FCC INFORMATION (U.S.A.) 1. IMPORTANT NOTICE: DO NOT MODIFY THIS UNIT! This product, when installed as indicated in the instructions contained in this manual, meets FCC requirements. Modifications not expressly approved by Yamaha may void your authority, granted by the FCC, to use the product. 2. IMPORTANT: When connecting this product to accessories and/or another product use only high quality shielded cables. Cable/s supplied with this product MUST be used. Follow all installation instructions.
SPECIAL MESSAGE SECTION PRODUCT SAFETY MARKINGS: Yamaha electronic products may have either labels similar to the graphics shown below or molded/stamped facsimiles of these graphics on the enclosure. The explanation of these graphics appears on this page. Please observe all cautions indicated on this page and those indicated in the safety instruction section. CAUTION RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK).
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS Please refer to the IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS listed below rather than those in the original Feature Reference manual. The safety instructions given here are complete and correct. INFORMATION RELATING TO PERSONAL INJURY, ELECTRICAL SHOCK, AND FIRE HAZARD POSSIBILITIES HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN THIS LIST. WARNING- When using any electrical or electronic product, basic precautions should always be followed. These precautions include, but are not limited to, the following: 1.
Welcome to Version 2 Whether you have purchased a VL1 Version 2, VL1-m Version 2, or VL7 Version 2 or upgraded from an original version, you are now in possession of what is currently the most advanced computer-based “physical modelling” musical synthesis system in the world.
VL Version 2 Contents About This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 ■ Model Name Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1: Initial Setup ■ ■ ■ Power Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Audio Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Power-on Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 5 ■ ■ VL1-m Ver.2 MIDI Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Load the Pre-programmed Voice Data . . . . . . .
VL Version 2 4. New Features & Parameters ■ ■ PLAY Mode Play Mode Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Continuous Sliders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 ■ ■ ■ ■ EDIT Mode Initial Edit Page ■ Edit Mode Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 ■ Voice Name & Element Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 ■ Key Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Common Miscellaneous ■ EDIT/COM/MISC/SETTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
VL Version 2 About This Manual This manual supplements the original VL manuals with information about the improvements and changes in Version 2. The information provided in the original VL manuals is essential for a full understanding of Version 2, and those manuals — particularly the Getting Started manual — should be read before attempting any serious work with Version 2. This manual is made up of 5 chapters, as follows: 1.
1: Initial Setup VL Version 2 1: Initial Setup The best way to appreciate the outstanding sound and playability of Version 2 is to set up and try out some of the voices. Although controllers such as a foot controller, breath controller, and footswitch are essential for maximum musical expression with Version 2, you can initially set up without them and still appreciate the extraordinary sound and playability it offers. This section will guide you through the basic setup and voice loading procedures.
VL Version 2 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. 2. 3. 4. 5. Make sure your sound system’s main level/volume control(s) and the instrument’s volume control are turned all the way down prior to turning power on. Turn on the instrument. If you are using a VL1-m Ver.2, turn on your MIDI keyboard or other controller after turning on the VL1-m Ver.2. Turn on the sound system.
VL Version 2 NOTES ■ For detailed MIDI specifications refer to the “MIDI Data Format” section in the “Voice Lists & MIDI Data for Version 2” document. 1: Initial Setup ■ When using the VL1-m Ver.2 with other MIDI equipment, it is a good idea to refer to the MIDI specifications (implementation chart, MIDI data format) of the equipment used to ensure compatibility.
VL Version 2 3. Select the Disk Function Directory Press the £ function button (“Disk”) to select the utility mode disk function directory. 4. Select “Load From Disk” Use the cursor buttons to move the cursor to “Load From Disk” and then press [. 5. Select “All” and Select the “VL1_VER2.ALL” or “VL7_VER2.ALL” File Make sure the cursor is positioned at “All” and press [. When the list of files appears use the cursor > and < buttons to select the “VL1_VER2.ALL” file if you have a VL1 Ver.
VL Version 2 7. Return to the Play Mode, Eject the Disk, & Select a Voice 1: Initial Setup When the “Completed!” display appears, press the P 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.
