Yamaha PSS-680 User Manual

®

YAMAHA

AUTHORIZED

PRODUCT MANUAL

YAMAHA

INTRODUCTION

Congratulations on your purchase of the Yamaha PortaSound PSS-680!
You now own one of the most sophisticated portable electronic keyboards available.
Controlled by an advanced microcomputer, the PortaSound PSS-680 offers far more
musical enjoyment and versatility than any other instrument in its class. In fact, it gives
you the fun and functions of a who/e host of digital music machines, namely ...

l An electronic keyboard offering 100 high-quality preset

voices using the famous Yamaha FM sound source.

l A digital synthesizer that lets you alter any of the preset

voices to taste and save up to five of these edited versions.

l A versatile rhythm machine using 32 percussion instru-

ments, PCM recorded for breath-taking realism. With 100
basic rhythm patterns featuring three intros/fill-ins and
one ending each, you have an amazing 400 rhythm vari­ations at your disposal. What’s more, you can even play
percussion by hand like a drummer and record you own
original Custom Drummer pattern.

l

A sophisticated
you Single Finger Chords, automatic bass, chords and
orchestra, automatic Duet and orchestration capabilities.

automatic accompaniment system

giving

ABOUT THIS MANUAL

One look at your new PortaSound PSS-680 tells you:
this is an advanced instrument with a great variety of func­tions. Though this is true, don’t let the large number of
buttons fool you — the PSS-680 is actually very easy to use.
As you can see from the INDEX ILLUSTRATION on p.6, the
controls are all organized in easy-to-understand functional
groups. Once you get to know them, you will have no trouble
operating your PortaSound, making it do exactly what you
want it to.

To get acquainted with your new keyboard and have fun
with it from the start, please read PART
use the INDEX ILLUSTRATION to look up information on
buttons or functional groups you are especially interested
in right away. Otherwise, continue with PART

This manual is structured into three main parts. The shortest
and simplest one, PART I
PSS-680, gives you all the information you need to play your
new instrument, making use of its most basic features. It also
shows you how you can listen to the pre-programmed DE-

MONSTRATION

The functions mentioned shortly in the QUICK GUIDE illus­tration of PART I are explained in greater detail in PART II.
Particularly if you already have some experience with digital

song.

— GETTING TO KNOW THE

I first. You can then

II.

l A simple but very useful sequencer offering unique mu-

sical possibilities: You can digitally record up to five
melodies and chord progressions each and play them back
any time at the touch of a button.

l A highly advanced MIDI controller and multi-timbral

MIDI sound source. Used as a controller, the PortaSound

can play a number of external MIDI instruments simul­taneously on various channels. As a sound source, it will
perform several voices as well as percussion independently
at the same time.

Read this manual carefully while playing your new Porta­Sound, and you will be able to make full use of its many
fantastic features in no time.

keyboards, the QUICK GUIDE will enable you to use these
functions immediately. On the other hand, if you are a total
newcomer, reading the next part will make operations clearer
to you.

PART II— BASIC FEATURES contains a systematic overall
introduction of WHAT YOUR PortaSound CAN DO, followed
by detailed explanations of most PortaSound functions. It tells
you all about voice and style selection, effects, Hand Per­cussion, the Auto Accompaniment features and the Song
Memory.

Each section starts out with a short Overview giving you a
general idea of the respective functions. You can then try
them out right away by following the steps described under
Operation. Note that in the text, bold print indicates basic
operational steps, while the regular print below it gives all
the necessary explanations. Therefore, you can simply follow
the instructions in bold print when you want to get to know
a feature, and read the details and

Finally, PART III shows you how to use those ADVANCED
FEATURES that require a bit of specialized know-how — the
Digital Synthesizer section to create your own FM sounds,
and the MIDI functions for communication with other MIDI
instruments, sequencers and computers.

Points to Remember

later.

CONTENS

PRECAUTIONS-TAKINGCAREOFYOURPORTASOUND..
CONTROLPANEL..

PARTI

QUICKGUIDE.....................................................................................................................

INDEXILLUSTRATION.....................................................................................................

