Yamaha DX7s User Manual

-

.

-

- -

-

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION

-

- -

-

OF

THE YAMAHA USERS

~

--

-

GROUP

-

......

-

~TM

MAY

1987

8YAMAHA®

Editor

Tom Darter

Operations

Sibyl Darter

Editorial Board

Bob Frye Bill Hinely Mark Koenig Jim Smerdel

Cover Photograph

Jim Hagopian

-

Issue

-

~

#20

-

May 1987 Volume 3, Number 5

4

RX17

-

Introducing Yamaha's compact new digital rhythm

Gardy Weber.

By

mer.

---

~

-

program-

pub-

AFTERTOUCH lished monthly. Third class postage paid at Long

MN and additional

Prairie, points of entry. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Address subscription correspondence to AFTERTOUCH, Northridge,

POSTMASTER:

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91323.-2338.

AFTERTOUCH/Vol. 3 No. 5

2

is

Box

P.O.

91323-

CA

P.O.

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2338,

Free.

CA

7 3

BOTTLES

A new DX7 voice created

Brian Silverman.

by

8 POLY,BLIND

Mike Willemain.

A new DX7 voice created

by

9 CHIMEM1A

A new DX7 voice created by Mike Tucker.

10

13

14 TX81Z Voicing (IBM)

16

DX7s

FM

TX81Z

Music Corporation USA.

Yamaha

A first look 6-operator

Summer

Information Yamaha X series instruments and YCAMS. Compiled Darter.

overview

An

By

PC.

at

digital synthesizers.

FM

Sessions

special summer courses

on

the

of Peeler.

E.

H.

first

TX81Z

newest member

the

of

voicing program for the IBM

Voicing (Mac)

overview

An Macintosh.

part of this publication

No

of

By

first TX81Z

the

Youngdale.

C.

K.

reproduced, stored in

be

may

voicing program for the Apple

retrieval system,

a

Yamaha's growing family

Tom Darter.

By

the use

on

focus

that

Tom

by

any

by

or

form

transmitted in

or

International Corporation.

Yamaha

any

of

means,

From

The

Editor

HIS TIME

T

column mation After Touch readers. Before ever, let's start with a quick look can

issue:

tory articles

DX7s digital FM synthesizer digital overviews of two new CAY (Computer-Aided Voicing) programs for

tone generator.

IBM Apple Macintosh.

there Summer

Yamaha X series instruments and YCAMS, plus

more DX7 patches from After Touch readers.

feature

Disk!

in After Touch. contain musical performances exciting new Yamaha instrument.

there will be Yamaha FM tone module, A set voices, new reader DX7 patches, and

that capabilities found in

instruments (DX7 II FD, DX7

combined with a subscription request or other material, chances are it will

that

expect

This

Month:

rhythm

PC,

is

information

sessions

the

Our

the

May,

discusses

Back Issues: If a request for back issues

AROUND,

to

pass along some standard infor-

continues

to

find in this issue and

This issue contains introduc-

on

two new Yamaha

programmer.

One

program

and

the

other

In

on

that

In

the

return

of

the

first set

of

Evatone Disks appeared

June,

and

The

disk in

an

introductory article

the

basics

the

we

will

to

be

important

we

get to that, how-

at

products-the

and

There

the

TX81Z FM digital

is

designed for

is

designed for

addition to all of this,

a number

focus

June 1987 issue,

Eva tone Sound & Data

July 1986 issues

new generation

of

on

month's issue will

that

In

of

the Micro Tuning

II

D, and DX7s).

not

be fulfilled. All

use

what you

the

RX17

are also

university

the

use

we

preview

addition,

on

a new

edited

an

article

of

this

for

the

of

will

of

an

RXS

DX7

is

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Mailing List addresses are entered, kept

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file, regulations. To be absolutely sure receive any available back issues

make back issue requests separately, and include the

indication "ATTN: Back Issues"

velope. Please do

on

the

attached subscription postcard.

