Yamaha VL7 - Manuals

6 Getting Started About the Manuals The VL7 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 familiarw...

7 Getting Started The Feature Reference Manual The Feature Reference manual is the “nuts and bolts” reference for the VL7, individually describing its many functions in detail. The FeatureReference manual is divided into 5 main sections, each describing thevarious functions within a particular VL7 e...

8 Getting Started L ike its predecessor, the VL1, the Yamaha VL7 Virtual Acoustic Synthesizer produces sound in an entirely new way. It has nooscillators or function generators, no preset waveforms or samples. In fact, it uses none of the sound generation concepts employed inconventional synthesizer...

9 Getting Started T he VL7 offers many advantages in terms of musical performance. Not just in terms of sound, but also in terms of the “behavior” thatmakes acoustic instruments so … well, musical! But this is not because someone has programmed a certain sound or pattern of behaviorinto it. The phys...

10 Getting Started The VL7 Model T he overall VL7 model or “algorithm” consists of three main blocks:the instrument, controllers, and modifiers. In schematic form theseblocks are arranged as follows: ● The Instrument The key block in this algorithm is the instrument, since it is here that the fundam...

12 Getting Started ● 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 players arm movement,transmitted to the string via a bow. These elements actually form an important part of thesound g...

13 Getting Started ● The Modifiers Although you don’t have direct programming access to the VL7 instrument block, the modifiers allow a significant degree of control over thefinal timbre of the voice. The modifiers block consists of 5 sections as shown inthe diagram. Although these may appear to be ...

14 Getting Started Impulse Expander The Impulse Expander works in conjunction with the Resonator, describedbelow, to simulate the effect of an instrument’s resonant cavity or soundbox. It can also be used to simulate the acoustic environment in which theinstrument is played. In contrast to the Reson...

15 Getting Started There’s More … I n this brief introduction to VL7 basics we’ve only looked at thecentral physical model which is the key the VL7’s unprecedentedsound and musical performance. There’s also an extensive range of other functions and features that are similar to those you may be famil...

The Controls & Connectors The following brief descriptions of the VL7 controls and connectors should help you to understand the overall logic of the interface. A Brief Introduction To the VL7 Interface 16 Getting Started ● The Controls & Connectors OCTAVE DOWN UP PITCH MODULATION 1 MODULATIO...

Front Panel q MODE Buttons The P , E , and U buttons select the corresponding VL7 modes. The PLAY mode lets you select and play voices, the EDIT mode gives you programmingaccess to the VL7’s voice and controller parameters, and the UTILITY mode includesMIDI, disk, system and other functions that are...

20 Getting Started ● The Controls & Connectors Rear Panel @1 AC Power Cord Socket Be sure the plug the VL7’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 ar...

22 Getting Started ● Setting Up CAUTION! Setting Up System Connections & Preparation Power Supply Before making any other connections the “female” end of the AC power cord supplied with the VL7 should be firmly plugged into the rear-panel AC cord socket.Ideally the power cord should then be plug...

23 Getting Started ● Setting Up Setting Up 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 orlate you play. Recommended Yamaha headphones for VL7 monito...

24 Getting Started ● Setting Up ● Stereo Sound System The VL7 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 VL7 voices andexpressive features. The VL7 OUTPUT L and R jacks can be connected directly t...

26 Getting Started ● Setting Up Play the Demo Once you’ve set up your VL7 system, you might like to play the pre-programmed demo sequence to hear how some of the voices sound. This process will also help to familiarize youwith some of the VL7’s selection and editing procedures. 1. Select the Utility...

27 Getting Started ● Setting Up Setting Up 4. Select a Song Use the data dial or = and - buttons to select the song number you want to start with. • 16 demo pieces are provided. The last of these can be used with full accompa-niment if the VL7 is connected to a GM (General MIDI) tone generator sucha...

28 Getting Started ● Setting Up Breath Controller Calibration Proper operation of the breath controller is vital to achieving the best possible sound from the VL7. Although the controller is factory-calibrated to match most requirements,we recommend that you carefully calibrate the breath controller...

29 Getting Started ● Setting Up 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 hardyou blow. Rotate the breath controller GAIN trimmer coun...

30 Getting Started ● Setting Up Load the Pre-programmed Voice Data When initially shipped, the VL7 internal memory contains a set of voices programmed to be used without the breath controller (the “NOBREATH:All” file, described below). Sincethe breath controller is such an important expressive tool,...

31 Getting Started ● Setting Up Setting Up ● Loading the “FULLCNT1:All” Voice File 1. Insert the Voice Disk Insert the VL7 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 ...

32 Getting Started ● Setting Up 5. Select “All” and Select the “002:FULLCNT1: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 “ 002:FULLCNT1:All ” file, then press [ again. 6. Load the File Loadi...

34 Getting Started ● Voice Selection Voice Selection One of the first things you’ll want to do with your VL7 is select and play some of its voices … this section will show you how to do just that. The abbreviations in the section separated by a line at the bottom of the display (“ Cnt1 ”, “ Cnt2 ”, ...

35 Getting Started ● Voice Selection Voice Selection DEC INC 2. Select a Voice The VL7’s 64 voices are organized into 4 banks of 16 voices each (4 x 16 = 64). Any voice can be selected by specifying its bank using the bank buttons ( a through d ), and its number using the voice number buttons ( 1 th...

36 Getting Started ● Voice Selection 3. Play Try playing the selected voice on the keyboard. Select a number of different voices and try them out. Assuming that you have loaded either of the “FULLCNT1:All” or“FULLCNT2:All” files as directed in the preceding section, you will have to apply breathpres...

38 Getting Started ● The Controllers The Controllers If you’ve read the “VL7 Basics” section (if you haven’t, please do so — page 8) you should understand the concept of “controllers” as appliedto the VL7. The “controller parameters” correspond to simulatedcharacteristics of the instrument model — e...

