POWER USER PLG150-DR and PLG150-PC Drum and Percussion Plug-in Boards In the Motif-Rack Modular Synthesis Plug-in System A Getting Started Guide SKILLS you need: The article assumes you have basic navigation skills, which includes use of the [MUTE/SEL] button and its functions (selecting Parts). You also need knowledge of how to select the COMMON level of editing and the PART/ELEMENT level of editing. The following Yamaha OPT software (provided with the units) will help you get the most out of your PLG150-DR/PC and your Motif-Rack: Voice Editor for Motif-Rack Plug-in Board Editor for PLG150-DR Plug-in Board Editor for PLG150-PC Phil Clendeninn Senior Product Specialist Technology Products Yamaha Corporation of America
PLG150-DR and PLG150-PC The PLG150-DR and PLG150-PC are single part boards based on AWM2 sample playback technology. Sounds can be accessed via a PART in Multi Mix, as one of the PARTS of a Performance Multi or as an individual Voice in Voice mode. A Part contains information that the host product applies to the Voice data. There are some slight differences on how these boards work depending on which Modular Synthesis Plug-in System (MSPS) product it is placed in. The boards can be used in the Motif and Motif ES 6/7/8 workstation synthesizers, the S90, the S80, the S30, the CS6x, CS6R as well as the Motif-Rack 1. As with all PLG150 series boards it can be installed in any available expansion slot 2. Even if you are familiar with one or more of the PLG series you will want to pay close attention to how these Kit Voice boards work within the products. Understanding how the boards kits are configured will help you to use them affectively. The different drum and percussion sounds are assembled into KITS. This is the first thing to understand. There are some 80 Kits. You did not purchase a bunch of loose samples that you have to assemble into kits. This is already done you paid for this voicing already. It is voiced so that when the board is placed in any compatible product you can recall the sounds in the preassembled kits. When you begin to appreciate how the sounds are arranged, you will realize that you need only find the kit that contains the sounds you want to use. Some of the Drum kits on the DR board are actually duplicates of internal Motif/Motif-Rack and S90 kits. This is so you can use them to expand the polyphony. Each board has its own 32-note polyphony when you assign the track to play the board s kit this saves from using internal engine polyphony. Each board has its own on-board effects (Reverb and Insertion Effects). DRUM BOARDS: KITS Check to make sure your board is properly installed. Installation should always take place with the unit powered down. In the Motif-Rack the PLG150-DR and PLG150-PC boards are both considered DRUM Voice boards. Thus you will find their Voice data in with the DRUM VOICE banks. You can play the PLG150-DR/PC programs 1 PLG series boards are also compatible with a host of XG products and they have the protocol built in to become a part of the open-ended XG system in addition to their role in the Modular Synthesis Plug-in System. You can ignore the parts of the manual that refers to using these boards in XG products. 2 There are slot restrictions for the PLG100 series boards. However a PLG150 board can go in any slot. 2 normally from VOICE mode. If you press the [VOICE] button you will enter Voice mode and you can select normal Voices. Use the BANK [<]/[>] buttons to change banks. To select DRUM voices you must hold [SHIFT] + [DRUM] (see the word DRUM written in white below the [Voice] button functions written in white are used in conjunction with the white SHIFT button. The boards can go in either slot 1 or slot 2. You should come up with a slot consistent scheme if you are planning on making and archiving your own sounds. The Motif-Rack will remember what slot your Voice data is intended for when you save it. You will have to remember what slot you used it in. Be consistent. In the examples used for the screen shots in this article the PLG150-DR board is in Plug-in Slot 1 and the PLG150-PC board is in Plug-in Slot 2. The PLG1PRE1 translates: Plug-in Slot 1 Preset Voice bank 1. The PLG2PRE1 translates: Plug-in Slot 2 Preset Voice bank 1. Once you have selected the DRUM VOICE bank you can move between banks of Drum by holding [SHIFT] + BANK [<]/[>]. KITS EXPLANATION: A key to understanding and making use of the Drum kits (DR) and/or Percussion kits (PC) is found in the Owner s Manual Voice List (page 26) near the back of the book. Spend a little time looking through this part of the manual. You will find coherent kits on both boards. And you will find kits that are composites of the main drums. Some of the kits on the DR board, for example, have been arranged by combining the kick, snare, hi-hat and toms of the principal kits. The Live Room A and Live Room B are the main two kits. If you are new to drum Voices, then you need to understand that the principal sounds of a kit appear in the F0-B2 area of the keyboard. For example, the main kick drum is at C1, the main snare is at D1, the hi-hats occupy the 3 black
