Yamaha SY35 Getting Started Guide

Congratulations! Your SY35 Music Synthesizer offers extraordinary musical versatility and con-

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trol with a “vector s
sample playback technology with high-performance FM tone generation.

Vector s

un

recedented ease — in a very intimate, “human” way, putting you more

closel

in touch with your instrument and music. The vector control lets you

nthesis allows you to create and control synthesized sound with

blend sounds manuall
d

namic vector sweeps that will play automatically whenever you play a note.
For even more ex
sensitivity and after-touch response that can be assigned to a number of musical

arameters. The more you play the SY35, the more you’ll find that “vectors”

will become an indispensable part of your musical repertoire.

●

Yamaha AWM and FM tone generators for superior sound and tonal versa
tility.

●

2-element or 4-element voice architecture brings AWM and FM waveform
together.

●

Vector control for 2-axis control of element level and detuning.

●

Dynamic level and detune vectors can be recorded easily in real time.

●

128 preset AWM waveforms and 256 preset FM waveforms — all in a
extended waveform ROM for superior sound quality — provide an extensiv
library of sonic “building blocks” from which to create new voices.

●

64 preset voices plus 64 editable internal voice memory locations containin
an additional 64 voices.

●

External memory cards provide limitless backup and storage capability.

●

Easy-edit features make creating new voices quick and virtually program
ming-free.

●

Detailed programming parameters for in-depth programming whe
necessary.

●

Fully programmable 8-part multi-play mode is perfect for sequencer-drive
applications, layered multi-voice performance, and split keyboard effects.

●

16 preset multi-play setups plus 16 editable internal multi-play memor
locations containing an additional 16 multi-play setups.

●

16 internal digital effects including reverb and delay and distortion.

●

Overlapping voice selection capability for seamless voice transitions.

●

Velocity and after-touch sensitive keyboard.

●

Pitch bend and modulation wheels.

●

Stereo output.

nthesis” system than combines Yamaha’s advanced AWM

in real time, and dynamic vectors let you “record”

ressive capability, the SY35 keyboard features both velocit

CONTENTS

Getting Started Manual

Precautions............................................................3

About the Manuals.................................................5

The Getting Started Manual..............................5

Icons.................................................................6

The Feature Reference Manual..........................7

The Controls & Connectors ..................................8

Front Panel.......................................................8

Rear Panel.......................................................1 2

1. Setting Up Your System..................................14

Connections ....................................................14

Power-on Procedure........................................14

Play the Demo................................................15

2. Selecting And Playing Voices ..........................1 6

Play the Presets...............................................16

The PRESET, INTERNAL, and CARD

Voice Memories...........................................19

Overlapping Voice Selection ...........................20

4. Instant Voice Programming............................ 31

For Serious Voice Editing … .......................... 3 3

5. The Multi Mode ............................................. 3 4

Try Out the Preset Multi Setups ...................... 3 4

When You Want To Create an Original

Multi …....................................................... 37

The INTERNAL and CARD Memories...........37

Multi Polyphony & Dynamic Voice

Allocation................................................... 37

Using the [STORE] Key to Store Voices and
Multi Setups in INTERNAL or

CARD Memory........................................... 38

Conclusion ..................................................... 40

Glossary.............................................................. 41

Index .................................................................. 44

3. Vectors ...........................................................21

Manual Vector Control...................................21

How the VECTOR CONTROL Works..............2 2

Advanced Control: Dynamic Vectors..............24

Try Out the SE*Elect Dynamic Vector ...........24

Recording An Original Dynamic Vector.........25

Store Your Voice & Vector

In INTERNAL Memory...............................28

For More Detailed Vector Control …..............30

Getting

Started Manual

Precautions

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!! PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE PROCEEDING !!

1. AVOID EXCESSIVE
HEAT, HUMIDITY,
DUST AND VIBRATION

2. AVOID PHYSICAL
SHOCKS

3. DO NOT OPEN THE
CASE OR ATTEMPT
REPAIRS OR
MODIFICATIONS
YOURSELF

4. MAKE SURE POWER IS
OFF BEFORE MAKING
OR REMOVING
CONNECTIONS

5. HANDLE CABLES
CAREFULLY

Keep the SY35 away from locations where it is likely to be exposed to high
temperatures or humidity — such as near radiators, stoves, etc. Also avoid loc a­tions which are sub
cause mechanical damage.

