Getting Started
Owner's Manual 1
Getting Started
Owner’s Manual 1
Getting Started
Contents
Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
About the Manuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
■ The Getting Started Manual (this manual) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
■ The Feature Reference Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
■ Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
VL1 Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Essential Concepts for the VL1 User
■ What Are the Advantages? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
■ The VL1 Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
The Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
The Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
The Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
■ There’s More … . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
The Controls & Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
A Brief Introduction To the VL1 Interface
■ Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
■ Rear Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Setting Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
System Connections & Preparation
■ Power Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
■ Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Breath Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Foot Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Foot Switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
■ Audio Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Headphones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Stereo Sound System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
■ MIDI Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
■ Power-on Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
■ Play the Demo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
■ Breath Controller Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
■ Load the Pre-programmed Voice Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
2
Getting Started
Voice Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Selecting & Playing the VL1’s 128 Voices
■ Using the Voice Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
■ The Pre-programmed VL1 Voices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
The Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Natural Musical Nuance and Expressive Control
■ Physical Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
■ VL1 Controller Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
■ Controller Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
■ Some Exercises With the AltoSax Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
■ Controller Envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
■ Other Controller Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Mixing & The Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Creating New Timbres and Original Voices
Mixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
■ An Exercise: Remix the Pan Pipes Voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
The Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
■ Harmonic Enhancer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
■ Dynamic Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
■ Frequency Equalizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
■ Impulse Expander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
■ Resonator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Creating the Right Ambience
■ Modulation Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
■ Feedback Delay Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
■ Reverb Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
3
Getting Started
Precautions
!! PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE PROCEEDING !!
■ Location
Do not expose the instrument to the following
conditions to avoid deformation, discoloration, or more
serious damage.
• Direct sunlight (e.g. near a window).
• High temperatures (e.g. near a heat source,
outside, or in a car during the daytime).
• Excessive humidity.
• Excessive dust.
• Strong vibration.
■ Power Supply
• Turn the power switch OFF when the instrument
is not in use.
• The power supply cord should be unplugged from
the AC outlet if the instrument is not to be used
for an extended period of time.
• Unplug the instrument during electric storms.
• Avoid plugging the instrument into the same AC
outlet as appliances with high power consumption,
such as electric heaters or ovens. Also avoid using
multi-plug adaptors since these can result in
reduced sound quality and possibly damage.
■ Turn Power OFF When Making Connections
• To avoid damage to the instrument and other
devices to which it is connected (a sound system,
for example), turn the power switches of all
related devices OFF prior to connecting or disconnecting audio and MIDI cables.
■ MIDI Connections
• When connecting the VL1 to MIDI equipment, be
sure to use high-quality cables made especially for
MIDI data transmission.
• Avoid MIDI cables longer than about 15 meters.
Longer cables can pick up electrical noise that can
causes data errors.
■ Handling and Transport
• Never apply excessive force to the controls,
connectors or other parts of the instrument.
• Always unplug cables by gripping the plug firmly,
not by pulling on the cable.
• Disconnect all cables before moving the instrument.
• Physical shocks caused by dropping, bumping, or
placing heavy objects on the instrument can result
in scratches and more serious damage.
■ Cleaning
• Clean the cabinet and panel with a dry soft cloth.
• A slightly damp cloth may be used to remove
stubborn grime and dirt.
• Never use cleaners such as alcohol or thinner.
• Avoid placing vinyl objects on top of the instrument (vinyl can stick to and discolor the surface).
■ Electrical Interference
• This instrument contains digital circuitry and may
cause interference if placed too close to radio or
television receivers. If this occurs, move the
instrument further away from the affected equipment.
■ Data Backup
• The VL1 contains a special long-life battery that
retains the contents of its internal memory even
when the power is turned OFF. The backup
battery should last for several years. When the
backup battery needs to be replaced “Change
battery!” will appear on the display when the
power is turned on. When this happens, have the
backup battery replaced by qualified Yamaha
service personnel. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO
REPLACE THE BACKUP BATTERY YOURSELF!
4
Getting Started
• Internal memory data can be corrupted due to
incorrect operation. Be sure to save important data
to floppy disk frequently so you have a backup to
revert to if something happens to damage the data
in memory. Also note that magnetic fields can
damage data on the disk, so it is advisable to
make a second back-up copy of disks that contain
very important data, and keep backup disks in a
safe place away from stray magnetic fields (i.e.
away from speakers, appliances containing motors, etc.).
■ Handle Floppy Disks and the Disk Drive With
Care
• Use only 3.5” 2HD or 2DD type floppy disks.
• Do not bend or apply pressure to the floppy disk.
Do not open the shutter and touch the surface of
the floppy disk inside.
• Do not expose the disk to high temperatures. (e.g.
direct sunlight)
• Do not expose the disk to magnetic fields. Magnetic fields can partially or totally erase data on
the disk, rendering the disk unreadable.
