feature guide psr keyboard performer - yamaha club 0011.pdf · 2012-10-10 · 17 april / may 2003...

15 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2003

FEATURE GUIDE

PPSSRR KKeeyybbooaarrddPPSSRR KKeeyybbooaarrddPPeerrffoorrmmeerrPPeerrffoorrmmeerrAA sseerriieess ffoorr aallll PPSSRR PPoorrttaabbllee KKeeyybbooaarrdd PPllaayyeerrss - PPaarrtt 2222CCVVPP CCllaavviinnoovvaa ddiiggiittaall ppiiaannooss sshhaarree mmaannyy ffeeaattuurreess wwiitthh PPSSRR sseerriieess kkeeyybbooaarrddiinnssttrruummeennttss aanndd wwhhiillsstt tthhee llaayyoouutt mmaayy bbee sslliigghhttllyy ddiiffffeerreenntt,, tthhee oovveerraallll ooppeerraattiioonn aannddppeerrffoorrmmaannccee iiss vveerryy ssiimmiillaarr iinn mmoosstt ccaasseess..

The Yamaha Keyboard Family!

PSR1000 / 2000

CVP200 Series Clavinovas

TYROS

Our “Keyboard Performer” series has now been running for several years and,as we head into 2003, it’s good to see Yamaha enjoying enormous success witha knockout range of instruments that, for once, can now be seen to all belong tothe same generic “family”. Okay, the range isn’t complete yet, but it does look asthough there is a coherent policy guiding the design team.

All working the same way...

As members with newly aquired TYROS begin to scan the pages of Inter-Activefor hints and tips, it seems an opportune time to remind everyone of thesimilarities between the new instruments. TYROS, PSR1000 / 2000 and theClavinova 200 Series instruments all use the same operating system... i.e. theyall work in the same way.

Take a look at the two screen shots on the right. The upper picture shows theMain Screen layout of TYROS (which is almost identical to CVP209). The lowerpicture shows the same Main Screen layout of the PSR2000 / 1000.

This, I hope, illustrates the operational similarities between the instruments. Westill hear “there’s nothing about my PSR1000 in the magazine” - or - “why don’tyou include articles on the Clavinova”, so I hope you won’t mind me mentioningagain (for the benefit of newcomers) that a great part of what is featured in themagazine is universal. Of course, things will be made easier if Yamaha adhere tothe new format across the board as promised.

Where do organs fit in...

This, as any Yamaha organ enthusiast will tell you, is the burning issue. We’retold that Yamaha will continue to support the organ - although recent newmodels are still following the long-standing EL series format and have obviouslybeen geared towards the Oriental market.

Main Screen layout - TYROS

Main Screen layout - PSR2000

16FEBRUARY / MARCH 2003

FEATURE GUIDE

The AR Series organ...

The two organs that comprise the AR series are a bit of a “mix-n-match between the tried and tested EL Electone format andthe later portable keyboard / Clavinova instruments.

The panel and display screen layout is virtually identical to thatof the EL90, although the large display screen and tastiergraphics owe more to the PSR6000 / 7000 (which were

Yamaha’s flagship keyboards around the time theAR was introduced).

The accompaniment (style) section of theAR100 is keyboard based. The

controls and layout areperfectly in line with recent

portable keyboard andClavinova formats, right

down to the eightprogrammable styleparts... unlike theEL organ which,more-or-less, has astraight-forward“rhythm unit”.

This provides us with something of a problem as the AR ownerwill also need to “mix-n-match” his reading between articles inthe magazine. Much of what is written for the keyboard andClavinova is relevant to the AR organ... just as much of what iswritten for the EL Electone is also relevant. I’m afraid there’s noeasy way around this - until Yamaha produce an organ that istotally keyboard based..! On the other hand, some would sayAR owners have the best of both worlds.

The EL Series organ...

This organ series has little in common with any of the newerinstruments and it’s for this reason that it has its own specific“EL” pages in the magazine. As a musical instrument the ELElectone is every bit as stunning today, in the hands of askilled performer, as it was when it was first introduced morethan a decade ago.

The EL relies very little on auto-accompaniments and those ithas are quite basic by today’s standards. This has left manyenthusiasts feeling baffled as to why even the most recent ELmodels have retained the ancient accompaniment system ofthe original.

I’m fairly certain in my own mind that the organ / keyboardmarket has been driven along for thepast thirty years by the advancementof bigger and better easy-playfeatures.

The boom in organ sales whenautomatics were introduced

reflects similar trends inguitar sales when the“three chord trick” was atits height and peoplebelieved that makingmusic was easy andthey’d all be rich andfamous like the Beatles.

This trend was neverseen in otherinstrument genres.

There was no boom in sales of brass and woodwindinstruments and I’m sure this has much to do with perceived“ease” of musical achievement. None-the-less, brass andwoodwind instruments have continued to sell - albeit with lessspectacular ‘highs’.

The EL Electones, like the “real” instruments n the brass andwoodwind families, still appear to be fulfilling the needs ofplayers who still want to perform ‘live’ and who derive thegreatest satisfaction by “doing it all themselves”... and there’smuch to be said in praise of that !

Inter-Active’s EL section will remain for as long as we have asufficient number of EL owners amongst our membership and,at the moment, they show no signs of becoming a dyingbreed. Again, readers should “mix ‘n’ match” because articleswritten for the AR will be largely relevant to the EL. Remember,the panel of EL90 (and EL900 / 700 / 500 and 70) is virtuallyidentical to that of the AR100 / AR80.

As expected, we’re receiving a lot of calls about carrycases and dust covers for TYROS.

The speaker brackets are proving the biggest hurdle so far...leave them on and they’ll probably bend or break in transit. Whilst ahard flight-case with foam interior fittings will overcome this problem- the weight of the case cancels out the benefit of having purchaseda lighter keyboard.

