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Volumes, key splits and scenes

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 John
Posts: 0
Eminent Member
Topic starter
 

Hey all. Having issues all of a sudden. as follows:
-- pick parts for a performance
-- go to Scene 1 turn on and off parts as needed
-- save performance
This is where I'm doing something wrong. Say I choose Scene 1 and discover the volume on one of the parts AND/OR the keyboard split needs adjustment.
I highlight the part, hit edit, then general then volume and set the volume where I want it. I go back "home" and set the key split then save. ]
All is good until I go to another scene then back to scene 1 and the volumes and splits I "stored" didn't store.
Can someone please set this old guy straight on what the heck i'm doing wrong?
Thanks friends
Johnny Ack

 
Posted : 25/01/2023 2:30 pm
Posts: 1717
Member Admin
 

On the Performance view, when you first load the Performance, there's a Scene button to the far left, about midway down.

This reveals all the things that will and won't be saved into your stored Scenes.

For reasons that I tend to think of as being some of the most user hostile within this OS, this defaults to NOT saving anything much. You have to turn on what gets saved, by activating the (what will become green) choices along the top of the screen.

I know this shitfulness, full well, and it still catches me out frequently.

It is far, far beyond annoying that the Scene Save function isn't fully operational by default.

 
Posted : 25/01/2023 4:30 pm
 John
Posts: 0
Eminent Member
Topic starter
 

Andrew, Thanks for responding and for the info. To be sure I understand, once I hit the Scene button midway down on left, and am on the scene page, there are On and Off buttons for various things, ie: volume etc?

 
Posted : 25/01/2023 5:08 pm
Posts: 1717
Member Admin
 

[quotePost id=120193]Andrew, Thanks for responding and for the info. To be sure I understand, once I hit the Scene button midway down on left, and am on the scene page, there are On and Off buttons for various things, ie: volume etc? [/quotePost]

The "Mixing" Options are for volume... I think... from memory. Yamaha has a way with words, too...

 
Posted : 25/01/2023 5:23 pm
Posts: 1717
Member Admin
 

I should add... I go in here (Scenes Options Menu, I call it) and just turn everything on, so that Scenes save everything they can save... as it should be 😉

 
Posted : 25/01/2023 5:59 pm
Posts: 773
Prominent Member
 

-- pick parts for a performance
-- go to Scene 1 turn on and off parts as needed
-- save performance
This is where I'm doing something wrong. Say I choose Scene 1 and discover the volume on one of the parts AND/OR the keyboard split needs adjustment.
I highlight the part, hit edit, then general then volume and set the volume where I want it. I go back "home" and set the key split then save. ]

I can't reproduce what you report based on what you posted.

You said you 'choose Scene 1' and then say you 'highlight the part'. You can't 'highllight' a part on the scene screen so did you go back to the performance home screen?

You also don't mention what MEMORY switches you turned ON from the SCENE screen.. You must have turned on the Kbd Ctrl switch in order to 'pick parts'.

Did you also turn ON the button above where it says 'Mixing 1' and 'Mixing 2'?

1. Data on the SCENE screen is automatically saved into a scene when you turn ON one or more of the buttons.

2. If you have scene 1 selected and turn on that ON button above 'Mixing 1' and 'Mixing 2' you will NOT see any of the mixing values yet because you haven't yet selected MIXING 1 or MIXING 2 buttons.

BUT - those mixing values, that you can't even see yet, will AUTOMATICALLY be saved into scene 1

3. So now you go to the performance home screen, change the volume for part 1 and save the performance.

The performance will now have the NEW volume for part 1 but the scene will have the OLD value for part 1.

I think that may be what you are describing.

 
Posted : 25/01/2023 6:14 pm
Bad Mister
Posts: 12304
 

Hey all. Having issues all of a sudden. as follows:
-- pick parts for a performance
-- go to Scene 1 turn on and off parts as needed
-- save performance
This is where I'm doing something wrong. Say I choose Scene 1 and discover the volume on one of the parts AND/OR the keyboard split needs adjustment.
I highlight the part, hit edit, then general then volume and set the volume where I want it. I go back "home" and set the key split then save.
All is good until I go to another scene then back to scene 1 and the volumes and splits I "stored" didn't store.
Can someone please set this old guy straight on what the heck i'm doing wrong?