• To eject a floppy disk, press the eject button
slowly as far as it will go then, when the disk is
fully ejected, remove it by hand.
The disk may not be ejected properly if the eject
button is pressed too quickly, or it is not pressed
in as far as it will go (the eject button may become stuck in a half-pressed position and the disk
extends from the drive slot by only a few
millimeters). If this happens, do not attempt to
pull out the partially ejected disk. Using force in
this situation can damage the disk-drive mechanism or the floppy disk. To remove a partially
ejected disk, try pressing the eject button once
again, or push the disk back into the slot and then
repeat the eject procedure carefully.
• Do not insert anything but floppy disks into the
disk drive. Other objects may cause damage to the
disk drive or the floppy disk.
■ Service and Modification
• The VL1 contains no user serviceable parts.
Opening it or tampering with it in any way can
lead to irreparable damage and possibly electric
shock. Refer all servicing to qualified YAMAHA
personnel.
■ Third-party Software
• Yamaha can not take any responsibility for
software produced for this product by third-party
manufacturers. Please direct any questions or
comments about such software to the manufacturer or their agents.
YAMAHA is not responsible for damage caused by improper handling or operation.
5
Getting Started
About the Manuals
The VL1 comes with two manuals — Getting Started and Feature
Reference.
The Getting Started Manual (this manual)
The Getting Started manual contains seven chapters that take you through
essential information and procedures you will need to know to become familiar
with your VL1:
1. VL1 Basics [≥ Page 8]
Basic concepts you’ll need to understand in order to get the
most out of the VL1.
2. The Controls & Connectors [≥ Page 16]
Brief descriptions of the VL1 controls and connectors, and their
functions.
3. Setting Up [≥ Page 22]
System connections, powering up, playing the demo, calibrating
the Breath Controller, and loading the pre-programmed voices.
4. Voice Selection [≥ Page 34]
Several ways to select and play the VL1’s 128 voices.
5. The Controllers [≥ Page 38]
The VL1 controllers and how they can be assigned and edited
for optimum control.
6. Mixing & The Modifiers [≥ Page 48]
Customizing the sound to suit your own personal needs.
7. Effects [≥ Page 58]
An overview of the built-in digital effects that you can use to
add depth and ambience to the VL1 sound.
We recommend that you go through the chapters in sequence and actually
try out the various operations described. Once you’ve gone through the entire
Getting Started manual in this way, you should be familiar enough with the VL1
to need only the VL1 Feature Reference manual in future.
6
Getting Started
The Feature Reference Manual
The Feature Reference manual is the “nuts and bolts” reference for
the VL1, individually describing its many functions in detail. The Feature
Reference manual is divided into five main sections, each describing the
various functions within a particular VL1 edit or utility mode.
1. General Operation [
2. Play Mode [
3. Edit Mode [≥ Page 21]
4. Utility Mode [≥ Page 151]
5. Appendix [≥ Page 177]
Once you have become familiar with the way the VL1 works by
going through the Getting Started manual, you should only need to refer to
the Feature Reference manual from time to time to get details on functions
you’ve never used before, or refresh your memory about functions that
you don’t use very often.
Each section of the Feature Reference manual has its own table of
contents, so you should be able to locate any particular function quickly
and easily. Functions and references can also be located by referring to the
index at the back of the manual.
≥ Page 13]
≥ Page 7]
Conventions
The following conventions are used through the VL1 manuals to
avoid confusion and make the text easier to read.
Buttons & Controls
Button and control names used on the VL1 panel appear in the text
in capital letters within a border: “the [ button”, for example.
Parameter Names
Parameter names and other labels which appear on the VL1 display
are printed in the courier typeface for easier identification: for
example, “adjust the “Balance” parameter as required”.
Parameter Ranges
An ellipsis is used to indicate a range of parameter values: e.g. “0 …
127”. This minimizes the confusion sometimes caused by the use of
a hyphen or dash for this purpose.
7
Getting Started
VL1 Basics
Essential Concepts for the VL1 User
he Yamaha VL1 Virtual Acoustic Synthesizer produces sound in an
entirely new way. It has no oscillators or function generators, no
T
generation concepts employed in conventional synthesizers. The VL1
represents the world’s first practical application of computer-based “physical modeling” in musical sound synthesis.
systems or the flight characteristics of aircraft in the design stage, the VL1
simulates the very complex vibrations, resonances, reflections and other
acoustic phenomena that occur in a real wind or string instrument. This
requires a tremendous amount of computer processing power (weather and
aerodynamic modeling require room-filling super computers), and radical
advances in microprocessor speed and capability plus some very sophisticated Yamaha technology were necessary to achieve the real-time sound
generation capabilities exhibited by the ground-breaking VL1 Virtual
Acoustic Synthesizer.
preset waveforms or samples. In fact, it uses none of the sound
In the same way that computer models are used to simulate weather
8
Getting Started
What Are the Advantages?
he VL1 offers many advantages in terms of musical performance.
