Yamaha PSR-36E, PSR-36 User Manual

Owner's Guide

Spielanleitung

Mode d'emploi

Manual del Propietario

YAMAHA

Congratulations!

Thank you for purchasing a Yamaha

PortaTone PSR-36. This PortaTone

is an ultra-modern keyboard with a
design based on the latest digital
electronics technology.
To be sure you get maximum satis­faction, we suggest you follow
the steps in this manual carefully
while actually playing the
instrument.

Contents

Before playing

1. Nomenclature

2. Playing back the Demonstration

Music. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 3

3. Starting to Play

(Orchestra

4. Voice Editing

5. Using the Built-in Drummer

(PCM/Stereo Rhythm Section)

6. Creating Original Rhythm
Patterns (Custom Drummer)

7. Adding Accompaniment

(Auto Bass Chord Section)

8. Chord Sequence Programming

9. External Jacks

10.

OptionalAccessories

11. About MIDI

12. Taking Care of Your PortaTone

13. Specifications

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Section)

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Before playing

Inserting Batteries

Remove the battery compartment cover
on the bottom of the instrument and
insert six 1.5V SUM-1 "D" size, R-20,
or equivalent alkaline batteries (sold
separately), making sure that the
polarities are placed as directed inside
the compartment. Replace the cover,
ensuring that it locks securely in place.

Optional power adaptors

Household current: Power Adaptor PA-4/
PA-40 is available for household current.
No other adaptor is usable, so when
you purchase a power adaptor please
ensure that it is model PA-4/PA-40.
Car Battery: Car Battery Adaptor CA-1
plugs into a car cigarette lighter socket.

1

Nomenclature

Power Switch
Master Volume Control
Auto Bass Chord Volume Control
Bass & Chord Variation Selectors

Bass & Chord Voice Selectors
Auto Bass Chord Mode Selector
Auto Bass Chord Key Section
Rhythm Volume Control
Rhythm Variation Selector
Custom Drummer Function Selectors
Custom Drummer Key Section

Tempo Controls

Rhythm Selectors
Fill-in Button

Synchro Start and Start Buttons
Stop Button
Intro./Ending Button

Keyboard Percussion Button

Duet On/Off Switch
Sustain Selector
Orchestra Bank Selector
Orchestra Voice Selectors
Digital Synthesizer Selector
Voice Data Controllers
Chord Sequencer Record Button
Chord Sequencer Play Button
MIDI Button
Demonstration Button
Pitch Controls

2

Playing back the
Demonstration Music

First, try listening to the Demonstration
Music.

To hear this music, do the following:

1. Switch on

Slide the POWER switch
position. The power-on light will then
illuminate.

2. Adjust the volume

Slide the MASTER VOLUME control
about three-quarters of the way towards
Max. to set the volume level.

3. Press the DEMONSTRATION
button

"William Tell Overture" will start to play

as soon as you press this button.

to

the ON

3

To stop the music, press the STOP
button
button

You can change the programmed
voice, rhythm and tempo as you like.

However, you shouldn’t select a 3-Beat
rhythm, since it would not match the
demonstration piece.

or the DEMONSTRATION

again.

Starting to play

Orchestra section

First, try the sounds in the Orchestra
section, which is a fundamental part of
this keyboard.

1. Choose an instrument voice

First set the Orchestra Bank selector
for the desired bank of voices (Orchestra
Bank selector in upper position to select
upper row of voices labeled in silver
above the voice selectors, lower position
to select lower row of voices labeled in
yellow.) Then press the Orchestra Voice
selector for the desired voice in the
selected bank.

l

When you turn the keyboard ON, the
BRASS 1 voice will automatically
be selected if the Orchestra Bank
selector is set to the upper position,
and the BRASS 2 voice will be selected
if the Orchestra Bank selector is set
to the lower position.

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Notes:

1.

Vibrato is automatically applied to voices which
benefit from application of this effect.

2.

Be sure to set the Auto Bass Chord MODE
selector to the OFF position. When the
selector is set to the SINGLE FINGER or
FINGERED position. the keys in the Auto Bass
Chord key section cannot be used for melody

playing.

2. Try other voices

Make your selection from among the

voices in the ORCHESTRA section

Note:

The maximum number of notes that can be played
simultaneously (normally twelve) will be reduced
when the Auto Bass Chord, Duet and Digital
Synthesizer are used. The minimum number of
simultaneous notes is two.

3. Adding sustain

Slide the SUSTAIN selector
or “2” setting, and notes will be sustain­ed after you lift your fingers from the
keys. SUSTAIN 1 produces a short
sustain, SUSTAIN 2 produces a longer

sustain.

to its “1”

Pitch control

The PITCH control function enables
you to fine-tune the keyboard for when
you want to play in an ensemble. Each
time is pressed, the pitch increases
very slightly, up to a maximum of 50
cents above the preset level. Whenever

is pressed, the pitch drops slightly,

also to a maximum of 50 cents.

Notes:

1.If you hold down one of the PITCH controls, the

pitch will change continuously.

2. If you press both of the PITCH controls together,
the pitch will return to the preset level (A

440Hz).

=

3

5

Voice Editing

DIGITAL SYNTHESIZER

As one of the PSR-36’s special features,
the Digital Synthesizer function allows
you to expand the 32 orchestra voices
to total of 100,000 different voices.

Let’s create various voices using
DIGITAL SYNTHESIZER.

1. Select the desired voice by pressing
one of the 32 Orchestra Voice
selectors

2. Set the Digital Synthesizer selector
to ON.

3.

Adjust the volume using the Master
Volume control

4. Set each Voice Data controller
(SPECTRUM, BRILLIANCE,
ENVELOPE, VIBRATO and DETUNE)

to the position which results in

the desired sound.

