Yamaha SY-85 Owner's Manual
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Yamaha SY-85 Owner's Manual

Yamaha sy-85 synthesizer: owners manual
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YAMAHA
SY85 Music Synthesizer
Owner's Manual 1
- Getting Started -

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Summary of Contents for Yamaha SY-85

  • Page 1 YAMAHA SY85 Music Synthesizer Owner’s Manual 1 - Getting Started -...

  • Page 2: Main Features

    The SY85 Music Synthesizer delivers the incredible Yamaha AWM sound with improved quality and performance power. In addition to superior sound, the SY85 features “Quick Edit” modes that provide fast, easy access to the most important voice and performance editing jobs so you can customize the sound without having to deal with the details.
  • Page 3 Extensive Real-time Control In addition to the pitch and modulation wheels, and dual output level con- trols, the SY85 has 8 slide controls that can be used to control a range of parameters while performing for unmatched expressive power. Easy Editing Interface 8 function keys and slide controls below the large 40-character x 2-line LCD display allow direct selection and control of the parameters appearing directly above them in the display for efficient, intuitive editing.
  • Page 4 Contents Precautions ...4 About the Manuals The Controls & Connectors 1. Setting Up Your System 2. Selecting And Playing Voices 3. The Performance Mode...

  • Page 5: Table Of Contents

    4. Voice Editing & Effects ...40 5. The Sequencer 6. Data Management INDEX ...67...

  • Page 6: Power Supply

    Precautions Location Do not expose the instrument to the following conditions to avoid deforma- tion, 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 7: Data Backup

    When the backup battery needs to be replaced “Change internal battery !” will appear on the display when the power is turned on. When this happens, have the backup battery replaced by qualified Yamaha service personnel. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REPLACE THE BACKUP BATTERY YOURSELF! •...
  • Page 8 Refer all servicing to qualified YAMAHA personnel. Third-party Software • Yamaha can not take any responsibility for software produced for this prod- uct by third-party manufacturers. Please direct any questions or comments about such software to the manufacturer or their agents.

  • Page 9: About The Manuals

    About the Manuals The SY85 comes with two manuals — Getting Started and Feature Refer- ence. The Getting Started Manual (this manual) In addition to an overview of the SY85 controls and connectors (page 10), the Getting Started manual contains six chapters that take you through the main procedures you will need to know to become familiar with your SY85: Setting Up Your System [Page 17] Basic system connections, powering up, loading and playing the demo,...
  • Page 10 Icons The following simple icons are used throughout the Getting Started manual to draw attention to important points and information where necessary. The icons also make it easier to differentiate between information that you should read immediately and information that can be skipped until later, hopefully helping you to become familiar with the SY85 in the quickest, most efficient manner possible.