Not just in terms of sound, but also in terms of the “behavior” that
T
because someone has programmed a certain sound or pattern of behavior
into it. The physical model can be programmed to have certain attributes
— the length of a pipe or the stiffness of a reed, for example — but the
actual sound produced by any configuration can only be accurately determined by playing it. Of course, the same applies to the design of acoustic
instruments. Because of its natural acoustic behavior the VL1 is undoubtedly a little harder to play than conventional synthesizers, but when mastered this is the very characteristic that is its greatest strength. The Yamaha
VL1 is the most musical synthesizer ever made. A soloist’s dream!
makes acoustic instruments so … well, musical! But this is not
• The VL1 sounds better, has more depth, and is more realistic in
the musical sense than any other synthesizer system.
• Simply pressing a key in the same way does not always produce
precisely the same sound. The instrument is responsive and
“alive”.
• Note-to-note transitions have the same continuity exhibited by
acoustic instruments. What goes on in between the notes is just as
important musically as the notes themselves.
• It has extraordinary expressive capability. Rather than simply
controlling parameters like volume or pitch, you can control
characteristics such as breath and reed pressure with appropriate
complex effects on the timbre of the sound.
9
T
Getting Started
The VL1 Model
he overall VL1 model or “algorithm” consists of three main blocks:
the instrument, controllers, and modifiers. In schematic form these
blocks are arranged as follows:
One VL "Element"
Controllers (also envelopes)
Instrument
●
The Instrument
The key block in this algorithm is the instrument, since it is here that the
fundamental tone or “timbre” of the sound is defined. The extreme complexity
of this portion of the model makes it unsuitable for user programming, so various instruments for the VL1 are provided in the form of pre-programmed voices.
These are primarily woodwind, brass, and string voices, since the VL1’s physical model is capable of most accurately simulating the sound-generating mechanism of all three instrument categories.
The instrument model consists primarily of a driver — the reed/
mouthpiece, lip/mouthpiece, or bow/string system — and a resonant system corresponding to the tube and air column or string.
(the VL has 2 of these)
Modifiers
Sound
out.
10
Getting Started
In all these
instruments
pressure
applied here
(the driving
point) causes
vibration which
results in
sound.
The sound thus
produced is amplified
and sustained
by the body of
the instrument.
Reed vibration.
Lip vibration.
Air vibration.
String vibration.
The pitch of the sound is determined
by the length of the air column or
string, and the timbre is a complex
product of the driving source (reed,
lip, air, string), the shape of the
resonant cavity, the materials from
which the instrument is made, etc.
One of the remarkable features of the VL1’s Virtual Acoustic Synthesis
system is that just about any driver can be used with any type of pipe or string.
Drivers Pipes/String
11
Getting Started
●
The Controllers
The input to an acoustic instrument comes from the player’s lungs, trachea, oral
cavity, and lips. In a string instrument it comes from the players arm movement, transmitted to the string via a bow. These elements actually form an important part of the
sound generating system and, in the VL1 model, are included in the controllers block.
The player also influences the sound of the instrument by playing the keys, tone holes, or
frets, and this aspect of control constitutes another part of the controllers block. These
and other control parameters provided by the VL1 are listed in the illustration below.
In essence, the controller parameters determine how the instrument “plays”. All of
these parameters can be assigned to any of the external controllers that can be used with
the VL1: breath controller, foot controller, modulation wheels, etc. The pressure parameter, for example, will normally be assigned to a breath controller so the player can
control the dynamics of the instrument by varying the breath pressure applied to the
controller — a natural, instinctive way to play wind-instrument voices. At the same time
the growl and throat parameters might also be assigned to the breath controller in order
to achieve life-like response and effects.
Controls the characteristics
of the "player's" throat or bowing arm.
Pressure
The amount of breath pressure
applied to the reed or mouthpiece,
or bow velocity applied to the string".
Embouchure
The tightness of the lips against
the reed or against each other, or
the force of the bow against the
string.
Pitch
Changes the length of the
air column or string, and thereby
the pitch of the sound.
Throat
Growl
A periodic pressure (bow
velocity) modulation which
produces the "growl" effect
often heard in wind instruments.
Tonguing
Simulates the half-tonguing
technique used by saxophone
players by changing the "slit"
of the reed.
Scream
Drives the entire system into
chaotic oscillation, creating
effects that can only be
achieved with physical
modelling technology.
Damping & Absorption
Simulate the effects of air friction
in the pipe or on the string,
and of high-frequency losses
at the end of the pipe or string.
