Method
Note: I am writing this so that EVERY DETAIL is included, on the assumption that some of you Need "All" The Details. For those who don't, please just breeze through it quickly -- if you can ignore the cheesy Geocities pop-up in the upper right.
BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO DOWNLOAD THE REGISTRATIONS, first check and be sure your PSR-9000 has a recent OS (Operating System), which is currently v3.06. If not, you could experience problems, and your keyboard could even Lock Up (although a version 2.0 or higher seems to work just fine.)
To get the latest operating system, if you want it, you will need 5 blank disks. Download the latest version into a folder from one of the sites below, which you will then store onto the disks:
DO IT THIS WAY:
(1) Click on one of the above links,
(2) Follow instructions as given.
(To make a Folder, right-click on a blank area of desktop, then go to "New," then click on "Folder." Download files into this by left- clicking on, for example, OSV3.06, then "okay" saving it to Disk, then where it says "Save In," look for your folder, then click "Save" down at Bottom Right.)
(5) Now go to Desktop, Right-click on the Folder, then load it to disk.
Next, do this: PRINT OUT A COPY of these instructions. Then prepare a 3.5' Floppy Disk (be sure it is right out of the box -- fresh, new, and clean -- it can be either DD (Double Density) or HD (High Density).
By "prepare," I mean that you should FORMAT THE DISK ON YOUR 9000 OR 9000 PRO.
It's true, IBM formatted disks "should" give the same results. But some say that a disk formatted on the 9000 gives better results, so who am I to question them?
If you're too lazy or in too big a hurry to format your disk on the 9000, then just be sure
the disk is IBM formatted. In my own experience and that of others, this seems to work, but there are no guarantees.
So try IBM formatted if you prefer to. Then if it doesn't work, try formatting your disk on the PSR first.
Before going any further, check to be sure your disk is formatted and in place IN YOUR COMPUTER'S DISK DRIVE.
Okay. Now you are ready to Download the Registrations.
[NOTE: The instructions below were written during a period when there were some "problems" getting the 9000 to properly load the Registrations. Since then, matters have improved. So, do this:]
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Before attempting the more complex instructions below, try this: (1) Using your computer, unzip and load the Registrations from the email attachment directly to an IBM-formatted disk -- or better still, to a disk that was formatted by your 9000. (2) Put the disk with the unzipped Registrations into your 9000 and LOAD THE REGISTRATIONS as directed by the 9000 Owner's Manual, FOLLOWING ALONG WITH MY "EZ GUIDE," below. (These Registrations will overwrite any of your own, so remember to first save to disk any that are important to you.) (3) If they don't seem to load, try this: put them into a folder before storing them to disk, and name the folder DavesRegs.usr -- or any name having fewer than 11 letters and ending in .usr [both are important!] -- and then try loading them again into the 9000, as before, with the EZ GUIDE method below.]
(Before going ahead, first open to p. 128 in your 9000 Owner's Manual so you
can follow along. This, below, is an attempt to clarify their woeful instructions.)
(1) USE any fairly recent version of Winzip (like Winzip 9.0) to unzip the file, then use CTRL+A to highlight it... then right-click the highlighted area and you'll get a Menu. Now just left-click on "Extract," and you will be shown a number of places where you can extract the unzipped files to. Assuming you already have a formatted floppy disk in your computer, Choose "3 1/2 Floppy," and click at below right on "Extract."(2) Now that you have extracted the Registrations (to an IBM-formatted disk or, even better, a disk formatted on your 9000), press the DISK/SCSI button on your 9000, then --
(3) Select the desired menu (which is "Load From Disk")
(4) Press Button "A"
(5) You should now get a new screen, and the Registrations File should be listed under "CONTENTS."
(6) (If your 9000 has a hard disk drive installed, you need to select it by pressing the arrow buttons under "DEVICE.")
(7) Then, press the "PAGE CONTROL" button that says "Next."
(8) On the new screen that comes up, select a LOAD method. ("GROUP" will download all 380 Registrations. This is recommended, however, if you have any Registrations of your own already stored, it will overwrite them.)
(9) Press the Page Control's NEXT button, and if a screen comes up that shows "DATA," be sure it is set on "Reg." The destination will probably be "ALL" or "GROUP."
(9) Be sure there are Check Marks in: SETUP, EFFECT DATA, REGISTRATION, and CUSTOM VOICE.