With no easy solution in sight, and with many gigging musiciansusing alternative amplification, we’ve decided to stick with the triedand tested soft cases for portability...

CC4 Carry Case £46.49 (inc p/p)A soft black padded carry case with deep

accessory pockets for pedals and leads andshoulder straps.* The brackets must be removed.

DC16A TYROS Dust cover£10.99 inc p/pA medium weight black nylon dustcover to shield the TYROS key-board from general house dust.The dust cover is cut to fit aroundthe speakers but does not go overthem.

SCC1 Speaker Carry Case £46.49 (inc p/p)

Originally produced for the PSR9000Pro speakers, this soft blackcarry case comfortably accommodates the bass woofer and twosatellite speakers. Shoulder straps fitted.

Carry Cases & Dust Covers

Speakercase (outer)

Speakercase (inner)

Carry case

17 APRIL / MAY 2003

KEYBOARD & CLAVINOVA FEATURE GUIDE

PPSSRR KKeeyybbooaarrddPPSSRR KKeeyybbooaarrddPPeerrffoorrmmeerrPPeerrffoorrmmeerrAA sseerriieess ffoorr aallll PPSSRR PPoorrttaabbllee KKeeyybbooaarrdd PPllaayyeerrss - PPaarrtt 2233CCVVPP CCllaavviinnoovvaa ddiiggiittaall ppiiaannooss sshhaarree mmaannyy ffeeaattuurreess wwiitthh PPSSRR sseerriieess kkeeyybbooaarrddiinnssttrruummeennttss aanndd wwhhiillsstt tthhee llaayyoouutt mmaayy bbee sslliigghhttllyy ddiiffffeerreenntt,, tthhee oovveerraallll ooppeerraattiioonn aannddppeerrffoorrmmaannccee iiss vveerryy ssiimmiillaarr iinn mmoosstt ccaasseess..

Remixing a MIDI file... (new operating system)“Could somebody tell me how to save changes made inthe mixer to a song-ffile. the manual says it can be donebut though I have ‘seriously’ studied the manual I can’tget it to work...”

This question has been asked several times recentlyand it seems as though there is no easy way. I love myTYROS dearly - despite it’s manual - but this does seemto be one area where the system comes sadly adrift.

Having said that it isn’t impossible - but you must followthe instructions to the letter. This is what you do...

1. Select the MIDI song file you want to revoice using button [A].You will need to have a song file in the instrument - either on theUSER page or on a floppy disk.

2. Next, select the [MIXING CONSOLE] button.

NOTE: It is important that you don’’t play the song file onceyou have entered the MIXING CONSOLE. If you do... anychanges you make to the settings will not be saved.

This poses quite a problem. Obviously, if you can’t play theinstrument, you can’t hear the effect of any changes you make- which really defeats the object.

The only way I found to overcome this was to revert to pen andpaper... and note all the changes in a ‘dry run’. When you’ve

completed your ‘rehearsal’ you must switch off before startingthe process again - this time without playing the file.

3. Make changes in the MIXING CONSOLE as appropriate...

4. Press the [DIGITAL RECORDING] button to open thisdisplay...

5. Select [SONG CREATOR] using screen button [A] and goto the [CHANNEL] page using the [NEXT] button.

6. Use button [B] to go to the [SETUP] option in this page.

7. Make sure that all the relevant SETUP options are markedwith a tick in the shaded panel at the bottom of the screen.

** TThhee oonnllyy bbooxxeess yyoouu nneeeedd ttoo ttiicckk iinn tthhee SSEETTUUPP ppaaggee aarree llooccaatteedd iinn tthhee ttoopp((SSOONNGG)) ppaarrtt ooff tthhee sshhaaddeedd sseeccttiioonn.. TTiicckk...... VVooiiccee ;; VVoolluummee ;; PPaann ;; FFiilltteerr ;; EEffffeecctt ;;TTeemmppoo ;; EEQQ iiff yyoouu mmaakkee cchhaannggeess ttoo aannyy ooff tthheessee ppaarraammeetteerrss......

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18APRIL / MAY 2003


8. Select [EXECUTE] using screen button [D]. a messageappears... “Now executing” followed by “Completed”.

9. Save the revoiced file using screen button [I] to select [SAVE]...

10. You may now select a new location for your revoiced file(eg. if the original file is on a floppy disk, you may decide tosave the revoiced one to the USER page - or vice versa).

11. Select [SAVE] using button [6] beneath the display.

* At this point, if you are saving the revoiced file to thesame drive as the original, you’ll need to give the new file adifferent name (to avoid writing over the top of the original).

12. When you are satisfied that the name is correct, select[OK] using button [8] beneath the display. (A messageappears... “Don’t turn off the power now or data may bedamaged”.)

13. Press the [EXIT] button several times to exit Song Creatorand return to the MAIN display screen.

14. From the MAIN display, use button [A] to select yourmodified song file...

Now you can play your revoiced MIDI file...

That’s it. Your new revoiced style is saved (maybe with a newname) whilst your original is intact in its original location.

* Do remember that if you play the MIDI file at any stageduring the process this operation will not work and yourupdated settings will not be saved... in which case, you mustswitch off the keyboard and start again.

I’m sorry to harp on about this but having passed theseinstructions to several members about 50% have emailed backto say they don’t work. Eventually, most have succeeded - butonly after taking note of the above - so I can’t emphasise thepoint too strongly.

