Yamaha MU90R, Owner'S Manual, Page: 13 / 165

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THE MU90R — WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT CAN DO
The MU90R — What It Is and What It Can Do
What It Is…
The MU90R is a fulll-featured and easy-to-use tone generator. It features
full General MIDI Level 1 compatibility with 128 General MIDI Voices
and 9 drum kits. It also provides new XG-MIDI (Extended General MIDI)
compatibility, with a total of 586 Voices and 20 drum kits. The MU90R has
64-note polyphony and is 32-Part multi-timbral. In other words, the
MU90R has 32 different Parts, each with its own Voice, so that up to 32
different Voices can be sounded simultaneously. Since the MU90R features
dual MIDI input ports (A and B), 16 Parts can be played from one MIDI
port and the remaining 16 from the other port.
The MU90R also has a TO HOST terminal for easy interfacing with a
computer, allowing you to play the Voices using your favorite music soft-
ware. This is where the advanced multi-timbral capabilities come in, let-
ting you playing sophisticated arrangements using up to 32 different Voices
at the same time.
The MU90R also features a special Performance mode, in which four
Parts are played simultaneously over a single MIDI channel. Connected to a
MIDI keyboard, this effectively gives you four tone generators in one. The
MU90R gives you 100 factory-programmed Preset Performances plus 100
Internal Performance locations for your own original Performances.
About General MIDI
General MIDI is a new addition to the worldwide MIDI standard. MIDI, as
you know, stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface, and makes it
possible for various electronic musical instruments and other devices to
“communicate” with each other. For example, by connecting a sequencer
to the MU90R’s MIDI IN terminal, you could play back a song on the
sequencer using the Voices of the MU90R.
So, where does General MIDI fit in all of this? One of the most impor-
tant features of General MIDI is in the standardization of Voices. This
means that a song recorded in the General MIDI format can be played back
on any General MIDI compatible tone generator and sound just as the com-
poser intended. For example, if there is an alto sax solo in the song, it will
be played by an alto sax Voice on the General MIDI tone generator (and
not by a tuba or harpsichord!). Since the MU90R is fully compatible with
General MIDI, you can take advantage of the vast wealth of musical mate-
rial recorded in that format.