Yamaha RY30 User manual

YAMAHA
®
AUTHORIZED
PRODUCT MANUAL
RHYTHM PROGRAMMER

YAMAHA
RHYTHM PROGRAMMER

FCC INFORMATION (U.S.A.)
1. IMPORTANT NOTICE: DO NOT MODIFY THIS UNIT!
This product, when installed as indicated in the instructions contained in this manual, meets FCC requirements. Modifications not expressly approved by
Yamaha may void your authority, granted by the FCC, to use the product.
2. IMPORTANT: When connecting this product to accessories and/or another product use only high quality shielded cables. Cable/s supplied with this
product MUST be used. Follow all installation instructions. Failure to follow instructions could void your FCC authorization to use this product in the
USA.
3. NOTE: This product has been tested and found to comply with the requirements listed in FCC Regulations, Part 15 for Class “B” digital devices.
Compliance with these requirements provides a reasonable level of assurance that your use of this product in a residential environment will not result in
harmful interference with other electronic devices. This equipment generates/uses radio frequencies and. if not installed and used according to the
instructions found in the users manual, may cause interference harmful to the operation of other electronic devices. Compliance with FCC regulations does
not guarantee that interference will not occur in all installations. If this product is found to be the source of interference, which can be determined by
turning the unit “OFF” and “ON”, please try to eliminate the problem by using one of the following measures:
Relocate either this product or the device that is being affected by the interference.
Utilize power outlets that are on different branch (circuit breaker or fuse) circuits or install AC line filter/s.
In the case of radio or TV interference, relocate/reorient the antenna. If the antenna lead-in is 300 ohm ribbon lead, change the lead-in to co-axial type
cable.
If these corrective measures do not produce satisfactory results, please contact the local retailer authorized to distribute this type of product. If you can
not locate the appropriate retailer, please contact Yamaha Corporation of America, Electronic Service Division, 6600 Orangethorpe Ave, Buena Park, CA
90620
* This applies only to products distributed by YAMAHA CORPORATION OF AMERICA.
WARNING: CHEMICAL CONTENT NOTICE!
Dette apparat overholder det gaeldende EF-direktiv
vedrørende radiostøj.
Cet appareil est conforme aux prescriptions de la direc-
tive communautaire 87/308/CEE.
Diese Geräte entsprechen der EG-Richtlinie
82/499/EWG und/oder 87/308/EWG.
This product complies with the radio frequency
interference requirements of the Council Directive
82/499/EEC and/or 87/308/EEC.
Questo apparecchio è conforme al D.M.13 aprile 1989
(Direttiva CEE/87/308) sulla soppressione dei radio-
disturbi.
Este producto está de acuerdo con los requisitos sobre
interferencias de radio frequencia fijados por el Consejo
Directivo 87/308/CEE.
YAMAHA CORPORATION
The solder used in the manufacture of this product contains LEAD. In addition, the electrical/electronic and/or plastic (where applicable)
components may also contain traces of chemicals found by the California Health and Welfare Agency (and possibly other entities) to cause
cancer and/or birth defects or other reproductive harm.
DO NOT REMOVE ANY ENCLOSURE COMPONENTS! There are no user serviceable parts inside. All service should be performed by
a service representative authorized by Yamaha to perform such service.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE: Yamaha strives to produce products that are both user safe and environmentally “friendly”. We sincerely
believe that our products meet these goals. However, in keeping with both the spirit and the letter of various statutes we have included the
messages shown above and others in various locations in this manual.
* This applies only to products distributed by YAMAHA CORPORATION OF AMERICA.
CANADA
THIS DIGITAL APPARATUS DOES NOT EXCEED THE
“CLASS B” LIMITS FOR RADlO NOISE EMISSIONS
FROM DIGITAL APPARATUS SET OUT IN THE RADIO
INTERFERENCE REGULATION OF THE CANADIAN
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS.
LE PRESENT APPARElL NUMERIQUE N’EMET PAS DE
BRUITS RADlOELECTRlQUES DEPASSANT LES LIMITES
APPLICABLES AUX APPAREILS NUMERIQUES DE LA
“CLASSE B” PRESCRlTES DANS LE REGLEMENT SUR LE
BROUILLAGE RADIOELECTRIQUE EDICTE PAR LE
MlNlSTERE DES COMMUNICATIONS DU CANADA.
* This applies only to products distributed by YAMAHA
CANADA MUSlC LTD.
Litiumbatteri!
Bör endast bytas av servicepersonal.
Explosionsfara vid felaktig hantering.
VAROlTUS!
Lithiumparisto, Räjähdysvaara.
Pariston saa vaihtaa ainoastaan alan
ammattimies.
ADVARSEL!
Lithiumbatteril
Eksplosionsfare. Udskiftning må kun foretages
af en sagkyndig, — og som beskrevet i
servicemanualen.