2: Test Driving Version 2 VL Version 2 Set the Breath Mode to “Touch EG” Once the Version 2 voices are loaded you’re almost ready to try them out — “almost” because there’s one more step necessary to play the voices without a breath controller: NOTES ■ The procedure below sets the breath mode to “Touch EG” so “breath” control can be applied via keyboard touch response. This setting is automatically selected when the VL1-VER2.ALL or VL7_VER2.
VL Version 2 Try Some Version 2 Voices Voice selection is described in detail in the Getting Started manual. In case you’re not already familiar with the procedures, here’s a summary to get you started. 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. 2. Select a Voice On the VL1 Ver.2 or VL7 Ver.2 any voice can be selected by specifying its bank using the bank keys (a, b, c, etc.
VL Version 2 is described in the next section of this manual), and compare it with the D02 BaritonSax voice. The difference should be obvious. ● A04 Jazz Trumpt Use this voice to play a trumpet phrase. Like the previous voice, you should fairly easily be able to produce the sound of a trumpet played by a highly accomplished artist. Version 2 allows a much more accurate simulation of the trumpet tubing, resulting in a highly responsive, realistic trumpet voice. This voice is ideal for jazzy phrases.
VL Version 2 4. 6. Move the cursor to the “Noise” parameter (currently set to “Dark Woody”), and use the = and - buttons to select different noise types while playing the voice (there are 23 different noise types to choose from). 2: Test Driving Version 2 5. Move the cursor to “Breath Noise” and press the [ button. Press the P button to return to the play mode when done. The noise parameter you just edited changes the noise components at the flute mouthpiece.
VL Version 2 3. Press the ™ (Efct) button. 4. Move the cursor to “Modulation Effect” and press the [ button. 5. 6. Move the cursor to the “Modulation Effect Type” parameter (currently set to “Flanger”). Play the voice to hear the sound of the bass voice with a subtle touch of flanger, then press the - button a few times to select the Dist+Flanger effect type. Play the voice again to hear the difference. Press the P button to return to the play mode when done.
VL Version 2 Controller Connection & Calibration 2: Test Driving Version 2 If you followed the procedures in the previous section you are already at least partly familiar with the extraordinary expressive capabilities of the VL1 Ver.2, VL7 Ver.2, or VL1-m Ver.2 — without using external controllers. The next step is to connect a foot controller and breath controller and experiment with the unprecedented expressive power at your disposal when Version 2 is used with external controllers.
VL Version 2 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. NOTES ■ On the VL1 Ver.2 and VL7 Ver.2 you can move the cursor to “Assignable Ctrl” and press [ to see the current control assignments for the various controllers. Press ] when you’re ready to go back to the previous page.
VL Version 2 6. 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. Adjust the breath controller GAIN trimmer so that you can comfortably vary your breath pressure between 0 and 127 on the graph. This completes the gain adjustment. 7.
VL Version 2 Experiment With the Controllers Once your breath controller has been connected and calibrated, you’re ready to get a feel for the type of expressive control it provides. Try selecting different voices and playing them using the keyboard, breath controller, pitch wheel, and modulation wheel 1.
3: Load-converting the Original VL Voices VL Version 2 The new and modified parameters described in section 4 of this manual are initially set automatically. Also, the following system parameter settings are added to the original voices files: To VL1 Version 2 3: Load-converting Original VL Voices Version 2 is compatible with all original VL voices, so if you are upgrading from an original VL model you will still be able to use the voices you are, no doubt, by now familiar with.
VL Version 2 To VL1-m Version 2 ● VL1 Voice to VL1-m Ver.2 When an “********.ALL” file is loaded all original system data is left unchanged. The following new system parameters are added: UTIL/SYSTEM/TG SETTING/WX Lip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Normal UTIL/SYSTEM/PGM CHANGE TABLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . initialized UTIL/SYSTEM/BREATH MODE/Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC/WX ● VL1-m Voice to VL1-m Ver.2 When an “********.ALL” file is loaded all original system data is left unchanged.
VL Version 2 ● VL7 Voice to VL7 Ver.2 When an “********.ALL” file is loaded all original system data is left unchanged. The following new system parameters are added: UTIL/SYSTEM/TG SETTING/WX Lip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Normal UTIL/SYSTEM/ASSIGNABLE CONTROLLER/BC . . . . . . 002 Breath Cont. UTIL/SYSTEM/ASSIGNABLE CONTROLLER/FC1 . . . . . 004 Foot Cont. To Original VL ● Version 2 Voice to Original VL Version 2 voices cannot be used on the original VL instruments.
