Yamaha PortaSound PSS-580 User manual

[УИ
AVlUsic STITION
ҮАМАНА

INTRODUCTION
AQ
ÀJ
Congratulations on your purchase of the Yamaha PortaSound Р55-580!
You
now
own
one
of
the
most
sophisticated
portable
electronic
keyboards
available.
Controlled
by
an
advanced
microcomputer,
the
PortaSound
P55-580
offers
far
more
musical
enjoyment
and
versatility
than
any
other
instrument
in
its
class.
In
fact,
it
gives
you
the fun
and
functions
of
a
whole
host
of
digital
music
machines,
namely
...
@ An electronic keyboard offering 100 high-quality preset
voices using the famous Yamaha FM sound source.
• A digital synthesizer that lets you alter any of the preset
voices to taste and save up to five of these edited versions.
ө A versatile rhythm machine using 9 percussion instru-
ments, PCM recorded for breath-taking realism. With 100
basic rhythm patterns featuring three intros/fill-ins and
one ending each, you have an amazing 400 rhythm vari-
ations at your disposal. What's more, you can even record
your own original Custom Drummer pattern.
€ A sophisticated automatic accompaniment system giving
you Single Finger Chords, automatic bass, chords and
orchestra, automatic Duet and orchestration capabilities.
€ A simple but very useful sequencer offering unique mu-
sical possibilities: You can digitally record up to five
melodies and chord progressions each and play them back
any time at the touch of a button.
ФА highly advanced MIDI controller and multi-timbral
MIDI sound source. Used as a controller, the PortaSound
can play a number of external MID! instruments simul-
taneously on various channels. As a sound source, it will
perform several voices as well as percussion independently
at the same time.
Read this manual carefully while playing your new Porta-
Sound, and you will be able to make full use of its many
fantastic features in no time.
ABOUT THIS MANUAL
„__----
___________________-___-_--_______-__-___|
One look at your new PortaSound Р55-580 tells you:
this is an advanced instrument with a great variety of func-
tions. Though this is true, don’t let the large number of
buttons fool you — the PSS-580 is actually very easy to use.
As you can see from the INDEX ILLUSTRATION on p. 6, the
controls are all organized in easy-to-understand functional
groups. Once you get to know them, you will have no trouble
operating your PortaSound, making it do exactly what you
want it to.
To get acquainted with your new keyboard and have fun
with it from the start, please read PART I first. You can then
use the INDEX ILLUSTRATION to look up information on
buttons or functional groups you are especially interested
in right away. Otherwise, continue with PART II.
This manual is structured into three main parts. The shortest
and simplest one, PART | — GETTING TO KNOW THE
PSS-580, gives you all the information you need to play your
new instrument, making use of its most basic features. It also
shows you how you can listen to the pre-programmed DE-
MONSTRATION song.
The functions mentioned shortly in the QUICK GUIDE illus-
tration of PART I are explained in greater detail in PART II.
Particularly if you already have some experience with digital
keyboards, the QUICK GUIDE will enable you to use these
functions immediately. On the other hand, if you are a total
newcomer, reading the next part will make operations clearer
to you.
PART И — BASIC FEATURES contains a systematic overall
introduction of WHAT YOUR PortaSound CAN DO, followed
by detailed explanations of most PortaSound functions. It tells
you all about voice and style selection, effects, the Auto
Accompaniment features and the Song Memory.
Each section starts out with a short Overview giving you a
general idea of the respective functions. You can then try
them out right away by following the steps described under
Operation. Note that in the text, bold print indicates basic
operational steps, while the regular print below it gives all
the necessary explanations. Therefore, you can simply follow
the instructions in bold print when you want to get to know
a feature, and read the details and Points to Remember later.
Finally, PART Ш shows you how to use those ADVANCED
FEATURES that require a bit of specialized know-how — the
Digital Synthesizer section to create your own FM sounds,
and the MIDI functions for communication with other MIDI
instruments, sequencers and computers.

