PSR-EW400 - how to auto play an octave?

[Mike O]

Just got a Yamaha PSR-EW400 and starting to learn it's features.  One very simple thing I want to do, but can't figure out how, is to play a single note and have the keyboard double that note (same voice) either an octave above or below the note I am playing.  I know this is probably really simple, but I can't figure it out.  Can someone help??  Thanks!

[panos]

Hi Mike,
is the keyboard got a "harmony" button anywhere?

[panos]

look at the page 23 that I have attached

[attachment deleted by admin]

[panos]

I don't see octave harmony type in the manual.
In case there is not such option choose for both R1+R2 same voice (eg piano) and
make R2 one octave down or one octave up.

[SeaGtGruff]

"Octave" is Harmony Type 5. But in order to get Harmony Types 1 through 5 to work, you must turn on the Accompaniment and hold down a note or chord in the auto accompaniment area. This could be useful, because it makes it easy to switch between harmony and no harmony based on whether you're playing anything in the accompaniment area. But it's also a bit of a hassle, especially if you want to use both hands to play the Main Voice. About the only workaround that I can think of would be as follows:

(1) Set the Split Point to 28, which is the lowet E on the keyboard, such that the accompaniment area is only 1 key wide.
(2) Set the Style Volume to 0, so the accompaniment will be silent.
(3) Turn on ACMP and place some object on the lowest E to keep it depressed.
(4) Select Harmony Type 5.
(5) Set the Harmony Volume to the same volume as the Main Voice (unless you want the octave note to have a different volume).
(6) Turn on Harmony when you want to add an octave to every note or chord you play, or turn it off to stop adding an octave.

The other option is to use the Dual Voice feature, as panos suggested.

[Mike O]

look at the page 23 that I have attached

I've tried this but it doesn't seem to work.  Don't know what I'm missing? :-(

[SeaGtGruff]

I think our posts just crossed. Try the steps I listed as a workaround, although the part about changing the Split Point and Style Volume, and setting an object on a key in the accompaniment section, is optional-- except that you absolutely do need to be holding down a note in the accompaniment section or the harmony will not be added to the Main Voice.

[SeaGtGruff]

By the way, if you do change the Split Point and/or the Style Volume, don't forget to change them back afterward, because those are two of the settings that are automatically saved even when you turn off the keyboard, so if you forget that you changed them you might turn the keyboard back on later and wonder why the accompaniment isn't working correctly any more!

[Mike O]

I don't see octave harmony type in the manual.
In case there is not such option choose for both R1+R2 same voice (eg piano) and
make R2 one octave down or one octave up.

Dear Panos,

Sorry, but I don't know what you mean by R1 and R2 and how to configure the octave setting for R2?  (I am new at this)

[SeaGtGruff]

Many Yamaha models refer to the keyboard parts by different names than those used on the PSR-E models:

R1 or Right1 = Main Voice
R2 or Right2 = Dual Voice
L or Left = Split Voice

The Genos and Tyros models also have R3 or Right3.