Setting up a Microphone, Guitar or other A/D INPUT (Test)
Setting up a Microphone, Guitar, Bass, Mixer or other A/D INPUT
How to setup the A/D INPUT: A/D is short for Analog-to-Digital. We will use a microphone for our example but you could substitute a guitar, a bass, hand-held playback device, your band’s mixer or virtually any kind of audio device. These are analog signals and we are going to convert their audio to digital signals inside the MOXF6/MOXF8. In some setups you will be able to route this signal through the powerful effect processors.
First, turn the front panel A/D GAIN Control all the way down (best place to start because you do not want to blow your ears off when you get proper signal)
You must set the A/D INPUT’s MIC/LINE parameter to match the type of signal you are connect:
- Press [UTILITY]
- Press [SF6] OTHER
Set the MIC/LINE parameter as appropriate for your input source. Here’s how to determine what that is:
MIC – for generally weak signals. Microphones and guitars/basses for that matter, work on very small voltages and are considered weak signal sources. After all, how much voltage do you think moving a tiny magnet in a coil of wire produces? Therefore for these type of signals the “MIC” setting will add a significant boost (pre-amp). Microphones generally output signals around -50dB and guitars are about -35dB
LINE – for more powerful signals. Tape decks, CD players, keyboards, mixers, hand-held playback devices, etc. can have output levels of -10dB through +4dB or higher and therefore do not require much of a preamp boost.
If you have an electric guitar, set the MIC/LINE to “MIC” and use the front panel GAIN control and meter to adjust your level. The MIC/LINE parameter is to get you in the ballpark, and the GAIN control to adjust it from there. If you cannot get enough level from your guitar, most likely it is due to not having set the MIC/LINE parameter properly to accommodate that type of signal. Once you do, you should have more than enough level. In general, use common sense (and your meter).
The A/D INPUT will have its own channel and its own set of parameters. There will be one set of parameters for the A/D signal that applies for all of [VOICE] mode. (You set these up in UTILITY mode) as follows:
VOICE Mode
• Press [VOICE] to enter VOICE mode
• Press [UTILITY]
• Press [F3] VOICE A/D
Here you can access the parameters that will control the A/D INPUT for all of VOICE mode.
[SF1] OUTPUT – here you can set the subjective (listening) Volume, Pan, SYSTEM effect Sends, additionally, you can set whether the source is MONO or STEREO. By the way, your guitar is most likely a mono input set the MONO/STEREO parameter to match the jack to which you connected the guitar (LMono). If you are not able to hear the SYSTEM (Reverb and Chorus) applied to your input, this is due to the current USB I/O mode you are setup to use. More on this later.
[SF2] CONNECT – here you can assign INSERTION EFFECTS
[SF3] and [SF4] – here you can EDIT the selected INSERTION EFFECTS
You can use the A/D INPUT and set it up in each PERFORMANCE, each SONG, and/or each PATTERN as you require for that particular program.
PERFORMANCE Mode
If you are in [PERFORM] mode
• Press [EDIT]
• Press [COMMON]
• Press [F5] A/D IN
Your settings will be STORED when you STORE the PERFORMANCE
SONG/PATTERN Modes
If you are in [SONG] or [PATTERN] mode
• Press [MIXING]
• Press [EDIT]
• Press [COMMON]
• Press [F5] A/D IN
Your settings will be STORED when you STORE the Sequence and Mix.
Setup for Audio processing
The A/D PART has its own setup parameters
If you are going to route your A/D INPUT Part to the main Left and Right outputs (L&R), you can use the System Reverb and Chorus Effects, and additionally assign the A/D PART its own (2) INSERTION EFFECTS. If, however, you are going to route the A/D INPUT PART to your DAW (you would do so in a situation where you are recording it as audio to your computer) then this is a situation where you want the signal isolated from the rest of the system. In this case, it will not use the SYSTEM EFFECTS, nor the MASTER FX or the MASTER EQ. The MOXF6/MOXF8 allows you to send the A/D INPUT on its own discreet stereo feed to your computer (USB 1/2) when you are using the 4CH (Dual Stereo configuration) set as “2StereoRec”.
This routing scenario is setup to isolate the A/D PART from the rest of the signals – precisely because you want to process it differently from the rest. In such a case, you have the capability of assigning your A/D PART its own setup of INSERTION EFFECTS. The Insertion Effects can include reverbs, delays, leveling amplifies (compressor/limiters) etc., etc.
In a use case where you are performing “live”, you would set your USB I/O mode to “1StereoRec” (a single stereo output). In this routing scenario, all PARTS including the A/D PART can utilize all the effects before traveling to the SYSTEM OUTPUTS (L&R).
• Press [UTILITY]
• Press [F5] USB I/O
• Set the MODE = 1StereoRec
• Press [SF6] INFO to see why this is preferred
All signals have all processors available.
