Yamaha WX-11 User manual

YAMAHA
AUTHORIZED
PRODUCTMANUAL
WINDMIDICONTROLLER

YAMAHA
WINDMIDICONTROLLER
OPERATION MANUAL

Congratulations!
YourYAMAHAWX11 Wind MIDI Controllerwill give you awhole new world ofexpressive power and
musical scope. While the extensive power and versatility of MIDI control has in the past been limited
mainly to keyboard instruments, the WX11 now makes it accessible and exceptionally easy to use for the
experienced or beginning wind-instrument player. The WX11 is a beautifully designed, perfectly balanced
MIDI controller that plays andresponds just like an acoustic wind instrument. Ifyou've played a wind in-
strument before — particularly a reed instrument, you'll have no difficulty moving into the exciting,
expressiveworldofMIDIcontrol.
To ensure that you make the most of the WX11's extensive performance potential, we urge you to read this
operation manual thoroughly, and keep it in a safe place for future reference.
WX11MAINFEATURES
The WX11 handles and plays almost exactly like an acoustic
single-reedwind instrument. Variations in breathand lip
(reed)pressurecanbeused tocontrolvolume and the timbre
ofthe sound, and the key configuration conforms tostandard
Böhm fingering.
TheWX11 controlsan external MIDItone generator,soyou
have a virtually unlimited rangeofvoicesfrom which to
choose.Thefact that the sound isproduced electronically
alsomeans that you can practiceusing headphones any-
where,
at any time.
The WX11issupplied with a dedicated 5-meterconnecting
cablethat allowsplenty offreedom tomove around while
playing.
5octavekeys allowtransposing up by 1, 2, or3 octaves,or
down by 1 or2 octaves,allowing you toplay over a wide 7-
octave range.
Tomatch the widest possiblerange ofplaying styles,the
WX11 has 5 different sensitivity settingsthat can beeasily
selectedat any time.
AspecialHoldkey makes it possibletoplay a pedaltone
which isheld while other notes areplayed overit.
Note
TheWX11isdesignedprimarily for use with the
YAMAHA WT11Wind ToneGenerator.The simplest,
smoothest possibleoperationisachievedwhen the
WX11 ispairedwith the WT11.Other MIDI tone gen-
eratorscan beused with the WX11,however, and ifyou
intend to use a tone generatorother than the WT11be
suretoread"ALTERNATIVE TONEGENERATORS"
onpage11 ofthis manual.

CONTENTS
PRECAUTIONS................................1
WX11KEYS & CONTROLS......................2
Front View
/ Rear View ......................2
Mouthpiece Interior ........................3
SETUP& OPERATION
(Withthe WT11Wind Tone Generator) ...........4
Setting Up ................................4
Turn ON the WT11 and Play ...............5
General Operation ..........................6
A Word About Fingering ..................6
Selecting Performance Combinations
from the WX11 ..........................6
Setting Sensitivity ........................7
Selecting the "Loose Lip"or "TightLip"
Playing Mode and Adjusting LipZero
.......8
Using the Hold Key ......................9
ALTERNATIVE TONEGENERATORS .............10
Appropriate Settings forthe YAMAHA TX81Z
orTX802 Tone Generators
................. 10
MIDIAND THEWX11.........................12
MIDI"Messages" Transmitted bythe WX11.. .12
Sample MIDIApplications
.................. 12
TROUBLE SHOOTING .........................14
CLEANING& MAINTENANCE..................15
SPECIFICATIONS.............................15
INDEX......................................16
MIDIDATA FORMAT .......................Add-1
MIDIIMPLEMENTATIONCHART .............Add-2
FINGERINGCHART ........................Add-3
PRECAUTIONS
1.AVOID EXCESSIVE HEAT, HUMIDITY, DUST
AND VIBRATION
Keepthe unit away from locationswhere it islikelytobe
exposedtohigh temperatures orhumidity — such asnear
radiators,stoves,etc.Alsoavoidlocationswhich aresubject
toexcessivedust accumulation orvibration which could
causemechanicaldamage.
2.AVOID PHYSICAL SHOCKS
Strongphysicalshockstotheunitcancausedamage.Handle
it with care.
3.DO NOT OPEN THE CASE OR ATTEMPT
REPAIRS OR MODIFICATIONS YOURSELF
Thisproduct containsno user-serviceableparts.Refer all
maintenance toqualified YAMAHA servicepersonnel.
Opening the caseand/or tampering with the internal cir-
cuitry will voidthe warranty.
4.NEVER APPLY EXCESSIVE FORCE TOTHE
KEYS AND CONTROLS
TheWX11 isaprecisiondevice,andshould be handled like
any finemusicalinstrument. Neverapplyexcessiveforce to
any ofitskeysorcontrols.
5.HANDLE THE CABLECAREFULLY
Always plug and unplug the WXll'sconnector cableby
gripping the connector,not the cord.Also avoid applying
excessiveforce tothe cableorconnectorsduring use.
6.CLEAN WITH A SOFT DRY CLOTH
Never use solventssuch asbenzine orthinner tocleanthe
unit. Wipe cleanwith a soft, dry cloth.
7.POWER SUPPLY
TheWX11normally receivesthe required power from its
companion WT11Wind ToneGenerator,sono separate
powersupply isrequired.Ifyou intend touse the WX11
with a MIDItone generatorother than the WT11,however,
the optional BT7MIDI/PowerPackisrequired.
1

