Yamaha VL70ME1 User Manual
FCC INFORMATION (U.S.A.)
1. IMPORTANT NOTICE: DO NOT MODIFY
THIS UNIT!
This product, when installed as indicated in the
instructions contained in this manual, meets FCC
requirements. Modifications not expressly approved
by Yamaha may void your authority, granted by the
FCC, to use the product.
2. IMPORTANT: When connecting this product to
accessories and/or another product use only high
quality shielded cables. Cable/s supplied with this
product MUST be used. Follow all installation instructions. Failure to follow instructions could void
your FCC authorization to use this product in the
USA.
3. NOTE: This product has been tested and found to
comply with the requirements listed in FCC Regulations, Part 15 for Class “B” digital devices. Compliance with these requirements provides a reasonable
level of assurance that your use of this product in a
residential environment will not result in harmful
interference with other electronic devices. This
equipment generates/uses radio frequencies and, if
not installed and used according to the instructions
found in the users manual, may cause interference
harmful to the operation of other electronic devices.
Compliance with FCC regulations does not guaran-
* This applies only to products distributed by YAMAHA CORPORATION OF AMERICA.
tee that interference will not occur in all installations.
If this product is found to be the source of interference, which can be determined by turning the unit
“OFF” and “ON”, please try to eliminate the problem
by using one of the following measures:
Relocate either this product or the device that is
being affected by the interference.
Utilize power outlets that are on different branch
(circuit breaker or fuse) circuits or install AC line
filter/s.
In the case of radio or TV interference, relocate/
reorient the antenna. If the antenna lead-in is 300
ohm ribbon lead, change the lead-in to co-axial type
cable.
If these corrective measures do not produce satisfactory results, please contact the local retailer authorized to distribute this type of product. If you can
not locate the appropriate retailer, please contact
Yamaha Corporation of America, Electronic Service
Division, 6600 Orangethorpe Ave, Buena Park,
CA90620
The above statements apply ONLY to those products distributed by Yamaha Corporation of America
or its subsidiaries.
NEDERLAND / NETHERLAND
• Dit apparaat bevat een lithium batterij voor geheugen back-up.
• This apparatus contains a lithium battery for memory back-up.
• Raadpleeg uw leverancier over de verwijdering van de batterij op
het moment dat u het apparaat ann het einde van de levensduur
afdankt of de volgende Yamaha Service Afdeiing:
Yamaha Music Nederland Service Afdeiing
Kanaalweg 18-G, 3526 KL UTRECHT
Tel. 030-2828425
• For the removal of the battery at the moment of the disposal at the
end of the service life please consult your retailer or Yamaha
Service Center as follows:
Yamaha Music Nederland Service Center
Address : Kanaalweg 18-G, 3526 KL UTRECHT
Tel : 030-2828425
• Gooi de batterij niet weg, maar lever hem in als KCA.
• Do not throw away the battery. Instead, hand it in as small chemical
waste.
ADVARSEL!
Lithiumbatteri—Eksplosionsfare ved fejlagtig håndtering.
Udskiftning må kun ske med batteri af samme fabrikat og
type. Levér det brugte batteri tilbage til leverandoren.
VARNING
Explosionsfara vid felaktigt batteribyte. Använd samma
batterityp eller en ekvivalent typ som rekommenderas av
apparattillverkaren. Kassera använt batteri enlight
fabrikantens instruktion.
VAROITUS
Paristo voi räjähtää, jos se on virheellisesti asennettu. Vaihda
paristo ainoastaan laitevalmistajan suosittelemaan tyyppiin.
Hävitä käytetty paristo valmistajan ohjeiden mukaisesti.
SPECIAL MESSAGE SECTION
This product utilizes batteries or an external power supply
(adapter). DO NOT connect this product to any power
supply or adapter other than one described in the manual,
on the name plate, or specifically recommended by
Yamaha.
WARNING: Do not place this product in a position where
anyone could walk on, trip over ,or roll anything over power
or connecting cords of any kind. The use of an extension
cord is not recommended! IF you must use an extension
cord, the minimum wire size for a 25' cord (or less ) is 18
AWG. NOTE: The smaller the AWG number ,the larger the
current handling capacity. For longer extension cords,
consult a local electrician.
This product should be used only with the components
supplied or; a cart, rack, or stand that is recommended by
Yamaha. If a cart, etc., is used, please observe all safety
markings and instructions that accompany the accessory
product.