What is most likely where things go wrong: you are confusing the Volume that is "stored" for the Performance Part, and the Volume value that can be "stored" in one of the 8 Performance Scenes. These two types of storage are two separate things... with separate uses.

Think of the SCENE Memory (Mixing 1 Volume) setting as being one of eight different offsets (in your case: to Volumes) you can store within this Performance. Useful for instantly changing parameter conditions - in music you might need to increase or decrease the pre-set Volume of a Part for a particular section of the composition - and then you may need to return, instantaneously, to the initial specific Volume value. It is like having tons of hands to execute instantaneous, precise changes (we refer to this type of "snapshot" memory as a form of automation).

When you are accessing the "Scene" Memory screen, any changes you make are stored instantly to the current (active) Scene. The screen itself is a 'status report' of your automated values. If you are looking at Scene Memory screen and have selected "MIXING 1" = ON, you can input a new Volume setting for each Part for the currently active Scene. The currently active Scene will be shown in bright blue across the top of the SCENE screen.

Important to realize that when you are not on the "Scene" Memory screen, any changes you make to Volume settings are not instantly stored (of course not). These are considered temporary changes - those you might use while performing. These temporary changes are only stored when you actually push the dedicated front panel [STORE] button and either "OVERWRITE" the current Performance or direct the data to a "NEW PERFORMANCE" USER location.

Once you activate a SCENE Memory storage - you should enter a value for each individual SCENE that you might possibly recall - "because MIDI data persists".
Like the Newtonian Law of Physics: A MIDI value that is changed will remain changed until acted upon by receiving a command to change again.

Example: If Scene 1 the Volume is 100 and in Scene 2 the Volume is 90 -- and no other Scene Volumes are stored.
If you go from SCENE 1 to SCENE 3 - and no specific Volume is stored for Scene 3, the Volume will be inherited from Scene 1 (100)
If you go from SCENE 2 to SCENE 3 - with no specific Volume stored in Scene 3, the Volume will be inherited from Scene 2 (90)

Your solution (since you started to use the SCENE Memory) is to edit your Performance SCENE Memory, the MIXING 1 = ON setting for each of the SCENE memory locations you are will be using.
Then STORE your Performance by pressing the [STORE] button.

Now each time you press a [SCENE] memory 1-8 the values that you desire will be recalled.

Extra Credit:
There are eight SCENE MEMORY Switches controlling the ten types of information that can be captured and recalled:

Arp - the currently active “Arp Select”, 1-8. The main ArpSw must be active
Motion Seq - the currently active “Motion Seq Select”, 1-8. The main MS Sw must be active
Super Knob - the current position of the Super Knob.
Super Knob Link – which of the 8 Common Knobs are linked to Super Knob movement
Mixing 1 – “RevSend”, “VarSend”, “Dry Level”, “Pan”, “Volume” for each of the 16 Parts
Mixing 2 – “Cutoff”, “Resonance”, “FEG Depth”, “Mute” for each of the 16 16 Parts
Kbd Ctrl – the currently active Keyboard Transmit configuration
AEG - Attack, Decay, Sustain Release of the Amplitude Envelope Generator
Arp/MS FX1 – Swing Quantize, Unit Multiply, Gate Time, Velocity
Arp/MS FX2 – Amplitude, Shape, Smooth, Random

A SCENE snapshot can remember the current status.

 
Posted : 25/01/2023 6:14 pm
Posts: 773
Prominent Member
 

When you are accessing the "Scene" Memory screen, any changes you make are stored instantly to the current (active) Scene. If you are looking at Scene Memory screen and have selected "MIXING 1" = On, you can input a new Volume setting for each Part for the currently active Scene.

Important to note that those 'scene' changes are also made (but not yet stored) 'instantly' to the performance as well.