Warranty Cards & AfterTouch:

received a number of letters from Yamaha users complaining subscription because they recently purchased a Yamaha product and sent in a warranty card, but still haven't received our initial (1985) mailing warranty card list, but sent to those

the first three issues. In order to receive a free subscription, you need to send on

the

ber,

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Product product literature must (Yamaha Music Corporation 6600, AfterTouch are happy tions concerning music products, and them ever, requests for general product information must be sent directly

that

attached postcard below.

combine your subscription request

Literature:

Buena

as

we

can

input

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in

keeping

not

send back issue requests

they expected

names-just

All

Park,

in

CA

to

the

use we

the

Questions column; how-

to

Yamaha.

service.

letters are normally

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no

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90622).

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Vol.

3 No.

51

AITERTOUCH 3

every

on

RX17

Introducing Yamaha's Com pact

New

Digi

tal Rhythm Programmer. ByGardy Weber.

..

IRST, THERE

slide rule;

the

F

culator.

Now

programmer, featuring utility

new

The

tial. essential features. upon elements the important functions them in a single, portable machine.

pocket

the

is

drummers.

previewing

In

unit's apparent and not-so apparent

the

both features.

With low price, great interest to musicians

Instrument

sounds

The comparable in quality to those digital rhythm programmer.

26 instrument sounds.

of

a total

LOWER

Drum

Snare High Tom-tom Medium Tom-tom Low Tom-tom Hi-hat (open)

(closed)

Hi-hat

cymbal

Ride

cymbal

Crash Cowbell WHISTLE Claps SHAKER Shaker

High Timbale

Low Timbale

RIM SHOT Snare CONGAHm High CONGAHo CONGAL BONGOH BONGOL AGOGOH AGOGOL

CUICAH CUICAL

the

SET

RX

sounds

17.

percussion

and

Drum

on

available

UPPER

BD Bass Drum TMBRN Tambourine

so

TOM1 TOM2

TOM3

HHOPEN

HHCLOSED RIDE CRASH COWBEL CLAPS TIMBALEH TIMBALEL

are drum set sounds, while Latin Percussion sounds. These offer lent combination to work out rhythmic ideas.

front

the

On instrument keys from which to enter instrument voices. Each key accesses two voices,

upper and lower set

the

from accompanying diagram).

polyphonic capacity

The

maximum

on

Pairs

RX

the played

instrument

of

17 together.

that

cannot

sounds

be

WAS

then

and

the

is

there

is

17

RX

combines

It

RX21 and RX21L, taking

the

of

calculator

RX17,

the

its combination

RX17 will undoubtedly be

the

Sounds

RX17 are sampled voices,

the

on

SET

RIM

I

OPEN

H

the

CUICA

I

SHOT

HH

I

panel,

eleven simultaneous sounds. If

of

CONGA Hm CUICA SD HH

the

then

pocket

the

came

abacus;

RX17 digital rhythm

and

size

in

a compact package

improves

and

and putting

both

of

The

for songwriters

will describe

we

utility and

of

modest means.

of

the new

of

RX17 contains

The

those 26,

Of

Drum rim shot

(muted)

Conga High Conga (open) Low Conga High Bongo Low Bongo HighAgogo LowAgogo Whistle

HighCuica LowCuica

other 16 are

the

an

RX17 has

thirteen

one

voices (see the

of

the RX17

of

CONGA Ho

I

L

CLOSED

came

cal-

poten-

RX17

and

RX5

10

excel-

each

is

number are entered at any given

that

than

more instant, previously programmed sounds will be erased.

made

Instrument

of

through selection instrument voices via

voices

are upper or lower sets of

the

of

Instrument Change

the function. Single instrument changes are also carried

out

Instrument Change mode.

the

in Using this function, all 26 sounds grammed into a single pattern.

mutually exclusive. There

of each key are are, however, a

cannot

that

not

pairs

few

be played at

The

instrument sounds

of

same time (see the

the

accompanying diagram).

of

sible during

Instrument Change function

The

Real Time Write and Step

both

Write, thus allowing a quick and easy route to

of

all

ations

instrument sounds.

the

be resumed without interruption

can

The

moving back from Instrument Change into Real

Step Write.

or

Time

Composing Capabilities

writing possibilities

first glance,

At

RX17 seem limited. Surprise!

the

initial LCD displays, it

beyond

the

uncover a full range

Pattern

the

Begin

access

and Song modes.

by

Pattern

the

composing tools in

of

PATTERN

pressing

the

mode. Seven functions appear

(with further sub-functions within),

Pattern

Select

1) Write

2) Real

Time

Pattern

• Quantize

•

Length

3) Step Write Pattern

• Quantize

•

4) Clear

5) Clear All

6) Copy Remaining

7) RX17 has memory to hold

The

(numbered

a

are shipped with the RX17 in

Length

Pattern

Patterns

Pattern

Memory

00-99). Preprogrammed

pattern

50-99.

