Yamaha S90 User manual

S90 & PLG150-DX
Power User Plus Pack:
DX_DRIVER
64 DX Board Voices and 64 S90 Plug-in Voices using that data
PluginAllBulk file (DXDriver.w2b): Load this file through the FILE Type that matches your PLG150-
DX board. These are PLG150-DX BOARD Voices for bank 035/000
DX SIMULATOR file (DXDriver.dxc): Open with the DX Simulator program. Within the Simulator open
“DX EDIT LIST” view to see how the Voices were made.
ALL data file (DXALLS90.w4a): Load this file through the ALL FILE type. These are S90 level PLUG-IN
Voices that point to waveforms generated on the PLG150-DX board.
VOICE EDITOR for S90 file (DriverS1.w4e); (DriverS2.w4e); (DriverS3.w4e): Open the file for your
Slot (S1, S2 or S3) with the Voice Editor for S90 or load it directly to the S90 via the VOICE EDITOR
File type. Open this file in the Editor to see how the S90 parameters were applied to the Board Voices
to make the PLG User Voices.

PLG150-DX Custom User Voice data
The DX synth engine is based on FM or Frequency
Modulation (yes, the same FM that is used for
radio – albeit that FM synthesis takes place mostly
in the audible frequency band –below 20kHz). To
gain an understanding of FM synthesis you have
to appreciate waveforms and how waveform
shapes are perceived by the human ear and brain.
Analog synthesizers began by electronically
creating ‘geometric’ waveforms, i.e., sine waves,
square waves, pulse waves, sawtooth waves etc.
These mathematically ‘perfect’ wave shapes do
not, by themselves, sound like musical
instruments that we know. But with the help of
filters (to remove some harmonics) and envelopes
to shape the sound, you could program some
crude musical instrument emulations. Describing
sound is always difficult it is always best to hear
the examples. But if you know what a sine wave
looks like (and you could not have gotten through
school in America without studying sine waves in
math class) you know that it is a smooth wavy
line that starts at 0, and at 90 degrees reaches
maximum returns to 0 at 180 degrees, then
reaches the lowest point a 270 degrees before
returning to 0 at 360 degrees. Getting that math
class headache yet? Too bad they didn’t relate
math to sound – it might have made class much
more interesting and fun (at least for the future
musicians, most of whom were sound asleep).
Well, roughly speaking a sine wave is devoid of
harmonics…er, harmonics are like the fingerprint
of the sound. Your ear and brain use the
harmonics of a sound to identify it. Harmonics
explain how you can tell one person’s speaking
voice from another, how you can tell a trumpet
playing A440 from a trombone playing A440 – the
harmonic content is different. The instrument
sounds with the least amount of harmonic content
sound “flute-like” to our ears (a whistle has very
few harmonics), while a square wave – odd
harmonics only – sounds very much like a
clarinet’s tone. Pulse waves, the narrower they
are the more nasal they sound – oboe sounds are
described as nasal and so are clavinet sounds.
Sawtooth wave shapes give us a variety of
sounds, both brass and strings. Selecting a
waveform on an analog synth would get you in
the ballpark. And from the rough descriptions I
have given you here you could build instrument
emulations. But FM synthesis, as introduced by
the DX7, back in 1983 provided you with these
things called “operators” that only output sine
waves only. What to do? Many people stopped
right there and never explored the vast sonic
capability that lies within FM synthesis. To make a
long complex story short, the operators were
themselves complete little engines that could
influence the harmonic content of each other. The
output of one operator could be applied to the
input of another to create a more complex wave
shape. Like FM technology in radio broadcast
(where it is in the Megahertz range - far beyond
audible waveforms) there are Modulator and
Carrier. In the DX the frequency modulation takes
place at much lower frequencies (the range of
human hearing – so a crystal set is not necessary
to interpret the waveforms). The germ idea was
born when Dr. John Chowning, CCRMA at Stanford
University, was observing a violinist add vibrato to
a string. The bow (horsehair) is dragged across
the string (cat gut) causing the string to vibrate at
a known frequency. At the same time the
musician is applying a Low Frequency Oscillator
(the left hand) varying the length of the vibrating
string (lengthening and shorting the vibrating
area alters the pitch) – what is called applying
vibrato to the string. This LFO is applied at a rate
of a few oscillations per second, while the bow is
causing the string to oscillate at a much higher
rate (perhaps 440 cycles per second = A440).
