Yamaha VL70- Manual

4 Precautions 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 ca...

5 ■ 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 ifplaced too clo...

6 Virtual Acoustic Synthesis Virtual Acoustic Synthesis Unlike previous tone generation systems which use oscillators, function genera-tors, preset waveforms or samples to produce sound, Yamaha Virtual Acoustic(“VA”) Synthesis applies sophisticated computer-based “physical modeling”technology to mus...

7 Virtual Acoustic Synthesis Controllers (also envelopes) Instrument Modifiers Sound out 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:

8 Virtual Acoustic Synthesis ■ NOTES • The sound thus produced is amplifiedand sustained by thebody of the instrument. • The pitch of the sound is determined by thelength of the aircolumn or string, andthe timbre is a complexproduct of the drivingsource (reed, lip, air,string), the shape ofthe reson...

9 Virtual Acoustic Synthesis The Controllers The input to an acoustic wind instrument comes from the player’s lungs, tra-chea, oral cavity, and lips. In a string instrument it comes from the player’s armmovement, transmitted to the string via a bow. These elements actually form animportant part of t...

10 The Modifiers Virtual Acoustic Synthesis The modifiers block consists of 4 sections as shown in the diagram. Althoughthese may appear to be simple effects, they are actually intimately related to theVL70-m’s sound-producing model and have a significant effect on the sound(the VL70-m has a separat...

11 Virtual Acoustic Synthesis There’s More … In this brief introduction to VL70-m basics we’ve only looked at the centralphysical 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 exten-sive range of other functions and...

12 The Controls & Connectors The Controls & Connectors The following brief descriptions of the VL70-m controls and connectorsshould help you to understand the overall logic of the interface. Front Panel q [POWER/VOL] Control Press to turn power ON or OFF. Rotate to adjustoverall output volum...

14 !8 DC IN Connector The DC output cable from the Yamaha PA-3BAC Power Adaptor supplied with the VL70-m isplugged in here. ➲ page 15 !9 OUTPUT L/MONO and R Jacks These are the main stereo outputs from theVL70-m. Be sure to connect both outputs to theappropriate channels of a stereo sound system ino...

15 Setting Up Setting Up Power Supply Your VL70-m comes supplied with a Yamaha PA-3B AC adaptor. Plug theDC output cable from the AC adaptor into the DC IN jack on the rear panel, then plug the adaptor into a convenient wall AC power socket. It is also a goodidea to clip the adaptor’s DC cable into ...

16 Setting Up MIDI Connections The VL70-m can be used with virtually any type of MIDI controller: key-board, wind controller, sequencer, etc. To ensure reliable error-free transfer of MIDI data always use high-quality MIDI cables obtained from your Yamahadealer or music equipment store. Also avoid M...

17 Setting Up Breath Controller If you will be using the VL70-m with a keyboard, a breath controller is anessential expressive tool — both for realistic expression with wind-instru- ment voices and unprecedented expressive control with string voices. Plug anoptional Yamaha BC3, BC2 or BC1 Breath Con...

18 Setting Up WX-series Wind MIDI Controller The VL70-m is an ideal tone generator for use with a Yamaha WX-seriesWind MIDI Controller such as the WX11 or WX7. In either case the con- troller can be plugged directly into the WX IN connector on the VL70-m frontpanel, without the need for a WT11 or BT...

19 Setting Up G50 Guitar MIDI Converter The Yamaha G50 is a high-performance Guitar MIDI Converter designed towork in conjunction with the Yamaha G1D Divided Pickup Unit installed on an electric or steel-string acoustic guitar. The G50 offers unprecedented MIDIguitar synthesizer performance with exc...

20 Setting Up Connecting to a Personal Computer Although the VL70-m can be connected to a personal computer via theMIDI IN/OUT connectors and a MIDI interface, the TO HOST connector and selector switch allow direct connection to Apple Macintosh, IBM PC/AT, orNEC PC-9801/9821 series personal computer...

21 Setting Up Connecting to an NEC PC-9801/9821 Series Computer The NEC PC-9801/9821 computers are widely used in Japan. Connect the TOHOST connector of the VL70-m to the RS-232C port on your NEC computer,using a standard 8-pin MINI DIN → 25-pin D-SUB cross cable. Set the TO HOST selector to the “PC...

22 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 nomatter how loud or late you play. Any standard pair of stereo headphones with astereo mini phone plug and a...

24 Play the Demo Once you’ve set up your VL70-m 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 you with some of the VL70-m’s selectionand editing procedures. ■ NOTES • When the demo is played all system...

