New board (new teacher?)

[Joe W]

For PSR-S owners, the voice and expansion (VSE) packs have become important add-ons for their keyboard.  I am starting this new board to make it easier to find a place where these new packs can be discussed.  I will try and move some of the already started topics over to this board.

[Joe W]

While on this subject ....

I do not have any experience with PSR-S keyboards. As such, I also do not have any experience with expansion packs.  However, these have become more important and it would be great if we could add a section in the Lessons on expansion packs and also on the Yamaha Expansion Manager. What are these things?  Who would want them?  What are they used for?  How are they used?

I can not write this lesson (or these lessons), but perhaps one or more of the forum members may want to take a cut at it.  I can edit the lesson and put it up on the web site.  Are there any volunteers out there? 

[EileenL]

Hi Joe,
  The Yamaha Expansion Manager has taken the place of the voice creator that used to come on a CD when you purchased your Tyros keyboards. It also dose the job of loading in your Custom voice packs either third party or Yamaha. You can then from there chose what you want to load into your keyboard and make a pack up and either save to a USB stick or load via the wireless dongle into your keyboard.
  Many people complained that with previous keyboards you could only fill 128 slots with voices. Now the only restriction is on the memory you have. Either one or two Gb.  It also allows you to have many more Yamaha Packs as they have managed to condense the size without affecting the sound. All in All it is a better system.

[mazydazydinah]

YEM  -  just got round to having a good look at this, and guess what - I don't understand it. Your Idea of a board for this would be great Joe.  My questions are:=
1.   Can you only use purchased packs.
2.    How can you make a pack of your own voices.
3. Is there any software out there to help with this.

If you cannot make your own and have to buy all the time what is the use of it, other than to make more money for Yamaha.

Marion

[DrakeM]

I own a S950 keyboard and I have all 27 expansion packs for the keyboard. So, does this YEM help me to keep all those packs when I up grade to my next PSR keyboard?

[EileenL]

Hi Drake they will be YEP files which will not work on the 970 or Tyros. If however you have purchased these Yamaha will exchange them for the new format.

[EileenL]

Hi Marion,
  With the YEM you can create new voices by using on board elements of voices and mixing them and adding effects. These can then be saved to a pack on YEM.  Also if you have any UVN files you can load these in to a pack and make up your own which is not difficult to do. Remember that if you purchase Yamaha packs you will have completely new voices that are not on your keyboard also get some nice styles and multi pads with most.

[mazydazydinah]

Hi Eileen, Thanks for your reply, I managed to load my two TTT files from their usb sticks, and also the free Stage 5 Yamaha one, so I now understand how to do that.  When you say about making your own voices do you mean mixing the ones that are now on the YEM, or is there a way of doing it on the keyboard and taking them by usb stick to YEM.
Is there a way of making a UVN file on the keyboard?

Marion

[EileenL]

Hi Marion,
   When you link your keyboard up to your computer it is possible to then go into the Yamaha on board sounds and mix the Elements they contain and add effects also. For instance you can take a Piano and then add Vocal and String element to produce a new voice. You can take a Banjo and add repeat effects and so on. These voices can then be saved in your pack.

[alanclare]

Help

I seem to be the only person on the forum who doesn't know what a UVN file is. Please, could someone out there find a moment to tell me? While on the subject, is there a glossary anywhere that explains what the myriad of these three uppercase abbreviations stand for?

Alan

[EileenL]

A UVN file is a voice that is a sample and can be used in the Tyros 4 as it is, or loaded into the Yamaha Expansion Manager for use on the Tyros 5 or 970 keyboards.

[alanclare]

Thank you Eileen. I rather hoped that it would be you that took pity on my ignorance.

And can such a Voice be created from an MPG sample, e.g. one's own voice, using the Expansion Manager?

Alan

[EileenL]

Not to my Knowledge.

[alanclare]

Eileen

Thank you. Another journey down a blind alley avoided.

Alan

[SeaGtGruff]

I believe you can import SF2 SoundFont files into the YEM.

[Joe H]

I believe you can import SF2 SoundFont files into the YEM.

Yes, that's correct.  They may be the easiest of all samples, but still need some work.  I have 5 banks of SF2 Voices installed on my S970 at the moment.  It is going to take a lot of time and tweaking to optimize them for the arranger.

First step is to load them into the keyboard, then make adjustments in VOICE SET, then duplicate Voice Set settings for each Voice in the YEM Voice Editor.  Some Voice Set changes will be done at the Element level in YEM while others will be done in the COMMON Parameter block (which is converted to a Voice Set file (.vce) when compiled and saved as a .ppi Installation File.