SPECIFICATIONS SUBJECT TO CHANGE:
The information contained in this manual is believed to be
correct at the time of printing. However, Yamaha reserves
the right to change or modify any of the specifications
without notice or obligation to update existing units.
This product, either alone or in combination with an amplifier and headphones or speaker/s, may be capable of
producing sound levels that could cause permanent hearing loss. DO NOT operate for long periods of time at a
high volume level or at a level that is uncomfortable. If you
experience any hearing loss or ringing in the ears, you
should consult an audiologist.
IMPORTANT: The louder the sound, the shorter the time
period before damage occurs.
Some Yamaha products may have benches and / or
accessory mounting fixtures that are either supplied with the
product or as optional accessories. Some of these items
are designed to be dealer assembled or installed. Please
make sure that benches are stable and any optional fixtures
(where applicable) are well secured BEFORE using.
Benches supplied by Yamaha are designed for seating only.
No other uses are recommended.
NOTICE:
Service charges incurred due to a lack of knowledge
relating to how a function or effect works (when the unit is
operating as designed) are not covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, and are therefore the owners responsibility. Please study this manual carefully and consult your
dealer before requesting service.
Battery Notice:
This product MAY contain a small non-rechargeable battery which (if applicable) is soldered in place. The average
life span of this type of battery is approximately five years.
When replacement becomes necessary, contact a qualified service representative to perform the replacement.
This product may also use “household” type batteries.
Some of these may be rechargeable. Make sure that the
battery being charged is a rechargeable type and that the
charger is intended for the battery being charged.
When installing batteries, do not mix batteries with new, or
with batteries of a different type. Batteries MUST be installed correctly. Mismatches or incorrect installation may
result in overheating and battery case rupture.
Warning:
Do not attempt to disassemble, or incinerate any battery.
Keep all batteries away from children. Dispose of used
batteries promptly and as regulated by the laws in your
area. Note: Check with any retailer of household type
batteries in your area for battery disposal information.
Disposal Notice:
Should this product become damaged beyond repair, or
for some reason its useful life is considered to be at an
end, please observe all local, state, and federal regulations that relate to the disposal of products that contain
lead, batteries, plastics, etc. If your dealer is unable to
assist you, please contact Yamaha directly.
NAME PLATE LOCATION:
The name plate is located on the top of the product. The
model number, serial number, power requirements, etc.,
are located on this plate. You should record the model
number, serial number, and the date of purchase in the
spaces provided below and retain this manual as a permanent record of your purchase.
WX IN BREATH
PHONES
POWER/VOL
PUSH ON/OFF
VIRTUAL ACOUSTIC TONE GENERATOR
PART MIDI BANK/PGM# VOL EXP PAN REV CHO VAR KEY
BC/WX
VELOCITY
TOUCH EG
VOICE
VL-XG
PLAY EDIT
UTIL
MODE
EFFECT
BREATH
ENTER
MIDI/
PART
ALL
WX
SELECT
EXIT
VALUE
Model
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES:
Yamaha strives to produce products that are both user
safe and environmentally friendly. We sincerely believe
that our products and the production methods used to
produce them, meet these goals. In keeping with both the
letter and the spirit of the law, we want you to be aware of
the following:
92-BP
PLEASE KEEP THIS MANUAL
Serial No.
Purchase Date
* The serial number of this product is shown at the rear panel.
Thank you for choosing a Yamaha VL70-m Virtual Acoustic
Tone Generator. The VL70-m is a monophonic tone generator incorporating Yamaha’s revolutionary “Virtual Acoustic Synthesis” tone
generation system — based on the most advanced computer physical
modeling technology. Virtual Acoustic Synthesis produces sound that
is more realistic, more expressive, and more musical than any other
system available at this time. The VL70-m includes 256 preset
voices, from super-realistic to innovative, that can add a new dimension to your sound … whether you play a keyboard, wind controller,
MIDI guitar synthesizer, or use a sequencer to create music.
Please read this owner’s manual carefully, and follow the
instructions within in order to ensure proper operation. Also keep
this manual in a safe place for later reference.
