Yamaha VL-1m Owner's Manual
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Yamaha VL-1m Owner's Manual

Yamaha VL-1m Owner's Manual

Virtual acoustic tone generator
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Virtual Acoustic Tone Generator
Getting Started
Owner's Manual 1

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Summary of Contents for Yamaha VL-1m

  • Page 1 Virtual Acoustic Tone Generator Getting Started Owner’s Manual 1...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    Contents Precautions ......... . . About the Manuals .
  • Page 3 Voice Selection ......34 Selecting & Playing the VL1-m’s 128 Voices Using the Voice Directory ........36 The Sound Function .

  • Page 4: Precautions

    Precautions !! PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE PROCEEDING !! Location Do not expose the instrument to the following conditions to avoid deformation, discoloration, or more serious damage. • Direct sunlight (e.g. near a window). • High temperatures (e.g. near a heat source, outside, or in a car during the daytime).
  • Page 5 • Do not expose the disk to magnetic fields. Mag- netic fields can partially or totally erase data on the disk, rendering the disk unreadable. YAMAHA is not responsible for damage caused by improper handling or operation. Getting Started • To eject a floppy disk, press the eject button slowly as far as it will go then, when the disk is fully ejected, remove it by hand.

  • Page 6: About The Manuals

    About the Manuals The VL1-m comes with two manuals — Getting Started and Fea- ture Reference. The Getting Started Manual The Getting Started manual contains seven chapters that take you through essential information and procedures you will need to know to become familiar with your VL1-m: 1.

  • Page 7: The Feature Reference Manual

    The Feature Reference Manual The Feature Reference manual is the “nuts and bolts” reference for the VL1-m, individually describing its many functions in detail. The Fea- ture Reference manual is divided into 5 main sections, each describing the various functions within a particular VL1-m edit or utility mode. 1.

  • Page 8: Vl1-M Basics

    (weather and aerodynamic modeling require room-filling super comput- ers), and radical advances in microprocessor speed and capability plus some very sophisticated Yamaha technology were necessary to achieve the real-time sound generation capabilities exhibited by the VL1-m Virtual Acoustic Tone Generator.

  • Page 9: What Are The Advantages

    VL1-m is undoubtedly a little harder to play than conventional tone gen- erators, but when mastered this is the very characteristic that is its greatest strength. Yamaha Virtual Acoustic Synthesis is the most musical tone generation system ever created. A soloist’s dream! •...

  • Page 10: The Vl1-M Model

    The VL1-m Model he overall VL1-m model or “algorithm” consists of three main blocks: the instrument, controllers, and modifiers. In schematic form these blocks are arranged as follows: One VL "Element" (the VL has 2 of these) Controllers (also envelopes) Instrument The Instrument The key block in this algorithm is the instrument, since it is here that the...
  • Page 11 Reed vibration. In all these instruments pressure applied here Lip vibration. (the driving point) causes vibration which results in sound. Air vibration. The sound thus produced is amplified and sustained by the body of the instrument. One of the remarkable features of the VL1-m’s Virtual Acoustic Synthesis system is that just about any driver can be used with any type of pipe or string.

  • Page 12: The Controllers

    The Controllers The input to an acoustic wind instrument comes from the player’s lungs, trachea, oral cavity, and lips. In a string instrument it comes from the player’s arm movement, transmitted to the string via a bow. These elements actually form an important part of the sound generating system and, in the VL1-m model, are included in the controllers block.

  • Page 13: The Modifiers

    The Modifiers Although you don’t have direct programming access to the VL1-m instru- ment block, the modifiers allow a significant degree of control over the final timbre of the voice. The modifiers block consists of 5 sections as shown in the diagram.
  • Page 14 Getting Started Impulse Expander The Impulse Expander works in conjunction with the Resonator, described below, to simulate the effect of an instrument’s resonant cavity or sound box. It can also be used to simulate the acoustic environment in which the instrument is played.

  • Page 15: There's More

    There’s More … n this brief introduction to VL1-m basics we’ve only looked at the central physical model which is the key the VL1-m’s unprecedented sound and musical performance. There’s actually much more to it. To begin with the VL1-m actually has two elements which function as inde- pendent physical models.

  • Page 16: The Controls & Connectors

    Getting Started The Controls & Connectors A Brief Introduction To the VL1-m Interface The following brief descriptions of the VL1-m controls and connec- tors should help you to understand the overall logic of the interface. VOLUME Control PHONES Jack The Controls & Connectors e MIDI Indicator q POWER Switch w MODE Buttons...