25 Setting Up The Supplied Demo Disk The VL70-m is supplied with a demonstration data disk which containsseveral songs which demonstrate some of the VL70-m’s advanced musical capabilities. The songs on this disk can be reproduced using any sequencer orcomputer-based sequence software which can handl...

26 Voice Organization and Sound ModuleModes Voice Organization The VL70-m voices are organized into four main banks. Additional banksare used when the VL70-m is set to operate in the VL-XG sound module mode (page 29). The four main banks are as follows: The PRESET 1 bank contains 128 preset voices w...

27 Voice Organization and Sound Module Modes The VL70-m Sound Module Modes The VL70-m has two main Sound Module Modes: VOICE and VL-XG. It isimportant to understand the difference between these modes because they determine how the VL70-m responds to MIDI program change and bank num-bers received fro...

29 Voice Organization and Sound Module Modes Selecting the VOICE or VL-XG Sound Module Mode The current sound module mode is indicated by the triangular pointer in thelower right- corner of the display in the PLAY mode. The VOICE or VL-XG sound module mode is selected as follows: 1. Press the [MODE]...

30 Voice Organization and Sound Module Modes ■ VL Extension for XG The VL Extension for XG (“VL Extension for XG” isabbreviated to VL-XG) included in the VL70-m VirtualAcoustic Tone Generator significantly enhances andexpands the musical capabilities of the XG format with the superior sound and expr...

31 When the VOICE sound module mode is selected (see “The VL70-m SoundModule Modes, page 27), pressing the [PLAY] button engages the VL70-mVOICE PLAY mode. This mode allows voices to be selected and played, andthus is the mode you’ll normally use when playing the VL70-m. The VOICEPLAY mode also prov...

34 The VOICE PLAY Sub-control Mode The sub control mode can be selected from the main control mode bysimultaneously pressing the PART [-] and [+] buttons. The VOICE PLAY sub-control mode display looks like this: The various parameters in this mode are selected via the SELECT [ < ] and [ > ] bu...

36 The VL-XG PLAY Mode The VL-XG PLAY Mode When the VL-XG sound module mode is selected (see “The VL70-m SoundModule Modes, page 27), pressing the [PLAY] button engages the VL70-m VL-XG PLAY mode. In this mode the VL70-m can be used as an “XG expansion”tone generator module with other XG tone genera...

37 The VL-XG PLAY Mode The VL-XG PLAY Main Control Mode This mode is initially engaged when the VL-XG sound module mode isselected. If the sub-control mode is active (see page 40), the main control mode can be selected by simultaneously pressing the PART [-] and [+] buttons.The VL-XG PLAY main contr...

42 Controllers & Control Editing If you’ve read the “Virtual Acoustic Synthesis” section (if you haven’t, pleasedo so — page 6) you should understand the concept of “controllers” as appliedto the VL70-m. The “controller parameters” correspond to simulated character-istics of the instrument model...

45 ● VL70-m Controller Parameters Any of the physical controllers listed above can be assigned to control any ofthe VL70-m’s controller parameters: The amount of breath pressure applied to a reed or mouthpiece,or the speed of the bow applied to a string. Pressure variationsaffect both volume and tim...

46 Controllers & Control Editing Accessing & Editing the Control Param-eters The CONTROL EDIT mode can be accessed from the VOICE PLAY mode as follows: 1. Press [EDIT] Press the [EDIT] button to go to the VOICE EDIT sub-mode menu. 2. Select the CONTROL Sub-mode Use the SELECT [ < ] and [ ...

47 6. Repeat As Necessary Repeat steps 4 and 5 to edit as many parameters as required. 7. Exit When Done Press ther [EXIT] button to return to the VOICE EDIT sub-mode menu, orthe [PLAY] button to return to the VOICE PLAY mode when you’re finishedediting. ■ IMPORTANT! • If you want to keep the change...

48 Pitch Bend ........................................................................................ 52 01: PB Ctrl (Pitch Bend Control) 02: PB LowCtrl (Pitch Bend Low Control) 03: PBLFO PMod (Pitch Bend LFO Pitch Modulation) Modulation Wheel ..........................................................

50 Controllers & Control Editing ● VL-XG Sound Module Mode Control Edit Parameters Refer to the page numbers listed for full details on each parameter. Pitch Bend ........................................................................................ 52 01: PB Ctrl (Pitch Bend Control) 02: PB L...

52 ● Control Edit Parameter Descriptions The small parameter numbers in parentheses apply in the VL-XG sound module mode. Pitch Bend 01 (01) : PB Ctrl • Pitch Bend Control• Settings: -24 … +24 This parameter sets the maximum amount of pitchbend which will occur when the pitch controller isset to its...