  • Page 11: The Feature Reference Manual

    The Feature Reference Manual The Feature Reference manual is the “nuts and bolts” reference for the SY85, individually describing its many functions in detail. The Feature Refer- ence manual is divided into 7 main sections, each describing the various func- tions within a particular SY85 edit or utility mode.
  • Page 14 OUTPUT 1 and OUTPUT 2 Controls Adjust the volume of the sound delivered via the rear-panel OUTPUT1 and OUTPUT 2 jacks as well as the PHONES jack. SEQUENCER Keys Control the recording and playback functions of the internal sequencer. Liquid Crystal Display Panel This 40-character x 2-line backlit liquid crystal display panel shows all essential information for easy operation and programming.
  • Page 15 [EXIT/NO] and [ENTER/YES] Keys The [EXIT/NO] key can generally be used to exit from any sub-mode or function, while the [ENTER/YES] key is used to engage a variety of sub-modes and functions. These keys are also used to respond to the “Are you sure?” confirmation prompt when saving or initializing data.
  • Page 16 The SY85’s built-in floppy disk drive allows easy, economical, high-volume Getting Started: page 18. DATA & WAVEFORM Card Slots The DATA slot accepts Yamaha MCD64 Memory Cards for storage and Getting Started: page 64. Feature Reference: page 14. Feature Reference: page 225.
  • Page 18 FOOT CONTROLLER Jack An optional Yamaha FC7 or FC9 foot controller connected here can be used for amplitude modulation, pitch modulation, frequency modulation, envelope generator bias, and filter cutoff frequency control. FOOT VOLUME Jack An optional Yamaha FC7 or FC9 foot controller connected here can be used for volume control.
  • Page 20 Power-on Procedure Believe it or not, there’s actually a “right” way to turn on a sound system that will minimize the possibility of damage to the equipment (and your ears!). 1. Make sure your sound system’s volume control and the SY85 volume controls are turned all the way down prior to turning power on.
  • Page 21 If necessary, press the PAGE [ display shown above appears. Also press the [F1] key to make sure that the LOAD function is selected (the square brackets should appear around “LOAD” on the display). Load the Demo Data Press the [ENTER/YES] once. “Are you sure?” will appear on the display. Press [ENTER/YES] a second time to actually begin loading the data.
  • Page 22 Load the Pre-programmed Voice, Performance, & Pattern Data Although the factory pre-programmed voices, performance combinations, and patterns are stored in the SY85 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.
  • Page 26 Internal Voice List INTERNAL VOICE 1 INTERNAL VOICE 2 Voice Name Voice Name Voice Name Voice Name 2. Selecting And Playing Voices...
  • Page 27 INTERNAL VOICE 3 INTERNAL VOICE 4 Voice Name Voice Name Voice Name Voice Name 2. Selecting And Playing Voices...
  • Page 28 (page 306 through 309). HINT CARD Voice Memory The CARD memory is an optional Yamaha MCD64 Memory Card (or pre- programmed voice card) plugged into the SY85 DATA slot. Memory cards are convenient for external storage and transportation of voices you or others create.
  • Page 29 A properly formatted Yamaha MCD64 memory card (or an appropriate pre-programmed voice card) must be inserted in the CARD slot before the CARD memory can be selected. If no IMPORTANT memory card is present, the “Data Card not ready!” display will appear when you attempt to select the card voice memory.
  • Page 31 FOOT CONTROLLER An optional Yamaha FC7 or FC9 Foot Controller plugged into the rear- panel FOOT CONTROLLER jack can be assigned to amplitude modulation, pitch modulation, frequency modulation, envelope generator bias depth, and filter cutoff frequency depth control via the VOICE EDIT mode FOOT CON- TROLLER DEPTH functions described on page 85 of the Feature Reference manual.
  • Page 32 3. The Performance Mode The SY85 PERFORMANCE mode makes it possible to combine up to four voices in “performance combinations” that significantly enhance the instru- ment’s performance capabilities. 128 performance combinations can be stored in internal memory and recalled in the same way as the voices. Before we look at how you can create your own performance combinations, try selecting and playing some of the combinations provided with the SY85.
  • Page 33 Play Try playing the selected performance combination on the keyboard. In some cases you’ll hear several voices “layered” on top of one another, in others you’ll get a split keyboard effect with one voice on the left-hand side of the keyboard and another on the right.
  • Page 34 CARD Performance Memory Any Yamaha MCD64 Memory Card used for voice storage can be used for performance storage as well. An MCD64 Memory Card holds two banks of 64 performance combinations each — a total of 128 performance combinations in addition to 256 voices per card.
  • Page 37 Respond to “Are you sure?” on the display by pressing the [ENTER/YES] key again. “Completed” will appear for a few seconds when the initialization job has finished. PERFORMANCE`JOB`Initialize`````````````` ```Completed`!```````````[EDIT]`LYR````` Select the Performance Edit “LAYER” Mode Press the SUB MODE [EDIT] key. This selects the performance edit mode. Use the PAGE [ ] and [ ] keys to select the “LAYER”...
  • Page 38 HINT Set the Volume of Each Layer Press the PAGE [ You can now use the [CS2] slider to adjust the volume of the layer-A voice, the [CS4] slider to adjust the volume of the layer-B voice, and the [CS6] slider to adjust the volume of the layer-C voice.
  • Page 39 Tune Each Layer Press the PAGE [ ] key to move to the “LAYER Tune” screen. LAYER`Tune`)NtShft(```````<-------->ABC- `+12```+0```+0```+0```+0```+0``---```--` Since the bass voice we have selected will sound too low if played only on the lower two octaves of the keyboard, we’ll shift its pitch up one octave. Use the [CS1] slider to set the layer-A “NtShft”...
  • Page 40 Now you know what the parameters we’ve just edited do, go back and modify them to create a performance combination that suits your musical needs (use the PAGE [ Once you’re satisfied with the sound of your original performance combina- tion, you can store it to an internal performance memory location as follows: Press the [STORE] key.
  • Page 41 You can use the PERFORMANCE NAME function described on page 25 of the Feature Reference manual to give your perform- ance combination an original name before storing it. HINT Further Possibilities … When you’re ready to explore the many other possibilities the SY85 pro- vides for performance programming, read through the “PERFORMANCE EDIT MODE”...