40 Getting Started ● The Controllers Pressure Embouchure Pitch Vibrato Tonguing Amplitude Scream Breath Noise Growl Throat Formant Dynamic Filter Harmonic Enhancer Damping Absorption VL7 Controller Parameters Any of the physical controllers listed above can be assigned to control any of the VL7’s co...

41 Getting Started ● The Controllers The Controllers Controller Views In the PLAY mode, function buttons ¡ through § are used to select “controller view” displays that list all controller assignments for the currently selected voice. Inparticular, ¡ through ¢ display the assignments for the controll...

42 Getting Started ● The Controllers Some Exercises With the Alto Sax 1 Controllers Now that you know which physical controllers are assigned to which controller param- eters in the Alto Sax 1 voice (A14), play the voice using the assigned controllers to get a feelfor their effect before changing th...

43 Getting Started ● The Controllers The Controllers 4. Edit the Scream Controller Parameter The cursor should be located at the “ Controller ” parameter, as shown in the example display. In the Alto Sax 1 voice the scream control parameter is not used so it iscurrently turned “ off ”. Press the - b...

44 Getting Started ● The Controllers 6. Go to the Pressure Controller Page From the Vibrato page use the § button to step back to the Pressure controller page. Quite logically, the Breath Controller is assigned to control the “ Pressure ” parameter, and we will leave it set that way while we experim...

45 Getting Started ● The Controllers The Controllers Once you pass zero, you enter a range of “negative” Depth values that produce reverse controller operation: i.e. the output level decreases as you blow harder into theBreath Controller. Like the normal positive range, the negative Depth range is f...

46 Getting Started ● The Controllers 9. Experiment! Now that you’ve got the idea, flip through the all the available controller pages and experiment with alternative assignments and settings until you feel comfortable with thesystem. You should also try this with different voices later, since the co...

47 Getting Started ● The Controllers The Controllers Indicates whether sustain control is on or off. ( ≥ Feature Reference manual, page 33) This line indicates the current portamento status: “Full Time” or “Fingered”. ( ≥ Feature Reference manual, page 38) A MIDI controller can be assigned to contro...

48 Getting Started ● Mixing & The Modifiers Mixing & The Modifiers The VL7 provides two ways to change the timber of a voice to create original variations: 1) by mixing the output signals from variousparts of the physical model, and 2) by using the VL7’s “Modifiers” toshape the overall harmo...

49 Getting Started ● Mixing & The Modifiers Mixing & The Modifiers An Exercise: Remix the Pan Pipes Voice Before going to the EDIT mode, select and play the Pan Pipes (B03) voice for a few minutes to get a feel for how it sounds. 1. Engage the EDIT Mode The mixing parameters are accessed via...

50 Getting Started ● Mixing & The Modifiers 50% 99% Tap Location 0% The remaining tap parameter — “ Tap Sign ” — inverts the phase of the tap signal. It has two settings: “ + ” and “ - ”. Try it. 4. Return To the PLAY Mode When Done Press the P button to return to the PLAY mode when you’ve finis...

51 Getting Started ● Mixing & The Modifiers Mixing & The Modifiers Driver, pipe/string, and tap sound. Modulator Source. Carrier Source. Out (to Dynamic Filter.) Wet/DryBalance Modulator Carrier In (from physicalmodel) Out (to effects stage) HarmonicEnhancer Dynamic Filter Frequency Equalize...

52 Getting Started ● Mixing & The Modifiers Referring to the block diagram of the harmonic enhancer, above, we can see that it employs a modulation approach to building new harmonic structures. The carrier andmodulator blocks have independent display pages and some independent parameters. ■ The ...

54 Getting Started ● Mixing & The Modifiers In (from HarmonicEnhancer) Out (to FrequencyEqualizer) Dynamic Filter Wet/DryBalance Dynamic Filter The Dynamic Filter stage is similar to the dynamic filters found in many conven- tional synthesizers. It allows both fixed and dynamic filtering in high...

55 Getting Started ● Mixing & The Modifiers Mixing & The Modifiers Frequency Equalizer The Frequency Equalizer stage consists of two blocks — Auxiliary and Band — each with its own display page. ■ The Equalizer Auxiliary Parameter Page ■ The Equalizer Band Parameter Page The Auxiliary block ...

56 Getting Started ● Mixing & The Modifiers Mix Frequency-dependent Delay In (from FrequencyEqualizer) Out (to Resonator) 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...

57 Getting Started ● Mixing & The Modifiers Mixing & The Modifiers Right Channel Left Channel Out (to Effects) In (from Impulse Expander) Delay Delay Delay Delay Delay Resonator While the Impulse Expander tends to give the sound a metallic quality, the Resona- tor produces a more woody reson...

58 Getting Started ● Effects Effects Effects are the essential finishing touches for any voice. Once you’ve created a sound you like, use one or more of the VL7’s three high-performance digital effect stages to polish and refine it as required. Eachstage includes a number of effects. The Modulation,...

59 Getting Started ● Effects Effects Modulation Effects Although “modulation” usually implies some sort of cyclical variation, the VL7 Modulation stage allows selection of Flanger, Pitch Change, and Distortion effects (onlyFlanger fits the traditional definition of a modulation effect). Since most o...

60 Getting Started ● Effects ■ The Time Calculation Pop-up Page NOTES ■ Refer to page 51 of the Feature Reference manual for full details on the Feedback Delay effects and parameters. Reverb Effects You’ll probably want to apply the effects in this stage to some degree to all your voices. These are ...

62 Getting Started ● Index Index Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . © 12, 38 Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . © 7 Copy button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . © 17 Copy function . . . . . . . . . . ....