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~ T

TION O THE YAMAHA USERS GROUP

JANUARY 1986 YAMAHA

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EditorTom Darter

OperationsSibyl Darter

Editorial BoardJohnGattsBill HinelyMark KoenigPaul MeisenzahlPhil MoonJimSmerdel

ProductionLeslie artzRay etts

Pat GatesPaul HaggardChris LedgerwoodCheryl Matthews

A product oGPI Editorial ercicesTom Darter DirectorP.O. Box 2338, North-ridge CA 91323-2338

AFIERTOUCH is pub-lished monthly. Third classpostage paid at LongPrairie, MN and additionalpoints of entry. SUB-SCRIPTIONS: Free.Address subscription correspondence t AFTERTOUCH, P.O. Box 2338,Northridge, CA 91323-2338. POSTMASTER:Send form 3579 to P.O.Box 2338, Northridge, CA91323-2338.

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~ ~ ~ =

January 1986 Volume 2, Number 1Issue 4

4 DX7 Programmingn introduction to five new DX7 voices from AFfER,

TOUCH readers. By Tom Darter.

5 BASPIANBRS

6

7

A new DX7 voice created by Jim Johansen.

SITAR VIIIA new DX7 voice created by Charlie Foege.

SYNPATHYA new DX7 voice created by Charlie Foege, for use withSITAR Vlll.

8 WHIRLIEPNOA new DX7 voice created by Nick Rieser.

9 ACOUGUITA new DX7 voice created by L. Kevin Rockwell.

10 DX100A first look at the new DXlOO 4 ~ p e r a t o rdigital algorithmsynthesizer. By Tom Darter.

12 CX5M DX21/27 /100 Voicing ProgramHow to use the CXSM DX21 Voicing Program YRM305)with the DX27 or DXlOO. By Kevin Laubach.

14 QuestionsThree pages of questions from readers, with information onsoftware glitches, CXSM Users Groups, and much more.

1 7 Final TouchHot tips on using the QX 7 as a MIDI u ~ m i x e rdetuningTX816 voices via the QXl, transferring CXSM YRM102voice data from one voice list to another, and using theKX88/76 to tum offTX216/816 function controlstemporarily.

19 Touch ResponseLetters from readers about Users Groups.

o 1986 Yamaha International Corporation. No part of his publicati on may be reproduced, stored n a retrieval system, or tranSmitted in anyform or by any means, electronically, mechanically, photocop ying, recording, or otherwise, witho ut the prior written permission ofY amahaInternational Cotporati on.

2 AFTERTOUCH/Vol. 2 No. 1

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Frotn The Editorw: ELL, THE ILLUSTRATED letter onthe rightjustaboutsays it all Many o fyou have been wondering where F T E R ~

TOUCH went after the first issue. As you cansee, rumors of our disappearance were greatlyexaggerated. Here we are in issue #4, and it 'stime to set the record straight.

First o f all, it has taken us a while to workout the best and most efficient way to get thematerial in AFTERTOUCH written and p r ~duced; we could have gone for speed from thebeginning, but we were more concerned withgetting the information right. As a result, weexperienced some delays along the way whilepreparing issues #2, #3, and #4. .

In addition, we have had to work out thebest way to create and maintain a mailing list.We began with a Yamaha warranty list. All ofyou on that original list should have received thefirst three issues. At the same time, however, wereceived thousands of handwritten postcardsand requests, most of which came from ourinitial distribution to Yamaha music dealers.Rather than merge these two lists a little at atime (which could have created mass confusionin the memory of our computer), we decided tostay with the original list for the first threeissues. Beginning with this issue, we havecreated a new mailing list, and everyone who has

requested AFTER TOUCH should now be onthis list.Where does that leave you if you weren't on

the original list? Well, if you didn't pick up theNovember 1985 and December 1985 issues instores, it 's quite likely that you haven't seenthem yet. ButdOtt 1t worry: All of you have beenincluded on a special list that is due to receiveboth as back issues, direct from the Yamahawarehouse.

Where do we go from here? Well, now tha tthe mailing list is all put together, and now thatthe initial growing pains have subsided, expec tto receive AFTER TOUCH regularly. Every

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Wl \1\ r c o u ~ . . o l l e :t-IAPPeNEI ?DIP MY C O N ~ M I N Gfus TCAAC> 6"T l.OS.T 111 lliE'MAIL? IS IT A P/ OT?

month. n fact, you should receive issues #5 and#6 with less than a month wait for each, becausewe have collected a lot of information for you.

Two thoughts in closing: 1) To readerArden Henderson-special thanks for yourcreative letter of concern. 2) To all of y -enjoy issue #4, and keep those cards and letters(and questions and patches and articles)coming

T D

Receive AFfERTOUCH ree Every Month

Y OU CAN RECEIVE AFTER TOUCH FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR, absolutelyfree, just by asking. Send us your name and address, and we'll put you on ourpermanent mailing list. You will receive twelve issues of AFTER TOUCH for freeThere is absolutely no obligation, and no other strings are attached.