CONTENTS
[o
PRECAUTIONS-
TAKING
CARE
OF
YOUR
РОНТАЗОЦМО.......................
1
CONTROL
PANEL...
rer
ni
rentes
ete
s
rri
opea
ia
see
е
рды
мады
ані
2
PARTI
QUICK:
GUIDE
......,5:5
nie
rii
one
ен
еее
n
t
ni
ние
5
INDEX
ILLUSTRATION
.................
ener
nemen
nent
nnn
ынын
енн
6
PART
П
BASIC
FEATURES
....................................................
7
WHAT
YOUR
PortaSound
CAN
ОО
............................................
sued
Voices,
Rhythm
and
Auto Accompaniment
7
Неаарнопб$........-
ірек
ipee
тек
P
PEE
Cer
рел
ИПИНЕ
8
Connecting
the
PSS-580
to
Your
Stereo
солане
8
VOICE/MELODY
SECTION
..................
eee
—
8
SELECTING:
A
МО|СЕ
сиса
не
eterni
arab eani ann
IE
tn
a
PISTE
NH
E 8
EFFECTS:
scere
tomen
CO
DRE
DM
Ан
ЕКИ
АРИИНЕ
Ара
9
PARAMETER
CHANGE
Settings...
nee
10
TRANSPOSE:
[9]...
deceat
ete
reri
en
er
ни ам
нана
10
TUNING
[3I
.............
нарин
нин
ын
ИННИ
еннага
нинен
Не
11
MELODY
VOLUME
[5]
nnne
nennen
nnn
11
RHYTHM
MACHINE
FUNCTIONS
...........
2
"cerne
12
STYLE
SELECT—Choosing
the
Rhythm..............
sene
12
RHYTHM
СОМТНОІ............-шишиҡиянннштеь-ь.-ә
12
ЛЕМРО
het
re
dre
DEB
ente
taret
HE Eee
Eee
eere
t
AC
ТГ
13
ЈУРИ»
ДНА
13
Changing
the
Rhythm
Style
During
Performance
............................................
14
PERCUSSION
Section
...
CUSTOM
DRUMMER
AUTO
ACCOMPANIMENT
FEATURES
MODE
ds
erret
eiie
ORCHESTRATION..........
А)
Single
Finger
Сһогабв........!.2........е
адам.
18
B)
Single
Finger
Auto
Ассотрапітегі...............2....20
29
Шы
ы
19
C)
Fingered
Auto
Ассотрапітеге......................20.00140.01200.010
е
nennen
19
iUa"
аи
а
Т
Лола
А
Пе
Мете
СО
20
SONG
MEMORY...
entente
ne
eth
нн
ЫШ
ӨЙ
ERR PES
eene
ona
senis
21
MELODY
Memory
........о.......шл:.лоұля
ааа
21
CHORD
Метогу...........2.......Һ.1010..0.000150.
——Ó
нана
23
PART
Ш
ADVANCED
FUNCTIONS
..........11:1":(
2e
25
DIGITAL
SYNTHESIZER
...........1.
sese
ener
nnne
25
FM
SYNTHESIS
BASIC
СОЦОВЅЕ........................................
йырын
ЕРЕН
25
1)
Voice
Parameters
and
Values...
"m
25
2)
A
Bit
of
FM
Theory
....................2.2.41.1:07000Т.1240441.Һ
ынын
сынны
25
3)
Creating
бойпав..........
е
а-ы
26
SYNTHESIZER
РАНАМЕТЕВ$.............2......сееееееееененееееен
еее
ее
28