GETTING TO KNOW THE PSS-680

POWER

PLAYING................................................................................................................4

DEMONSTRATION

PART II BASIC FEATURES

WHATYOURPortaSoundCANDO............................................................................

Voices,RhythmandAutoAccompaniment........................................................

Headphones...........................................................................................................

ConnectingthePSS-680toYourStereo

VOICE/MELODYSECTION.............................................................................................

SELECTING
EFFECTS..

PITCH BEND Wheel

PARAMETERCHANGESettings.........................................................................10

TRANSPOSE

TUNING ...........................................................................................................

MELODYVOLUME

RHYTHM MACHINE FUNCTIONS

STYLE

RHYTHM CONTROL............................................................................................

TEMPO.................................................................................................................... 14

BEAT
ChangingtheRhythmStyleDuringPerformance..

HANDPERCUSSION..

CUSTOM DRUMMER

AUTO ACCOMPANIMENT FEATURES

MODE.....................................................................................................................

ORCHESTRATION

A)SingleFingerChords......................................................................................19

B) Single Finger Auto Accompaniment

C) Fingered Auto Accompaniment

DUET..

SONG

MEMORY

MELODY Memory.................................................................................................22

CHORD Memory

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AVOICE

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SELECT-ChoosingtheRhythm.............................................................13

Display..

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PART III ADVANCED FUNCTIONS

DIGITALSYNTHESIZER...................................................................................................

SYNTHESISBASIC

FM

1)

Voice

2)ABitofFMTheory..

3)CreatingSounds..............................................................................................27

SYNTHESIZERPARAMETERS............................................................................29

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MIDI

What is MIDI?

MIDIMODE ....................................................................................................

Parametersand

.........................................................................................................

COURSE..

Values.........................................................................26

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30

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31

Keyboard

AssignMODE

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..

TransmittedData..................................................................................................

MemoryBulkDump..............................................................................................

ReceivedData

Sound

SourceMode ...............................................................................................

Transmitted

Received Data
MIDI

RECEIVE

TRANSMITCHANNEL Selection

CONNECTIONEXAMPLES..................................................................................

MIDI

ADDITIONAL

INFORMATION.........................................................................................

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Data..

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CHANNEL

FILTER

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ALLRESET ............................................................................................................

SPECIFICATIONS

EXCLUSIVE DATA FORMAT

ImplementationChart

MIDI

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32
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45

PRECAUTIONS — TAKING CARE OF YOUR PORTASOUND

Your new PortaSound is a fine musical instrument — and should be treated as such.

Handle it with care and common sense, and it will give you years of enjoyment.

• Location

Avoid exposure to direct sunlight or other sources of heat.
Never leave it inside a car where it can get very hot. Vi­bration, excessive dust, cold, low or high humidity can
also cause malfunction.

• Handling

Avoid rough handling. Don’t drop or jolt the PortaSound
as this can damage the internal circuitry. Pressing too
hard on keys or controls may lead to malfunctions. When
cords are plugged into the rear panel jacks, pay particular
attention not to apply excessive force to them since this
may damage the terminals.

• Adaptors

Use only the power adaptor described in the POWER
section.Disconnect the AC adaptor when not using your
PortaSound.

• Batteries

• When not using your PortaSound for long periods, be
sure to remove the batteries to avoid damage through
battery leakage.

•

Replace weak batteries before they run down com-

pletely.

• Always replace all batteries with new ones.

• Do not use different kinds of batteries at the same time,

• In case electrolyte has leaked into the battery com­partment, wipe it off completely before installing new
batteries.

• Never disassemble, heat or throw discarded batteries
into a fire. Dispose of them properly.

• Cleaning

Clean the exterior with a soft, dry cloth. Using chemical
solvents will damage the finish.

• Interference Through Electromagnetic Fields

Do not use your PortaSound close to television sets or
other equipment receiving electromagnetic signals as this
could cause interference noise in the other appliance.

