Yamaha VL1-m User manual

Owner’s Manual 1
Getting Started
Virtual Acoustic Tone Generator

2
Getting Started
Contents
Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
About the Manuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
■The Getting Started Manual (this manual) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
■The Feature Reference Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
■Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
VL1-m Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Essential Concepts for the VL1-m User
■What Are the Advantages? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
■The VL1-m Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
The Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
The Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
The Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
■There’s More … . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
The Controls & Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
A Brief Introduction To the VL1-m Interface
■Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
■Rear Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Setting Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
System Connections & Preparation
■Power Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
■Breath Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
■MIDI Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
■Audio Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Headphones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Stereo Sound System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
■Power-on Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
■Play the Demo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
■Breath Controller Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
■Load the Pre-programmed Voice Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

3
Getting Started
Voice Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Selecting & Playing the VL1-m’s 128 Voices
■Using the Voice Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
■The Sound Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
■The Pre-programmed VL1-m Voices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
The Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Natural Musical Nuance and Expressive Control
■Physical Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
■VL1-m Controller Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
■Controller Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
■Some Exercises With the AltoSax Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
■Controller Envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
■Other Controller Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Mixing & The Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Creating New Timbres and Original Voices
Mixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
■An Exercise: Remix the Pan Pipes Voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
The Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
■Harmonic Enhancer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
■Dynamic Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
■Frequency Equalizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
■Impulse Expander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
■Resonator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Creating the Right Ambience
■Modulation Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
■Feedback Delay Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
■Reverb Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

4
Getting Started
■Location
Do not expose the instrument to the following
conditions to avoid deformation, 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.
• The power supply cord should be unplugged from
the AC outlet if the instrument is not to be used
for an extended period of time.
• Unplug the instrument during electric storms.
• Avoid plugging the instrument 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 discon-
necting audio and MIDI cables.
●DANGER
Improper connection of the equipment-grounding
conductor can result in a risk of electric shock.
Do not modify the plug provided with the product
— if it will not fit the outlet, have a proper outlet
installed by a qualified electrician. Do not use an
adaptor which defeats the function of the equip-
ment-grounding conductor. If you are in doubt as
to whether the product is properly grounded,
check with a qualified serviceman or electrician.
■MIDI Connections
• When connecting the VL1-m to MIDI equipment,
be sure to use high-quality cables made especially
for MIDI data transmission.
• Avoid MIDI cables longer than about 15 meters.
Longer cables can pick up electrical noise that can
causes data errors.
■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 instru-
ment.
• Physical shocks caused by dropping, bumping, or
placing heavy objects on the instrument can result
in scratches and more serious damage.
■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.
■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 equip-
ment.
Precautions
!! PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE PROCEEDING !!

5
Getting Started
YAMAHA is not responsible for damage caused by improper handling or operation.
■Data Backup
• The VL1-m contains a special long-life battery
that retains the contents of its internal memory
even when the power is turned OFF. The backup
battery should last for several years. When the
backup battery needs to be replaced “Change
battery!” will appear on the display when the
power is turned on. When this happens, have the
backup battery replaced by qualified Yamaha
service personnel. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO
REPLACE THE BACKUP BATTERY YOUR-
SELF!
• Internal memory data can be corrupted due to
incorrect operation. Be sure to save important data
to floppy disk frequently so you have a backup to
revert to if something happens to damage the data
in memory. Also note that magnetic fields can
damage data on the disk, so it is advisable to
make a second back-up copy of disks that contain
very important data, and keep backup disks in a
safe place away from stray magnetic fields (i.e.
away from speakers, appliances containing mo-
tors, etc.).
■Handle Floppy Disks and the Disk Drive With
Care
• Use only 3.5" 2HD or 2DD type floppy disks.
• Do not bend or apply pressure to the floppy disk.
Do not open the shutter and touch the surface of
the floppy disk inside.
• Do not expose the disk to high temperatures. (e.g.
direct sunlight, a car interior, etc.)
• Do not expose the disk to magnetic fields. Mag-
netic fields can partially or totally erase data on
the disk, rendering the disk unreadable.
• To eject a floppy disk, press the eject button
slowly as far as it will go then, when the disk is
fully ejected, remove it by hand.
The disk may not be ejected properly if the eject
button is pressed too quickly, or it is not pressed
in as far as it will go (the eject button may be-
come stuck in a half-pressed position and the disk
extends from the drive slot by only a few
millimeters). If this happens, do not attempt to
pull out the partially ejected disk. Using force in
this situation can damage the disk-drive mecha-
nism or the floppy disk. To remove a partially
ejected disk, try pressing the eject button once
again, or push the disk back into the slot and then
repeat the eject procedure carefully.
• Do not insert anything but floppy disks into the
disk drive. Other objects may cause damage to the
disk drive or the floppy disk.
■Service and Modification
• The VL1-m contains no user serviceable parts.
Opening it or tampering with it in any way can
lead to irreparable damage and possibly electric
shock. Refer all servicing to qualified YAMAHA
personnel.
■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 manufac-
turer or their agents.