SPECIAL MESSAGE SECTION
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE (RFI): Your
Yamaha Digital Musical Instrument Product has been type
tested and found to comply with all applicable regu-
lations. However, if it is installed in the immediate
proximity of other electronic devices, some form of inter-
ference may occur. For additional RFI information see
FCC Information section located in this manual.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: This product has been tested and
approved by independent safety testing laboratories in
order that you may be sure that when it is properly
installed and used in its normal and customary manner, all
foreseeable risks have been eliminated. DO NOT modify
this unit or commission others to do so unless specifically
authorized by Yamaha. Product performance and/or safety
standards may be diminished. Claims filed under the
expressed warranty may be denied if the unit is/has been
modified. Implied warranties may also be affected.
SPECIFICATIONS SUBJECT TO CHANGE: The infor-
mation contained in this manual is believed to be correct at
the time of printing. Yamaha reserves the right to change
or modify specifications at any time without notice or
obligation to update existing units.
NOTICE: Service charges incurred due to a lack of knowl-
edge relating to how a function or effect works (when the
unit is operating as designed), are not covered by the manu-
facturer’s warranty. Please study this manual carefully
before requesting service.
NAMEPLATE LOCATION: The following graphic indi-
cates the location of the Name Plate on your Yamaha
Digital Musical Instrument. The Model, Serial Number,
Power requirements, etc., are indicated on this plate.
* This applies only to products distributed by YAMAHA CORPORATION OF AMERICA.
You should note the model, serial number and the date of
purchase in the spaces provided below and retain this
manual as a permanent record of your purchase.
Model
Serial No.
Purchase Date
STATIC ELECTRICITY CAUTION: Some Yamaha
Digital Musical Instrument products have modules that
plug into the unit to perform various functions. The con-
tents of a plug-in module can be altered/damaged by static
electricity discharges. Static electricity build-ups are more
likely to occur during cold winter months (or in areas
with very dry climates) when the natural humidity is low.
To avoid possible damage to the plug-in module, touch any
metal object (a metal desk lamp, a door knob, etc.) before
handling the module. If static electricity is a problem in
your area, you may want to have your carpet treated with a
substance that reduces static electricity build-up. See your
local carpet retailer for professional advice that relates to
your specific situation.