Also, don't limit yourself to just sending in your address. Let us know what kindof articles you want to read. The more input we receive, the more we will be able totailor the information in AFTER TOUCH to suit your musical needs.

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A n Intro-duction ToFive NewDX VoicesFrom

FT R-TOUCH

Readers ByTom Darter

D X7 M digital synthesizer

T HIS MONTH, WE HAVE no less thanfive new DX7 voices submitted by readersof AFTER TOUCH. You will find the voicecharts on pages 5 through 9. Each one offers anumber of points of nterest, so le t's get right to

them.

BASPIANBRS

This program (on page 5) shows how thekeyboard Level Scaling and the breath o n ~troller EG Bias can be used to create the effect ofthree different sounds from from one DX7. Theprogrammer, Jim Johansen, explains as follows:

"Using algorithm #5, I set operators #1 and#2 for a bass sound, with a break points of A2for operator #1 and 0 3 for operator #2. They

appear on the left side of the keyboard.O p e r ~

ators #3 and #4 give you a tine piano sound. Ontop of this, I used operators #5 and #6 for ab r e a t h ~ c o n t r o l l e dbrass sound. Operators #3,#4, #5, and #6 all have the same break po in tA2. They appear on the right side of thekeyboard.

Operators 1 and #2 have a curve of LEFT+Land RIGHT -L, while operators #3, #4, #5,and #6 have the opposite curve. This creates thesplit. Because operators #5 and #6 have m p l i ~tudeModulationSensitivity(AMODSENS)of 3, you hear the r e a t h ~ c o n t r o l l e dbrass onlywhen you blow into the BC1 breath controller.Breath Contro l Range must be set to 99 with EGBIAS on.

I like to watch peoples faces when I playabout four bars of bass plus piano (which mostsynthesizers will do, and then bring in the brasswith the breath contro ller. It really floors 'em "

SITAR VIII/SYNP A THY

These two patches (on pages 6 and 7) werecreated by Charlie Foege. Although SITAR VIIIwas designed so that it could be used by itself,SYNPATHY was created mainly as a layeredvoice to be used in conjunction with SITAR

AFI'ERTOUCH/Vol. 2 No. 1

Vlll. Here is the programmer's explanation:The SITAR VIII patch is my eighth

'transmutation' of what was originally a BELLsound. I own a sitar myself, and have been quiteparticular about making this patch sound as

close as possible to the real thing. With thissound, I had to compromise the sound of the 7top (melody) strings and the 18 bottom s y m ~pathetic) strings of the sitar, all in one patch. Inorder to make sure tha t the sympathetic soundwould not get in my way while playing a leadline, I oriented my compromise to emphasizethe melody strings o f he sitar. With a secondtone generator, I add the SYNPA THY patch tothe sound of he SITAR VIII, and a beautifulcombination of programs occurs."

WHIRLIEPNO

This voice (on page 8) is intended to e m u ~late the sound of a e l l ~ k n o w nelectric piano.The programmer, Nick Reiser, has this to say:

This is a rather simple voice which cameabout when I discovered (by accident) howpure the sound of the square wave is on theDX7. That is the predominant sound here,along with a positive sawtooth (operators# 1and #2) for depth (and for the attack sound).

What is neat for me about this voice is tha tit is playable from one end of he keyboard tothe other. The timbres shift nicely as you moveup and down the keyboard, and the sound staysclose to that of its electric ancestor. You alsohave the feeling that you are playing a n o n ~electronic instrum ent. There are appropriaterewards for digging in v e l o c i t y ~ w i s e )in allkeyboard locations.

I t ' s easy to neglect this distinctive soundfrom the late '60s and early '70s, since it lost outto another famous electric piano sound in thelong run. We forget that it voices beautifully,including clusters around middle C, that it

sounds pretty to egin with, and tha t it can be avery welcome change of pace from your stockelectric piano sounds."

ACOUGUIT

This final reader voice (on page 9) comesfrom L Kevin Rockwell, who chose to let hispatch speak for itself. You might fmd it i n t e r ~esting to compare it to Gary Leuenberger'sPICKGUIT AR patch, from the first issue ofAFTERTOUCH (October 1985).

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BASPIANB R S.ANewD X 7 VoiceCreated ByJ im Johansen.

Notes:

Ops I and #2 create the

bass sound.

Ops #3 and 4 create thetine piano sound.

Ops 5 and 6 create thebrass sound, which is acti-vated using the BC breathcontroller.

The bright tine sound(created by having Op 4 ta frequency of I4.oo keepsthe piano sound audible afteyou bring in the brass withthe breath controller.

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10 AFrERTOUCH/Vol. 2 No. 1

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F302 Rich Strg2

Remember that the Normal mode preset forgroup 3, voice 2 is Easy Clav (see above). Asyou become familiar with the preset voices, you

won't have any trouble remembering where youare.

To return to Normal mode from Shiftmode, simply hold down the INTERNALPLAY button and press the -1 /NO button.

As we mentioned above, the DX lOO's twovoice memory sets (Internal and Preset) can becombined into performance groups calledBanks. These four banks each contain 24voices, which can be grouped and order c c o r d ~ing to your needs.