What is MIDI?
MIDI MODE [Е]
Keyboard Assign MODE [28
Transmitted Сата...........................
Memory Bulk Dump
Received Оаїта...............................
Sound Source Mode [93}..............
Transmitted Оата...........................
Received Оата................................
MIDI RECEIVE CHANNEL FILTER [а]
TRANSMIT
CHANNEL
[2]
Selection
senene
MID! CONNECTION EXAMPLES
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
ALL RESET... dus
PRECAUTIONS
—
TAKING
CARE
OF
YOUR
PORTASOUND
E
A
————Á—À—ÓÁ—Ó—
à
ЕКЕНИ
Your
new
PortaSound
is
a
fine
musical
instrument
—
and
should
be
treated
as
such.
Handle
it
with
care
and
common
sense,
and
it
will
give
you
years
of
enjoyment.
• Location
Avoid exposure to direct sunlight or other sources of heat.
Never leave it inside a car where it can get very hot. Vi-
bration, excessive dust, cold, low or high humidity can
also cause malfunction.
e Handling
Avoid rough handling. Don't drop or jolt the Portasound
as this can damage the internal circuitry. Pressing too
hard on keys or controls may lead to malfunctions. When
cords are plugged into the rear panel jacks, pay particular
attention not to apply excessive force to them since this
may damage the terminals.
e Adaptors
Use only the power adaptor described in the POWER
section. Disconnect the AC adaptor when not using your
PortaSound.
e Batteries
* When not using your PortaSound for long periods, be
sure to remove the batteries to avoid damage through
battery leakage.
“ Replace weak batteries before they run down com-
pletely.
* Always replace all batteries with new ones.
* Do not use different kinds of batteries at the same time.
* In case electrolyte has leaked into the battery com-
partment, wipe it off completely before installing new
batteries.
+ Never disassemble, heat or throw discarded batteries
into a fire. Dispose of them properly.
® Cleaning
Clean the exterior with a soft, dry cloth. Using chemical
solvents will damage the finish.
• Interference Through Electromagnetic Fields
Do not use your PortaSound close to television sets or
other equipment receiving electromagnetic signals as this
could cause interference noise in the other appliance.
€ Service and Modifications
Your PortaSound contains no user serviceable parts.
Opening it or tampering with it in any way can lead to
electrical shock as well as damage. Of course, any resulting
damage will no longer be repaired free of charge. Refer
all servicing to qualified YAMAHA personnel.

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FREQUENCY TOTAL LEVE| BANK $ 1 =
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VOLE M
(ШШШ _)
O NORMAL
OSMAEFWOR © FINGERED
ORMYTHM _ OBASS. OCHORD _ QORCHESTRA
Cs Ca cC—9cC—9
2 Џ
ЗЕЕ
ACCENT ROLL
D E
@ POWER switch
@ VOLUME slider
Ө AUTO ACCOMPANIMENT group
За MODE selectors
3b ORCHESTRATION buttons
@ DEMONSTRATION START/STOP switch
Ө VOICE/STYLE SELECT buttons
Ба VOICE switch
5b STYLE switch
5c Number buttons
О VOICE/STYLE LIST
ба VOICE LIST
6b STYLELIST
VOICE/STYLE number display
EFFECT selectors
MIDI group
PARAMETER CHANGE group
10a TEMPO button
10b Parameter selectors
DIGITAL SYNTHESIZER group
11a Synthesizer Parameter selectors
11b Voice BANK selectors
11с STORE button
Ф VALUE buttons
(B TEMPO/PARAMETER & VALUE display
о
e
©
Ф
Ф

AE ere
5
CHANNEL FILTER OSUSTAIN OPORTAMENTO
E
——
| понмемову gu x odd |7 8 9 отежава опет
Ц
156 16b 19 15
15а 1ба
ee
@ RHYTHM CONTROL buttons @ SONG MEMORY
14а START/STOP switch 17a CHORD bank selectors
146 SYNCHRO START/ENDING control 176 MELODY bank selectors
14с INTRO/FILL IN buttons 17с RECORD button
(B PERCUSSION keys (D AUTO ACCOMPANIMENT SECTION
15a ON/OFF Ф MELODY SECTION
15b SYNCHRO BREAK switch @ Built-in speakers
(D CUSTOM DRUMMER controls
16a PROGRAM/END REAR PANEL
166 PLAY ON/OFF @ MIDI terminals
e HEADPHONES/AUX. OUT jack
e DC(9-12V)IN AC power adaptor terminal

