What is a Multipad?

[61Fingers]

I think a MultiPad is a sound -- e.g. a  handclap or something from a drum kit -- that that is played when desired to spice up the music. Is this correct?

Are they midi, mp3, wav files, or something that must be created on the Yamaha itself?

TIA, 61F

[Normanfernandez]

Multipads are just a step lower than Styles.

They are either One shot / Loops

It's also able to play any Voice / Instrument.

And yes you can assign a Audio Files to the multipad.

[61Fingers]

Thank you.

The more YouTube videos I watch the more MultiPads remind me of the special effects on some Theatre organs (e.g a ringing doorbell,  horse hoofs, sea surf, lightning strike. When the organist pressed a button on the organ, the effect sounded. I'm sure Yamaha Multipads are far more versatile than the Theatre Organ effects as the latter were intended to accompany silent films.)

[DerekA]

There are 2 types of multipad : MIDI and audio.

A MIDI multipad is essentially a MIDI sequence. The sequence can consist of one note (so this is like the special effect you mention) or a musical phrase lasting 1, 2, or more bars. a MIDI multipad can be set to play fixed pitches, or to automatically transpose according to the chord being played. You can create your own on the keyboard if you want.

An audio multipad is a wav file. It cannot be transposed, it's always played back exactly as recorded. You can load up a wav file someone else recorded, or you can use the keyboard's inbuilt audio recorded to record something from AUX IN.

A multipad bank contains 4 individual pads - either all MIDI or all audio.

[mikf]

They are not really the equivalent of these very simple special effects. They are rhythmic and melodic loops. As Norman says like a mini style, you can create your own, use the library of pads provided, or custom modify these - just like styles.
They can be used in different ways but one powerful use is to allow live style accompaniment to sound less repetitive. For example you can have a saxophone or guitar riff riff, that you trigger from time to time in a song to give the feeling of a more varied 'real band' accompaniment. The multiple  will follow the chords you play.
Mike

[panos]

Hi my friend,
welcome to the forum 

A video tutorial about Multipads:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_GwIzxAVW0

Joe's article about Muotipads
https://psrtutorial.com/music/articles/dancemusic.html


You can download Michael's FAQ 2016.PDF file from here
https://psrtutorial.com/lessons/faq/PSRFAQ.htm

So as our friends already have said, a multipad can be  a set of 4 pads which pads can be either an audio file or a midi file.
Whatever audio pad you can record it will play as it is like an audio player.
(E.g record tour neighbor's screaming while he is watching a football game at play along with it).

A midi pad on the other hand uses the keyboard's voices(sounds) and it can follow our chords just like the style does if we want to.
So in this case we can say that a multipad is 4 extra channels along with the 8 channels of the style.
They can all play at the same time while we play the chords.And because there will far too many organs playing chords and arpeggios and stuff,most of the times  we choose to mute some of the 8 style parts and use instead a pad
(E.g:  Keep the drums and the bass from the styles and a guitar strumming from the multiad).

Many Yamaha preset mutipads are pre-installed on the keyboard.

[Toril S]

Multipads are great tools to make the music more interesting. If you use the OTS link the keyboard will choose multipads for you, but it is far better to chooce pads that fits your song.

[acparker]

Many of the hymns I play for church have descant lines on the refrain.  Since they are often 'out of reach' to play with the melody, -- that is to say, I can't stretch my fingers far enough -- I will record the descant into a multi-pad.  I'll set it to auto-start in the registration for the refrain, and then the next chord will start the descant, allowing me to effectively play both at the same time.

Adam 

[SingerSongwriter]

I cannot figure out how to make a specific multipad autoplay with a registration. Is it possible?

[Fred Smith]

I cannot figure out how to make a specific multipad autoplay with a registration. Is it possible?

See your other post.

Cheers,
Fred