Getting Started Owner's Manual 1
Getting Started Owner’s Manual 1
Getting Started Contents Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 About the Manuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 ■ ■ ■ The Getting Started Manual (this manual) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 The Feature Reference Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Getting Started Voice Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Selecting & Playing the VL1’s 128 Voices ■ ■ Using the Voice Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 The Pre-programmed VL1 Voices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 The Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Natural Musical Nuance and Expressive Control ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Physical Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Getting Started Precautions !! PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE PROCEEDING !! ■ Location ■ Handling and Transport Do not expose the instrument to the following conditions to avoid deformation, discoloration, or more serious damage. • Never apply excessive force to the controls, connectors or other parts of the instrument. • Always unplug cables by gripping the plug firmly, not by pulling on the cable. • Disconnect all cables before moving the instrument.
Getting Started ■ Service and Modification • Internal memory data can be corrupted due to incorrect operation. Be sure to save important data to floppy disk frequently so you have a backup to revert to if something happens to damage the data in memory. Also note that magnetic fields can damage data on the disk, so it is advisable to make a second back-up copy of disks that contain very important data, and keep backup disks in a safe place away from stray magnetic fields (i.e.
Getting Started About the Manuals The VL1 comes with two manuals — Getting Started and Feature Reference. The Getting Started Manual (this manual) The Getting Started manual contains seven chapters that take you through essential information and procedures you will need to know to become familiar with your VL1: 1. VL1 Basics [≥ Page 8] Basic concepts you’ll need to understand in order to get the most out of the VL1. 2.
Getting Started The Feature Reference Manual The Feature Reference manual is the “nuts and bolts” reference for the VL1, individually describing its many functions in detail. The Feature Reference manual is divided into five main sections, each describing the various functions within a particular VL1 edit or utility mode. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Getting Started VL1 Basics Essential Concepts for the VL1 User T he Yamaha VL1 Virtual Acoustic Synthesizer produces sound in an entirely new way. It has no oscillators or function generators, no preset waveforms or samples. In fact, it uses none of the sound generation concepts employed in conventional synthesizers. The VL1 represents the world’s first practical application of computer-based “physical modeling” in musical sound synthesis.
Getting Started What Are the Advantages? T he VL1 offers many advantages in terms of musical performance. Not just in terms of sound, but also in terms of the “behavior” that makes acoustic instruments so … well, musical! But this is not because someone has programmed a certain sound or pattern of behavior into it.
Getting Started The VL1 Model T he overall VL1 model or “algorithm” consists of three main blocks: the instrument, controllers, and modifiers. In schematic form these blocks are arranged as follows: One VL "Element" (the VL has 2 of these) Controllers (also envelopes) Instrument Modifiers Sound out. ● The Instrument The key block in this algorithm is the instrument, since it is here that the fundamental tone or “timbre” of the sound is defined.
Getting Started In all these instruments pressure applied here (the driving point) causes vibration which results in sound. Reed vibration. Lip vibration. Air vibration. String vibration. The sound thus produced is amplified and sustained by the body of the instrument.
Getting Started ● The Controllers The input to an acoustic instrument comes from the player’s lungs, trachea, oral cavity, and lips. In a string instrument it comes from the players arm movement, transmitted to the string via a bow. These elements actually form an important part of the sound generating system and, in the VL1 model, are included in the controllers block.
Getting Started ● The Modifiers Although you don’t have direct programming access to the VL1 instrument block, the modifiers allow a significant degree of control over the final timbre of the voice. The modifiers block consists of 5 sections as shown in the diagram.
Getting Started Impulse Expander The Impulse Expander works in conjunction with the Resonator, described below, to simulate the effect of an instrument’s resonant cavity or sound box. It can also be used to simulate the acoustic environment in which the instrument is played. In contrast to the Resonator, the Impulse Expander is more suited to the simulation of metallic resonances and is thus invaluable for refining the sound of brass and metal-bodied woodwinds.
Getting Started There’s More … I n this brief introduction to VL1 basics we’ve only looked at the central physical model which is the key the VL1’s unprecedented sound and musical performance. There’s actually much more to it. To begin with the VL1 actually has two elements which function as independent physical models. Although it is basically a monophonic solo instrument, this means that the VL1 can produce two notes at once. More commonly the two elements are used as layers of a single voice.