To enter Bank Play mode, star t from n t e r ~

nal Play mode by pressing the INTERNALPLAY button. Then press one of the fourBANK PLAY buttons ( ~ D )and select one ofthe voices in that bank by using the numberedbuttons ( ~ 2 4). The display will tell you thatyou are in Bank Play mode by adding the bankname A ~D) next to the P that indicatesInternal Play mode. If you call up Bank C, voice21, the display will show this message:

PC21 X ylosnare

When shipped from the factory, the Bankmemory contains the first 96 voices of thePreset memory (the Normal mode voices), intheir original order.

You should know that the Shift mode alsoworks in Bank Play mode. By entering the Shiftmode while in Bank Play mode, the o r r e s p o n d ~ingl y numbered voice from the second set ofPreset voices (the Shift mode voices) will beselected. This only applies to voices stored inthe Bank memory from the 1 9 2 ~ v o i c ePresetcorresponding to the voice number stored inthat location is called up from its position in

either the Preset or Internal memory.

Voice Parameters & Edit Mode

The DX100's fron t panel allows easy accessto all of the voicing parameters, and the displayhelps out by reminding you where you are at alltimes.

The u m b e r e d ~button portion of he frontpanel (on the right) shows the instrument'svoice and parameter functions. The voiceparameters are listed above the 24 buttons,

ALGORITHM 1 ALGORITHM 2

ALGORITHM 3 ALGORITHM #4

q:Jc:QJcQ_gJ

ALGORITHM 5

ALGORITHM 7

while the function parameters are listed below.All of he performance function parameters( 3 ~ 2 4 )are memorized as part of he data foreach voice in memory.

To access the voice parameters, press theEDIT/COMPARE button . The left side of the

display will show the following:

E1111

The E tells you that you are in Edit mode; the1111 display shows that all four operators

are ON. While in Edit mode, you can turnoperators off and on by using the O P R ~

A TOR/ AMS N ~ O F Fbuttons. When youturn an operator OFF, the display for thatoperator will read 0. As you might expect, thefour operators are shown from right to left in

Continued on page 2

ALGORITHM #6

ALGORITHM 8

Here are the eight algorithmfcmru fur the DXzoo FMdigital synthesizer Thesesame algorithms are used inthe fJX2 and fl X27

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How To UseTheCX5MDX21VoicingProgramWith TheD X 2 7 0 rDXlOO. ByKevinLaubach.

Y AMAHA HAS INTRODUCED a newline ofFM digital synthesizers that arebased on a ~ o p e r a t o r8 ~ a l g o r i t h msystem ofvoicing. Shortly after the introduction of thefirst instrument in this line, the DX21, Yamahaalso introduced a CXSM program (YRM305)designed to help musicians program voices onthe DX21. Since then, two other synthesizershave been introduced that use the same 4 ~

operator syste m as the DX21-the DX2 7 andthe D X 100. Since all three of these instrumentsuse the same basic FM configuration, it i o s ~sible to use the CXSM s DX21 Voicing program(YRM305) as a voicing aid for any of the threeinstruments.

What follows is a t e p ~ b y ~ s t e pguide forsetting up the CXSM and the YRM305 DX21

Voicing program for use with the DX2 7 andDX100 digital synthesizers. For more n f o r m a ~tion on the operation of the program itself,please consult the YRM305 Owner s Manual.

Step 1: MIDI Connections

Connect the MIDI OUT of the CXSM tothe MIDI IN of the DX27 or DX100, and o n ~nect the MIDI IN of the CXSM to the MIDIOUT of the DX100 or DX27.

Step 2: MIDI Setup For The DX100/27

First of all, you must make sure that MIDIfunctions are ON. Use the following procedure:

1)PressFUNCTION/COMPARE. Youarenow in the Function mode.

2)Press I D I : O N ~ O F FThe display shouldshow whether MIDI is ON or OFF. PressYES and display will show this message:

fMidi:on

Now you must make sure that the i n s t r u ~mentis set to receive and transmit on MIDIchannel 1 Use this routine:

12 AFrERTOUCH/Vol. Z No.1

1)PressFUNCTION/COMPARE. You arenow in the Function mode.

2) Press MIDI:CHANNEL. The display shouldshow whether OMNI mode is ON or OFF.

3) Press MIDI:CHANNEL again. The displaywill show the current MIDI Receive channel.Use the data entry slider to set the number to1 The display should show this:

fMidi RCh= 1

4) Press MIDI:CHANNEL once again. Thedisplay will show the curr ent MIDI Transmitchannel. Use the data entry slider to set thenumber to 1. The display should show this:

fMidi TCh = 1

Finally, you must make sure that theinstrument s MIDI System Exclusive I n f o r mtion is ON. Do as follows:

1)PressFUNCTION/COMPARE. You arenow in the Function mode.

2) Press MIDI:SYS INFO. The display willshow whether system info is ON or OFF.Press YES and the display should read asfollows:

f Sys.lnfo:on

3) Now press INTERNAL (PLAY) to get backto the normal Play mode.

