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I've had the PLG AN, VL, and DX in my S90ES for a while. I use the AN and VL editors to create user board voices from scratch, but I very rarely use the DX Simulator - for one, the UI is not totally compatible with my brain, but mainly because I love the Preset PLG voices from the PLG150-DX. I finally (after years!) found someone selling their FS1R for a reasonable amount, and understand that the FS1R is the ultimate FM synth - multiple waveforms, 8 operators, and that's not even including the AN-style filter or formant sequencing! But does it make the PLG DX obsolete? It seems like as regards synthesis it makes the PLG DX synthesis redundant, but does it contain voices comparable to the PLG PRE voices? I've read that the FS1R's presets have all the "classic" FM sounds, but I don't know if they correspond to the PLG DX's voices. If they do, I'd sell my PLG DX and get another PLG VL (duophonic VL? yes please) in a heartbeat. If not, I'd imagine it would take even longer to get deep into editing on the FS1R, so I'd like to be able to transfer voices. I understand that both the PLG DX and FS1R can receive DX7 dumps, but can the DX Simulator somehow dump DX7 data to the FS1R? Or output a DX7 file readable by the FS1R? If so, would I be able to save the PLG DX preset (board) voices? I don't see access to the preset board voices, just the user board voices from the DX Sim, though it could be due to my lack of experience with this particular editor. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Posted : 22/10/2015 6:47 pm
You seem to understand that the PLG150-DX is a 6 operator version of the Yamaha FM synthesizer (equivalent to the DX7), while the FS1R is a completely different animal. FS is Formant Shaping (has nothing whatever to do the AN1X at all) but with the creation of vocal sounds. The FSEQ you can think of as speech type phrases (rather than being made of musical tones, they can construct phrases that mimic human speech.
The FS1R is 16 operator FM. 8 Voiced Operators (Voiced Operators are similar to those in the DX engine as they are sine wave generators), 8 UnVoiced Operators (responsible from making "elegant noises" like those that shape sound into words). While the FS1R can do everything that any 6-operator Yamaha FM engine could do, it goes far, far, far beyond that.
I understand that both the PLG DX and FS1R can receive DX7 dumps, but can the DX Simulator somehow dump DX7 data to the FS1R?
No. The PLG150-DX is a passive device, it has no means of dumping sounds. True, the both can receive Bulk Dumps from the DX7. The PLG150-DX is passive. It requires a host product - and has no means to output anything but audio.
Or output a DX7 file readable by the FS1R?
No. The PLG150-DX has no means to output anything. It is a receive device only.
If so, would I be able to save the PLG DX preset (board) voices?
No.
Posted : 23/10/2015 1:39 am
Topic starter
Thanks for the quick reply. I understand that the FS1R is so much more than an FM synthesizer. I guess I meant more that one of the bonuses of such a beast is the ability to use algorithms that use only 6 (voiced) operators which is why it can receive DX7 Bulk Dumps. In fact, as a former DSP engineer with some speech compression experience, I know more about formants than about FM when it comes to audio synthesis. I had hoped that the PLG DX, along with the DX Simulator software, would be a handy learning tool, but I've had it for years and for some reason the UI doesn't work for me visually on the computer. I've been fine with this because of the preset voices, so maybe I won't sell it for a second PLG VL. I now understand that the PLG is passive and only outputs audio. My requisite followup question: would the software DX Simulator's output files (.DXC) be somehow converted into a Sysex file representing a DX7's bulk dump? Thanks again Bad Mister!
Posted : 23/10/2015 2:10 am
Topic starter
Let me rephrase that last question for clarity :would the software DX Simulator's output file (.DXC) somehow be ABLE TO BE converted into a sysex file representing a DX7's bulk dump?
Posted : 23/10/2015 2:13 am
No, not that I am aware. What is it that you need to transfer? The FS1R comes with 1,536 Voices - 1,152 of them from the DX-series. Is there some specific Voice you don't find?
Posted : 23/10/2015 11:05 am
Topic starter
After doing some experimenting, I realize what I'm asking is silly. The preset voices I use the most are either classic DX (FM) voices, which are most likely one of the FS1R's presets, or interesting arpeggio presets, which aren't board voices, they're S90ES voices which seemingly use the MSB=83 banks of the PLG DX. I can easily look at the parameters for this voice and replace it with another similar sounding element. So I've decided to replace the PLG DX with a second PLG VL if this FS1R deal goes through. Thanks again!
Posted : 26/10/2015 2:34 pm