Getting Started ● The Controls & Connectors The Controls & Connectors A Brief Introduction To the VL1 Interface The following brief descriptions of the VL1 controls and connectors should help you to understand the overall logic of the interface.
Getting Started ● The Controls & Connectors q MODE Buttons The P, E, and U buttons select the corresponding VL1 modes. The PLAY mode lets you select and play voices, the EDIT mode gives you programming access to the VL1’s voice and controller parameters, and the UTILITY mode includes MIDI, disk, system and other functions that are essential for general operation. w C Button This button is used to copy voice parameters for fast, efficient editing. ☛ Feature Reference page 25.
Getting Started ● The Controls & Connectors r VOLUME Control Adjusts the volume of the sound delivered via the rear-panel OUTPUT L and R jacks as well as the PHONES jack. ☛ Getting Started page 25. t – and ≠ Control Sliders These controls can be assigned to a range of controller parameters for real-time expressive control. ☛ Getting Started page 47. Feature Reference page 19.
Getting Started ● The Controls & Connectors ☛ Getting Started page 35. Feature Reference page 15. !3 Voice Number 1 through ^ Buttons The voice number buttons are used in conjunction with the bank buttons to select any of the VL1’s 128 internal voice memory locations. When editing voice parameters they are also used to select and mute elements, an to turn effects and modifiers on or off. ☛ Getting Started page 35. Feature Reference page 15.
Getting Started YAMAHAMODELVL1 ACINLET ● The Controls & Connectors FOOT SWITCH MIDI THRU OUT IN 2 1 OUTPUT FOOT CONTROLLER 2 1 R L POWER ON / OFF @2 POWER Switch @1 AC Power Cord Socket @6 MIDI IN, OUT and THRU Connectors @3 OUTPUT L and R Jacks @4 FOOT CONTROLLER 1 and 2 Jacks @5 FOOT SWITCH 1 and 2 Jacks Rear Panel @1 AC Power Cord Socket Be sure to plug the VL1’s AC power cord into this socket before plugging the power cord into an AC outlet. ☛ Getting Started page 22.
Getting Started ● The Controls & Connectors The Controls & Connectors 21
Getting Started Setting Up ● Setting Up System Connections & Preparation Foot Controller Foot Switch MIDI Audio L R 1 2 FOOT CONTROLLER OUTPUT 2 1 FOOT SWITCH OUT MIDI IN POWER ON / OFF THRU MODE PLAY EDIT UTILITY COPY A STORE B C D E F G H COMPARE DEC INC 1 9 10 11 12 13 14 EXIT ENTER ALL H.E. D.F. E.Q. I.E.
Getting Started ● Setting Up Controllers The Breath Controller is an essential expressive tool — both for realistic expression with wind-instrument voices and unprecedented expressive control with string voices. Plug the BC2 Breath Controller supplied with the VL1 (or an optional BC1 breath controller) into the front-panel breath controller jack. The Breath Controller is ideal for controlling parameters that would normally be affected by a wind player’s breath: dynamics, timbre, pitch, and others.
Getting Started ● Setting Up ● Stereo Sound System The VL1 voices and effects are designed to sound their best in stereo, so you should always use a stereo sound system to appreciate the full impact of the VL1 voices and expressive features. The VL1 OUTPUT L and R jacks can be connected directly to musical instrument amplifiers designed for keyboard use, or to the line inputs of a mixing console.
Getting Started ● Setting Up NOTES ■ For detailed MIDI specifications refer to the “MIDI Data Format” . Power-on Procedure Always follow proper procedure when powering-up a sound system to minimize the possibility of damage to the equipment (and your ears!). 1. Make sure your sound system’s main level/volume control(s) and the VL1 volume control are turned all the way down prior to turning power on. 2. Turn on the VL1. 3. Turn on the sound system. 4.
Getting Started ● Setting Up Play the Demo Once you’ve set up your VL1 system, you might like to play the pre-programmed demo sequence to hear how some of the voices sound. This process will also help to familiarize you with some of the VL1’s selection and editing procedures. IMPORTANT! ■ When you run the demo the VL1 automatically loads the required voices and system data into the 16 bank-H voices, thus erasing any previous data in these memory locations.
Getting Started 3. ● Setting Up Press [ and Confirm 4. Select a Song Use the data dial or = and - buttons to select the song number you want to start with. 5. Run the Demo Press the • button to run the demo. Playback will start with the selected song, then all other songs will be played in sequence. The cycle will repeat until stopped. 27 Setting Up Press the [ button if it’s OK to go ahead with the demo — and rewrite all bank-H data.