12
Getting Started
●
The Modifiers
Although you don’t have direct programming access to the VL1 instrument block, the modifiers allow a significant degree of control over the final
timbre of the voice. The modifiers block consists of 5 sections as shown in the
diagram. Although these may appear to be simple effects, they are actually
intimately related to the VL1’s sound-producing model and have a significant
effect on the sound (the VL1 has a separate effects stage with reverb, delay, and
modulations effects — see page 58).
Harmonic Enhancer
The Harmonic Enhancer allows you to
manipulate the harmonic structure of the
In
sound to the extent that you can create
radical timbral variations within the current
instrument “family” (e.g. saxes). [Page 51]
Harmonic
Enhancer
Dynamic Filter
This section is similar to the dynamic filters
found in many conventional synthesizers. It
has selectable high-pass, bandpass, band
elimination, and low-pass modes, and a
“wet/dry” balance parameter which allows
delicate variations in the degree of filtration
applied. Another important feature is key-
board cutoff tracking which varies the
cutoff frequency according to the key
played. [Page 54]
Frequency Equalizer
This is a 5-band parametric equalizer with
frequency, Q (bandwidth), and level con-
trol. The equalizer also has pre-EQ high-
and low-pass filters as well as key scaling
capability for precise response control
throughout the instrument’s range. [Page
55]
Dynamic
Filter
Frequency
Equalizer
Impulse
Expander
Resonator
Out
13
Getting Started
Impulse Expander
The Impulse Expander works in conjunction with the Resonator, described
below, to simulate the effect of an instrument’s resonant cavity or sound
box. It can also be used to simulate the acoustic environment in which the
instrument is played. In contrast to the Resonator, the Impulse Expander is
more suited to the simulation of metallic resonances and is thus invaluable
for refining the sound of brass and metal-bodied woodwinds. Other impor-
tant effects are the ability to diffuse sharp attack sounds and to give depth
and realism to vibrato. [Page 56]
Resonator
While the Impulse Expander and even the Harmonic Enhancer tend to give
the sound a metallic quality, the Resonator produces a more woody reso-
nance effect. Careful adjustment of the resonator’s parameters can often
bring a not-quite-right voice to life. [Page 57]
14
Getting Started
There’s More …
n this brief introduction to VL1 basics we’ve only looked at the
central physical model which is the key the VL1’s unprecedented
I
sound and musical performance. There’s actually much more to it. To
begin with the VL1 actually has two elements which function as independent physical models. Although it is basically a monophonic solo instrument, this means that the VL1 can produce two notes at once. More commonly the two elements are used as layers of a single voice.
Element 1
Controllers
Instrument Modifiers
Element 2
Controllers
Instrument Modifiers
There’s also an extensive range of other functions and features that
are similar to those you may be familiar with from conventional synthesizers. There are, for example, a range of programmable envelopes that can
be applied to most of the controllers in addition to real-time player control. And, of course, there’s a comprehensive selection of MIDI, disk, and
other utility functions that give the VL1 maximum versatility and convenience.
Now that you understand the basics, dive in and find out what the
VL1 can really do.
Effects
Sound
out.
15
Getting Started●The Controls & Connectors
The Controls & Connectors
A Brief Introduction To the VL1 Interface
The following brief descriptions of the VL1 controls and connectors
should help you to understand the overall logic of the interface.
q MODE Buttons
w
C Button
!8
PHONES Jack
@0
Floppy Disk Drive
!5
OCTAVE _
and + Buttons
!9
Breath Controller Jack
r
DOWN UP
OCTAVE
VOLUME Control
LR
12
OUTPUT
FOOT CONTROLLER
MODE
PLAY
EDIT UTILITY COPY STORE
COMPARE
VOLUME CS1 CS2
1
FOOT SWITCH
e
S Button
t
Control Sliders
2
IN THRU
– and ≠
OUT
MIDI
F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 CONT
PHONES
BREATH
PITCH MODULATION 1 MODULATION 2
!6
π Wheel
16
!7
“ and
‘ Wheels
u
¡ through •
Function Buttons
Getting Started●The Controls & Connectors
Front Panel
y LCD Display & ÷ Control
i Data Dial
!0
= and - Buttons
The Controls & Connectors
q MODE Buttons
The P, E, and U buttons select the corresponding VL1 modes. The
PLAY mode lets you select and play voices, the EDIT mode gives you programming
access to the VL1’s voice and controller parameters, and the UTILITY mode includes
MIDI, disk, system and other functions that are essential for general operation.
w C Button
This button is used to copy voice parameters for fast, efficient editing.
☛ Feature Reference page 25.
e S Button
Used to store edited data to an internal memory location.
☛ Feature Reference page 28.
