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I'm mostly writing this because I want you to know what you're missing by NOT using Step Edit. (Kinda like I did with EQ Tweaking, haha.)
Step Edit allows you to do some amazing things. And I don't mean just
"insert and delete notes," which is what many people think of.
One of the most amazing things you can do is to Edit your song AFTER you
have recorded it. Yes, that's right, AFTER.
Your song may sound good, but with Step Edit you can make it sound even better.
How?
Well, here are some of the things you can do with Step Edit in the 9000... and this is AFTER your song is finished and stored to disk:
(1) INSERTING COMMANDS. Example: You can insert a command ANYWHERE in your finished song that will instantly turn off all Auto-Accompaniment at that point. Just one of many commands you can insert. There's no effect quite as attention-getting and dazzling as to have your Auto-Accompaniment suddenly go dead while your Melody line continues on its own. (And of course you can insert another command later to Turn It On Again, even with a powerful drumming Fill-In, whenever you want it to reappear.)
(2) VOLUME CHANGES. Is the Accompaniment too strong at some point, and it drowns out a nice part of the melody? Oh, horrors! And of course you don't want to re-record because the song is otherwise perfect.What to do? No problem. Even though the song is finished, you can insert an INCREASE or a DECREASE command in any parts of the Accompaniment Volume you wish!
(3) "Hey, Dave -- what if there's just one or two Accompaniment parts that are too loud or soft, and the rest are perfect?"
Simple. You can adjust their volume each independently. (Turn up that Chord Rhythm that can't quite be heard... turn down those crashing Cymbals, or that overloud Snare Drum. Anything can be adjusted AFTER your recording is finished -- from a single note to a whole song!)
(4) "Can you change Styles?" Absolutely. You all know how tricky it can be to change styles during a recording. With Step Edit you can insert commands DURING PLAYBACK that will instantly change the track to another style. (Oh, uh, you can also change the Tempo. Great for those who like to record slowly and carefully, but want their song played back at a faster tempo.)
(5) "If you can make so many changes during playback, can you also change chords?" Yep. Not only can you change chords, you can also insert even the most complex chords "one at a time," slowly and carefully. (Wonderful for those who are just learning chording.) Also, we all screw up and insert the wrong chord now and then. The 9000 lets you find it and change it to the right chord.
(6) "Can you add or change Fill-Ins?" Affirmative. (You can even insert Fill-Ins from other Rhythms, for greater variety.)
(7) "What about the Melody Tracks, can you change those also?"Pretty much any way you want. Let's say you've recorded a full-length song, but somehow only measures #32 thru #64 sound perfect. You can clip out #32 thru #64, then paste it in again and again, making multiple copies of this perfect part, and DELETING the poor parts, Then change and add new voices to each of these multiples, perhaps even transpose each to a different key -- and you have a "flawless" song.
(8) "Can you change Melody Voices?" Sure you can. In fact, you can even change Registrations, with multiple voices and effects on each, and even change the Pan and Pitch Bend settings.
(9) How about Velocity (Touch Sensitivity)? You can increase it, even AFTER your song is finished, by as much as a full track to as little as a single note.
(10) Note length -- can I change that? Yes. If you feel it would help the song by holding the last note a little longer, or maybe making those staccato notes even shorter still, you can do it easily. Just make the Timing number bigger or smaller.
The above are just A FEW of the possibilities of Step Editing. It takes a little time to learn, but it becomes more and more fun as you realize its potential for improving your song.
STEP EDITING SECRETS
Because some areas of the Manual are unclear, I have decided to clarify a few matters concerning Step Editing. (I AM WRITING THIS BLINDLY AT THE MOMENT, IF YOU CAN READ THESE WORDS; THEREFORE MUCH OF WHAT FOLLOWS MAY BE INCORRECT UNTIL I CAN CHECK IT, SINCE IT'S ALL BEING DONE FROM MEMORY.)
(1) To Step Edit your melody notes, you MUST be in Multi-Track Mode, although you may have recorded your song in Quick Record Mode.To Step Edit your Chords, you must be in Quick Record. If your Chords were already entered while you recorded your song in Real Time, don't expect to find them in Step Edit, which apparently only lets you ADD NEW CHORDS as a series of Steps, rather than letting you see chords you've recorded in Real Time.
(2) To do any actual Step Recording, you must first set your intended track to Record, and THEN go to the above right to click on Step Rec. Without doing this, you can VIEW notes while in Step Edit mode, but cannot record, alter, or delete them.
(3) In Multi-Track Mode, the method to setting a track for recording is the same as in Real-Time: choose your track [don't choose one that says "Play," unless you wish to record over it], then click to set it on Record, then go to left of screen and click Part Select [which will change it to Record Select], then click under your chosen track to change which you want for it, R1, R2, or R3 (?) Then click Record Select so it becomes Part Select again.
(4) It IS possible to record more than one track at a time, even with Tracks 1-8, which are not normally used for Accompaniment tracks. In fact, Tracks 9-16, which ARE normally used for accompaniment, can also be set individually to record L, R1, R2, and R3 voices.
TIPS & TRICKS
Since there have been a few requests for more info on the 9000's, I thought maybe a few "tips" might be in order.
(1) ACTIVE VOICE AREAS. The tiny (LED) lights above R1, R2, and R3, have a special purpose. By pressing one, you can light it. And when one is lit, it is telling you, "This Voice Area is active now." (In other words, when you select a voice, it will go into a "lit" area automatically.) And if you decide you don't want that voice -- as long as that LED glows, you can simply select another to pop it in.
(2) MAIN PAGE BUTTONS. When you are on the Main Page -- which can always be found by pressing "Exit" over and over until you reach the final (Main Page) display -- you will always see a display of your current voice/accompaniment setup.Now, by pressing R1 (alongside the display), this will turn off R2 and R3, so that any further changes you make will all be directed into R1.