• Service and Modifications

Your PortaSound contains no user serviceable parts.
Opening it or tampering with it in any way can lead to
electrical shock as well as damage. Of course, any resulting
damage will no longer be repaired free of charge. Refer
all servicing to qualified YAMAHA personnel.

1

CONTROL PANEL

POWER switch
VOLUME slider

AUTO ACCOMPANIMENT group

3a MODE selectors
3b ORCHESTRATION buttons

SONG MEMORY

4a CHORD bank selectors
4b MELODY bank selectors

4c RECORD button
VOICE LIST
STYLE LIST

EFFECT selectors
VOICE/STYLE number display

TEMPO/PARAMETER & VALUE display
VALUE buttons
VOICE/STYLE SELECT group

11a VOICE switch
11b STYLE switch
11c Number buttons

DIGITAL SYNTHESIZER group

12a Voice BANK selectors
12b STORE button
12c Synthesizer Parameter selectors
12d DIGITAL SYNTHESIZER flowchart

2

PARAMETER CHANGE group

13a TEMPO button

13b Parameter selectors
DEMO START/STOP switch
MIDI group

15a MIDI OUT CHANNEL list

PITCH BEND wheel
CUSTOM DRUMMER controls

Percussion control keys
AUTO ACCOMPANIMENT SECTION
RHYTHM CONTROL pads

20a START/STOP switch
20b SYNCHRO START/ENDING control
20c INTRO/FILL IN controls

MELODY SECTION
HAND PERCUSSION section

22a HAND PERCUSSION pads
22b SYNCHRO BREAK switch
22c PERCUSSION SET selectors

Built-in speakers

REAR PANEL
DC(9-12V)IN AC power adaptor terminal
AUX. OUT jacks
HEADPHONES jack

MIDI terminals

3

PART

GETTING TO KNOW THE PSS-680

This part of the manual first shows you how to provide the PSS-680 with POWER, using batteries or an
AC adaptor. You can then turn it on and start PLAYING it right away.

Next, listen to a DEMONSTRATlON of what the PortaSound PSS-680 can do. Reading PART II will then

enable to perform this kind of professional-sounding music all by yourself.
The QUICK GUIDE briefly introduces the most basic features without going into detail so you can enjoy

yourself experimenting and discovering.

POWER

Your PortaSound PSS-680 works on batteries or household
current.Since batteries are also needed to support the internal
RAM memory, buy six 1.5V SUM-2 alkaline batteries. (Be
sure to read the precautions concerning batteries on p. 1).
To save battery power, you can also use a Yamaha PA-3,
PA-4 or PA-40 AC adaptor.

I

Inserting Batteries

Turn the instrument upside-down and remove the battery
compartment lid by pushing its tab in the direction of the

arrow embossed on the lid. Insert the six batteries, making
sure that their poles are aligned as shown in the illustration
below.

Low Battery Warning

When the battery voltage drops below a certain level, the

LED displays will start to blink. As soon as this happens,
replace all six batteries with new ones. If you allow the bat­teries to become spent completely, any data you have stored
in the internal memories will be lost.

Using an AC Power Adaptor

When you want to connect your PortaSound to a wall socket,
buy a Yamaha PA-3, PA-4 or PA-40 Power Adaptor. No
other adaptor can be used, so be sure to ask for the right
kind.
Plug the adaptor into a convenient wall socket and its con­nector into the DC(9-12V)IN terminal (24) on the back of
your PortaSound as shown. (Even when power is turned
off, the AC adaptor back up the PortaSound RAM memory.)

Replace the lid. It should lock in place with a click.

PLAYING

Slide the POWER switch (1) upward to the ON position.
The LED displays and various indicators will light up to
confirm that the PortaSound is turned on.
You can now play the keyboard. Adjust the sound level with
the VOLUME slider (2), pushing it up toward MAX to in­crease volume and down to lower it.

• Be sure to turn your PortaSound off again by sliding the

POWER switch (1) back to OFF after you have finished
playing. This will save battery power.