notes F#1, G#1, and A#1 and the toms are located on the white keys between F1-D1. Above C#1 through B2 are you main ride, crash, china and other cymbals. When looking at the Instrument Map charts (pg. 27-52) in the back of the booklet the columns are as follows: A = Alternate group. Any two sounds in the same alternate group will mute the other (as in open and closed hi-hats). K = Key off. This determines if the sound follows an envelope or toggles off when you let go. I = Insertion effect. Each note (instrument sound) of a Kit can be connected to (or not) the kit s Insertion effect. You can access the boards in a MIX as PARTS P1- P2. The Motif-Rack s own internal AWM2 sounds occupy Parts 1-16. The PLG150-DR/PC board occupies a single Part and can be assigned a MIDI channel 1-16. But, hey, so do the Internal AWM2 Parts. How do you not play both simultaneously if there are only 16 MIDI channels? Do I have to give up an internal Part for a Plug-in Part? This explanation is one of the purposes of this document. The short answer is YES (if you are using the MIDI jacks) and NO (if you are using the USB (MIDI) as your interface). If you are using an external sequencer via MIDI (MIDI jacks): First, let s state something you already know. Normally, internal Voices occupy the 16 available Parts of a MULTI MIX. When you place a board in a plug-in slot it is assigned to the MIDI channel corresponding to its slot number: PLG1 = channel 1, PLG2 = channel 2. This is your first skill in navigating the PLG boards assigning them a MIDI channel. In our example, we have the following two PLG boards installed: PLG150-DR in slot 1; PLG150- PC in slot 2. If you are using an external sequencer via the MIDI jacks, then you will have to assign the PLG150 Plug-in board Part a MIDI channel, 1-16. Of course, an internal Part already resides on which ever MIDI channel you choose, therefore you will have to, also, un-assign one of the internal Parts. For example, if you decide to use the PLG150 PC on MIDI channel 9 and the PLG150-DR on MIDI channel 10, you would need to go to internal Part numbers 9 and 10 and reassign these PARTS. That is, make Receive Channel = OFF for the internal Parts that default to Parts 9 and 10. Press MULTI again to view the multiple PARTS of the MIX: Navigate to the Plug-in Parts by pressing the [MUTE/SEL] button, turning OFF its LED. With the LED OFF this button will use the Select function. Press the first PART button [1/5/9/13] until it toggles to Part P1 (Plug-in slot 1). Here you will see the Preset Board banks (DR: 79/0, PC: 79/1) banks. The [P1-P2] Parts should be in the screen: Highlight the Bank MSB/LSB numbers and select the appropriate Bank for the Board you are using. There are two categories of Voices. Those that are Motif-Rack level Voices (integrated with Motif-Rack parameters) and the ones that are completely on the Board itself. The possibilities are: Motif-Rack PLUG-IN Voices: 63/24 PLG1USR Voice (64) initially blank User slot1 63/25 PLG2USR Voice (64) initially blank User slot2 63/70 PLG1PRE bank (64) loaded at power up slot1 63/73 PLG2PRE bank (64) loaded at power up slot2 PLG150-DR/PC BOARD Voices: 047/000 PLG150-DR User Custom bank (8) 047/001 PLG150-PC User Custom bank (8) 079/000 Preset Board Drum Kits (80) DR 079/001 Preset Board Percussion Kits (80) PC Highlight the Voice Number and use the Data Wheel to select sounds. To see the MIDI Channel assignment for each Part, press EDIT/ Use the PAGE [<] (left) button to select the VOICE screen/ Cursor down to MIDI Receive Channel MOTIF-RACK - Press [MULTI] to enter the Multi-timbral mode. Initialize the current MULTI in UTILITY/ JOB SEL (Job Select)/ Initialize/ [Shift] + [Enter] x3 to execute. This creates an INIT MULTI. 3