(3) FINDING XG VOICES FAST. If you want, say, an XG Saxophone, you don't need to press XG and then scroll thru the entire list. Instead, hold down the XG button and then press Saxophone. You'll go right there.
(4) A "SPECIAL" VOICE. The R1 voice has been set up as something "special." If you're having trouble getting your DSP to work, or your track to record, or whatever -- try switching the voice you want into the R1. Sometimes that's all that's needed to do the trick.
(5) SINGLE FINGER CHORDING. Unless you're an accomplished Keyboardist, you're better off using Single-Finger chording. (As most of you know.) But did you know that if you set up the Multi Finger Accompaniment, it is capable of playing BOTH single-finger chords AND regular chords? The advantage is, you can learn full chording by practicing "a little at a time," while doing most of your playing using just one finger.)
To set up the Multi-Finger Accompaniment, do this:[a] Press the Function button.There's no need to do anything more. Just press the "Exit" button. (If you're experienced at making your own chords, of course, you'll want to use the "Pro" settings.)
[b] Press "Split Point Fingering."
[c] Select "Multi Finger."
(6) DIRECT ACCESS BUTTON. The "Direct Access" button is your best friend on the entire board. (See P. 45 for details.)
-- You want to adjust the Harmony/Echo settings? Press "Direct Access," then press the Harmony/Echo button. (p. 140 explains how to use "Harmony")-- Want to see your Master EQ settings? Press Direct Access, then press Main Mixer.
-- Want to check Effect Depth on Accompaniment? Press Direct Access, then "Ending II."
-- Want to readjust to a higher or lower Octave? Press Direct Access, then the Upper Octave button.
See p. 45 to learn sixty-eight other uses for Direct Access.
(7) DIRECT VIEW OF REGISTRATIONS. Oh, this one I love. This is so very useful. In order to do it, you first need to have a few Registrations set up. Once you've done that, just press the + and - buttons located just above the Registrations Banks AT THE SAME TIME, and LO AND BEHOLD, those Registrations are now Visually Available to you! Yep, it's not just buttons anymore, it's a visual image of each Registration, and -- if you've named them -- even the name will show up, in big letters.And that's not all... you can move them around, rearrange them, set them up any way you want them. It's a terrific way to arrange your Registrations without too much work.
But there's more. You can set up a file with your Favorites on it (let's say Bank 64) and have them now ON THE SCREEN, VISUALLY, with their names legible, like "BIG BAND 31, fast and brassy," or "COUNTRY BALLAD, with Strings," or however you named them. And you can access any instantly with one click, jump back and forth between them, whatever. Perfect for gigging or Recording songs.
The following pages are affectionately dedicated to Jeff Spragg, Michael Graver, Alf Lea, Robert in Ireland, Vince Marek, Eddie S., John CN Yap, Jeff Van Spaendonk, Denny, Tom T, Dick True, Tom Tom in SF, Chris Arettines, JRHale, Frances, Shirley, Ronny, and the many others who have posted or sent email either thanking me for my Registrations or saying they, too, have a 9000 and would like to know the Secret for Storing EQ Settings.
HOW TO "TWEAK" AND STORE ON THE 9000
Without "tweaking,"
these early Synths would have sounded pretty dull. Most of them had no presets, so you either tweaked or you squeaked.
"Tweaking" can also refer to changing other parameters, of course, such as Panning (Stereo Field Position), Velocity, Aftertouch, Octave, DSP, Reverb,
etc., etc. But the main objective is largely to GET THAT VOICE SOUNDING REALLY GOOD, and the best way to accomplish this is to alter the EQ, or Equalization.
Now, as I have said, Yamaha is aware, VERY much aware, of a musician's need
for Equalization -- hereafter to be called simply "EQ."
Yes, they KNOW those factory sounds have NOT been "tweaked" to sound their
best. Part of the reason is, this takes TIME. Tweaking a voice requires effort, and with several dozen Synths each having hundreds of voices -- think how many techs they'd need to hire for this alone!
The other reason is, not everyone agrees on how much "tweaking" a voice needs, OR what parameters NEED tweaking. Some would add Brightness... some would add Harmonics... others would change the Velocity... a Tweak is a Very Personal Thing. (Hey, I think that could be a great song!)
So to compensate, Yamaha has inserted a 5-band Master Equalizer into the 9000's,
as well as a 2-band Equalizer for each voice in R1, R2, and R3, and even
for all 8 accompaniment voices. They KNOW you'll need it, to get the best sound possible. They even explained in the Manual how to use it.
What Yamaha DIDN'T explain was how to Store those nice new Voices after you
create them. And that is what I intend to address, because they CAN BE STORED
-- although storing Equalized Voices SEEMS impossible, as they do not seem to "retain" their new EQ parameters. Oh, the parameters will be retained for a "while," but don't count on them "staying" that way.
But enough about Yamaha. YOU need to tweak because YOU want your keyboard to sound GREAT! And that's reason enough... so here we go --
Rather than give you a full-blown course on Tweaking, which would take considerable time, I'm going to concentrate on aspects of Tweaking that CANNOT
NORMALLY BE STORED in your Registration Area.
But be aware that knowing how to store EQ settings
will also help you store most of those fantastic DSP sounds and neat FX you've managed to create -- those that until now remained "unstorable."
So -- getting back to EQ again -- here's how you "tweak" the EQ Curve for any voice:
First, you can select ANY voice in R1, R2, or R3 on your keyboard. Just
press the "Instant Access" button, and then any of those three. Instantly
you'll find the Screen Display has taken you "inside," where all those funny
words and numbers hang out.
