Yamaha DXSIMULATOR, DXSIMULATORE User Manual

DX Simulator

Manual

Important Notices

The DX Simulator provides an easy, intuitive way to edit and create your own original DX
voices for the PLG150-DX Advanced DX/TX Plug-in Board.

• Do not use any of the panel controls on an external tone generator while editing the DX
voices with the DX Simulator, since this may inadvertently change the settings of the PLG150­DX.

Copyright Notices

• The software and this owner’s manual are the exclusive copyrights of Yamaha Corporation.

• Copying of the software or reproduction of this manual in whole or in part by any means is
expressly forbidden without the written consent of the manufacturer.

• Copying of the commercially available music sequence data and/or digital audio files is
strictly prohibited except for your personal use.

Trade Marks and Registered Trade Marks

• The company names and product names in this Owner’s Manual are the trademarks or regis­tered trademarks of their respective companies.

Notices

• Yamaha makes no representations or warranties with regard to the use of the software and
documentation and cannot be held responsible for the results of the use of this manual and
the software.

• The windows and illustrations in this manual are for instructional purposes only, and may
slightly different from the ones shown on your software.

About this manual

• The screens shown in this manual are almost all on Windows systems. Although some
screens may differ for Macintosh systems, the basic operations are the same.

• Keyboard shortcuts referred in this manual are effective for only Windows system.

For Windows users

When you use the DX Simulator, set “Font Size” to “Small Fonts” at the “Control Panel | Display | (Settings |)
Advanced” page. If “Large Fonts” is selected, messages in some dialog boxes may not be displayed properly.

Copyright © 2001-2002 Yamaha Corporation. All rights reserved.
Version 1.1, 2002
YAMAHA CORPORATION

About the DX Simulator

The DX Simulator is providing an exceptionally simple and convenient way to edit and
control all of the parameters on the PLG150-DX Advanced DX/TX Plug-in Board —
even providing the same control format as used on the original DX7.

DX Simulator lets you store your edits as an original Custom voice and save up to 64
Custom voices directly to the PLG150-DX. Naturally, you can save additional sets of 64
Custom voices to floppy disks or your hard disk drive as DX Cartridge Files. The DX
Simulator also features a convenient, easy-to-use DX Librarian that lets you organize
your Custom voices.

Editing on the DX Simulator can be done from two different windows: Edit Panel or Edit

List. The DX Simulator lets you edit the Part parameters the sound of the DX voices

from the software side (Host application) without actually having to save the changes to
a Custom voice.

For general instructions and explanations on how to use the DX Simulator, see Setting

and Changing Parameter Values and Toolbar. For information on specific, commonly

used operations, see Operations.

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Operations

Assigning the PLG150-DX to a Part

• The following information pertains only to the Plug-in Editor.

In order to play and edit the PLG150-DX, the DX voice must be assigned to a Part on
the tone generator/sound card. This can be done from two separate menus on the DX
Simulator: the initial Select DX Part pop-up menu (which appears automatically when-
ever you start the DX Simulator) and DX Simulator Setup.

Select DX Part Pop-up Menu

• “Cancel” button may not be available depending on the editor you use.

z

Select the desired Part.

The Select DX Part pop-up menu appears when you first call up the DX Simulator.
Select the desired Part from the Part combo box.

x

Click “OK.”

• Click “Details” to call up the DX Simulator Setup menu for making more detailed settings.

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Operations /

Assigning the PLG150-DX to a Part

DX Simulator Setup

Even after you’ve set the DX Part from the pop-up menu, you can change the set­ting during an editing session from the DX Simulator Setup dialog box.

z

Select “DX Simulator Setup.”

While the DX Simulator is active and selected, click “Setup” on the menu bar, then
select “DX Simulator Setup.” (Keyboard shortcut: [Alt], [U], [U], then [ENTER].)

• “DX Simulator Setup” can also be selected from the toolbar.

x

Select the desired Part.

Do this from the Part No. combo box in the MIDI tab. Make other settings if neces­sary. (See DX Simulator Setup.)

c

Click “OK.”

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Operations /

Selecting a DX Voice

Selecting a DX Voice

Selecting a DX voice is the important first step in editing. Once you’ve edited a voice
you can store it to the PLG150-DX or save it to a floppy disk/hard disk drive with other
voices as a DX Cartridge File.

DX voices can be selected from either the Edit Panel window or the Edit List window.

• Only Custom voices can be selected in the DX Simulator.

