New MODX Synths

[voodoo]

I am still reading the reference manual, but I am afraid, that it does not contain the solution. Can you help me?

Ok, I found a tip on page 130 of the ref man. There is an XA feature for selecting elements depending on the assignable switches. Let's see, if this is used in the named voices.

Settings: Normal, Legato, Key Off, Cycle, Random, A.SW1 On (Assignable Switch 1 ON), A.SW2 On (Assignable Switch 2 ON), A.SW Off (Assignable Switch 1 OFF)

A.SW1 On: When the [ASSIGN 1] button is turned On, the Element will sound.

By the way: the random and cycle options are the same as used for Revo Drums?

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[voodoo]

Has anybody used a half pedal (Yamaha FC3A) for Montage or MODX for piano playing? Is it worth buying?
(Or equally the half priced Roland DP-10 and a soldering iron to swap two cables inside)
(Or is any expression pedal usable to use half pedaling?)

[pjd]

Hi Uli --

I forgot to congratulate you on your acquisition!  I was off on an airplane (again) when I first noticed.

Anyway, you're on the right path with XA control. Yamaha have made it part of the voice element programming and the internal flags that you found should do the job. BTW, there are YEM XML tags for SA control, but no user-level exposure in YEM's editor. SA control has five (?) different modes selected by an integer value. What they do, who knows?

I started diving into the "All 9 Bars!" performance and will be writing a post that's relevant to PSR/Genos in this regard.

Glad you found the screen shot Easter egg (A/D INPUT ON/OFF plus AUDITION). Better than Genos since we don't have to boot the instrument with some double-secret key combination.

Good luck and good times!

-- pj

In case anyone cares: 

http://sandsoftwaresound.net/yamaha-modx-snap-review/
http://sandsoftwaresound.net/modx-effects-screen-capture/

[Joe H]

Has anybody used a half pedal (Yamaha FC3A) for Montage or MODX for piano playing? Is it worth buying?
(Or equally the half priced Roland DP-10 and a soldering iron to swap two cables inside)
(Or is any expression pedal usable to use half pedaling?)

Uli,

I have a Roland DP-10.  I bought this for use with my Acoustic Piano  XG plug-in card that supports a half damper pedal.  It also has a switch on it to allow it to work as a standard foot switch.  If you want to simulate the variable damper pedal of a real piano, then go for it other wise you will just have the On/Off sustain as usual.

Joe H

[voodoo]

Hey pj,

Don't miss the free expansions for Montage and MOXF from Yamaha music soft:

* CS80 expansion for Montage
* Motif premium pack for MOXF
* Montage expanded from Easy Sounds

There are great voices in them.

Uli


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[Bachus]

Hey pj,

Don't miss the free expansions for Montage and MOXF from Yamaha music soft:

* CS80 expansion for Montage
* Motif premium pack for MOXF
* Montage expanded from Easy Sounds

There are great voices in them.

Uli

The bösendorfer and the cs80 expansion, pretty much fill up all of my memmory at 900mb+ together..

Which makes you realise that user memmory is a severe limitation for modx as well as montage

[voodoo]

I started diving into the "All 9 Bars!" performance and will be writing a post that's relevant to PSR/Genos in this regard.

Glad you found the screen shot Easter egg (A/D INPUT ON/OFF plus AUDITION). Better than Genos since we don't have to boot the instrument with some double-secret key combination.

Pj,

again an interesting post concerning the rotary effect. That was my first interest, too. I found that the new Leslie algorithm from Montage OS 1.5 (the Genos Real Rotary) is called Rotary 2 in the MODX.

I did not find the Easter egg. My screenshots have been taken from the manual. So thank you for this information.

Best regards
Uli

[pjd]

The Bösendorfer and the cs80 expansion, pretty much fill up all of my memmory at 900mb+ together..

Amen!

That CS80 expansion is one big burrito.  Thanks for mentioning the freebies, Uli.

I started the download and then went into a programming frenzy. Watching it download is like watching grass grow. I think I have enough pulled together to gig with the MODX on Sunday. 

Turns out, I didn't understand Scenes like I thought I did. I'm leaving that exploration for next week...

Have a good weekend, gents!

-- pj

P.S. I did a little A/B testing with MODX and Genos. So many waveforms in common. This helped getting Sunday's Live Set together as I had sorted through the Genos orchestral instruments already with some care.

[voodoo]

PJ,

I have read your new posts in your blog. As always, much to learn. Thank you for sharing your experience.

Seems, that MODX performances are a pendant to Genos registrations. Both possibly build up complex sounds using several parts. So the MODX comes with over 2000 pre programmed performances. Unfortunately, there are no preset registrations for Genos. (Only the one touch settings ins styles, which are not easy to find by category.)

I think, it would be an added value for Genos, if there would be factory programmed registrations, sorted by category, similar to the MODX performances.

(On Korg arrangers there have been pre programmed performances (combinations of several voices), which sounded very good. But I think, they have replaced this feature by songbook entries, which now are similar to Genos registrations?)