SPECTRUM

This controls the timbre or tone color
of the voice.

BRILLIANCE

This determines how brilliant or mellow
the voice is.

ENVELOPE

Controls the attack of the notes (whether

the notes begin sharply or smoothly).

VIBRATO

This controls the vibrato effect.

6

DETUNE

Increasing the DETUNE setting produces
a “thicker” multi-instrument type sound.

5.

Now, let’s play some notes. By
comparing the same voice in both the
ON and OFF settings of the Digital
Synthesizer Selector you can
distinguish the difference in timbre.

l The degree to which a voice changes varies

with the selected voice.

Using the built-in

drummer

PCM/Stereo rhythm section

Now it’s time to add a dynamic rhythm

accompaniment to your melody.

1. Choose a rhythm

Pick the rhythm that best suits the music
you’re going to play and press the
corresponding Rhythm selector

When you turn the keyboard ON,
the DISCO rhythm is automatically
selected.

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2. Start the rhythm

After selecting a rhythm, press the
START selector

Synchro Start

Use the SYNCHRO START button

If you want the rhythm to begin from
the moment you first press a key. Any
of the 19 keys (up to F
at the left of the keyboard (Auto Bass
Chord

key

rhythm.

section will activate the

#

) beginning

2

Intro./Ending

Instead of using START, you can have

the rhythm begin by using the
INTRO./ENDING button

selector is pressed, the rhythm will
start after a two-bar intro-phrase.

.

When this

3. Adjustments
Volume

The Rhythm VOLUME control
lets YOU adjust the rhythm volume in
relation to the melody volume.

Tempo

Use the TEMPO controls to adjust

the speed of the rhythm.

Variation

The Rhythm VARIATION selector
gives a choice of five patterns for
each rhythm.

4. Making use of the Tempo Light

The Tempo Light functions as a visual
metronome, making it simple for you to
confirm the rhythm tempo. It flashes
indicating tempo when the rhythm is
running and also when the SYNCHRO

START button has been pressed but
you have not yet started the rhythm by
pressing a key.

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5. Adding fill-ins

If you tap the FILL-IN button the
rhythm being played will be replaced
with a 1-bar drum solo.

If you press the FILL-IN button
before starting to play, the rhythm will
start after a 1-bar drum solo.

6. Using the INTRO./ENDING button
for your musical finale

If you press the INTRO./ENDING button

when the rhythm is on, the rhythm
will stop automatically after playing a
two-bar ending phrase. If you wish to
stop the rhythm immediately, press the
STOP button

Keyboard Percussion

Press the KEYBOARD PERCUSSION
button and you can enjoy playing
like a drummer by tapping the Custom
Drummer keys with your fingers.
Twenty-five PCM digital percussion
sounds are assigned to the keys. The
different kinds of percussion instrument
sounds are indicated by symbols next
to the relevant keys. (When the Keyboard
Percussion feature is engaged, the
Tempo Light will come on). If you turn
KEYBOARD PERCUSSION ON while a
rhythm pattern is playing, the rhythm
pattern will stop (leaving bass and/or
chord backing when using the Auto Bass
Chord function described in item 7) so
you can play your own rhythm on the
Custom Drummer keys. Press the
KEYBOARD PERCUSSION button
second time to exit the Keyboard
percussion mode.

a

9

Creating original
rhythm patterns

Custom Drummer

The PSR-36 has 80 preset rhythm patterns
(including variations). Apart from the
preset patterns, you can also create
original ones of your own using Custom
Drummer

Programming a rhythm pattern

Create your own version of the 8 Beat
rhythm.

1. First of all, choose a basic rhythm
pattern from among the preset
rhythms. As an example, select POPS.

2. Press the PROGRAM selector. You
are now ready to input.

Try writing the following rhythm patterns:

3. Press the CLEAR selector and the
preset POPS is cancelled, leaving
only the sound of the beat count.

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4. Input the bass drum pattern by tapp-

ing the key indicated by the figure.

5. The same procedure is required for
inputting snare drum, closed hi-hat,
and open hi-hat. You can add an

accent (slightly higher volume level)
to the timing you want by tapping the

> key (B

6. If you make an error, cancel it by
pressing the relevant percussion key

together with the CANCEL key (C
The input that percussion instrument

again.

7. When your original pattern is

completed, press the STOP button
or PROGRAM button again.
In procedure 3, if you do not want

to erase all of the percussion sounds,
you can use the CANCEL key (C
and individual percussion keys to
selectively erase.

8. Now, playback what you have
programmed by pressing the PLAY
selector.

).

5

.

6

)

6

Try other rhythm patterns as shown

below:

MARCHING DRUM

(set to MARCH/POLKA)

Notes:

1.

When you play back a customized rhythm, the

Auto Bass Chord feature can be used in the
same way as with a preset rhythm.

The total number of percussion voices that can

2.
be used for one pattern amounts to 8.

3.

When the power is OFF, the data that you input
will be erased automatically.

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Adding

accompaniment

Auto Bass Chord section

The Auto Bass Chord section is an
automatic accompaniment feature.

if the MODE selector is set to OFF,
the Auto Bass Chord system does not
function.
With the SINGLE FINGER position
selected, you can play chords plus bass
notes with just one finger when you
press any of the keys in the Auto Bass
Chord key section
The FINGERED position is suitable for
you if you already know how to play
chords since it lets you play your
own chords and stiil get the bass
accompaniment.

For one-fingered accompaniment

1. Slide the selector to the SINGLE

FINGER position.

2. Select a rhythm

Choose the rhythm you want then

press the SYNCHRO START or START

button (Don’t forget to do this

whenever you use the Auto Bass

Chord feature).

3.

Press a key

Press one of the 19 keys in the Auto
Bass Chord key section on the
left side of the keyboard.

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