Step 3: CXSMIDX Voicing Setup

Before inserting the program cartridge ormaking any peripheral connections, make surethe the CXSM s power is off Then do the

following:

1) Insert the YRM305 DX21 Voicing cartridgeinto the top cartridge slot of the CXSM.

2) Be sure that the CXSM s video/ audio cable isproperly connected to a video monitor andamplifier. (The audio connection is i m p otant if you want to hear the CXSM s keyclicks and error sounds.) O f course, youmust also connectthe DX100 or DX27 to anaudio system so that you can hear what you

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are doing

3) If you plan on using cassette tape to load orsave data, connect the CXSM to a cassetterecorder using the standard cassette cable(red plug= MIC, white plug= EAR, blackplug= REM).

4) If you plan to use an FDOS Disk Drive to loador save data, be sure that the disk drive isconnected to the CXSM s rear slot (using theCAOl Single Cartridge Adaptor and theFDOSl Disk Drive Interface.

5) Now power up the CXSM and video monitor(and disk drive if installed in the system).

6) After a few seconds you will see the Directory of all voices in memory . If everything isproperly connected, the program will automatically get the voices from the RAM (random-access memory) of he DX synthesizerto which it is connected. There are 24 voicesin RAM in the DXlOO and DX27; the DX21has 32 voices in RAM.

Step : Begin Voicing

Now it s time to begin working on a voice.Press F l on the CXSM s keyboard to enter theEdit mode. You can now make parameterchanges on either the CXSM screen or the DXsynthesizer. Both the DX and the CXSM screenwill e updated instantly.

If you are using the MUOl Mouse with thecomputer, simply point to the parameter youwish to change and click the left Mouse button.Then press and hold the right Mouse buttonwhile moving the Mouse left to decrement(decrease the value) or right to increment(increase the value). This makes editing mucheasier. (By the way, the Mouse cannot select

either Transposition (TR) or Feedback (FB)directly. However, once these parameters areaccessed using the CXSM s cursor keys, theycan be altered in the usual way with the Mouse.)

There are eight parameters that the DX21has which the DXlOO and DX27 do not have.These parameters are Foot Volume Range,Chorus switch, and the six Pitch EnvelopeGenerator parameters (Pitch EG Rate 1, PitchEG Rate 2, Pitch R;1te 3, Pitch EG Levell, PitchEG Level 2, and Pitch EG Level 3 . If youchange these parameter s on the CXSM, nothing

will happen to the DXlOO or DX27.If you would like to create or edit a patch

that uses velocity, you should connect a velocitykeyboard (such as the DX7 or KX88) to theMIDI IN of the CXSM. Now, in order to playthe DXlOO, DX27, or DX21 from that velocitykeyboard, you must turn on the CXSM s MIDImerge function, so that Key O n informationfrom the velocity keyboard will pass throughthe CXSM and reach the synthesizer you areprogramming. Use the following procedure:

1) Press the F7 button. The top left display willread as follows:

Midi Ch=

2) Press the SELECT button. Now the top leftdisplay will show this message:

Midi Merge?

3) Press the YES button. The top right displaywill respond with this confirma tion message:

Me=on

At this point, incoming MIDI data from the

velocity keyboard will be mixed with MIDI datafrom the CXSM program, and both will be sentto the DX keyboard you are programming.

One final technical note: Unlike previousFM digital tone generators such as t he TX7 andTX816, the performance function data andvoice data are combined into one data type forthe DXlOO, DX27, andDX21. Also, since these4-operator systems are configured differently,their voice data is not compatible with that ofthe 6-operator systems such as the DX7 orTX816.

sic MIDI connections farusing the CX5M DX21

oicing rogram YRM305)with the DX21, DX27, arDXwo

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uestionsDoes Yamaha plan to release generalpurpose MSX software for t he CX5Mcomputer in the near future?With the exception o f he Tele Word packageand the Graphics Artists program, Yamaha

intends to keep its focus on music-related software for the foreseeable future. However, the reis a lot of general-purpose software available forthe MSX computer which will of course run onthe CXSM). One major distr ibutor ofMSXsoftware is NYRAC, a company based in Alabama. f you're interested in finding out theavailability of various MSX software and gamespackages, write to them directly for information: NYRAC, 732 Karen Rd., Montgomery,AL36109.

Sometimes I get a BA TIERY LOW message in the LCD display of my DX7 rightaf ter I t u r i t on. W h e n I call u p theBattery Check funct ion to double-checkthis, I get a normal reading. What gives?What you have is a software glitch caused by theFC7 pedal. When the FC7 is connected to themodulation input, and when the pedal is fullydepressed (forward) when you turn your DX7on, it will send an anomalous message to thefunction area that calls for a battery check andgives the readout BATTERY L O W. Thismessage usually means nothing, and calling up

the Battery Check function again will give anormal result.

To avoid this little gremlin, simply makesure that the FC7 pedal is not fully depressed(pushed down to maximum value) when youturn on your DX7. Then everything will opera teas normal.