53 Controllers & Control Editing Modulation Wheel 04 (04) : MWLFO PMod • Modulation Wheel LFO Pitch Modulation• Settings: 000 … 127 Sets the amount of LFO pitch modulation appliedby the modulation controller (e.g. the modulationwheel on a keyboard — MIDI control changenumber 01). The higher the ...

54 Assignable Controller 08 (08) : AC1 CC No. • Assignable Controller 1 Control Change Number• Settings: off … 95 Assigns the specified control change number as“Assignable Controller 1”. The assigned controllercan then be used to control filter, amplitude, and/orpitch modulation as specified by the ...

55 Pressure 13 (12) : Prs CC No. • Pressure Control Change Number• Settings: off… 95, AT, VEL, PB “Pressure” corresponds to the amount of breathpressure applied to a reed or mouthpiece, or thespeed of the bow applied to a string. Pressurevariations affect both volume and timbre. The “PrsCC No.” para...

56 eliminate types. Some voices use very littlefilter processing at all. Changing the filtersettings may not produce a particularly notice-able effect. For detailed filter parameter pro-gramming use the VL70-m Expert Editorsoftware (page 25). 17: FilCtrlDpt (VOICE mode only) • Filter Control Depth• ...

57 pressure or higher modulation wheel position),while minus values cause a decrease in amplitudein response to higher controller values. The“Depth” setting is reflected in the graph at thebottom of the display — the horizontal axisrepresents the controller value and the vertical axisrepresents ampl...

58 24: EmbLowrDpt (VOICE mode only) • Embouchure Lower Control Depth• Settings: -127 … +127 Sets the amount of variation produced by thecontroller assigned to embouchure when thecontroller is set to it minimum position (e.g. amodulation wheel rolled all the way down). Thehigher the value the greater...

59 27 (17) : TngCtrlDpt • Tonguing Control Depth• Settings: -127 … +127 (VL-XG Mode: -64 … +63) Sets the amount of variation produced by thecontroller assigned to tonguing. The higher thevalue the greater the variation. Positive valuescause an decrease in tonguing in response to highercontroller val...

60 31: Scr Curve (VOICE mode only) • Scream Curve• Settings: -16 … +16 Determines the relationship between the controllervalue and scream. When set to “+00” the relation-ship is linear. That is, a change in the controllervalue produces a corresponding change in screameffect. As the curve value incre...

61 represents the controller value and the vertical axisrepresents breath noise.• The amount of breath noise produced alsodepends on pressure, so the breath noise curveindicated by the graph at the bottom of thedisplay may not always accurately reflect theperceived curve. Sets the amount of variatio...

62 Throat Formant 38 (24) : Thr CC No. • Throat Formant Control Change Number• Settings: off… 95, AT, VEL, PB “Throat Formant” controls the characteristics ofthe simulated player ’s lungs, trachea, and oralcavity. Can add a realistic “roughness” to thesound. The “Thr CC No.” parameter specifies thec...

64 Sets the amount of variation produced by thecontroller assigned to damping. The higher thevalue the greater the variation. Positive valuescause a decrease in damping in response to highercontroller values (e.g. increased breath pressure orhigher modulation wheel position), while minusvalues cause...

66 Filter & Envelope Generator Editing The VL70-m has two envelope generators which can be independently pro-grammed to produce time-based variations in the sound. ● Amplitude & Filter EG The Amplitude & Filter Envelope Generator controls both the amplitude of thesound and the cutoff fre...

67 Filter & Envelope Generator Editing Accessing & Editing the Filter & EG Param-eters The FILTER & EG EDIT mode can be accessed from the PLAY mode as follows: 1. Press [EDIT] Press the [EDIT] button to go to the EDIT sub-mode menu. 2. Select the FIL&EG Sub-mode Use the SELECT [ ...

69 The Filter & EG Edit Parameters Please note that a number of FIL&EG EDIT parameters which are availablein the VOICE sound module mode are not available in the VL-XG sound module mode (page 28). The parameter numbers are therefore different in eachmode. ● VOICE Sound Module Mode Filter &am...

70 Filter .............................................................................................. 71 01: CutoffFreq (Cutoff Frequency) 02: Resonance (Resonance) 03: FilEG Dept (Filter Envelope Generator Depth) 04: Bass (Bass Tone Control) 05: Treble (Treble Tone Control) Amplitude & Filte...