РАКТ |
GETTING ТО KNOW THE Р55-580
This
part
of
the
manual
first
shows
you
how
to
provide
the
PSS-580
with
POWER,
using
batteries
or
an
AC
adaptor.
You
can
then
turn
it
on
and
start
PLAYING
it
right
away.
Next,
listen
to
a
DEMONSTRATION
of
what
the
PortaSound
PSS-580
can
do.
Reading
PART
II
will
then
enable
to
perform
this
kind
of
professional-sounding
music
all
by
yourself.
The
QUICK
GUIDE
briefly
introduces
the
most
basic
features
without
going
into
detail
so
you
can
enjoy
yourself experimenting and discovering.
POWER
Your PortaSound PSS-580 works on batteries or household
current. Since batteries are also needed to support the internal
RAM memory, buy six 1.5V “C” size (SUM-2, R-14) alkaline
batteries. (Be sure to read the precautions concerning batteries
on p. 1). To save battery power, you can also use a Yamaha
PA-3, PA-4 or PA-40 AC adaptor.
Inserting Batteries
Turn the instrument upside-down and remove the battery
compartment lid by pushing its tab in the direction of the
arrow embossed on the lid. Insert the six batteries, making
sure that their poles are aligned as shown in the illustration
below. Replace the lid. It should lock in place with a click.
©, | ®
Cy YY tt 3
Low Battery Warning
When the battery voltage drops below a certain level, the
LED displays will start to blink. As soon as this happens,
replace all six batteries with new ones. If you allow the bat-
teries to become spent completely, any data you have stored
in the internal memories will be lost.
Using an AC Power Adaptor
When you want to connect your PortaSound to a wall socket,
buy a Yamaha PA-3, PA-4 or PA-40 Power Adaptor. No
other
adaptor
can
be
used,
so
be
sure
to
ask
for
the
right
kind.
Plug the adaptor into a convenient wall socket and its con-
nector into the DC(9-12V)IN terminal on the back of your
PortaSound as shown. (Even when power is turned off, the
AC adaptor backs up the PortaSound RAM memory.)
4
HEADPHONES! OC9-12V IN
AUX OUT ->
PLAYING
Slide the POWER switch (1) toward the right to the ON
position. The LED displays and various indicators will light
up to confirm that the PortaSound is turned on.
You can now play the keyboard. Adjust the sound level with
the VOLUME slider (2), pushing it toward MAX to increase
volume and to the left (MIN) down to lower it.
® Be sure to turn your PortaSound off again by sliding the
POWER switch (1) back to OFF after you have finished
playing. This will save battery power.
DEMONSTRATION
To get an idea of the music your new PortaSound is capable
of playing, listen to the factory-programmed demonstration
song. Start it by pressing the yellow DEMONSTRATION
START/STOP button (4).
e The song will continue unti] you press DEMON-
STRATION START/STOP again, or the START/STOP
switch.
You will soon be playing music in this kind of professional
style by yourself — PART II will teach you all the necessary
operations. Most of these steps can also be carried while
the PortaSound is performing the demonstration song,
allowing you to alter this song according to your taste.

