Song Creator - Yamaha Cloud Audio Recorder

[Marcus]

SongCreator-Yamaha Cloud Audio Recorder

Having more time to explore my Genos, I finally got to try out the Genos "Song Creator". Before purchasing my Genos and reading through the reference/owner manuals, the Genos doesn't have an actual Song Creator mode as the Tyros 5 did, but basically all the same functions can be found in the Genos "Song Record Menu" and selecting the MIDI or Audio Multi Recording Modes.

In my case, I wanted to start with a brand new MIDI Song file I never worked with before and build up a 25 channel full arrangement and test the sound quality and see if I can actually choke the Genos 256 polyphony. I searched the net and downloaded a generic version of "Once In a Time in the West". A beautiful score from movie director Sergio Leone. I realized issues with the MIDI before long, but still got satisfactory results. Originally, as most of my complex MIDI projects, I wanted to rework a suitable MIDI Song file to 8 channels, sync/start to a custom 8 channel style and 4 Multipad channels, manually controlling those parts with my chording and 5 playing channels of my Left-Right Hand1-2-3 and MIDI bass pedal part for a total of 25 channels.

Because of time signatures issues within the MIDI, I ended up creating a 15 channel MIDI, manually playing/recording an added 16th channel with the Yamaha S.Art2 PanFluteBallad with volume expression and Art 1-2 button effects. Then with that 16 channel MIDI loaded, I multi-track recorded my 5 playing channels with MIDI Bass with Genos Theatre Organ voices.

The Genos "Song Creator" features worked fine through the MIDI Multi recording. Unlike the Tyros 5, where I can edit a loaded MIDI Song file and then enter "Song Creator", on the Genos you must first enter the MIDI Multi Record mode and then choose and load your MIDI. Nice that all 16 song channels available are viewed and can be edited while in this mode. You can also switch back and forth to the Mixer to make all your deeper edits. As with the Tyros 5 "Song Creator", you must first enter "Setup" and "Execute" your parameter/edit selections before saving your MIDI file.

In my case I must have the music parts in from of me to read, chord, play and improvise from. I opened the MIDI file in my Sibelius notation program to modify, select and print out the score parts I want to play along to with the MIDI. I have an organist background, but decided that Theatre Organ parts would be suitable to the score. I am not that familiar with the Theatre Organ, but chose the Genos TheatreChrys voice for the percussive score parts, TheatreOpenTibias/TheatreOrganMix hand play parts and TheatrePedal1 for my MIDI Bass Pedals.

The MIDI was programmed strange compared to the original score, all in 3-4 timing. The issue was, in measure 34 the timing changes to 4-4 timing and a beautiful key change in measure 52. I managed to rework the arrangement in Sibelius, adding the 4-4 timing, but messed up the full score because of too many tied notes between measures. Not worth the effort to correct. Awkward to read notes while playing with bars in the wrong places, but managed a reasonable compromised played organ mix.



I saved a MIDI version of the Sibelius score with the 3-4 to 4-4 time transition and the Genos MIDI player does change the visual beat timing, but again, notes were off by half a measure from certain tied notes programmed in the original MIDI. For this reason, I could not sync a suitable style or prepared multipad at this point in the score. Not too many scores or songs have time changes. All my previous Tyros 5 sync/start files worked fine on the Genos, but this post is to explain my first Genos "Song Creator" experience, workflow and issues.

The completed Multitrack recordings turned out fine on the Genos, but did notice the odd crackle in the recording. I am going to wait for my seconded Genos I ordered and maybe the next firmware update to see if this minor odd audiable crackle disappears. The sound quality is suppose to be pristine, but I am still learning my way through the new Genos OS.

Secondly, I was experimenting with the Genos Wireless Lan/Bluetooth to see if audio could play through my Marantz Theatre Receiver or through certain apps on my iPad Pro. Yamaha has a free app called, "Yamaha Audio Recorder". I tried it out. Immediately it recognized my Genos Wireless Lan output. Cool, just press "record" on the app, and audio from your Genos is recorded. It can be linked to your SoundCloud account. Easy way to record, save, transfer or share your Genos performances.