POWER
ON / OFF
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
INCDEC
ENTEREXIT
E1
9
ALL
E2
10
HE
E1
ELEMENT ON / OFFELEMENT SELECT
11
DF
MODIFIER ON / OFF
E2
ALL
MOD
EFFECT ON / OFF
12
13
14
EQ
IE
RSN
8
FBD
REV
15
16
!2
Bank a through
h Buttons
!3
Voice Number 1
through ^ Buttons
o
Cursor Buttons
!1
] and [ Buttons
!4
Keyboard
17
Getting Started●The Controls & Connectors
r VOLUME Control
Adjusts the volume of the sound delivered via the rear-panel OUTPUT L and R
jacks as well as the PHONES jack.
☛ Getting Started page 25.
t – and ≠ Control Sliders
These controls can be assigned to a range of controller parameters for real-time
expressive control.
☛ Getting Started page 47. Feature Reference page 19.
y LCD Display & ÷ Control
This large multi-function liquid crystal display panel shows all parameters and
prompts you need to operate the VL1 with optimum ease and efficiency.
Use the ÷ (contrast) control located near the lower right-hand corner of the
display to achieve the best display visibility (LCD visibility varies greatly with viewing
angle and lighting).
☛ Getting Started page 34. Feature Reference page 14.
u ¡ through • Function Buttons
The functions of these buttons depend on the selected mode. They are used to
engage a function indicated on the display immediately above the button, select a page of
parameters, scroll through a list of parameters, and more.
☛ Getting Started page 26. Feature Reference page 9.
i Data Dial
The data entry dial provides a fast, efficient way to cover a broad range of voice
numbers when, for example, you’re looking for a voice but don’t know the voice number.
It’s also handy for making large value changes in any of the edit modes.
The data dial is “speed sensitive”, allowing accurate single step selection when
rotated slowly as well as large value “jumps” when rotated quickly.
☛ Getting Started page 35. Feature Reference page 16.
o Cursor Buttons
These 4 buttons move the “cursor” around the display screen, highlighting the
various items that are available for selection or parameters that are available for editing
(the VL1 cursor appears as a dark block with inverse characters).
☛ Getting Started page 32. Feature Reference page 10.
!0 = and - Buttons
Used to select voices and edit parameter values in any of the VL1 edit modes.
Either button can be pressed briefly for single stepping in the specified direction, or held
for continuous scrolling. These buttons are also used to respond “Yes” or “No” to the
“Are you sure?” confirmation prompt when saving, loading data.
☛ Getting Started page 35. Feature Reference page 16.
!1 ] and [ Buttons
The ] button can generally be used to exit from any sub-mode or function,
while the [ button is used to engage a variety of modes and functions.
☛ Getting Started page 27. Feature Reference page 10.
18
Getting Started●The Controls & Connectors
!2 Bank a through h Buttons
The VL1 has 128 internal voice memory locations arranged in 8 banks of 16 voices
each. These buttons select the voice bank from which an individual voice will be selected.
☛ Getting Started page 35. Feature Reference page 15.
!3 Voice Number 1 through ^ Buttons
The voice number buttons are used in conjunction with the bank buttons to select
any of the VL1’s 128 internal voice memory locations. When editing voice parameters
they are also used to select and mute elements, an to turn effects and modifiers on or off.
☛ Getting Started page 35. Feature Reference page 15.
!4 Keyboard
The VL1 has a 49-key keyboard that is both velocity and after-touch sensitive for
broad, intimate expressive control.
!5 OCTAVE _ and + Buttons
Shift the pitch of the keyboard up or down one octave. A utility “Octave Hold”
function (page 153 of the Feature Reference manual) provides two modes: shift only
while the button is held, or press once to shift and again to release. MIDI note output
data is also shifted.
!6 π Wheel
This self-centering pitch wheel allows realistic upward and downward pitch bends.
The Controls & Connectors
!7 “ and ‘ Wheels
Can be assigned to any of the VL1’s extensive range of controller parameters for
extraordinary expressive control.
☛ Getting Started page 41.
!8 PHONES Jack
Accepts a standard pair of stereo headphones (1/4" stereo phone plug) for
headphone monitoring of the VL1 sound without the need for external amplification
equipment.
☛ Getting Started page 23.
!9 Breath Controller Jack
Plug the Yamaha BC2 Breath Controller supplied with the VL1 in here (an optional
BC1 Breath Controller may also be used).
☛ Getting Started page 23.
@0 Floppy Disk Drive
The VL1’s built-in floppy disk drive allows easy, economical, high-volume storage
of voice data. The disk-in-use indicator below the drive slot lights while any disk operation is in progress (
NEVER attempt to remove a disk or turn the power off while a disk
operation is in progress). The eject button, also below the disk slot, is used to remove
disks from the drive.
☛ Feature Reference page 162.