Strong physical shocks to the SY35 can cause damage. Handle it with care.

This product contains no user-serviceable parts. Refer all maintenance to quali­fied Yamaha service
internal circuitry will void the warranty.

Always turn the power OFF prior to connecting or disconnecting cables.

Always plug and unplug cables by gripping the connector, not the cord.

ect to excessive dust accumulation or vibration which could

ersonnel. Opening the case and/or tampering with the

6. CLEAN WITH A SOFT
DRY CLOTH

7. ALWAYS USE THE
CORRECT POWER
SUPPLY

8. ELECTRICAL
INTERFERENCE

9. MIDI CABLES When connectin

Never use solvents such as benzine or thinner to clean the unit. Wi
a soft, dry cloth.

Alwa

s use the supplied AC Adaptor to power your SY35 or, if the original

ada

tor is lost or broken, a replacement or equivalent type obtained from your
Yamaha dealer. Also, make sure that the ada
AC mains su
correct INPUT voltage is marked on the adaptor).

Since the SY35 contains di

laced too close to TV sets, radios or similar equipment. If such a problem does

occur, move the SY35 further away from the affected equipment.

cables made especially for MIDI data transmission. Also avoid cables longer
than about 15 meters, as lon
causes data errors.

e clean with

tor you have is appropriate for the

voltage in the area where you intend to use the SY35 (the

ital circuitry, it may cause interference and noise if

the SY35 to MIDI equipment, be sure to use high-qualit

er cables can pick up electrical noise that can

3

10. MEMORY BACKUP The SY35 contains a special backup battery that will retain the contents of the

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internal RAM memor
manufacture. When the bat ter
will be lost, so we recommend that you make regular backup copies of
im

ortant data by transferring the data to external memory cards (see page 41
of the Feature Reference manual for information on card data stora
even
accidental erasure, etc.) save
such as the Yamaha MDF2.

(see your Yamaha dealer) after approximately 5 years.

reater security (memory card data can be lost due to battery failure,

Have the backu

for up to approximately five years from the date of

finally fails the contents of the RAM memor

e). For

our data to flo

battery replaced b

disk via a MIDI data filer unit

ualified Yamaha service personnel

11. THIRD-PARTY
SOFTWARE

IMPORTANT!: Yamaha cannot be held res

backup failure or improper operation of the SY35!

Yamaha can not take an
b

third-party manufacturers. Please direct any questions or comments about

such software to the manufacturer or their agents.

responsibility for software produced for this product

onsible for data loss caused b

4

About the Manuals

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The SY35 comes with two manuals — Getting Started and Feature Reference.

● The Getting Started

Manual

(this manual)

In addition to an overview of the SY35 controls and connectors (page 8), the
Getting Started manual contains five separate tutorials that take you step-by-step
throu

h the main procedures you will need to know to become familiar with

your SY35:

1. Setting Up Your System [Page 14]

Basic system connections.

2. Selecting And Playing Voices [Page 16]

Selectin
voice banks.

3. Vectors [Page 21]

Using and understanding manual and dynamic vectors.

4. Instant Voice Programming [Page 31]

The fast way to create an unlimited range of new voices for the SY35.

5. The Multi Mode [Page 34]

Pla
external MIDI sequencer.

We recommend that
carrying out procedures on your SY35. Once you’ve gone through the entir
TUTORIALS section in this way, you should be familiar enough with the SY3
to need only the Feature Reference manual in future.

and playing voices from the PRESET, INTERNAL and CARD

several voices simultaneously, or control multiple SY35 voices from a

ou go through the tutorials in sequence while actuall

5

● The Feature

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Reference Manual

The Feature Reference manual is the “nuts and bolts” reference for the SY35,
individuall
manual is divided into eight main sections, each describing the various functions
within a particular SY35 edit or utility mode.

