Arpeggiator; A Box Full Of Tricks For All Occasions - Yamaha CS1x Manual

Ar p eggiat or
A B ox f u l l of
Tr i cks fo r all
Occas i ons
The CS1x Arpeggiator is very clearly laid
out. It consists of only three parts: Type,
Tempo and Subdivide. In addition the
CS1x outshines itself with 2 further set-
tings which you should get aquainted
with early on.
One of these is the Hold function, which can be activated
by pressing both buttons on the left hand side above the LC-
Display. This function greatly aids relaxation during live per-
formances, as it has since its earliest incarnation: you need
to play a chord only once; the Arpeggiator play will repeat it
tirelessly for you. This frees both hands for other tasks and
can, amongst other things, be very 'handy' for trying out dif-
ferent arpeggios or sequencer sounds!
With the aid of the Arpeggiator Split function you can limit
the Arpeggio key range to notes below the C3 key (see sec-
tion "Performance Mode"; "Arpeggiator Split" in the manual).
Notes above this point can then be used for accompanying
fi lls, perhaps using a different sound altogether.

Arpeggiator

off
Tempo
UpDnBOct1
Type
Subdiv
1/16
Arpeggiator Uses at a Glance
A M P L E :
We have prepared two sounds for this which can be found
in the Tutorial Bank. To start with, call up Performance
TP058. Now trigger the Arpeggiator using a single key below
C3. The sequence will keep on running, even after you have
let go of the key thanks to the activated Hold function. You
can still use both hands to play chords or fi lls on any of the
keys above the Split point – go on, try it!
You need to be careful however when using Split Perfor-
mances, as the Arpeggiator will distribute any chord notes
over the entire note range, regardless of which sounds will be
played. In other words, if you are using two different sounds
split across they keyboard, it's quite possible that the Arpeg-
giator mix up both sounds! Performance TP059 is a good
example of this. Here a Rhodes sound used above the split
point has suffered in the process. Tip: If you want to ensure
that the Arpeggiator only triggers the sound below the split
point, use the following Arpeggio types: UpOct1, DwnOct1/
2/4, UpDwA/BOct1 as well as Random Oct.
Split
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Now let's look at the three main functions. To begin with,
you can select any of the 30 available Arpeggio Patterns.
These can broadly be divided into seperated chords and spe-
cial patterns that vary in sound colour, dynamics or rhythm.
The second function is all about tempo. If you want to use the
Arpeggiator with a drum machine or sequencer and wish to
be able to react to any tempo changes or drifting, set this to
MIDI. This instructs the CS1x to wait for an external 'director'
via the so-called MIDI Clock Pulses.
There are three things you should bear in mind: First check
that your sequencer can actually send MIDI Clock com-
mands. If you can't hear an Arpeggio Part, the most likely
explanation is that MIDI Clock is disabled in your sequencer
program, so always check to make sure it's enabled. Sec-
ondly it is advisable to time-shift the track containing any
Arpeggiator chords by a few milliseconds. This ensures more
precise Arpeggio starts. Thirdly, experience has shown the
value of re-triggering any Arpeggios that step through the
same notes repeatedly as often as possible. The same
method has also benefi ted the sampled drum loops by
ensuring clean timing.
To begin with though you have to establish the actual
length of your Arpeggio loop. To work this out we have to
deal with the Arpeggiator's third major function, the Rhyth-
mic Resolver (Subdivide). Some of the available divisions
are self explanatory: 1/32, 1/16, 1/8 and 1/4 divide a chord
into 32nds, 16ths, 8ths and quarter notes. 16th, 8th or 4th
triplets are however resolved and played by 1/24, 1/12 and 1/
6. But wait, there's more, the CS1x also offers 3 further divi-
sions (3/23, 3/16, 3/8). Later we'll deal with their applica-
tions with a little exercise.
PERIMENT:
Without knowing much about it we wish to determine an
Arpeggio's length. Just how the Arpeggio proceeds is
dependent on several factors – the Arpeggio type, the rhyth-
mic resolution but also the total voice number used in an
arpeggiated chord. Select Performance TP060.
Now start playing using a four note chord, for example a C
major triad with an octave root note. The Arpeggiator begins
by breaking down the chord into 8ths (Subdivide: 1/8) and
then arpeggiates it over two octaves (type: UpOct2). You will
hear that the Arpeggio repeats itself after exactly one bar (s.
Note Example A). This means the loop is 4 beats long, i.e.
you can re-trigger the Arpeggio after 4 beats. Now experi-
ment with different Arpeggio types and rhythmic resolutions.
For instance, select Arpeggio type "DwOct1" and a 1/16 res-
olution. If you now play the same chord you will notice that
the Arpeggio now loops after only one quarter (s. Note
Example B). Feel free to try a few other combinations. You
will soon get a feel for how the different Arpeggios sound.
Note Example A
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