So if the part 1 volume (on performance home) is 100 and you change the part 1 volume for scene 1 to 80 then not only is 80 STORED as the scene 1 volume for part 1 but the part 1 volume as displayed on the home screen will also be 80. The part 1 volume stored with the performance will still be the original 100 unless you save the changes made to the scene and, implicitly, the performance.

1. saved performance has volume 100
2. load performance and change scene volume to 80 and save the performance
3. saved performance now have volume 80

That is one of the 'anomalies' users have complained about in the past.

When you make scene changes to one of your performances your performance settings get changed as a side effect and you have to MANUALLY reset them.

Many moons ago I reported that as a 'bug'. That there is no way to access or refer to the stored performance specs so that you can base a scenes settings off of them.

That is, there needs to be an ON/OFF switch at the scene level. Currently there is ALWAYS a 'selected' scene with the default being scene 1. And once you turn ANY memory switch of ANY scene ON the default performance parameters are no longer available.

I don't want my stored performance settings to reflect scene 6 just because the last change I made was to scene 6 or to now reflect scene 3 if I need to make a later change to scene 3.

Scene settings need to be independent of the stored performance settings.

 
Posted : 25/01/2023 6:45 pm
Posts: 1717
Member Admin
 

[quotePost id=120198]
Your solution (since you started to use the SCENE Memory) is to edit your Performance SCENE Memory, the MIXING 1 = ON setting for each of the SCENE memory locations you are will be using.
Then STORE your Performance by pressing the [STORE] button.

Now each time you press a [SCENE] memory 1-8 the values that you desire will be recalled.

[/quotePost]

When you turn on Mixing saving in Scenes, and several Scenes had previously been stored prior to the Mixing saving having been activated for all Scenes, what values are they storing, by default, as you jump from Scene to Scene to do this?

I can't imagine a situation where the user gets what they want when activating Mixing saving later (after having saved some Scenes without Mixing saving on) unless they also then set and save each Scene's volume... such is the user "friendliness" of the default behaviour of Scene storage.

Hence why, if I remember to do it when building a new Performance, I turn on all Scene saving features before getting busy with editing, so that I don't lose anything, and recommend this approach to anyone else thinking of seriously attempting to learn to use Scenes.

 
Posted : 25/01/2023 7:01 pm
 John
Posts: 0
Eminent Member
Topic starter
 

Thanks for all the input, but especially Bad Mister, somehow, I totally understand your explanation. One last question,
Exactly what is the function of the keboard control ( keys in a green setting vs gray)?

 
Posted : 25/01/2023 7:11 pm
Posts: 773
Prominent Member
 

Exactly what is the function of the keboard control ( keys in a green setting vs gray)?

Didn't you use that to accomplish this?

go to Scene 1 turn on and off parts as needed

That setting determines whether that part sounds when YOU play the keyboard. The owner and reference docs have the details:

Owner doc p26

Switching Keyboard Control on/off for Parts

Ref doc p28

Keyboard Control switch
Determines whether the Keyboard Control for each Part is on or off. When this switch is set to off, the
Part will not sound even you play the keyboard (unless the Part is selected).
Settings: Off, On

 
Posted : 25/01/2023 7:15 pm
 John
Posts: 0
Eminent Member
Topic starter
 

ooof course I did. Geesh i'm such a geek. Man thank you for helping me your knowledge is food for the mind and I couldn't be where I am with the ModX without it!
Thanks so much

 
Posted : 25/01/2023 7:33 pm
Posts: 773
Prominent Member
 

I usually just waste scene 8 and use it to store my base performance settings so I don't lose them when trying to get the other things (scenes, arps, etc) set up the way I want.

That way I can always select scene 8 and then resave the performance to restore my stored performance back to what I want my default to be.

That leaves me with 7 usuable scenes and prevents any accidental changing of the base setup.

 
Posted : 25/01/2023 9:24 pm
Jason
Posts: 7907
Illustrious Member
 

I think everything's been said - but my quick summary of possibilities would be:

1) You make a volume change and [STORE] the Performance. This doesn't change what's in the scene. You need to first select the scene you want to modify (so the settings are close), change the volume of the Part(s) you want to alter, then press [SHIFT] + Scene Button (whichever one is the scene you want to modify, whichever you pressed at first to recall the settings). Then finally [STORE] the entire Performance so your edits to the Scene are stored to your User Performance.

and/or ...