6
Getting Started
About the Manuals
The VL1-m comes with two manuals — Getting Started and Fea-
ture Reference.
The Getting Started Manual (this manual)
The Getting Started manual contains seven chapters that take you through
essential information and procedures you will need to know to become familiar
with your VL1-m:
1. VL1-m Basics [≥Page 8]
Basic concepts you’ll need to understand in order to get the
most out of the VL1-m.
2. The Controls & Connectors [≥Page 16]
Brief descriptions of the VL1-m controls and connectors, and
their functions.
3. Setting Up [≥Page 22]
System connections, powering up, playing the demo, calibrating
the Breath Controller, and loading the pre-programmed voices.
4. Voice Selection [≥Page 34]
Several ways to select and play the VL1-m’s 128 voices.
5. The Controllers [≥Page 38]
The VL1-m controllers and how they can be assigned and
edited for optimum control.
6. Mixing & The Modifiers [≥Page 48]
Customizing the sound to suit your own personal needs.
7. Effects [≥Page 58]
An overview of the built-in digital effects that you can use to
add depth and ambiance to the VL1-m sound.
We recommend that you go through the chapters in sequence and actually
try out the various operations described. Once you’ve gone through the entire
Getting Started manual in this way, you should be familiar enough with the
VL1-m to need only the VL1-m Feature Reference manual in future.

7
Getting Started
● Buttons & Controls
Button and control names used on the VL1-m panel appear in the
text in capital letters within square brackets: “the Pbutton”, for
example.
● Parameter Names
Parameter names and other labels which appear on the VL1-m
display are printed in the courier typeface for easier identifica-
tion: for example, “adjust the “Balance” parameter as required”.
● Parameter Ranges
An ellipsis is used to indicate a range of parameter values: e.g. “0 …
127”. This minimizes the confusion sometimes caused by the use of
a hyphen or dash for this purpose.
The Feature Reference Manual
The Feature Reference manual is the “nuts and bolts” reference for
the VL1-m, individually describing its many functions in detail. The Fea-
ture Reference manual is divided into 5 main sections, each describing the
various functions within a particular VL1-m edit or utility mode.
1. General Operation [≥Page 7]
2. Play Mode [≥Page 13]
3. Edit Mode [≥Page 21]
4. Utility Mode [≥Page 151]
5. Appendix [≥Page 177]
Once you have become familiar with the way the VL1-m works by
going through the Getting Started manual, you should only need to refer to
the Feature Reference manual 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 section of the Feature Reference manual has its own table of
contents, so you should be able to locate any particular function quickly
and easily. Functions and references can also be located by referring to the
index at the back of the manual.
Conventions
The following conventions are used through the VL1-m manuals to
avoid confusion and make the text easier to read.

8
Getting Started
VL1-m Basics
Essential Concepts for the VL1-m User
The Yamaha VL1-m Virtual Acoustic Tone Generator produces sound
in an entirely new way. It has no oscillators or function generators,
no preset waveforms or samples. In fact, it uses none of the sound
generation concepts employed in conventional synthesizers. The VL1-m
applies sophisticated computer-based “physical modeling” technology to
musical sound synthesis.
In the same way that computer models are used to simulate weather
systems or the flight characteristics of aircraft in the design stage, the
VL1-m simulates the very complex vibrations, resonances, reflections and
other acoustic phenomena that occur in a real wind or string instrument.
This requires a tremendous amount of computer processing power
(weather and aerodynamic modeling require room-filling super comput-
ers), and radical advances in microprocessor speed and capability plus
some very sophisticated Yamaha technology were necessary to achieve the
real-time sound generation capabilities exhibited by the VL1-m Virtual
Acoustic Tone Generator.

