Yamaha ES User manual

Bring Home the Magic of Music
Yamaha portable keyboards put musical
creativity at your fingertips
The Yamaha lineup of portable electronic keyboards is a musician’s
dream come true, giving you the power to sound exactly the way you
want. It starts with a new level of instrument realism thanks to a larger
sample ROM. And what does that mean? Simply put, a more realistic
digital sample of an instrument almost always requires a larger digital
sample. So by increasing the size of the sample memory, Yamaha is able
to give you even more realistic instrument voices. And you get so many of
them with Yamaha’s XG standard, the constantly growing extension of
General MIDI (GM). Not only do you get full compatibility with GM, you
get hundreds of extra voices as well as full MIDI control of voice and
effects parameters, and a whole lot more. In addition, these new
PortaTones boast upgraded speaker systems, with 2-way speakers for the
PSR-280 and above, and bass ports for the PSR-160 and above (except
PSR-340).
The world’s favorite auto-accompaniments
Of course, PortaTones are packed with the dynamic rhythms, music styles
and easy-play features that make them the world’s favorites. Plus an
important extra: the Easy Navigator gives you fast, easy, intuitive access to
all these stunning functions, allowing you to spend your time playing
music instead of reading owner’s manuals.
A fun-tastic way to discover the exciting
world of music
Yamaha’s entry-level PortaTone line offers incredible features and
performance at an affordable price. Newly developed Yamaha Education
Suite 2™, a wonderful set of music training functions make learning
music incredibly easy. And when it’s time to take a break from practicing,
simply place the keyboard in DJ mode and let the fun begin—with
awesome dance voices and accompaniment styles…and even a DJ game!

Icons
Special icons indicate at a glance the major features available on each instrument. The glossary
below explains what each icon stands for.
XG
Yamaha XG MIDI extends GM
voice selection, expression and
control.
64-Note Polyphony
Up to 64 notes can be
reproduced simultaneously for
intricate musical
arrangements.
XF
Lyric & Chord information can
be displayed! XF is a new file
format that expands upon the
capabilities of the Standard
MIDI File.
Song Lyric Display
See the words to the songs
being played on your
keyboard (with lyric-encoded
recordings).
DSP
Digital Signal Processing
enhances sound quality with
sophisticated digital effects.
Multi Effector
Use multiple effects in
combination to expand your
sonic range.
Style File
This versatile accompaniment
format lets you add even more
styles from floppy disk.
To Host Port
Built-in computer interface
allows easy connection to PC
or Macintosh computers.
Modulation Wheel
Give modulation to the notes
as you play with fingertip
expressive control.
Digital Equalizer
Control over individual
frequency ranges lets you
customize the sound.
16-Track Sequencer
Record and play music with up
to 16 tracks of lushly layered
sound.
Stereo
Stereo sound adds realistic
character and spatial depth.
Groove & Dynamics
Vary the accompaniment as you
play with wide-ranging custom
control.
Pitch Bend Wheel
Give bend to the notes as you
play fingertip.
DOC Compatibility
Access the vast library of music
available in the Yamaha Disk
Orchestra Collection.
AWM
Yamaha Advanced Wave
Memory technology delivers
amazingly realistic sound.
FM
FM tone generation uses digital
sine wave generators to
synthesize complex
instrumental and electronic
sounds.
GM
With General MIDI
compatibility, song data always
plays the correct sounds.
MIDI
Musical Instrument Digital
Interface lets electronic
musical instruments work
together.
PCM
Pulse-Code Modulation which
is the same digital sampling
technology used in the
prodution of music CDs.
6-Track Recorder
Compose your own songs by
overdubbing chords and
melodies. One track can be used to record an accompaniment
style.
One Touch Setting
This function automatically
configures keyboard
parameters, such as voice selection and tempo, to optimally
match the selected music style.
Organ Variation
Switch back and forth between
two types of organ
tones—normal and effected—simply by pressing a button.
Reverb
Add the ambience of a variety
of different-sized rooms and
halls to your music for an extra dimension of richness.
2-Way Speaker System
Separate tweeters deliver high
frequency sounds with clarity
and precision for more lifelike instrument voices.
Bass Boost System
A special port on each
speaker adds powerful impact to bass sound reproduction.
Easy Navigator
An on-screen navigator makes
even advanced functions easy
by taking you step-by-step through the settings of various
features and functions.
Portable Grand
Instantly reset the entire instrument for
optimum piano play.
Sweet Voice
Yamaha’s exclusive Sweet Voice is so natural
it’s almost indistinguishable from the real
thing.
Built-In FDD
The internal floppy disk drive gives you
unlimited storage capacity.
Vocal Harmony for XG
Add harmony parts to anything you sing
with the Vocal Harmony function, and
powerfully enhance your vocal
performances.
Stereo Sampled Piano
This amazingly rich and authentic
voice uses stereo recordings
(samples) of an actual grand piano for stunningly natural sound.
Touch Response
Your playing can be as
expressive as on an acoustic instrument.
Disklavier
(Compatible with Disklavier
software.)
