Conference napalm::commusic_v1

RE < Note 2104.0 by WELSWS::GIBSON "Alan Gibson @WLO" >

	There's an explanation of the waveforms in my TX81Z manual at home.
They do not explain these alternate waveforms as sawtooth, square, etc..  Rather
they explain them in terms of harmonic content (overtones) and perhaps only in 
one instance mention the similarity to an analog waveform (W2, I believe?).  If
I remember to bring my book in, I'll post them.

	The waveforms on your LFO are different in nature than these (or did you
know that?).  By far the most common one used is the sine wave, as it is useful
for vibrato or 'wah' effects.  The square wave may be good for a 'trill' effect,
and the random (sample and hold) may be useful for weird, spacey effects.

	I spent some time programming my TX81Z last night and played with the
alternate waveforms on the patches I was working on.  The changes they bring are
subtle in some cases, and in others they totally change the approach you may 
have been working on with the output levels and operator frequencies.

	Dan

    The LFO wave forms are sine, square, saw-up and S/H (sample and hold,
    a rather random wave form).
    
    The operator waves are not quite so perfect, and can't be described
    in a single word or two. There are pictures of them in the owner's
    manuals (or on the machines themselves) that speak 1000 words.
    
    Edd

    Thank you for your assistance so far.  Unfortunately, my manual
    (for the YS200) is most unhelpful in it's descriptions.  For the
    operator waveform parameters, it just says (I paraphrase) "modifying
    these numbers changes the noise".  It doesn't even, if I remember
    correctly, identify them as the waveform parameters.  I certainly
    had do some messing around before I tied them into the SysEx bytes.

re:            <<< Note 2104.3 by WELSWS::GIBSON "Alan Gibson @WLO" >>>
                     -< If in doubt, look at the pictures >-

A Yamaha marketing rep. told me that the YS series was designed for being
sold by ads on MTV.  Seriously.  I guess they aimed the manual kinda low.

Since these keyboards really are a TX81Z in a box with some signal processing,
they could be a really good deal on closeout.  I'll take the one with the
built-in boombox speakers! (BY200?)

	Eirikur

>    "modifying these numbers changes the noise".  
    
But, if you want something other than noise ... well ...  ;^
TZ is a great box.  I miss it ...
    
    Steve

    I confess I got it as much for the keyboard as the noises.  Velocity
    sensitive, after-touch, breath, and all the rest, give me lots of
    "input sensors" for performance work.  What I'm aiming at is real-time
    modification of the sound by a PC in response to whatever the
    performer's doing, so the PC sits between the keyboard and the SGU
    (Sound Generating Unit, right?).
        
    This is my first excursion into Midi, although I've been into
    computer-controlled music for some time.
        
    I've nothing to compare it with, but I rate the manual's description
    of the Midi mesages fairly high.  The problem is with the idiot's
    guide at the front that attempts to explain how to manually modify
    things.  The machine has a "simple edit" facility to modify
    "brightness", for example, but there is no description of what this
    actually does to the SGU parameters.  Never mind, I'll figure it
    out.

    My bet is "brightness" raises the level of 1 or more modulators.
    
    Edd

    Probably first-order modulators.  Increasing the level of these will
    add more high frequency harmonics.

    During a chat with one of the guys at Yamaha Pulse in London it
    transpired that the non-sine waveforms available in the TX81Z were
    possibly an attempt at simulating the availabilty of six operators as used
    in the DX7/DX5.
    The extra waveforms are representative of what may be obtained by
    intermodulating two sine waves without actually using up two of
    the four operators available to do so.
    

RE < Note 2104.6 by WELSWS::GIBSON "Alan Gibson @WLO" >

	I realize this note was written some time back, but I thought I'd 
comment, in case the questions were still there...

	In the YS200 manual, it *does* have some fairly decent explanations of 
what each of the simple edit functions do.  If you read the description of
FM synthesis in starting on page 59 (in my manual, it's titled "FM Synthesis" in
the Appendices), you'll find a breif but explanatory description of Yamaha's
implementation of FM synthesis.  Then if you go back to the synthesizer 
reference section, starting on page 22, you can apply those principles to the
simple edit options.

	It seemed fairly good to me, but then I've been noodling with FM 
synthesis for a couple of years now.

	For instance, you mentioned "Brightness" and wondered what it meant.  On
page 23, about the last 1/4 of the page, it mentions that it "controls the 
output level of the modulator operator(s)".  Combine that with the basic 
explanation of modulating oscillators, as found in the appendix section, you 
should be able to get a grasp of it.  And so forth...

	If these explanations don't help you, you may want to go back a step or
two and do some research on FM synthesis in general.  I believe there are a 
number of sources, not the least of which being the original theories in John
Chowning's works.  Yamaha also has published books on the subject and there are 
books on the YS200's brethren (such as the TX81Z) by companies such as Alexander
Publishing that offer primers on the inner workings of FM Synthesis.

	Dan

    I have a video-tape (VHS) that explains FM programming. It's available
    for borrowing...
    
    Edd

    
         Any YS200 owners out there, still?
    
    ********************************************************************
    
    Problem: 
    
    While trying to sequence in a precussion line to 1st track, the 
    bottom half of the keyboard will not sound, anything.  I was using 
    a Preset voice, "oildrum".  
    
    I checked all through out and could not find a split tagged for that
    voice, nor did I start one for that recording.  For that matter, I
    couldn't find a split anyplace corresponding to D3.  
    
    Problem:
    
    Wanting to add a bass line on track two, I cannot seem to toggle a User
    Voice 18,(ARP) from the record/seq menu.   I tried everything, or it
    would seem that I've tried everything.  (Obviously not.)  
    
      - Choose User
      - Select 18
      - Select Seq
      - Select track 1
      - Select rec.            Voice shows at P00 = Elegant
    
      - Toggle under P00.      I can choose only voices under preset
                               Cannot find my way over to User.
    
      - Work my way thru menus looking for a disconnect someplace, can't
    seem to ID it.
    
    
    The manual states that if the midi send/recieve channels are not 
    matched, some voices may not work.  I checked for that and went thru
    to turn off any midi.  Seems to be all set.  
    
    
    *******************************************************************
    
    Background:
    
         I purchased a YS200 from someone here in the file.  I don't think
    it would be fair of me to ask an endless list of questions considering
    I wouldn't want a person calling me forever about the Jeep CJ7 I sold
    awhile back.  Know what I mean?   In any event, this note looks like
    the place to ask.
       
         I purchased this for myself and my girlfriend, Deb.   Me, to be 
    used as an accompaniment with my guitars. Deb, well she had a scholarship 
    to Berkley but went to an art school instead.  Needless to say, she's 
    quite good on a keyboard,(I think a joke would work here - naaaaa.)  
    So she'll enjoy this keyboard for a long long time.
    
         I love this keyboard, but the manual leaves something to be
    desired.  (What do you expect from a guitar player, heh?)  Anybody
    offer some help to a non-midi, non-sequencer, 1 finger, poke'n'play
    type?
    
         Rick.     264-7661
    
         PS:  D.,  That ARP voice is great.