DEMONSTRATION

To get an idea of the music your new PortaSound is capable

of playing, listen to the factory-programmed demonstration
song. Start it by pressing the yellow DEMO START/STOP

button (14).

l The song will continue until you press DEMO

START/STOP again, or the START/STOP pad (20a).
You will soon be playing music in this kind of professional
style by yourself — PART II will teach you all the necessary
operations. Most of these steps can also be carried while

the PortaSound is performing the demonstration song,
allowing you to alter this song according to your taste.

4

QUICK GUIDE

Selecting Voices

To choose any instrument sound you like, simply look
up its name in the VOICE LIST (5) and input the corre­sponding number with the number buttons (11c). (It may

be necessary to press the blue VOICE switch (11a) first.)

Effects

Add special effects to the instrument sounds by pressing
these selectors.

Pitch Bend Wheel

Bend the pitch of melody notes upward or downward
with this wheel.

Single Finger Chords

You can play entire chords automatically with just a
finger or two — press the SINGLE FINGER selector (3a),
then play keys in the AUTO ACCOMPANIMENT SEC­TION.

Automatic

With SINGLE FINGER mode on, hit the START/STOP pad
(20a) to start the rhythm. Play the AUTO ACCOMPANI­MENT SECTION and enjoy automatic bass, chord and
orchestra accompaniment. To stop it, press SYNCHRO
START/ENDING (20b).

Accompaniment

Selecting Styles

The STYLE LIST (6) shows you which rhythm and ac­companiment styles you can choose from. Press the blue
STYLE (11 b) switch, then enter the desired style number
with the number buttons (11c).

Tempo

To adjust the speed of the rhythm/accompaniment, press
TEMPO (13a), then use the VALUE buttons (10) to make

it faster or slower.

Rhythm Control

START/STOP (20a) starts or stops the selected rhythm.

Hit the INTRO/FILL IN pads (20c) instead for a different
beginning or for variations while the drum sounds are

playing. (Works for Auto Accompaniment too.)
SYNCHRO START/ENDING (20b) lets the rhythm begin
automatically when you play the AUTO ACCOMPANI-

MENT SECTION (19), or ends it with a special pattern.

Orchestration

These switches (3b) turn the four components of the Auto
Accompaniment —
orchestra parts —on and off to suit your music.

Hand Percussion

Hit these 8 pads (22a) any time to play your own drums.
Use the PERCUSSION SET selectors (22c) to choose one
of four different drum sets.

bass, rhythm (drums), chords and

5

INDEX ILLUSTRATION

6

PART

BASIC FEATURES

WHAT YOUR PortaSound CAN DO

Using the QUICK GUIDE and listening to the DEMO song has already given you a first impression of your
new PortaSound’s capabilities. This chapter tells you more about them.

Voices, Rhythm and Auto Accompaniment

To better understand the PortaSound’s functional structure,
think of it as comprising the following three sections:

II

As the names say, the Voice/Melody Section controls all
features concerning the voices you play, usually in the form
of a melody, while the Auto Accompaniment Section helps
you perform the accompaniment to these melodies. The
Rhythm Section can be used separately like a drum machine.
or in combination with Auto Accompaniment.

l This is not a strict division. These sections are closely

interconnected — for instance, RHYTHM CONTROL
influences both the Rhythm and the Auto Accompaniment
Sections, and the SONG MEMORY MELODY banks
are just as much part of Voice/Melody as they are of Auto
Accompaniment. Keeping this division in mind, though,
makes it easier to understand the PortaSound features.

Voice/Melody Section

In the tradition of Yamaha’s famous DX7 synthesizers, the
preset instrument sounds available on the PortaSound
PSS-680 are referred to as “voices”. With the Digital Syn­thesizer functions explained in PART III (p.26), you can alter
them to create your own original sounds, then save up to five
of these for
For more expressiveness and realism, you can add various
EFFECTS (p.9) to the voices. PORTAMENTO and PITCH
BEND (p.10), for instance, can greatly enhance strings, brass
or bass sounds.