IMPORTANT
SAFETY AND INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
INFORMATION RELATING TO POSSIBLE PERSONAL INJURY, ELECTRIC SHOCK, AND
FIRE HAZARD POSSIBILITIES HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN THIS LIST.
WARNING — When using electronic products, basic pre-
cautions should always be followed, including the
following:
1.
Read all Safety and Installation Instructions, Supple-
mental Marking and Special Message Section data, and
any applicable assembly instructions BEFORE using
this product.
2. Check unit weight specifications BEFORE you
attempt to move this product.
3. Main power supply verification. Yamaha Digital
Musical Instrument products are manufactured
specifically for use with the main supply voltage used
in the area where they are to be sold. The main supply
voltage required by these products is printed on the
name plate. For name plate location please refer to the
graphic in the Special Message section. If any doubt
exists please contact the nearest Yamaha Digital
Musical Instrument retailer.
4. Some Yamaha Digital Musical Instrument products
utilize external power supplies or adapters. Do NOT
connect products of this type to any power supply or
adapter other than the type described in the owners
manual or as marked on the unit.
5.
This product may be equipped with a plug having three
prongs or a polarized line plug (one blade wider than
the other). If you are unable to insert the plug into the
outlet, contact an electrician to have the obsolete out-
let replaced. Do NOT defeat the safety purpose of the
plug. Yamaha products not having three prong or
polarized line plugs incorporate construction methods
and designs that do not require line plug polarization.
6.
WARNING
— Do NOT place objects on the power
cord or place the unit in a position where any one could
walk on, trip over, or roll anything over cords of any
kind. An improper installation of this type can create
the possibility of a fire hazard and/or personal injury.
7. Environment: Your Yamaha Digital Musical Instru-
ment should be installed away from heat sources such
as heat registers and/or other products that produce
heat.
8. Ventilation: This product should be installed or posi-
tioned in a way that its placement or location does not
interfere with proper ventilation.
9. Yamaha Digital Musical Instrument products are
frequently incorporated into “Systems” which are
assembled on carts, stands, or in racks. Utilize only
those carts, stands, or racks that have been designed for
this purpose and observe all safety precautions sup-
plied with the products. Pay special attention to cau-
tions that relate to proper assembly, heavier units
being mounted at the lower levels, load limits, mov-
ing instructions, maximum usable height and
ventilation.
10. Yamaha Digital Musical Instrument products, either
alone or in combination with amplification, head-
phones, or speakers, may be capable of producing sound
levels that could cause permanent hearing loss. Do
NOT operate at high volume levels or at a level that is
uncomfortable. If you experience any discomfort, ring-
ing in the ears, or suspect any hearing loss, you should
consult an audiologist.
11.
Do NOT use this product near water or in wet
environments. For example, near a swimming pool,
spa, in the rain, or in a wet basement.
12. Care should be taken so that objects do not fall, and
liquids are not spilled into the enclosure.
13.
Yamaha Digital Musical Instrument products should
be serviced by a qualified service person when:
a. The power supply/power adapter cord or plug has been
damaged; or
b. Objects have fallen, or liquid has been spilled into the
product; or
c. The unit has been exposed to rain; or
d. The product does not operate, exhibits a marked change
in performance; or
e. The product has been dropped, or the enclosure of the
product has been damaged.
14. When not in use, always turn your Yamaha Digital
Musical Instrument equipment “OFF”. The power
supply cord should be unplugged from the outlet
when the equipment is to be left unused for a long
period of time. NOTE: In this case, some units may
lose some user programmed data. Factory programmed
memories will not be affected.
15. Electromagnetic Interference (RFI). Yamaha Digital
Musical Instruments utilize digital (high frequency
pulse) technology that may adversely affect Radio/TV
reception. Please read FCC Information (inside front
cover) for additional information.
16.
Do NOT attempt to service this product beyond that
described in the user maintenance section of the owners
manual. All other servicing should be referred to
qualified service personnel.
PLEASE KEEP THIS MANUAL
FOR FUTURE REFERENCE!
* This applies only to products distributed by YAMAHA CORPORATION OF AMERICA.

Congratulations!
You are the proud owner of one of the best-sounding, most versatile, and
easily programmable drum machines ever conceived.
In contrast to drum machines that sound strictly mechanical, and others that
offer a degree of artificial pre-programmed “feel,” the Yamaha RY30 Rhythm
Programmer actually allows the user to determine how the rhythm feels in a
simple, intuitive way. A special “RY30 control wheel” allows the pitch, decay,
panning, filter, balance or timing individual instruments to be varied while you
monitor the resultant sound in real time. This makes programming the RY30 a
more “musical” process than having to deal with a multitude of numbers and
hieroglyphic parameters. The RY30’s 12 instrument pads also feature full veloc-
ity sensitivity for even more expressive power.
Another advantage of the RY30 is stunning sound quality. It features 16-bit
AWM2 (2nd-generation Advanced Wave Memory) tone generation with
programmable digital filtering and wave layering capability. A wide range of
editable parameters include filter frequencies, envelopes, volume, pitch, panning,
and more. The RY30 allows the user to refine each voice to ideally fit specific
musical requirements. On-board memory contains 128 voices, 100 preset pat-
terns, 100 user patterns, 2 demo songs and 20 songs, while plug-in cards offer
unlimited potential for expansion.
To enhance the versatility of the RY30 and support its vast performance
potential, Yamaha is preparing a range of data cards that will provide a colorful
range of voices and patterns.
In order to take full advantage of the many features and extraordinary per-
formance provided by the RY30, we urge you to read through the manually care-
fully while trying out the features and functions described. See “About the
Manual” on page 3 for more details on how the manual is organized and how it
can be used most effectively.