9
Getting Started
What Are the Advantages?
The VL1-m offers many advantages in terms of musical
performance. Not just in terms of sound, but also in terms of the
“behavior” that makes acoustic instruments so … well, musical!
But this is not because someone has programmed a certain sound or pat-
tern of behavior into it. The physical model can be programmed to have
certain attributes — the length of a pipe or the stiffness of a reed, for
example — but the actual sound produced by any configuration can only
be accurately determined by playing it. Of course, the same applies to the
design of acoustic instruments. Because of its natural acoustic behavior the
VL1-m is undoubtedly a little harder to play than conventional tone gen-
erators, but when mastered this is the very characteristic that is its greatest
strength. Yamaha Virtual Acoustic Synthesis is the most musical tone
generation system ever created. A soloist’s dream!
• The VL1-m sounds better, has more depth, and is more realistic
in the musical sense than any other tone generation system.
• Simply pressing a key in the same way does not always produce
precisely the same sound. The instrument is responsive and
“alive”.
• Note-to-note transitions have the same continuity exhibited by
acoustic instruments. What goes on in between the notes is just as
important musically as the notes themselves.
• It has extraordinary expressive capability. Rather than simply
controlling parameters like volume or pitch, you can control
characteristics such as breath and reed pressure with appropriate
complex effects on the timbre of the sound.

10
Getting Started
The VL1-m Model
Controllers (also envelopes)
Instrument Modifiers
Sound
out.
One VL "Element" (the VL has 2 of these)
The overall VL1-m model or “algorithm” consists of three main
blocks: the instrument, controllers, and modifiers. In schematic
form these blocks are arranged as follows:
● The Instrument
The key block in this algorithm is the instrument, since it is here that the
fundamental tone or “timbre” of the sound is defined. The extreme complexity
of this portion of the model makes it unsuitable for user programming, so vari-
ous instruments for the VL1-m are provided in the form of pre-programmed
voices. These are primarily woodwind, brass, and string voices, since the VL1-
m’s physical model is capable of most accurately simulating the sound-generat-
ing mechanism of all three instrument categories.
The instrument model consists primarily of a driver — the reed/mouth-
piece, lip/mouthpiece, or bow/string system — and a resonant system corre-
sponding to the tube and air column or string.

11
Getting Started
Reed vibration.
Lip vibration.
Air vibration.
String vibration.
In all these
instruments
pressure
applied here
(the driving
point) causes
vibration which
results in
sound.
The pitch of the sound is determined
by the length of the air column or
string, and the timbre is a complex
product of the driving source (reed,
lip, air, string), the shape of the
resonant cavity, the materials from
which the instrument is made, etc.
The sound thus
produced is amplified
and sustained
by the body of
the instrument.
One of the remarkable features of the VL1-m’s Virtual Acoustic Synthesis
system is that just about any driver can be used with any type of pipe or string.
Drivers Pipes/String

12
Getting Started
Pressure
The amount of breath pressure
applied to the reed or mouthpiece,
or bow velocity applied to the string".
Embouchure
The tightness of the lips against
the reed or against each other, or
the force of the bow against the
string.
Pitch
Changes the length of the
air column or string, and thereby
the pitch of the sound.
Tonguing
Simulates the half-tonguing
technique used by saxophone
players by changing the "slit"
of the reed.
Scream
Drives the entire system into
chaotic oscillation, creating
effects that can only be
achieved with physical
modelling technology.
Growl
A periodic pressure (bow
velocity) modulation which
produces the "growl" effect
often heard in wind instruments.
Throat
Controls the characteristics
of the "player's" throat or bowing arm.
Damping & Absorption
Simulate the effects of air friction
in the pipe or on the string,
and of high-frequency losses
at the end of the pipe or string.
● The Controllers
The input to an acoustic wind instrument comes from the player’s lungs, trachea,
oral cavity, and lips. In a string instrument it comes from the player’s arm movement,
transmitted to the string via a bow. These elements actually form an important part of the
sound generating system and, in the VL1-m model, are included in the controllers block.
The player also influences the sound of the instrument by playing the keys, tone holes, or
frets, and this aspect of control constitutes another part of the controllers block. These
and other control parameters provided by the VL1-m are listed in the illustration below.
In essence, the controller parameters determine how the instrument “plays”. All of
these parameters can be assigned to any external controller that can be used with the
VL1-m: breath controller, foot controller, modulation wheel, etc. The pressure parameter,
for example, will normally be assigned to a breath controller so the player can control the
dynamics of the instrument by varying the breath pressure applied to the controller — a
natural, instinctive way to play wind-instrument voices. At the same time the growl and
throat parameters might also be assigned to the breath controller in order to achieve life-
like response and effects.