Easy Play Functions

If the melody you want to play is in a difficult key, you can
TRANSPOSE the entire keyboard (p.11) to an easier one.
Melodies (or parts of them) you find particularly hard to

instant access at the push of a button.

perform can be memorized in the MELODY banks of the
SONG MEMORY (p.22). For example, if a phrase is too
fast for you. record it at a comfortable slow tempo and then
play it back any time at the correct speed by simply pressing
the corresponding MELODY button.

Rhythm and Auto Accompaniment Sections

Since these sections are so closely interrelated, many of their

functions are treated together in this manual.
The Rhythm and Auto Accompaniment features can enhance
your performances in four basic ways: The PortaSound
PSS-680 is capable of

1. playing a rhythm accompaniment to your music with re­alistic percussion sound patterns in a hundred different

musical styles, functioning like a high-quality drum ma­chine. Many variations of these basic patterns are possible
with RHYTHM CONTROL.

2. letting you play complete chords by using only a single
finger of your left hand (SINGLE FINGER chords).

3. performing an entire accompaniment arrangement, com­plete with drums, bass, chords and orchestra, easily con­trolled by your left hand. Again, RHYTHM CONTROL
can be used to add a great number of variations. You can
even change the ORCHESTRATION, deleting or adding
parts to the accompaniment at the touch of a button.

4. digitally recording whole melodies or various melody
sections as well as entire chord progressions in the SONG
MEMORY. These can be played back at the touch of a
button. The PSS-680 thus also does the job of a simple
but particularly flexible sequencer — you can use it either

7

for totally automatic performances, or to enhance any
music you are playing live.

Connecting the PSS-680 to Your Stereo

In addition, you can play four different sets of 8 percussion
instruments by hand like a drummer with the easy-to-use
HAND PERCUSSION pads, further enhancing the Rhythm
and Auto Accompaniment with your own solos, and record
your own original CUSTOM DRUMMER pattern.

Headphones

For private practicing and playing without disturbing others,
connect headphones to the rear panel HEADPHONES jack
(26). The built-in speakers (23) are automatically cut off when
you insert a headphone plug into this jack.

VOICE/MELODY SECTION

SELECTING A VOICE

Overview

100 preset FM voices are yours for the choosing. Each voice
has its own number, indicated in blue next to its name in the
VOICE LIST (5), for instant access.
Selecting a voice is very easy, requiring only one or two steps:

Operation

1. Make sure the VOICE indicator is lit.

Check to see that the dot in the VOICE/STYLE number
display (8) is located above “VOICE”.

For a truly powerful sound, connect the AUXILIARY
(AUX.) jacks (25) on the rear panel of the PortaSound to
your stereo system with optional cables. Both jacks must be
used for a stereo effect.

Be sure to turn the PortaSound’s power off when making
theses connections.
Reduce the VOLUME (2) on the PortaSound and adjust
the sound level with your stereo’s volume control.
If you want to connect the PortaSound to a mono am­plification system such as a keyboard amp, use only the
L + R/L jack. This will then output a mix of the left and
right channel signals.

Only the PCM percussion sounds have distinct left or right
positions in the stereo field, while the FM voices are all
centered. STEREO CHORUS, however, gives a

three-dimensional stereo effect with all FM sounds.

Points to Remember

Notice that all voice numbers have two digits. Both

must be entered for the instrument sound to change.

(The first ten voice numbers start with a “0”, which
you also have to input.)
You can always check the currently selected voice by

looking at the VOICE/STYLE display (making sure

the VOICE indicator is lit).
When POWER is turned on, the voice chosen before

the PSS-680 was turned off is selected automatically.
With each voice, up to twelve keys can be played at

the same time — in other words, the PSS-680 is 12-voice

polyphonic.

To appreciate the amazing variety of realistic FM instrument

sounds now at your disposal, try out as many voices as you
like right now.

This shows that your PortaSound is ready for voice se­lection. If it is not, simply press the blue VOICE switch
(11a), making sure that the VOICE indicator dot lights

up.

2. Enter the voice number.

Use the VOICE/STYLE SELECT number buttons (11c)

to input the number of the desired voice.

8

Playing Along with the Demo Song

If you want, you can even play along with the demonstration
song using any instrument of your choice. To do so, select
a voice, press the yellow DEMO START/STOP switch and
play. You can change to other voices any time.