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19 JUNE / JULY 2003


PPSSRR KKeeyybbooaarrddPPSSRR KKeeyybbooaarrddPPeerrffoorrmmeerrPPeerrffoorrmmeerrAA sseerriieess ffoorr PPoorrttaabbllee KKeeyybbooaarrdd && CCllaavviinnoovvaa PPllaayyeerrss - PPaarrtt 2244CCVVPP CCllaavviinnoovvaa ddiiggiittaall ppiiaannooss sshhaarree mmaannyy ffeeaattuurreess wwiitthh PPSSRR sseerriieess kkeeyybbooaarrdd iinnssttrruummeennttss aanndd wwhhiillsstt tthheellaayyoouutt mmaayy bbee sslliigghhttllyy ddiiffffeerreenntt,, tthhee oovveerraallll ooppeerraattiioonn aanndd ppeerrffoorrmmaannccee iiss vveerryy ssiimmiillaarr iinn mmoosstt ccaasseess..

Preparing the image...You need (a) a computer, (b) a digital camera or scanner, (c) aprogram to manipulate your digital images. A program such asthis usually forms part of the camera or scanner package.

i) Select the picture you want touse as your background image...

ii) Scan it into your computer -or feed it direct from your digitalcamera.

iii) Use the image manipulationsoftware in your computer toset the size of the photo. Thesize is important - because if the finalimage file is too large it will not load, whilst smallimage files ‘tile’ - displaying multiple small images on thescreen. (Actually this can produce some very attractiveresults.)

The recommended size for a full screen clear picture is 640 x480 pixels.

iv) Save the image onto an HD floppy disk as a .BMP (bitmap)image file.

Using the image...The image file can be used as the background to either theMain Display page or the Lyric display page... or both.

Here are the instructions for loading the file into TYROS.CVP200 series Clavinovas that have the capability to displayimage files operate in the same way.

As a background to the Main Display page...i) Select the [FUNCTION] button from amongst the ‘Menu’buttons - just to the right of the display screen.

ii) Select [UTILITY] from the display using button [I].

iii) Now, use the [PAGE] buttons to go to the OWNER page.

Two functions can be accessed from the side of the screen.

(Button I)) ‘Owner Name’’

...allows you to put your own name in the start up display sothat it is shown every time the keyboard is switched on.

(Button JJ)) ‘Main Picture’’

...lets you select the background image that is displayedbehind the main pages.

iv) Press button [J] MAIN PICTURE

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Questions about photography have been raised several timesduring the past few months. Odd, you may think, for a musicmagazine, but owners of TYROS and top CVP200 seriesClavinovas can add their favourite photograph to the screendisplay - and club members have been asking for moreinformation...

20JUNE / JULY 2003


You’ll see that, using the [PAGE] buttons, you can switchbetween (a) a selection of PRESET images, (b) a USER page(where you can store a collection of your own images) and (c)a FLOPPY DISK page where you can display and import newimage files.

v) Insert the disk with your new image and use the [PAGE]buttons to go to the FLOPPY DISK page.

vi) Press button [A] to load the image.

* You may like to keep a copy of your image on he USERpage. To do this, press button [3] COPY underneath thedisplay screen. Then press button [A] to select the file youwant to copy. Press button [7] OK, and use the [PAGE]buttons to go to the USER page. Finally, press button [4]PASTE to paste a copy of your image file on the USER page.

vii) Press [EXIT] several times to return to the MAIN displaypage - and you’ll see your photo displayed in the background.

As a background to the Lyric Display page...i) From the MAIN display page, use button [B] to select the[LYRICS] page.

ii) Now use button [7] or [8] from the bottom of the display toselect a BACKGROUND.

iii) Following exactly the same procedure as before, go to theFLOPPY DISK page (or the USER page if you made a copy ofyour image to keep in the instrument).

iv) Select the image file to load it into the LYRIC display.

v) Press [EXIT] to view the LYRIC display with your selectedimage in the background...

What happens if I use a small image..?For a full display you need to use an image sized to therecommended 640 x 480 pixels. If you use a smaller image file,the picture will be duplicated as many times as necessary to fillthe screen...

I hope you enjoy making some creative backgrounds. It’s aseasy as anything to do and if you’re a dab hand at imagemanipulation you can create some really wonderful effects. Iprefer a colour ‘wash’personally as I find that theheavy colours inphotographsoftenobscurethe text inthe display.

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FREECClluubb mmeemmbbeerrss ccaann ddoowwnnllooaadd aa FFRREEEE‘‘CChhiihhoo’’ bbaacckkggrroouunndd iimmaaggee ffiillee ffrroomm oouurr““KKeeyybbooaarrdd RReeggiissttrraattiioonnss”” ppaaggee - ttoobbrriigghhtteenn uupp yyoouurr vvooccaall hhaarrmmoonnyy llyyrriiccssppaaggee......

(See page 7 for the web site address)

The basics...You’ve created a great sound - with a mix of sounds for theright hand, an accompaniment style for the left - and you don’twant to lose it... This is what the REGISTRATION MEMORYbuttons were made for.

Most recent keyboards, organs and Clavinovas have eightRegistration Memory buttons, usually positioned somewherein front of you on the panel of your instrument. Each buttoncan store a complete keyboard set-up, safe for immediaterecall later on.

Saving a registration in REGISTRATION MEMORY button 1

We’ve covered the method of saving registrations many timesin Inter-Active and in principal the operation is the same nowas it always has been. To save a registration press (and hold)the [M] button - then press one of the eight RegistrationMemory buttons. The setting will be recalled whenever thatbutton is subsequently pressed.

Recently, there have been some improvements to the systemallowing the player more freedom to control exactly what datais stored. I wasn’t actually aware of this until I came to createthe drawbar disk for TYROS.

Improvements for: TYROS ; CVP200series Clavinovas ; PSR1000/1100 ;PSR2000/2100Because I have become so familiar with the method used tosave registrations I ignored a display that appears on thelatest models each time the [M] button is pressed...

The screen offers the prompt...