Select a MIDI channel on which to communicate with PLG1 and PLG2: Toggle with the PART select buttons to return to internal Parts. Re-assign the internal Parts for those MIDI channels. Touch the corresponding PART9 and PART 10 and set the MIDI Receive Channel to OFF. STORE the MIX: [SHIFT] + [STORE]/ Then press [SHIFT] + [ENTER] twice. If you are using an External Sequencer and USB (MIDI): The PLG150 series boards can be addressed using the USB (MIDI) multi-port connection from an external computer sequencer. In this scenario you can address the internal AWM2 sounds of the Motif-Rack on PORT 1 (MIDI ch. 1-16) and the PLG150 series boards on PORT 2. 3 boards will automatically change together since they are all single PART boards, they can all exist on the same PORT, just different channels. This means that you can have the PLG150-DR on MIDI channel 1 of USB Port 2 and it will not interfere with the internal Part on MIDI channel 1 (Port 1). The PLG150-PC would also be assigned to Port 2 (all PLG150 boards will automatically switch together) therefore to be discreet from the DR board you simply need to select any other MIDI channel on Port 2. MSB/LSB: The Banks PLG150-DR in a Motif-Rack will have the following banks available: PLG_PRE1, PLG_USR, 047/000, 079/000. PLGxPRE1 this bank is automatically loaded from ROM each time you power up and the Motif- Rack detects the PLG150-DR in a slot. There are 64 Preset kits. The x denotes the slot that contains the board. The bank numbers in a Multi will show up as PLG1PRE1 = 63/70 for slot 1 or PLG2PRE1 = 3/73 for slot 2. PLGxUSR this bank can hold 64 Drum Kits integrated with the Motif-Rack effects and controllers. x = the slot containing the PLG150- DR. This bank is blank, initially. *Note: The MSB/LSB bank number for the PLGxUSR bank is determined by which slot your board is in. The USR bank will always be associated with a slot and be PLG1USR = 63/24 or PLG2USR = 63/25. This bank can be edited with the VOICE EDITOR for MOTIF-RACK and allows you to add Motif- Rack effects (Dual Insertion, Reverb, Chorus), Master EQ, Controller assignments, etc. To select the PLG_USER bank, while in DRUM Voice mode: hold [SHIFT] + BANK [<]/[>] This takes advantage of USB s ability to have multiple 16-channel MIDI connections simultaneously. This is called a multi-port arrangement. Each Port can be addressed separately from an external sequencer in your sequencer you can assign tracks to PORTS and Channels on a track-by-track basis via your USB interface. This way you can take advantage of the full 16 on-board Motif-Rack Parts and address your PLG150 boards on a separate port. This would allow you to break the 16-channel limit. You can select the Port assignment for the boards in UTILITY/ PAGE [<]/[>] to the PLG_SYS screen. The host (Motif-Rack internal Voices) remains fixed at PORT 1 you cannot change the assignment of the internal sounds. All PLG150 This bank is completely empty until you save a kit to it. Kits store to this bank remain in memory even after power down. You can store to this bank from the front panel or from the Voice Editor for Motif-Rack. 3 If you are not using the USB Port leave these set to OFF. However, when executing the MIDI Device setup select Yamaha USB Out Port for both Port 1 and Port 2. 4
047/000 this bank contains 8 locations for custom user drum kits. These Kits can be made in the supplied Plug-in Board Editor for PLG150- DR. These locations are user Board locations to which you can bulk your kits. When you power down they revert to the LIVE ROOM A kit, which acts like a placeholder. You can reload these 8 locations either from the Plug-in Board Editor for PLG150-DR or from a bulk file saved in the Motif-Rack. UTILITY/ Cursor down to PLUG- IN SAVE/PLUG-IN LOAD (see instructions later in the article). 079/000 this is the preset Board Voice bank the raw data so to speak; they are the Kit templates on the PLG150 board. It is difficult to consider these 80 Kits as raw because they can have native effects already applied. The Board has its own Reverb and Insertion Effect. All of the effects are resident on the PLG150-DR board itself. PLG150-PC in a Motif-Rack will have the following banks available: PLG_PRE1, PLG_USR, 047/001, 079/001. PLGxPRE1 this bank is automatically loaded from ROM each time you power up and the Motif- Rack detects the PLG150-PC in a slot. There are 64 Preset kits. The x denotes the slot that contains the board. The bank numbers in a Multi will show up as PLG1PRE1 = 63/70 for slot 1 or PLG2PRE1 = 3/73 for slot 2. PLGxUSR this can hold 64 Drum Kits integrated with the Motif-Rack effects and controllers. x = the slot containing the PLG150- PC. These will remain even after power down. The USR bank will always be associated with a slot and be PLG1USR = 63/24 or