Getting Started 6. ● Setting Up Stop the Demo Press the ¶ button to stop demo playback. 7. Return To the Play Mode When Done Press the MODE P button to return the PLAY mode.
Getting Started ● Setting Up Breath Controller Calibration 1. Make Sure the Breath Controller Is Connected Make sure the breath controller is properly connected: turn the power OFF, plug in the breath controller, then turn the power ON. 2. Select the Utility Mode System Page Press the U button to select the utility mode. Then, if it is not already selected when the utility mode display appears, press the ¡ button to select the “System” function page. 3.
Getting Started 5. ● Setting Up Adjust the Breath Controller Gain Place the breath controller mouthpiece in your mouth and blow — notice that the cursors move to right and the number below the graph increases according to how hard you blow.
Getting Started ● Setting Up Load the Pre-programmed Voice Data NOTES ■ Loading the pre-programmed voices overwrites any other data that is in the VL1 internal memory, so if you have any important voices in memory make sure it is safely stored to disk before loading the data — Feature Reference manual, page 166. 1. Insert the Voice Disk Insert the voice disk into the disk drive. The sliding disk shutter should go in first, and the label side of the disk should face upward. 2.
Getting Started 4. ● Setting Up Select the Disk Function Directory Press the £ function button (“Disk”) to select the utility mode disk function directory. 5. Select “Load From Disk” Use the cursor buttons to move the cursor to “2:Load From Disk” and then press [. 6. Select “All” and Select the “CUSTOMER:All” File Make sure the cursor is positioned at “1:All” and press [. When the list of files appears use the cursor > and < buttons to select the “CUSTOMER:All” file, then press [ again.
Getting Started 7. ● Setting Up Load the File 8. Return to the Play Mode & Eject the Disk When the “Completed!” display appears, press theP button to return to the play mode, then press the eject button below the disk drive slot to eject the disk. Store the disk in a safe place. You must now select a voice in order for the loaded data to be properly activated — see the following section.
Getting Started ● Voice Selection Voice Selection Selecting & Playing the VL1’s 128 Voices One of the first things you’ll want to do with your VL1 is select and play some of its voices … this section will show you how to do just that. 1. Select the Play Mode Press the P button so that its indicator lights and the word “PLAY” appears in the upper left corner of the LCD panel. A considerable amount of information appears on the play-mode display in addition to the name of the currently selected voice.
Getting Started 2. ● Voice Selection Select a Voice To select a different voice within the same bank it is only necessary to press the appropriate voice number button. To select a different bank, however, you’ll always have to press both a bank button and a voice number button (or the [ button). This prevents unwanted voices from being selected until you’ve actually specified both the bank and number of the voice you want to use.
Getting Started 3. ● Voice Selection Play Try playing the selected voice on the keyboard. Select a number of different voices and try them out. You will have to apply breath pressure to the breath controller, press the foot controller forward, or roll the ‘ wheel upward to produce sound with many of the VL1’s voices. A complete list of the pre-programmed voices and their controller assignments is provided in the Voice List & MIDI Data Format. A brief voice list is provided below.
Getting Started ● Voice Selection The Pre-programmed VL1 Voices Here’s an abbreviated voice list for easy reference. Voice Name Voice No. Voice Name Voice No. Voice Name Voice No.
Getting Started ● The Controllers The Controllers Natural Musical Nuance and Expressive Control If you’ve read the “VL1 Basics” section (if you haven’t, please do so — page 8) you should understand the concept of “controllers” as applied to the VL1. The “controller parameters” correspond to simulated characteristics of the instrument model — e.g. breath pressure, embouchure or tonguing. Any of these can be controlled by you via “physical controllers” — e.g.
Getting Started ● The Controllers Physical Controllers First, here’s a list of the physical controllers available for use with the VL1: A natural candidate for controlling pressure, tonguing, throat, growl, and other parameters. Breath Attack This unique “controller” can be applied only through the Breath Controller. When it is selected control is applied by changes in breath pressure, rather than the absolute breath pressure itself. A constant pressure — whether zero or maximum — produces no change.