“Mark the group(s) to be memorised to Registration Memory.”

Let’s see if we can “zoom in” on the lower part of the display toexamine the groups mentioned...

Why do I need these options..?Usually, when you save a registration, the entire keyboard set-up is saved - including the settings for all the groups outlinedabove - and when you recall the registration everything isrecalled. This is not always ideal... as you’ll discover.

Transpose:

I use the Transpose feature quite a lot. I enjoy it because a

21 AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2003



The REGISTRATION MEMORY Registration Memory is one of the most frequently used toolsin the specification of any keyboard instrument. It has comehas come a long way since it was first introduced in the1980s, and it is now probably more versatile than most of usrealise...

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change of key - like a change of registration - lifts a piece ofmusic and can make it more interesting for the listener.

On most recent keyboards, the transposer setting is locked inwhen you save a registration. This means that, if you use thetransposer during your performance - perhaps to raise thepitch by a semitone or so for the repeat of a chorus - the pitchwill jump back to normal as soon as the next RegistrationMemory button is pressed.

Obviously this is far from ideal - so the new system is a delightas it offers you the opportunity to save a registration withoutlocking in the transpose feature. All you have to do is un-tickthe box marked “Tune/Trans” and you’ll be free to use thetransposer with all the registrations you subsequently save.

Multi-Pads

I have a favourite Multi-Pad setting that I frequently use whenI’m playing on top of MIDI backing tracks I’ve created onTYROS. It’s called ‘Gong & Chime’ and provides some greatwind-chime effects which can be very effective if introduced atthe point of a key change.

I’d particularly like this wind-chime effect to be ‘on call’whenever I’m playing to MIDI files. By un-ticking the MULTI-PAD box I can ensure that any registration I save does notinclude a multi-pad selection.

Then, before starting a MIDI file performance, I can manuallyselect the wind-chime multi-pad effect. I can then use anyregistration setting (created whilst the MULTI-PAD box was un-ticked) to play over the MIDI file without over-riding the wind-chime.

What about the FREEZE button..?The FREEZE display is virtually identical to the REGISTRATIONBANK - CONTENTS display.

The display prompts...

“Mark the group(s) that you want to remain unchanged, evenwhen a Registration Memory is selected.”

The [FREEZE] button performs a similar function to thatoffered in the Registration Bank - Content display. This timethough, the feature works by preventing the transpose, multi-

pad etc. from taking effect on a registration - after theregistration has been created - and in some cases you’ll find itmore convenient, but there have been many cases where I’veforgotten to switch the freeze button on before a performanceand been caught out by an unexpected transposition reset orcrash of cymbals from a surprise multi-pad setting.

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Keyboard PerformerKeyboard PerformerRobert Mottram talks to Glyn Madden about hiscurrent involvement in the world of keyboardperformance...PSR Keyboard Performer is the longest running series in theYamaha Club’s Inter-Active magazine. Although it has, onoccasion, been written by ‘visiting’ guests, the name behindthe majority of articles is Glyn Madden.

“It was never intended that the series should be anonymous”,Glyn says in response to frequent questions by membersseeking the author’s identity. “It’s just that, in the early days, Iwrote so much of the magazine myself that I thought readerswould get fed up of forever seeing my name.”

Glyn is a “keyboard performer” through and through - having,at various times in his career, played Yamaha organs,keyboards and Clavinova digital pianos in concert on behalf ofthe manufacturing company.

In recent weeks Glynhas been back in therecording studioagain - twice. First tocomplete a new CDwhich is due to bereleased later inthe year andagain, withYamaha’s AndyCarvill, to presenta videoshowcasing TYROS andthe new CVP Clavinova models.

“It was really quite scarey” Glyn told us “as, to be honest, Idon’t play in concert very often at all these days and you knowhow the nerves kick in when that ‘record’ light goes on.”

Happily for Glyn the video presentation didn’t require a concertperformance, as the idea is to show people what they canachieve with these instruments themselves - so he was able tocall on his experience as a demonstrator rather than as aplayer.

The CD is completely different though...

“I love working like this...” Glyn said. “The process these daysis so relaxed because, for the main part, you can work athome. Computer based studios give you the freedom to takeas long as you like over a recording.” And that’s noexaggeration as Glyn’s latest release has taken three years sofar. “The difficulty is in calling it a day” he added. “You canalways think of a way to improve your performance and thenyou scrap everything you’ve created and start again. This isdefinitely one of the benefits of working in a studio where timeis money... lots of money. Eventually you have to accept thatthe recording is finished.”

GGllyynn wwiitthh TTYYRROOSS aatt tthhee vviiddeeoo sshhoooott

23 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2003



Using the XG library to assign sound effects to the MULTI-PADSI've had my Tyros for about six weeks now and, together with my duo partner Jock (who makes up the other half of “Jockabilly”),am gigging with it in several Pembrokeshire hotels. Amongst our repertoire is the country song “Folsome Prison” in which the lyricreads “'I shot a man in Texas”. When we used the PSR8000 I assigned a gunshot sound effect to one of the multi-ppads - but, sofar, I’ve been unable to do this with TYROS. I hope it can be done and, if so, can you tell me how...?

Bill Jenkins (Milford Haven)

Apologies to our Clavinova owners... the Multi-Pad feature isone that has always been omitted from Yamaha’s digitalpianos I don’t know why because, (as our regular readers willknow), I have often expressed my view that this is one of themost useful features ever created... Indeed, I would like to seeit included on every keyboard, digital piano and organ inproduction. However, multi-pads are present on TYROS,PSR2100, PSR2000 and most other top-end keyboards in theseries and Bill Jenkins can rest assured that he’ll be able toassign his percussion and special effects just as before...