About the Manual
The VL70-m is a very unique tone generator that operates on totally new
principles that were simply unheard of until Yamaha released the worlds first
“Virtual Acoustic” synthesizer based on computer physical modelling. If you’ve
had some experience with the Yamaha VL1, VL1-m, VL-7, or their “Version 2”
upgrades, you will have very little trouble understanding the VL70-m. If you are
new to VA synthesis, however, you will need a little background before attempting to edit and modify voices. We urge you to read the following section of this
manual — “Virtual Acoustic Synthesis — before getting into the details. It will
make a huge difference in how quickly you understand the VL70-m system, and
how efficiently you will be able to edit voices to create the sound you’re looking for.
Other than the above, the structure of the manual is fairly straightforward. You
can approach it in a “linear” manner, reading through from beginning to end, or
on an “on demand” basis, going directly to the information you need as you
need it. Use the table of contents at the beginning, and the index at the end of
the manual to find the information you need.
Conventions
The following conventions are used through the VL70-m manuals to avoid
confusion and make the text easier to read.
■ Buttons & Controls
Button and control names used on the VL70-m panel appear in the text in
capital letters within square brackets: “the [ENTER] button”, for example.
■ 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.
About the Manual
1
Contents
Precautions 4
Virtual Acoustic Synthesis 6
VA Advantages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
The VL70-m Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
■
The Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
■
The Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
■
The Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
There’s More … . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
The Controls & Connectors 12
■
Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
■
Rear Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Setting Up 15
Power Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
MIDI Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Breath Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
WX-series Wind MIDI Controller . . . . . . . . 18
G50 Guitar MIDI Converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Connecting to a Personal Computer . . . . . 20
■
Connecting to an Apple Macintosh
Series Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
■
Connecting to an IBM PC/AT Series
Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
■
Connecting to an NEC PC-9801/9821
Series Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Audio Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
●
Headphones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
●
Stereo Sound System . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Power-on Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Play the Demo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
The Supplied Demo Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
The VL70-m Voice Editing Software . . . . . 25
Voice Organization and Sound
Module Modes 26
Voice Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
The VL70-m Sound Module Modes . . . . . . 27
■
The VOICE Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
■
The VL-XG Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
■
Selecting the VOICE or VL-XG Sound
Module Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
●
VL Extension for XG . . . . . . . . . . . 30
The VOICE PLAY Mode 31
The VOICE PLAY Main Control Mode . . . . 31
The VOICE PLAY Sub-control Mode . . . . . . 34
The VL-XG PLAY Mode 36
●
A Simple XG System Incorporating
the VL70-m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
The VL-XG PLAY Main Control Mode . . . . 37
The VL-XG PLAY Sub-control Mode . . . . . . 40
Controllers & Control Editing 42
●
Physical Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
●
VL70-m Controller Parameters . . . 45
Accessing & Editing the Control
Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
The Control Edit Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . 48
■
VOICE Sound Module Mode Control
Edit Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
■
VL-XG Sound Module Mode Control
Edit Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
■
Control Edit Parameter Descriptions . 52
●
Pitch Bend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
●
Modulation Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
●
Aftertouch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
●
Assignable Controller . . . . . . . . . . 54
●
Expression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
●
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
●
Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
●
Amplitude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
●
Embouchure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
●
Tonguing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
●
Scream . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
●
Breath Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
●
Growl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
●
Throat Formant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
●
Harmonic Enhancer . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
●
Damping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
●
Absorption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
2
Contents
Filter & Envelope Generator Editing 66
●
Amplitude & Filter EG . . . . . . . . . . 66
●
Pitch & Embouchre EG . . . . . . . . . 66
Accessing & Editing the Filter &
EG Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
The Filter & EG Edit Parameters . . . . . . . . 69
■
VOICE Sound Module Mode Filter &
EG Edit Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
■
VL-XG Sound Module Mode Filter &
EG Edit Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
■
Filter & EG Edit Parameter
Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
●
Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
●
Amplitude & Filter Envelope . . . . 72
●
Pitch & Embouchure Envelope . . . 73
Other Edit Parameters 75
Accessing & Editing the “Others”
Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
The “Others” Edit Parameters . . . . . . . . . . 77
■
VOICE Sound Module Mode
“Others” Edit Parameters . . . . . . . . . 77
■
VL-XG Sound Module Mode
“Others” Edit Parameters . . . . . . . . . 78
■
“Others” Edit Parameter Descriptions 79
●
Vibrato . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
●
Detune & Voice Level . . . . . . . . . . 79
●
Assignment & Expansion . . . . . . . 80
●
Velocity Sensitivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
●
Note Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
●
Portamento . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
●
Dry Level & Voice Name . . . . . . . . 82
The Store Function 84
Storing an Edited Voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Effects & Effect Editing 86
Effect Signal Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
●
When the Variation Stage is
an Insertion Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
●
When the Variation Stage is
a System Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Accessing & Editing the Effect Parameters 88
The Reverb Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
The Chorus Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
The Variation Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
The Distortion Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Breath Settings 95
Accessing & Editing the Breath Parameters 95
The Breath Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
The Utility Mode 97
The System Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
The Dump Out Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
●
DUMPOUT Operation . . . . . . . . . 100
The Initialize Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Appendix 103
Show Control Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Show Exclusive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
The Message Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
●
Message Window Data Format . 104
Bitmap Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
●
Bitmap Window Data Format . . 105
●
Creating Bitmap Data . . . . . . . . . 105
Checksum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Answers to Some Common Questions . . 110
Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Index 114
Contents
3
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 adaptor 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 VL70-m to MIDI equipment, be sure to use highquality 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,
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.