CONTENTS
TUTORIALS SECTION
ABOUT THE MANUAL
3
PRECAUTIONS
5
THE CONTROLS & CONNECTORS
7
Front Panel
7
Rear Panel
11
SETTING UP YOUR SYSTEM
13
Audio Connections
13
MIDI Connections
14
System Power-on Procedure
15
Listen to the Demo
16
THE PRESET VOICES
17
The Pad Banks
17
InitialPad
Bank Assignments
18
PLAYING PATTERNS
19
Tempo Control
20
RECORDING &
EDITINGPATTERNS
21
Real-time Record
21
SwitchingPadBanksWhileRecording
23
Erasing Mistakes
23
Modifying ParametersAsYou
Record
23
Change Click Volume or Quantize While
Recording
23
Overdubbing & Editing in Real Time
Record
24
Clearing the Entire Pattern
24
Step Record
24
Check On Your Progress with
the MONITOR Mode
26
ModifyingParametersinStepRecord
26
ErasingMistakesinStep
Record
27
Change the Quantize Value While
Recording
27
GiveYourPattern
a Name
28
Parameter Record
28
Change Click Volume During Parameter
Modify Recording
30
Clock Move
30
Change Click Volume During Clock Move
Recording
31
RECORDING, EDITING & PLAYING
SONGS
32
Song Record
32
Clearing the Entire Song
33
Song Play
33
TempoControl 34
Song Edit
34
Song Edit Jobs 35
Delete
35
Insert
36
Copy 37
Initial Tempo 37
Song Name
38
Song Events
38
Begin Repeat
38
End Repeat
39
IncreaseTempo
39
Decrease Tempo
40
Increase Velocity 40
DecreaseVelocity
40
VOICEEDITINGFUNDAMENTALS
41
RECORDING
& USINGMACROS
43
Recording
a Macro
43
Playing
aMacro
44
Other Macro Functions 44
View 44
Name 44
MULTICHANNELMIDIDRIVE
45
Multi-channel Receive
45
Multi-channel Transmit 46
i