Where the edits are made in the YEM Editor is arbitrary.  Octave shifts, Fine Tune, Amplitude and Filter Envelopes in particular might be done at the Element level.  Octave shifts may also be done in the Common block so they play correctly as Left, R1, and R2 Voices on the keyboard.

There are no rules about it.  It's up to the person creating the Voices to determine how they want them to sound.  The above description is a rather simplified explanation of Voice programming in YEM.

Joe H

[karmacomposer]

My sample editing software allows me to export to TVN Tyros format - does that work on the newer Tyros 4 and 5?  Does it work at all on new PSR S series keyboards?

Do we need an expansion board to play sound fonts and these TVN files?

Thanks.

Mike

[EileenL]

TVN files will need to be converted to UVN files. When Tyros 3 came out Yamaha supplied a conversion programme for download. I don't know if it is still avaliable.

[valimaties]

Tyros 2 to Tyros 3 Converter, here

[beykock]

Would be very grateful if somebody is explaining - STEP BY STEP ( if possible, plse ) - how to bring UVN files in YEM.

Many thanks in advance, Babette

[valimaties]

Would be very grateful if somebody is explaining - STEP BY STEP ( if possible, plse ) - how to bring UVN files in YEM.

Many thanks in advance, Babette

This is the simplest step:

VIDEO

Two steps, by importing content or by drag&drop !

If you refer to something else, please tell me what it is about!

Regards,
Vali

[beykock]

Hi Vali,


Many thanks for this video.

I may hope some people will follow Joe W's suggestion/request  to create a new section  " Lessons for all YEM Applications ".
Especially for those ( like me ) who are very interested in making their own files.

I think it is a wonderful idea since these lessons will help out a lot of people who are not familiar with YEM ( like me e.g. ).

I am looking forward to reading some interesting follow-up soon.

Thank you all for your efforts !

Best wishes,

Babette
The Hopeful

[EileenL]

A lot of UVN files came in packs or had been saved as Library's on previous keyboards. This means that among the UVN files  was a UVI file. This is the one the YEM loads in as a pack as it contains all the information. Makes it quicker to load than copying certain voices.

[adrianed]

I have just downloaded some of the free packs from Yamaha and absolutely no idea how to use them
I was going to put them on a USB drive and take it to the T5 and somehow run them
I am new to to using packs and all I can do is experiment
Is there a full explanation available anywhere describing how to load them, A to Z stuff for a first timer, that's where I am on this at the moment.
Thankyou in advance for any help
Adrian
Happy New Year everyone 

[Ed B]

Hi Adrian
You will want to read the data on the Yamaha Expansion Manager
https://europe.yamaha.com/files/download/other_assets/0/1353040/yamaha_expansion_manager_en_om_v270_j0.pdf
and download the software from Yamaha
As a start.
Happy New Year
Ed B

[adrianed]

Thanks Ed B
I have downloaded the Expansion Manager instructions, Thankyou
Adrian

[EileenL]

 This may also help
Firstly Install YEM programme on computer. Next thing is to import Keyboard ID on to a freshly formatted (in keyboard )USB stick. On keyboard press Export instrument info and save to the USB. Now remove USB from keyboard and put into computer.
   Now you need to Make sure your pack is unzipped and then just save the pack to the USB stick.
Go to YEM page and look to the top left hand corner and you will see Install Target and a +> sign. Press the + and then press import instrument info go to USB and confirm it. Once this is done you will see Tyros 5 underneath on left hand side.
  At the top of the page you will see MY PACKS +>. Press the Plus sign and then press Import Pack. Now select the USB drive and press the Pack and OK it. You will now see it loading into the YEM. When finished you will see a picture of the pack on that page.
  You will now need to make an Install pack to load into your flash memory on Tyros 5.
  To do this you now need to select Tyros 5 on the left of the page. You will now see the pack has a tick in it Press this and it will turn Green. Now go to the right hand Top of the screen and you will see Save as pack In. or send to instrument. Select Save as Pack In and then select your USB and press SAVE. This will take a couple of minutes. When finished you can remove the stick and place in the keyboard. Now go to Expansion on your keyboard and load in.

[Ronbo]

Eileen,

Thanks for the step-by-step instructions.. they are great.

However, the very last step should include.....FUNCTION>PACK INSTALLATION>select pack and then install.

This should take about twenty minutes, more or less, for the installation to finish.

My older mind forgets this vital part when installing packs on my tyros 5

Regards, and happy new year,

Ron

PS. I always make a point of reading your responses here on this great forum