PLG2USR = 63/25. This bank can be edited with the VOICE EDITOR for MOTIF-RACK and allows you to add Motif-Rack effects (Dual Insertion, Reverb, Chorus), Master EQ, Controller assignments, etc. 047/001 this bank contains 8 locations for custom percussion kits. These kits can be made in the supplied Plug-in Board Editor for PLG150- PC. These locations are Board locations to which you can bulk custom kits. When you power down they revert to the AfroCuban Kit, but you can reload these 8 locations either from the Plug-in Board Editor for PLG150-PC of from a bulk file saved in the Motif-Rack. UTILITY/ Cursor down to PLUG-IN SAVE/PLUG-IN LOAD. 079/001 this is the preset Percussion Board Voice bank the raw data so to speak; they are the Kit templates on the PLG150 board; 80 Kits that use native Reverb and Insertion effects. It is difficult to consider these 80 Kits as raw because they can have native effects already applied. The Board has its own Reverb and Insertion Effect. All of the effects are resident on the PLG150-PC board itself. Specification and Operation The Preset Board Kits (79/0; 79/1) The PLG150-DR and PC boards have 80 Kits each. The technology behind the boards is AWM2 sample playback. The boards have their own Reverb and Insertion processors. Take a look at the PRESET VOICE LIST for the PLG boards on page 26 in the back of the Owner s Manual. This chart will show you what Reverb and Insertion effect are applied to each of the preset Board Kits 079/000 (DR) or 079/001 (PC). These decisions were made in the original programming. You do not have complete user discretion as to what effect is used in a preprogrammed Board kit. That said you do have choices about how it reacts via OFFSETS to the preset data. To get an idea of how this works: the programmers of the original data for the boards made some decisions about how the kits are setup. For example, in the PLG150-DR Preset Voice List look at program number 28: KIT NAME FLANGER. This kit has a ROOM3 Reverb and FLANGER1 as the Insertion Effect. You cannot when you edit this kit change the selection of the effect algorithm. That effect is preset. That is reserved for the Custom user Kit created with the Plug-in Board Editor (described later). When editing from the front panel of the Motif- Rack you have a set of what are called Native parameters this refers to native to the board. These are offsetting data to the preset data. You can select a specific note (instrument sound) and tune it, change its level, its pan position, work with Insertion effect key assignment, its Reverb send amount and you can work with various parameters of the INSERTION effect. Remember you cannot select the INSERTION effect on a preset Board bank kit (79/x) but you can edit it 5
via the supplied offset controls. These offset controls are available for any 4 notes in these pre-programmed Board kits. The original program may have a particular Tom panned hard left in a kit. You have control via an offset. You cannot pan it further to the left but you can offset it by moving it to the right. In other words, a setting for pan in the Native parameter of +0 on this tom is hard left remember it is an offset. It will yield no result if you set it to 40 (it is already hard left) but a setting of +40 will start to move this more toward the center by adding a +40 value to the stored value. Take a look at the NATIVE parameters available for these plug-in boards. These are found from Voice mode by pressing EDIT/ select ELEM level editing (use the PART [<]/[>] buttons to select Element edit)/ PAGE to the Native screen. You will see the following parameters listed under NATIVE use the cursor arrows to see various pages: Note Select 1 individual note number S1 TUNE offsets the pitch S1 LEVEL offsets the volume S1 PAN offsets the pan position S1 INSERT EFF turn effect ON/OFF per key S1 Reverb Send offset send amount INS L.Freq if available, low EQ frequency INS L.Gain if available, low gain INS H.Freq if available, high EQ frequency INS H.Gain if available, high gain INS LFOFreq if available, LFO frequency INS LFODPT if available, LFO Depth INS DryWet balance between Dry and effected INS Drive if available, Drive amount for insert When you are looking at a Preset Voice, the Insertion Effect and the Reverb algorithm are pre-determined. If a parameter is unavailable, then asterisks (****) will appear in the place of a value. The reason it may be unavailable is that only an EQ would need a LOW and HIGH Gain control, only an effect algorithm with a controllable LFO would require an offset