That is, both the “A/D IN” and the internal Synth “PARTS” have access to the INSERTION, SYSTEM and MASTER Effects.
If you want to process the A/D Input you can use the INSERTION EFFECTS, let’s set that up now.
In VOICE mode:
• Press [UTILITY]
• Press [F3] VCE A/D (VOICE Mode A/D)
• Press [SF2] CONNECT
Here you can select any two INSERTION EFFECTS. You have access to all manner of effect types (Reverbs, Delays, Chorus, Flangers, Phasers, etc., etc., etc.) . There are always going to be INSERTION EFFECTS available for the A/D INPUT while you are in VOICE mode.
In PERFORMANCE mode:
• Press [EDIT]
• Press [COMMON]
• Press [F5] A/D IN
• Press [SF2] CONNECT
Here you can select any two INSERTION EFFECTS. You have access to all manner of effect types (Reverbs, Delays, Chorus, Flangers, Phasers, etc., etc., etc.) . There are three PARTS that can utilize INSERTION EFFECTS at any one time while you are in PERFORMANCE mode. You can select which three PARTS are going to do so as follows:
• Press [F6] EFFECT
• Press [SF2] INS SW (Insertion Effect Switch)
Make sure that the INSERT SWITCH is checked for the A/D PART – remember a maximum of 3 PARTS can simultaneously have their INSERTION EFFECTS active, so you may need to turn OFF (uncheck) one of the synth PARTS in order to activate the INSERTION EFFECTS on the A/D PART
In SONG / PATTERN modes:
• Press [MIXING]
• Press [EDIT]
• Press [COMMON]
• Press [F5] A/D IN
• Press [SF2] CONNECT
Here you can select any two INSERTION EFFECTS.
• Press [F6] EFFECT
• Press [SF2] INS SWITCH
In SONG MIXING or PATTERN MIXING modes, you can activate the INSERTION EFFECT Switch for a maximum of 3 PARTS.
To turn on the Insertion Effect for the A/D input while in a MIXING mode:
Make sure that the INSERT SWITCH is checked for the A/D PART – remember a maximum of 3 PARTS can simultaneously have their INSERTION EFFECTS active, so you may need to turn OFF (uncheck) one of the synth PARTS in order to activate the INSERTION EFFECTS on the A/D PART
• Please turn down your main Volume. It is always a good idea when scrolling through effects to prevent ear damage.
You have the dual processors, INSERTION A and INSERTION B.
Set the INSERTION A to the “Cmp” category and select the “VCM Compressor 376”. The VCM Compressor will allow you to maximize your level and add presence and punch vocals.
• Press [SF3] INS_A to edit the selected Insertion Effect parameters.
Because there may be more parameters than fit on one screen, if the word “PAGE>” appear near the top center of the screen, use the [>] RIGHT CURSOR arrow to Page to the right. If “<PAGE” appear use the [<] LEFT CURSOR arrow to Page to the left.
Now you can edit the INSERTION_A effect. Just below the CATEGORY and Effect TYPE you will see that you can select a <b>PRESET</b>. Move the cursor to highlight the “PRESET” parameter. Yamaha recognizes you may not be a seasoned recording engineer, in fact this maybe your first time editing professional effects. Not to worry, there are typically several PRESETs that you can try out and then tweak to your liking. The best way to utilize the Presets is to try one that is generally descriptive of what you are trying to do. But do not expect it to magically be perfect (it happens but it is the exception, not the rule). These are again to get you in ballpark (generally close), you are meant to tweak the parameters to get it perfect. The highly acclaimed Yamaha VCM effects are among the most powerful ever available inside a synthesizer and have ‘trickled down’ to the MOXF6/MOXF8 from the $20,000+ Yamaha digital consoles.
This will let you select from a list of preset setups for the “VCM Compressor 376”. Use the DATA WHEEL or INC button and select the Preset called, “Vocal Comp 117x”. This preset is a good starting point for vocals. If you are routing your A/D INPUT to the USB 1/2 Outputs, you will be bypassing the SYSTEM EFFECTS, the MASTER EFFECTS and the MASTER EQ… so in order to use MOXF6/MOXF8 reverberation, you might opt to select a reverb algorithm as the second effect (of course, this is entirely up to you).
Press [F5] USB I/O
In the “IN ALL MIDI” column – the “Yamaha MOXF6/MOXF8-1” (port 1) is marked. This is the PORT on which the MOXF will communicate musical MIDI data to and receive data from the computer. Only PORTS that are legitimate MIDI INPUT devices should be marked here. Of the Ports appearing for the MOXF6/MOXF8 only Port 1 concerns the MOXF as a Input device. If you connect an external controller device to the MOXF’s 5-pin MIDI IN jack, you would mark “Yamaha MOXF6/MOXF8-3” (port 3). But nothing but the specific MIDI ports that send Note-on, data should be marked!