Well, Dr. Chowning’s idea had to do with “what
if”…what if you sped the vibrato, the modulating
frequency, up into the audible frequency range
20-20,000 cycles per second, what would that do
to the overall response of the instrument? What
influence would that have on the tone/timbre of
the sound? That is how FM synthesis was born.1
The answer was a whole new method of creating
timbres was born.
To get into learning about FM synthesis it
is a good method to start out recreating the
geometric wave shapes we spoke of: sine, square,
pulse, sawtooth. Then you can build on these
familiar sounds and branch out. In FM the
‘Carrier’ is the signal that carries the sound you
hear – it is analogous to the bowed violin string –
its oscillation is audible. The ‘Modulator’ is the
signal that is applied to the carrier to modify the
sound – it is analogous to the vibrato applied by
the musician’s left hand. Although you hear its
effect on the sound, you do not hear the
modulator, directly. You hear its influence on the
carrier. Therefore when you see a diagram of an
FM algorithm, the carriers are always on the
bottom row and the modulators are stacked above
the carrier. Each carrier is audible directly, while
each modulator influences the timbre of the
operator beneath it. Stacks can become quite
complex, but only those operators on the bottom
of the algorithm chart are audible directly. You
can stack modulator on top of modulator and get
very complex tones – as you will hear from this
set. Operators can even modulate themselves
(called a feedback loop) and since output can be
1By the way he couldn’t find a musician capable of this
so he decided to do it electronically.
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controlled by velocity and other controllers you
have a degree of timbral control over harmonic
content that samples can’t even dream about. So
while samples offer a very accurate wave shape to
start, your ability to manipulate on an organic
level is nil. FM wave shapes are not as emulative
of instruments to start but the behavior and
degree of control over harmonic content is
unprecedented.
In the algorithm above operators 1, 3, 4 and 5 are
Carriers (meaning you can hear their output)
while operators 2 and 6 are Modulators (means
their output is only heard by its affect on the
Carriers to which they are connected. Without the
Modulators each Carrier would sound only a ‘sine
wave’. Operator 6, above, is the feedback
operator.
When you have a simple 2-operator FM stack,
Modulator/Carrier, and the coarse tuning ratio of
each is 1.00 and the output of the modulator is
about at ¾ output (about 75), you will generate a
fairly perfect sawtooth waveform. If you increase
the ratio of the modulator so that it is 2:1 tuning
ratio to the carrier you will generate a square
wave. Any whole integer ratio 3:1, 4:1, 5:1 or
greater will generate an ever-narrowing pulse
wave. If the ratio is a non-whole integer
relationship, you will generate what would be
described as a ‘bell tone’. That is the
fundamentals of FM – of course, it can get very
much more complex (FM is a real form a
synthesis that can be studied at the college level),
with nested feedback loops and interaction
between operators. Filters were unnecessary in
the original FM synthesizer since you were
constructing the harmonic content more directly.
To really get into FM you need to understand side-
band frequencies and Bessel functions but most
FM synthesis can be carried out on an intuitive
basis once you understand the fundamentals.
If none of this interests you, it is okay. You can
just enjoy the sounds. But without much
exaggeration I can say that most of what is
possible with DX-style FM has yet to be explored.
And there are sounds that nothing but DX-style
FM can do. Notice I didn’t say it could do
everything – but there are sounds that nothing
else on the planet can do. It is estimated that
there are some 10,000 useable FM sounds out
there floating around. Some people insist they can
“sample” it – you can’t. Well, of course, you can,
but what you miss is the interaction of the
modulator and carrier within the sound. Each
operator has its own envelope, its own response
to velocity, etc. – this makes what happens within
the FM voice a ‘living’ thing – it is more organic
than can be captured in a simple sample of a
waveform. Envelopes and output indexes can be
influenced on a continuous basis, which in turn
changes the timbre of the sound as you increase
playing intensity – this is what cannot be
sampled. The tremendous success of the DX7
‘back-in-the-day’ was not based on anything more
than musicians thought that the sound was ‘cool’.
Most DX7 owners never programmed an FM Voice
– the least pressed button in the world was the
EDIT button on a DX7. It was way too complicated
– but a good lesson was learned here –
complexity comes in a paltry second to SOUND
when musician’s make up their mind they like
something. (Well, duh, most sax players don’t
have a clue about how a saxophone makes sound
and would be hard pressed to discuss Bernoulli’s
principle and the Graham Non-linear curve, and
just what is hysteresis and the fricative value and
what does it have to do with saxophone tone?)