Uli
Uli

[pjd]

Hello Uli --

"Since the ref manual states (on page 100/101), that after touch (and ribbon controller) can be selected as source for control assignment, I assume, that it should work. "

I didn't want to hijack the other thread with MODX stuff.

The MIDI implementation chart at the end of the MODX Data List PDF gave me concerns. Aftertouch is neither transmitted (of course) or received. On the other hand, the MIDI Receive Flow does include channel aftertouch. Once again, we must seek truth. 

BTW, the date on the MIDI implementation chart looks whack -- "18-JUL-2017"   2017? Did Yamaha sit on this product for a year?

Take care -- pj

[pjd]

Unfortunately, there are no preset registrations for Genos.

Hi Uli --

Maybe Yamaha thinks that Genos (PSR) registrations are so simple that there is not very much value added through "preset" registrations. For sit-and-play customers, the after-market MFDs and playlists are enough (maybe).

BTW, working in the MODX Performance editor reminds me of how much work needs to be done to Yamaha Expansion Manager to make it a truly professional voice editor.

Yamaha need to add SArt voice editing to YEM for no other reason than access to all of the waveforms that have been added since roughly 2008! We only have access to the old waveforms that comprise the regular voices. (OK, there are a few exceptions, but not many...) At least give us all of the Mega Voices; they use the same waveforms as SArt.

SArt2 is another matter. It's a complex beast and a PC-based editor is probably non-trivial. ("Non-trivial" in the usual techie sarcastic sense. :-) )

All the best -- pj

[Al Ram]

Maybe Yamaha thinks that Genos (PSR) registrations are so simple that there is not very much value added through "preset" registrations. For sit-and-play customers, the after-market MFDs and playlists are enough (maybe).
pj

Complete agreement . . . .  i play Genos and at least for me, no need for preset registrations.  I would not need, want, or use.

thanks

[pjd]

For grins, I transferred my WAV backing tracks to the USB flash drive that is dedicated to MODX. I tried playing along with a few tracks and I was quickly reminded at how well arrangers and Genos, in particular, are designed for live performance.

First, there is a fair bit of menu diving to find the WAV file. Then, there is mode switching from the audio playback window to Category Search (or Live Set) to select an instrument to play. For a so-called "modeless" user interface, the flow is not smooth. Then, if you try to select a different instrument while a WAV file is playing, fuggedaboutit. You need to stop the audio player (!) before you can switch to Category Search or Live Set.

Someone using MODX as a one man band (OMB) might be better served by a tablet sitting along side the MODX with the tablet's audio out routed to the MODX audio in. The set up would need a WAV playback app. Forget iTunes unless they added a way to play one song at a time (i.e., stop at the end of a song).

Makes you wonder how much the two divisions (synth and workstation) learn about workflow from each other...

All the best -- pj

[hans1966]

Totally true PJD. In my opinion it is much more practical to play live with an arranger keyboard, which already includes several functions (sequencer, styles, registers and voices) and everything is very close. A synthesizer is another work concept, and it's quite tedious when it comes to playing MIDI and / or WAV arrangements in a live concert, where you have to make changes on the fly. just my thoughts. Hans

[svpworld]

Likewise when I bought my Yamaha Genos I traded in my Korg Kronos and Yamaha Montage.  I don't miss the Kronos but I did miss the FM engine of the Montage, so when the MODX came out and I saw the specs it seemed the perfect excuse to regain the sounds of the Montage but in a more affordable package.  I ended up getting the MODX6 and whilst it does share quite a few AWM sounds of the Genos, it's a different beast and has so much more in the synth department.  Infact it goes really nicely with the Genos as of course the MODX isn't a workstation and is a lot deeper than Genos.  I am now using Genos as my songwriting and main keyboard for constructing songs, providing inspiring band like accompaniments and recording with its pro quality FSX aftertouch keyboard. I've got the MODX midi'd up to Genos as well as my DAW so I can play the MODX sounds from the Genos keys with aftertouch (the MODX keys don't respond to aftertouch but the sound engine does).  I really do love the MODX keybed though, it's light and relaxing to play and despite the cost cutting it responds and feels really good.  The MODX is basically a Montage but in a lighter box with less flashing lights!  I don't miss any of the additional features that were on the Montage and those FM-X sounds are just so dynamic and enjoyable to play. Once you play a sampled FM piano on Genos and then the FM version on MODX you can really feel the difference, FM is just so expressive and crisp.  So despite many similarities with those Motif/Montage like AWM sounds, I feel that MODX is a perfect partner to Genos. Best of both worlds, fabulous acoustic sounds and now amazing evolving synth sounds!

Simon

[Joe H]

I'm wondering if the MODX User Voice messages are like the Motif... IE; MSB 063 - LSB xxx.

If so; you can create a dummy Voice pack for the MODX in YEM and call up it's User Voices directly from the Genos.  I'm doing that with my S970 and the Motif Rack XS.

Take a look t this thread.   http://www.psrtutorial.com/forum/index.php/topic,44739.msg352009.html#msg352009

Joe H