to 16 different Voices can be sounded simultaneously.
The MU15 — What It Is and What It Can Do English Use it for composing, arranging, practicing or making/playing demos for your band. Perform With It Bring it with you to a gig — as long as there’s a MIDI keyboard on stage, you can use the high-quality sounds of MU15 in your performance. Multimedia Since it’s portable and compatible with General MIDI, the MU15 is a natural for multimedia applications.
The MU15 — What It Is and What It Can Do About General MIDI (GM) General MIDI (GM) is a new addition to the worldwide MIDI standard. MIDI, as you know, stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface, and makes it possible for various electronic musical instruments and other devices to “communicate” with each other. For example, by connecting a sequencer to the MU15’s MIDI IN terminal, you could play back a song on the sequencer using the Voices of the MU15.
P a n e l C o n t r o l s a n d Te r m i n a l s English Panel Controls and Terminals Front Panel q w e r t GrandPno y u q Display In the Play mode, this shows the Part number, the currently selected program number and Voice name for the Part. It also shows the octave setting (when set to a value other than normal) and acts as a “level meter,” showing the volume for each Part as it is played. When the XG BANK button is held down, it shows the currently selected Bank number and Voice name.
P a n e l C o n t r o l s a n d Te r m i n a l s w PART buttons ( , ) For selecting the desired Part. (In some of the Edit functions, these may not be available.) Hold down either button to rapidly advance through the values. e VALUE buttons ( /NO, /YES) For changing the value of the selected function or parameter. In the Play mode, these are used to change the Voice number (or Bank number) at the selected Part. In the Edit mode, these are used to change the current function’s value.
P a n e l C o n t r o l s a n d Te r m i n a l s Rear Panel English q w e r t q MIDI OUT and MIDI IN terminals For connection to other MIDI devices, such as a MIDI keyboard, tone generator, sequencer, or to a computer that has a MIDI interface. (Pages 20, 39.) w HOST SELECT switch For selecting the type of connected device (computer or MIDI device). (Page 37.) e TO HOST terminal For connection to a host computer that does not have a MIDI interface. (Page 37.
P a n e l C o n t r o l s a n d Te r m i n a l s Side Panel q w q VOLUME control For adjusting the overall level of the MU15. w LINE OUT/PHONES jack For connection to an amplifier/speaker system or a set of stereo headphones.
English G u i d e d To u r When using your MU15 for the first time, read through this short section of the manual. It guides you step-by-step in using many of the basic operations: setting the instrument up, connecting it properly to other equipment, and — most importantly — playing it. It also introduces you to most of the other, advanced features and operations of the instrument — enabling you to quickly and effectively get the most out of your new MU15.
Setting Up Your MU15 Power Supply Although the MU15 will run either from an optional AC adaptor or batteries, Yamaha recommends use of an AC adaptor whenever possible. Moreover, an AC adaptor is more environmentally friendly than batteries and does not deplete resources. • CAUTION Before making any connections, make sure that all equipment to be connected is turned off.
Setting Up Your MU15 Using Batteries English To use the MU15 on battery power, insert six 1.5V AA size (SUM-3, R-6 or equivalent) manganese or alkaline batteries in the battery compartment. Make sure to follow the polarity indications on the bottom case (and as shown below). Securely replace the battery compartment cover when done installing the batteries.
Setting Up Your MU15 Making the Connections • CAUTION Before making any connections, turn all related equipment off, and make sure the MU15’s power adaptor is not connected to an electrical outlet. Operation Z Connect the MIDI cable. Connect the MIDI OUT terminal of the MIDI keyboard to the MIDI IN terminal of the MU15 (as shown in the illustration). X Connect the audio cables.
Setting Up Your MU15 Powering Up English Admittedly, this is a simple operation, but you should be careful to follow the instructions below to avoid possible damage to your equipment and speakers. Operation Z Turn on the power of your MIDI keyboard. X Turn down all volume controls. This includes the MU15 and any connected equipment. C Turn on the power of the MU15. Set the ON/STANDBY switch to “ON.” V Turn on the amplifier/speaker system. B Set the volume controls.
Playing the MU15 Playing the MU15 Playing the Keyboard If you’ve set up everything properly in the instructions above, you can now play the MU15. Press the keys on the built-in keyboard to hear the currently selected Voice. Try also playing the connected MIDI keyboard. As long as the keyboard is sending MIDI data, it doesn’t matter what the MIDI channel setting is — at least one of the Voices on the MU15 will sound. (For more information on MIDI, see page 91.