Why does this happen? Well, the FC7 wasdeveloped after the DX7, and this minor software incompatibility is the result. Remember,this strange readout will occur only if the FC7 isfully depressed when you turn your DX7 on.

14 AFTERTOUCH/Vol. 2 No.1

Three PagesOf AnswersTo QuestionsFromReaders.

Sample screen display romthe GARoz Graphic Artistprogram on of the few non-music programs created 7JYamaha for the CX Mmusic romputer.

I took my Yamaha RAM-1 cartr idge to afriend's house, and lost a bunch of da taaf ter plugging i t in to his DX7. I don ' tunderstand how this could happen, since Ihad the cartridge's Memory Protect switch

in the ON position.Once again, we are dealing with a softwareincompatibility, one that crops up betweendifferent generations ofDX7s and RAM-1

cartridges, but only when the Memory ProtectSwitch is ON The memory protect function, ifnot compatible with a particular generation o fDX7, can cause a FORMAT CONFLICT message, or a loss of data.

To avoid this problem, simply leave theMemory Protect switch OFF at all times. Thenyou will have no loss o f data, and no Format

Conflict problems.Also, don' t worry too much about losingdata with the Switch in the OFF position.Remember, the DX7, when turned on, has itsCartridge Memory Protect ON. Also, when youinitiate a Save To Cartridge function, the DX7always asks Are You Sure? In other words,you have to make two conscious decisionsbefore you can erase data on a cartridge. Thethird backup offered by the Cartridge's ownMemory Protect switch should be unnecessary.

But how did this happen, you may ask?Good question. There are a number of reasons,all leading to the same result, all having to dowith the relative age of the DX7 and the RAM-1. Unforeseen software incompatibilitiescropped up after various units were on themarket. Remember, though, you can avoid ao f these problems by putting the RAM-1 'sMemory Protect Switch to OFF and leaving itthere.

W h e n I go in to dual mode on my DX21,one of t he voices wil l sometimes have acompletely unwanted LFO effect-some

thing that was not part of the original voiceprogram. W h a t can I do to eliminate thisproblem?Not too much . The architecture of the DX21includes only one LFO, and that one LFO isshared by the two tone modules. Therefore,when you go into Dual or Split mode, the LFOcan only operate one way on the two chosenvoices . If one of the voices chosen (for the Splitor Dual sound) is assigned to LFO modulation,thenboth voices will have LFO modulation,even if he .>ettings for the second voice would

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indicate that no modulation should be takingplace .

The best way to deal with this problem is toreprogram the LFO for voices that you plan touse in Split or Dual mode, so that the settingsyou choose will operate equally well for bothvoices.

I use a KX5, but when I turn i t off to savebatteries during recording, my DX7 seems.to t ranspose keys randomly. I am able toremedy this only by first switching t heKX5 to MIDI channel2 and then turningoff power. Why does this happen?Yet again, we are dea ling with various softwarerevisions in the two instruments, revisions thatwent in different directions. As a result, theKXS, when turned off, sends a byte of data thatresets the transposition of the DX7 down threekeys. The only sure way to avoid this problem isto do as you suggest: Always turn the KXS toMIDI channel2 before turning it off-then theDX7 won't receive the g r e m l i n ~ l i k ebyte.

I have a DX7 and a TX7. I loaded theTX7's uA setofvoicesintotheDX7, bu tsome of the voices seem to e miss ingwhen I play t he DX7, there is no sound.Did I transfer the voices improperly?No, but your DX7, if used by itself, may nothave the correct function settings to play all ofthe voices. For example, voice 17 in set A is BCFLUTE. If the breath controller's EG bias isOFF, or if the range of he breath controller isset to 00, the voice will not sound even if youuse a breath controller. Many of the important

DX2 FM digitalsynthesker

PN r r printer designed faruse with the XsM musicoomputer.

K X5 strap-on MIDI key-board a:mtroller.

effects for these two sets of voices are tied tospecific function settings: Many vibrato andtremolo effects, for example, are triggered bythe Mod Wheel or the Foot Pedal.

If the DX7 is used with the TX7, the extraFunction Memory set contained in the TX7 willcompensate for the DX7's limited global u n c ~tion Memory . When these TX7 voices are usedin the DX7 by itself, you have to make d j u s t ~ments to the Function Memory as you go, inorder to gain access to everything that has beenprogrammed into the voice.

The voice sets provided with the TX7 areidentical to those shipped with the TX216. Afull documentation for the voices can be foundin the TX216 Performance Notes.

Is t he re any way to pr in t double-widthlet ters wi th the P N l O l pr inter used inconjunction with the CX5M? I would liketo have access to more than one basic typeformat.A number of ype formats can be accessed byusing the LPRINT mode in BASIC. Detailscan be found on page 14 of the PN 101 ownersmanual.

My DX 7 makes an awful banging soundwhen keys hit the board. Is there a way ofcorrecting this?The DX7 action is adjustable. Take your

instrument to an authorized service center andhave them look into the problem.