  • Page 42: Voice Editing & Effects

    4. Voice Editing & Effects For the programmer who wants to get serious about voice programming, the SY85 offers an extensive range of parameters that allow extremely fine control. All parameters are discussed in detail in the Feature Reference manual VOICE EDIT section (page 57), and we recommend that the dedicated programmer study the Feature Reference manual carefully before embarking on any major voicing projects.
  • Page 43 Quick Edit Wave Groups Once the desired group has been selected, use [CS5] to select the wave to be used in the current voice. The [INTERNAL 1], [INTERNAL 2], and [CARD] keys can also be used to select the memory area from which the wave is to be selected.
  • Page 44 Quick Edit Envelope Types [CS5] sets the attack rate for the selected envelope. “63” produces the fastest attack, while “0” produces the slowest attack. [CS6] sets the sustain level for the selected envelope, and [CS7] sets the release rate for the selected envelope.
  • Page 45 Although the SY85 includes a sophisticated digital filter system that can be precisely controlled via the full-edit parameters, the simplified filter parameters provided here have been specifically created for fast, efficient filter program- ming. [CS3] selects either the filter defined by the current filter parameter set- tings, or one of 15 preset filter types for the current voice.
  • Page 46 [CS8] determines how the filter cutoff frequency changes in response to velocity changes (e.g. keyboard dynamics). The range is from -63 to +63. Plus “+” settings produce higher cutoff frequencies in response to higher velocity values — i.e. the harder a key is played, the higher the cutoff frequency. The maximum setting of “+63”...
  • Page 47 Select and Set the Main Effect Parameters Use the PAGE [ ] and [ ] keys to locate the “QED EF PARAM” screen. QED`EF`PARAM)`<`1:Cho`>``)Mod.Freq`[Hz]( `100`Freq``1.2```70```+0```+0``0.8``100` This screen provides access to the four main parameters each for the current selected effect 1 and effect 2. The four effect 1 parameters are edited via [CS1] through [CS4], while the four effect 2 parameters are edited via [CS5] through [CS8].
  • Page 48 Press [ENTER/YES]. Press [ENTER/YES] again. “Completed !” will appear briefly when the data has been stored, then the SY85 will return to the VOICE PLAY mode. IMPORTANT HINT Further Possibilities … When you’re ready to explore the many other possibilities the SY85 pro- vides for voice programming, read through the “VOICE EDIT MODE”...