not by pulling on the
4
Precautions
■ 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.
■ 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 VL70-m 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
“Battery Low!” 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!
■ Service and Modification
• The VL70-m 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.
Precautions
5
Virtual Acoustic Synthesis
Unlike previous tone generation systems which use oscillators, function generators, preset waveforms or samples to produce sound, Yamaha Virtual Acoustic
(“VA”) Synthesis applies sophisticated computer-based “physical modeling”
technology to musical sound synthesis. In the same way that computer “models”
are used to simulate weather systems or the flight characteristics of aircraft in
the design stage, the VL70-m simulates the very complex vibrations, resonances, reflections and other acoustic phenomena that occur in a real wind or
string instrument.
VA Advantages
The VL70-m offers many advantages in terms of musical performance. Not
just in terms of sound, but also in terms of the “behavior” that makes
acoustic instruments so … well, musical! Yamaha Virtual Acoustic Synthesis is
simply the most musical tone generation system ever created.
• The VL70-m sounds better, has more depth, and is more realistic in the
musical sense than any other tone generation system.
• Simply playing a note 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.
6
Virtual Acoustic Synthesis
The VL70-m Model
The overall VL70-m model or “algorithm” consists of three main blocks:
the instrument, controllers, and modifiers. In schematic form these blocks
are arranged as follows:
Controllers (also envelopes)
Instrument Modifiers
Sound out
Virtual Acoustic Synthesis
7
■
NOTES
• The sound thus
produced is amplified
and sustained by the
body of the instrument.
• 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.
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 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.
In all these instruments pressure applied
here (the driving point) causes vibration
which results in sound.
Reed
vibration
Lip
vibration
Air vibration
8
Virtual Acoustic Synthesis
String
vibration
One of the remarkable features of the VL70-m’s Virtual Acoustic Synthesis
system is that just about any driver can be used with any type of pipe or string.
Drivers Pipes/String
The Controllers
The input to an acoustic wind instrument comes from the player’s lungs, trachea, oral cavity, and lips. In a string instrument it comes from the player’s arm
movement, transmitted to the string via a bow. These elements actually form an
important part of the sound generating system and, in the VL70-m 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 VL70-m 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 external controller that can be used
with the VL70-m: breath controller, foot controller, modulation wheel, 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 windinstrument 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.
Embouchure
The tightness of the
lips against the reed
or against each other,
or the force of the
bow against the
string.
Tonguing
Simulates the halftonguing technique
used by saxophone
players by changing
the “slit” of the reed.
Pitch
Changes the length of
the air column or
string, and thereby the
pitch of the sound.
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.
Throat
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.
Growl
A periodic pressure (bow
velocity) modulation
which produces the
“growl” effect often
heard in wind instruments.
Scream
Drives the entire system
into chaotic oscillation,
creating effects that can
only be achieved with
physical modelling
technology.
Virtual Acoustic Synthesis
9
The Modifiers
The modifiers block consists of 4 sections as shown in the diagram. Although
these may appear to be simple effects, they are actually intimately related to the
VL70-m’s sound-producing model and have a significant effect on the sound
(the VL70-m has a separate effects stage with reverb, chorus, variation, and
distortion effects — see page 86).
● Harmonic Enhancer
The Harmonic Enhancer determines the
harmonic structure of the sound to the
extent that it can produce radical timbral
variations within an instrument “family”
(e.g. saxes). The harmonic enhancer parameters can be accessed via the Yamaha VL70m Expert Editor software (page 25).