71 ● Filter & EG Edit Parameter Descriptions The small parameter numbers in parentheses apply in the VL-XG sound module mode. Filter 03 (03) : FilEG Dept • Filter EG Depth• Settings: -64 … +63 The “FilEG Dept” parameter determines to whatdegree the amplitude /filter envelope generator (see“08(06...

72 the breakpoint note specified by the “CutoffScBP”parameter, above. A setting of “+00” produces nokey scaling. Positive values apply scaling to notesbelow the breakpoint (i.e. on a keyboard, notes tothe left of the breakpoint), producing a graduallowering of the cutoff frequency down the scale.Neg...

73 10 (08) : ReleaseTime • Amplitude & Filter Envelope Release Time• Settings: -64 … +63 Sets the release time of the amplitude & filterenvelope generator. “Release time” refers to thelength of time it takes for the envelope to fall to“zero” level after the note has been released.Positive va...

75 Other Edit Parameters The OTHERS EDIT mode provides access to a range of editable voice param-eters that do fall into the CONTROLLER or FILTER & EG categories. Other Edit Parameters Accessing & Editing the “Others” Param-eters The OTHERS EDIT mode can be accessed from the PLAY mode as fol...

77 The “Others” Edit Parameters Please note that a number of OTHERS EDIT parameters which are availablein the VOICE sound module mode are not available in the VL-XG sound module mode (page 28). The parameter numbers are therefore different in eachmode. ● VOICE Sound Module Mode “Others” Edit Paramet...

78 ● VL-XG Sound Module Mode “Others” Edit Parameters Refer to the page numbers listed for full details on each parameter. Vibrato ............................................................................................. 79 01: Vib Rate (Vibrato Rate) 02: Vib Depth (Vibrato Depth) 03: Vib Delay ...

79 ● “Others” Edit Parameter Descriptions The small parameter numbers in parentheses apply in the VL-XG sound module mode. Detune & Voice Level 04 (04) : Detune • Detune• Settings: -12.8 … +12.7 Hz The “Detune” parameter allows the pitch of theVL70-m to be shifted slighlty upward or down-ward to...

80 Assignment & Expansion 06 (05) : Mono/Poly • Monophonic/Polyphonic Mode• Settings: mono, poly Selects the VL70-m monophonic or polyphonicnote mode. When the “mono” mode is selectednote output will always be generated as long as aMIDI note-on message is being received. Forexample, if you play ...

81 The horizontal axis represents keyboard velocityand the vertical axis represents output level. Other Edit Parameters • Polyphonic Expansion will not function whenthe “06(05): Mono/Poly” parameter is set to“mono”. • When using Polyphonic Expansion be sure toset the “07: AssignMode” parameter to “L...

84 The Store Function Once you’ve created a new voice in the edit mode, it’s necessary to store thevoice to one of the VL70-m INTERNAL memory locations otherwise the editeddata will be lost when a new voice is selected. ■ NOTES • Any previous data in the memory location to which the new voice is sto...

86 Effects & Effect Editing The VL70-m features a versatile internal effects system which consists of fourindependent effect stages: REVERB, CHORUS, VARIATION, and DISTOR-TION. Of these the REVERB and CHORUS stages function as “system ef-fects”, the VARIATION stage can be used either as a system...

87 parameters available in the PLAY mode (pages 32 and 41). The“SendCho → Rev” parameter (page 91) can be used to send some or all of the output from the chorus stage to the reverb stage. If the the “SendCho → Rev” parameter is set to maximum and the “ChoRtn” parameter is set to “000”, thechorus sta...

88 Accessing & Editing the Effect Parameters The EFFECT sub-modes — REV, CHO, VAR, and DIST — and the param-eters they contain can be accessed from the PLAY mode as follows: 1. Press [EFFECT] Press the [EFFECT] button to go to the EFFECT sub-mode menu. 2. Select the Desired Sub-mode Use the SELE...

90 The Reverb Parameters The reverb effects are essential to give your sound ambience and a sense of dimension, addingwarmth and depth to an otherwise dry sound. Type • Reverb Type• Settings: NO EFFECT, HALL 1, HALL 2, ROOM 1, ROOM 2, ROOM 3, STAGE 1, STAGE 2, PLATE, WHITEROOM, TUNNEL, CANYON, BASEM...

91 The Chorus Parameters The VL70-m chorus stage actually includes a number of modulation-type effects that can be usedto give your sound extra animation and life. Type • Chorus Type• Settings: NO EFFECT, CHORUS 1, CHORUS 2, CHORUS 3, CELESTE 1, CELESTE 2, CELESTE 3, FLANGER 1,FLANGER 2, SYMPHONIC, ...