4. New Features & Parameters VL Version 2 This section describes the actual improvements and new features provided in Version 2. In many cases the changes involve modifications of procedures or parameters found in the original VL models. In such cases the appropriate page numbes in the corresponding Feature Reference manuals will be listed — please refer to the original Feature Reference manuals for complete details. New features are described in full.
VL Version 2 Changes and additions to the functions listed below are described on the corresponding pages. 24 24 25 25 26 27 27 28 28 30 30 32 34 36 38 40 4. New Features & Parameters 42 43 44 44 44 UTILITY 52 52 52 EDIT 50 50 51 PLAY ■ PLAY MODE Play Mode Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Continuous Sliders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ■ EDIT MODE ● INITIAL EDIT PAGE Voice Name & Element Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PLAY Mode ● PLAY Mode Display In Version 2 several status indicators have been added to the PLAY mode display. • The current setting of the UTILITY/SYSTEM/BREATH MODE “Mode” parameter is shown on the top line of the PLAY mode display: “BC/WX”, “Velocity”, or “Touch EG” (˘ page 53). • The current MIDI transmit and receive channels appear on lines 1 and 2 of the PLAY mode display, respectively.
EDIT Mode Initial Edit Page COMMON MISCELLANEOUS EFFECT ELEMENT CONTROLLER MISCELLANEOUS MODIFIER ENVELOPE ● Edit Mode Displays 4. New Features & Parameters EDIT MODE In all Version 2 edit mode displays, parameters which are not available for editing do not appear. In the original models such parameters appeared on the display but could not be edited.
VL Version 2 Common Miscellaneous EDIT MODE COMMON MISCELLANEOUS EFFECT ELEMENT CONTROLLER MISCELLANEOUS MODIFIER ENVELOPE EDIT/COM/MISC/SETTING ● Assign Mode ¯ Bottom Note, Top Note, Last Note When the “Key Mode” parameter is set to “Poly” and the “Voice Mode” parameter is set to “Single” or “Dual”, the EDIT/MISC/SETTING page “Assign Mode” parameter can now be set to “Last Note” producing last-note key priority for these modes.
VL Version 2 EDIT/COM/MISC/CONTROLLER ● Touch EG Gain ¯ 0 … 127 Increasing the value of this new parameter raises the lower limit of touch EG variation, producing relatively higher output and range. Feature Reference pages: VL1 ➯ 36; VL1-m ➯ 36; VL7 ➯ 34 30 new microtuning types have been added: numbers P-55 through P-84. In all these microtunings extra notes are set to the next lowest note.
VL Version 2 EDIT/COM/MISC/CONTINUOUS SLIDER ● Slider Assign Parameters A range of new parameters can be assigned to the continuous sliders. Feature Reference pages: VL1 ➯ 43; VL1-m ➯ 43; VL7 ➯ 40 EDIT/COM/MISC/PART SETTING The parameters in this page become active when the “Key Mode” parameter is set to “Part”. “Keymode is not Part” appears in this page when the key mode is not set to “Part”.
VL Version 2 ● Element 1 MIDI Rcv CH ● Element 2 MIDI Rcv CH ¯ 1 … 16 These parameters appear when the “Split” mode is set to “off”, allowing the MIDI receive channels for elements 1 and 2 to be set independently. 4. New Features & Parameters When this parameter is set to “Static” the keyboard is split at the key specified by the “Split Point” parameter (C-2 … G8). the “Split Point” parameter only appears when the static split mode is selected.
VL Version 2 Common Effect EDIT MODE COMMON MISCELLANEOUS EFFECT ELEMENT CONTROLLER MISCELLANEOUS MODIFIER ENVELOPE ● New Modulation Effect Types In addition to the Flanger, Pitch Change, and Distortion modulation effect types provided in the original VL models, Version 2 provides Chorus, Phaser, Symphonic, Celeste, Distortion + Flanger, and Distortion + Wah modulation effects.
