Yamaha QY-8 User manual

i
Precautions
Precautions
Your QY8 will give you years of reliable service if you follow the simple
rules given below:
■Location
Do not expose the instrument to the following conditions to avoid defor-
mation, discoloration, or more serious damage.
• Direct sunlight (e.g. near a window).
• High temperatures (e.g. near a heat source, outside, or in a car during the daytime).
• Excessive humidity.
• Excessive dust.
• Strong vibration.
■Power Supply
• Turn the power switch OFF when the instrument is not in use.
• If you use an AC power adaptor — the QY8 requires an optional Yamaha PA-1B or
PA-3 AC Power Adaptor — unplug the adaptor from the AC outlet if the instrument
is not to be used for an extended period of time.
• Unplug the AC power adaptor during electric storms.
• Avoid plugging an AC power adaptor used with the QY8 into the same AC outlet as
appliances with high power consumption, such as electric heaters or ovens. Also avoid
using multi-plug adaptors since these can result in reduced sound quality and possibly
damage.
■Turn Power OFF When Making Connections
• To avoid damage to the instrument and other devices to which it is connected (a
sound system, for example), turn the power switches of all related devices OFF prior
to connecting or disconnecting audio and MIDI cables.
■Handling and Transport
• Never apply excessive force to the controls, connectors or other parts of the
instrument.
• Always unplug cables by gripping the plug firmly, not by pulling on the cable.
• Disconnect all cables before moving the instrument.
• Physical shocks caused by dropping, bumping, or placing heavy objects on the
instrument can result in scratches and more serious damage.

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Precautions
■Cleaning
• Clean the cabinet and panel with a dry soft cloth.
• A slightly damp cloth may be used to remove stubborn grime and dirt.
• Never use cleaners such as alcohol or thinner.
• Avoid placing vinyl objects on top of the instrument (vinyl can stick to and discolor
the surface).
You may notice one or more fine diagonal lines on the panel of your QY8. These are
unavoidable in the manufacturing process and are not scratches or defects in the
product.
■Electrical Interference
• This instrument contains digital circuitry and may cause interference if placed too
close to radio or television receivers. If this occurs, move the instrument further away
from the affected equipment.
■Data Backup
• The QY8 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 several years. To ensure reliable operation we recommend that you have the
backup battery replaced by qualified Yamaha service personnel approximately once
every 5 years. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REPLACE THE BACKUP BATTERY
YOURSELF!
• Internal memory data can be corrupted due to incorrect operation. We recommend
that you use the QY8 Data Out function (see page 61 for details) to transfer
important data to a MIDI data recorder such as the Yamaha MDF2 MIDI Data Filer
for safe long-term storage. Yamaha cannot be held responsible for data loss caused by
battery failure or improper operation of the QY8!
■Service and Modification
• The QY8 contains no user serviceable parts. Opening it or tampering with it in
anyway can lead to irreparable damage and possibly electric shock. Refer all servicing
to qualified YAMAHA personnel.
YAMAHA is not responsible for damage caused by improper han-
dling or operation.

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About This Manual
About This Manual
The following simple icons are used throughout this manual to draw
attention to important points and information where necessary. The
icons also make it easier to differentiate between information that you
should read immediately and information that can be skipped until
later, hopefully helping you to become familiar with the QY8 in the
quickest, most efficient manner possible.
This icon warns of possible hardware damage, soft-
ware malfunction, or any other serious problem
that may occur due to improper operation or set
up.
This icon marks information that you must read —
i.e. important steps or procedures that are essential
for proper, efficient, or easy operation.
The magnifying-glass icon indicates information that
may not be essential for general operation, but is a
more detailed explanation of a feature, a description
of the principle involved, etc. You can skip this
information if full details are not required immedi-
ately.
Suggestions as to how a feature or function can be
applied musically are identified by this icon.
Hints or ideas that are not specifically musical but
may make operation easier or more interesting are
marked by the light-bulb icon.
CAUTION
IMPORTANT
DETAIL
MUSICAL
NOTE
HINT

Contents
1
Contents
1The QY8: What It Is &
What It Can Do ............................ 2
What It Is … ................................. 2
What It Can Do …........................ 4
2Setting Up: Power &
Connections .................................. 5
Power Supply ................................. 5
Setting Up Your System ................. 8
3Getting to Know the QY8:
How the Controls Work ............. 10
Play the Demo ............................. 14
Play the Initial Song Data ............ 16
4The Basics: The Elements
That Make Up a Song ................. 17
Styles ............................................ 18
Chords ......................................... 22
The Sequencer Parts ..................... 25
5Creating an
Accompaniment .......................... 26
6Programming the
Sequencer Parts ........................... 36
7The Option Functions ................ 47
Mute ............................................ 47
Key Change ................................. 49
Erase Measure .............................. 50
Delete Measure ............................ 51
Create Measure ............................ 53
Copy Measure .............................. 54
Mix Part ....................................... 57
Transpose ..................................... 59
Clear Song ................................... 60
Data Out ..................................... 61
Program Change .......................... 63
Undo/Redo On/Off ..................... 64
8The QY8 As a Tone
Generator/ABC Expander ........... 66
As a Tone generator Module ........ 66
As an ABC Expander ................... 67
Appendix ..................................... 70
Total Reset Procedure .................. 70
Voice List & Polyphony
Information ................................. 71
Style List ...................................... 73
Troubleshooting........................... 74
Error Messages ............................. 76
Specifications ............................... 77
MIDI Data Format ...................... 78
MIDI Implementation Chart ....... 80
Index ................................................ 82
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2
The QY8: What It Is &
1What It Can Do
What It Is …
The QY8 is an easy-to-use music production tool with tone generator,
sequencer, and auto-accompaniment (including drum machine)
capability all integrated with a user-friendly control interface. In short,
it provides everything you need to create great-sounding
accompaniments or complete songs. It may be convenient to think of
the QY8 as a 4-part auto-accompaniment machine plus a 4-part
sequencer that lets you record different parts of a musical composition
one at a time, and then play them back all together. The QY8 has an
internal memory that will hold up to 20 complete songs. For extra
storage capacity you can use the Data Out utility to transmit the song
data to a MIDI data recorder such as the Yamaha MDF2 ( > page 61).
■Voices
The QY8’s internal AWM tone generator provides 40 top-quality voices
plus a complete drum kit with different drum and percussion instru-
ments assigned to different notes. You can assign any of these voices to
the QY8’s four sequencer parts ( > page 37), or play them directly from
an external keyboard or other MIDI controller via the MIDI interface
( > page 43).