But relax. It's not so scary once you get used to it. Since you want to
first change the EQ settings, press "A," the metallic-looking button at top Left of the Display, and keep pressing until it takes you to the EQ area, which is first and "leftmost."
Once in the EQ area, access the topmost (Hi) EQ section by pressing
the "G" button. Then, looking at the Hi EQ line, find the Voice you want to Edit. The R1 column will edit the EQ of the voice in R1... and so forth.
Yamaha has most voices set "flat," at 12 o'clock. But for my own personal taste, I like most of the voices "brighter," so I press the bottom button of that column to set the EQ Circle at about 2 o'clock. (Some need even more;
you'll have to judge what sounds best for you, by making changes and then playing a note.) But most voices will sound fine at 2 o'clock on the dial.
Next, go to the line just below the Hi EQ, to the Low (Bass) EQ. And increase
or decrease it according to your preferences. The further clockwise you set it, the more Bass you will have. Don't overdo it; too much bass can harm
some speakers. Again, no higher than 2 o'clock is my recommendation; the 2 o'clock area is shaded to let you know that going beyond this can "overfeed." (Personally I am not a Bass freak, and most often leave the Bass set between 10 and 12 o'clock.)
Okay, you're off to a good start. But there's more Tweaking to be done, so
put that Cell Phone under a pillow and move on to the Next Page by again pressing the uppermost Button in the Right Corner of display.
As always, you may choose any settings you wish... even one of the two "Presets" that Yamaha provides (snicker, snicker), or you can create
your OWN settings and let your 9000 burst forth with the crystalline pure
sound it is capable of.
In the EQ section you are free to go crazy and set things any way you want them. (Of course, your Voices will also go crazy if you do, ho ho.) Therefore
as always I shall boldly make "recommendations":
There are 5 bands, and each band will affect the tonal quality of the sound.
For the first (EQ 1) band, I would suggest a setting of Zero. Or, if you want to increase the Bass somewhat, you can go up to +4. I wouldn't recommend a higher setting, for most voices.
The next band, (EQ 2), does well at +8 or higher, even up to +12.
As for the final three Bands, I go all out: I set them to +12, all the way up.
Again, don't do it if hearing "bright, crashing cymbals" and "crystalline,
sparkling chimes," upsets you. I happen to like instruments to sound as they would LIVE, right there in the room. Not everyone enjoys this.
I repeat, you don't have to follow me -- but if you want a guideline, here
again are the settings I use:
EQ 1 -- set to "zero"
EQ 2 -- set to +8 or higher
EQ 3 -- set to +12
EQ 4 -- set to +12
EQ 5 -- set to +12
When you STORE your MASTER EQ SETTINGS in User 1, you are AT THE SAME TIME
STORING any new EQ, Brightness, and Harmonics settings... not to
mention any new DSP settings you may have added.
And if you repeat the process with OTHER settings, on the SAME voices or
even DIFFERENT voices, you can set up ANOTHER Registration that may be totally
different.
But NONE of your settings will store into Registrations alone. You MUST
store them into User 1 first. (Oh, User 2 might work, probably will... but
why open up a new can of worms? User 2 is probably no more than a 2nd choice -- let's say you set up User 1 so it adds "cleanness" and "brightness" for an area with "dead" acoustics [lots of drapes, carpets, etc. that absorb sound] -- then you'd set up User 2 for an area that is more "live," with bare floors and walls. This kind of area would probably sound better with the EQ
parameters NOT turned up to "12," as suggested for User 1, but perhaps up to only 7 or 6
or even lower, depending on how YOU want it to sound.)
No wonder Yamaha's technicians, and even the Manual writers, didn't point
this out to us -- storing all these parameters into one Giant Black Hole of a storage area sounds impossible, doesn't it?
Sure, it sounds impossible that "everything" can be stored into one place, even unlikely. (But when you store your EQ and other settings in User 1 or 2, please notice the pop-up that says, "The effect has been stored," which is kind of a dead giveaway, isn't it?)
Impossible?
The best way to find out if it works is to try it.
If your results are different from mine, there are two possibilities that
I can think of --
(1) Could it be that you do not have an update of at least 2.12? That
could make a very real difference to everything.
(2) Is the "Parameter Lock" found by pressing the Utility button turned
"off" for the Master Equalizer? (It should show a "check" mark next to
the Master EQ.)
(P.S. An important word of warning: NEVER change the Parameter Lock setting for "Master EQ." IT'S ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL
that the "Master EQ" has a "check mark" next to it. REMOVE IT at your
own peril, for doing so will UNLOCK all the Parameters set in the Master
EQ, which means any EQs you've set will go totally HAYWIRE! Not only
will your voices lose their Sound Quality, but some will develop a
"spluttering" or distortion that is NOT pleasant. And worst of all,
there is no way to "RESET" and recover from this -- not as far as I've
been able to find.)
I won't say too much here about the importance of Registrations, since
this has been covered thoroughly on other pages, and even more other pages
and there are plenty of Testimonials proclaiming how they can make your music incredibly more beautiful.
But for those of you who don't know, Registrations are the lifeblood of your keyboard. A Registration is really nothing more than a Memory Set-up that keeps everything AS YOU SET IT for best results with Voices, Styles, and other parameters.
With a properly set up Registration, you can place, say, a Blues Harmonica to the Left of Center in the stereo image, and perhaps a Sweet Trumpet to the Right. Then each time you press a key they will play together -- BUT there's more! -- by adding "harmony," they will play together in flawless harmony,
something even seasoned musicians and singers have difficulty with. "Harmony" doesn't mean they will be playing the same notes. With "harmony," while one
instrument is playing a "C," the other may be playing an "F." This adds a beautiful effect to the music... but it should not be overdone. Use Harmony
sparingly and its effect will be all the more appreciated.