Disklavier is the integration of advanced electronics into
traditional upright and grand pianos to create a variety of
versatile new digital/acoustic hybrids.
Dynamic Filter
Dynamically controls the
timbre or tone of a voice
according to your playing strength — just like a real acoustic
instrument!
DJ Mode
One press of the DJ button
calls up a full arsenal of contemporary dance voices and style
patterns, as well as a special DJ songs and games.
Yamaha Education
Suite 2™ (Y.E.S. 2)
A unique set of tutorial
functions makes it easy for anyone to learn to play the keyboard.
Seven types of lesson are available as well as a convenient chord
dictionary.
Pianist Style
Piano-only styles with full left hand
accompaniment even using single-finger chords.

S
Y
S
T
E
M
E
X
P
A
N
S
I
O
N
The XG Advantage
Sound /
Expression
Functions / Controls
MORE VOICES
GREATER POLYPHONY
MORE PARAMETERS
VH EXPANSION
SG EXPANSION
VL EXPANSION
A/D INPUTS
EQ
EFFECTS
XG Song Data for the PortaTone
A large and constantly growing selection of song files is available in
XG format. These song files have been specially recorded to take
advantage of and showcase the various features of XG-compatible
PortaTone keyboards.
XG Tools for the PortaTone
SoftSynthesizer and MIDPLUG are two powerful pieces of software that
make your computer music-ready — and, best of all, they’re free! Get
online and check them out!
SoftSynthesizer
MIDPLUG for XG
Yamaha XG: the format that always offers something new.
Visit our website for the latest developments.
Yamaha XG: the format that always offers something new.
Visit our website for the latest developments.
The XG format is growing rapidly
and is also becoming a widespread
format for personal computers,
with over 35 million licensed XG
SoftSynthesizer users to date.
Compose a song on your XG PortaTone and
e-mail it to your friends! With Yamaha’s
SoftSynthesizer, your XG MIDI files can play
back on a PC and sound exactly as they do on
your keyboard-with sound quality that’s
absolutely amazing! SoftSynthesizer versions
S-YXG50 and S-YXG100 fully support the XG
format and play back MIDI files with CD
quality (44.1kHz) without dedicated
hardware such as a sound card or
synthesizer module. A free 90-day trial
version of SoftSynthesizer is available on the
XG Website.
www.yamaha-xg.com
Yamaha Digital Pianos & Portable Keyboards Categories
Looking for a keyboard to keep you
entertained at home? At Yamaha’s Digital
Piano & Portable Keyboard site, you’ll find
exactly the one you want…and all the
information about it you need. Clavinovas,
Electones, portable digital pianos, PSR
keyboards and even rhythm programmers
— all of Yamaha’s home-keyboard lines are
just a mouse click away from this homepage.
www.yamaha.com/digpianos.htm
PK Club Homepage
Find out all the latest about the PK Club here at our website. Just point your browser at
www.yamaha.co.jp/english/product/pk
The Free Song Data Library contains a great
selection of original XG songs produced by
Yamaha. With a little bit of ingenuity and
creativeness, you can get a lot of enjoyment
out of this wide selection of free material.
Once you have downloaded the XG MIDI data
or audio data – free of charge, of course –
you can play it back with your XG PortaTone
or XG SoftSynthesizer. Or if you want to, you
can include it on your homepage and let
others enjoy it, too.
www.yamaha-xg.com
Here’s your one-stop source for music
equipment and software online! Packed full
with important information and detailed
product descriptions, the Yamaha Virtual
Shop and yamahamusicsoft.com let you easily
find exactly what you need — right away!
MIDPLUG for XG is a plug-in for Netscape
Communicator and Internet Explorer, which
enables your XG PortaTone, MIDI tone
generator or SoftSynthesizer to playback
MIDI data from Web pages automatically.
It also allows you to create your own music-
enabled Web pages using songs that you’ve
composed on your PortaTone!
www.yamaha-xg.com
Yamaha On-Line Shops
Free Song Data Library
www.yamaha.co.uk/shop/html/home.htm
www.yamahamusicsoft.com
What is XG?
Yamaha’s XG format is a significant extension and
enhancement of General MIDI ( ). Naturally, all
Yamaha XG products are fully compatible with General MIDI, ensuring
that GM song files play back with the proper set of voices and sound
just as the original composer/programmer intended. The XG format,
however, offers a level of expression much greater than that of
General MIDI by providing enhanced features such as:
• Minimum 32-note polyphony
• A huge set of additional voices, including variations of the GM set and wide
variety of completely new voices
• A minimum of three effects processors with a large number of effect types
• MIDI control of analog signal inputs (for example, processing a microphone
signal with vocal harmony and effects)
• An extensive set of standardized voice and effect parameters that are MIDI–
controllable
XG Grows as You Do!
When you’re ready to expand your music and sound capabilities, XG is ready to
keep pace with you. Yamaha features a wide range of powerful and compatible
XG products — from keyboards and tone generators to sequencing and editing
software — that let you explore the full musical and sonic potential of XG!