REFERENCE SECTION
PATTERN MODE
49
JOB 04: VOICE TRANSMIT CHANNEL 72
ACCESSING THE PATTERN MODE
JOB 05: VOICE NOTE ASSIGN TABLE
FUNCTIONS 50
SELECT 72
01:PATTERNSELECT
51
JOB 06: VOICE NOTE ASSIGN TABLE
02: PATTERN CLEAR
53 SETUP
72
03: PATTERNCOPY
53
JOB 07: VOICE NOTE ASSIGN TABLE
04: PATTERN APPEND 54 COPY
73
05: PATTERN DIVIDE
54 JOB 08: VOICE NOTE ASSIGN TABLE
06: PATTERNMERGE
55 CLEAR 73
07: PATTERN JOBSELECT
55
JOB 09: PITCH NOTE ASSIGN
73
JOB01:PATTERNINST COPY
55 JOB
10: PATTERNNOTEASSIGN
74
JOB02:PATTERNINST
DELETE
56 JOB 11: DEVICE NUMBER 74
JOB
03:
PATTERNINSTCHANGE
56 JOB 12: BULK TRANSMIT
74
JOB 04: PATTERN PARAMETER COPY
57
JOB 13: CONTROL CHANGE
75
JOB 05: PATTERN PARAMETER 04: SYSTEM JOB SELECT
75
MODIFY
57
JOB 01: SYNC CLOCK
75
JOB 06: SWING
58
JOB 02: PAD VELOCITY CURVE 76
08: CLEAR ALL PATTERNS
59
JOB 03: FIXED VELOCITY
76
09:
PATTERNUSEDMEMORY
59
JOB 04: WHEEL RANGE
76
10:
PATTERN
SCOPE
59 JOB
05:LOADPRESETVOICES
76
SONG MODE 61
ACCESSING THE SONG MODE
FUNCTIONS
62
01: SONG SELECT 63
02: SONG CLEAR
63
03: SONG COPY
64
04:
CLEARALLSONGS
64
05:
SONGUSEDMEMORY
65
UTILITY MODE
67
ACCESSING THE UTILITY MODE
FUNCTIONS
68
01: CARD
DATA LOAD 69
02:
CASSETTEJOB
SELECT 69
JOB 01: CASSETTE SAVE 69
JOB02:CASSETTEVERIFY
70
JOB 03: CASSETTE LOAD 70
03: MIDI JOBSELECT
71
JOB 01:
CHANNEL MESSAGE 71
JOB02:RECEIVECHANNEL
71
JOB03:
TRANSMIT CHANNEL
72
VOICE EDIT MODE 79
ACCESSING THE VOICE EDIT MODE
FUNCTIONS
80
01: LEVEL
81
02: WAVE ASSIGN
81
03: WAVE LEVEL
83
04: PAN
83
05: PITCH 84
06: DECAY
84
07: FILTER JOB SELECT
84
JOB 01: FILTER TYPE
85
JOB 02: CUTOFF
85
JOB 03: RESONANCE
86
JOB 04: FILTER EG
86
08:
SENSITIVITY
JOB SELECT 87
JOB 01: LEVELSENSITIVITY
87
JOB 02: PITCHSENSITIVITY
87
JOB 03: EG SENSITIVITY
87
JOB 04: FILTERSENSITIVITY
88
09: PITCH EG
88
10:
POLYON/OFF
89
ii

11: ALTERNATE GROUP
89
12: OUTPUT ASSIGN
90
13: INDIVIDUAL LEVEL
90
14: VOICE NAME
91
15: VOICE COPY
91
16: VOICE INITIALIZE
92
INITIALIZED VOICE DATA
93
RY30 VOICE LIST
94
PAD BANK MODE
97
ACCESSING THE PAD BANK MODE
FUNCTIONS
98
01: PAD BANK SELECT
99
02: VOICE/PITCH ASSIGN
101
03: PAD BANK COPY
101
ERROR MESSAGES
103
SPECIFICATIONS
105
INDEX
106
MIDI DATA FORMAT
109
MIDI IMPLEMENTATION
CHART
114
iii

2

About the Manual
This operation manual is broadly divided into two main sections — TUTORIALS and REFERENCE.
What's In the
TUTORIALS Section
The TUTORIALS section contains 8 separate tutorials that take you through the
main features and procedures you will need to know to become familiar with your
RY30:
1.
SETTING UP YOUR SYSTEM [page 13]
Make basic audio and MIDI connections to the RY30 — and listen to the
demos when you’re set up.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
THE PRESET VOICES [page 17]
How to play the RY30 voices, and how to select different “pad banks” con-
taining different sets of instruments.
PLAYING PATTERNS [page 19]
Playing the preset patterns.
RECORDING & EDITING PATTERNS [page 21]
Using the Real-time Record, Step Record, Parameter Record, and Clock
Move modes to create and edit your own patterns.
RECORDING, EDITING & PLAYING SONGS [page 32]
As the title says — how to record, edit, and play complete songs consisting
of a sequence of patterns.
VOICE EDITING FUNDAMENTALS [page 41]
The RY30 has sophisticated voice editing capabilities — this section
explains how the voices are organized so you’ll be able to use the VOICE
EDIT mode functions to create your own sounds.
RECORDING & USING MACROS [page 43]
Key macros help to make using the RY30 a smooth, fast process. This sec-
tion describes how you kan record and reproduce key sequences to perform
complicated tasks by simply “playing” a macro.
MULTI CHANNEL MIDI DRIVE [page 45]
An introduction to the RY30’s advanced MIDI control capabilities.
We recommend that you go through the tutorials in sequence while actually
carrying out procedures on your RY30. Once you’ve gone through the entire
TUTORIALS section in this way, you should be familiar enough with the RY30
to need only the REFERENCE section in future.
3