Still, Harmony and the placing of Voices in the stereo image are only two reasons to use the Registrations Memory of your keyboard. You can also use
it to store various settings that you use often... or to store EQ settings that brighten or dampen your voices... or to store Changes Of Tempo... or to store various DSP effects such as echoes or flanges or phasers... or to store voices
that repeat, like a Mandolin... or to store Portamento settings, where holding down one note and then pressing another creates a "glide" effect from one note to another... or to store Reverb settings, which add depth and spaciousness to most voices...
There are many dozens of other valuable uses for Registrations, and a Registration's main value is this: once you have it set up, IT WILL ALWAYS
BE THERE FOR YOU! (Especially if you remembered to BACK IT UP)
We have finally SOLVED the problem of WHY some of you cannot get your Registrations to download and work properly -- and why it all works so easily for others.
IMPORTANT NOTE: One reason why the Registrations sometimes fail to work is this: you may need to UPDATE your 9000's Operating System. Especially if you are using anything earlier than a Version 2.00. Your 9000 could give you some very peculiar problems and error messages if you neglect this update.
Currently a grand total of 380 Registrations are available, now complete with easy instructions for loading them into your 9000.
Right now I am offering not only the 380 Registrations, but ALSO 4 re-tweaked Styles -- to demonstrate the amazing quality of a "re-tweaked" Style using "different" Voices.
However, I will NOT be making the Registrations/Styles available here, now that Yahoo has decided to charge a fee for sharing "Briefcase" files.
The Registration/Styles Download is 100% free, and your address will NOT be used for commercial purposes.
Nice that one of our Advisors (as he demonstrates in the "Songs" group)
now recognizes the importance of pressing the PSR-9000's
"next" button in order to Record.
However, he's still leaving out a few important steps.
And without these steps, it WILL NOT RECORD, at least not
consistently.
(It may record "occasionally" if you get lucky and happen to
select a recordable track... but you can't count on it.)
His instructions, however, are much improved. (He also
now recognizes the "Rehearsal" mode as being separate from
"Record" mode.)
But there are still a few things he's leaving out. So here
are ALL the steps:
First, above all, when adding another Track, you need to set up each track you're going to record on. (It's possible to record on several tracks at once, but save that for later. There's no big need for it yet.)
To set a track for recording, SELECT one (let's say Track 4) and
set it on "Rec." Now click on Part Select at left side of display,
and check to be sure your track is still set on "Rec." If you want
to change it from R1 to either R2 or R3, do it now.
While still set on "Record," (and check to be sure it hasn't changed),
press "Part Select" (which has changed to "Rec Select") again.
Now you are ready to record on that Track, so press "NEXT" and you'll
go into a Recording Mode.
To record along with the music you've already done, you just need to press Start/Stop, OR any key at lower end of the keyboard.
When you have finished recording your notes for that track, press Start/Stop.
And to hear your music played back, just wait a few seconds and press it again.
You'll find it very annoying when the display asks you to WAIT... and wait
is what you'll do. But it's necessary, because the internal computer is
processing SCADS of information.
Then -- assuming you HAVE made a "Quick Recording," have your
first tracks already completed, and have just now added another
track -- you need to STORE this to Disk,
after first naming it (or letting the keyboard name it NewSong1.)
So, to store your song, press "NEXT" until you come to "SAVE."
Once STORED, you will be offered a display that says "Other Track."
Ignore it, it's not for Multi-Track recording.
Instead, press "Exit" until you're out, and then press "Song" button
(as you would to Play a song). Then press ANY of the Select keys
at left (where you choose your Song.)
Now find your song. Highlight it, then press the Digital Recording
button again and continue until you reach "Multi Track Record."
Once you get into the Multi-Track page, you will see the Tracks you have already recorded show up at bottom left, and they are set to "play."
To add a new track, use the buttons below each track to HIGHLIGHT
the word "Record" on the track you want (just above "Play"
and "Mute.")
No doubt most PSR-9000 owners have gotten this far by themselves --
yet it STILL wouldn't record!
The secret lies in a little Magic Button called "Part Select,"
located at the far left center of the Display.
After highlighting the word "Record" on the track you want, you
need to press "Part Select," which will then CHANGE to read,
"Record Select," which allows you to Choose Which Part you want to record on (R1, R2, or R3), after which you press "Record Select" and it will change
back to "Part Select" -- and NOW you are ready to press the "Next"
button which enables Recording.
WITHOUT HAVING PRESSED "Part Select," it IS possible to record,
but it's very haphazard, because you may not select a recordable
Track. Doing this makes it CERTAIN.
So now you have gone thru the above process and also pressed "Next"
(press it only once, or you'll go into other areas; if you DO enter
them, just press "Back.")
Now you are set to add that Extra Track. So just press the
Start/Stop button, and it will begin to Play.
Record whenever you're ready... then... when finished, press
Start/Stop again.
To play back what you've just recorded, wait until the Display
allows it, and then again press the Start/Stop button.
To SAVE, press "Next" again and again until you reach the Save
screen, and follow the instructions to Save it to disk.
Whew! It seems pretty complicated, doesn't it? Well, once you're
used to the process, it will seem much easier -- thank God!
(No wonder the Music Man and I have had such a hard time with
this. The book actually explains most of it, but NOT in sequence.
They somehow expect us to figure the "steps" out by ourselves,
ha ha ha.)
And BTW, it's even possible that I've left out a step here...
because a lot depends on what YOU need to do at any given moment.
And it's hard to cover every contingency.
But I think this covers "most" of it.
Yep, you read that right. It's not enough to just store your Voice Setups
in Registrations and your EQ Setups in the EQ area... you also have to store
your Effects in the "Custom Effect" area.