To call up the XG soundd library:

Gunshot is one of many effects contained in the GM/XG libraryof sounds that is common to almost all new Yamahakeyboards and Clavinovas. Many instruments have adedicated button labelled [XG]. Others, including TYROS...don’t, and it’s surprising how many owners don’t even knowthe section exists.

i) From the MAIN screen, press button [F] to call up the“Main” or “Right 1” voice.

ii) Press button [8] under the screen - “UP”.

This will take you to a page whereall the voice categories aredisplayed (in folders). All the voicesin any particular group, e.g. pianos,strings, guitars etc.are held together in afolder...

iii) Press the [NEXT]button to go to asecond page offolders - including onewhere “GM & XG” isdisplayed.

iv) The “Sound Effect” folder iscontained in this section - so press thebutton adjacent to the “GM & XG”folder. This will vary from one model toanother as TYROS (for example) hasmore voice sections - and thereforemore folders - than the PSR2100.

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Page 1Page 2

24OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2003


Now you’ll see another selection of folders with more pianos,organs, strings etc. This is your GM/XG library and within thesepages you’ll find yet more variations of each category of voice.

Why ddo II needd an XG library..?

Be in no doubt that the best sounds that are available fromyour keyboard are those selected direct from the panel, butmany of these are unique to your specific model - e.g. TYROS,PSR2000, CVP208 etc. The Yamaha keyboard’s XG library is abank of sounds common to all models - used in the creation ofMIDI files so that, on playback, they will sound almost identicalwhichever model they are used with.

v) Use the [NEXT] button to go to page two where you’ll findthe SOUND EFFECT folder....

vi) Then press button [F] to access all the sounds inside.You’ll find helicopters, seashore sounds, bird tweets... andGUNSHOT.

Assigning GUNNSHHOT to the multi-ppadds....

Once you have the gunshot playing from the keyboard...

i) Press the [DIGITALRECORDING] button...and then select button [C]MULTI-PAD CREATOR.

ii) Select the multi-pad you want to record to (e.g. Pad 1)using buttons A, B, F or G.

You can select a NEW BANK of pads (using button [C] if youdon't want to overwrite an existing multi-pad.

iii) Press button [H] RECORD. The screen displays "WAITING".

iv) Play a key to record the gun shot.

v) Press button [H] again which is now used to STOP therecording.

vi) Ensure that REPEAT is switched off (using buttons 1 - 4under the display) for the pad you have recorded. If you don’tthe gunshot will fire repeatedly in playback until you cancel themulti-pad.

vii) Press button [I] SAVE and then button [6] SAVE (below thedisplay screen).

viii)Give the multi-pad bank a name - using the same methodwe’ve covered before for naming registrations, voices, stylesetc... and then press button [8] OK.

To play back the GUNNSHHOT multi padd:

i) Press [DIRECT ACCESS] and select one of the MULTI-PADbuttons.

ii) Press button [8] UP (below the screen).

iii) Press [NEXT] to go to the USER page and select the multi-pad file you have just created.

iv) Use the multi-pads as normal.

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i) Call up theMusic Finder list bypressing the[MUSIC FINDER] button on yourinstrument.

ii) Press button [8]RECORD EDIT

iii) Press button [A]MUSIC to enter thetitle that you wantto appear in theMusic Finderdisplay. (If a title is alreadyshown, pressbutton [F] to clearit before enteringa new title.

iv) Select button[8] OK - to seethe title appear inthe display.

v) Press button [B]KEYWORD to enterthe keyword thatyou want associatedwith your title. (If a keyword isalready shown,press button [G] toclear it beforeentering a new one.

vi) Select button [8]OK - to see thekeyword appear inthe display.

vii) Press button [C]STYLE to select thestyle you wantassociated with yourtitle.

If a preset style isselected, (such asChristmas Swing), theOne-Touch-Settingslinked to that style willalso be selected foryour Music Finderrecord.

viii) Use the [EXIT]button to return tothe Music Finder page.

Creating Music Finder RecordsIInn pprreevviioouuss eeppiissooddeess ooff PPSSRR KKeeyybbooaarrdd PPeerrffoorrmmeerr wwee’’vvee eexxpplloorreedd tthhee MMuussiicc FFiinnddeerr - hhooww ttoo sseelleecctt ssoonnggss,,sseeaarrcchh ffoorr ssoonnggss eettcc.. NNooww,, lleett’’ss ttaakkee aa llooookk aatt hhooww yyoouu ccaann sseett aabboouutt ccrreeaattiinngg nneeww MMuussiicc FFiinnddeerr rreeccoorrddss -ssoo tthhaatt yyoouu ccaann lliisstt yyoouurr oowwnn ffaavvoouurriittee ssoonnggss oorr ccoommppoossiittiioonnss..

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You can enter more than one keyword ifyou like - separating each word with acomma e.g. Christmas,Chiho

26DECEMBER 2003 / JANUARY 2004


ix) Once back inthe Music FinderEDIT window, thestyle you chose willbe displayed as thestyle for your MusicFinder record.

x) Press button [D]repeatedly until thecorrect time-signature ishighlighted as theBEAT.

xi) Set the tempoyou require for yourMusic Finder recordusing button [1]under the displayscreen. Chiho’ssuggested tempofor “A ChristmasWish” is 168 beatsper minute.

xii) Select theGENRE, or musiccategory, you wantyour Music Finderrecord to be listedunder... usingbutton [3], [4] or[5].

If the genre yourequire isn’t listed, youcan create a new oneusing button [6].

When your record is complete and you are readyto add it to the Music Finder list....

i) Press button [J]NEW RECORD. Thescreen will displaythe message “Areyou sure you wantto create a newrecord?”

ii) Press button [G]YES. The screenwill warn you not toswitch off the powerwhilst the data issaved.

That’s it... and whenyou return to theMusic Finder maindisplay you shouldsee your newrecord listed withthe others.