When playing along like this, you can only play single
notes at a time (= “monophonic” performance).

A TIP: Using the Digital Synthesizer Memory Banks for

One-Touch Voice Selection.

Sometimes you will want to change voices while playing —
but you may not have enough time to look up a voice number
and input its two digits during a performance.

For instant access at the touch of a button, you can store
up to five selected voices in the Digital Synthesizer Memory
BANKS 1 thru 5 (12a).

Operation

1. Select the voice you want to store.

2.

Hold down the red STORE button (12b) and simultaneously
press the desired BANK button (12a),

1. The VOICE/STYLE display will indicate “b.1”. The
selected voice is now stored in BANK 1 and can be recalled
any time by pressing that button.

Stored voices are retained in their banks even when

POWER is turned off.

Saving voice data to a bank deletes any previous settings

already stored there.

for example BANK

EFFECTS

short explanation of what each effect does, and how to adjust
PORTAMENTO:

VIBRATO

Vibrato regularly (cyclically) raises and lowers the pitch of
a sound. It occurs naturally in the human voice, and many
acoustic instruments, for example strings, make use of it.
Usually, this effect does not start right away when a note is
sung or played, but after a certain delay time.
The PSS-680 VIBRATO also simulates this natural delay.
For an even more realistic effect, each voice has the vibrato

delay that suits it best.

SUSTAIN

Sustain lengthens the release rate of a voice, causing the sound
to linger even after the keys have been released. It works
rather like the damper pedal of a piano. The sustain effect
is also different (longer or shorter) for each voice.

Overview

The PSS-680 offers six different kinds of effects, described

below, which can be added to the FM instrument voices for
even greater tonal variation. They do not affect the PCM

percussion sounds.

Operation

1. To obtain the effect you want, simply press the corre­sponding button in the EFFECT group.

The little red indicator next to it will light up, showing
that an effect has been selected. You can use several or
all effects at the same time.

Points to Remember

DUET and PORTAMENTO depend on other settings

as well —
Some preset voices are already programmed with effects

— for instance, VIOLIN 1 (10) and STRINGS (41) use

vibrato, HARP (37) sustain, and so on. In such cases,
the corresponding EFFECT indicator will light up
whenever that instrument is selected. For these in­struments, you can of course turn OFF that effect by
pressing its selector.

With the exception of STEREO CHORUS, all effects
influence only the notes you are playing in the MEL­ODY SECTION (21) of the keyboard.

Effects can be stored independently for each SONG
MEMORY MELODY bank (see p.22.). During bank
playback, these individual effect settings are used au­tomatically and cannot be canceled with the EFFECT
selectors.

Try out all six effects to understand how they work and how

they influence each instrument sound differently. Here is a

see below for details.

REVERB

Reverb, short for reverberation, gives a spacious effect similar
to an instrument being played in a large hall. It can add at­mosphere to almost any voice. Try it with SMALL CHURCH
ORGAN (29) or HUMAN VOICES/CHORUS (94 to 96).

PORTAMENTO

Portamento is the smooth pitch glide effect that occurs be-

tween notes played consecutively on some instruments, such
as the violin and trombone, or sung by the human voice. The

speed with which the pitch changes between the keys you
play can be adjusted over a 5-step range (values from 1 =

slow to 5 = fast). Fast settings provide a less extreme effect
which can make string instrument voices etc., sound very

realistic.

Operation

1. Hold down the PORTAMENTO button.
The TEMPO/PARAMETER & VALUE display will now

show the current portamento speed setting. To change this

value,

2. keep holding down the PORTAMENTO button and use
the VALUE buttons.

Pressing + increases portamento speed, SHORTENING
the portamento time for a LESS pronounced effect. –
lowers the speed, so it takes longer for the pitch to change

between notes, making the effect more noticeable.
Be sure to hold down the PORTAMENTO button while

changing this setting, otherwise it will not work. Pressing

both VALUE buttons + and – simultaneously returns
the setting to the default value of 3.

