Understanding the Effects
The focus of this article will be to introduce you to
the XS effects. “A picture is worth a thousand
words”, some great mind said. Please refer to the
XS Reference Manual pages 15-16 for the full
graphic story on the Effects routing in the XS for
VOICE mode, PERFORMANCE mode and for MULTI
modes. This makes it very clear where the Effects
blocks are and when they are available via a block
diagram flow chart. We will try and make clear
how this impacts you using the XS to its fullest.
In VOICE mode:
There are up to 8 Elements
1
in a normal XS Voice.
They can be individually assigned to the
INSERTION EFFECT block, which is a dual block
(Insertion A and Insertion B) that can be routed in
series
2
or in parallel
3
(see the routing as A-to-B,
1
Element – is a multi-sampled instrument or part of and
instrument sound.
2
Series – is one after the other
3
Parallel – is one besides the other
B-to-A or parallel). Each Element has a signal
path to the Insertion block – they can be routed
to “ins A” to “ins B” or to neither (“thru”). The
two System Effects (Reverb and Chorus) each
have their own send levels for the entire Voice
(that is, all the Elements together). And there is
an independent RETURN level and PAN position
control for each System effect – mixing the signal
back into the main flow; and a PAN position
control. Next, the entire signal then goes on
through the Master EFFECT, the Master EQ (a 5-
band EQ) then on to the main stereo output.
An important thing to understand about these
VOICE mode effects is that the Insertion Effect
assignment can be recalled for up to 8 of the 16
Parts when a VOICE is used in a multi-timbral
setup in MULTI mode and all 4 Parts of a
PERFORMANCE plus the A/D INPUT can each recall
their own two Insertion Effects …more on this
point in a minute. There is one A/D INPUT PART
for all of Voice mode – it can be routed to its own
two Insertion Effects.
What this means in simple terms is: An XS Voice
can be very complex in terms of how it deals with
Effects. Each component that makes up a Voice
can be routed to one or the other or both or
neither of the INSERTION processors. In the flow
chart from the S90XS/S70XS Editor (shown
above) there are 8 Elements on the left. They are
all routed (green) to Effect A. Effect A is in
“series” with Effect B – this means the signal of
each Element goes to Insert Effect A first, then to
Insert Effect B… before it travels to the System
Effects. You see a rotary control (Send Level) for
the entire signal going to each the Chorus effect
box and one to the Reverb effect block. There is
also a rotary knob between the Chorus and
Reverb blocks. After these blocks there is a
RETURN Level and Pan position control for the
effects, then on the OUTPUT. In the column at left
is the same routing situation from the manual.
The INSERT EFFECTS are the effects that you can
control in real time – by assigning important
parameters to physical controllers like your Mod
Wheel, Foot Pedals, Assignable Knobs or
Assignable Function buttons, etc. The INSERTION
Effect often gives the Voice its personality. The
Rotary Speaker for a B3 sound, the soundboard
Damper Resonance for the piano, and the
Overdrive Distortion for the electric guitar are all
examples of effects that give a sound its
identity/personality. They are intimately involved
with the Voice itself. The soundboard on a piano is
like its own internal reverberation, while the
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