Direct Computer Connection
All XG-compatible PortaTones feature a convenient TO HOST terminal. This
allows you to directly connect the PortaTone to a PC or Macintosh computer,
and take advantage of the wealth of powerful sequencing and other music
software to create and edit your own music!

A keyboard for those who want more. Powerful bass boost speaker system and 76 touch-responsive keys bring out the best in this keyboard’s fantastic voices,
songs and features.
• 76 Keys • 256 AWM Voices (128 panel voices + 128 GM voices) • Backlit LCD • Digital Effects (8 Reverb, 38 DSP, 26 Harmony) • 100 Accompaniment Styles • 100 Preset + 5 User Songs • Pitch Bend • Multi
Fingering Auto Accompaniment • Registration Memory (2 pads x 8 banks) • Foot Switch (optional) • 1188 mm (W) x 435 mm (D) x 127 mm (H) • 8.0 kg
Express your musical talent with the PSR-260! In addition to a 5-octave touch
response keyboard, it features the Y.E.S. 2 music tutor function, bass ports
and an exciting new DJ mode.
• 61 Keys • A-B Repeat • 100 AWM Voices • Backlit LCD • Voice Effects: Dual, Harmony/Echo, Split • 100
Accompaniment Styles • Multi Fingering Auto Accompaniment • Multi Pads (4 pads x 10 banks) • Foot
Switch (optional) • 100 Preset Songs • 933 mm (W) x 370 mm (D) x 129 mm (H) • 5.3 kg
Playing the keyboard has never been this fun…or this easy!
The affordable choice for song recording and playback. The PSR-280 has a
built-in 6-track sequencer and is fully General MIDI compatible. It’s also
equipped with a dynamic filter and digital effects.
• 61 Keys • 256 AWM Voices (128 panel voices + 128 GM voices) • Backlit LCD • Digital Effects (8
Reverb, 38 DSP, 26 Harmony) • 100 Accompaniment Styles • 100 Preset + 5 User Songs • Multi Fingering
Auto Accompaniment • Registration Memory (2 pads x 8 banks) • Foot Switch (optional) • 933 mm (W) x
370 mm (D) x 129 mm (H) • 5.5 kg
Sound like a pro from the start with a hundred AWM voices, a hundred
automatic accompaniment styles and Multi Fingering System.
• 49 keys • 100 AWM Voices (including Percussion, Dual, Split, Harmony, Sustain & Echo Voices) • 100
Accompaniment Styles • Multi Fingering System • One Touch Setting • “Minus-One” Playback • 20 Songs +
20 Jam Track Patterns • 870 mm (W) x 287 mm (D) x 113 mm (H) • 3.4 kg
A truly fun keyboard with voices, styles and songs of all music genres—from
classical to Dance. A smart set of practicing tools (Y.E.S. 2) makes it incredibly
easy to learn to play!
• 49 Keys • A-B Repeat • 100 AWM Voices • Backlit LCD • Voice Effects: Dual, Harmony/Echo, Split • 100
Accompaniment Styles • 100 Preset Songs • Multi Fingering Auto Accompaniment • Multi Pads (4 pads x
10 banks) • 921 mm (W) x 317 mm (D) x 108 mm (H) • 3.7 kg
Three keyboard lessons for each hand:
• Timing mode
You can play melody or chord by pressing any key on the correct timing.
• Waiting mode
Playback pauses until you play the correct chord or melody note.
• Minus One mode
Mute the left-hand, right-hand, or both parts of a song and play along nonstop.
Lesson Grading
This function lets you monitor your progress as you practice each lesson.
Chord Dictionary
This exclusive Chord Dictionary shows you how to play chords and tells you which
chords you are playing by displaying the notes on the LCD screen.
When you just want to sit
down and play the piano,
the PORTABLE GRAND
function immediately
changes your
PortaTone to a
piano.
Stereo Sampled Grand Piano Voice
Pressing the PORTABLE GRAND button calls up a
special Stereo Sampling Grand piano voice—stunningly rich and authentic in its sound,
and exceptionally responsive to your playing touch!
Instant Piano Play
Portable Grand automatically configures the entire instrument to settings that best suit
the Grand Piano voice. This means that no matter what operation or function the
PortaTone is set to, the Portable Grand is just a button touch away! On the PSR-260, this
includes turning Touch Response on and resetting the optional footswitch to control
sustain.
Pianist Styles
The PortaTones also include a wealth of special piano-only “Pianist” styles.
These provide professional-sounding piano accompaniment—changing
chords automatically as you do—while you play a piano melody on top!
DJ Mode
One press of the DJ button calls up a full
arsenal of contemporary dance voices and style
patterns, as well as a special DJ songs and games.
Hi-fi Speakers and 76 Keys Deliver Enhanced Playing Performance General MIDI Capability with Dynamic 2-Way Speakers More Music Enjoyment with 61 Keys and DJ Mode
DJ Mode and Bass Boost for Nonstop Music Entertainment
One-Touch Setting and Multi Fingering Make Playing a Snap!