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Use button [E] to determinewhether or not you want yournew record to be featured onthe “FAVOURITES page aswell as in the main MusicFinder list.

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Music FinderMusic Finder(Advanced)(Advanced)

When you use Music Finder, you select a songtitle and the instrument sets an appropriatestyle and tempo. The sounds for the melodycome from the One-Touch-Setting buttons andthese are linked to the style selected by theMusic Finder record.

You may find that, although the style you haveselected is perfect for your song, the One-Touch-Settings linked to that style are not. Inthis case you can create new One-Touch-Settings.

i) Select the style you want for your Music Finder Record.

ii) Set up the sound you want to use for your melody.

iii) Press the [M] or [MEMORY] button - followed by one of the four One-Touch-Setting (O.T.S.) buttons.

The screen will display a message telling youthat... “O.T.S. has changed. To keep thechanges, save the current style otherwise theOTS data will be lost when another style isselected.”

Because the O.T.S. is linked to the style, youmust re-save the style you chose as a newstyle (with new O.T.S. settings).

iv) Press button [F] YES... and then button [6] SAVE.

You can now give the style a new name - so asnot to confuse it with the original.

v) Press button [8] OK.

A message appears warning you not to turn offthe power and, when the save operation iscomplete, the new style name is displayed onyour style USER page.

vi) Now go into Music Finder and set up a newrecord as we did in the main article opposite.

vii) When you get to step (vii) insert the new style from the USER page instead of the preset one.

When, during performance, the Music Finderrecord is selected, the instrument will searchthe USER style page and (providing you don’terase it) will locate the USER style - and thenew O.T.S.

27 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2004



During the past couple of years Yamaha have, more-or-less,standardised the operation of their keyboards and Clavinovadigital pianos. This is, of course, a great help to us whenwriting product-based articles such as this because, for themost part, everyone will benefit equally from the instruction.

Putting On The Style...I know we’ve been here before, but we receive so many emailsand letters on the subject of accompaniment styles that it’s atopic we’re compelled to feature on a regular basis.

You can have a lot of fun with styles - and make considerablechanges - without having to resort to the programmer in anattempt to create completely new ones. The latest keyboardsand Clavinovas offer a wealth of features to help you... so let’sexplore a few.

The illustrations provided are taken from the PSR2100, butyou’ll find that TYROS, Clavinova CVP200 series digital pianosand keyboards (from PSR1000 up) all have very similardisplays, although some of the colour screens on the higherpriced models are a little more ‘posh’.

Let’s Twist...

I hope your keyboard has a TWIST style because this is theone I’ve chosen for my illustration. I decided on the Twistbecause, as you’ll see, it has quite distinctive parts. If youselect the Twist from your keyboard too you’ll be able to followme on my journey through the various features I use to re-

shape the style. Don’t worry too much though if you can’t findthe exact style ; you’ll still be able to follow the process ; it’sjust easier if we all begin in the same place...

Having selected the Twist style press the [CHANNEL ON/OFF]button located by the display screen.

Make sure the STYLE page is selected. If it isn’t, press the[CHANNEL ON/OFF] button again to toggle between theSONG and STYLE pages.

You’ll see in Fig.2 that, when the STYLE page is displayed, allthe parts of the current accompaniment style are shown...Rhythm 1, Rhythm 2, Bass, Chord 1, Chord 2, Pad, Phrase 1and Phrase 2. Each part can be switched on or off using thelower buttons [1] - [8] under the display and an icon showsthe instrument family currently in use by each part.

In this illustration (Fig.2) you’ll see that part [8] Phrase 2 hasno icon - and, therefore, plays no part in the style. Althoughthe musicians who program the styles have eight instrumentalparts available to work with, it is left to their discretion todecide how many they need in order to create the appropriatemusical effect.

Modern Yamahakeyboards usuallyoffer severalMAIN variationsbased on eachstyle. [A] provides the lightest backing - and the style builds in

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complexity through [B] and [C] to [D] where the fullest versionof the style is heard.

Take a little time to experiment with the style. Listen to thedifferences between each variation. Then, using variation [C],switch off all the style parts using the lower [1] to [8] buttonsbelow the display screen. Switch each part back on in turn andthen combine different parts to hear the effect.

The style sounds quite different when you slim it down to, forexample, Rhythm 1, Bass, Chord 1 and Pad doesn’t it?

If you do this when you’re creating your own registrations for asong you’ll find that the style offers far more versatility than youmay have originally thought. Your performance will certainlysound less ‘cluttered’ if you use the [CHANNEL ON/OFF]buttons to regulate the number of style parts in use together.Don’t misunderstand me, there are times when only the fullstyle will do... but when the [D] variation is used full out fromthe beginning to the end of a piece, the performance tends tolose all the subtle light and shade it needs to make it enjoyable.

Twist Again...

You can change the style further still by re-voicing one, ormore, of the parts.

This is easy to do and can make quite a difference to the effect.

Let’s have a bit of fun and change the style into a kind of‘synth-twist’. At least by doing this I can guarantee the effectwill be obvious!

Whilst the page shown in (Fig.3) is displayed, press button [2]Rhythm 2 using the upper row of buttons under the display.

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The screen changes to display the drum kit currently selected forthe Rhythm 2 part - “StyStd.Kit” - and you can use the buttonsunder the display to select another page...

...and then select a different drum kit - such as this “AnalogKit”(Fig. 5) which produces a much more electronic (artificial)sound.

Listen to the difference this makes to the sound of the style.Already the effect has changed quite significantly - and allwe’ve altered is the drum sound.

Press [EXIT] to return to the previous display screen (Fig. 3)and then select button [5] Chord 2 using the upper row ofbuttons under the display.