Playing the MU15 X Start the song by pressing the VALUE /YES button. English The Demo Song starts playing immediately and repeats indefinitely until stopped (in step #3 below). Playback of the individual Parts of the song is shown graphically by the “level meter” bars in the display. • CAUTION Once you play the demo song, any edits that you’ve made to the MU15 will be cleared (with the exception of the Velocity, Local Control and Octave settings).
Playing the MU15 Selecting Voices The MU15 has a total of 676 different instrument Voices. Here, we’ll select a different Voice for playing. Each Voice is numbered, and there are 128 Voices from which you can immediately select. (We’ll see how to select Voices outside of these 128 later.) Operation Use the VALUE buttons. Pressing the VALUE /YES button steps up through Voice numbers while pressing the VALUE /NO button steps down through the numbers.
Playing the MU15 Voices English As mentioned in the section “The MU15 — What It Is and What It Can Do,” the MU15 is capable of playing sixteen different instrument sounds at the same time. Each instrument sound is called a “Voice,” and the MU15 has 676 different Normal Voices, as well as 21 Drum Voices.
Playing the MU15 Banks As you learned in “Selecting Voices” above, each Voice is numbered, and there are 128 of them from which you can select. These 128 Voices make up a Voice “Bank.” The MU15 has many Banks, each of which contain 128 Voices. By selecting a different Bank, you can select different Voices — any of the 676 Voices available on the MU15. Now, let’s go on to the next sections and see how to select different Parts, and how to select Voices on the other Banks.
Playing the MU15 Selecting Banks English As you learned in “About Parts, Voices, and Banks” above, the MU15’s 676 Voices are organized into Banks of 128 Voices each. Here, we’ll see how to select Voices of different Banks. Operation Z Select the desired Part. Do this in the normal way, by using the PART buttons. X Select the desired Voice. Do this in the normal way, by using the VALUE buttons.
Playing the MU15 E.Piano1 El.Pno1K MelloEP1 Chor.EP1 …and so on. In this way, the MU15 skips over Banks that have the same Voices as the basic Bank (Bank 000), and lets you automatically jump to Banks that have unique Voices for the selected Voice number. In the above example, Banks 002 - 017 all have the same Voice for number 005: “E.Piano1.” Bank 018 has a unique Voice, followed by another unique Voice at Bank 032, and so on.
Playing the MU15 X Select the desired Drum Voice. English Do this in the normal way, by using the VALUE buttons. C Play the drum sounds. Play the sounds from the MU15’s keyboard or from a connected MIDI keyboard. Since the various drum/percussion sounds are spread out over several octaves, in order to play them from the MU15, you’ll need to change the octave setting (see next section).
Playing the MU15 Editing a Part The editing features of the MU15 provide various controls for changing the Parts and setting other important operating functions. Among other things, these let you set the Volume or Pan setting of each Part independently, change the Velocity of the built-in keyboard, and save your edits to a connected computer, sequencer or data storage device. NOTE • The Velocity and Local Control settings cannot be saved.
Playing the MU15 To select Volume, hold down PLAY/EDIT and press the VOL button. English X Change the value. Use the VALUE buttons. For Note Shift, the value changes in semitone steps up or down, depending on which VALUE button you press. For Volume, the value can be changed over a range of 0 (minimum) to 127 (maximum). Play the MU15 keyboard (or the connected MIDI keyboard) and hear the change in the sound of the Part.
Playing the MU15 Using the Effects The compact MU15 is packed with an enormous amount of sonic power and flexibility. In addition to the huge amount of instrument Voices, the MU15 features a built-in multi-effect processor with three independent digital effects: Reverb, Chorus, and Variation. In this section, you’ll learn how to apply the effects, change the effect type, and set how much effect is applied for each Part.
Playing the MU15 English To do this, simultaneously hold down the PLAY/EDIT button and press the REVERB SEND LVL button (for Reverb), or the CHORUS SEND LVL button (for Chorus), and then set the value to “60” or higher, by using the VALUE buttons. RevSend C Select the Reverb Type (or Chorus Type) parameter. Simultaneously hold down the PLAY/EDIT button and press the REVERB TYPE button (for Reverb), or the CHORUS TYPE button (for Chorus). Hall1 V Select the desired Reverb (or Chorus) Type.