for LFO Frequency and LFO Depth, etc. If you happen to select a Kit that has such a need, the parameter will be available. This is also true of the kits you will make yourself. When you send them to the special custom bank you will be able to tweak the same parameters listed above. You would use these kits when you only need to make a few changes to the principal drum sounds. You can make the individual note edits for 4 selected drum Notes (s1~s4). CUSTOM USER KITS If you like the drums sounds in the FLANGER Kit but not the Flanger effect, then you can open this Kit in the Plug-in Board Editor for PLG150-DR as a USER Kit (in affect using the kit map as a template), then apply any effects that you want to the Voice. You could then rename it and store it in one of the 8 locations reserved for your Kits (47/0; 47/1). On each board there is a User Board bank with 8 volatile locations for you to create a customized drum or percussion kit. This kit will be based on one of the 80 Board preset template kits remember the kits are actually different combinations of the principal sounds. From there you can edit each note (instrument), as necessary. In a Custom User Kit you can select which Insertion Effect from among the 35 algorithms, you can select which Reverb effect from among the 12 algorithms and you can edit each note, as necessary. You cannot select your own samples per note; the kits come in prearranged kits (different combinations of the principal drums). That is why there are 80 of them. Take a minute to read closely this next description because it will help you in choosing wisely when making your own kits. The Kits are described in great detail in the Owner s Manual and a close look at the Data List will help you find the combination of drums you need for any scenario. There are 8 KIT locations in the 47/0 bank (DR) and the 47/1 bank (PC) that allow you to select the effects and edit each note's parameters. You cannot, however, select individual drums in a mix-and-match fashion - you are always working from one of the 80 different kit templates. The 80 kits represent different combinations of drums (mixed-andmatched already) from the principal kits. For example: Live Kit A, and Live Kit B are principal drum kits. You have a kit that takes the Kick drum from Live Kit A and combines it with the snare drum of Live Kit B; the hi-hat/cymbals of A; the toms of A and (that would be kit ABAA ). The Kit called ABBA - takes the Kick from A, the snare from B, the hi-hats from B and the toms from A, and so on. Then with the Plug-in Board Editor you can tune, pan, route, etc. each key as necessary. You will find that the AABA kit is then combined with standard percussion mapping: AABA/Prc (these are the notes above C3). Then it is combined with a library of snares above C3: AABA/Sn. In this manner you can find a kit with virtually every permutation. By mixing the principal drums F0-B2, with various percussion, toms, hihats, snares and kicks you can find virtually any combination represented in one kit or another. For example, you can substitute any snare when necessary if you select a kit that has the upper octaves labeled sn. Custom Kits start with one of the 80 template kits. 6
One important difference between these custom user Board Voices and the preset Board Voices is that the user Board Voice kits must be reloaded each time you power up. Of course, this can be either from the computer editor or bulk file. You store the data as a Plug-in Save type file for the slot that you place your PLG board. Saving a Plug-in Save file bulk Press the [UTILITY] button PAGE [>] right until you reach the JOB SEL screen Use the Down cursor to select the Plug-in Save Job Press [SHIFT] + [ENTER] to select it. Set an x next to each PLG slot you wish to back up via bulk (they must contain a PLG150 series board for this function to work i.e., PLG100 series do not have this function). Press [SHIFT] + [ENTER] to execute When completed it will identify the banks it has backed up in memory. These files will remain in the Motif-Rack Flash memory after power down and can be reloaded to the PLG150 board with the Plugin Load Job. It is recommended that you keep a copy of your Kit data in your computer with your editor. If you ever Factory Reset the Motif- Rack this data will be removed from Flash memory. Important Note on the Editors: Plug-in Board Editor for PLG150-DR and Plug-in Board Editor for PLG150-PC : You are working with Board Kits: 47/0 (DR); 47/1 (PC) You can store 8 custom Kits If you are editing a KIT and you are in