What’s In the
REFERENCE Section
The REFERENCE section is the “nuts and bolts” section of the manual, indi-
vidually describing each of the RY30’s many functions in detail. The
REFERENCE section is divided into five sub-sections, each describing the vari-
ous functions within a particular RY30 mode.
1. PATTERN MODE [Page 49]
2. SONG MODE [Page 61]
3. UTILITY MODE [Page 67]
4. VOICE EDIT MODE [Page 79]
5. PAD BANK MODE [Page 97]
Once you have become familiar with the way the RY30 works by going
through the TUTORIALS section, you should only need to refer to the
REFERENCE section from time to time to get details on functions you’ve never
used before, or refresh your memory about functions that you don’t use very
often.
Each sub-section of the REFERENCE section has its own table of contents,
so you should be able to locate any particular function quickly and easily. Func-
tions and references can also be located by referring to the INDEX at the back
of the manual.
4

Precautions
!! PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE PROCEEDING !!
1.
Avoid Excessive Heat,
Humidity, Dust and
Vibration
2. Avoid Physical Shocks
3.
Do Not Open The Case
Or Attempt Repairs Or
Modifications Yourself
4. Make Sure Power Is Off
Before Making Or
Removing Connections
5. Handle Cables Carefully
6. Clean With a Soft Dry
Cloth
7. Always Use the Correct
Power Supply
8.
Electrical Interference
9. MIDI Cables
Keep the unit away from locations where it is likely to be exposed to high tem-
peratures or humidity — such as near radiators, stoves, etc. Also avoid loca-
tions which are subject to excessive dust accumulation or vibration which could
cause mechanical damage.
Strong physical shocks to the unit can cause damage. Handle it with care.
This product contains no user-serviceable parts. Refer all maintenance to qual-
ified Yamaha service personnel. Opening the case and/or tampering with the
internal circuitry will void the warranty.
Always turn the power OFF prior to connecting or disconnecting cables.
Always plug and unplug cables by gripping the connector, not the cord.
Never use solvents such as benzine or thinner to clean the unit. Wipe clean with
a soft, dry cloth.
Always use the supplied AC Adaptor to power your RY30 or, if the original
adaptor is lost or broken, a replacement or equivalent type obtained from your
Yamaha dealer. Also, make sure that the adaptor you have is appropriate for the
AC mains supply voltage in the area where you intend to use the RY30 (the
correct INPUT voltage is marked on the adaptor).
Since the RY30 contains digital circuitry, it may cause interference and noise if
placed too close to TV sets, radios or similar equipment. If such a problem does
occur, move the RY30 further away from the affected equipment.
When connecting to RY30 to MIDI equipment, be sure to use high-quality
cables made especially for MIDI data transmission. Also avoid cables longer
than about 15 meters, as longer cables can pick up electrical noise that can
causes data errors.
5

10. Memory Backup
The RY30 contains a special long-life battery that retains the contents of its
internal RAM memory even when the power is turned OFF. The backup battery
should last for approximately 5 years. When the backup battery finally fails the
contents of the RY30 memory will be lost. When this happens, have the backup
battery replaced by qualified Yamaha service personnel. DO NOT ATTEMPT
TO REPLACE THE BACKUP BATTERY YOURSELF!
IMPORTANT!: We recommend that you use the RY30 MIDI Bulk Transmit
function to transfer important data to a MIDI data recorder or other storage
device for safe long-term storage. The RY30 also features a cassette inter-
face that can be used to store data to a standard cassette recorder.
Yamaha cannot be held responsible for data loss caused by battery failure or
improper operation of the RY30!
11. Third-party Software
Yamaha can not take any responsibility for software produced for this product by
third-party manufacturers. Please direct any questions or comments about such
software to the manufacturer or their agents.
6