The PORTAMENTO setting is retained even when power

is turned off.

Range: 1 to 5

9

STEREO CHORUS

Stereo Chorus creates the

“spacy” impression of several
instruments being played at the same time for a warm, three­dimensional “symphonic” sound. It is the only effect that
influences not only the melodies you play, but also all ac­companiment sounds (except PCM percussion).

•The pitch bend range setting is retained even when power

is turned off.

Points to Remember

Is a VALUE button pressed for more then a second,
the value will begin to change rapidly.

There is no setting with VALUE = 0.
Pitch bend data can be saved with the SONG MEM-

DUET

ORY MELODY function.

Duet differs from the other effects in that it can only be used
in combination with the AUTO ACCOMPANIMENT
functions. A detailed explanation of this feature, which au­tomatically adds a second solo instrument to the one you
are playing, is given on p.21.

l Note that the Duet effect will not work in the NORMAL

AUTO ACCOMPANIMENT mode, even if the DUET
button is pressed and its indicator lit.

Overview

The PARAMETER CHANGE group of buttons (13) consists
of the TEMPO button (13a), explained elsewhere (p.14), and
the three parameter selectors (13b) TRANSPOSE, TUNING
and MELODY VOLUME. Though their functions are not

PITCH BEND Wheel

Range: +/-12

connected, the setting method is the same for the latter three,
which is why they are grouped together.
It is a good idea to memorize this basic setting method, since

Overview

This control lets you bend the pitch of notes played in the

MELODY SECTION upward or downward. The effect is

similar to a guitar being choked by bending the strings, and

is often heard during synthesizer solos.
The range of the pitch bend is adjustable. On delivery, it is

set to 1 (the default value): Moving the wheel fully in the

UP direction raises pitch by a semitone, while moving it fully

DOWN lowers the pitch by the same interval. The available

range is from one half-tone (semitone, VALUE = 1) to one

octave (VALUE = 12). To adjust it —

you will be using it for the Digital Synthesizer and MIDI
functions as well.

Parameters and Values

A parameter is simply a setting whose value can be changed.
The three parameter selectors (13b) have an orange number
or letter printed on them, as do the Digital Synthesizer and

MIDI buttons to their left and right. This is the parameter

identification symbol that appears on the TEMPO/PARA-

METER & VALUE display, telling you which parameter is
currently selected.
Press TRANSPOSE TUNING and MELODY

Operation

1. Hold the PITCH BEND wheel in either the UP or DOWN
position.

VOLUME one after the other. This calls up each pa-

rameter and its current value on the TEMPO/PARAMETER
& VALUE display (9).

The current pitch bend range appears on the
TEMPO/PARAMETER & VALUE display.

PARAMETER CHANGE Settings

2. Use the VALUE + or –buttons to set the bend range

value.
While doing so, the PITCH BEND wheel must still be
held in the UP or DOWN position. Pressing + increases
the setting,– decreases it. A value of 1 on the
TEMPO/PARAMETER & VALUE display indicates a
bend range of one semitone, a value of 2 one whole tone,
and so on. A setting of 12 (= 12 semitones) equals one
octave.
With positive settings, the pitch bend direction will cor­respond to the PITCH BEND wheel’s UP or DOWN
movement. Setting a negative value (indicated by a “-”
on the display) reverses the pitch bend — moving the
PITCH BEND wheel UP will then decrease the pitch and
vice versa.
The setting can be returned to 1 instantly by pressing both
VALUE buttons at the same time.

10

This dot keeps the parameter symbol on its left apart from the
value digits on its right.

The single digit left of the dot on the display is the symbol
indicating the selected PARAMETER (the symbol also
printed on the button just pressed), in our case or
. The one- or two-digit number to the right of the period
is the current VALUE of that parameter.

If there is not dot on the TEMPO/PARAMETER &
VALUE display, this means

that the display is currently

indicating the TEMPO.
Once a parameter is called up on the display, you can
change its value with the –

and + VALUE buttons (10).