  • Page 17: Front Panel

    Front Panel q p Switch w MODE Buttons PLAY mode lets you select and play voices, the EDIT mode gives you programming access to the VL1-m’s voice and controller parameters, and the UTILITY mode includes MIDI, disk, system and other functions that are essential for general operation. e MIDI Indicator data is received by the VL1-m.
  • Page 18 Getting Started The Controls & Connectors t S Button Used to store edited data to an internal memory location. Feature Reference page 27. y VOLUME Control Adjusts the volume of the sound delivered via the rear-panel OUTPUT L and R jacks as well as the PHONES jack.
  • Page 19 Getting Started page 23. ! 4 Breath Controller Jack An optional Yamaha BC2 or BC1 Breath Controller can be plugged in here. Getting Started page 23. ! 5 Floppy Disk Drive The VL1-m’s built-in floppy disk drive allows easy, economical, high-volume storage of voice data.

  • Page 20: Rear Panel

    Getting Started MIDI OUTPUT THRU MIDI IN, OUT and THRU Connectors Rear Panel ! 6 AC Power Cord Socket Be sure the plug the VL1-m’s AC power cord into this socket before plugging the power cord into an AC outlet. Getting Started page 22.
  • Page 21 Getting Started The Controls & Connectors...

  • Page 22: Setting Up

    Getting Started Setting Up System Connections & Preparation Audio POWER ON / PLAY EDIT UTILITY VOLUME COMPARE PHONES BREATH Power Supply Headphones Power Supply Before making any other connections the “female” end of the AC power cord supplied with the VL1-m should be firmly plugged into the rear-panel AC cord socket. Ideally the power cord should then be plugged into a convenient AC outlet after you’ve made all other necessary connections and placed the VL1-m in the position in which it will be used.

  • Page 23: Breath Controller

    Calibration” on page 28 for instructions on calibrating your Breath Controller for opti- mum control precision and ease. If you will be using a MIDI Wind Controller such as the Yamaha WX11 NOTES with the VL1-m, the appropriate breath-control data will be transmitted from the wind controller to the VL1-m via the MIDI interface, and no other breath controller will be necessary.

  • Page 24: Audio Connections

    For private listening and practice headphones are ideal. You don’t have to hook up and complete sound system, and you won’t disturb the neighbors no matter how loud or late you play. Recommended Yamaha headphones for VL1-m monitoring are the HPE- 170, HPE-160, or HPE-150 Stereo Headphones. Any standard pair of stereo headphones with a 1/4"...

  • Page 25: Power-On Procedure

    Getting Started Power-on Procedure Always follow proper procedure when powering-up a sound system to minimize the possibility of damage to the equipment (and your ears!). Make sure your sound system’s main level/volume control(s) and the VL1-m volume control are turned all the way down prior to turning power on. Turn on the VL1-m.

  • Page 26: Play The Demo

    Getting Started Play the Demo Once you’ve set up your VL1-m system, you might like to play the pre-pro- grammed demo sequence to hear how some of the voices sound. This process will also help to familiarize you with some of the VL1-m’s selection and editing procedures. Select the Utility Mode System Page Press the U button to select the utility mode.
  • Page 27 Getting Started Setting Up Select a Song Use the data dial or = and - buttons to select the song number you want to start with. Run the Demo Press the • button to run the demo. Playback will start with the selected song, then all other songs will be played in sequence.
  • Page 28 Getting Started Breath Controller Calibration If you will be using an optional Yamaha BC2 Breath Controller connected to the VL1-m Breath Controller jack, it must be properly calibrated to achieve the best possible sound from the VL1-m. Although the BC2 Breath Controller is factory-calibrated to match most requirements, we recommend that you carefully calibrate it for optimum performance with your own playing style.

  • Page 29: Breath Controller Calibration

    Getting Started Setting Up Adjust the Breath Controller Gain Place the breath controller mouthpiece in your mouth and blow — notice that the cursors move to right and the number below the graph increases according to how hard you blow. Rotate the breath controller GAIN trimmer counter-clockwise as far as it will go (don’t force it!) then, while blowing into the mouthpiece using the maximum pressure you intend to use while playing, rotate the trimmer slowly clockwise until the number below the graph just reaches “127”...

  • Page 30: Load The Pre-Programmed Voice Data

    Getting Started Load the Pre-programmed Voice Data Although the factory pre-programmed voices are stored in the VL1-m internal memory when the instrument is initially shipped, there is always a possibility that all or part of the memory has been erased or modified by the time the instrument gets to you. Here’s how you can re-load all the pre-programmed data from the supplied voice disk.
  • Page 31 Getting Started Setting Up Select “Load From Disk” Use the cursor buttons to move the cursor to “2:Load From Disk” and then press [. Select “All” and Select the “001:NOBREATH:ALL” File Make sure the cursor is positioned at “1:All” and press [. When the list of files appears select the “001:NOBREATH:ALL”...
  • Page 32 Yamaha WX11. 004:WXSELECT:ALL A set of 32 voices and system data in which the voices are “fine tuned” for optimum sound and control variation when played via the Yamaha WX11 MIDI Wind Controller. 005:EXAMPLE:ALL Some example voices in which the controller settings are emphasized.
  • Page 33 Getting Started Setting Up...

