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VH Effect Editor
Manual
Important Notices
The VH Effect Editor provides an easy, intuitive way to edit the Harmony effect settings of the
PLG100-VH Vocal Harmony Plug-in Board.
• Do not use any of the panel controls on an external tone generator while editing the Harmony
effect with the VH Effect Editor, since this may inadvertently change the settings of the
PLG100-VH.
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 VH Effect Editor, 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 (c) 2001 Yamaha Corporation. All rights reserved.
Version 1.0, 2001
YAMAHA CORPORATION
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About the VH Effect Editor
The VH Eff ect Editor is pro viding an e xceptionally simple and con v enient wa y to edit and
control the PLG100-VH Vocal Harmony Plug-in Board. It also features comprehensive,
detailed control of the Harmony effect by giving you access to all of the “hidden” parameters of the PLG100-VH.
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Setting Up
Setting up with XG Plug-in System “mother” device
(MU series, etc.)
■
Microphone Setup........................................................
z
Connect a microphone to the A/D INPUT jack.
x
Select Part “A1,” then select the “Mic” preset (bank #000, program
#002).
■
MIDI Setup.....................................................................
If you wish to control the Harmony effect from a MIDI keyboard or with song data played
on a MIDI sequencer, make the following MIDI-related settings.
• MIDI is used only when the Harmony Type is set to Vocoder or Chordal. For the Detune and
Chromatic types, Harmony is unaffected by a connected MIDI device.
z
Set up the MIDI keyboard or sequencer.
Connect the MIDI OUT of the MIDI device to MIDI IN of the tone generator/sound
card. Set the device’s MIDI transmit channel to 1 (or to the same channel you’ll be
setting in step #2 below).
x
Set the Harmony Channel.
This determines the MIDI receive channel for the Harmony effect, and should be
set to the same value as set for the MIDI device in step #1 above.
c
Assign the Harmony effect to the desired Part (with the Part parameter).
v
Disable all other Parts set to the same channel as the Harmony Channel.
You'll want to make sure that the connected keyboard or sequencer doesn’t sound
any of the instrument Parts of the tone generator/sound card. If one or more Parts
are set to the same MIDI channel (as set in step #2 above), change the MIDI channel setting of the Part(s), mute them, or set the volume of each Part to 0.
b
Set the Harmony Type to Vocoder or Chordal.
■
Easy Setup....................................................................
You can quickly and easily make many of the above settings directly from the VH Effect
Editor, with the Easy Setup dialog box.
Setting up with Modular Synthesis Plug-in System “mother” device
(S80, MOTIF series, etc.)
z
Connect a microphone to the A/D INPUT jack of the “mother” device.
x
Make the appropriate settings on the “mother” device — ensuring that
the signal received via the A/D INPUT jack is properly sent to the
PLG100-VH.
(For details, refer to the owner’s manual of your particular “mother”
device.)
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Harmony Types
About the Harmony Types
The Harmony effect features four separate types: Vocoder, Chordal, Detune, and Chro-
matic.
The Vocoder type produces up to three harmony notes, corresponding to the notes you
play on a connected MIDI keyboard. In other words, you can sing the melody and
“play” the harmony or harmonies from the keyboard (or from a sequencer).
The Chordal type produces up to three harmony notes that correspond to the chords
you play on a connected MIDI keyboard (or chords recorded to a sequencer). Thirtyfour different chord types are recognized in this mode.
The Detune type produces a slightly “detuned” pitch and mixes it with the input signal for
a rich chorusing effect.
The Chromatic type produces a harmony at a predetermined, fixed pitch interval from
the original sound (such as an octave, or a third).
When the Type is set to Thru, no Harmony effect is applied, and the only other available
parameter is Insert Part.
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Harmony Types /
Applying Vocoder Harmony
Applying V ocoder Harmony
The Vocoder type allows you to “play” up to three harmony notes from a connected MIDI
keyboard or sequencer.
z
Click on the Effect tab.
x
Set the Harmony T ype to Vocoder.
c
Set Part to “Ad1.”
• If you are using a Modular Synthesis Plug-in-compatible tone generator or synthesizer, you’ll
need to set the Part Number from the device itself.
v
Click on the System tab.
b
Set the Harmony Channel to match the MIDI transmit channel of the
connected MIDI keyboard or sequencer.
n
Make sure that Harmony Mute is set to “off” and that all three Har-
mony V olume settings are set to appropriate levels (90 or greater).
• When you play the keyboard and sing into the microphone, the harmony or harmonies match
the pitch of the notes you play.