Voice mode on the Motif-Rack use the SETUP dialog box to set the PART to 1 in the Editor. If you are editing a KIT and you are in MULTI mode use the Editor s SETUP dialog box to set the PART to 16 if your board is in Slot 1; 15 if you board is in Slot 2. Data created with these editors will be bulked to the 47/0 and 47/1 banks on the boards, respectively. VOICE EDITOR for MOTIF-RACK : You are working with Plug-in Kits: 63/24 (Slot 1); 63/25 (Slot 2) these are the PLG_USR kits. You can store 64 User Kits If you are working with the Voice Editor for Motif-Rack you can add Motif-Rack effects, controller routings, Master EQ and can offset the parameters for 4 Notes. If the SQ01 is used as the client application all Voice data created in this editor can be exported and saved in the native format of that sequencer (*.yws) and recalled when the song is reloaded. Frequently Asked Questions What is the difference between the Board Preset banks 079/000 (DR), 079/001 (PC) and the data in the Motif-Rack PLGxPRE and PLGxUSR banks? The 079/xxx bank contains the preset Board data 80 different Kits. It has no Motif-Rack integration as to additional effects or controller setup all effects are on the Board itself. The data that is loaded into the PLGxPRE1 bank at power up are 64 Preset Kits; the PLGxUSR bank are 64 initially blank kits based on 80 Board kits. Both the PLG Preset and User kits can be setup to respond to host effects and/or custom controller settings. Can I route individual drums/percussion sounds from these PLG boards to individual outputs? No. This would require an extremely complex busing scheme. The PLG150 Series boards are single Part boards and the KITS can be routed, as a whole, to the main stereo outputs, the assignable L&R outputs, assignable 1&2, assignable 3&4, or the individual assignable outputs: as1, as2, as3, or as4. But individual drums cannot be re-routed. The whole kit is routed. Can I add Motif-Rack effects to the PLG150- DR/PC board? What is the difference between using the board s effects and using the host s effects? Of course, you can add Motif-Rack effects. When the signal of the PLG150-DR/PC arrives in the host you have the option of applying any of the Insertion and System effects to that Kit as with any of the PLG150 boards. These Voices get stored to the PLGxUSR bank and remain resident in the host even after power down. The only data that disappears is any Custom drum kit data (the 47/0 or 47/1 banks) which must be restored separately via a bulk file or bulked from the Plugin Board Editor for PLG150-DR/PC. The host s 7
effects can be edited from the front panel of the Motif-Rack or via the Voice Editor for Motif-Rack. What is different about the PLG150-DR/PC from other PLG150 series boards? Screen shot of Voice Editor for Motif-Rack: These boards, needless to say, are in kits. A kit is a specialized Voice type where each note is autonomous when it comes to certain parameters. You can, for example, control the tuning of each note, the envelope of each note, and you even have a filter for each note, etc. Where a normal voice treats samples as a group, the drum voice treats samples as individuals. There are musicians and then there are drummers! True individuals. Do the Plug-in Board Editor for PLG150-DR and Plug-in Board Editor for PLG150-PC let me get at any parameters that are unavailable from the host s front panel? Phil Clendeninn Senior Product Specialist Technology Products Yamaha Corporation of America Yes, they do. From the front panel of the Motif- Rack you can only select 4 Notes (four instrument sounds) by key, to edit via offsets to the stored data. You can also edit the INS effect via offsets. If you want to edit the kits, and select your own Insertion effect you need to do so from the Editor. Editing from scratch on these boards entails selecting one of 80 preset sample maps from there you can select effects and edit each note individually. You cannot select each drum wave individually for a kit as you can with internal Drum Voices. You must select one of the pre-arranged kits study the documentation for a clear understanding of how the different kits were combined (do not assume that because you cannot select each wave individually that the programmers of the board did not already anticipate your requirement). Screen shot of Plug Board Editor for PLG150-DR: Does the Voice Editor for Motif-Rack let me get at any parameters that are unavailable from the host s front panel? No. The Voice Editor for Motif-Rack is the equivalent of the Motif-Rack front panel. 8