Getting Started ● The Controllers VL1 Controller Parameters Any of the physical controllers listed above can be assigned to control any of the VL1’s controller parameters: Pressure The amount of breath pressure applied to a reed or mouthpiece, or the speed of the bow applied to a string. Pressure variations affect both volume and timbre. Embouchure The tightness of the lips against the reed or against each other.
Getting Started ● The Controllers Controller Views In the PLAY mode, function buttons ¡ through § are used to select “controller view” displays that list all controller assignments for the currently selected voice. In particular, ¡ through ¢ display the assignments for the controller parameters listed in the preceding chart (you can press the ] button at any time to return to the normal play-mode display).
Getting Started ● The Controllers Some Exercises With the AltoSax Controllers Now that you know which physical controllers are assigned to which controller parameters in the AltoSax voice, play the voice using the assigned controllers to get a feel for their effect before changing the assignments. 1. Engage the EDIT Mode The controller assignments are accessed via the EDIT mode Controller page. To get to this page first press the [ button to engage the edit mode.
Getting Started The Controllers Edit the Scream Controller Parameter The cursor should be located at the “Controller” parameter, as shown in the example display. In the AltoSax voice the scream control parameter is not used so it is currently turned “off”. Press the - button or rotate the data entry dial to the right slightly to select “Modulation Wheel”, the first controller on the list.
Getting Started 6. ● The Controllers Go to the Pressure Controller Page From the Vibrato page use the § button to step back to the Pressure controller page. Quite logically, the Breath Controller is assigned to control the “Pressure” parameter, and we will leave it set that way while we experiment with the “Depth” and “Curve” parameters. 7.
Getting Started ● The Controllers Once you pass zero, you enter a range of “negative” Depth values that produce reverse controller operation: i.e. the output level decreases as you blow harder into the Breath Controller. Like the normal positive range, the negative Depth range is from “0” to “-127”. 8. Vary the Curve Parameter You may have noticed in the previous step that the relationship between breath pressure and output is linear.
Getting Started 9. ● The Controllers Experiment! Now that you’ve got the idea, flip through the all the available controller pages and experiment with alternative assignments and settings until you feel comfortable with the system. You should also try this with different voices later, since the controllers can have different effects with different voices. NOTES ■ There are several variations on the basic controller display and parameters.
Getting Started ● The Controllers Other Controller Views If you press the ∞ controller view: function button from the play mode you’ll see the following Polyphony This line shows which controller is currently assigned to polyphony mono/poly control. (≥ Feature Reference manual, page 36) Sustain Indicates whether sustain control is on or off. (≥ Feature Reference manual, page 35) Pitch Bend The VL1 has three different pitch bend modes — Normal, Bottom, and Top.
Getting Started ● Mixing & The Modifiers Mixing & The Modifiers Creating New Timbres and Original Voices The VL1 provides two ways to change the timbre of a voice to create original variations: 1) by mixing the output signals from various parts of the physical model, and 2) by using the VL1’s “Modifiers” to shape the overall harmonic structure. You should always start with the mixing parameters when attempting to create a new voice, so we’ll describe mixing first.
Getting Started ● Mixing & The Modifiers An Exercise: Remix the Pan Pipes Voice Before going to the EDIT mode, select and play the Pan Pipes voice for a few minutes to get a feel for how it sounds. 1. Engage the EDIT Mode The mixing parameters are accessed via the EDIT mode “Mixing” page. To get to this page first press the E button to engage the edit mode. You may have to press the ] button one or more times to get the initial edit display.
Getting Started ● Mixing & The Modifiers Tap Location 0% 50% 99% The remaining tap parameter — “Tap Sign” — inverts the phase of the tap signal. It has two settings: “+” and “-”. Try it. 4. Return To the PLAY Mode When Done Press the P button to return to the PLAY mode when you’ve finished experimenting with the mixing parameters. After experimenting with the Mixing parameters for a while you’ll discover that they define the basic sound of the instrument.
Getting Started ● Mixing & The Modifiers The Modifiers In (from physical model) Harmonic Enhancer Dynamic Filter Frequency Equalizer Impulse Expander Resonator Out (to effects stage) Harmonic Enhancer Of the five modifier stages, the Harmonic Enhancer has the most pronounced effect on the actual harmonic structure of the sound. It allows you to create radical timbral variations within the current instrument “family”. Modulator Source. Modulator Carrier Source.