Playing the MU15 Operation Z Select the desired Part. Do this in the normal way, by using the PART buttons. X Set Variation Connection to “SYS” (System). Setting the Variation Connection parameter to “SYS” allows you to use the Variation effect for all Parts. (For instructions on using the “INS” or Insertion setting, see the boxed section on page 35.
Playing the MU15 B Select the desired Variation Type. English Use the VALUE buttons. For a list of the available Variation Types, see page 60. N Set the Send Level control to the desired value. Once you’ve selected a Variation Type to your satisfaction, you can re-adjust the effect level for the selected Part (and other Parts, too). To do this, repeat steps #1 and #3 above. M Set the Dry Level control to the desired value.
Using the MU15 with a Computer/Sequencer Using the MU15 with a Computer/Sequencer By connecting the MU15 to a computer or sequencer, you have a powerful music system for playing back songs and even creating your own songs, using the Voices of the MU15. First, you’ll have to make sure that the MU15 is properly connected to the computer or sequencer, and that your music software is ready to run. (Refer to page 37 for connection examples and instructions.
Using the MU15 with a Computer/Sequencer English with a laptop computer, giving you an exceptionally portable yet powerful computer music system. The MU15 can be used with the following computers: Apple Macintosh and compatibles, or IBM PC/AT and compatibles. If your computer already has a MIDI interface, you can connect the MU15 to it by using MIDI cables instead. Depending on the computer or interface used, you should set the HOST SELECT switch to the appropriate setting: MIDI, PC-1, PC-2, or Mac.
Using the MU15 with a Computer/Sequencer C Turn on the power of the computer first, and then the MU15. V Start up your music software, and (if necessary) set the appropriate options on the software for operation with the MU15. (See note on page 39.
Using the MU15 with a Computer/Sequencer • Connecting via a MIDI interface English Connecting to a Macintosh computer (with MIDI interface) MIDI IN MIDI interface MIDI OUT MIDI Macintosh computer MIDI OUT Connecting to an IBM PC/AT compatible computer (with MIDI interface) MIDI keyboard controller MIDI IN MIDI IN MIDI MIDI OUT GrandPno IBM-PC/AT or compatible computer MU15 NOTE • For Windows 95/98 users: In order to use the TO HOST connection, you’ll need to install special MIDI driver software
Using the MU15 with a Computer/Sequencer Playing Song Data Once you set up your computer or sequencer with the MU15, you’re ready to play back song data using the Voices of the MU15. Although any GM-compatible song data can be played, the MU15 will sound best when used with XGcompatible song data. By using Yamaha’s XGworks Music Sequencer software, you can create your own XG song data.
Using the MU15 with a Computer/Sequencer MIDI/Computer Connecting Cables English MIDI Standard MIDI cable. Maximum length 15 meters. DIN 5-PIN 4 2 5 4 2 (GND) 5 DIN 5-PIN Macintosh Apple Macintosh Peripheral cable (M0197). Maximum length 2 meters. MINI DIN 8-PIN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 2 (HSK i) 1 (HSK 0) 5 (RxD-) 4 GND 3 (TxD-) 8 (RxD+) 7 (GP i) 6 (TxD+) MINI DIN 8-PIN PC-2 8-pin MINI DIN to D-SUB 9-pin cable. Maximum length 1.8 meters.
Reference The Reference section of this manual covers in detail all of the functions of the MU15. Refer to it when you need information about a specific function, feature, or operation.
Play Mode English Play Mode The Play mode is the default mode of the MU15 and is automatically set when the power is turned on. The Play mode allows you to play the Voices, either from the MU15’s keyboard or from a MIDI device. Depending on data received via MIDI, the MU15 operates in one of two Sound Module modes: XG or TG300B. (XG is the default.) The Play mode also lets you select Voices, Banks, and Parts, and change the octave setting of the keyboard.
Edit Mode The XG mode features 480 Normal Voices (including 42 SFX Voices) and 11 Drum Voices (including 2 SFX drum kits). The TG300B mode features 579 Normal Voices and 10 Drum Voices. NOTE • In the TG300B mode, the Voices can only be selected by MIDI; they cannot be selected from the panel of the MU15. Edit Mode The Edit mode allows you to change various settings and parameters of the MU15. These controls are divided into three basic types: Part (page 45), Effect (page 56), and Utility (page 63).
Edit Mode English NOTE • Selecting a Part does not apply to the Utility controls or Effect controls, except for the Send Level parameters (pages 57, 59, 61) and Dry Level (when Variation Connection is set to “SYS”; page 62). Once you’ve selected a certain parameter, you can instantly return to that parameter from the Play mode by simply pressing the PLAY/ EDIT button. C Change the setting or value. Use the VALUE buttons.