• You can create automatic harmonies for an entire song (on sequencer) by recording the
appropriate notes to one track of the song.
• The Mode parameter gives you access to a wide variety of harmonies by letting you set how
the harmonies are transposed.
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Harmony Types /
Applying Chordal Harmony
Applying Chordal Harmony
The Chordal type produces up to three harmony notes according to the chords you play
on a connected MIDI keyboard (or chords recorded to a sequencer).
z
Click on the Effect tab.
x
Set the Harmony T ype to Chordal.
c
Set Part to “Ad1.”
• If you are using a Modular Synthesis Plug-in-compatible tone generator or synthesizer, you’ll
need to set the Part Number from the device itself.
v
Click on the System tab.
b
Set the Harmony Channel to match the MIDI transmit channel of the
connected MIDI keyboard or sequencer.
n
Make sure that Harmony Mute is set to “off” and that all three Har-
mony V olume settings are set to appropriate levels (90 or greater).
• When you play the keyboard and sing into the microphone, the harmonies correspond to the
chord you play.
• If you continue to hold your vocal note , the harmony notes will also continue to sound, even
after you release the keys.
• You can create automatic chordal harmonies for an entire song (on sequencer) by recording
the appropriate chords to one track of the song. The chords can also be specified and input
from the Chord tab.
• The chord data for controlling the harmonies can be recorded as system exclusive data —
eliminating the need for a keyboard or for dedicating a MIDI channel for harmony data.
• The Mode parameter gives you access to a variety of harmony styles (Duet, Trio, and Quartet)
and various voicings (above and below the original vocal note).
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Harmony Types /
Applying Detune Harmony
Applying Chromatic Harmony
/
Applying Detune Harmony
The Detune produces a slightly “detuned” pitch and mixes it with the input signal for a
chorus-like effect.
z
Click on the Effect tab.
x
Set the Harmony T ype to Detune.
c
Set Part to “Ad1.”
• If you are using a Modular Synthesis Plug-in-compatible tone generator or synthesizer, you'll
need to set the Part Number from the device itself.
v
Click on the System tab.
b
Make sure that Harmony Mute is set to “off” and that all three Har-
mony V olume settings are set to appropriate levels (90 or greater).
• When you sing into the microphone, a rich, natural chorus effect is produced.
• The Mode parameter lets you change the amount of detuning, letting you set how subtle or
dramatic the effect is.
• The gender of the harmony note cannot be changed in Detune.
Applying Chromatic Harmony
The Chromatic type produces a har mony at a specific pitch interval from the original
sound.
z
Click on the Effect tab.
x
Set the Harmony T ype to Chromatic.
c
Set Part to “Ad1.”
• If you are using a Modular Synthesis Plug-in-compatible tone generator or synthesizer, you'll
need to set the Part Number from the device itself.
v
Click on the System tab.
b
Make sure that Harmony Mute is set to “off” and that all three Har-
mony V olume settings are set to appropriate levels (90 or greater).
• When you sing into the microphone, the Harmony effect produces a single harmony note — at
a specified interval from the original vocal note.
• The Mode parameter lets you change the amount of pitch shift, or the interval from the original note.
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Parameters
The VH Effect Editor parameters are contained in the three tabs: Effect, System, and
Chord.
Toolbar
The toolbar gives you quick access to some important functions and controls. These
buttons let you easily execute the desired function without having to select a menu or
leave the VH Effect Editor window.
• This function pertains only to Windows system.
Open VH Effect Editor File
This is the same as the corresponding command in the File menu. It lets you select
and open an existing VH Effect Editor File. (See File Menus, Open VH Effect Editor
File.)
Save VH Effect Editor File
This is the same as the corresponding command in the File menu. It lets you save the
current VH Effect EditorEditor settings as a parameter file for future recall. (See File
Menus, Save VH Effect Editor File.)
Insert VH Effect Editor Parameter (Plug-in Editor only)
This is the same as the corresponding command in the Edit menu. It lets you insert the
current VH Effect Editor settings to a specified track/position in the XGworks song.
(See Edit Menus, Insert VH Effect Editor Parameter.)
Copying Chord Events To the Master Track (Plug-in Editor only)
This is the same as the corresponding command in the Edit menu. It lets you select
and copy chord events to the the Master Track. (See Edit Menus, Copying Chord
Events To the Master Track.)
Copying Chord Events From the Master Track (Plug-in Editor only)
This is the same as the corresponding command in the Edit menu. It lets you select
and copy chord events from the the Master Track. (See Edit Menus, Copying Chord
Events From the Master Track.)