The Controls & Connectors
nn Front Panel
Control Wheel
This is the key to RY30’s remarkably intuitive
programming capabilities. The control wheel can
be used while programming in the RY30 real-
time record (page 21), step record (page 24),
parameter record (page 28), or clock move (page
30) modes to modify the pitch, decay, panning,
filter cutoff frequency, wave balance, or timing of
a selected instrument.
[DATA] Control
The fast, easy way to select patterns or songs,
change the tempo values, edit voice parameter
values, and more. In general, moving the
[DATA] control upward (away from you) in-
creases the value of the selected parameter,
while downward movement decreases the value.
Fine single-step adjustments can be carried out
using the [INC] and [DEC] keys.
Parameter Selector
This selector determines the parameter to be
modified by the control wheel in the real-time
record, step record, and parameter record modes.
The wheel is used to modify timing when the
clock move mode is used.
[VOLUME] Control
Adjusts the volume of the sound delivered via
the rear-panel OUTPUT (L/MONO and R) jacks
and the PHONES jack.
Liquid Crystal Display Panel (LCD)
This 24-character x 2-line backlit liquid crystal
display panel shows all the titles, parameters,
and prompts you need to operate the RY30 with
optimum ease and efficiency. In the RY30, each
screen full of information is known as a display
“page,” and the various display pages in each
mode are accessed via the [PAGE–] and
[PAGE+] keys or the [PAGE] key, described
below.
7

[DEC] and [INC] Keys
The [DEC] and [INC] keys are used in conjunc-
tion with the [DATA] control to select patterns
or songs, to change tempo values, and to gener-
ally edit parameter values in any of the RY30
modes. Either key can be pressed briefly for
single stepping in the specified direction, or held
for continuous scrolling.
CURSOR
and Keys
Moves the screen cursor from parameter to
parameter in many of the RY30 display pages.
[SENSE] Key & Indicator
This key alternately turns the instrument pad
velocity sensitivity on (LED lit) or off (LED off).
When velocity sensitivity is on, the volume and
sound of the instruments played via the pads
will vary according to how hard you tap the pads.
[CLEAR] Key
The [CLEAR] key is used primarily to erase
mistaken or unwanted notes when recording
patterns in the real time and step record modes
(pages 21 and 24), to reset parameters when
using the parameter record mode (page 28), and
to clear parts of a song in the song mode (page
32).
Instrument Pads
The RY30’s 12 instrument pads — A through L
—
allow the associated instruments to be
played and entered into patterns being recorded.
Please note that the instrument names on the
pads will not always correspond exactly to the
instrument played. The RY30 has 12 internal
and 4 internal/card “pad banks,” plus a special
“pitch multi” pad bank, that assign completely
different sets of instruments to the pads — and
more can be loaded from external data cards.
[START] Key
Starts playback (or recording if a record standby
mode has been selected) of the selected pattern
or song.
8