1. VOICE COMMON [Page 3]

2. VOICE VECTOR [Page 9]

3. ELEMENT TONE [Page 15]

4. ELEMENT ENVELOPE [Page 25]

5. MULTI [Page 33]

6. UTILITY SETUP [Page 39]

7. UTILITY RECALL [Page 47]

8. UTILITY MIDI [Page 51]

describing its many functions in detail. The Feature Reference

Once
the Getting Started manual, you should only need to refer to the Featur
Reference manual from time to time to get details on functions you’ve neve
used before, or refresh your memory about functions that you don’t use ver
often.

so you should be able to locate any particular function quickly and easil
Functions and references can also be located by referring to the index at th
back of the manual.

ou have become familiar with the way the SY35 works by going throu

Each section of the Feature Reference manual has its own table of contents

7

2. Selecting And Playing Voices

Although the SY35 can access three different voice memories — PRESET,

INTERNAL, and CARD — let’s begin by selecting and playing some of the

If the MODE [VOICE] key indicator is lit, then the Voice Play mode is

already selected and you can go directly to the next step. If it isn’t, press

The words “VOICE PLAY” also appear on the top line of the LCD panel

VOICE PLAY

If the MEMORY [PRESET] key indicator is already lit, then the PRESET

voice memory is already selected and you can go straight to the next step.

16

The first thing you’ll want to do with your SY35 is select and play some of its outstanding voices … this section
will show you how to do just that. We’ll also look at the overall SY35 voice memory configuration.

Play the Presets

preset voices.

1 Select the Voice Play Mode

the [VOICE] key to select it.

when the Voice Play mode is selected.

P11 AP:Rock

2 Select the PRESET Voice Memory

If it isn’t, press the [PRESET] key to select it.

PRESET VOICE LIST

Note that the voices are arranged in categories for easier access. For example,

preset bank 1 contains acoustic piano voices, preset bank 2 contains electric

piano and other keyboards, bank 3 is all brass, bank 4 is strings, and so on. The

Also note that the delimiter which separates the category prefix from the voice

name indicates whether the voice is a 2-element or 4-element type: colon (:) =

A more detailed voice list is provided in the Feature Reference manual

18

No. Voice Name No. Voice Name No. Voice Name No. Voice Name

11

AP:Rock

12

AP:Clsic

13

AP*Chors

14

AP:HTonk

15

AP:Soft

16

AP*Pf&St

17

AP:Blend

18

AP*Bell

21

EP*Tine

22

EP:Light

23

EP:Old

24

EP*Malet

25

KY*Clav1

26

KY:Clav2

27

KY:Celst

28

KY:Hrpsi

INTERNAL VOICE LIST

No. Voice Name No. Voice Name No. Voice Name No. Voice Name

11

SP*Warm

12

SP*Resnc

13

SP*Full!

14

SP*Bell

15

SP*Filtr

16

SP*Deep

17

SP*Fog

18

SP*Dyna

21

SC*Dgcrd

22

SC*Elgnt

23

SC*sFz<

24

SC*Coin

25

SC*Brash

26

SC:Water

27

SC*Sand

28

SC*Reso

31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38

41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48

31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38

41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48

BR:Trmpt
BR:Mute
BR:Tromb
BR:Flugl
BR:FrHrn
BR*Sect1
BR*Sect2
BR*Fanfr

ST*Arco1
ST:Arco2
ST:Cello
ST*SlwAt
ST*Pizz
ST*Treml
ST*OrchB
ST*OrchS

SL*Saw
SL:Squar
SL*Sync
SL*Power
SL*Whstl
SL*2VCO
SL*Fat
SL*AnaSy

OR:Tango
OR:Paris
OR*Rock1
OR*Rock2
OR*Rock3
OR*Cat
OR*Big
OR*Combo

51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58

61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68

51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58

61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68

BA:Wood
BA:Frtls
BA*Slap
BA:Fingr
BA:Pick
BA:Synth
BA:Tchno
BA:Groov

WN:Sax
WN:Flute
WN:Clari
WN:Oboe
WN*PanFl
WN*SaxEm
WN*Ensmb
WN*Orch

BR*Punch
BR*Power
BR*Fat
BR:Lite
ST*Modrn
ST*Soft
ST*Mild
ST:Lite

SE*Hit
SE*Start
SE*Who?
SE*Open
SE*Emgsy
SE*Elect
SE*GoUp!
SE*and>?