• Make sure to store your edits to a voice before selecting another voice. If you’ve edited the
DX Simulator parameters and then select a different voice, all your edited parameters will be
replaced by those of the newly selected voice.

Selecting a Voice From the Edit Panel Window

z

Call up the Play mode.

Click one of the MEMORY SELECT buttons ([1 - 32] or [33 - 64]), depending on the
desired voice number.

x

Click the desired Voice Select button, [1] - [32] or [33] - [64].

The LED displays the voice number, and the LCD displays the voice name and
number.

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Operations /

Selecting a DX Voice

Selecting a Voice From the Edit List Window

z

Select “DX Voice List.”

Click “Edit” on the menu bar, then select “DX Voice List.” (Keyboard shortcut: [Alt],
[E], [V].)

You can also quickly call up this dialog box by right-clicking any inactive part of the
window (on the Macintosh, click while holding the CONTROL key) and clicking “DX
Voice List” in the pop-up menu.

x

Select the desired voice.

Click on the desired voice, then close the dialog box (click the close button) to
return to the Edit List window.

• You can play the currently selected voice by clicking on the keys of the keyboard in the DX

Simulator window.

6

Operations /

Opening the Various Windows

Opening the Various Windows

DX Simulator Window

This window automatically appears when you open the DX Simulator and serves as
the “front end” of the plug-in module. For the most part, no editing functions are
available from the DX Simulator window. However, from this window you can:

• Audition the currently selected voice by clicking on the keys of the keyboard.

• Open a DX Cartridge File by clicking on the cartridge or cartridge slot.

• Open the Edit Panel and Edit List windows (below).

Closing the DX Simulator window exits from the DX Simulator plug-in module.

7

Operations /

Opening the Various Windows

Edit Panel Window

This window provides a “virtual” DX7 panel, and lets you edit the voices much as
you would if you were operating the panel controls of an actual DX7 keyboard. (For
more information, see Editing a DX Voice and DX Simulator Window.)

To call up this window, click anywhere on the panel control area of the DX Simulator
window.

8

Operations /

Opening the Various Windows

Edit List Window

This window provides a comprehensive, at-a-glance display of all DX voice param­eters, and allows you to easily change any desired parameter. (For more informa­tion, see Editing a DX Voice.)

To call up this window, click the DX7 logo in the DX Simulator window.

Alternately, click “Edit” on the menu bar, then select “DX Edit List.” (Keyboard short­cut: [Alt], [E], [X].) You can also call it up from the toolbar.

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Operations /

Selecting a Mode — Play, Edit or Function

In the Edit Panel window, you can select from among the three main modes: Play, Edit
and Function.

• Play Mode

In the Play mode, you can:

• Select one of the 64 Custom voices.

• Play the selected voice (from the connected MIDI keyboard or from the keys in the
DX Simulator window).

To select the Play mode:

Click one of the [MEMORY SELECT] buttons: [1-32] or [33-64].

• Edit Mode

In the Edit mode, you can:

• Edit the voice, using the Edit parameters (printed in lavender above each button).

Opening the Various Windows

To select the Edit mode:

Click the [EDIT] button.

• Function Mode

In the Function mode, you can:

• Edit the Function (global) parameters of the voice (printed in yellow below the
appropriate buttons). These include other miscellaneous Function parameters as
well, such as Edit Recall and Voice Initialize.

To select the Function mode:

Click the [FUNCTION] button.

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Operations /

Editing a DX Voice

Editing a DX Voice

z

Select the desired voice.

Refer to Selecting a DX Voice.

x

Edit the voice parameters as desired from one of the editing win­dows: Edit Panel or Edit List.

The Edit Panel window provides a “virtual” DX7 panel, and lets you edit the voices
much as you would if you were operating the panel controls of an actual DX7 key-

board.

The Edit List window provides a comprehensive, at-a-glance display of all voice

parameters, and allows you to easily change any desired parameter.

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Operations /

c

Store the edited settings as a Custom voice, then save it with

Editing a DX Voice

other edited voices as a DX Cartridge File.

Use the Store operation to store your newly edited voice. Then use the Save oper­ation to save that edited voice with other Custom voices to a DX Cartridge File.

Both the Store and Save operations are necessary to ensure that your voice is
saved properly. Failing to do so would be roughly similar to writing a letter but not
putting it in an envelope. Make sure to execute both operations when you wish to
keep a voice you’ve edited.

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