VH Effect Editor Setup
This is the same as the corresponding command in the Setup menu. It lets you make
various important settings for configuring the VH Effect Editor with the PLG100-VH.
(See Setup Menus, VH Effect Editor Setup.)
Easy Setup
This is the same as the corresponding command in the Setup menu. It lets you make
easy settings for configuring the VH Effect Editor with the PLG100-VH. (See Setup
Menus, Easy Setup.)
Manual
This is the same as the corresponding command in the Help menu. It lets you open the
VH Effect Editor manual.
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Parameters /
Setting and Changing Parameter Values
Setting and Changing Parameter Values
Click on the desired tab: Effect, System, or Chord.
For combo box es , click the do wn arrow to e xpand the bo x, then highlight the desired setting.
For parameter sliders, click and hold the slider, then drag as desired. Alternately, click
and hold any position along the slider path; the slider automatically snaps to the new
position.
Most parameters can also be set by typing the value directly in the box. Click on the
box, then type the desired value.
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Parameters /
Effect Parameters
Effect Parameters
■
Thru...............................................................................
When the Type is set to Thru, no Harmony effect is applied, and the only other available
parameter is Insert Part.
■
Vocoder Harmony Parameters....................................
The Vocoder type produces up to three harmony notes whose pitches correspond to the
notes you play on a connected MIDI keyboard. This lets you sing the melody and “play”
the harmony or harmonies from the keyboard (or from a sequencer). The Harmony
sound can also be transposed (see the Mode parameter).
• When more than four MIDI notes are received, priority is given first to the most recently
played notes, then the highest notes. (In other words, the harmonies of lower notes and earlier notes are cut off.)
Vocoder Type is best suited when:
• Y ou want to determine the precise harmon y notes yourself, including their octave register and
whether they are above or below the original melody note.
• Y ou want to use harmony notes and voicings that fall outside the standard chords available in
the Chordal type.
• You can play the harmony part on the keyboard, or have it played on a sequencer.
• You want to precisely control how the harmony note or notes change pitch around a fixed
melody pitch.
Vocoder Harmony Parameter Descriptions
1. Mode
1: No Transpose (default)
No transposition. The harmony notes correspond exactly to the pitch of the incoming
MIDI notes.
2: Auto Transpose
Automatic transposition. This keeps the harmony notes close (±600 cents) in interval
to the input signal, no matter which octave the MIDI notes are played.
3: -3 Octave Transpose ... 8: +3 Octave Transpose
Octave transposition. This fixes the octave transposition of the har mony notes, selectable in octaves from 3 octaves below (-) to 3 octaves above (+).
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Parameters /
Effect Parameters
2. Harmony Gender Type
Settings: Off, Auto
Default: Off
This automatically determines the gender of the harmony notes (relative to the actual
gender of the singer).
Off
This turns off the gender change effect for the harmony notes.
Auto
For this setting, the PLG100-VH “listens” to the pitch of your voice to determine your gender, and automatically selects the opposite gender for the harmony notes. Keep in mind
that the gender change effect may var y according to the quality, character and pitch of
the actual voice.
When “Auto” is set, the operation of the gender change effect is affected by these parameters: Auto Upper Gender Threshold, Auto Lower Gender Threshold, Upper Gender
Depth, and Lower Gender Depth.
3. Lead Gender Type
Settings: Off, Unison, Male, Female
Default: Off
These settings determine whether the gender of the lead voice can be changed or not. It
also lets you set the gender. When this is set to “Off ,” the gender of the lead voice cannot
be changed. When this is set to “Unison,” the lead voice is reproduced at the same pitch
as the voice; however, the gender can be changed by using the Lead Gender Depth
parameter. The “Male” and “Female” settings reproduce the voice with the respective
male or female vocal qualities. (To finely adjust the quality of the lead voice, use the
Lead Gender Depth parameter.)
• When Lead Gender Type is set to “Unison,” “Male,” or “Female,” the amount of harmony notes
is reduced from three to two.
About the Lead and Harmony Voices
The PLG100-VH also produces a “lead” voice sound that can be mixed with the automatically produced harmony voices.
The PLG100-VH in effect “copies” your actual voice to create the lead voice. The lead
voice then can be altered both in pitch and gender, just as with the harmony voices.
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Parameters /
Effect Parameters
Using the Lead Voice
To properly use the lead voice, make sure to set the following parameters:
Lead Gender Type............“Unison,” “Male,” or “Female”
Lead Gender Depth..........Set to desired/appropriate value.
Lead/Harmony Balance....Set to appropr iate value. (For values at or near the maxi-
mum of “L<H63,” lead may not sound.)