Also, be sure that SETUP, EFFECT DATA, REGIST. and CUSTOM VOICE are turned ON.
(Leave MULTI-PADS and ORGAN FLUTES turned off, so that any Multi Pads or Organ Flutes you're already using will not be affected.
(10) Now press "NEXT" again on Page Control, and finish executing the "LOAD" operation by following the on-screen instructions.
This "easy method" just described, usually is enough. But if not, I
can only suggest you go through the more detailed steps below, which assume that you "DON'T KNOW ANYTHING" about Downloading, and have not even installed a recent version of Winzip:
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DOWNLOADING (Detailed Info)
To receive the Free Registrations, I'm afraid you will need to show me that you're interested enough to respond with some feedback afterward. (It's strange, but when you give out something "free" that represents several hundred hours of work -- you feel like you have the right to ask some small thing in return.)
(The main "feedback" question I need answered is this: "Did you receive the Registrations, and did they download satisfactorily?") Also, to separate the serious musicians from the frivolous ones, I have prepared a little questionnaire (don't you just hate these things?) which you'll need to fill out and then click on "Submit":
http://i.1asphost.com/tyros22/PIP_ANNOUNCE_2.html
(Note: the above page may not "send" properly if you are using Netscape and possibly even AOL. If that is the case, your best bet is to copy and paste all the questions -- with your answers -- into an email and send it to me at):
p i p e l i n e r r @ y a h o o . c o m
Now, if you are asking yourself "Wow! Is it really worth all that bother?" -- you may find the answer here, in the Testimonials:
Testimonials From Others Who Have Used The Pipelinerr Registrations
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[NOTE: When you receive the Registrations and click on the Download, IF you get a large gray pop-up that gives you choices of "SAVE TO DISK" or "OPEN FILE NOW..."
BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING, look on this same pop-up and you may see a box with a check mark in it, saying: "ALWAYS ASK BEFORE OPENING THIS TYPE OF FILE."
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO NEXT IS "UNCHECK" THE CHECK MARK IN THE BOX (that says "Always Ask") -- AND THEN PROCEED AS BELOW. This will make it easier to unzip files.]
When you click on the Registrations I send, assuming you have a free copy of Winzip 8.0 or higher installed (although a "lower" version "may" work), you will get a pop-up, as mentioned above. Depending on your computer set-up, there will probably be TWO DIFFERENT METHODS for how to proceed next.
Let's start with METHOD #1. Here you are given a choice to click on "I agree."
Do it. (Don't worry, you're not committing to anything. This just protects them from Unauthorized Usage and thievery.) NOTE: IF INSTEAD OF "I AGREE," YOU ARE SIMPLY GIVEN A CHOICE TO CLICK ON "OK," GO DIRECTLY TO METHOD #2, BELOW.
Now assuming you clicked "I Agree," you'll get a pop-up menu showing ALL of the Custom Voices and other files.
At this point, look near the top at all of the pretty Icons, like the nice Red Heart. To the right of this heart, you will see an Icon with the word "Extract" under it. Left-click on this icon.
Now you'll get another pop-up showing:
Desktop
My Computer
3 1/2 Floppy
etc., etc.
Now Left-Click on "3 1/2 Floppy" to highlight it (turn it blue), then go to upper right corner and Left-Click on "Extract."
You will see a display on screen showing everything being slowly extracted to your disk. (You will even see the name of each Voice as it loads to your disk.)
Your Floppy Drive light should have come on, so now just wait for it to go out -- and you're done!
METHOD #2. Some computers are set up differently and instead of "I Agree," you will simply be asked to click on "OK." So set it for "Save This File To Disk," and then click on "OK." You will then get a pop-up that will allow you to save the Registrations directly to a disk -- so be sure you have inserted one!
Now, near the top, where it says "Save In," set it for "3.5 Floppy [A]." Then click on "REGS_7-22[1].usr" to highlight it, and finally click on "SAVE," in the lower right corner. The Registrations will be transferred to your disk.
Once the Folder has stored onto the disk, you're ready to go. All you need to do now is remove the Disk from the computer and insert it into the 9000. Then press the "Disk" button and use "Load From Disk." (You may or may not find on the 9000's display that the Title of the file has changed. This won't affect anything, so ignore it.)
You will now be offered a choice of Group Load or Individual Load. If you want ALL the Registrations loaded at once, choose Group. If you already have Registrations of your own and you Do Not Want these Registrations to Overwrite them, choose Individual. It is much slower, but will allow you to load into EXACTLY the Banks Of Your Choice.