However, if you want to get involved with
programming and tweaking FM – you will find
your results their own reward. There is an
excellent tutorial on-line at the Yamaha Digital
Music World site – with a number of lessons
taking you through the world of sine waves and
operators – and the first ‘synthesizers’.
Visit the FM Tone Generator Seminar at:
http://www.digitalmusicworld.com/html/hardw
are/SynthsTutorial.asp
The VOICES
Many of the sounds here are the full 16-note poly
and some of the sounds are reduced to just 4-
notes of polyphony. Depending on how you want
to use the timbre you can change this. Listed
below are the names of the Voices and the 4-note
poly voices are identified. These take advantage
of the UNISON POLY function (this parameter
double-folds the sound for a thicker timbre). The
UNISON POLY parameter was added to the FM
structure when the DX7IIFD and the TX802 hit the
market in late 1986. These parameters were not
available on the original 1983 first generation of
programmable 6-operator FM synths: DX7, DX5,
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DX1, TX7, TX816. If polyphony is an issue for
you, navigate to the DX Simulator’s “EDIT LIST”
view - there you will find the UNISON Switch. Set
this to OFF and you will have 16 note polyphony
on the sound. For those of you wanting more
polyphony for the FM sounds, you can add a
second or third PLG150-DX board to your S90 and
activate the POLY EXPAND function found in the
S90’s UTILITY mode/ F6 PLUG/ SF1 Status. The
UNISON POLY mode is about timbre – many of the
sounds are musical effects and polyphony is not
such a big issue.
Because of how musical sounds and ‘stuff’2are
generated in the DX engine, the programmers
would use a 2-operator stack (minimum) to
generate a complex tone. This is why an item like
the TX-Rack became so popular at over $4,000 –
it could be expanded to house eight DX7 modules
called TF1s – that’s eight 6-operator engines. The
TX816 original Voices sets, (and Yamaha only did
one or two official Voice sets), had great detail.
There was a Rhodes sound that had 24 different
sound components, including the knock of the
hammer, the tine, the tone bar, the ‘fling’ of the
felt, etc. It was a real shame – but most recording
studios owned TX816s, but no one ever did any
real programming beyond stacking a sound eight
times (which really only made it louder). Then
they would compound their lunacy by detuning
each module up or down a tuning increment – this
‘bad’ programming accounted for most of the DX
Rhodes sounds you hear on records from the ‘80’s
– poorly utilized and was mainly responsible for
the misconception that you had to layer sounds
because FM was thin. Not necessarily so! What
was done in the original TX816 program was the
additional modules were used for details (knocks,
and noises…i.e., the “stuff”). Oh well. So many
were sold that it was inevitable that it would be
misunderstood.
If you add a second or third DX board and
you turn the POLY EXPAND parameter to ON, the
boards will combine and follow the board Voice
selected by the lowest numbered slot. For
example you place a DX board in slots 1 and 2,
you will now have 32 notes of polyphony and you
will use the PLG1 Voice mode button to select
Voices. You must however, load the PLG150-DX
custom board Voice data to both boards
separately (otherwise the first 16 notes will play
from one board and the second 16 notes will play
2“Stuff” is a word that was adopted by the early
programmers of FM to describe a noise or artifact that
accompanies the creation of a musical tone. It’s the
acoustic noise inside a Clavinet as the hammer releases,
it’s the quill falling back on a harpsichord, it’s the finger
noise on the acoustic guitar string, etc.
from the other – not cool). POLY EXPAND is just
what it says – it allows you to expand the
polyphony. If you want to layer sounds to get
more complexity you would leave each 16-note
engine as a separate synth and program them
separately.
These sounds were derived from the
Yamaha LoopFactory DX200 and were
reprogrammed for use in the Motif/S90/Motif-
Rack.
The LOAD:
As is the way with the Yamaha synth engine plug-
in boards you have two files. One is the custom
PLG150-DX Board Voices that will load into the
board’s own user RAM bank (035/000), and the
second is the S90 level Voices that I created to
show off these sounds. Remember the DX7 had
no effects processor of its own (they didn’t exist
back in that day, circa 1983-88), so the S90 level
PLUG-IN VOICES use the custom DX board data
as the waveform but frame them with the
powerful functions and effect processing of the
S90. Truly the best of both worlds – I have
provided the “PluginAllBulk” for the three possible
slots (.w2b/.w3b) – load through the type for your
board’s slot; an additional file that can be opened
in the DX Simulator for those interested in
exploring deeper into FM programming (.dxc).
