Yamaha PortaSound PSS-780 Operating Manual page 10

PART II
WHAT YOUR PortaSound CAN DO
Voices, Rhythm and Auto Accompaniment
To better understand the PortaSound's functional structure,
think of it as comprising the following three sections:
Auto Accompaniment Section
Voice/Melody Section
Rhythm Section
As the names say, the Voice/Melody Section controls all
features concerning the voices you play, usually in the form
of a melody, while the Auto Accompaniment Section helps
you perform the accompaniment to these melodies. The
Rhythm Section can be used separately like a drum machine,
or in combination with Auto Accompaniment.
@ This is not a strict division. These sections are closely
interconnected ~- for instance, RHYTHM CONTROL
influences both the Rhythm and the Auto Accompaniment
Sections, and the SONG MEMORY MELODY banks
are just as much part of Voice/Melody as they are of Auto
Accompaniment. Keeping this division in mind, though,
makes it easier to understand the PortaSound features.
Voice/Melody Section
In the tradition of Yamaha's famous DX7 synthesizers, the
preset instrument sounds available on the PortaSound
PSS-780 are referred to as "voices". With the Digital Syn-
thesizer functions explained in PART ITI (p.26), you can alter
them to create your own original sounds, then save up to five
of these for instant access at the push of a button.
For more expressiveness and realism, you can add various
EFFECTS (p.9) to the voices. PORTAMENTO and PITCH
BEND (p.10), for instance, can greatly enhance strings, brass
or bass sounds.
Easy Play Functions
If the melody you want to play is in a difficult key, you can
TRANSPOSE the entire keyboard (p.11) to an easier one.
Melodies (or parts of them) you find particularly hard to
perform can be memorized in the MELODY banks of the
SONG MEMORY (p.22). For example, if a phrase is too
fast for you, record it at a comfortable slow tempo and then
play it back any time at the correct speed by simply pressing
the corresponding MELODY button.
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