The display shows that “Solid Guitar” is the current voice - butyou can change this to “Fire Wire” by pressing the [SYNTH]button on the voice panel and selecting the appropriate page -just as if you were choosing a voice for the melody.

You can go on to change other voices too if you like. I’m going tostop here as I think the point has been made and I’ve more toshow you before we finish...

The problem you face now is that the balance is wrong. The “FireWire” voice doesn’t carry through nearly as well as the originalguitar sound did.

For our next step we must move to the MIXING CONSOLE. Youmay remember we covered this in some detail in past issues.Now we return to put some of what we learned then into practice.

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Continued on page 10

29 APRIL / MAY 2004



Making good use of sounds - part 1

Our keyboards and Clavinova digital pianos are packed withsounds - too many, some would say, but how effectively do weuse them? Of course, like art, one man’s meat is another’spoison and we can’t all agree on what is a ‘good’ sound.

I’m always a little bemused by people who tell me that “...itsounds nothing like a guitar” or “...the piano isn’t right” on this,or that keyboard. bearing in mind that all the voices we use areactually recorded from the “real thing” this is quite hard to buy.Sometimes it is simply the listener’s informed opinion that thesound isn’t as ‘good’ as on another product... which is fairenough. To be honest though, it is more often the effect of aperformance on a sound than the sound itself. If only I had afiver for every time someone has said to me... “it doesn’t soundlike that when I play it”, I’d be a rich man - and I know that everyother demonstrator / performer will tell you the same.

Maybe a teacher would be better placed to illustrate the waysin which amateur players sometimes go wrong - as they rectifythe problems every day - but I hope you’ll find a few ideas ofmine helpful.

Touch sensitivity - a blessing or a curse?During my first few years in the music business, back in theearly 1970s, I worked with pianos (real ones - with strings!)and organs. The two were quite distinctly different, not only insound, but in the way they were played. The piano, beingresponsive to touch, required a completely different approachfrom the organ with its relatively weightless and non-responsive keyboards. As a result a customer tended to beeither ‘a pianist’ or ‘an organist’. Those that crossed betweenthe two invariably seemed to have begun by taking lessons onthe piano before progressing to the organ. I remember that myvery first (classical) organ tutor began by stating that it wasassumed that the student had reached a minimum grade 5(Associated Board examinations) standard on piano beforestarting out on the organ course.

Today, things are very different. Manufacturers, such asYamaha, produce keyboards that give us the touchresponsiveness of a piano - from keys that have the weightlessfeel of an organ. This immediately presents a problem to themajority of novice players who, coming to the keyboard ororgan with no previous experience on piano, have had noopportunity to build up strength in their finger muscles and,therefore, tend to ‘tickle’ the keys.

A few years hard labour - playing Beethoven on a weightedkey action piano - would have honed this aspect of theirperformance and taught them how to play like a musician who‘means business!’

Don’’t be afraid of the keyboard...

A common complaint - though seldom voiced by ex-pianists -is that the auto-accompaniment styles of the organ / keyboarddrown out the ‘too quiet’ melody voices. More often than notthe problem turns out to be the timid way in which the melodyis being played. Of course, the style volumes are set byexperienced players who have no problem striking the keyspositively so that the sound rings through.

Yamaha neglected this problem for a long time although thesubject was raised often. The early Yamaha policy seemed tobe to encourage players to use the instrument’s touchresponse feature... by simply not providing the option toswitch it off. I think the reason may have its roots in theYamaha Music Education System which is huge in Japan.Yamaha is, first and foremost, a music company and it hasalways taken the ‘art’ of making music very seriously. Thosewho have witnessed past concert tours by the incredible“children of the Yamaha Music Foundation” will bear testamentto this.

In recent years they seem to have taken on board that all isneeded is a [TOUCH] button, (so that those who don’t want touse the feature can turn it off), and this is included on all theinstruments I’ve seen lately. It’s desirable to learn the quality oftouch control (because the music comes alive when it is usedwell), but to master it requires a level of practice that somehome keyboard players (with no aspirations to more thansimply playing for fun) find unnecessarily difficult.

So... most keyboards now have a [TOUCH] on/off button - soit’s up to you. If you can learn to make use of the feature yoursounds will ultimately be more true to life (particularly in thecase of ‘percussive’ instruments such piano or guitar wherethe sound is struck or plucked.

Accessories can help...Some accessories have a noticeable effect on the musicaleffect you create when you play. The first, and probably themost obvious addition I would recommend to every keyboardplayer is the sustain pedal / footswitch.

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This footswitch operates justlike the sustain pedal on apiano.

You’ll sometimes hear peopleimproperly call it the ‘loud’pedal because it’s the onethat gets held down to makeall the notes run together -resulting in a loud (and notvery musical) modge.

When your keyboard’s [SUSTAIN] button is switched on, it canhave exactly this effect. All the notes run together and anydefinition is lost.

When the pedal is attached and used with percussive voicessuch as piano, electric piano, vibraphone, guitar etc. - wherethe natural quality of the sound is to strike then die away - thesustain pedal can be used to highlight the contrast betweenshort detached notes and long ringing ones.

If you’ve looked at the price of theFC4 pedal above and are beginningto think this could get a bit pricey,don’t worry... the smaller FC5 (right)does exactly the same job. It just isn’tquite as posh.

Both the pedals illustrated here areproduced by Yamaha and, as you’dexpect there are cheaper alternativesavailable. Having said that, I’ve triedsome and have to say that theYamaha models are by far the mostdurable I’ve come across. Yamaha Club can supply these (orthe alternatives) if you want to add one to your keyboard.

The footswitch can be used to operate other features too - suchas glide, rhythm fills etc. but what these are depends entirelyon your keyboard’s specification.

Keyboard Stands...Try to sit properly - payingparticular attention to theheight of the keyboard stand.