71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78

81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88

71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78

81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88

PL:Gypsy
PL:Folk
PL*Wide
PL*Mute
PL:Rock
PL*Dist
PL:Chrng
PL:Sitar

CH*Pure
CH*Itopy
CH*Uhh-­CH*Angel
CH*Bell
CH*Snow
CH*Vcodr
CH*Marin

ME*Wide!
ME*Drama
ME*SlwSg
ME*Grand
ME*Typhn
ME*Tzone
ME*Space
ME*Memry

PC:Vibe
PC*Marim
PC:M.Box
PC:Timp
PC*Batl
PC*Human
DR*Auto
DR:Kit

category of each voice is identified by a two-character prefix, as follows:
AP = Acoustic Piano WN = Wind OR = Organ

EP = Electric Piano PL = Plucked SE = Sound Effect
KY = Keyboard CH = Chorus ME = Musical Effect
BR = Brass SP = Synth Pad PC = Percussive
ST = Strings SC = Synth Comp DR = Drums
BA = Bass SL = Synth Lead

2-element voice, asterisk (*) = 4-element voice.

appendix, on page 59.

3. Vectors

Before we get into the details of vector synthesis, try using the VECTOR

CONTROL with some of the preset voices to get a feel for what this versatile

While in the Voice Play mode (see the preceding section if you don’t

know how to select the Voice Play mode), turn the Vector Play mode ON

by pressing the VECTOR PLAY [ON/OFF] key so that either the [LEVEL]

or [DETUNE] indicator lights, then press the [LEVEL/DETUNE] key to

select the [LEVEL] indicator (the [LEVEL] and [DETUNE] indicators are

The SP*Bell voice (INTERNAL bank 1, number 4) is a good choice to

VOICE PLAY

Try moving the VECTOR CONTROL vertically, sideways, and in circles

while you play on the keyboard, and listen carefully to how the sound

21

Vectors are a versatile musical tool. You can simply use the VECTOR CONTROL as an expressive controller
while playing, or spend some time programming sophisticated “dynamic vectors” that play automatically.

Manual Vector Control

feature can do.

1 Select the Vector Play LEVEL Mode

selected alternately when the key is pressed).

2 Select the SP

Bell Voice

*

experiment with the VECTOR CONTROL.

I14 SP*Bell

3 Move the Vector Control While Playing

changes.

VECTOR CONTROL

A

D

CD

B

A

C

B

Press the VECTOR PLAY [LEVEL/DETUNE] key so that the [DETUNE]

indicator lights, move the VECTOR CONTROL while playing, and listen

The following voices also effectively demonstrate the power of the

VECTOR CONTROL. Select them and apply LEVEL and DETUNE vector

How the VECTOR

SY35 voices can have either a “2-element” or “4-element” configuration.

Each element is actually an independent sound or “waveform,” and vector

control allows the 2 or 4 different waveforms in a voice to be blended and

The “A,” “B,” “C,” and “D” markings around the VECTOR

CONTROL correspond to the voice elements. A 2-element voice uses only

elements A and B, while a 4-element voice uses all four elements — A, B, C and

22

CONTROL Works

4 Try DETUNE Vector Control …

for the difference in sound.

5 Also Try the Vector Control With These Voices …

control as you play:

l

P68 WN*Orch

l

I74 ME*Grand

l

I78 ME*Memry

detuned in a variety of ways — manually or automatically.

D.

VECTOR CONTROL

For the sake of clarity, we'll represent the SY35 vector control by asimple graph like the one
shown to the right for the rest of the tutorial.

A

CD

B

D

A

B

C

LEVEL OR PITCH CHANGE

In addition to the manual vector control capability described so far, the SY35

features advanced automatic vector recording and playback capability.

Automatic vectors are called “dynamic vectors” in the SY35, and these play

automatically whenever you play a note on the keyboard. Dynamic vectors can

be recorded in real time via the VECTOR CONTROL by using the procedure

described in the “Recording an Original Dynamic Vector” section, below.

While manual vector control is possible whenever the VECTOR PLAY mode is

lit, dynamic vectors operate only when the VECTOR PLAY mode is OFF — i.e.

Before we dive in and record an original dynamic vector, spend a few minutes

The SE*Elect voice (I66) features a distinct dynamic vector that will serve

VOICE PLAY

Make sure the manual VECTOR PLAY mode is turned OFF, using the

VECTOR PLAY [ON/OFF] key to turn it off if necessary (neither the

Play a nice long note or chord. Notice how the various elements are grad-

ually brought in and blended automatically — this is the result of a

24

Advanced Control: Dynamic
Vectors

VECTOR CONTROL MOTION

A

D

B

A

B

C

C

D

TIME

LEVEL OR PITCH

ON — i.e. when either the VECTOR PLAY [LEVEL] or [DETUNE] indicator is

Try Out the SE*Elect
Dynamic Vector

when both the VECTOR PLAY [LEVEL] and [DETUNE] indicators are out.

familiarizing yourself with the SE*Elect voice and its preset dynamic vector.

