Before you go building a brass ensemble as “rich and ‘big’ as possible”, I highly recommend exploring the factory Presets. I say that because, although the wording of the marching orders might have been slightly different, I’m quite sure the world-class synth programmers that Yamaha assembled already have constructed such a sound.

And while it ‘maybe possible’, it would be highly unlikely that you would surpass their efforts on your very first try. I recommend studying some of the sounds they put together. Learn some of their programming tips. Doing so can avoid problems, and make for efficient programming.

Just simply layering more sounds does not necessarily result in getting a bigger sound. It is true that doubling a sound source does not double the sound output. It takes 10 times the original to make it double in acoustic output. Therefore, just simple layering can eat up your polyphony, there are often better ways to make a sound big that do not have to eat up copious amounts of polyphony.

To build “big” use delay.
Artful use of Time Delay and pan positioning creates the illusion of increasing the size of the ensemble far, far better than just adding layers. And it has the benefit of sounding more realistic and it can use way less polyphony in accomplishing this goal!

In general, you’ll find a couple of brass ensembles... ‘orchestral’ brass and what are called ‘pop’ brass. One is for classical music, the other is a Tower of Power type horn section... If you are into LatinJazz, you’ll immediately want to go through the pop horn Performances, for starters...

Here is an example exploration:
When tasked as a keyboardist to be the horn section, here is an example of a pop horn ensemble that provides the player with a variety of horn articulations — made from four KBD CTRL Parts... the additional Parts each add a specific variety.
”PopHorns Dyn Shake”

Part 1 is a velocity switching horn section that does lion’s share of the work... The Part 1 horn section, includes both saxes and brass, you can clearly feel the spread as you play. The horns are laid out across the keyboard properly, check the Bari saxes, prominent in the appropriate range! — soft-medium-loud response. Sforzando, can be accomplished with the MW gesture (applies negative volume which can be used to drop and slowly bring back in the brass). Velocity will apply the trumpet ‘shakes’... all from just Part 1

And the Super Knob brings in the high trumpets (one octave higher) Part 2, use the FC7 plugged into Foot Controller 2 jack allows you to articulate these high horns when you want to increase the size of the ensemble.

[AsSw1]/[AsSw2] articulates a “doit” and “fall-off”. These access Parts 3 and 4.

You can see some of the effective ways to transition between articulations and different size ensembles... you can begin to substitute your own Parts... maybe instead of high trumpets, you want fade some other ‘brass’ function into the mix. Use the factory Performance to learn about different ways to vary the sound. Build on what is already here, change what you don’t need (you may want to use different variations on the Assign Switches).

Using the Super Knob to dramatically bring in the trumpets an octave higher is one of those gestures that makes this impressive. Holding back the high horns until the musically ‘right moment’ is what can make the horn section thing work. Attempting to get bigger than big sometimes just makes things worse.

Suggestion:
Learn from what is accomplished in this Performance.
Decide which articulations and which gestures appeal to your playing style.
Compare the programming here with other ‘pop horn’ ensembles among the factory programs... you will notice some apply similar, or the same, articulations but maybe using different methods or different controllers to apply them.

Borrow heavily, but take advantage of what is already programmed. Listen to the [AUDITION] phrases, keep an eye on Super Knob movement, Assign Switch activation, etc.

Don’t just layer, try to use the ability to “bring in” additional Parts on cue to enhance what you’re doing. Louder is just Louder, Versatility out performs simply ‘big’ all the time. The contrast is what is effective... Changing smaller to bigger can be more effective than always huge.

Hope that helps...

Great!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll try as soon as possible!!!

Using a Foot Cntroller, could I work directly on super Knob or must I set it??

If you plug a Yamaha FC7 sweep type pedal into the Foot Controller 2 jack on the back panel of your MODX, it will automatically control the Super Knob movement.

Within each factory Performance the “Foot Controller 2” port is set to “Super Knob”.
From the HOME screen of any Performance:
Press [EDIT]
With “Common” in the extreme lower left corner, touch “Control” > “Control Number”
Here is where you can determine what your assignable Controllers will Send Out on a per Performance basis.
This is where “a Super Knob” is set to Foot Controller 2 and gets stored to the current Performance.

Either Foot Controller can be set to Super Knob, if you require.

Extra Credit:
There are three boxes, lower right side, that are inaccessible, but a shortcut box to take you to between global “MIDI Settings” and this local Performance’s “Control Number” screen. The global MIDI Settings apply to all Performances...
If a conflict occurs where things would be adversely effected by your selection, an exclamation mark will appear prior to to Control Change (cc) Number.

“Hooking” the Stored value: The initial position of the Super Knob is stored with the Performance. This means the position of your Foot pedal may physically be un-synchronized from the red Super Knob position indicators. For example, if the Performance is stored such that the Super Knob is due North (straight up with four red indicators), and your pedal is completely in the toe-down or completely in the heel-down position, you must move the Foot Controller past its center position to “hook” the stored value and activate it. Until the pedal passes through that center value the Foot Controller will have no effect.

Sounds silly to say, but: the Foot pedal can move the Super Knob, but the Super Knob does not move the pedal.

Super Knob Super powers: There are eight Common Assign Knobs which can be linked with the Super Knob. The Common Assign Knobs can be linked to Control any of the 16 Performance Part’s Assign Knobs. Each Part has eight Part Assign Knobs. It is by this massive Control Matrix, that you can manipulate scores of parameters. And because each Part has 16 programmable setups, you can determine to a dizzying degree exactly “how much” change, and in which “direction” that change is applied.

Unlike standard MIDI Controls that offer “all” or “nothing at all” type options... this Super Knob/Assign Knob system greatly enhances each controller gesture you setup. At first glance you see four rotary encoders (Knobs) when you start to look deeper you are actually looking at 136 Assignable Knobs... 8 Common Assignments Knobs, and 16 Parts with 8 Part Assign Knobs each.