  • Page 34: Voice Selection

    Getting Started Voice Selection Selecting & Playing the VL1-m’s 128 Voices One of the first things you’ll want to do with your VL1-m is select and play some of its voices … this section will show you how to do just that.
  • Page 35 Getting Started Voice Selection Select a Voice The VL1-m’s 128 voices are organized into 8 banks — “A” through “H” — of 16 voices each (8 x 16 = 128). These can be selected in sequence by using either the data dial or the = and - buttons.

  • Page 36: Using The Voice Directory

    Getting Started Using the Voice Directory The VL1-m also features a voice directory display that can be more convenient than the normal voice display in some situations. To switch to the voice directory display, press the • button — located directly below “Dir” on the display. The directory display shows all 16 voices in the current bank.

  • Page 37: The Pre-Programmed Vl1-M Voices

    Getting Started The Pre-programmed VL1-m Voices Here’s an abbreviated voice list for easy reference. Voice No. Voice Name Voice No. C01 (033) A01 (001) Moby A02 (002) Tenor Sax C02 (034) C03 (035) A03 (003) Shakuhachi A04 (004) FingerBass C04 (036) C05 (037) A05 (005) Trumpet...

  • Page 38: The Controllers

    Getting Started The Controllers Natural Musical Nuance and Expressive Control If you’ve read the “VL1-m Basics” section (if you haven’t, please do so — page 8) you should understand the concept of “controllers” as ap- plied to the VL1-m. The “controller parameters” correspond to simulated characteristics of the instrument model —...

  • Page 39: Physical Controllers

    Getting Started Physical Controllers First, here’s a list of some of the physical controllers you might want to use with the VL1-m: Breath Controller A natural candidate for controlling pressure, tonguing, throat, growl, (MIDI control change no. 002) and other parameters. This unique “controller”...

  • Page 40: Vl1-M Controller Parameters

    Getting Started VL1-m Controller Parameters Any of the physical controllers listed above can be assigned to control any of the VL1-m’s controller parameters: The amount of breath pressure applied to a reed or mouthpiece, or the Pressure speed of the bow applied to a string. Pressure variations affect both volume and timbre.

  • Page 41: Controller Views

    Getting Started Controller Views In the PLAY mode, function buttons ¡ through § are used to select “controller view” displays that list all controller assignments for the currently selected voice. In particular, ¡ through ¢ display the assignments for the controller parameters listed in the preceding chart (you can press the ] button at any time to return to the normal play-mode display).

  • Page 42: Some Exercises With The Altosax Controllers

    Getting Started Some Exercises With the AltoSax Controllers Now that you know which physical controllers are assigned to which controller parameters in the Alto Sax voice, play the voice using the assigned controllers to get a feel for their effect before changing the assignments. Engage the EDIT Mode The controller assignments are accessed via the EDIT mode Controller page.
  • Page 43 Getting Started The Controllers Edit the Scream Controller Parameter The cursor should be located at the “Controller” parameter, as shown in the example display. In the AltoSax voice the scream control parameter is not used so it is currently turned “off”. Press the - button or rotate the data entry dial to the right slightly to select “Modulation Wheel”, the first controller on the list.
  • Page 44 Getting Started The Controllers Go to the Pressure Controller Page From the Vibrato page use the § button to step back to the Pressure controller page. The touch envelope generator is assigned to control the “Pressure” parameter, and we will leave it set that way while we experiment with the “Depth” and “Curve” parameters.
  • Page 45 Getting Started The Controllers Once you pass zero, you enter a range of “negative” Depth values that produce reverse controller operation: i.e. the output level decreases as you increase touch pressure. Like the normal positive range, the negative Depth range is from “0” to “-127”. Many parameters with any relationship to MIDI control have a range of NOTES values from -127 through 0 to 127 (255 steps).

  • Page 46: Controller Envelopes

    Getting Started Experiment! Now that you’ve got the idea, flip through the all the available controller pages and experiment with alternative assignments and settings until you feel comfortable with the system. You should also try this with different voices later, since the controllers can have different effects with different voices.

  • Page 47: Other Controller Views

    Getting Started Other Controller Views If you press the controller view: The controller parameters listed in this screen are not in the same category as those discussed in the preceding section, and therefore need to be introduced separately. All of the related parameters will be discussed in detail in the Feature Reference manual (pages listed below).