1 Select the SE

Elect Voice

*

as an ideal foundation for a few initial experiments.

I66 SE*Elect

2 Turn Vector Play OFF and Play the Voice

[LEVEL] or [DETUNE] indicators should be lit).

dynamic vector.

3 Turn Vector Play ON

Now press the VECTOR PLAY [ON/OFF] key to turn the VECTOR PLAY

Since Vector Play is ON, the dynamic vector will not play. Set the

VECTOR CONTROL to center position and play another note or chord.

You should hear all 4 elements at the same time, in approximately equal

proportions. Play with the VECTOR CONTROL a bit to get a feel for this

Now we’ll go ahead and record an original dynamic level vector for the

The first step is to enter the VOICE VECTOR edit mode, which we do by

If the LEVEL SPEED function does not appear immediately when you

enter the VOICE VECTOR edit mode, press the [VOICE VECTOR] key a

VV>LEVEL SPEED

25

mode ON, and select [LEVEL] control.

particular combination of elements.

Recording An Original
Dynamic Vector

VECTOR CONTROL

A

CD

B

A

CD

B

SP*Bell voice.

1 Select the VOICE VECTOR Edit Mode

pressing the [EDIT/UTILITY] key and then the [VOICE VECTOR] key.

2 Select the LEVEL SPEED Function

few times until it does appear (Feature Reference manual, page 11).

Vector Rate 30ms

4 Select the LEVEL REC Function

Press the [VOICE VECTOR] key once to move ahead to the LEVEL REC

Use the [4] and [6] cursor keys to move the cursor to the STBY (standby)

At this point the VECTOR CONTROL will be active in the level control

Vector recording will begin the instant you play a note on the keyboard.

Í

27

display.

parameter. (The VECTOR PLAY LEVEL LED will light.)

mode, and you can rehearse the level vector you are about to record.

5 Select REC

Move the cursor to the REC parameter (press the CURSOR [

6] key).

6 Record the Dynamic Vector

Play a note (or chord), and begin moving the VECTOR CONTROL.

VECTOR CONTROL

A

B

CD

1 Turn Memory Protect OFF

To turn the memory protect function off, press the [UTILITY SETUP] key

Move the cursor to the INT parameter and press the [–1/NO] or [+1/YES]

Now press the [VOICE] key to return to the VOICE PLAY mode. Before

actually returning you to the VOICE PLAY mode, however, the SY35 will

ask you whether you want to store the voice you have just edited into one

You can skip this step and go straight to the VOICE PLAY mode by

pressing the [–1/NO] key, or you can press [+1/YES] to initiate the voice

The number of the voice you edited will be shown to the left of the lower

29

a few times until the MEM. PROTECT function appears.

key to turn the internal memory protection off.

2 Press [VOICE]

of the INTERNAL memory locations.

storage procedure.

3 Press [+1/YES] If You Want to Store the Voice

If you press [+1/YES], a display similar to the following will appear:

display line, and the cursor will be placed to the right of the arrow.

4. Instant Voice Programming

Select any preset voice while in the VOICE PLAY mode to serve as a

“platform” for your new voice. ST*Arco1 (P41) is a good choice to start

VOICE PLAY

Select the VOICE COMMON edit mode by pressing the [EDIT/UTILITY]

Press the [VOICE COMMON] key a few times until “RANDOM” appears

on the top display line. As long as the cursor is on the top display line next

to the function name, it is also possible to scroll backward and forward

If the “ELEMENT” parameter does not appear in the RANDOM display,

as pictured above, use the CURSOR [4] and/or [6] keys to move the cursor

to the left-hand parameter on the lower display line (this will either be

ELEMENT, LEVEL VEC, or DETUNE VEC) and, if necessary, select

31

Although the SY35 allows you to program voices in considerable detail, in this section we’ll present a simple way
to create an unlimited range of new and useful voices.

Detailed parameters for programming individual elements are available in the ELEMENT TONE and
ELEMENT ENVELOPE edit modes described in the Feature Reference manual, beginning on pages 15 and 25,
respectively. Everything we need to have loads of fun — and to create some very serious voices — is available in
the VOICE COMMON edit mode.