I own a TX7 and a DX7, and I would liketo know how I can edi t one sound on theDX7 and t ransfer i t to the TX7 wi thou tdumping all 32 voices i n to the TX7'smemory.First of all, don't use the MIDI TRANSMITfunction on the DX7, or you will send all32voices to the TX7. Here's the correct procedurefor sending just one voice:

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uestions mmnved

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First, make sure that both instruments areconnected properly, with the MIDI IN of theDX7 going to the MIDI OUT of he TX7, andthe MIDI OUT of he DX7 going to the MIDIIN of the TX7. Then, make sure that the MIDIsection of both instruments is set to "SYS INFOAVAIL."

Now, after you have edited and stored avoice in memory on your DX7, return to Playmode and press the key that calls up that voicememory ( 1-32 ). The voice data stored in thatposition plus the current DX7 function data)will be sent to the Edit Buffer of the TX7 automatically. Then, all you have to do is store thatinformation from the Edit buffer into one of the

32 memory locations in your TX7.

I own a DX21 . For m y needs I mus t raisea n d / or retune the instrument one halfstep up, all voices. I must be doing someth ing wrong, because I always wind u ptuned where I started. Can you help me?Remember that the Transpose setting is part ofvoice data, and must be stored as part of thememory for each voice. Go into Edit mode,transpose the voice to the desired setting, andthen STORE the new voice data in the usual

16 AFfERTOUCH/Vol. 2 No.1

Basic MIDI connections furusing a T X7 tone generatorwith a DX7 synthesker

T X7 M digital tonegenerator

~

manner. Then move on to the next voice and dothe same thing, until you have changed all of hetranspose settings.

Remember that permanent voice changesonly occur in the 32-voice internal RAM

memory. The preset voices stored in ROM canbe altered, and these alterations can be stored inRAM, but the voice will remain unaltered in theROM memory of the DX21.

Are there any CX5M Users Group s alreadyactive? I am th inking of t ry ing to start myo w n group, b u t i t would sure he lp i f Icould contact some other groups for information.We know of wo organized, active groups, onelocated in New York, and one in Southern

California.The New York CX5M Users Group holdsregular meetings, publishes a newsletter, andmaintains a growing library programs andpatches. For information, write to: New YorkCX5M UsersGroup,551 Central Ave., Suite22B, Cedarhurst, NY 11516; or call 718-461-8057.

The other group, called simply the CX5MUsers Group; s located in Torrance, California.The group publishes a newsletter and holdsregular meetings. For information, write to:Mike Dwyer, CX5M Users Group, 5218 ScottSt., Torrance, CA 90503.

To help defray postage costs, please send aself-addressed, stamped envelope with yourrequest for information.

I have a question about the YMClO MIDIto Tape-Sync Converter. Can i t be used torecord MIDI information onto cassette?No. The YMClO converts MIDI clock information into FSK tape-sync timing code. Thattiming code, run back through the YMC10from tape, will sync units that operate from aMIDI clock.

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Final TouchUsing The QX7 As "Sub--Mix" For MIDIControlled Effects.

By David Schoenbach.

For serious studio and i v e ~ p e r f o r m a n c e

applications you may want to set up your QX7as a "slave" to a QX1 sequencer. For example,let's say that you have a u l t i ~ p a r tsequencerecorded in the QX 1, and wish to enhanceplayback by including a number of I D I c o n ~trolled effects units, such as the D 1500 DigitalDelay or the REV7 Reverb Unit . Using MIDI,you can access a number of i g n a l ~ p r o c e s s i n gpresets in these machines, which respond toMIDI program change numbers.

By slaving the QX7 clock to the QX 1 [ ET

mode], you can separately change programs onup to 16 different effects units, each on its ownMIDI channel. In this way, the MIDI effects

program changes will not affect the inst rumentsconnected to the QX 1, but will only affect theeffects devices connected to the MIDI OUT ofthe QX7. Keeping the information separate inthis way will also allow. you to try a number ofdifferent "effects mixes" without affecting thebasic sequence as recorded in the QX 1

* * * *Detuning Voices In The TX816ViaTheQXl .

By Gary Leuenberger David Bristow.

Often, it is desirable to detune two or morevoices on the TX816 (or whatever MIDI soundsource is being used) without having to go in andedit the actual voice or detune the actual s y n ~thesizer module. This can be done with the QX 1as the controlling device in a sequence. SimplyINSERT a PITCH BEND change at the TOP OFTRACK for the track/voice you wish to

Hot Tips ForTheQX7,QXl ,TX816CX5M,AndKX88.

QX r digital sequencerecorder

QX digital sequencerecorder

push out of tune.For example, the TF modules 1 2 in the

TX816 contain factory presets for a pianosound in position 1, and these presets are onlyslighdy out of une. Suppose you wish to createthe effect of a Honky Tonk piano for theopening of a piece, but want to go back to astraight piano sound later in the piece. Theeasiest way to do this is to INSERT a PITCHBEND of some value (for example, 5 ~ 10,depending on much detune you want) at the topof track 2. To cancel the effect later in the piecesimply INSERT a PITCH BEND ofOOO at thedesired measure.