[STOP/CONTINUE] Key
Stops playback or recording. If you press the
[STOP/CONTINUE] key again after stopping a
pattern or song, playback will resume from the
point at which it was stopped. The [START] key
described above will always start the pattern or
song from the beginning.
[REC] Key
Engages record standby when the pattern mode
is selected. You can then select the desired pat-
tern record mode —
real time, step, parameter
record, or clock move — via the [INC] and
[DEC] keys or [DATA] control, and start
recording by pressing the [START] key.
When the song mode is selected the [REC]
engages record or edit standby — you then
select record or edit via the [INC] and [DEC]
keys or [DATA] control, and start recording or
editing by pressing the [START key].
[PATTERN] Key
Selects the RY30 pattern mode, in which pat-
terns can be selected, played, recorded, or
modified.
[SONG] Key
Selects the RY30 song mode, in which songs
can be selected, played, recorded, and edited.
[UTILITY] Key
Selects the UTILITY mode which provides ac-
cess to all system, MIDI, cassette, and card
utility functions.
[TEMPO] Key
Moves the display cursor to the tempo param-
eter in the pattern or song modes, allowing the
tempo to be varied by using the [DATA] control,
the numeric keys, or the [INC] and [DEC] keys.
Press the [TEMPO] key again after the tempo
has been adjusted to return the cursor to its
previous position.
[PAD BANK] Key
Selects the pad bank mode in which the various
pad banks can be selected and re-programmed
(page 17, 97).
[VOICE EDIT] Key
Selects the voice edit mode in which any of the
RY30 voices can be edited to create instruments
ideally suit to your own musical needs (page 41,
79).
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[MACRO REC] & [MACRO] Keys
The RY30 allows you to record up to 10 key
“macros” that can make it quick and easy to ac-
cess functions or parameters that you use fre-
quently. The [MACRO REC] key engages the
macro record function that lets you record, view,
or name a key sequence (page 43), while the
[MACRO] key allows you to execute any of the
macros you have recorded (page 44).
[PAGE-] and [PAGE+] Keys
As mentioned in the “Liquid Crystal Display
Panel” description, the [PAGE–] and [PAGE+]
keys are used to select that various display
pages available in the pattern, song, utility,
voice edit, pad bank, and song edit modes.
[EXIT] Key
The [EXIT] key makes it possible to abort cer-
tain operations that may change data in the in-
ternal memory, and to exit from certain functions
or function groups.
10
[ENTER] Key
The [ENTER] key is used to confirm execution
of certain operations that may change data in the
internal memory, and to access certain groups of
functions.
[PAGE] Key
The [PAGE] provides an alternative to the
[PAGE–] and [PAGE+] keys for accessing spe-
cific display pages. Rather that stepping through
the pages using the [PAGE–] and [PAGE+]
keys, the [PAGE] key lets you go directly to a
specified page number. The [PAGE] key also
accesses some sub-functions in the pattern
record modes.
Numeric Keys
These allow direct input of pattern and song
numbers, tempo values, and other numeric
parameter values. The numeric keys are also
used to input characters for pattern, song, voice,
and macro names. They also allow selection of
parameters to be modified in the step record
mode (page 26) and in the pattern parameter
copy job (page 57) — refer to the brown labels
printed above the keys.

n Rear Panel
[POWER] Switch
Press to turn the RY30 power ON or OFF.
DC 15V 500mA IN Jack
The DC output cable from the supplied AC
Adaptor should be connected here. When con-
necting the power supply, make sure that the
RY30 POWER switch is in the OFF position
(extended), then plug the AC adaptor output
cable into the DC 15V 500mA IN jack, and
finally the adaptor’s AC plug into a convenient
AC wall outlet.
CAUTION!
Do not attempt to use a different AC adaptor to
power the RY30. The use of an incompatible
adaptor may cause irreparable damage to the
RY30, and might pose a serious shock hazard!
PHONES Jack
Accepts a standard pair of stereo headphones
(1/4” stereo phone plug) for headphone monitor-
ing of the RY30 sound without the need for
external amplification equipment.
OUTPUT L/MONO & R Jacks
These are the main stereo outputs from the
RY30. If a plug is inserted only into the
L/MONO jack of an output pair, the left and
right-channel signals are combined and delivered
via this jack (for connection to a monaural sound
system). Instruments can be individually as-
signed to these outputs only, these outputs and
either or both of the INDIV outputs described
below, or either or both of the INDIV outputs
only (page 90). The [VOLUME] control controls
the level of the signal sent to these jacks.
INDIV OUT 1 & 2 Jacks
Each RY30 instrument can be assigned to both,
either, or neither of these jacks in addition to the
stereo outputs described above. Further, the
level at which each instrument will be delivered
via these jacks can be controlled independently
of the stereo outputs (page 90). The [VOL-
UME] control does not affect the INDIV OUT
jack signal.
11