This contains the same data but allows you to see
the edit parameters – provided strictly for those
that want to learn more about FM synthesis. Plus,
of course, the S90 level Voice data in an ALL
DATA file (.w4a/.w5a).
• S90 owners should copy the
DXDRIVER.w2b/w3b bulk files to a
SmartMedia card and copy the appropriate
ALL data file for your keyboard:
DXALLS90.w4a/w5a for the S90.
Parameters you should know about:
Note Shift: If you wish to note shift any of the
PLUG-IN Voices, you will find the NOTE SHIFT
parameter for a PLG150 sound by:
Press EDIT
Press Track 1 to select Element Edit
Press F1 OSC
Press SF5 OTHER
Overall Velocity Curve: Because of the dynamic
response of FM to velocity and the potential for
overly bright sounds on extreme velocity, you
may wish to tailor the velocity curve of the
PLG150-DX to mimic the original DX7. To do this
navigate to the PLUG-IN board parameters:
Press UTILITY
Press F6 PLUG
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Press the SF “NATIVE” button that corresponds to
the slot you have the PLG150-DX installed. Set
the VelCurve to DX7.
Bank Select: From Voice mode press the PLG
button that contains your PLG150-DX board, then
use the F2 Bank option to select among the
banks. If you have loaded the data properly you
should see data in the Board bank (035/000) and
in the PLG_USR bank. The first sound in both
cases will be “Ld: DRIVER”. The 035/000 Board
bank will be without the S90 effects applied. The
PLG_USR bank will have effects.
Poly/Mono Mode: You can change any of the
sounds to mono mode either at the Element level
(in the DX Simulator) or from the Plug-in Voice
level. To do this at the Plug-in Voice level:
-Press EDIT
-Press COMMON to select overall parameters
-Press F1 General
-Press SF2 PlyMode
BOARD VOICES
Select Bank 035/000 to hear the raw PLG150-DX
Board Voice Elements (without effects).
PLUG-IN VOICES
Select the PLGxUSR bank to hear the completed
Voices (where ‘x’ is the slot of your PLG150-DX)
with effects.
DX DRIVER Voice Bank
1 Driver: Algorithm 16 –
A favorite for bass sounds and lead sounds
because one carrier (OP1) and all other operators
are modifying the single carrier. Of course this
sound can also be used as a lead or bass sound
depending on the key range in which you play.
Velocity Sensitivity is applied mainly to the
modulators brightening the timbre as you play
harder. Operator 6 has a high number ratio (non-
whole integer) and is the feedback operator; this
means it is adding edge, noise and roughness to
the sound. On the S90 parameter side, the
INSERTION EFFECTS are the AMP SIMULATOR and
the TEMPO DELAY 1. (Hint: to view the S90 level
programming, press the INFORMATION button
from the main Voice screen. Bypass the
INSERTION EFFECT to hear the basic FM tone.
2 Big Punch: Algorithm 18 –
A favorite for bass sounds because one carrier
(OP1) and all other operators are modifying the
single carrier.
3 Big Step: Algorithm 18 – a favorite for bass
sounds. OP1 is being modified by all of the other
operators. Feedback loop is on OP3 and velocity
sensitivity is applied to control the timbre.
4 BreakDance: 4-note poly. Made with algorithm
6. There are three 2-operator stacks in this Voice
allowing for three distinctly different components
to sound. UNISON Switch is set to ON – limiting
this Voice to 4-note polyphony but thickening the
sound a great deal. How you use it in your music
will determine whether you should edit it for more
polyphony. As is the sound is great for adding
single note lines to techno-style music.
5 Port Fuzz : Made with the same algorithm 6 as
BreakDance. There are three 2-operator stacks in
this Voice allowing for three distinctly different
components to sound. UNISON Switch is set to
OFF – giving this Voice to 16-note polyphony.
6 Syn Pick: Built from algorithm 4, which has two
3-operator stacks. By turning off operator 4 and
operator 1 alternately you can compare the two
stacks (Remember only the carrier -the operator
on the bottom- is audible).
7 Body: 4-note poly. A unique FM sound with
metallic pluck but of no specific known
instrument.
8 Ge Ge Ge: 4-note poly. Uses the “Slice” effect
to give rhythmic movement. Use Tempo control to
change speed.
9 Hip Pick: Synth bass sound with plenty of
character. You may prefer this sound in MONO
mode.
10 Retro Jam: This Voice can function as a bass
or as a unique E. Piano sound
11 Funk Hop: 4-note poly. This is a Super bass
derivative, thick and full of pop.
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12 Basic Bass: This bass is halfway between an
electric and synth bass.