Edit Mode The Part controls allow you to change certain parameters for each Part. These include Volume, Pan, Note Shift, Filter, EG (Envelope Generator) and Vibrato. All of these parameters can be set independently for each Part, giving you enormous and flexible control over the sound. Also included in the Part controls are the convenient Solo and Mute functions. The Effect Send Level parameters (pages 57, 59, 61) can also be adjusted for each Part.
Edit Mode Pan English Pan setting Pan Selected Part Graphically shows Pan position for each Part. Range: Rnd, L 63 - C 00 - R 63 Default: C 00 This determines the stereo position of the selected Part. The Pan position is graphically represented by bars in the display. The “Rnd” (Random) setting randomly assigns the Voice to a pan position. This is useful when you want to have different Voices sound from different random positions of the stereo image.
Edit Mode Solo Solo setting Solo Selected Part Shows Solo setting for each Part. While a song is playing back on your computer or sequencer, you can selectively solo any of the 16 Parts of the MU15. Solo lets you isolate a single Part, to hear how that Part sounds by itself. Along with Mute (page 49), Solo is an effective tool that helps you as you edit the Parts, since it allows you to better hear how the changes you make affect specific Voices as well as the overall sound.
Edit Mode Mute English Mute setting Mute Selected Part Shows Mute setting for each Part. While a song is playing back on your computer or sequencer, you can selectively mute any of the 16 Parts of the MU15. Mute lets you silence one Part to hear how all of the other Parts sound without it. Along with Solo (page 48), Mute is a convenient tool, since it allows you to hear how the presence or absence of specific Parts affects the overall sound.
Edit Mode Filter Parameters — Cutoff Frequency and Resonance The MU15 features digital filters for each Part that allow you to change the timbre or tone of the Voices. The filters are affected (together with the level) by the EG (Envelope Generator) parameters, which allow you to change the timbre over time as well. (Page 52.) Cutoff Frequency Cutoff Frequency setting Cutoff Shows Cutoff Frequency setting for each Part.
Edit Mode Resonance English Resonance setting Reso Shows Resonance setting for each Part. Selected Part Range: -64 - +63 Default: 0 This determines the amount of filter resonance or emphasis of the Cutoff Frequency parameter above. Higher values make the filter effect more pronounced and stronger, creating a resonant peak around the cutoff frequency.
Edit Mode EG (Envelope Generator) Parameters — Attack Time and Release Time The EG parameters allow you to shape the sound of a Part’s Voice — or, in other words, set how the level and timbre of the Voice changes over time. The relationship of the two EG parameters — Attack Time and Release Time — are shown in the illustrations below. These parameters affect both the volume of the Voice and its timbre (with the Filter parameters; page 50).
Edit Mode Attack Time English Attack Time setting AtckTime Selected Part Shows Attack Time setting for each Part. Range: -64 - +63 Default: 0 This determines the Attack Time of the EG, or how long it takes for the sound to reach full volume when a note is played. Higher positive values result in a longer, slower attack. For the Filter, this determines how long it takes for the sound to be affected by the Filter values.
Edit Mode Vibrato Parameters — Rate, Depth, and Delay Vibrato produces a quavering, vibrating sound in the Part’s Voice, by regularly modulating the pitch. You can control the speed and depth of the Vibrato, as well as the time it takes before the Vibrato effect is applied. Vibrato Rate Vibrato Rate setting VibRate Selected Part Shows Vibrato Rate setting for each Part. Range: -64 - +63 Default: 0 This determines the speed of the Vibrato effect.
Edit Mode Vibrato Delay English Vibrato Delay setting VibDelay Selected Part Shows Vibrato Delay setting for each Part. Range: -64 - +63 Default: 0 This determines the delay in the start of the Vibrato effect. Delay is effective especially for producing a natural sound on stringed instrument Voices. For example, violin players often use delayed Vibrato, especially while playing long notes. The Delay parameter is useful in recreating this effect, producing a richer, more lifelike sound.
Edit Mode Effect Controls Reverb Chorus Variation Type ................ 57 Send Level ................ 57 Type ................ 58 Send Level ................ 59 Connection ................ 60 Type ................ 60 Send Level ................ 61 Dry Level ................ 62 The MU15 features a built-in multi-effect processor with three independent digital effects: Reverb, Chorus, and Variation.