You can control the pitch of the lead voice separately from the harmonies. One useful
application would be to have melody and harmony data on diff erent tracks/MIDI channels
of sequencer song data — the melody track would control the pitch of the lead voice,
while the harmony track would control the harmonies. This would ensure that all vocal
parts stay in tune with each other and with the song — even if your actual singing is
slightly off pitch!
To control the pitch of the lead voice from a connected MIDI keyboard or sequencer (separate from the harmonies), make the following settings:
Pitch Correction................“On”
Melody Channel ...............Set to same channel as the MIDI device .(Match this to the
melody track of the song data.)
Harmony Channel ............Set to different v alue from Melody Channel. (Match this to
the harmony track of the song data.)
4. Lead Gender Depth
Range: -64 ... +63
Default: 0
This determines the quality or character of the lead voice, and depends on the setting
made in Lead Gender Type. (This parameter has no effect when Lead Gender Type is
set to “Off.”) Extreme negative or positive values result in pronounced distortion of the
voice quality.
5. Lead Pitch Correction
Settings: Off, On
Default: Off
This determines whether the pitch of the lead voice is controlled by MIDI note data or not.
When this parameter and Lead Gender Type are set to “On,” the pitch of the lead voice is
“corrected” to the pitch of the received MIDI note. (This has no effect when Lead Gender
Type is set to “Off.”)
• The Pitch Correction parameter is not available when Harmony Type is set to Detune. Also,
this parameter has no effect when Lead Gender Type is set to “off.”
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Parameters /
Effect Parameters
6. Auto Upper Gender Threshold
Range: 0 ... 12 (semitones)
Default: 0
This determines which harmony notes above the melody will be gender-transformed
when Harmony Gender Type is set to “Auto.” More specifically, it sets the range or inter-
val of unchanged harmonies. When set to “0, ” the gender of all harmony notes above the
melody will be changed. When set to another value, any harmonies within the interval
specified will not be changed.
For example, when this is set to 7 semitones, any harmonies a perfect fifth or lower will
remain at the same gender as the original vocal.
Used with Auto Lower Gender Threshold, this gives you flexible control over the gender
of the harmony notes, both above and below the melody.
• This parameter has no effect when Harmony Gender Type is set to “off.”
7. Auto Lower Gender Threshold
Range: 0 ... 12 (semitones)
Default: 0
This determines which harmony notes below the melody will be gender-transformed
when Harmony Gender Type is set to “Auto.” More specifically, it sets the range or inter-
val of unchanged harmonies. When set to “0,” the gender of all harmony notes below the
melody will be changed. When set to another value, any harmonies within the interval
specified will not be changed. For example, when this is set to 5 semitones, any harmonies higher than a fourth below remain at the same gender as the original vocal.
Used with Auto Upper Gender Threshold, this gives you flexible control over the gender
of the harmony notes, both above and below the melody.
• This parameter has no effect when Harmony Gender Type is set to “off.”
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Parameters /
Effect Parameters
8. Upper Gender Depth
Range: -64 ... +63
Default: 20
This determines the quality or character of the harmony notes above the melody that are
set to automatically change gender — according to the Harmony Gender Type and Auto
Upper Gender Threshold settings.
Extreme negative or positive values result in pronounced distortion of the voice quality.
Also, the effect may vary according to the quality, character and pitch of the actual voice.
Experiment with this to find values that sound most natural (or unnatural, if you prefer).
• This parameter has no effect when Harmony Gender Type is set to “off.”
9. Lower Gender Depth
Range: -64 ... +63
Default: -20
This determines the quality or character of the harmony notes below the melody that are
set to automatically change gender — according to the Harmony Gender Type and Auto
Lower Gender Threshold settings.
Extreme negative or positive values result in pronounced distortion of the voice quality.
Also, the effect may vary according to the quality, character and pitch of the actual voice.
Experiment with this to find values that sound most natural (or unnatural, if you prefer).
• This parameter has no effect when Harmony Gender Type is set to “off.”
10. Lead/Harmony Balance (Lead/Harm)
Range: L63>H (maximum lead level) ... L=H (equal level) ...
L<H63 (maximum harmony level)
Default: L=H
This determines the relative balance of the lead and harmony voices. For most conventional applications, this should be set to “L=H” or a slightly higher lead level (such as
“L10>H” or more).
11. Vibrato Depth
Range: 0 ... 127
Default: 39
This determines the depth of the Vibrato effect on the harmony notes and the lead note.
(The lead note is not affected when Lead Gender Type is set to “Off.”) Higher values
result in a stronger, more pronounced vibrato sound.
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