19
Getting Started●The Controls & Connectors
YAMAHA
MODEL VL1
AC INLET
POWER
ON / OFF
THRU OUT
MIDI
IN
FOOT SWITCH
21
FOOT CONTROLLER
21
OUTPUT
L
R
@1
AC Power Cord
Socket
Rear Panel
@2 POWER Switch
@6
MIDI IN, OUT and
@3
OUTPUT L and R Jacks
THRU Connectors
@4
FOOT CONTROLLER 1 and 2 Jacks
@5
FOOT SWITCH 1 and 2 Jacks
@1 AC Power Cord Socket
Be sure to plug the VL1’s AC power cord into this socket
before plugging the
power cord into an AC outlet.
☛ Getting Started page 22.
@2 POWER Switch
Press to turn power ON or OFF.
@3 OUTPUT L and R Jacks
These are the main stereo outputs from the VL1. Be sure to connect both outputs to
the appropriate channels of a stereo sound system in order to appreciate the full quality of
the VL1 sound and effects.
☛ Getting Started page 24.
@4 FOOT CONTROLLER 1 and 2 Jacks
These jacks accept Yamaha FC7 Foot Controllers which can be used to control any
of the VL1’s controller parameters. One FC7 Foot Controller is supplied with the VL1,
and this should normally be plugged into the FOOT CONTROLLER 2 jack. The second
FC7 foot controller is optional.
☛ Getting Started page 23.
@5 FOOT SWITCH 1 and 2 Jacks
An optional Yamaha FC4 or FC5 footswitch can be connected to one or both of
these jacks for sustain, portamento, and other control functions.
☛ Getting Started page 23.
@6 MIDI IN, OUT and THRU Connectors
The MIDI IN connector receives the data from an external sequencer or other MIDI
device which is to control or transmit data to the VL1. The MIDI THRU connector
simply re-transmits the data received at the MIDI IN connector, allowing convenient
chaining of MIDI devices. The MIDI OUT connector transmits data corresponding to all
VL1 performance operations, or bulk data when one of the MIDI data transmission
functions are activated.
☛ Getting Started page 24.
20
Getting Started●The Controls & Connectors
The Controls & Connectors
21
Getting Started●Setting Up
Setting Up
System Connections & Preparation
Audio
Foot
Controller
DOWN UP
OCTAVE
MAX
MIN
PITCH
MODULATION 1 MODULATION 2
LR
OUTPUT12FOOT CONTROLLER
MODE
PLAY
EDIT UTILITY COPY STORE
COMPARE
VOLUME CS1 CS2
2
1
FOOT SWITCH
OUT
IN THRU
MIDI
F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 CONT
Foot
Switch
A
1
INCDEC
E1
9
ENTEREXIT
ALL
MIDI
POWER
ON / OFF
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
E1
E2
E2
ALL
MOD
FBD
REV
EFFECT ON / OFF
ELEMENT ON / OFFELEMENT SELECT
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
H.E.
D.F.
E.Q.
I.E.
RES
MODIFIER ON / OFF
Power Supply
Breath ControllerHeadphones
Power Supply
Before making any other connections the “female” end of the AC power cord
supplied with the VL1 should be firmly plugged into the rear-panel AC cord socket.
Ideally the power cord should then be plugged into a convenient AC outlet after you’ve
made all other necessary connections and placed the VL1 in the position in which it will
be used. Always make sure that the POWER switch is in the OFF (extended) position
before plugging the power cord in an AC outlet.
CAUTION! ■ Make sure your VL1 is rated for the AC voltage supplied in the
area in which it is to be used (as listed on the rear panel). Connecting the VL1 to
the wrong AC supply can cause serious damage to the internal circuitry and may
CAUTION!
even pose a shock hazard!
22
Controllers
●
Breath Controller
The Breath Controller is an essential expressive tool — both for realistic expression
with wind-instrument voices and unprecedented expressive control with string voices.
Plug the BC2 Breath Controller supplied with the VL1 (or an optional BC1 breath controller) into the front-panel breath controller jack. The Breath Controller is ideal for
controlling parameters that would normally be affected by a wind player’s breath: dynamics, timbre, pitch, and others.
Once you’ve set up your system and begin playing, refer to “Breath Controller
Calibration” on page 29 for instructions on calibrating your Breath Controller for optimum control precision and ease.
NOTES ■ For more information on Breath Controller setup and operation, see
the instructions packed with the supplied BC2 Breath Controller.
Getting Started●Setting Up
Setting Up
●
Foot Controllers
Although the VL1 has jacks for two foot controllers, it is not necessary to use both.
To begin with plug the supplied FC7 Foot Controller into the rear-panel FOOT CONTROLLER 2 jack.
If you purchase a second FC7 Foot Controller for extra control capability, plug it
into the FOOT CONTROLLER 1 jack.