13
Getting Started
In
Out
Impulse
Expander
Frequency
Equalizer
Dynamic
Filter
Harmonic
Enhancer
Resonator
● The Modifiers
Although you don’t have direct programming access to the VL1-m instru-
ment block, the modifiers allow a significant degree of control over the final
timbre of the voice. The modifiers block consists of 5 sections as shown in the
diagram. Although these may appear to be simple effects, they are actually
intimately related to the VL1-m’s sound-producing model and have a significant
effect on the sound (the VL1-m has a separate effects stage with reverb, delay,
and modulations effects — see page 58).
Harmonic Enhancer
The Harmonic Enhancer allows you to
manipulate the harmonic structure of the
sound to the extent that you can create
radical timbral variations within the current
instrument “family” (e.g. saxes). [Page 51]
Dynamic Filter
This section is similar to the dynamic filters
found in many conventional synthesizers. It
has selectable high-pass, bandpass, band
elimination, and low-pass modes, and a
“wet/dry” balance parameter which allows
delicate variations in the degree of filtration
applied. Another important feature is key-
board cutoff tracking which varies the cutoff
frequency according to the key played.
[Page 54]
Frequency Equalizer
This is a 5-band parametric equalizer with
frequency, Q (bandwidth), and level control.
The equalizer also has pre-EQ high- and
low-pass filters as well as key scaling capa-
bility for precise response control throughout
the instrument’s range.[Page 55]

14
Getting Started
Impulse Expander
The Impulse Expander works in conjunction with the Resonator, described
below, to simulate the effect of an instrument’s resonant cavity or sound
box. It can also be used to simulate the acoustic environment in which the
instrument is played. In contrast to the Resonator, the Impulse Expander is
more suited to the simulation of metallic resonances and is thus invaluable
for refining the sound of brass and metal-bodied woodwinds. Other impor-
tant effects are the ability to diffuse sharp attack sounds and to give depth
and realism to vibrato. [Page 56]
Resonator
While the Impulse Expander and even the Harmonic Enhancer tend to give
the sound a metallic quality, the Resonator produces a more woody reso-
nance effect. Careful adjustment of the resonator’s parameters can often
bring a not-quite-right voice to life. [Page 57]

15
Getting Started
Sound
out.
Effects
Controllers
Instrument Modifiers
Element 1
Element 2
Controllers
Instrument Modifiers
There’s also an extensive range of other functions and features that
are similar to those you may be familiar with from conventional synthesiz-
ers. There are, for example, a range of programmable envelopes that can
be applied to most of the controllers in addition to real-time player con-
trol. And, of course, there’s a comprehensive selection of MIDI, disk, and
other utility functions that give the VL1-m maximum versatility and con-
venience.
Now that you understand the basics, dive in and find out what the
VL1-m can really do.
There’s More …
In this brief introduction to VL1-m basics we’ve only looked at the
central physical model which is the key the VL1-m’s unprecedented
sound and musical performance. There’s actually much more to it. To
begin with the VL1-m actually has two elements which function as inde-
pendent physical models. Although it is basically a monophonic solo in-
strument, this means that the VL1-m can produce two notes at once. More
commonly the two elements are used as layers of a single voice.

16
Getting Started
●
The Controls & Connectors
A Brief Introduction To the VL1-m Interface
The following brief descriptions of the VL1-m controls and connec-
tors should help you to understand the overall logic of the interface.
The Controls & Connectors
F4
GENERATO
F1 F2 F3
COMPARE
PLAY EDIT UTILITY COPY STORE
MIDI
VIRTUAL ACOUSTIC TONE G
POWER
ON / OFF
BREATH
PHONES
VOLUME
MAXMIN
!4 Breath Controller Jack
!3 PHONES Jack
eMIDI Indicator
rCButton
tSButton
y VOLUME Control
!5 Floppy Disk Drive
q POWER Switch
wMODE Buttons

17
Getting Started
●
The Controls & Connectors
The Controls & Connectors
Front Panel
qpSwitch
Press to turn power ON or OFF.
wMODE Buttons
The P, E, and Ukeys select the corresponding VL1-m modes. The
PLAY mode lets you select and play voices, the EDIT mode gives you programming
access to the VL1-m’s voice and controller parameters, and the UTILITY mode includes
MIDI, disk, system and other functions that are essential for general operation.
eMIDI Indicator
The MIDI indicator functions as a simple MIDI monitor, flashing whenever MIDI
data is received by the VL1-m.
rCButton
This button is used to copy voice parameters for fast, efficient editing.
☛ Feature Reference page 25
F5 F6 F7 F8 CONT
ENTER/SOUNDEXIT
INCDEC
O
R
!2 ]and
oData Dial
!0 Cursor Buttons i ¡through •Function Buttons
!1 =and -Buttons
uLCD Display & ÷Control
Buttons
ENTER/SOUND

