YAMAHA Digit a l M ulti-E ff e c t Pro c e s s or O p era ting M a nu al
INTRODUCTION Congratulations on your purchase of a Yamaha SPX90 Digital Multi-Effect Processor. The SPX90 is an amalgam of advanced acoustical research and digital technology designed to provide musicians and home recording enthusiasts with a wide range of exciting effects. The SPX90 Digital Multi-Effect Processor utilizes highly refined LSI (Large Scale Integration) technology to create natural reverberation.
PRECAUTIONS NOTE: It is vital to read this section before using your SPX90 Digital Multi-Effect Processor. This unit utilizes state-of-the-art digital technology which, although designed to provide years of trouble-free use, requires careful handling. VOLTAGE RATINGS Be sure the AC supply in your area is appropriate for your SPX90. U.S./Canadian Model: 110V — 120V, 50/60Hz. General Model: 220 — 240V, 50/60Hz. ENVIRONMENTAL TEMPERATURE Do not expose the SPX90 to excessive heat.
FRONT PANEL Power ON/OFF Switch When the power is turned ON, the program which was selected immediately before the power was turned OFF will be re-selected. Due to the safety muting circuit, no sound will be produced by the SPX90 for a few seconds after the power is turned 3 Input Level Control (0 ~ 10) Regulates the level of the input signal. Set the INPUT LEVEL control while watching the INPUT LEVEL meter.
REAR PANEL Remote Control Connector Permits remote access to SPX90 effect programs. The optional remote control unit, model RC7, permits direct access to programs 1 through 7 and 31 through 37, while all other preset programs may be accessed sequentially. MIDI IN Connector Permits SPX90 effect programs to be automatically selected via a MIDI signal. This connector must be connected to the MIDI OUT connector of the transmitting MIDI instrument via a standard MIDI cable.
BASIC OPERATIONS Before actually selecting or editing programs on your SPX90, make sure that all connections have been made properly, and that the INPUT LEVEL switch, OUTPUT LEVEL switch, and INPUT LEVEL control have been properly set according to the source signal and equipment to which the SPX90 signal will be fed.
3. Use PARAMETER INCREMENT/DECREMENT keys to set desired value of the selected parameter. STORE: SAVING EDITED PROGRAMS Once you’ve edited parameters on a preset program, those changes will remain in effect only until you select (RECALL) another program. The STORE function, however, allows you to save the edited program in any one of the user memory locations — from 31 to 90 — from which it can then be recalled at any time. 1. Select and edit a program as described above. 2.
OUTPUT BALANCE AND LEVEL PROGRAMMING The BALANCE key selects the BALANCE and OUTPUT LEVEL functions for all programs. 1. Press the BALANCE key while any parameter is selected. 2. The first function called will be BALANCE. Adjust the BALANCE of the effected and direct signal between 0 and 100% using the PARAMETER INCREMENT/DECREMENT keys. * Balance = 100% : effect sound only. Balance = 0% : direct sound only. 3. Press the BALANCE key again to call the OUTPUT LEVEL function.
UTILITY FUNCTIONS The UTILITY key provides access to four utility functions. These functions are selected in the following sequence each time the UTILITY key is pressed: MIDI CONTROL Normal mode EDIT TITLE MIDI PROGRAM CHANGE FOOTSWITCH MEMORY RECALL Normal mode. The UTILITY key LED will light during selection of the four utility functions, and will go out when the normal mode is returned to.
MIDI Bank and Channel Programming When this function is called, the LCD will appear as follows: Use the PARAMETER INCREMENT/DECREMENT keys to select the desired BANK, and the MEMORY INCREMENT/DECREMENT keys to select the desired MIDI channel number for that BANK. When “CH = OMNI” is selected, reception will be carried out on all 16 MIDI channels simultaneously. When CH = OFF is selected, MIDI reception will be turned OFF.
DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAMS AND PARAMETERS The preset programs in the SPX90 fall into the following types: REV (Reverb), ER1 and ER2 (Early Reflections), DELAY, ECHO, MOD (Modulation), GATE, PITCH, FREEZE, PAN, VIBRATO and PEQ (parametric equalizer). Each of these program types has a specific selection of programmable parameters. “Parameters” indicates the separate, individual functions that make up each effect.
This effect, commonly used in contemporary recordings, produces independently variable left- and rightchannel signal delays. The result is an intriguing “doubled” sound. 1. LEFT CHANNEL DELAY TIME. Range: 0.1 ~ 500.0 msec Permits highly accurate setting of the left channel delay following the direct sound. 2. LEFT CHANNEL FEEDBACK GAIN. Range: – 99% ~ + 99% Sets the amount of delay signal fed back to the input circuitry. The higher the feedback gain setting the greater the number of delay repeats produced.
STEREO FLANGE CHORUS A combination of Delay and LFO (Low Frequency Oscillation) modulation, the popular Flanging effect can dramatically thicken the sound of keyboard instruments, or produce the “aircraft” sound popular among guitarists. Basically, a short delay time is varied with LFO modulation so that the delayed signal moves in relation to the direct signal. The resultant variations in pitch and stereo imaging are known as “flanging”.