Oh, some of them seem to store just fine in Registrations, without going thru any of this fol-de-rol. But others do not. (Especially, I've noticed, the ones we all like to play with... you know, with all those neat Multiple Echoes?) Those just WILL NOT store for long in "Registrations" without first storing in the Effects "User" area.
And what is kinda strange, they give you an opportunity to NAME your effect before you store it. So, for multiple echoes, you maybe call it MultiEcho or whatever. Make it descriptive, because you can use it later. (As best I can tell, you can store up to 10 effects with any R1 voices, and another 10 effects each with R2 and R3.) And of course that's "per disk." With another disk, you can store another 30 effects. (Oh, for you who are more technically inclined, sure, you can probably store one Bank of 30 effects after another, but I won't explain how to do that because you already know and the others won't need it, LOL.)
How many of you knew that each of your 8 Accompaniment Voices can also be tweaked? Sure, you can not only Tweak them to sharpen up their sound, but you can also CHANGE them to different voices (as I have done in Banks 57-62 of my 380 Registations and 20 "tweaked" Styles free download.)
The accompaniment voices sound "pretty good" as they come from the factory, don't they? Well, if your answer is Yes, you haven't heard how good they can
sound when "tweaked."
The factory sounds are dull and lifeless by comparison. Just to let people see the difference, I have set up a few Factory Styles that have been "tweaked" for greater clarity and definition, AND have included these along with 380 Registration set-ups, the whole bunch FREE for download as always.
For example, on Registration Bank 57, #1, you will hear the 9000's On Board (Factory) Style -- and on the 7 Registrations which follow it, you will hear the SAME style with different instruments and Tweakings. The differences on some of these will amaze you, I promise.
"So... how can we do our own Tweaking?" you ask. Well, it's kinda hard to describe, but I'll do my best. (It's so hard to describe that Yamaha preferred not to say one word about it in the Owner's Manual, haha.)
First, find a Style you like from among ANY of the on-board styles, either Factory or Flash. Then start it playing by pressing Synchro Start and then
pressing a key at left end of keyboard. Now press the Registration Freeze Button so the light comes on.
All right, now -- with your Accompaniment playing, press the Mixing Console Button to enter the Mixing area. Once inside, press the button at upper right
of display as many times as necessary to reach "Voice." On this page you will
see several columns, each displaying either Voices or Drum Kits.
At this point, there's little I can do to instruct you, because you'll have to
do some experimenting on your own. Go in and make a few changes and see what
happens to the sound. (You'll find that some changes you make will affect the
sound very little -- and others will affect it considerably.)
My suggestion: find one of the Drum Kits and change to a different one. With
Drum Kit changes it's much easier to hear differences in the Accompaniment sound.
Now, once you've changed to a different Drum Kit, let's say you'd like to add
some more Volume and even Reverb to make that Bass Drum stand out. Okay, here's what you do: first, press the button at top LEFT of display, and keep pressing till it takes you to the Leftmost page, the one with EQ, VOLUME, and PAN on it. Now, while on this page, PRESS THE MIXING CONSOLE BUTTON again,
and keep pressing it until you see the Accompaniment Parts show up at bottom of page (starting with Rhythm on the left.) Now choose one of the two Rhythm sections and increase its Volume. If you like, do the same with the other one.
You'll notice a difference immediately, and we've only just started.
Now press the button in Upper Right of display just twice, and you'll be in the Reverb/DSP area. Go to bottom and boost the Reverb of one of the two Rhythms,
until you hear the reverb has improved your Bass Drum sound.
Okay. Now your rhythm section sounds better. Next we'll work on the Chord 1 section, so press the button at Upper Right of display until you come to the
"VOICE" area where you began, and look for the Chord 1 area. Highlight one
chord voice, and change to another one that you find pleasing.
Once you find a chord voice you like, repeat what you did before: press the button at Upper Left of display until you come to the Volume/Pan/EQ area, and now increase the Chord's volume. And now that you can hear it CLEARLY (probably for the first time), you may want to Pan it somewhat differently, too.
Go back now to the VOICES page, find Chord 2, and do the same to it. Give it a new Voice, then skip back to the Volume/Pan/EQ page and give it more (or less) Volume, and Pan it so it's separate from Chord 1.
While you're there, do this also: go up to the High EQ area and boost the EQ so it's up to at least 1 or 2 o'clock on the dial. You may notice an improvement immediately. And while
you're on High EQ, also boost the EQ for Rhythm. Notice how much more it
sparkles afterward?
But that's not all you can do to improve the sound. Now you want to go into
the next page by pressing the display's Upper Right button, and improve the
sound of both Rhythm Sections AND the Chord Sections by boosting the Harmonics and the Brightness of each. DON'T boost them much above 1 o'clock, especially
on Harmonics. Again you should notice an immediate improvement in the sound.
Finally, go back to the VOICE section and change Part 1 and Part 2 in the same manner, by boosting their volume, panning them differently (if it will help),
and boosting their High EQ's.
Once you've made all these changes, and the entire Accompaniment sections sound as good as possible, go to the EQ section (just left of the VOICE section) and SAVE all your work into User 1. But remember, to SAVE IT you next will need to STORE it in a Registration.
Once this is done, you need only to
BACK IT UP by pressing the button for the quarter-note icon found in the upper left hand corner of the Main Display Page, and then follow the displayed instructions, and this will keep your Registration saved even after the Power is turned off. Remember, ALL Registrations must be backed up, or you MAY LOSE THEM. (When you want to USE this new "tweaked" Style, of course, simply find the Registration you stored it in. Then add the voices you want.)