RX21L,

and

RX21

the

with

As

time signatures

All

bar.

one

limited

is

length are entered based

example, 16/16

equivalent

is

12/16

pattern

lengths

to

sixteenth-note values. For

on

4/4 time, and

equivalent

is

to

from 1/16 through 32/16.

is

to

3/4 time.

available

pro-

be

can

two sounds

acces-

is

writing oper-

by

on

searching

By

possible to

is

both

button to

follows:

as

patterns

100

patterns

locations

pattern

range of

The

AFTERTOUCH!Vol. 3 No.

4

5

Through

mode, a composer

entering notes, deleting notes (using Clear and adding accents. There bility

In

locations available (numered

contain a maximum

can which another kind

RX17

The songs in memory locations grammed songs,

Real

quickly build a

can

function), deleting

originally meets the eye.

than

Mode,

Song

the

data

of

shipped

well

as

of

(on

can

consist

is

patternthe

instrument

much more flexi-

is

are 10 memory

there

Each song

0-9).

999 steps, each

of

pattern

a

number

which more later).

preprogrammed

with

These

0-3.

preprogrammed

the

as

Beat

voices,

of or

prepro-

Write

Step

or

mode

Time

patterns, can be edited or erased; in addition,

original versions

the grammed patterns and songs

of

be recalled

can

prepro-

these

of

all

from the unit's permanent memory.

In Song mode, six functions are displayed

follows:

(along with further sub-functions),

Select Song

1)

as

2) Edit Song Initial Tempo

Set

• JOB

1:

Search Part

2:

3: Copy

Delete

4:

Insert

5:

Part

3) Clear Song

4) Clear All Songs

5) Copy Song

6) Remaining Song Memory data may

pattern

either

of

numbers.

and

(Vol+

numbers

case,

Ri-

the

Edit Song mode, six types

the

In

entered

be These are

addition

in

follows: Repeats (Begin and End),

as

to

gradual Tempo changes (Accelerando tardando), and gradual Volume changes

be entered initially,

and

Vol-).

This data

along with the

pattern

can

numbers, or it may be

inserted later, after all of the

programmed.

been

have method involved

is

In

straightforward, and con-

ducive to the work of a composer.

Functions

Volume, Tempo, and

parameters

The

can also be manipulated

each instrument

ume level over a scale Accent level

of

is

mode. Thus, the accent volume

Pan

Volume and

of

00-31,

on

via

Accent

the RX17.

be adjusted

can

Level mode.

the

also programmed using

be set prior

can

The

the

Level

vol-

Level

to writing a pattern.

front panel controls Master

the

A slider

on

Volume.

The

controls

slider

other settings. Tempo rates are displayed under Tempo

function.

Tempo

entered numerically, through

data entry buttons.

1/NO

ou_tputs

RX17

The the instrument's back panel. each instrument sound

rates

the

through stereo jacks

the

In

placed within a

is

position scale from left to right. This

ing can be applied independently to each

tempo

the may also be + 1 /YES and

on

stereo field,

IS-

position-

the

of

unit's 26 sounds.

