Page 2 - Owner’s Manual 1; Getting Started
Page 3 - Contents
2 Getting Started Contents Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 About the Manuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 ■ The Getting Started Manual (this manual) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 ■ Th...
Page 5 - Precautions
4 Getting Started Precautions !! PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE PROCEEDING !! ■ Location Do not expose the instrument to the following conditions to avoid deformation, discoloration, or moreserious damage. • Direct sunlight (e.g. near a window).• High temperatures (e.g. near a heat source, outside, or in a...
Page 6 - Handle Floppy Disks and the Disk Drive With
5 Getting Started • Internal memory data can be corrupted due to incorrect operation. Be sure to save important datato floppy disk frequently so you have a backup torevert to if something happens to damage the datain memory. Also note that magnetic fields candamage data on the disk, so it is advisab...
Page 7 - About the Manuals; The VL1 comes with two manuals — Getting Started and Feature; The Getting Started Manual; Several ways to select and play the VL1’s 128 voices.
6 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 familiarw...
Page 8 - The Feature Reference Manual; Parameter Names; courier; Parameter Ranges
7 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 FeatureReference manual is divided into five main sections, each describing thevarious functions within a particular VL...
Page 9 - In the same way that computer models are used to simulate weather; VL1 Basics
8 Getting Started T he Yamaha VL1 Virtual Acoustic Synthesizer produces sound in anentirely new way. It has no oscillators or function generators, nopreset waveforms or samples. In fact, it uses none of the sound generation concepts employed in conventional synthesizers. The VL1represents the world’...
Page 10 - What Are the Advantages?
9 Getting Started T he VL1 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 physi...
Page 11 - The VL1 Model; The Instrument; The instrument model consists primarily of a driver — the reed/
10 Getting Started The VL1 Model T he overall VL1 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...
Page 13 - The Controllers
12 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, trans-mitted to the string via a bow. These elements actually form an important part of thesound gene...
Page 14 - The Modifiers; Harmonic Enhancer
13 Getting Started ● The Modifiers Although you don’t have direct programming access to the VL1 instru- ment block, the modifiers allow a significant degree of control over the finaltimbre of the voice. The modifiers block consists of 5 sections as shown in thediagram. Although these may appear to b...
Page 15 - Impulse Expander
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...
Page 16 - There’s More ...; Now that you understand the basics, dive in and find out what the
15 Getting Started There’s More … I n this brief introduction to VL1 basics we’ve only looked at thecentral physical model which is the key the VL1’s unprecedentedsound and musical performance. There’s actually much more to it. To begin with the VL1 actually has two elements which function as indepe...
Page 17 - The Controls & Connectors; should help you to understand the overall logic of the interface.
The Controls & Connectors The following brief descriptions of the VL1 controls and connectors should help you to understand the overall logic of the interface. A Brief Introduction To the VL1 Interface F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 CONT MODE COMPARE PLAY EDIT UTILITY COPY STORE PITCH MODULATION 1 MODU...
Page 18 - Front Panel
ENTER EXIT INC DEC POWER ON / OFF A 1 E1 9 ALL B 2 E2 10 HE C 3 E1 11 DF D 4 E2 12 EQ E 5 ALL 13 IE F 6 MOD 14 RSN G 7 FBD 15 H 8 REV 16 EFFECT ON / OFF ELEMENT ON / OFF ELEMENT SELECT MODIFIER ON / OFF !1 ] and [ Buttons i Data Dial !2 Bank a through h Buttons !3 Voice Number 1 through ^ Buttons o ...
Page 21 - Rear Panel
20 Getting Started ● The Controls & Connectors Rear Panel @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...
Page 23 - Setting Up; System Connections & Preparation; Power Supply
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 VL1 should be firmly plugged into the rear-panel AC cord socket.Ideally the power cord should then be plug...
Page 24 - Controllers; Breath Controller; Foot Controllers; Foot Switches; Audio Connections; Headphones
23 Getting Started ● Setting Up Setting Up 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 (o...
Page 25 - Stereo Sound System; MIDI Connections
24 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 andexpressive features. The VL1 OUTPUT L and R jacks can be connected directly t...
Page 27 - Play the Demo; Select the Utility Mode System Page; Select the Demo Page
26 Getting Started ● Setting Up IMPORTANT! Play the Demo Once you’ve set up your VL1 system, you might like to play the pre-programmed demo sequence to hear how some of the voices sound. This process will also help tofamiliarize you with some of the VL1’s selection and editing procedures. IMPORTANT!...
Page 28 - Press
27 Getting Started ● Setting Up 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 ...
Page 29 - Stop the Demo; Return To the Play Mode When Done
28 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.
Page 30 - Breath Controller Calibration; Make Sure the Breath Controller Is Connected; Go To the Utility Mode Curve Page and Select “Brth”; Adjust the Breath Controller Offset
29 Getting Started ● Setting Up 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...
Page 31 - Adjust the Breath Controller Gain; Return to the Play Mode
30 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 hardyou blow. Rotate the breath controller GAIN trimmer counter-clockwi...
Page 32 - Load the Pre-programmed Voice Data; Insert the Voice Disk; Go To the Miscellaneous Page & Turn Memory Protect Off
31 Getting Started ● Setting Up 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...
Page 33 - Select the Disk Function Directory; Select “Load From Disk”
32 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 ...
Page 34 - Load the File; Return to the Play Mode & Eject the Disk; About the VL1 Data Disk
33 Getting Started ● Setting Up Setting Up 7. Load the File Loading will begin when you press the - button in response to the “ Are You Sure? ” prompt. A bar graph on the display will indicate the progress of the load opera- tion, and when all the data has been loaded “ Completed! ” will appear. 8. ...