Performing a System Backup on a PSR9000 and 9000PRO:
Performing a System Backup copies current Panel Settings/Parameters (Example: Accompaniment Split Point) into Flash ROM. These settings will be recalled each time the keyboard is turned ON.
(What Yamaha is saying here is that this will store ALL YOUR SETTINGS so that they WON'T be lost, even when you switch off your keyboard. What they are forgetting to add is that you must first STORE your settings in a Registration, then do this to SAVE them more permanently.)
(See the manual references below for a complete list of Panel Settings that are saved by a System Backup)
Reference: PSR9000 Owner's Manual, p.144-149
Reference: PSR9000 Owner's Manual Version 2, p.178-183
Reference: 9000PRO Owner's Manual, p.214-219
1) Press the [EXIT] button until the Main Page (above) is displayed. Click here to view the PSR9000 and 9000PRO Main Page and LCD Controls.
2) Press the [A] LCD button to access the System Backup Dialog Box.
3) Press the [G] LCD button to execute the System Backup. The screen will display 'Completed' momentarily and then the Main Page will be displayed.
Reference: PSR9000 Owner's Manual, p.50
Reference: PSR9000 Owner's Manual Version 2, p.50
Reference: 9000PRO Owner's Manual, p.55
Check this section after 10/07/01. I am now investigating this, due to
popular request, and should have some information available soon.
Hmmm, looks like getting into this will take longer than I thought.
Oh well... I never was good at making up names anyway.
(How about we just name them all "Irving"?)
Good grief, you may be thinking, why does Dave have to talk about Multi-Pads?
Aren't there better things to talk about? Well, you may be right -- but then,
multipads can be VERY useful at times, and can instantly add variety to an otherwise dull piece.
And the best part is, you can make your own.
The Manual explains how to record a Multi-Pad track, and it's so simple I
won't go into it here. But I nevertheless WILL say, that little Multipad
phrase you record can come in handy at various places in your song.
Let's say you've just recorded half of your song and you'd LIKE to switch to
another Style, but if you did, the transition would be too abrupt. So what
can you do? Play a few brief interludes by adding a Multipad phrase or two.
Then the transition to another style will seem more natural.
A neat thing about Multipad phrases is that you can start one at a panned-left
position, and then, BEFORE IT'S EVEN FINISHED, chime in with another on the
right side using A TOTALLY DIFFERENT INSTRUMENT.
An even more fascinating effect can be had by Step Recording your multipad phrases. By this means, you can get that flute to roll over and twirl in a lovely rapid coloratura that moves so fast you could never do it by yourself in real time. Or do a marimba solo that will have Evelyn Glennie turning green with envy.
Here's one you won't find in the Manual.
Did you know it is possible to change the Voice on ANY track, AFTER you've already recorded your song? Not only that, but you can HEAR the voices change in REAL TIME, while the song is playing!
Here's how you do it:
(1) Start the Song playing (the usual way, NOT while in "Record" mode.)
(2) While it plays, press the Mixing Console button, then press the button at upper right of display until you're in "VOICE," then down below where it says "Part," press and hold this down until you come to "Song Track 1." You can change the voice now, while your song is playing, by simply pressing a button under "Voice" OR by using the Data Wheel to spin thru all 860 of them.
(3) Once you've found which voices you want on each track, here's how you can actually CHANGE them:
(a) Go into Record, then into Multitrack, then press "Next" button until you come to "Edit," then while in Edit you simply press the Mixing Console button and repeat what you did before -- go to "Voice" and select the voices you want for the various tracks.(b) Once selected, press "Exit" to return, and when once again on the EDIT page, press "Execute," which will change to your new Voice selection. Now press "Next" and store your new voices. (You can either overwrite your former version, or store as a New Song, which requires giving it a new name.)
And by the way -- "voices" aren't the only things you can change while in Edit. You can also change PAN, Hi & Low EQ, and VOLUME, while a song plays, by looking under "Song" on Page 1 (where you find the EQ and PAN.)
(1) Be sure "On" button is turned off -- then plug in -- THEN switch on "ON" button. Doing it any other way can create "glitches."(2) As it powers up, take note of which version it is. (It'll probably say "Version 1" or "Version 2" if it's a PSR-9000.)
(3) If it's Version 1, you can expect a few minor problems and glitches.
(4) The first thing I'd do is check the sound quality. Not being tweaked (I assume), it will sound a bit "flat," so don't expect wonders here. The main thing to check, if it's A PSR-9000, is the speakers... play a number of different voices thru them on high, low, and middle keys, with the volume turned up fairly high, and see if the speakers sound "raspy" or "buzzy," which can happen if the former owner has overloaded them with more wattage and/or bass than they can handle -- although the PSR-9000's speakers can handle quite a bit! Any distortion that consistently shows up could be a problem, esp. if the speaker cones are damaged. Cost to repair? Who knows -- maybe as low as $200 or as high as $600 or more.
(5) If the voices generally sound just fine and the speakers do also, your next check point might be the Auto Accompaniment. Turn on the Auto Acc so it lights up, then press Synchro Start, then touch any key at left of keyboard, and your auto accompaniment should start.
(6) Press Function Button, then Split Point/Fingering... and set Fingering on Multi Finger. Don't worry about where the split point is... as long as it's approx. 14-23 keys from the farthest left key.
(7) Press "Freeze" button on Registrations so light comes on. This will make any style you select remain operable until you select another style.
(8) Try out several different styles and play along with them, using different voices. Next try Harmony, by putting, say, a Sweet Clarinet in R1 and and a Sterisch Accordian in R3, then turning on the Harmony button light. (They may not be "panned" left and right yet, but you should be able to tell if they're playing in harmony.)
(9) If Harmony is working OK, try pressing other buttons around the Harmony button to be sure they light. Also check other buttons on keyboard for same.