If you choose Group, the files should take 2-3 minutes to load. Don't worry, a long download is necessary with nearly 400 files. Keep your eyes on the 9000's screen to see if any error messages show up. (It's not likely, but if they do, they can give you a clue as to what went wrong.)
Once the Registrations have all loaded, they're ready to play. My suggestion: place the Registration "Freeze" button "ON." This way, any Accompaniment you choose will remain in place when you're trying out all the various Registrations.
The only other thing to do is something you've probably already done:
(1) Press Function Button, then Press Button [B] Split Point/Fingering, and select Multi Finger setup. (This
lets you play with either Single Finger Chording or Full Chording. Of course, use other Fingering Methods if you prefer.)
(2) Be sure the "Auto Accompaniment" light is on, then
(3) Press the Synchro Start Button, and finally
(4) Press any black or white key on the Left of the keyboard to start the Accompaniment.
Why start the Accompaniment? Because the Harmony voices in the Registrations will not appear without the Accompaniment playing.
Factory styles, even the many Custom Styles available, can be made to sound SO MUCH BETTER you will scarcely recognize them. And I can prove it. Here's how:
After you've loaded all of my new, tweaked Registrations from the disk into your 9000, and played around with them for a while, go to Registration Bank #57. Press button #1 and play it. You will hear an "as is" Country Style from your 9000's on-board styles. Now, to hear a "tweaked" version, press #2. Note the difference, even when you Start and End the style, or when you press the Fill-ins. Next, press #3. Do the same. Then press #4, and so on. (The Voice Changes, etc. are especially noticeable when playing an "Intro." Take note of the guitar on the right, which was barely even audible on the "untweaked" version. Also notice the Reverb and DSP added to the Drums.) Do you see what I mean when I say the style can be so different you may not even recognize it? That's because EACH of the 8 voices, including Drums, has been tweaked and changed, with Reverb and EQ added as well.
Next, go to Registration Bank #58, and you will hear another Country style, with the first one "untweaked," and the seven that follow it are Tweaked.
Finally, go to Registration Bank #59... and here you'll find a (Disco?) style. Also, #60 has a tweaked style, as does #61.
Please keep in mind that, as good as these styles sound after my "tweaking" them, you can make styles that sound EVEN BETTER... because my time was very limited. Anyone taking more than 15 minutes to "tweak" and work on each style will come up with MUCH BETTER RESULTS than I did, I'm sure.
NOTE: many of the earlier Registration Banks (1, 2, 3, etc.) do not
make much use of "Velocity" (which will "Alter The Voice By Pressing Harder On The Keys"), because when creating these I was still new at this whole thing myself.
But you'll find that the "later" Registrations... perhaps starting as early as Bank 6 or 7... ARE sensitive to Key Pressure, and for this reason I suggest you PLAY HARDER on each to see what effects are created. (On some, there will be little difference. But with others, Pressure on the keys can bring in a whole NEW voice or a NEW effect, such as a Repeating Guitar or Banjo note, etc.)
IMPORTANT! ("BACKING UP") If you DO enjoy the Registrations, as millions have,
(hey, can't I exaggerate a little?) the best way to ensure they STAY AROUND
and don't lose their "Tweakings" and "Effects," especially after turning the keyboard "off" -- is to Back Them Up to your FLASH ROM area. To do this, go to the Main Page in the display by pressing "Exit" repeatedly until you can go no further. Then look in the upper left of the display for a Quarter-Note icon, and press the button next to it. Finally, follow the simple on-screen instructions for backing up. Backing Up in this way DOES NOT store to floppy disk or Hard Drive, but strictly to Flash ROM -- which means you won't lose
anything when the power is turned off.
(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. Group Leader is Bob Gelman.)
(And this is the Styles Group's twin, a place where PSR owners and others can talk about songs, trade songs they've created on their keyboards, and get acquainted with other keyboard owners. Group Leader: Bob Gelman.)
(This is an older, smaller group dedicated to the Tyros. Group Leader: Simon Williams.)
(This is a newer Forum for ALL Yamaha PSR keyboards. Quite large, takes a while to find your way around -- but quite excellent. Group Leader: Simon Williams.)
THE ABOVE GROUPS ALL ARE "FREE MEMBERSHIP"
And finally...