92 The Variation Parameters The variation stage includes reverb, delay, echo, modulation, distortion, wah, and a range of othereffects. Type • Variation Type• Settings: NO EFFECT, HALL 1, HALL 2, ROOM 1, ROOM 2, ROOM 3, STAGE 1, STAGE 2, PLATE, DELAYLCR, DELAY L,R, ECHO, CROSSDELAY, ER1, ER2, GATERE...

94 The Distortion Parameters Distortion is an excellent way to drastically change a sound — although subtle distortion settings canproduce surprisingly delicate variations. Type • Distortion Type• Settings: THRU, DISTORTION, OVERDRIVE, 3-BAND EQ Selects the distortion type, or “THRU” if nodistortion...

95 Breath Settings Breath Settings The Breath Setting includes a number of setting that determine how the VL70-m responds to breath control from a breath controller, a Yamaha WX-seriesWind MIDI controller, or MIDI. Accessing & Editing the Breath Parameters The BREATH parameters can be accessed a...

96 The Breath Parameters Breath Mode • Settings: BC/WX, Velocity, Touch EG Sets the control source to be used for “breath”control. This parameter should be set to “BC/WX”when a breath controller or Yamaha WX-seriesWind MIDI Controller is being used (page 18).When set to “Velocity”, breath variation ...

98 The System Parameters The UTILITY SYSTEM sub-mode includes parameters that affect overall operation of the VL70-m. M.Tune • Master Tuning• Settings: -102.4c … +102.3c Fine tunes the overall pitch of the VL70-m in 0.1-cent steps (a “cent” is 1/100th of a semitone). Themaximum minus and plus settin...

100 The Dump Out Function The Dump Out function allows VL70-m setup and system exclusive data tobe transmitted to a second VL70-m or an external MIDI storage device such as the Yamaha MDF2 MIDI Data Filer via the MID OUT or TO HOST connec-tor. ■ NOTES • The MIDI Device Number of the receiving device...

101 2. Press [ENTER] Press the [ENTER] button to go to the confirmation/select display for theselected data type. 3. Select “ALL” or a Single Voice for CUSTOM or INTERNL If you have selected the CUSTOM or INTERNL data type, you can use theVALUE [-] and [+] buttons at this point to specify whether yo...

102 The Initialize Function The VL70-m Initialize function includes two sub-modes — “Factory Set”and “System Initialize”. “Factory Set” initialization restores all VL70-m data to the initial factory settings … including all Custom and Internal voices.“System Initialize” restores all system setup par...

103 Appendix Appendix Show Control Change This function displays the MIDI control changedata string required to control the parameter currently displayed in the PLAY mode from anexternal MIDI device. The MIDI data is displayedin hexadecimal format.To engage the Show Control Change function firstsele...

104 The Message Window The VL70-m Message Window function makesit possible to display text messages up to 32 characters in length on the VL70-m display in thePLAY mode. The messages can be transmitted inthe form of a data string from an external MIDIdevice, and will appear on the VL70-m display fora...

105 Bitmap Window The VL70-m Bitmap Window function makesit possible to display 16 x 16 dot icons and simple animation sequences on the VL70-mdisplay in the PLAY mode. The bitmap data can betransmitted in the form of a data string from anexternal MIDI device, and will appear on theVL70-m display for...

106 After converting all 48 rows in the example wehave the following hexadecimal bytes: Checksum Some VL70-m system exclusive messagerequire a “checksum” — a data byte which is used to check for errors during MIDI data transfer.The checksum is calculated using the systemexclusive message start addre...

107 2. Add all the converted numbers. 3. Divide the total by 128 and note the remain- der. 4. Subtract the remainder from 128. The result is the checksum. 5. Convert the decimal checksum back to hexadecimal format using the above chart. Troubleshooting The VL70-m is a very versatile tone generatorwi...

112 Error Messages When an operational error or other problemoccurs, the VL70-m will display one of the following error messages to inform you of theproblem. Battery Low! The internal backup battery needs to be replaced.Have the battery replaced by qualified Yamahaservice personnel. Illegal Data! A ...

113 Specifications ■ Tone Generator Type S/VA (Self-oscillating VirtualAcoustic Synthesis: VLR Algo-rithm) Modifiers Harmonic EnhancerDynamic FilterEqualizerResonator Effects Reverb: 12 typesChorus: 10 typesVariation: 44 typesDistortion: 3 types Polyphony 1 note (monophonic) Sound Module Modes Voice...