Getting Started ● Mixing & The Modifiers Referring to the block diagram of the harmonic enhancer, above, we can see that it employs a modulation approach to building new harmonic structures. The carrier and modulator blocks have independent display pages and some independent parameters.
Getting Started ● Mixing & The Modifiers While the “Balance” and “Index” parameters apply to the overall harmonic enhancer sound, the following independent parameters are provided for the modulator and carrier blocks. HPF Cutoff Both the modulator and carrier blocks have high-pass filters that can be used to roll off the low frequencies of the corresponding signal. The cutoff frequency can be varied from 17.0 Hz to 11.2 kHz.
Getting Started ● Mixing & The Modifiers Dynamic Filter The Dynamic Filter stage is similar to the dynamic filters found in many conventional synthesizers. It allows both fixed and dynamic filtering in high-pass, low-pass, bandpass, and band elimination modes, and is effective for broad tonal control.
Getting Started ● Mixing & The Modifiers Frequency Equalizer The Frequency Equalizer stage consists of two blocks — Auxiliary and Band — each with its own display page. Equalizer (Auxiliary) Equalizer (Bands) Out (to Impulse Expander) ■ The Equalizer Auxiliary Parameter Page ■ The Equalizer Band Parameter Page The Auxiliary block includes programmable low-pass and high-pass filters that can be used independently or together to create a bandpass response.
Getting Started ● Mixing & The Modifiers Impulse Expander The Impulse Expander works in conjunction with the Resonator, described below, to simulate the effect of an instrument’s resonant cavity or sound box. It can also be used to simulate the acoustic environment in which the instrument is played.
Getting Started ● Mixing & The Modifiers Resonator While the Impulse Expander tends to give the sound a metallic quality, the Resonator produces a more woody resonance effect. Careful adjustment of the resonator’s parameters can often bring a not-quite-right voice to life.
Getting Started ● Effects Effects Creating the Right Ambience Effects are the essential finishing touches for any voice. Once you’ve created a sound you like, use one or more of the VL1’s three high-performance digital effect stages to polish and refine it as required. Each stage includes a number of effects. The Modulation, Feedback Delay, and Reverb stages can be used simultaneously, but only one of the effects available in each stage can be used at a time.
Getting Started ● Effects Modulation Effects Although “modulation” usually implies some sort of cyclical variation, the VL1 Modulation stage allows selection of Flanger, Pitch Change, and Distortion effects (only Flanger fits the traditional definition of a modulation effect). Since most of these effects produce a marked change in the sound, you’ll probably only want to use them on certain voices, and maybe not all the time.
Getting Started ● Effects ■ The Time Calculation Pop-up Page NOTES ■ Refer to page 53 of the Feature Reference manual for full details on the Feedback Delay effects and parameters. Reverb Effects You’ll probably want to apply the effects in this stage to some degree to all your voices. These are the effects that will give your sound ambience and a sense of dimension, adding warmth and depth to an otherwise dry sound.
Getting Started ● Effects Effects 61
Getting Started ● Index Index This index covers both the VL1 Getting Started and Feature Reference manuals for easy cross-referencing. Page numbers in the Getting Started manual are preceded by “©”, and page numbers in the Feature Reference manual are preceded by “ƒ”.
Getting Started I Impulse expander & resonator setting Impulse expander Initial edit page Interpolate speed Key mode Keyboard Keyboard transpose ƒ31 ©19 ƒ153 L L,C,R delay L,R delay LCD display Local on/off ©59 ƒ53 ƒ45 ƒ47 ©19 ©5 ƒ156 ©20 ©23 ©23 ƒ156 ©20 ©18 ƒ9 ƒ57 ƒ55 ©18 ƒ155 M Manuals, about the Master tuning Memory protect Micro tuning MIDI connections MIDI connectors MIDI settings Mixing Mixing key scaling Mode buttons Modes, the 3 main Modifier on/off Modifiers Modulation effect type Modulatio
Getting Getting Started Started ●● Effects Index P Phones jack Pitch bend mode Pitch change Pitch Pitch wheel Play-mode display Polyphony control Portamento Power cord socket Power supply Power switch Power-on procedure Pre-programmed voices, loading Pressure envelope Pressure V ©19 ƒ35 ƒ49 ƒ67 ©19 ©34.
M.D.G., EMI Division © Yamaha Corporation 1993 VQ65370 JADIR0PR117.