VL Version 2 ■ Monaural Mode Block Diagram L In Chorus Chorus R In ■ Wet/ dry L Out Wet/ dry R Out Wet/ dry L Out Wet/ dry R Out Stereo Mode Block Diagram Chorus Chorus R In ● Freq. 4. New Features & Parameters L In ¯ 0.057 … 40.0 Hz. Sets the speed of modulation and therefore the rate of chorus effect variation. ● Depth ¯ 0 … 100%. Sets the depth of modulation. Higher values produce deeper modulation and therefore a more pronounced chorus effect. ● Delay ¯ 0.33 … 32.87 ms.
VL Version 2 Phaser Use the ¡ (“>”) and ™ (“<”) buttons to switch between the two pages of effect parameters. • ● Element on/off — E1: & E2: ¯ off, on. In this parameter the cursor can be positioned at “E1:” or “E2:” to individually turn the phaser effect on or off for elements 1 and 2, respectively. When “on” the output of the corresponding element is fed to the input of the modulation stage, and when “off” the modulation stage is bypassed.
VL Version 2 ● Stage ¯ 4 , 6 in Stereo Mode; 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 in Monaural Mode. Sets the number of phase-shift “stages” used by the phaser effect. More stages produce a more pronounced effect. ● Freq. ¯ 0.057 … 40.0 Hz. Sets the speed of modulation and therefore the rate of phaser effect variation. ¯ 0 … 100%. Sets the depth of modulation. Higher values produce deeper modulation and therefore a more pronounced phaser effect. ● Offset ¯ 0 … 100%.
VL Version 2 Symphonic Use the ¡ (“>”) and ™ (“<”) buttons to switch between the two pages of effect parameters. • ● Element on/off — E1: & E2: ¯ off, on. In this parameter the cursor can be positioned at “E1:” or “E2:” to individually turn the symphonic effect on or off for elements 1 and 2, respectively. When “on” the output of the corresponding element is fed to the input of the modulation stage, and when “off” the modulation stage is bypassed.
VL Version 2 ● Freq. ¯ 0.057 … 40.0 Hz. Sets the speed of modulation and therefore the rate of symphonic effect variation. ● Depth ¯ 0 … 100%. Sets the depth of modulation. Higher values produce deeper modulation and therefore a more pronounced symphonic effect. ¯ 0 … 10. Diffusion determines the amount of stereo “spread”. The higher the value the greater the spread. When set to “0” the symphonic effect is a centered monaural signal. ● Lo-Fi ¯ off, 1 … 12.
VL Version 2 Celeste Use the ¡ (“>”) and ™ (“<”) buttons to switch between the two pages of effect parameters. • ● Element on/off — E1: & E2: ¯ off, on. In this parameter the cursor can be positioned at “E1:” or “E2:” to individually turn the celeste effect on or off for elements 1 and 2, respectively. When “on” the output of the corresponding element is fed to the input of the modulation stage, and when “off” the modulation stage is bypassed.
VL Version 2 ● Freq. ¯ 0.057 … 40.0 Hz. Sets the speed of modulation and therefore the rate of celeste effect variation. ● Depth ¯ 0 … 100%. Sets the depth of modulation. Higher values produce deeper modulation and therefore a more pronounced celeste effect. ¯ 0.33 … 32.87 ms. Sets the celeste delay time (the celeste effect is basically produced by modulating the delay time of one signal in relation to another). The higher the value the more pronounced the celeste effect. ● FB Gain ¯ -100 … 100 %.
VL Version 2 Dist+Flanger Use the ¡ (“>”) and ™ (“<”) buttons to switch between the two pages of effect parameters. • ■ Dist+Flanger Effect Block Diagram L In Flanger Wet/ dry L Out Wet/ dry R Out Distortion Flanger R In ● Element on/off — E1: & E2: ¯ off, on. In this parameter the cursor can be positioned at “E1:” or “E2:” to individually turn the Dist+Flanger effect on or off for elements 1 and 2, respectively.
VL Version 2 ● Output Level ¯ 0 … 100 %. Sets the output level of the distortion sound. Higher values send higher-level signal to the flanger stage. ● Freq. ¯ 0.057 … 40.0 Hz. Sets the speed of modulation and therefore the rate of flanger effect variation. ¯ 0 … 100 %. Sets the depth of modulation. Higher values produce deeper modulation and therefore a more pronounced flanger effect. ● Delay ¯ 0.33 … 32.87 ms.