2) Scene memory isn't turned on for Mixing for the scene number you're saving. Each scene button can have different memory settings (choice of altering a set of parameters or leaving them as-is). This would be required for the above to work.

 
Posted : 25/01/2023 9:47 pm
Bad Mister
Posts: 12304
 

Thanks for all the input, but especially Bad Mister, somehow, I totally understand your explanation. One last question,
Exactly what is the function of the keboard control ( keys in a green setting vs gray)?

Your quite welcome!

Basically, on a standard 16 Part multi-timbral synth engine, you select a Part directly to engage it... here, since you can transmit to multiple Parts, simultaneously, it is the KBD CTRL icon that allows you to activate or deactivate a Part for interaction with your Keys and (standard) performing Controllers (MW, PB, FC, Sustain, etc., etc.,).

if a Part has the KBD CTRL icon active (green) it is capable of sounding under the proper conditions...

The Common Assign Knobs, Super Knob and Motion Sequencer, much like the on-board Performance Recorder (MIDI Song and Pattern Sequencers ) can address any and/or all of the 16 PARTs. There are 8 Parts that you can address simultaneously via the KBD CTRL (Keyboard Control) function (ie, play normally).

It does not mean that a Common Assign Knob (8) or the Super Knob or the Performance Recorder or the Motion Sequencer, for that matter, can't be used to address all of the Parts, simultaneously. It simply means that the keys, and standard physical controllers, that you use to perform normally, can address 8 Parts, simultaneously. (If 8 Parts are active it is the equivalent of playing 8 Motif XF Voices, or playing a TX816)

You can certainly have a Performance Sequence or a Motion Sequence addressing a non-KBD CTRL Part.
It is even possible to have a non-KBD CTRL Part responding to an Arpeggio on a Part (useful when you have a drum groove that you simply want to have playing while you use the KBD CTRL Parts for playing along over top of the drums).

You might use 13 Parts (4-16) for playing back a MIDI sequence while you play Parts 1, 2 and 3 in real-time (under KBD CTRL). You can still use a Common Assign Knob or the Super Knob or a Motion Sequence to control the Volume of the sequenced Parts separately from the KBD CTRL group that you are triggering live. In fact, you can create a Motion Sequence to create a Fade Out of the backing Parts while you control the KBD CTRL group completely separately.

Extra Credit:
Did you know: The Motion Sequencer does not generate any MIDI data. It is a way to create automation within the synth engine.

When you see a green (active) KBD CTRL icon active, Parts 1-8, it means that you can access these PARTs either with the keys directly or via an Arpeggiator assigned to trigger and control that Part. It does not mean it is sounding, necessarily - it means it is capable of sounding under the programming conditions that you setup.

You can layer 8 sounds but recognize that most of the Factory sounds do not do this to play them all simultaneously - the additional Parts are most often used to expand your palette of articulations or they provide musical accompaniment via assigned Arp Phrases or in many cases you can switch instruments entirely. Example: "CFX + FM EP 2" Part 1 is an acoustic piano, Part 2 is an electric piano. Both PARTs have KBD CTRL active but only sound when the Super Knob conditions are met.

Since each Part has its own dedicated Track - when KBD CTRL is active (green), that Part's activity will be documented to its Track if you place the unit in RECORD. All 16 Tracks of the Performance go into RECORD when you engage the Record button. Obviously only those tracks that you are currently in communication with will capture data. (You have original record and all subsequent tracks are overdubs).

If you wish to play just a single Part, alone, you simply select it directly (no KBD CTRL is necessary).
Any Part, 1-8, with the KBD CTRL icon active joins the group... selecting any one Part in the KBD CTRL grouping actually selects all of them for interaction via the keyboard. Yes, you can EDIT each individually but they behave as a group in response to keyboard input.

 
Posted : 25/01/2023 9:59 pm
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