32
Table:
The Playing Modes of the CS1x
As you can see, the CS1x can be used multi-timbrally in
Performance mode too. The Performance itself consists of
sound ‘layers’ which are mapped to MIDI channels 1 to 4.
The Performance is controlled however from just one MIDI
channel, usually MIDI channel 1. The Performance mode
increases this choice by Parts 5 -16. This means that up to
13 Parts can be utilised in Performance mode (1 Performance
+ 12 Multi Parts).
Using Performance mode for song production has several
distinct advantages:
•
You can use any Performance as the basis of your song
and if so desired utilise Scenes, Arpeggio and the
Knobs. An arrangement can then be created by adding
to this Performance with Parts 5 – 16. The Perfor-
mance however remains unchanged, unlike with other
synthesizers where it has to be integrated into a Multi
program, resulting in the loss of all effect settings.
•
Parts 5–16 offer a particularly diverse sound potential.
Aside from the 480 XG voices and various drum sets
you can also use any of the 930 Material voices. The
latter score highly with many sounds for up-to-date
music styles like Dance & Techno. In contrast, the XG
voices offer a wide spectrum of logically categorised
conventional sounds. By the way, we take a closer look
at choosing sounds in section “
Bank and Program
changes”.
Still, there are many good reasons to work in Multi mode:
it follows the XG mode which is already implemented in
other YAMAHA models (e.g. MU-50, MU-80, QS-300,
CBXK1-XG). Songs recorded in XG mode can be exchanged
between different XG models without any problems,
although the choice of sounds is limited to 480 XG voices
and 11 drum sets. In addition to Reverb and Chorus, you can
also employ any single VARIATION EFFECT and freely pro-
gram a Send Level for each Part (the Performance mode
limits the use of the VARIATION EFFECT to Layers 1 – 4).
Never fear, you don‘t have to decide right from the start on
which mode to use for your song productions. Performance
Parts 5 – 16 are fully XG compatible. You can change modes
as often as you like as long as you restrict yourself to these
Parts and choose only XG voices for each of them!
Where is the Multi Setup?
Anyone familiar with other synthesizers will have come to
expect that a Multi program‘s song settings are developed at
the keyboard itself. You will need to rethink this approach
with the CS1x.
You can of course program the most important settings at
they keyboard in Multi mode, and then use the sequencer
Request command to transfer them (see section “The tradi-
tional approach: Multi settings at the keyboard
”). It is much
more professional however to make Multi settings an inte-
gral part of your song. This is done by preceding the song
information with one or two bars of Setup Data.
To some users this may seem a little unusual, but once put
into practice has proved to be advantageous.
The Setup Data contains all the Multi mode settings you
would normally program at the keyboard, in the form of MIDI
events: Bank and Program changes, Pan settings, Volume
settings, Effect Send Level and the most important sound
parameters like Cutoff, Resonance, Attack and Release.
What MIDI events are there? How are they entered into the
sequencer program? How do I create my own Setup Data?
No doubt you are ready to ask many of these questions.
Don‘t worry, we shall look at them in detail during the next
few sections.
What is a “MIDI Event”?
In the next few pages we will explore the various MIDI
messages (“events”). First a quick overview of the data types
you will encounter during sequencer production.
The most important event type has to be the Note event.
This is divided into “Note on” and “Note off” events, which
are used to determine a note‘s length. Part and parcel of
these events is the key velocity.
The second group of MIDI messages are “continuous
messages”, in other words continuously sent data. These
include:
•
Aftertouch: tonal changes produced by increased key
pressure.
•
Pitch Bend: pitch changes using the Pitch Bend Wheel.
•
MIDI Controller: “remote control” of standard parame-
ters via MIDI.
Program Change commands are yet another type of event
used to select sound programs via MIDI.
The most specialised type of MIDI event are undoubtedly
the System Exclusive messages, which are used to transfer
machine specific parameter settings.
All these event types can be recorded and processed with
virtually any hard- or software sequencer. Exactly how this
occurs is dependent on the sequencer. Manual input in the
EDIT mode is often preferable, if not necessary.
The most important event used in the Setup Data is the
MIDI Controller. Here the CS1x is ahead of the crowd, as all
Controller messages can be generated with the Knobs and
sent via MIDI to the sequencer to be recorded. Program
Change commands and System Exclusive messages are also
utilised by the Setup Data. All other events however only
come into play during the recording of a musical process,
although Pitch Bend or Aftertouch settings may also occa-
sionally be used to pre-initialise a sound.
Performance Mode
Multi Mode (XG)
Layers 1 to 4
(Midi Ch. 1)
128 Preset Performances
128 User Performances
Variation Effect (Insert)
Arpeggiator
Scenes
Knobs
Sound editing at the keyboard
XG Parts 1 to 16
(Midi Ch. 1–16)
480 XG Voices
SFX Voices
Drumsets
Variation Effect
(Insert or
System)
Parts 5–16
(Midi Ch. 5–16)
930 Material Voices
480 XG Voices
SFX Voices
Drumsets
Parts 5–16 = XG compatible
All Parts fully XG compatible.