Registration memory vs. User memory questions

[richkeys]

I'm new to the SX900. The manual isn't explaining registration memory very well.

- Sound edits of a single voice are saved in User memory, I understand that.

- What about saving voice layer combinations, like RH1, RH2, RH3. They cannot be saved in User memory and need to be saved in a Registration bank? That means there's no way to actually name a combination sound patch?

- How many Banks are there? The manual does not explain. Unlimited? Where do I go to view the layout of the Banks? I just filled up the first 8 banks and not able to save to the next 8.....

[EileenL]

You can have as many banks as you care to make and you can also name the voices in your registration buttons.. I suggest you create a folder on your user section and name it Registrations then save your banks in that. Makes it easy to find them.

[richkeys]

You can have as many banks as you care to make and you can also name the voices in your registration buttons.. I suggest you create a folder on your user section and name it Registrations then save your banks in that. Makes it easy to find them.

Eileen,

Thank you, that clears up a few things. I did find the Registration menu at the very top of the touchscreen and was able to save my first bank into it and also see how you can go in and name each registration button.

Now that my first bank is saved in there, how do you clear out the first bank on the panel so I can create a new second bank with totally new settings?

Rich



Rich

[andyg]

You don't. Just create your new set of registrations and save the bank with a different file name.

Remember that a registration is a 'snapshot' of the keyboard's settings at that moment. Not just the voices in use, but style, balance and a host of other settings. Be prepared to spend quite some time reading the manual and saving and loading in registrations until it becomes second nature. Registrations are the single most powerful feature in a modern arranger keyboard. Have fun!

[EileenL]

You can clear registration buttons by going to where you name the buttons and chose the delete function. Here you can select which ones to delete or all of them. When they are all cleared it is a good Idea to save that band and call it Blank. This way yolu can call it up any time.

[richkeys]

You don't. Just create your new set of registrations and save the bank with a different file name.

Thank you for your response. I actually have read both manuals' registration memory sections. I do understand that registration memory records more things than just voices.

The key question: When you say "create a new set of registrations and save it as a new file bank" -  so after my first bank file is saved, I can start overwriting new registrations to buttons 1-8 and when those are all filled up I save them as a new second bank file. When I save the new data to those buttons and then save a new bank, it does not write over the first bank file data, correct?? This is what's not clear. This is not a matter of just playing around with the registrations until I understand it, I want to make sure I don't lose my first bank while creating a second one.

I also want to clarify about your comment that you don't clear the existing bank memory on the panel. The manual says technically if you want to do it, you start up the keyboard while pressing the B5 key. But this is part of my question, is clearing a bank even necessary to start a new bank. I think you are saying it's not necessary. Thanks for your help. Yamaha's manual has not been specific enough on this matter.

[richkeys]

You can clear registration buttons by going to where you name the buttons and chose the delete function. Here you can select which ones to delete or all of them. When they are all cleared it is a good Idea to save that band and call it Blank. This way yolu can call it up any time.

Eileen,

I appreciate you responding, but you are confusing me now. I don't understand what your blank file suggestion is for, and also not sure if I even need to clear the whole bank on the panel before creating a new panel bank. I don't want to accidentally erase my first bank. Please see my reply and question to Andy below. I hope I am being clear in my question. I'm almost there. I've read the manuals on this topic and got on this forum for someone to help me clarify this, because the manual is not explaining it.

Here is the key question: after my first bank file is saved, I just start saving new registrations to buttons 1-8 and when those are all filled up I save them as a new second bank file. When I save the new data to those panel buttons, it's not going to write over the data from the first saved bank file, correct? This is what's not clear.


Rich

[andres_fprado]

Hi, Rich!

Technically, registration banks are no more (and no less) than files on either the internal "hard disk" or the pen drive connected to the keyboard. Despite the interface on the keyboard being somewhat clunky, all the operations you are doing are essentially the same as the operations you would do on a computer with files.

When you save a bank with a different name, it's the same as doing a "save as" operation. You create a new file with the saved contents, and the old file is not affected at all. But beware of doing intermediate "save" steps, as they will overwrite the original file (as would a "save" operation on a computer).

Since creating an empty registration to start with is somewhat... complex (pressing a key while turning on the keyboard is not something you want to do as a "normal" operation), one alternative many of us use is to do this once, and save the (empty) registration as a file with a significant name like "Blank" or "Empty". This way, when you want to start with a clean registration, you just select ("open") this empty registration, start working, and save under a different name.

I hope this clarifies it a little bit for you. Regards!

[richkeys]

Hi Andres,

I get it now with the "Empty" file concept and I would like to do that method.

Yes, I was thinking of the "Save As" analogy myself, as I have used MacOS for years. I was looking at the Registration screen interface and didn't understand how to "Save As" a bank to create a copy of my Bank 1 to build a brand new empty bank. But I see now you can just click on "Save" and that let's you name a new file.
thanks!


Rich

[Fred Smith]

Yes, I was thinking of the "Save As" analogy myself, as I have used MacOS for years.

I get it now with the "Empty" file and I would like to do that method.

However, I am looking at the Registration screen interface and simply don't know how to do a "Save As" of a bank on the SX900 to create a copy of my Bank 1 to build a brand new empty bank. The options at the top are Rename/Copy/Move/Delete/Save/New Folder.  None of those options will protect my 1st bank from being overwritten. Saving the first bank was easy because I hit "Save". But how do I now do a "Save As" ??

Yamaha's terminology takes getting used to.

When they say "Save", they mean "Save As". You will always be asked for a file name (it will default to the currently loaded file, but you're always given a chance to change it).

Cheers,
Fred

[richkeys]

Yamaha's terminology takes getting used to.

When they say "Save", they mean "Save As". You will always be asked for a file name (it will default to the currently loaded file, but you're always given a chance to change it).

Cheers,
Fred

Fred,

Yes true, I just tried the "Save" function and it did let me save a new bank file name. I updated my response to Andres so he doesn't waste his time trying to explain it to me further. I was having a stupid mental block learning this new interface, because back in the old days when I trained on MacOS it never let you create a file name with just "Save". MacOS has since changed this, but I still always choose "Save As" instead of "Save" when making a new file on Mac out of fear of overwriting my original file.

Now I understand registrations!

Rich

[hans1966]

I have never had a problem with the logs.

every time I want a new record, I modify the previous one, and save it with a different name.

Cheers

Hans