I made a SoundCloud account for myself. My first two files are my completed results from my first MIDI mod/edit save from the Genos MultiTrack mode with reworked MIDI channels and Genos voices and drum kit.

OnceUponATimeInTheWest_midi
https://soundcloud.com/user-363868843/2018-01-11-12-14-18-am/s-CTK8b

The second file is this first Multitrack MIDI save recorded with my Organ/MIDI pedals played parts. My next experiment, I'll go for my original sych/start MIDI/Style/Multipad, LH/RH/MIDI Pedal, and maybe a vocal, all recorded and performed live.

OnceUponATimeInTheWest - Multitrack
https://soundcloud.com/user-363868843/onceuponatimeinthewest-multitrack/s-aJdgV

Regards, Marcus

[soryt]

It is a very nice way to make a quick recording , it works so easy
Here a quick recording on "the fly"
https://soundcloud.com/arno-van-denderen/leun-op-mij

Soneg 

[Snicker740]

It looks like Step Record has disappeared from Genos Song Creator. Someone please show me where it is located?

[willem7397]

Thanks Marcus for your extensive work flow description.
Nice work!
The audio recorder seems to be nice app. 

Soryt,
I really liked your song. Nice acoustic version. Would you mind sharing your used voices? I think it's just a guitar multi-pad instead of style for your left hand?
Less is often better

[Marcus]

It looks like Step Record has disappeared from Genos Song Creator. Someone please show me where it is located?

Hi Snicker740

The MIDI song record functions on the Genos is no longer called "Song Creator", but the same functions including step record are found in MENU 2 - Song Recording - MIDI Multi Recording. Personally I only use step record to edit certain midi parameters, but looks pretty much the same as on the Tyros 5. I do find the touch screen easier to use and time is needed to adjust to the new touch screen OS.

Excerpts from "genos_en_rm_b0.pdf" Reference manual for step record functions.
Step Recording/Editing Songs (Step Edit)

This section shows how to create a new Song or edit an existing Song with the Step Edit feature.

Basic Procedure for Step Recording/Editing
This section covers the basic procedure for Step Recording.

1 Call up the MIDI Multi Recording display via [RECORDING]  MIDI [Multi Recording].
A blank Song for recording is automatically set, and the Song name on the Multi Recording display is set to"NewSong." If you want to re-record an existing Song, select the desired Song by touching the Song name.

2 Touch (Step Edit) at the top of this display to call up the Step Edit display.



3 Touch [Ch1] at the top left of this display to select the Recording Target channel.
• If you want to record the keyboard performance, select one of "Ch1"–"Ch8." If you do not intend to use Style
playback for the Song, "Ch9"–"Ch16" can be selected.
• If you want to edit the System Exclusive data, select "Sy***."
• If you want to edit Lyrics, select "Lyrics."
• If you want to record Style playback (Chord change and Section change events), select "Chord."

4 According to your selection in step 3, carry out Step Recording or data edits.
• When one of "Ch1"–"Ch16" is selected:
For instructions on editing already recorded data, refer to page 83.
For instructions on inputting melodies via Step Recording, touch [Step Rec] at the bottom left of the display then
refer to page 78.
• When "Sy***" is selected:
Edit the already recorded data, following the explanations on page 83. Step Recording is not available.
• When "Lyrics" is selected:
Edit the already recorded data, following the explanations on page 83. Step Recording is not available.
• When "Chord" is selected:
For instructions on editing already recorded data, refer to page 83.
For instructions on inputting Chord/Section Change events for Style playback via Step Recording, touch [Step
Rec] then refer to page 81.

5 Touch (Save) to save the created Song.

Recording Melodies via Step Recording

The explanations here apply when one of "Ch1"–"Ch16" is selected in step 4 on page 77. With [Step Rec] turned on at the bottom left of the display, you can input the notes one by one, using the controls below.



Hope this helps,
Marcus

[Snicker740]

Thanks Marcus, I got it. 

[Joe H]

Looks to me that the Step Recorder could double as an Arp Editor via an firmware update. But in it's current form it could also be a way to create new Multi Pads.  Once you insert the notes, then run it through PadMaker-Midi to convert the MIDI file to a Pad file.



Joe H