13 Tomic Bass: Synth bass
14 Data Bass: Synth computer bass
15 Claviphunk: Unique Clav sound; TouchWah
can be added with AS1
16 Hexadron: mono; tubular sound
17 Buglemon: Fixed frequency “C” with delayed
envelopes. This Voice is made from Algorithm 5 –
three pair of stacked operators.
18 Stabber: Brass drop-off sound. Algorithm 18
is used. The 1:1 ratio of operators 3 and 4 in
relation to the carrier (OP1) give this a decidedly
sawtooth (brass) feel. Study the PEG. The Pitch
Envelope Generator is responsible for the drop in
pitch overtime.
19 Tribe Vibe: Mallet sounds are a particular
specialty of the FM tone system. 3 carriers, 3
modulators are used. Isolate operators 1, 2 and 4
to hear the contribution of the carriers. OP4 is a
percussive harmonic adding the “pop” to the
sound.
20 New York: Pitch EG sound effect
21 Puffy Wind: This is a unique keyboard sound
with lots of harmonic response to velocity.
22 Clouds: 4-note poly; Actually only 5 operators
are used here (OP4 has 0 output). The bell-like
quality is from the OP3:OP2 relationship – any
non-whole integer ratio will yield a bell-tone.
“Slice” effect gives rhythmic motion to the Voice.
23 Sqotesue: Ghostly effect Voice
24 Reflex MW: Only 3 operators are used to
create this Voice – it also uses the S90
Arpeggiator for the pattern.
25 Ambernecta: Totally unique FM keyboard
sound – part mallet/part pluck, totally FM.
26 Devastated: Brassy Ensemble sound
27 Reborn AT: Chromatic percussion sound with
pitch bend on Aftertouch. This is added in the S90
Control Sets. You have two S90 level Control Sets
plus MW, AT and AC (assignable controller) to
play with. In the S90 navigate to this by pressing
EDIT/COMMON/F4 CTRL SET/SF3 AT
28 Aquarium: Similar to Reborn but more
metallic in nature.
29 Breathin: 4-note poly; Steel and steam…use
Aftertouch for control.
30 WorkGarabg: 4-note poly; broken sound –
really honky-tonk. AS1 and AS2 control Tech-mod
effect.
31 Frettin: Plucked fretted instrument-like sound
– not a guitar but fretted.
32 Artoo: 4-note poly; Computer R2D2 Voice
33 Cowbelly: Musical Effects
34 Electro FX: 4-note poly; Musical Effect. Work
Aftertouch and the Modulation wheel for Pitch and
Filter effect.
35 FX Track: 4-note poly, AT does pitch; AS1
and AS2 work the Flanger; Musical Effect
36 Guillemot: 4-note poly, AT; Multi-dimensional
Voice - Low tone comes in with long held notes as
you go up the keyboard; Strange Musical Effect
37 Ruler: 4-note poly; Musical Effect
38 Impetus: 4-note poly; Musical Effect
39 Fritenite: 4-note poly; Staccato or held very
different; Musical Effect
40 Octans: Musical Effect
41 Bossa: synth woody tone
42 New Delhi: 4-note poly; gong-like
43 Vela: gong morphs to a bell
44 Tock: 4-note poly; AT; control harmonics with
Aftertouch; Very interesting low tones – use AS1
and AS2 to manipulate Rotary Speaker effect.
45 Jixuken: 4-note poly; Musical Effect
46 Blue: slowly detuning sound; musical effect
47 Reflection: delicate sound
48 Turmoil: Brassy, AT
49 ZOOM: 4-note poly; Musical Effect
50 Diazepam: 4-note poly; Sound Effect with
metallic ring on release
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51 Dubby: 4-note poly; Comp/Lead sound
52 Effect: 4-note poly; Effect
53 Boom FX: 4-note poly; Bass
54 Bass Face: Great walking organ-bass tone
55 Darker T: 4-note poly; Unison Poly tone,
thick, rich and velocity sensitive.
56 Mach Man: 4-note poly; you will not need
more polyphony – machine man
57 Flicker: 4-note poly; ditto
58 Flash Back: Sci-fi vintage keyboard sound
59 Reticulum: Musical Effect
60 Sagitta: Musical Effect
61 Perseus: 4-note poly; Musical Effect
62 Auriga: Musical Effect
63 Libra: Musical Effect
64 Grus: Musical Effect
Phil Clendeninn
Senior Product Specialist
Technology Products
©Yamaha Corporation of America
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