Harmonic
Enhancer
Dynamic
Filter
● Dynamic Filter
This section is similar to the dynamic filters
Frequency
Equalizer
found in many conventional synthesizers,
with high-pass, bandpass, band elimination,
and low-pass modes. Some filter parameters
Resonator
are available via the VL70-m controls, but
detailed editing of parameters such as the
filter type requires the Yamaha VL70-m
Expert Editor software (page 25)
● Frequency Equalizer
This is a 5-band parametric equalizer with frequency, Q (bandwidth), and level
control. 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. Although only simplified treble and bass parameters are available via the
VL70-m controls, the full range of equalizer parameters can be accessed via the
Yamaha VL70-m Expert Editor software (page 25).
● Resonator
The Resonator uses simulated “resonator” pipes or strings and delays to produce
a “woody” resonance effect — although it has little or no effect on some voices.
The resonator parameters can be accessed via the Yamaha VL70-m Expert
Editor software (page 25).
10
Virtual Acoustic Synthesis
There’s More …
In this brief introduction to VL70-m basics we’ve only looked at the central
physical model which is the key the VL70-m’s unprecedented sound and
musical performance. There’s actually much more to it. 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, 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
utility functions that give the VL70-m maximum versatility and convenience.
Now that you understand the basics, dive in and find out what the VL70-m can
really do.
Virtual Acoustic Synthesis
11
The Controls & Connectors
The following brief descriptions of the VL70-m controls and connectors
should help you to understand the overall logic of the interface.
Front Panel
[POWER/VOL] Control
q
Press to turn power ON or OFF. Rotate to adjust
overall output volume (clockwise to increase the
volume).
Breath Controller Jack
w
An optional Yamaha BC3, BC2 or BC1 Breath
Controller can be plugged in here.
page 17
➲
WX IN Jack
e
Allows direct connection of a Yamaha WXseries Wind MIDI Controller such as the WX11
or WX7, without the need for a WT11 or BT7
wind controller interface.
page 18
➲
PHONES Jack
r
Accepts a standard pair of stereo headphones
(stereo mini phone plug) for headphone monitoring of the VL70-m sound without the need for
external amplification equipment. The volume of
the headphone sound is adjusted via the
[POWER/VOL] control.
Display
t
This large backlit liquid crystal display panel
shows all parameters and prompts necessary for
easy, efficient operation and programming of the
VL70-m. The display contrast can be adjusted as
described on page 99.
page 31
➲
[PLAY] Button
y
Press this button to select the VL70-m PLAY
mode in which voices can be selected and
played. If the PLAY mode is already selected,
pressing the [PLAY] button causes the currently
selected voice to sound — a convenient test
feature.
page 31
➲
[EDIT] Button
u
Activates the VL70-m EDIT mode in which
voices can be edited to create new sounds.
page 46
➲
[UTIL] Button
i
Selects the VL70-m UTILITY mode. The
UTILITY mode includes a range of important
utility functions that affect operation of the
VL70-m: SYSTEM SETUP, DUMP OUT,
INITIALIZE, and DEMO SONG.
page 97
➲
[EFFECT] Button
o
Selects the VL70-m EFFECT mode in which the
built-in reverb, chorus, variation, and distortion
effects can be assigned and edited as required.
page 88
➲
[MODE] Button
!0
Accesses the VL70-m sound module mode
selection function.
page 29
➲
[BREATH] Button
!1
Selects the BREATH SETTING which includes
parameters that determine how the VL70-m
responds to control from a breath controller,
WX-series Wind MIDI Controller, or similar
device.
page 95
➲
12
The Controls & Connectors
[MIDI/WX] Button
!2
Pressing this button alternately selects the VL70m MIDI and WX control modes (when the rearpanel HOST SELECT switch is set to Mac, PC1, PC-2).
page 18
➲
[ENTER] Button
!3
The [ENTER] button is used to engage submodes, confirm input, and execute certain
operations. Double-clicking this button (i.e.
press the button twice in rapid succession)
provides access to the SHOW CONTROL and
SHOW EXCLUSIVE (page 103) modes.
page 24
➲
[EXIT] Button
!4
This button is used to exit from sub-modes and
cancel certain operations. No matter where you
are in the VL70-m display structure, pressing the
[EXIT] button (a number of times if necessary)
will eventually return you to the PLAY mode.
page 24
➲
PART [-] and [+] Buttons
!5
When the VL-XG sound module mode is selected (page 28) these buttons select the part to
be played. Either button can be pressed briefly
for single stepping in the specified direction, or
held for continuous scrolling. In either the VL-
XG or VOICE sound module mode (page 27)
pressing both buttons simultaneously switches in
and out of the PLAY mode sub-control mode
(pages 34 and 40).