18
Getting Started
●
The Controls & Connectors
tSButton
Used to store edited data to an internal memory location.
☛ Feature Reference page 27.
yVOLUME Control
Adjusts the volume of the sound delivered via the rear-panel OUTPUT L and R
jacks as well as the PHONES jack.
☛ Getting Started page 25.
uLCD Display & ÷Control
This large multi-function liquid crystal display panel shows all parameters and prompts
you need to operate the VL1-m with optimum ease and efficiency.
Use the ÷(contrast) control located near the lower right-hand corner of the
display to achieve the best display visibility (LCD visibility varies greatly with viewing
angle and lighting).
☛ Getting Started page 34. Feature Reference page 14.
i¡through •Function Buttons
The functions of these buttons depend on the selected mode. They are used to
engage a function indicated on the display immediately above the button, select a page of
parameters, scroll through a list of parameters, and more.
☛ Getting Started page 26. Feature Reference page 9.
oData Dial
The data dial provides a fast, efficient way to select voices or make large value
changes in any of the edit modes.
☛ Getting Started page 35. Feature Reference page 15.
!0 Cursor Buttons
These 4 buttons move the “cursor” around the display screen, highlighting the
various items that are available for selection or parameters that are available for editing.
☛ Getting Started page 32. Feature Reference page 11.
!1 =and -Buttons
Used to select voices and edit parameter values in any of the VL1-m edit modes.
Either button can be pressed briefly for single stepping in the specified direction, or held
for continuous scrolling. They also have a large-step function which allows you to skip
ahead or backward in increments of 16 when selecting voices or editing numeric param-
eters: press either the =or -button while holding the other button. These buttons
are also used to respond “Yes” or “No” to the “Are you sure?” confirmation prompt when
saving or loading data.
☛ Getting Started page 35. Feature Reference page 15.
!2 ]and
ENTER/SOUND
Buttons
The ]button can generally be used to exit from any sub-mode or function,
while the
ENTER/SOUND
button is used to engage a variety of modes and functions.
☛ Getting Started page 27. Feature Reference page 10.

19
Getting Started
●
The Controls & Connectors
The Controls & Connectors
!3 PHONES Jack
Accepts a standard pair of stereo headphones (1/4" stereo phone plug) for
headphone monitoring of the VL1-m sound without the need for external amplification
equipment.
☛ Getting Started page 23.
!4 Breath Controller Jack
An optional Yamaha BC2 or BC1 Breath Controller can be plugged in here.
☛ Getting Started page 23.
!5 Floppy Disk Drive
The VL1-m’s built-in floppy disk drive allows easy, economical, high-volume
storage of voice data. The disk-in-use indicator below the drive slot lights while any disk
operation is in progress (NEVER attempt to remove a disk or turn the power off while a
disk operation is in progress). The eject button, also below the disk slot, is used to
remove disks from the drive.
☛ Feature Reference page 162.

20
Getting Started
●
The Controls & Connectors
Rear Panel
!6 AC Power Cord Socket
Be sure the plug the VL1-m’s AC power cord into this socket before plugging the
power cord into an AC outlet.
☛ Getting Started page 22.
!7 OUTPUT L and R Jacks
These are the main stereo outputs from the VL1-m. Be sure to connect both outputs
to the appropriate channels of a stereo sound system in order to appreciate the full quality
of the VL1-m sound and effects.
☛ Getting Started page 24.
!8 MIDI IN, OUT and THRU Connectors
The MIDI IN connector receives the data from an external sequencer or other MIDI
device which is to control or transmit data to the VL1-m. The MIDI THRU connector
simply re-transmits the data received at the MIDI IN connector, allowing convenient
chaining of MIDI devices. The MIDI OUT connector transmits data corresponding to
VL1-m Breath Controller operation, or bulk data when one of the MIDI data transmission
functions are activated.
☛ Getting Started page 24.
!6 AC Power Cord
Socket
!7 OUTPUT L and R Jacks
!8 MIDI IN, OUT and
THRU Connectors
THRU OUT
MIDI IN
ACINLET
RL
OUTPUT