1 Select a Preset Voice To Start With

with.

P41 ST*Arco1

2 Select the VOICE COMMON Edit Mode

key and then the [VOICE COMMON] key.

3 Select the RANDOM Function

through the function list by using the [–1/NO] and [+1/YES] keys.

“ELEMENT” using the [–1/NO] and [+1/YES] keys.

For Serious Voice

You’re now equipped to create a world of vibrant and very useful new voices

with very little actual programming indeed. If you do want to get deep into the

details and fine tune your voices until they are perfect, please take the time to

scribed individually, often with a few helpful hints that will help you use it most

33

Editing …

read through the Feature Reference manual. In it, each editing function is de-

effectively.

Conclusion

In the preceding tutorials we’ve covered quite a lot of ground, and by now you

should be quite familiar with the SY35. You know how to select and play the

voices, how to use manual vector control, how to record dynamic vectors and

store the results in memory, how to quickly create new voices, and how to use

the multi mode. When you get the urge to go further, please take the time to

read through the Feature Reference manual … or at least the section or sections

that pertain directly to what you want to do. The more you program and play,

the easier it will be!

40

Glossary

Aftertouch response refers to the capability to vary the sound of a note after the

note has been struck on the keyboard. This is normally accomplished by

varying finger pressure on the key. Depending on the synthesizer, aftertouch

can be used to bend the pitch of a note, apply modulation, or apply just about

any other effect. In the SY35 aftertouch can be assigned to pitch bend, level

technology that allows high-fidelity reproduction of digitally recorded “live”

hundredth of a semitone. The cent is a useful unit when dealing with very small

Normally the word “element” refers to a part of something larger. The same

applies in synthesizers. In Yamaha synthesizers, an element is an individually

ments. Each element is actually an independent waveform, so you could have a

4-element voice that is made up of a piano element, a brass element, a strings

thesizer talk. Like the envelope that encloses a letter, a synthesizer envelope

“encloses” the sound, mainly in one of two ways. An amplitude envelope

determines the overall “shape” of the sound — i.e. the speed and shape of the

attack, how fast the sound decays, etc. A pitch envelope determines how the

pitch of a note changes over time. Next to the basic waveform, the amplitude

and pitch envelopes are the most important factors in determining how a voice

FM is Yamaha’s proven Frequency Modulation synthesis technology which is

ments, as well as an infinite variety of original sounds. The reason for the

“FM” name is that this tone generator system employs a number of

independent oscillator blocks known as “operators,” that are arranged in a

in the algorithm, each operator functions either as a “modulator,” or a

“carrier” that is modulated by a modulator. Since modulators modulate the

frequency of carriers, the system is a form of frequency modulation —

If you’re relatively new to electronic music, you might be confused by some of the jargon you run across in the
literature you read (such as this manual). The following is a very brief glossary of some terms that are unique to
this field.

Aftertouch

control, pitch modulation, or amplitude modulation.

AWM Synthesis AWM stands for “Advanced Wave Memory,” Yamaha’s sophisticated sampling

sound.

Cent Just as a cent coin is one-hundredth of a dollar, a cent in musical lingo is one-

changes in pitch — such as in synthesizer tuning or detuning functions.

Element

controllable part of a voice. In the SY35, each voice can have two or four ele-

element, and a wind element.

Envelope You’ll hear the terms “envelope” and “envelope generator” quite a lot in syn-

sounds.

FM Synthesis

capable of creating extraordinarily warm, vibrant simulations of actual instru-

variety of configurations known as “algorithms.” Depending on their positions

therefore, “FM Synthesis.”