(10) Have some disks ready, each having a few Midi songs you've downloaded from our Songs group, and also some Style files from the Styles group. (A good choice might be Brian Miles' Georg Oeing styles.) The best way to load them is direct to the disk, from your computer, without putting them into a folder first.
(11) To check the Styles now on your disk: insert the disk into the 9000 and press Disk Direct. Select a style, wait a few seconds for it to load, then press Synchro Start and Intro #3, so they light up. Finally, press any key on left side of keyboard to hear the Style.
(12) To play songs from a disk: with Disk inserted, press Song Player light, then press any button to its left (i, ii, iii, iv, v). Choose a song, wait as it loads (2-3 seconds), then press Start to begin playing it.
(13) Check out other functions on the 9000, like the headphone jack, the function button, mixing console, etc. to be sure they're all accessible. Just press the buttons and try them out a bit (you can always press "Exit" to back out), and be sure you can hear OK thru the Headphone jack. And finally, check each of the 61 keys to be sure the notes "sound" properly. If just one key refuses to sound its note, you will either have to live without that key OR have a new contact strip installed, which is fairly expensive.
(14) Study your PSR-9000 Manual (you can get it on the net at):
http://www.yamaha.co.jp/english/product/pk/nonflash/products/psr9000/psr9000.htm
There's a LOT to learn about... but odds are, if your 9000 has performed satisfactorily so far, and looks reasonably clean and well cared for, you've probably got a fine keyboard.
(15) Also, see other "Tips & Tricks" for the 9000 on this page.
(16) THE MAIN THING YOU NEED TO CHECK OUT are the Speakers, the Disk Drive, and all 61 keys. These are the most susceptible to abuse, although it's still best to check the other functions as well.
(17) A GOOD THING TO REMEMBER IS THIS: if nothing has been installed in the Registrations area, (or better still, only a few), it could mean that this keyboard has seen little action. Look for signs of wear on the keys, as well as the buttons and switches. The less used it looks, the better for you.
(18) If it seems to check out OK, and you're considering keeping it, you may want to go the whole route by downloading the latest OS software upgrade onto disk and then into the 9000. (The current latest version is OS v3.02 for the PSR-9000, and OS v2.02 for the 9000 Pro, both available right here).
Click Here For
YAMAHA'S MOST RECENT PSR-9000 INFO (2003)(on ALL PSR-9000 Related Issues, including):
Adding External Powered Speakers to a Yamaha KeyboardAdjusting Tempo When Recording a New Song Track
Basic Audio and MIDI Connections for a PC-Based Recording Studio
Cable Requirements to Connect a Yamaha MIDI Instrument to a PC or Mac
Clearing a Custom Voice from Memory on a PSR9000 and 9000PRO
Connecting a Video Monitor
Connecting an External Iomega Zip or Jaz SCSI Drive to a PSR9000 and 9000PRO
Determining the Flash ROM Version of a PSR9000 and 9000PRO
Downloadable Groove and Dynamics Styles
Downloading Free Sample MIDI Files for Yamaha GM and XG Keyboards
Downloading a Template to Create a Custom Style
Floppy Disk Drive Is Not Functioning
Multi Track Recording on a PSR9000 and 9000PRO
. . . and much more.
Click Here For
YAMAHA'S MOST RECENT 9000 PRO INFO (2003)(on ALL 9000 Pro-Related Issues)
WHAT! . . . You Expected Another List?
SOME OLDER INFO FROM YAMAHA:
This is some info I finally persuaded Yamaha Tech Support to send me. Haven't really checked it out yet, just wanted to share it with you without delay.
But I won't "recommend" it, not at this point. (It's definitely NOT the information I asked for.) Still, who knows? It might just be useful to somebody out there.
PSR 9000 / 9000 Pro
Steps for editing a song
Record a song in Multi-Track RecordSave the song either to a floppy disk or if one is installed to the Hard Disk. After the song has been saved: press Song I (looking on page 10 of Owner’s manual it is located under the ??
IF the song was saved to the Hard Disk follow steps below under “HD Instructions?
After pressing Song I, the screen will show song/s on disk.Select the song that you wish to edit by pressing the button to the side of title of the song. (Refer to bottom of page 30 in Owner’s manual for illustration of what the screen will look like. The buttons I’m referring to are the lettered buttons to the left and right of the screen)
Press Song Recording button (Digital Recording)
Press Song Creator
Press Current Song
Press Multi-Track Record
NOTE: Refer to Owner’s Manual page 80 for illustration of Screen referred to in the following steps:
Press REC MODE (“Rec Mode?is located in upper left corner of screen)Select “PUNCH IN?under Record Mode at the bottom of the screen.
Select “Auto Set?under Punch-in Trigger at bottom of screen.
Select the number of measures you would like to edit. (It would be a good idea to give yourself a couple of measures of lead in prior to the measure that you wish to edit.) Select Measure number above the words “IN?and “OUT??located in the lower right corner of the screen)
Press OK
NOTE: If there are any voice changes or effect changes to be made as part of the edit that you wish to do make those changes at this time.
15. Press the “Next?button
Press the Start/Stop button to begin recording/edit
16.Play/edit the recording (play new material)Press “Next?to save
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
HD INSTRUCTIONS:If the song was saved to the Hard Drive of the PSR 9000 follow these steps.
Press Song I
Note: screen will say, “There is no disk- please insert disk?
Press “popup?lower right corner of screen.
Select “HD?under DEVICE.
Press “Next?button
Note: Screen will show list of songs that are on the HD. Select songs from the list then press the “next?button. The screen will then show the title of the song.
Press the button to the side of the title of the song.