Page 35 - Voice Selection; One of the first things you’ll want to do with your VL1 is select and; Select the Play Mode
34 Getting Started ● Voice Selection Play mode. Voice B02 (no. 18 of 128). Voice name: Alto Sax Reverb is ON. Stereo output mode. Element E1 name: Alto Sax Mono voice,using a single element. Effects in use: Pitch Change, Feedback Delay off and Studio type reverb. Voice Selection One of the first thi...
Page 36 - Select a Voice
35 Getting Started ● Voice Selection Voice Selection DEC INC 2. Select a Voice The VL1’s 128 voices are organized into 8 banks of 16 voices each (8 x 16 = 128). Any voice can be selected by specifying its bank using the bank buttons ( a through h ), and its number using the voice number buttons ( 1 ...
Page 37 - Play; Using the Voice Directory
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. You will have to apply breath pressure to the breath controller, pressthe foot controller forward, or roll the ‘ wheel upward to produce sound with many ...
Page 38 - The Pre-programmed VL1 Voices
37 Getting Started ● Voice Selection Voice Selection The Pre-programmed VL1 Voices Here’s an abbreviated voice list for easy reference. G01 (097) Lees G02 (098) Breath Sax G03 (099) Bowed Saw G04 (100) Birdland G05 (101) Fanfare G06 (102) Chalsaw G07 (103) Recorder G08 (104) Harmonium G09 (105) Wond...
Page 39 - If you’ve read the “VL1 Basics” section (if you haven’t, please do so
38 Getting Started ● The Controllers The Controllers If you’ve read the “VL1 Basics” section (if you haven’t, please do so — page 8) you should understand the concept of “controllers” as appliedto the VL1. The “controller parameters” correspond to simulated character-istics of the instrument model —...
Page 41 - VL1 Controller Parameters
40 Getting Started ● The Controllers VL1 Controller Parameters Any of the physical controllers listed above can be assigned to control any of the VL1’s controller parameters: The amount of breath pressure applied to a reed or mouthpiece, orthe speed of the bow applied to a string. Pressure variation...
Page 42 - Controller Views
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...
Page 43 - Some Exercises With the AltoSax Controllers; Engage the EDIT Mode; Select the Element 1 Controller Parameters; Select the Controller Parameter You Want To Edit
42 Getting Started ● The Controllers Some Exercises With the AltoSax Controllers Now that you know which physical controllers are assigned to which controller parameters in the AltoSax voice, play the voice using the assigned controllers to get afeel for their effect before changing the assignments....
Page 44 - Edit the Scream Controller Parameter; Try Out the Edited Voice & Cancel the Vibrato Effect
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 AltoSax voice the scream control parameter is not used so it iscurrently turned “ off ”. Press the - butt...
Page 45 - Go to the Pressure Controller Page
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...
Page 46 - Vary the Curve Parameter
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...
Page 47 - Return to the Play Mode When Done; Controller Envelopes
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...
Page 48 - Other Controller Views
47 Getting Started ● The Controllers The Controllers Other Controller Views If you press the ∞ function button from the play mode you’ll see the following controller view: The controller parameters listed in this screen are not in the same category as those discussed in the preceding section, and th...
Page 49 - Mixing & The Modifiers; The VL1 provides two ways to change the timbre of a voice to cre-; Mixing; Creating New Timbres and Original Voices
48 Getting Started ● Mixing & The Modifiers Mixing & The Modifiers The VL1 provides two ways to change the timbre of a voice to cre- ate original variations: 1) by mixing the output signals from various partsof the physical model, and 2) by using the VL1’s “Modifiers” to shape theoverall har...
Page 50 - An Exercise: Remix the Pan Pipes Voice
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 voice for a few minutes to get a feel for how it sounds. 1. Engage the EDIT Mode The mixing parameters are accessed via the E...
Page 51 - Return To the PLAY Mode When Done
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...
Page 52 - As described in the “VL1 Basics” section (page 8), the VL1 has five
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...
Page 53 - The Modulator Parameter Page
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 ...
Page 55 - Dynamic Filter; The Dynamic Filter Parameter Page
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...
Page 56 - Frequency Equalizer; The Equalizer Auxiliary Parameter Page
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 ...
Page 57 - The Impulse Expander Parameter Page
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...
Page 58 - Resonator; The Resonator Parameter Page
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...
Page 59 - Effects; Creating the Right Ambience; Com
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 VL1’s three high-per-formance digital effect stages to polish and refine it as required. Eachstage includes a number of effects. The Modulation...
Page 60 - Modulation Effects; Feedback Delay Effects
59 Getting Started ● Effects Effects Modulation Effects Although “modulation” usually implies some sort of cyclical variation, the VL1 Modulation stage allows selection of Flanger, Pitch Change, and Distortion effects (onlyFlanger fits the traditional definition of a modulation effect). Since most o...
Page 61 - The Time Calculation Pop-up Page; Reverb Effects
60 Getting Started ● Effects ■ The Time Calculation Pop-up Page NOTES ■ Refer to page 53 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 ...
Page 63 - Index
62 Getting Started ● Index Conventions © 7 Copy button © 17 Copy function ƒ 25 Crossfade speed ƒ 85 Cursor buttons © 18 D Damping ƒ 80 Data dial © 18, 35. ƒ 16 Decrement & increment buttons © 18, 35. ƒ 16 Demo playback © 26. ƒ 175 Device number ƒ 155 Disk format ƒ 171 Disk status ƒ 163 Disk, del...