NOTES ■ For more information on Foot Controller setup and operation, see the
instructions packed with the supplied FC7 Foot Controller.
●
Foot Switches
The use of one or two footswitches allows sustain, portamento, and mono/poly
mode switching. We recommend that you purchase at least one Yamaha FC4 or FC5
Footswitch for this purpose. A single footswitch can be plugged into either the rear-panel
FOOTSWITCH 1 or 2 jack.
Audio Connections
●
Headphones
For private listening and practice headphones are ideal. You don’t have to hook up
and complete sound system, and you won’t disturb the neighbors no matter how loud or
late you play. Recommended Yamaha headphones for VL1 monitoring are the HPE-170,
HPE-160, or HPE-150 Stereo Headphones. Any standard pair of stereo headphones with a
1/4" stereo phone plug and an impedance of between about 8 and 150 ohms can be used.
23
Getting Started●Setting Up
●
Stereo Sound System
The VL1 voices and effects are designed to sound their best in stereo, so you should
always use a stereo sound system to appreciate the full impact of the VL1 voices and
expressive features. The VL1 OUTPUT L and R jacks can be connected directly to
musical instrument amplifiers designed for keyboard use, or to the line inputs of a mixing
console. It is also possible to connect the VL1 outputs directly to the inputs of a
multitrack or stereo tape recorder.
NOTES ■ If you need to drive a mono amp or other device the VL1 output can
be switched to mono — the same signal appears at the L and R outputs — by
using the Output parameter described on page 154 of the Feature Reference
manual.
■ Make sure that both the VL1 and your sound system are turned OFF when
making connections.
MIDI Connections
Like any other MIDI instrument the VL1 can be used with MIDI tone generators,
sequencers, computer software, and controllers for virtually unlimited system expansion
and control capability. You might, for example, like to control it from a Yamaha wind
controller such as the WX11 rather than the keyboard for even more realistic windinstrument feel and expression.
To ensure reliable error-free transmission of MIDI data always use high-quality
MIDI cables obtained from your Yamaha dealer or music equipment store. Also avoid
MIDI cables that are longer than about 15 meters, since cables longer than this can pick
up noise which can cause data errors.
The VL1 MIDI transmit channel, receive channel, local on/off, and device number
parameters are available in the utility mode “MIDI Setting” page described on page 155
of the Feature Reference manual. Make sure these parameters are set to match the corresponding settings of the external MIDI device(s) used with the VL1.
● The VL1 transmits and receives the following MIDI data:
Note
Control Change
Program Change
Aftertouch
Pitch Bend
Bulk
The played key(s) and velocity value.
Modulation wheel, foot controller, breath controller, and other controller
data.
Voice numbers from 1 to 128.
Keyboard aftertouch pressure.
Pitch bend wheel position.
Voice and system parameters transmitted in the form of “bulk dumps”.
24
Getting Started●Setting Up
NOTES ■ For detailed MIDI specifications refer to the “MIDI Data Format” .
■ When using the VL1 with other MIDI equipment, it is a good idea to refer to
the MIDI specifications (implementation chart, MIDI data format) of the equipment used to ensure compatibility.
Power-on Procedure
Always follow proper procedure when powering-up a sound system to minimize the
possibility of damage to the equipment (and your ears!).
1. Make sure your sound system’s main level/volume control(s) and the VL1 volume
control are turned all the way down prior to turning power on.
2. Turn on the VL1.
3. Turn on the sound system.
4. Raise the sound system volume to a reasonable level.
Setting Up
5. Gradually raise the VL1 VOLUME control while playing the keyboard to set the
desired listening level.
NOTES ■ The VL1 automatically transmits MIDI control change data correspond-
ing to its control status when its power switch is turned ON or OFF. This can
interfere with operation of other MIDI equipment connected to the VL1 MIDI
OUT connector. If the VL1 is connected to other MIDI equipment, the VL1 power
switch should be turned ON
first, and turned OFF last.
25
Play the Demo
demo sequence to hear how some of the voices sound. This process will also help to
familiarize you with some of the VL1’s selection and editing procedures.
IMPORTANT!
1. Select the Utility Mode System Page
lected when the utility mode display appears, press the ¡ button to select the “System” function page.
Getting Started●Setting Up
Once you’ve set up your VL1 system, you might like to play the pre-programmed
IMPORTANT! ■ When you run the demo the VL1 automatically loads the
required voices and system data into the 16 bank-H voices, thus erasing any
previous data in these memory locations. This is the same as the data initially
contained in these memory locations when the VL1 is first shipped, so if you
haven’t made any changes there is no problem. If, however, you have edited the
bank-H data or saved data from another bank or disk to this bank, you may want
to save your data to floppy disk before running the demo.