When the EDIT mode is selected the PART
buttons can be used to switch between parameters without having to return to the EDIT mode
menu.
page 36
➲
SELECT [<] and [>] Buttons
!6
These buttons are used to select sub-modes or
parameters. In some cases the selection will be
made from a menu displays, and in others the
SELECT buttons will actually switch display
pages.
page 31
➲
VALUE [-] and [+] Buttons
!7
Used to select voices and edit parameter values.
Either button can be pressed briefly for single
stepping in the specified direction, or held for
continuous scrolling. They also have a large-step
function which allows you to skip ahead or
backward in larger increments when selecting
voices or editing numeric parameters: press
either the [-] or [+] button while holding the
other button.
page 31
➲
WX IN BREATH
PHONES
POWER/VOL
PUSH ON/OFF
r
q t
w y u i o !0 !1e
MIDI/
VIRTUAL ACOUSTIC TONE GENERATOR
PART MIDI BANK/PGM# VOL EXP PAN REV CHO VAR KEY
BC/WX
VELOCITY
TOUCH EG
VOICE
VL-XG
PLAY EDIT
UTIL
EFFECT
BREATH
MODE
WX
ENTER
EXIT
PART
ALL
SELECT
VALUE
!5
!6
!7
!2 !3 !4
The Controls & Connectors
13
Rear Panel
DC IN Connector
!8
The DC output cable from the Yamaha PA-3B
AC Power Adaptor supplied with the VL70-m is
plugged in here.
page 15
➲
OUTPUT L/MONO and R Jacks
!9
These are the main stereo outputs from the
VL70-m. Be sure to connect both outputs to the
appropriate channels of a stereo sound system in
order to appreciate the full quality of the VL70m sound and effects. The L/MONO jack can be
used alone when connecting to a mono sound
system (e.g. a musical instrument amplifier).
page 22
➲
MIDI IN, OUT and THRU Connectors
@0
The MIDI IN connector receives the data from
an external sequencer or other MIDI device
which is to control or transmit data to the VL70m. The MIDI THRU connector simply retransmits the data received at the MIDI IN
connector, allowing convenient chaining of
MIDI devices. The MIDI OUT connector
transmits data corresponding to VL70-m Breath
Controller operation, or bulk data when one of
the MIDI data transmission functions are activated. The MIDI OUT connector can also be
used to “echo” (re-transmit) data received via
the MIDI IN or TO HOST connectors.
page 16
➲
TO HOST Connector & HOST SELECT Switch
@1
This jack and selector switch allow direct
connection to a personal computer for sequencing and other music applications — without the
need for a separate MIDI interface.
page 20
➲
THRU OUT IN
14
The Controls & Connectors
MIDI
HOST SELECT
MIDI Mac
PC-2 PC-1
TO HOST DC IN
!8 !9@1@0
OUTPUT
R L/MONO
SER NO.
Setting Up
then plug the adaptor into a convenient wall AC power socket. It is also a good
idea to clip the adaptor’s DC cable into the cable clip on the VL70-m rear panel
to minimize the possibility of accidentally unplugging the cable during operation.
■
CAUTION
• Do not attempt to use an AC adaptor other than the supplied unit or an appropriate
replacement provided by your Yamaha dealer to power the VL70-m. The use of an
incompatible adaptor may cause irreparable damage to the VL70-m, and might pose a
serious shock hazard!
• Be sure to unplug the AC adaptor from the AC mains socket when the VL70-m is not in
use.
Power Supply
Your VL70-m comes supplied with a Yamaha PA-3B AC adaptor. Plug the
DC output cable from the AC adaptor into the DC IN jack on the rear panel,
DC-IN
HOST SELECT
MIDI Mac
PC-2 PC-1
TO HOST DC IN
OUTPUT
R L/MONO
SER NO.
PA-3B
AC power socket
Setting Up
15
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