  • Page 49: The Sequencer

    5. The Sequencer The SY85 sequencer has 8 “normal” tracks and a special rhythm track. Each of the normal sequencer tracks can control a separate “instrument”. Which track controls which instrument is determined by the multi-play setup instru- ment assignments and the sequencer track transmit channel assignments (both are described below).
  • Page 50 Here you can specify which MIDI channel (1 … 16) each of the sequencer’s 8 main tracks will transmit on. Functions keys [F1] through [F8] correspond to tracks 1 through 8. Press a function key to move the underline cursor to the MIDI channel parameter for that track, then use the corresponding control slider (e.g.
  • Page 52 previously-recorded track without affecting the data before and after the punch-in section. All operations are the same as for replace recording, except that you must specify the measure numbers for the beginning and end of the punch-in segment. If you select “punc” instead of “over” or “repl,”...
  • Page 54 Record the Next Part When you’re satisfied that the first track is OK, go back to step 3-2 and select a new record track, then record. Continue this process until your compo- sition is complete. For difficult tracks you might want to use the step record mode, described below.
  • Page 55 Set the Gate Time and Velocity Use the [F3] function key to select the gate time of the first note to be entered: “STAC” for short, staccato notes; “NORM” for normal-length notes; or “SLUR” for long notes that run into each other. The velocity of the notes to be entered is set via the “NORM”...
  • Page 56 Enter the Required Notes and Rests When you’ve selected the required note length, play the note to be entered on the keyboard. The entered note will appear as a diamond (u) on the step record input display line. The cursor will move to the beginning of the next note.
  • Page 57 Press [STOP] When the track is finished, press [STOP] to return to the SONG play mode. Now you can press [RUN] and hear how the sequence sounds. Creating A Rhythm Track SY85 rhythm tracks are most easily and efficiently created by creating a sequence of rhythm “patterns”.
  • Page 58 RECORDING AN ORIGINAL PATTERN — REAL TIME Select a Pattern Number In the PATTERN mode, select the number of the pattern you want to edit or record. If you want to record a totally new pattern from scratch, clear the existing pattern: press the SUB MODE [JOB] key, use the PAGE [ locate the “PTN JOB Clear Pattern”...
  • Page 59 STEP The STEP record mode will be described in “Recording an Orignal Pattern — Step Record” beginning on page 58. Select the Pattern Number to Be Recorded. If necessary, use [CS3] to select the pattern number to be recorded. Set the Number of Measures. Use [CS4] to set the length of the pattern in measures (1 …...
  • Page 60 Record The voice assigned to sequencer rhythm track (page ??) is automatically selected when the PATTERN mode is engaged. While the metronome (or the existing pattern data) is playing, anything you play on the keyboard will be recorded. Of course, you don’t have to record everything at once. The pattern continuously cycles as you record.
  • Page 61 Press [RUN] Press the [RUN] key to call the step record display. Meas1``Ú-------+-------+-------+-------Ú PTN=I00``›```INST=`C3<Crash```>`Vel=norm Set the Velocity The velocity of the notes to be entered is set via the “NORM” (PROGRAM [4]), “ACC1” through ACC3" (PROGRAM [5] through [7]), and “FIX” (PRO- GRAM [8]) keys.
  • Page 62 Only one instrument is shown on the step write display line at a time. The name of the instrument (and the key via which it is played) is displayed fol- lowing “INST=” on the lower display line. To change the displayed instrument, press the key corresponding to the desired instrument on the keyboard while holding the [F4] key.
  • Page 63 ||: (Begin repeat) This symbol indicates the beginning of a range of rhythm parts to be repeated. The begin repeat event has no other parameter. :|| (End repeat) A “||:” must always be followed at some point by a “:||” symbol signify- ing the end of the range of parts to be repeated.
  • Page 64 [F5]: “INS” = Rhythm Track Insert This function is used to insert a new part at any point in an existing rhythm track. Press [F5] to engage the rhythm track insert function after locating the desired insert point via the main rhythm track edit screen, described above. Then use [CS3] and [CS4] to specify the event to be inserted.
  • Page 65 [F7]: “CPY” = Rhythm Track Copy SONG`EDIT`Copy`Part```````from``````To`` `Part:001=`ptn``***```````001ø`001``001` This function is used to copy a part or a range of parts to any other point in a rhythm track. Press [F7] to engage the rhythm track copy function. Then use [CS6] to select the number of the first part in the range of parts to be copied (001 …...

  • Page 66: Data Management

    Cards or Disks? The SY85 allows data to be saved to and loaded from 3.5” floppy disks or Yamaha MCD64 RAM data cards. Whether you use disks or RAM cards will depend on your individual needs. MCD64 RAM Cards RAM cards are the right choice if you will be dealing with relatively small amounts of data.
  • Page 67 Create a Well-organized Data Library It’s amazing how quickly you can lose track of what voices, performance combinations, and sequences you’ve stored where. A well-organized data library is essential. It’s a good idea to store different categories of voices or performance combinations on different disks (or at least in different files).
  • Page 69 Aftertouch ... 29 Amplitude envelope generator ... 41 Card performance memory ... 32 Card voice memory ... 26 Cleaning ...5 Clear pattern ... 56 Click volume control ... 16 Compare ...37, 45 Continuous sliders ...12, 28 Data backup...5 Data card slot ... 14 Data entry dial ...13, 23 Data library ...
  • Page 70 Note length ...53, 59 Note limit, performance ... 37 Output controls ... 12 Output jacks ...15, 17 Overdub recording ... 49 Page keys ... 13 Pan, performance ... 36 Pattern measures ... 57 Pattern number ... 60 Pattern record mode ... 65 Performance edit layer mode ...
  • Page 71 Velocity ... 53, 57, 59 Voice categories ... 26 Voice edit ... 40 Voice list ... 24 Voice play mode ... 21 Voice selection, performance ... 35 Volume change ... 61 Volume settings, performance ... 36 Wave parameters ... 40 Wave RAM expansion slots ...

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