Pressing – decreases the value, + increases it. For a more

rapid change, hold down either button. Pressing both

– and + simultaneously resets the original value (i.e. the

value before you started to make changes).

TRANSPOSE

Overview

Range: +/– 12 semitones

Points to Remember

The TRANSPOSE value is memorized when power is

turned off.

The TRANSPOSE value influences the pitch of tran-

smitted MIDI note data and received data in the 00
mode. However, received data is not affected in the
99 mode. (See MIDI section.)

With the exception of the PCM percussion sounds, all Por-

taSound voices can be transposed over a range of two octaves.

In other words, you can use the TRANSPOSE function to

raise or lower the pitch of both the MELODY SECTION

and the AUTO ACCOMPANIMENT SECTION in semitone
steps.
This feature has mainly two applications. First, it lets you

set the pitch of the entire keyboard to the easiest key for you

to play in. For example, if a song is in B major and you find

it difficult to perform in that key, all you have to do is lower

the keyboard pitch by a half-tone with TRANSPOSE. Now,

if you play the same song in the easy key of C major on the

PortaSound keyboard, its pitch will automatically be trans-

posed downward (lowered) by a semitone, so that in effect
you will hear it in B major. This is sometimes handy when
playing along with other instruments, too.
TRANSPOSE can also be used to raise or lower the pitch
of the PortaSound by an octave in order to change the mood

of the music or adapt the note range to the character of the

instrument voice — e.g. transposing it downward for a deeper

and more powerful electric bass sound.

Note, however, that octave transposition is only effective for
melody voices — the auto accompaniment section returns to

original pitch when a TRANSPOSE value of + or –12 is

entered.

Operation

1.

Press TRANSPOSE .

The TEMPO/PARAMETER &VALUE display will show

TRANSPOSE Value Display

TUNING

Overview

The overall pitch of your PortaSound is normally set so that
A3 = 440 Hz (standard concert pitch). When playing together
with other instruments which have a different tuning, you
can raise or lower this pitch in steps of approximately 3.13
cents over a +/– 16 step range.

Operation

1. Press TUNING .

The TEMPO/PARAMETER VALUE display will show

This display tells you that the TUNING value is now 0,
meaning that A3 corresponds to 440 Hz.

2. Adjust the pitch with the VALUE buttons.

To raise the pitch, use +. Each value increase by 1 raises

the pitch by about 3.13 cents.

– lowers the pitch. A minus symbol “–” in front of the
value indicates that the current pitch is lower than the
regular setting.

Range: +/– 16

This display tells you that the TRANSPOSE value is now
0, meaning that the keyboard is in its regular key.

2. Adjust the key with the VALUE buttons.

To raise the key, use +. Each value increase by 1 means
an upward transposition by 1 semitone.

– lowers the key. A minus symbol ”–” in front of the
value indicates that the current key is lower than the re­gular setting of 0.

• Press both VALUE buttons simultaneously to instantly

return to the regular key (TRANSPOSE value 0).

Press both VALUE buttons simultaneously to instantly
return to the regular pitch (TUNING value 0).
The TUNING value is memorized when power is turned
off.

MELODY VOLUME

Overview

This parameter lets you adjust the volume of the keyboard’s
MELODY SECTION and the SONG MEMORY MELODY
banks in relation to the AUTO ACCOMPANIMENT sounds.
(For information on AUTO ACCOMPANIMENT, see be­low.) Minimum value is 1 for the quietest, maximum is 9 for
the loudest sound.
Occasionally, chords will sound distorted if melody volume

is set to maximum and the voice has a TOTAL LEVEL (see
Digital Synthesizer section) of 90 or more. In such cases, lower
the melody volume or the total level.

Range: 1–9

11

Operation

1. Press MELODY VOL. .

The TEMPO/PARAMETER &VALUE display will show

This display tells you that the MELODY VOL. value is
now 8 (the normal setting).

2. Adjust the melody volume with the VALUE buttons.

+ raises the volume, – lowers it.

l To instantly return to MELODY VOLUME to value 8,

press both VALUE buttons simultaneously.

l MELODY VOLUME setting is retained when power is

turned off.

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