Press the U button to select the utility mode. Then, if it is not already se-
2. Select the Demo Page
Press the ∞ button to select the “Demo” page.
26
Getting Started●Setting Up
3. Press [ and Confirm
Press the [ button if it’s OK to go ahead with the demo — and rewrite all
bank-H data. The VL1 will ask you to confirm again: press - to continue or = to
abort.
4. Select a Song
Use the data dial or = and - buttons to select the song number you want to
start with.
Setting Up
5. Run the Demo
Press the • button to run the demo. Playback will start with the selected song,
then all other songs will be played in sequence. The cycle will repeat until stopped.
27
Getting Started●Setting Up
6. Stop the Demo
Press the ¶ button to stop demo playback.
7. Return To the Play Mode When Done
Press the MODE P button to return the PLAY mode.
28
Getting Started●Setting Up
Breath Controller Calibration
Proper operation of the breath controller is vital to achieving the best possible sound
from the VL1. Although the controller is factory-calibrated to match most requirements,
we recommend that you carefully calibrate the breath controller for optimum performance
with your own playing style.
1. Make Sure the Breath Controller Is Connected
Make sure the breath controller is properly connected: turn the power OFF, plug in
the breath controller, then turn the power ON.
2. Select the Utility Mode System Page
Press the U button to select the utility mode. Then, if it is not already selected when the utility mode display appears, press the ¡ button to select the “Sys-
tem” function page.
3. Go To the Utility Mode Curve Page and Select “Brth”
Use the cursor buttons to move the cursor to “5:Curve”, then press [ to call
the “Curve” function page. When the curve display appears press the • function
button (“Brth”) to call the breath controller curve page.
Setting Up
4. Adjust the Breath Controller Offset
The following adjustment must be performed while not blowing into the breath
controller mouthpiece. Do not hold the breath controller in your mouth.
Rotate the breath controller OFFSET trimmer slowly clockwise, using the supplied
screwdriver, until the vertical cursors above and below the curve graph move slightly to
the right and the number below the graph is greater that “0”. Then slowly rotate the
trimmer carefully counter-clockwise until the number below the graph just reaches “0”
(the cursors will be lined up with the left end of the graph), then stop. This completes the
offset adjustment.
29
Getting Started●Setting Up
5. Adjust the Breath Controller Gain
Place the breath controller mouthpiece in your mouth and blow — notice that the
cursors move to right and the number below the graph increases according to how hard
you blow. Rotate the breath controller GAIN trimmer counter-clockwise as far as it will
go (don’t force it!) then, while blowing into the mouthpiece using the
you intend to use while playing, rotate the trimmer slowly clockwise until the number
below the graph just reaches “127” (the cursors should just line up with the right end of
the graph) and then stop. This completes the gain adjustment.
NOTES ■ In addition to calibrating the breath controller, the UTILITY mode
Curve
“
response curves — these are discussed in more detail on page 157 of the
Feature Reference manual.
” page described here also allows you to select a range of 4 different
maximum pressure
6. Return to the Play Mode
Press the P button to return to the PLAY mode.
30
Getting Started●Setting Up
Load the Pre-programmed Voice Data
Although the factory pre-programmed voices, performance combinations, and
patterns are stored in the VL1 internal memory when the instrument is initially shipped,
there is always a possibility that all or part of the memory has been erased or modified by
the time the instrument gets to you. Here’s how you can re-load all the pre-programmed
data from the supplied voice disk.
NOTES ■ Loading the pre-programmed voices overwrites any other data that is
in the VL1 internal memory, so if you have any important voices in memory make
sure it is safely stored to disk before loading the data — Feature Reference
manual, page 166.
1. Insert the Voice Disk
Insert the voice disk into the disk drive. The sliding disk shutter should go in first,
and the label side of the disk should face upward.
2. Select the Utility Mode System Page
Press the U button to select the utility mode. Then, if it is not already selected when the utility mode display appears, press the ¡ button to select the “Sys-
tem” function page.
Setting Up
3. Go To the Miscellaneous Page & Turn Memory Protect Off
Use the cursor buttons to move the cursor to “6:Miscellaneous”, then press
[ to call the “Miscellaneous” function page.
Use the cursor buttons to select the “Memory Protect” parameter, then press
= to turn memory protect “off”.
31
Getting Started●Setting Up
4. Select the Disk Function Directory
Press the £ function button (“Disk”) to select the utility mode disk function
directory.
5. Select “Load From Disk”
Use the cursor buttons to move the cursor to “2:Load From Disk” and then
press [.
6. Select “All” and Select the “CUSTOMER:All” File
Make sure the cursor is positioned at “1:All” and press [.
When the list of files appears use the cursor > and < buttons to select the
“CUSTOMER:All” file, then press [ again.
32
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