41

LFO

LFO stands for “Low Frequency Oscillator.” This is the oscillator, usually with

a frequency variable from about 0.1 to 20 hertz, that is responsible for creating

“MIDI” is an acronym standing for “Musical Instrument Digital Interface.”

puters, and other devices to communicate and control each other via a simple

cable connection. The introduction of MIDI has revolutionized the music field,

making control of the music production process easier and more efficient than

In synthesizers, the term “modulation” usually means to vary the amplitude or

frequency of a sound in accordance with some other signal. This “other

signal” is most commonly the output from the synthesizer’s LFO (described

above), although in Yamaha FM synthesis (also see above) it can also be the

Although normally a prefix, as in “multi-talented,” the term “multi” on its

usually a group of 8 or 16 voices that can be played simultaneously either from

the instrument’s keyboard, sometimes in split-keyboard configurations, or via

MIDI. For MIDI control each voice receives on a different MIDI channel

number, allowing multi to be handled as multiple tone generators by the

The word “pan” is derived from the “pan pot” controls found on mixing

consoles, which is in turn derived from “panoramic potentiometer.” A pan

control or parameter determines the position of a specific sound — e.g. an

Panning to the left means that more of the corresponding sound is delivered via

the left channel than the right channel, and vice versa. The listener then hears

the sound at the appropriate position between the stereo speakers or

— that is pre-programmed by the manufacturer and provided with a

synthesizer. Presets make life easier for beginning synthesizer users as well as

performance-oriented players who simply want to select a sound and play

without having to do any programming of their own. The quality of the presets

Mathematically speaking, a “vector” is a physical quantity with both

MIDI

Modulation

Multi

the periodic variation in tremolo, vibrato, chorus, phasing, and other modulation
type effects.

MIDI allows musical instruments, sequencers, signal processing devices, com-

ever before.

signal from a modulator operator in an FM algorithm.

own has come to refer to multi-timbre setups in the synthesizer world. A multi is

controlling sequencer or computer. Multis also allow a number of parameters to
be programmed individually for each voice: volume, pitch, effects, etc.

Pan

element of a voice or a drum instrument — within the output stereo sound field.

headphones.

Preset A “preset” can be any unit of data — a voice or multi (see above), for example

included with an instrument is therefore critical to the value of the instrument.

Vector

magnitude and direction. This applies in a similar way to vector synthesis in that
the vector control controls the magnitude and direction of a quantity that can be
pitch or level.

42

Velocity

Normally, velocity is simply defined as speed. In a synthesizer, however, it

generally refers specifically to the speed with which the keys are played. When

we think of playing a keyboard we normally think of playing the keys softer or

harder to produce softer and louder notes with the attendant timbre variations.

In reality, however, the instrument is responding to how fast the keys are played

— therefore the term “velocity response.” A synthesizer that has velocity

response lets the player produce expressive dynamics and timbre variations

Although this term is used in slightly different ways by different manufacturers,

at Yamaha a “voice” is any basic sound that can be selected and played on a

synthesizer. This is in contrast to a “performance” which is a combination of

two or more voices, and a “multi” (see above) which is a group of several

Voice

according to the way he or she plays the keys.

voices that can be controlled independently via the MIDI interface.

43

Index

–1/NO and +1/YES keys 9, 17

A

AWM 23, 41

B

Bank keys 11, 17

C

Card key 10
Card multi memory 37
Card slot 13
Card voice memory 20
Connections 14
Cursor keys 9

D

DC 10V-12V in jack 12
Demo 15
Demo key 11
Detune vectors 22
Dynamic vectors 24
Dynamic voice allocation 37

K

Keyboard 8

L

LED display 10
Level rec function 27
Level speed function 25
Level vectors 21
Liquid crystal display 10

M

Manual vector control 21
Memory backup 3
Memory protect 29, 38
MIDI cables 3
MIDI conectors 13
Modulation wheel 8, 19
Multi key 9
Multi list 36
Multi play mode 34
Multi polyphony 37

N

Number/multi part select keys 11, 17

E

Edit/utility/compare key 9
Element envelope edit mode 31
Element parameter 31
Element tone edit mode 31
Elements 22, 41

F

FM 23, 41
Foot volume jack 12

I

Icons 6
Internal key 10
Internal multi memory 34, 37
Internal voice memory 17, 20

O

Output jacks 12
Overlapping voice selection 20

P

Phones jack 12
Pitch bend wheel 8, 19
Power supply 3
Power switch 12
Power-on procedure 14
Preset key 10
Preset multi memory 34, 37
Preset voice memory 16, 19

R

Random function 31

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S

Store 28
Store key 10, 38
Sustain jack 13

V

Vector control 8, 21
Vector play keys 8, 21, 22
Vector rate 26
Vectors 21, 42
Voice categories 18
Voice common edit mode 31
Voice key 9
Voice list 18
Voice play mode 16
Voice vector edit mode 25
Volume control 8

45