Remember to cancel the effect. I t is goodbasic QX 1 Housekeeping to always cancelcontrol codes at the beginning or end of a

BANK/CHAIN; otherwise, they may be c a r ~ried on the the next BANK/CHAIN playback(with undesired effect). Therefore, if you usedetune for the entire piece, INSERT a PITCHBEND 000 at the end

* * * *

Transferring Individual CX5M Voice FilesFrom One Voice List To Another

By Dennis Anderson

Because of the versatility of he YRM 102FM Voicing Program, many CX5M users aresure to be filling up a lot of 8 ~ v o i c elists withnew and unique voices and storing these lists oncassettes. Eventually, the user is going to wishthat there was a way to "lift" one voice from onelist and drop it into another list, so that theuser can establish voice packages for variousapplications.

For purposes of his example, let's say thatyou want to lift voice #33 from one voice list(FILE 1) and drop it into another voice list

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inal ouch(FILE 5) that is stored on another cassette.Single voice transf erring can be accomplishedby using the following procedure:

1) Call up an existing set of 48 voices from cassette (FILE 1) that contains the voice you

would like to lift -voice #33 ("Swoosh").

2) Call up #33 from the menu. Voice #33( Swoosh ) will appear on the screen, and itcan be played on the music keyboard. In thetop i g h t ~ h a n dcorner of the screen, you willsee "SBUF (33)," which tells you that voice#33 is now in the storage buffer.

3) Remove the cassette containing FILE 1 fromyour machine and insert the cassette o n t a i n ~

ing FILE 5. Load in FILE 5.

4) When FILE 5 is in, the new set of 48 voiceswill be listed on the screen, and in the upperr i g h t ~ h a n dcorner, the message "FILE 5 OKwill replace SBUF(33). This is the criticalmoment Voice #33 from the previous file isstill in the computer, but only in the StorageBuffer, not in the new list of voices. Voice#33, "Swoosh," can still be played from themusic keyboard, but it will go away as soon asyou start entering commands, with oneexception:

5) With the message "FILE 5 OK still p p e a r ~ing in the upper i g h t ~ h a n dcorner, type in

re and then hit ENTER. Swoosh willnow appear in slot #33 in the new voice list,replacing the voice that was in #33. Actually,

Swoosh can be located in any one of hevoice memory slots: Simply type re ##(where## equals the number of the voicethat you do want to replace with "Swoosh") .

Although this process is a slow one (since

two cassette LOAD functions have to be dealtwith to transfer voices around), the addedflexibility of being able to create custom voicelists makes the wait worthwhile

18 AFfERTOUCHNol. 2 No. 1

KX88 MIDI keybo rdrontroller

Continued

Using The KX88/76 To Turnff TX216/816 Function

Controls Temporarily

By Tom Darter

In many situations, you can use the o ntroller Assign (CA) mode on the KX88 orKX76 to defeat unwanted function control in aTX module, without actually changing theModule's function memory.

Let's say that you are involved in a TVsoundtrack session, and have your KX76hooked up to a number of instruments, i n c l uing a TX216 a c k ~ m o u n ttone generator. Youhave been asked to put together a thick, s t r i nlike sound by MID ing a number of synthesizer

modules together. The part calls for sharpattacks on the keyboard. You have three i n ~struments sounding good together, and decideto add some clarity in the attack by bringing in asolo violin sound from the TX216. Everythingis fine, except that when you play with thedesired sharp attack on the keyboard, you get anannoying vibrato from the TX216. Obviously,the sound you have called up has vibrato p r ~grammed to respond to aftertouch.

None of he other instruments is respondingto aftertouch, so that MIDI information isunimportant for them, and unwanted for theTX216 patch. Unfortunately, the TX216 is notprogrammable by itself, and you don't have anyprogramming software hooked up. What doyou do?

The obvious answer is to reprogram theKX76 so that its aftertouch controls nothingEnter Controller Assign mode by pressing theCA button. Then press BANK A button 4 toaccess the afterouch function. The BANK Adisplay will show AC [for Aftertouch o ntroller J and the BANK B display will display

13 [hex]. Looking in the controller code

preset table, you will see that 13' ' stands forthe aftertouch function. Therefore, the KX76'saftertouch has been programmed to function asaftertouch. A very logical assignment, which weare now going to defeat.

Using the BANK B program select switches[following the hex numbering abqve eachswitch], reprogram aftertouch [ACJ to o n

trotler code 06 [hex], which has no function.Now the aftertouch from the KX76 will have noeffect, and you can play all of your instrumentstogether with no unpleasant s i d e ~ f f e c t s

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ouch ResponseH ERE ARE SOME letters from fellowAFTER TOUCH readers, all concerningUsers Groups. One is already part of a group inhis area, another wants to try and start a groupin his area, and the third wants informationconcerning any groups already formed in herarea. If you are interested, contact them andoffer your help. Also, for more information onother Users Groups, look in the AFTERTOUCH Quest ions column in this issue and inthe November 1985 issue.