MIDI

A current electronic instrument would be

incorporate a number

lacking if it did

not MIDI features, since MIDI usage today universal. Happily, MIDI-equipped. Using

the front panel, it

on different functions,

MIDI Sync

1) Channel

2)

the

is

as

Message

MIDI mode button

the

possible

to

follows:

access eight

extensively

is

RX17

3) Receive Message

4) Transmit Note

5)

Channel

Assign

6) Receive Bulk Data Transmit Bulk Data

7)

8) Echo Back

A significant feature

of

is

RX17

the

to record MIDI key velocity information from a

volume may

MIDI keyboard.- Many nuances be recorded directly into

of

RX17 via a MIDI

the

connection to a velocity-sensitive MIDI key-

of

almost

is

its ability

digital

7

1

RX

programmer.

rhythm

VoL

3 No.

AITERTOUCH

51

5

RX17

MIDI

the

shows

chart

This

numbers

key

RX17's sounds shipped

drum

when

from

assigned

and

the

to

percussion

instrument

factory.

is

Continued

board, such

Each one

can be assigned to a specific MIDI note number.

of

way

By RX17 receives sounds played (via the programmed MIDI note numbers), complete with key velocity. (For a list of the MIDI note numbers assigned to the RX17's instrument sounds when shipped from the factory, see the accompanying chart).

RX17 can also control external MIDI

The devices With RX keyboards. For example, the RX17 could be used to play a melody while also performing its own rhythm program.

between two RX17s, or between an

device

{such

through its MIDI Transmit feature.

a note assign range

can be used to advantage with most MIDI

17

Transmission of MIDI bulk data

that

the Yamaha MDFl MIDI data filer or

as

Note

Al C2 48 02 0#2 E2 F2 F#2

02

0#2 A2

B2

C3

03

E3

F3

F#3 03 0#3 A3 69 TIMBALEL

A#3

B3

D4

0#4

E4

F4

F#4

DX7s.

or

FD/D

II

DX7

the

as

the unit's 26 instrument sounds

of

the MIDI Note Receive function, the

instrument

records)

(and

on

capable

is

Key#

45

50 TOM2 51 52

53

54

55

56 57

59 60 CRASH 62 RIDE

64

65

66

67 68

70

71

74 75 76

77

78

the

five octaves, the

of

external keyboard

an

possible

is

RX17

storing MIDI data

of

Sound

BD TOM3

SHOT

RIM SD TOMl CLAPS

BEL

COW SHAKER HHCLOSED HHOPEN

CONOAL CONOAHo CONOAHm

BONOOL BONOOH

TIMBALEH TMBRN

AOOGOL AOOOOH CUICAL CUICAH WHISTLE

unit

and a

is

digital sequence recorder). All pattern

QXl

the

transferred in this

and song information

bulk data

When

ation. all current memory in the unit will

the information contained in the bulk data

by dump.

A pleasant MIDI surprise

Echo Back function. Although the

have a MIDI

not

possible via Echo Back.

MIDI mode,

Back in OUT MIDI signals received by transmitted without change.

Cassette

and songs, the Cassette function allows data transmission to and from cassette tapes. possible to build up a library of songs using this storage method. could mance information

approaching capacity, the information can be saved to tape via the sette recorder (and the cassette interface cable that comes with the RX17). Loading data from tape back into the RX17 Load function. Please note tion erases RX17

ture: Immediately following a the data can be checked valuable safeguard against the possibility of

ing several hours

work.

your pocket! Well, almost that light and compact.

surprising amount of versatility for such a small

package. the composing features extensive. of $375.00, pocket at all. In fact, the fit pass

the

port will act like a MIDI

Storage

alternative method

An

used to store pattern, song, or

be

When

The

Unplug the

the

with that being loaded from tape.

cassette mode also contains a

The

the

up.

is

received

is

the RX17

on

THRU

An

for

RX17's

information currently in the

of

17, pick it up, and put it in

RX

not

port, this feature

you activate Echo

Once

RX17's MIDI

the

THRU

RX17 will be

the

storing patterns

of

entire library of cassettes

future applications.

internal

function using a

Save

possible using the

is

the Load opera-

that

Save

accuracy. This

for

composing

exactly, but the RX17

It

excellent, and

will

is

At

empty out your

not

be

may

sound quality

RX17

oper-

an RX17,

by

replaced

be

is

does

RX17

port-any

It

perfor-

memory

Verify

operation,

editing

and

contains a

a list price

too good to

the

cas-

fea-

is los-

is

a

is

AFfERTOUCH/Vol.

6

3 No. 5