Yamaha S90XS Manual page 8

Noisy) – with the Lo-Fi effect you can actually
grunge the sample rate a thousand times to
44.1Hz (talk about low fidelity) – if this is at all
curious to you, "step away from the Lo-Fi effect"!
It is an acquired taste and specific to some forms
of modern electronica.
There is a Multi-band Compressor algorithm that
is great for fixing and punching up specific
frequency ranges. Multi-band compressors are
used to finalize mixes and bring out (punching up)
specific frequency bands without raising overall
gain.
The Digital Turntable algorithm adds "record
surface noise" to your mix. You can program the
tone of the noise, the frequency and randomness
of the clicks and pops, and you can even program
how much dust on the stylus!!!
Slice is also the name of one of the effect
algorithms in addition to being a sample edit
process. This Slice effect can divide the audio into
musical timed packets that it can pan left and
right in tempo. You can select a quarter note,
eighth note or sixteenth note slice and there are 5
different pan envelopes and some 10 different pan
types. This is great for "gated" effects.
The innovative CONTROL DELAY effect is a digital
version of the old style tape delay (Echoplex)
where you can create wild repeating effects. When
using the Control Type = Scratch you can assign a
controller to create insane echo effects.
Why is it called "Insertion Effect" and what
is the difference between it and a "System
Effect"?
On an audio console you have a series of
channels. Channels carry input or returns from a
multi-track (we refer to them as Input Channels
or Track Channels depending on their role). Each
channel has an on/off button, EQ, a fader, and a
set of auxiliary sends. These 'aux' sends allow
each channel to send a portion of the signal on
what is called a bus (a group of wires carrying like
signal). That bus can then be connected to an
offsite effect processor in a rack. The return
comes back to the board and is mixed to the
stereo signal. That scenario is an example of what
happens in XS with the SYSTEM EFFECTS. That is,
when you are in a MULTI, the REVERB, and the
CHORUS Effects are arranged so that access is
just like the auxiliary sends of a console – each
channel (Part) has an individual send amount to
the system effects. There is a composite return
signal that is mixed to the stereo output.
An Insertion Effect on an audio console is usually
accessed via 'patch points' (interruption points in
the channel's signal flow) that allow you to
reroute all of the channel's signal via a patch bay
through the desired effect or device. You are,
literally, inserting a processor on that specific
channel alone. This is how the INSERTION EFFECT
block works on the XS.
Examples: Typically, when a reverb effect is
setup, just a portion of each sound is sent to it.
This is the perfect example of what a System
effect is about. However, things like rotary
speaker (organ) or amp simulator (guitar) are
effects that you might want to isolate on a specific
channel. Therefore these type effects are usually
accessed as an
advantage of the Insertion Effect is that it can be
controlled in real
performance. Since the Insertion Effects are
programmed at the VOICE level you can use the
Control Sets (there are 6) to route your physical
controllers to manipulate the parameters of the
Insertion effect in real time. You can change the
speed of the rotary
manipulate the Guitar Amp simulation setting
while performing the guitar sound. This type of
control is beyond just the send level (you are
given access to System Effect send level only from
the Voice mode Controller assignment). In the
real world, the size of the room does not change
(hopefully) so System effects like reverb are
pretty much "set it/forget it". However, changing
the speed of the
something that you may want to perform during
the song.
Just how are you
parameters in an Insertion Effect? ...via MIDI
commands, of course. In the hierarchy of modes
in the XS VOICE mode is the most important
when it comes to programming. This is where
Yamaha spent hours and hours developing the
sounds you play. The programmer's assembled
the multi-samples into waveforms, and combined
the waveforms into the Voice and worked with the
envelopes, the response to velocity, the pitch, the
tuning, the filters and so on. Each sample in the
XS has its own EQ, the meticulous programming
goes on for months at a time. Of course part of
the arsenal available to the programmers were
the Effects.
Take a close look at a Voice and its effect
structure:
Notice the Insertion Effect blocks, the System
Effects (REVERB/CHORUS),
8
Insertion Effect. One
time, during the
speaker, or you
rotary speaker effect
able to control
the Master
key
playing
can
is
certain
Effect