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Hello folks. I'm new to the forum but have owned an S90XS since 2011. I am not a big synth player - much more of a straight ahead jazz piano player so it has satisfied my needs as a stage piano. However, in the past couple months I have been trying to explore more of the S90XS in-depth functions. One question I can't seem to find an answer to is regarding aftertouch sensitivity. As a piano player, I never even cared much for aftertouch sensitivity. However, I would like to experiment with it. Luckily, I see that my S90XS is advertised as having aftertouch sensitivity! But I cannot find anywhere in the manual about what parameters this aftertouch sensitivity as currently assigned to in the messages sent to the tone generator. For instance, if I want aftertouch sensitivity to send pan messages to the tone generator, where can I set that? If I wanted aftertouch to send modulation or pitch bend messages to the tone generator, where can that be set.
I am envisioning playing choosing a synth voice in the tone generator, then using the keyboard's aftertouch sensitivity sensors based on the pressure I apply after the key-bottom-out to send pitch bend messages to the tone generator rather than using the pitch bend wheel. Is this possible with the S90XS?
Thanks!
Posted : 18/10/2016 8:12 pm
Hi John,
Welcome to Yamaha Synth.
Aftertouch, is its own category of MIDI control message that, as you know, has not role in acoustic piano emulation. It is a control that originated in its modern form on analog synthesizers, where after the initial key strike intiates the Note-On you can apply some change by varying the downward pressure.
Values from 0-127 can be applied to a variety of parameter destinations. You will find information about Aftertouch and other "Source" devices. A Source device is commonly called a "controller". The parameter it is assigned to change is called the "Destination". You scale the application of the controller by setting the"Depth"
Please read through pages 39-40 in the Reference Manual. And while it may not appear to tell yo much, it does provide exactly what you need to know to learn more about how to use it.
Before we begin, with the S90 XS/S70 XS, while you can edit many of the parameters, some will only be accessible through the "Yamaha S90 XS/S70 XS Editor Standalone/VST". If you've never used it, bows a great time to try it out. It's a free download from the Yamaha download site (for Windows or Mac)
The best way to learn about setting up Controller Sets is to study ones already made. A basic controller assignment is to set the Mod Wheel as the Source, and an LFO doing Pitch Modulation as a Destination... This very common assignment places what we musician's refer to as vibrato on the MW. This is a very typical assignment you will see in a Controller Set.
Call up the VOICE: "Woody Harp" Preset 5:037(C05)
This is a perfect Z lice to experiment and learn about how Aftertouch is used to not only coarse tune the harmonica flat, but it also darkens the sound by changing the filter cutoff.
Press [EDIT]
Select "COMMON"
Select "CONTROLLER"
There are actually six Controller Sets.
Src = Source
Dest = Destination
Dpt = Depth
(You cannot edit the individual Element switches from the front panel, you'll notice the manual has "EDITOR" highlighted to indicate the this deeper level of editing is only available through the computer Editor.
But there is plenty to experiment with the Control Set that has Aftertouch as the Source, you'll see it is assigned coarse tune in a negative Depth, so Aftertouch will dip the pitch, change the Depth. It's self explanatory. Depth = 0 means no change.
Depending on the parameter Destination, the positive and negative may or may not make sense.
In other words setting a controller to increase the volume of something already at maximum, will have no affect.
If you have the editor you can see the overview of the Controller matrix more easily.
Posted : 18/10/2016 11:12 pm