Often children (it usually ischildren) sit with the keyboardbalanced on a table top -crouching over it in the sameattitude as when doing theirhomework.

Believe me, you’re nevergoing to give a goodperformance like this... and it’s almost impossible to positionthe pedal(s) anywhere that allows for comfortable operation. Ifyou don’t have a keyboard stand already, treat yourself to one.There are many to choose from but, for home use, I’ve alwaysfound a sturdy flat-bed stand does the job best. If you canafford an adjustable stand - great! You’ll be able to set theheight to just the right level to accommodate your knees andreach the pedal(s) comfortably.

Play with confidence Now you’re ready to play. Choose an easy-to-follow style suchas Piano Ballad and select a Piano sound for your right hand.

Start the accompaniment and play a chord with your left hand.Now... are you going to play with - or without - TOUCH.

If you decide to use this feature, make sure it’s switched on atthe panel, then play the first bar of the exercise below... asgently as possible. You should hardly be able to hear the pianoover the volume of the accompaniment. Now play the samebar again, striking the keys as positively as possible. Don’t beafraid - your keyboard was made for this. This time the pianoshould sing out above the accompaniment.

Play through all four bars, varying the strength of your touch asyou go. Try increasing the volume - just using touch - as youplay the semiquavers in the second bar.

If that’s successful, try the pedal exercise below...

FC4 deluxe pedal: £33.99

FC5: £15.00

Pedal exercise:

Registration setting

Melody voice: PianoLeft Voice: StringsAccompaniment style: Piano BalladTempo: 72 b.p.m

Test your pedal technique with this little exercise. Before you plug in the pedal,play through the chord sequence using the panel sustain. Do you hear how thenotes all merge together? Now plug in the pedal and try it again, pressing thepedal at the ‘Ped’ mark and holding it down until the * where you release it. Youshould notice a major difference to the semiquavers in the second bar as each pairof notes should be defined and individual.

PSR9000 users: If the panel sustain button doesn’t appear to make much difference, press[DIRECT ACCESS] - [SUSTAIN] - go to PANEL CONTROLLER page - and select PANELSUSTAIN. Then set the level to 63 (maximum)

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PPSSRR KKeeyybbooaarrddPPSSRR KKeeyybbooaarrddPPeerrffoorrmmeerrPPeerrffoorrmmeerrPart 29 (continued from page 30)

If you were successful at the exercise on page five you’ll haveheard for yourself what a tremendous difference the sustainpedal makes to the overall performance of the piano voice.

I began with the piano voice because it’s an instrument we allknow - and because it sounds just as authentic whether playedat the top or the bottom of the keyboard - and because youcan play it effectively using single note or full chords. Ofcourse you won’t have failed to notice that there are manydifferent piano sounds in your keyboard...

In many cases, the keyboard itself provides a demonstration ofeach sound - so that we can get a feel for the way theinstrument is intended to be played. In earlier times you wouldhave been faced with a row of buttons named Piano1, Piano 2,Piano 3 etc. Fortunately for us the large modern displayscreens built into most new models allows for fairlycomprehensive labelling of the sounds.

As you listen to the demonstration of the Bright Piano voiceyou’re immediately faced with a completely different style ofmusic - bright and percussive - not at all the dreamy imageconjured up by the Live Grand. The demo shows you thatBright Piano is probably not the voice to choose for yourromantic Richard Clayderman ballads - but will be ideal formusic in the style of David Foster’s ‘Winter Games’.

Listen to the Harpsichord demo. This not only provides anillustration of the suitable music style - but also reminds us thatthe sustain pedal plays no part of an authentic harpsichordperformance.

Actually, it has to be said that you can carry authenticity too farat times, and get so bogged down in the “correct way” ofplaying voices that you lose sight of the fact that this is a FUNkeyboard - and that it can do many things the originalinstruments it imitates cannot. Whilst it’s doubtless anadvantage to understand (or even make an educated guess)where the sounds originated from, it’s sometimes great tothrow all that to one side and simply enjoy the voices for thesound they produce.

Sometimes the same demonstration is played for differentvoices... as in the case of Live! Grand Piano and Live! WarmGrand. This shows that both voices are similar in nature; bothare equally suited to a particular music style and you must takethe decision which to use based purely on which appeals toyou the most.

Tonal differences...

We began by talking about touch and the demonstrationpieces illustrate perfectly the variation of tone that can beachieved according to the way in which you strike the keys.

With the [TOUCH] button switched off you could play soundslike Ballad Stack for ever without realising how its tone canrange from a beautiful bell-like electric piano quality to a muchharder piano / E.P. mix. Without the benefit of touch you wouldnever experience the wonderful tonal contrasts that maketodays instruments better to play than ever before. So... we’vegone full circle, and I’ll close with the hope that you’ll work onyour touch technique until the next ‘normal’ issue of theYamaha Club magazine in August.

Meanwhile, why not spend an evening listening to the voicedemonstrations on your keyboard or Clavinova. Apologies ifyour keyboard doesn’t have this feature - but do explore thedifference touch can make to the sounds on your keyboard.You may be very pleasantly surprised by what you discover.

Where the voice [DEMO] button is featured, eachsound is provided with a short snippet of music - justenough to give you the flavour of the sound andsuggest how it should be used in performance.

The demo performance for Live! Grand Piano (for example) isquite different for that used to demonstrate Bright Piano orHonky Tonk Piano. The music played on the Live Grand givesan example of the voice played at the extreme limits of thekeyboard range. Expansive bass notes are held (with thesustain pedal) whilst top notes are trickled in - showingperfectly the warmth and expression of this sound.

feature guide psr keyboard performer - yamaha club 0011.pdf · 2012-10-10 · 17 april / may 2003...

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