  • Page 48: Mixing & The Modifiers

    Getting Started Mixing & The Modifiers Creating New Timbres and Original Voices The VL1-m provides two ways to change the timbre of a voice to create original variations: 1) by mixing the output signals from various parts of the physical model, and 2) by using the VL1-m’s “Modifiers” to shape the overall harmonic structure.

  • Page 49: An Exercise: Remix The Pan Pipes Voice

    Getting Started An Exercise: Remix the Pan Pipes Voice Before going to the EDIT mode, select and play the Pan Pipes voice for a few minutes to get a feel for how it sounds. Engage the EDIT Mode The mixing parameters are accessed via the EDIT mode “Mixing” page. To get to this page first press the E button to engage the edit mode.
  • Page 50 Getting Started Mixing & The Modifiers Tap Location The remaining tap parameter — “Tap Sign” — inverts the phase of the tap signal. It has two settings: “+” and “-”. Try it. Return To the PLAY Mode When Done Press the P button to return to the PLAY mode when you’ve finished experi- menting with the mixing parameters.

  • Page 51: The Modifiers

    Getting Started The Modifiers As described in the “VL1-m Basics” section (page 8), the VL1-m has five “Modifier” stages that shape the overal timbre of the sound. Al- though the modifiers can vary the sound over a considerable range, the fundamental timbre of each voice is determined by its physical instrument model.
  • Page 52 Getting Started Mixing & The Modifiers Referring to the block diagram of the harmonic enhancer, above, we can see that it employs a modulation approach to building new harmonic structures. The carrier and modulator blocks have independent display pages and some independent parameters. The Carrier Parameter Page The Modulator Parameter Page NOTES...
  • Page 53 Getting Started Mixing & The Modifiers Although any modulator source signal can be applied to any carrier source signal, two approaches are recommended when attempting to create an acoustic instrument simulation. The first is to set the carrier signal to “Normal” and the modulator signal to any other than normal, set the dry/wet “Balance”...

  • Page 54: Dynamic Filter

    Getting Started Dynamic Filter The Dynamic Filter stage is similar to the dynamic filters found in many conven- tional synthesizers. It allows both fixed and dynamic filtering in high-pass, low-pass, bandpass, and band elimination modes, and is effective for broad tonal control. (from Harmonic Enhancer) The Dynamic Filter Parameter Page...

  • Page 55: Frequency Equalizer

    Getting Started Frequency Equalizer The Frequency Equalizer stage consists of two blocks — Auxiliary and Band — each with its own display page. (from Dynamic Filter) The Equalizer Auxiliary Parameter Page The Equalizer Band Parameter Page The Auxiliary block includes programmable low-pass and high-pass filters that can be used independently or together to create a bandpass response.

  • Page 56: Impulse Expander

    Getting Started Impulse Expander The Impulse Expander works in conjunction with the Resonator, described below, to simulate the effect of an instrument’s resonant cavity or sound box. It can also be used to simulate the acoustic environment in which the instrument is played. (from Frequency Equalizer) The Impulse Expander Parameter Page...

  • Page 57: Resonator

    Getting Started Resonator While the Impulse Expander tends to give the sound a metallic quality, the Resona- tor produces a more woody resonance effect. Careful adjustment of the resonator’s parameters can often bring a not-quite-right voice to life. (from Impulse Expander) The Resonator Parameter Page The Resonator basically consists of five parallel delay lines with independently...

  • Page 58: Effects

    Getting Started Effects Creating the Right Ambience Effects are the essential finishing touches for any voice. Once you’ve created a sound you like, use one or more of the VL1-m’s three high- performance digital effect stages to polish and refine it as required. Each stage includes a number of effects.

  • Page 59: Modulation Effects

    Getting Started Modulation Effects Although “modulation” usually implies some sort of cyclical variation, the VL1-m Modulation stage allows selection of Flanger, Pitch Change, and Distortion effects (only Flanger fits the traditional definition of a modulation effect). Since most of these effects produce a marked change in the sound, you’ll probably only want to use them on certain voices, and maybe not all the time.

  • Page 60: Reverb Effects

    Getting Started The Time Calculation Pop-up Page NOTES Refer to page 53 of the Feature Reference manual for full details on the Feedback Delay effects and parameters. Reverb Effects You’ll probably want to apply the effects in this stage to some degree to all your voices.
  • Page 61 Getting Started Effects...

  • Page 62: Index

    This index covers both the VL1-m Getting Started and Feature Reference manuals for easy cross-referencing. Page numbers in the Getting Started manual are preceded by “ © ”, and page numbers in the Feature Reference manual are preceded by “ Absorption .
  • Page 63 Enter/Sound button ......Equalizer auxiliary ..... . . Equalizer band .
  • Page 64 Receive channel ......Resonator ......Reverb effects .

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