STEREO PHASING The SPX90 can produce a wide range of Phasing effects from a barely perceptible shift to a rapid pulsation. Phasing lends an animated quality to musical instrument and vocal recordings: This effect has the same parameters as STEREO FLANGE, except that the DELAY TIME range is from 0.1 to 8.0 msec and omits FB Gain. TREMOLO The TREMOLO effect operates in the same way as the CHORUS effect, except that modulation is deeper and the delay variation is greater.
tion of the PITCH CHANGE program. For example, if BASE KEY = C4, then pressing the C3 key on the synthesizer keyboard will set the pitch change value to – 12 (one octave down). Pressing D4 on the keyboard would produce a pitch increase of one tone (+ 2). If a key more than one octave higher or lower than the BASE KEY is pressed, the resultant pitch change setting will still be within the + 12 to – 12 range, as shown in the following illustration.
TRIGGERING MANUAL Mode To actually begin recording if the MANUAL mode has been selected, press the PARAMETER INCREMENT key. The SPX90 will record for 500 milliseconds. Also the optional foot switch FC-5 can be used. Connect the FC-5 to the MEMORY/TRIGGER Foot Switch Jack and press the FOOT TRIGGER Key. Then FC-5 works as the trigger switch when it is pressed.
5. PLAYBACK To play back the recorded material, press the PARAMETER key to enter the playback standby mode. The LCD will display the “PLAY” message. To actually play the recording, press the PARAMETER INCREMENT/DECREMENT key. The recorded material will be played each time the PARAMETER INCREMENT/DECREMENT key is pressed. To program a specific segment of the recording to be played back in the FREEZE A program, set the START and END parameters to appropriate values (0 ~ 500).
This program feeds the reverb signal through a gate circuit, making it possible to output only a segment of a longer reverb sound. Parameters provided for the reverb portion of the signal are REV TIME, HIGH, DELAY, HPF and LPF, while parameters for the gate portion are HOLD TIME, RELEASE TIME, and MIDI TRIGGER. ADR-NOISE GATE This program uses a gate circuit to pass or shut off the input signal in a number of ways.
6. DECAY LEVEL. Range: 0 ~ 100% Determines the level at which the gate remains open for the HOLD TIME. The lower the value the lower the HOLD gate level. 7. HOLD TIME. Range: 1 msec ~ 30,000 msec Determines how long the gate stays open, allowing the input signal to pass. COMPRESSOR The COMPRESSOR effect reduces the level of the attack portion of a music signal and keeps overall signal level within narrow limits. 8. RELEASE TIME.
AUTO PAN TRIGGERED PAN This program automatically pans the sound image between left and right in the stereo sound field. Pan direction, speed, and phase can be programmed. In this program the pan effect is triggered by the input signal or footswitch. 1. PAN SPEED. Range: 0.1 ~ 20.0 Hz Sets the speed of pan. 2. DIRECTION. Range: L R, L R, L Determines the direction of pan. R 3. DEPTH. Range: 0 ~ 100% Sets the degree of level variation. The higher the value, the stronger the pan effect. 1.
This program makes it possible to add delay vibrato effects to virtually any instrument or sound. When the input signal exceeds a programmed trigger level, the vibrato effect is cancelled and then gradually builds up to the programmed depth. This program permits variation of the input signal frequency response over an extremely broad range. 1. TRIGGER LEVEL. Range: 1 ~ 100% Determines the input signal level at which the vibrato effect is cancelled and begins to build up again. 2. VIBRATO DELAY.
SAMPLE APPLICATIONS MIDI KEYBOARD PERFORMANCE SYSTEM In this system the SPX90 is connected immediately following a MIDI keyboard, and its output feeds either an instrument amplifier or sound reinforcement mixing console. The MIDI OUT terminal of the keyboard is connected to the MIDI IN terminal of the SPX90, permitting automatic selection of different effects programs for specific voices selected at the keyboard.
RECORDING SYSTEM In a recording system it is most desirable to have the SPX90 input and outputs available at a patch bay where they may accessed and patched into virtually any part of the system. In some cases it might be best to have the SPX90 connected directly in line between the source and the mixing console inputs, while in other situations—final mixdown, for example—the SPX90 should be patched into the mixing console’s effects loop so it may be applied to the entire mix.
SPECIFICATIONS INPUT Number of Channels Nominal Level Impedance Level Control Level Monitor Unbalanced x 1 (Phone Jack) – 20 dBm/+4 dBm, Selectable 10 k-ohms Volume, Max. Gain + 12 dB 7 points LED A/D CONVERSION Sampling Freq. Quantization Band Width Number of Channels 31.25 kHz Linear 16 Bit 20 Hz to 12 kHz 1 D/A CONVERSION Number of Channels Sampling Freq. Quantization Band Width 2 31.
ROM CONTENTS AND CONTROLABLE PARAMETERS 24 25
ROOM SIZE CHART EARLY REFLECTION MODE CHART 26 27
EARLY REFLECTION MODE CHART 26 ROOM SIZE CHART 27
BLOCK DIAGRAM DIMENSIONS 28
USER PROGRAMMING TABLE Program No. Type Progaram Title Parameter New Value Parameter New Value Parameter New Value Remarks Program No.
[ Digital Sound Processor ] Date : 10/5, 1985 Model SPX90 MIDI Implementation Chart Version : 1.0 Function . . .
SINCE 1887 YAMAHA NIPPON GAKKI CO., LTD. HAMAMATSU, JAPAN SERVICE The SPX90 is supported by Yamaha’s worldwide network of factory trained and qualified dealer service personnel. In the event of a problem, contact your nearest Yamaha dealer.