* * * *In response to your inquiry about Users

Groups, I am writing to inform you of a groupin Portland, Oregon. Our DX7 Users Groupstarted in October of 1985, and currently has

about 30 members. The group's main functionis educational. We also have a master librarywith over 2,400 DX7 sounds. The group meetsonce a month to discuss programming techniques and swap patches. We intend to expandinto other areas of he YCAMS system in duetime. We also write a monthly Patch O f TheMonth column in a local musicians' magazine.If anyone is interested in our users group or acopy of he "Patch Of The Month, please send

a self-addressed, stamped envelope to theaddress below, or call503-667-3304.Mike KlingerDenny's Strings Things1605 N.E. KellyGresham, OR 97030

I have recen tly purchased a CX5M and amvery pleased with the unit. The only complaint Ihave is that specific instruction is not available.For this reason, I would like to start a CX5MUsers Group in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvanniaarea.lf you live in this area and would like tohelp out in getting a group started, please writeto me at the address below.John C. Boglovits300 Ramsey Place, Apt. 320

New Cumberland, PA 17070

I am interested in being involved in a DX7Users Group, because I think all of us Yamahapeople ought to put our knowledge together. Ifanyone has information concerning a group inmy area, please send it to the address below.Sharon A. Smith13005 S. W. Green DriveCulver, OR 97734

W E INVITE YOU TO CONTRIBUTE TO AFTER TOUCH. f you'vedeveloped a novel use of one of he AFTER TOUCH products, write it upand send it to us. Don't worry about your writing style-just get the informationdown. If we decide to use your idea as a full article in AFTER TOUCH, we'll try itourselves, write it up in the magazine, put your name on it, and send you a check for$100.00.

f you've got a hot tip on applications or use, send it along to our uFinal Touchcolumn. f we use it, you'll receive full editorial credit, plus a check for $25.00.

Do you have a great new DX7 patch, a CX5M program, or a great pattern for theRXll? Send them in-we'l l pay $25.00 for each one used.

By the way, we cannot assume liability for the safe return of unused ideas,patches, or manuscripts. We will only be able to return unused material to you ifyou enclose a self,addressed, stamped envelope with your material.

If you just have a question regarding the use of Yamaha professional products,send it along too, and we'll do our best to answer it in the pages of AFTER TOUCH.(We regret that we won't be able to answer questions through the mail, but we willuse all of your questions to guide us in our choice of future topics.)

Finally, ifyoujustwantto get something off your chest, or if you'd like toestablish direct contact with other X users, send something in to our letters column,uTouch Response." We'll do our best to print names and addresses of all those whoare interested in starting up regional users groups.

AFTER TOUCH is your publication. Let us hear from you

Letters FromReadersAbout UsersGroups.

Write To:FT R-

TOUCHP.O. Box2338 Northridge CA91323-2338.

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FTER TOU HP.O. Box 2338Northridge, CA 3 2 3 ~ 2 3 3 8

the display. Therefore, if you turned operators#2 and #4 OFF, the display would show thefollowing:

E1010

Once you enter the Edit mode, individualvoice parameters are called up by pressing thenumbered button that corresponds to thatparameter. For example, if you enter the Editmode to modify the Ivory Ebony voice, u s h ~ing button 1 (ALGORITHM) will call up thefollowing display:

E l l l l ALG=3

At this point, you can use the 1 /YES and-1 NO buttons or the data entry slider to makechanges in the value for the Algorithm p a r a m ~eter. Once you make a change in a voice a r a m ~etervalue, the "E" in the display will change to"e" t h i s lets you know that you have madesome changes. For example, if we changed theAlgorithm value to 4 as our first edit, the displaywould respond with this message:

e l l l l ALG= 4

If you want to compare your edited voice withthe original, just press the EDIT COMPAREbutton again. The display will show this:

C l l l l ALG= 3

The "C" is your reminder that you are o m p a r ~ing the original to your edited version of thevoice

ontinued from page

Bulk RateU S Postage

P I Dlong Prairie MN

Permit No. 56

One final point of nterest: Once you havecalled up a particula r voice parameter in Editmode, pressing the same parameter buttonagain will increase the value of hat parameter byone step. In other words, successive use of heparameter button will have the same effect asthe 1/YES button. This can be useful forsome quick editing changes.ln order to decreasethe value of a parameter, you must use the-1 /NO button or the data entry slider.

To access the function parameters, press theFUNCTION/COMPARE button. The left sideof he display will show "F indicating that youare in Function mode. Once you make a changein one of the performance function parameters( 3 ~ 2 4), the left side of the display will show"f' -another simple reminder that ther have

een some changes made. .I f you press the FUNCTION/COMPARE

button a ~ o n dtime, the display will change to"C," letting you know that you are comparingthe original,performance function data withyour edited version. As with the voice p a r a meter buttons, pressing the function parameter

buttons again after calling up the function willcause the value to be increased by one.(Remember that the n o n ~ p e r f o r m a n ceters ( 1 12) are not part of any single voicememory-they are global values for the n s t r ument. Therefore, those values, once changed,will remain at that new value as you switch backand forth from f'' to "C.")

As you can see, the DX100 offers you accessto a large library of voices, and gives you a lot of,control over the creation of your own FMdigital sounds