Press Song recording under “Digital Recording?#060;p> Press Song CreatorPress Current Song
Press Multi Track Record
Note: from this point the procedure is the same as above following step #9
above. Read the note following step 9 and proceed from there.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disk Operation
To play a song that has been saved to disk:
Insert the disk that contains the song
Press the Song I (see note at step # 3 above for location of this button)
The Screen will display the songs that are on the disk
Press the button to the side of the title of the song that you want to play.
Press the Start Stop button to play the song.
How to record a song on the PSR 9000
Press Digital Recording/Song buttonPress the button to the left of Song Creator
Press the button to the left of New Song
Select either Quick Record or Multi Track Record.
Note: Quick record gives you 2 tracks - 1 for manual and 1 for accompaniment
Multi-Track gives you 16 tracks to record with.
Quick Record:
Keyboard automatically selects Manual with the Accompaniment track disabled. If you want to record with out drums/accompaniment then leave the accompaniment track disabled.If you enable both the Manual and the Accompaniment tracks together you can record both tracks at the same time.
Multi Track Recording:
(NOTE: THIS IS YAMAHA'S "EARLIER" DESCRIPTION OF MULTITRACK RECORDING.)NEW! If you want to see their more Recent Version, click here.
Each track is set up to record an R1 voice part.Enable the tracks that you wish to record.
The D button will display the tracks listed (TR 9-16) when the D button is pressed. Notice that when the D button is pressed the tracks listed will change to TR 1-8 this means when you press the D button it will display those tracks. Note: Tracks 1 - 8 are designed to record NON - accompaniment voices such as Right 1, Right 2, Right 3, Left voices. However tracks 9 - 16 can be programmed to record non-accompaniment voices as well. All that need be done is change the voice part above the track to the R1 or R2 or L setting. Refer to Owner's Manual.
Once the tracks have been selected choose the voices and effect settings that you wish to play with and also select the style of rhythm you with to work with.The on screen instructions state to press the Next button
Press the Start/Stop button to begin recording.
After the recording is finished press the Start/Stop button.
Note: If you wish to edit what you have played press the Next button and select Quantize, Track mix (only possible after 2 or more tracks have been recorded), Note shift.Make sure to press the Next button until you are in the Save/Delete window and save the data if you wish.
Editing Voice & Volume Song Track Parameters:
THE VERSION 3.02 OS UPGRADE
PSR-9000 and 9000 PRO OS UPGRADES (enter this page, then click on Download)
And finally...
PSR KEYBOARD GROUPS ON THE NET (for those of you who found this page via Search Engine, the Styles Group is a friendly bunch of Yamaha PSR keyboard owners who use this site to trade PSR styles, post questions to the others, and give out information. Everyone who loves playing keyboard music is welcome here, and nearly 5000 different "styles" are FREE for downloading into any Yamaha PSR keyboard that allows Custom Styles and has a disc drive.)
(And this is the Styles Group's twin, a place where PSR owners and others can trade songs they've created on their keyboards, and get acquainted with other keyboard owners.)
This is of course a group dedicated to the amazing new Tyros, headed up by the equally amazing Simon Williams.
And this is an "upgrade" of the TyrosWorld Group... dedicated to ALL Yamaha PSR keyboards, with many advantages you can't find in the other groups. (You can send private messages to members, you can ask to be notified by email of the responses to your post, you can actually CHANGE or even UPDATE a post after you've posted it... and there's lots more.)
THE LATEST MANUALS / LINKS
Finding A Manual
Select your language at top, then enter PSR9000, 9000pro, or Tyros. (Ignore "Category")
PSR-9000 Version 2 (Original Manual, .pdf)
9000 Pro (Original Manual, Version 1, .pdf)
PSR-9000 Version 3 / 9000 Pro Version 2 (Upgrade Manuals, .pdf)
PSR-9000 Book Of Answers To Frequently Asked Questions
Robert Mueller's Detailed Info on 9000/9000 Pro (Translated from German)
What OTHERS Think Of The FREE Pipelinerr Registrations
And thanks to Ray (the Rhoffmeister) for these AMAZING .pdf pages (in English):
A SECRET ABOUT THE ON-LINE .PDF MANUAL Actually, there are several neat secrets about the .pdf Manuals, secrets that can make it easy to find what you want to read almost instantly.
But first of all, here's the Secret to Getting A Bigger Page. (After all, you don't want to try and read from that tiny rectangle in the center of the screen, do you?)
So do this: First, look for three icons (images) that look like dog-eared pages, and click on the Right one. The screen should ALMOST fill up with the page of text. To make it fill up entirely, look on the Left Side for two words: Thumbnails, and Bookmarks. Click on Bookmarks. (If the screen doesn't fill up completely, click again.)
Now the page should fill the screen. But if you need the text to be larger, look for the + and - signs at the left side, and click on the + until the text can be easily read.
One other neat trick is to click on the "Hand" logo. Don't expect anything to happen. (What happens is this: after clicking, your mouse can now MOVE THE PAGE up or down... by pressing down the left mouse button and MOVING THE MOUSE. Neat?)
Finally, my favorite trick of all. I used to scan the Table Of Contents, then when I found what I needed, I'd go thru a tedious process of trying to locate the page. Bet you didn't know there's an easier way! I sure didn't. To go ANYWHERE in the Table Of Contents quickly, just CLICK ON IT as if it were a Link. (But click TWICE, that seems to work better.)
YAMAHA'S TOTAL KNOWLEDGE BASE
Here is where you can find THE LATEST info about your PSR-9000 or 9000 Pro:
http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA/KnowledgeBase/SearchKnowledgeItemForm/
PIPELINERR'S HOME PAGE
(has info for both the 9000's and the Tyros)
The 9000 Notebook
(to view in full, click here)