®
QUICK GUIDE
Selecting Voices
To choose any instrument sound you like, simply look
up its name in the VOICE LIST (6a) and input the corre-
sponding number with the number buttons (5c). (It may
be necessary to press the turquoise VOICE switch (5a)
first.)
Effects
Add special effects to the instrument sounds by pressing
these selectors.
Single Finger Chords
You can play entire chords automatically with just a
finger or two — press the SINGLE FINGER selector (3a),
then play keys in the AUTO ACCOMPANIMENT SECTION
(18).
Automatic Accompaniment
With SINGLE FINGER mode on, press the red START/
STOP switch (14a) to start the rhythm. Play the AUTO
ACCOMPANIMENT SECTION and enjoy automatic bass,
chord and orchestra accompaniment. To stop it, press
SYNCHRO START/ENDING (14р).
Selecting Styles
The STYLE LIST (6b) shows you which rhythm and ac-
companiment styles you can choose from. Press the red
STYLE (5b) switch, then enter the desired style number
with the number buttons (5c).
Tempo
To adjust the speed of the rhythm/accompaniment, press
TEMPO (10a), then use the VALUE buttons (12) to make
it faster or slower.
© Rhythm Control
START/STOP (14a) starts or stops the selected rhythm.
Press the yellow INTRO/FILL IN buttons (14c) instead for
a different beginning or for variations while the drum
sounds are playing. (Works for Auto Accompaniment
too.) SYNCHRO START/ENDING (14b) lets the rhythm
begin automatically when you play the AUTO ACCOM-
PANIMENT SECTION (18), or ends it with a special pat-
tern.
(Н) Orchestration
These switches (3b) turn the four components of the Auto
Accompaniment — bass, rhythm (drums), chords and
orchestra parts — on and off to suit your music.

INDEX ILLUSTRATION |
рі: 2-22-22 22 22-2 24-222. 4
i -EERER.|
| [c c6 c-——3c3 ЕЗ

PART II
BASIC FEATURES
WHAT YOUR PortaSound CAN DO
Using the QUICK GUIDE and listening to the DEMONSTRATION song has already given you a first im-
pression of your new PortaSound's capabilities. This chapter tells you more about them.
Voices, Rhythm and Auto Accompaniment
To better understand the PortaSound’s functional structure,
think of it as comprising the following three sections:
Auto Accompaniment Section
“3 Voice/Melody Section
ШЕШ Rhythm Section
As the names say, the Voice/Melody Section controls all
features concerning the voices you play, usually in the form
of a melody, while the Auto Accompaniment Section helps
you perform the accompaniment to these melodies. The
Rhythm Section can be used separately like a drum machine,
or in combination with Auto Accompaniment.
® This is not a strict division. These sections are closely
interconnected — for instance, RHYTHM CONTROL
influences both the Rhythm and the Auto Accompaniment
Sections, and the SONG MEMORY MELODY banks
are just as much part of Voice/Melody as they are of Auto
Accompaniment. Keeping this division in mind, though,
makes it easier to understand the PortaSound features.
Voice/Melody Section
In the tradition of Yamaha’s famous DX7 synthesizers, the
preset instrument sounds available on the PortaSound
PSS-580 are referred to as “voices”. With the Digital Syn-
thesizer functions explained in PART III (p.25), you can alter
them to create your own original sounds, then save up to five
of these for instant access at the push of a button.
For more expressiveness and realism, you can add various
EFFECTS (p.9) to the voices. PORTAMENTO, for instance,
can greatly enhance strings, brass or bass sounds.
Easy Play Functions
If the melody you want to play is in a difficult key, you can
TRANSPOSE the entire keyboard (p.10) to an easier one.
Melodies (or parts of them) you find particularly hard to
perform can be memorized in the MELODY banks of the
SONG MEMORY (p.21). For example, if a phrase is too
fast for you, record it at a comfortable slow tempo and then
play it back any time at the correct speed by simply pressing
the corresponding MELODY button.
Rhythm and Auto Accompaniment Sections
Since these sections are so closely interrelated, many of their
functions are treated together in this manual.
The Rhythm and Auto Accompaniment features can enhance
your performances in four basic ways: The PortaSound
PSS-580 is capable of:
1. playing a rhythm accompaniment to your music with re-
alistic percussion sound patterns in a hundred different
musical styles, functioning like a high-quality drum ma-
chine. Many variations of these basic patterns are possible
with RHYTHM CONTROL.
2. letting you play complete chords by using only a single
finger of your left hand (SINGLE FINGER chords).
3. performing an entire accompaniment arrangement, com-
plete with drums, bass, chords and orchestra, easily con-
trolled by your left hand. Again, RHYTHM CONTROL
can be used to add a great number of variations. You can
even change the ORCHESTRATION, deleting or adding
parts to the accompaniment at the touch of a button.