WX11KEYS & CONTROLS
FrontView / RearView
Mouthpiece
The WX11mouthpiece isa single-reedtypethat issimilar to
conventional saxophoneorclarinetmouthpieces. The mouth-
piececan beremoved for cleaningand maintenance, but it
shouldonlyberemovedwhen necessary.
Lip ZeroControl
As inany acousticreedinstrument, the pitch ofthe sound
producedby theWX11can bevariedaccordingtothe "bite,"
orlippressure,appliedtothe reed.Thisrecessedtrimmer
controlisusedto adjust the "LipZero"point, orthe normal
playingpressureatwhich no pitchbendisproduced.
Keys& Octave Keys
TheWX11keys conform tostandard Böhm fingering. The
octavekeys allowtransposingup by 1,2,or3 octaves,or
down by 1 or2 octaves.
Setup Key
TheSetup keyisused in conjunction with the octave keys to
selectoneofthe WX11's5 sensitivitysettings.See"Setting
Sensitivity"onpage7 for details.TheSetup key isalsoused
toselectthe WXll's"tightlip"or"looselip"playing mode
when the systempower isinitially turned ON.See"Selecting
the"LooseLip"or'TightLip"Playing Mode and Adjusting
LipZero"onpage 8 for details.
Hold Key
The holdkeyoffers a function that isnot availableonacous-
ticinstruments: the capability toproduce a "pedal"tone
which isheldwhile you play other notesoveritSee"Using
the HoldKey"onpage 9 for details.
Program Change Key
Usedin conjunction with the octavekeys,the program
change key allowsselectionofprograms (voicesorperform-
ance combinations) 1 through 5 onthe WT11Wind Tone
Generatororother MIDI-compatible tone generator.See
"SelectingPerformance Combinations from the WX11"on
page6 for details.
2

Output Connector
The specialconnecting cablesuppliedwith the WX11is
connectedhere.The endofthecablewith the rotating screw
ring connects tothe WX11,while the otherendconnectsto
the WT11Wind ToneGenerator.Ifyou use the WX11with
the optional BT7MIDI/PowerPackand a tone generator
other than the WT11,the BT7cablecan beconnected di-
rectly totheWX11,orthe suppliedWX11cablecanbe used
asanextensioncable.
Alignthe cableconnectorwith the connectoronthe WX11
and insertfirmly. Then pressthe screwring inward and ro-
tateit clockwiseuntil it firmly screwsinto place.
Strap Ring
Thestrap ring acceptsthe neck strap suppliedwith the
WX11 forcomfortableplaying. Simply hookthe straponto
thestrap ring.
Drain Hole
Moisturefrom theplayer'sbreath and condensationdrain
from this opening.
MouthpieceInterior
Lip SensorCantilever
The lipsensorcantilever mechanically transfers pressure
appliedtothe reedto thelipsensorcontained in the rubber
housing. Exercisethe greatestcautionwhen handling the
WX11with the mouthpieceremoved, sinceexcesspressure
appliedtothe cantilevercandamage themechanism.
BreathRelease Aperture
Breathpressureappliedtothemouthpieceisreleasedvia this
aperture,simulating the playing "feel"ofan acoustic wind
instrument.
PressureSensorAperture
The WX11'sbreathsensor— the devicethat sensesthe
"strength"ofbreath appliedtothe mouthpiece — islocated
belowthis aperture.
3

SETUP & OPERATION (With the WT11 Wind ToneGenerator)
SettingUp
The WX11isdesignedprimarily for usewith the YAMAHA
WT11Wind Tone Generator,and you willobtaintheeasiest,
smoothestoperationby using thiscombination.The WT11isa
high-performance FMtonegeneratorthat comespre-pro-
grammed with 96performance memory locations(combinations
ofvoicesand effects) createdspecificallyfor the WX11.It also
includesa rangeofhigh-qualitydigitaleffects that youcan use
to createyour own performance combinations. Here'show your
WX11/WT11systemshouldbesetup:
Thesimplestpossiblesystemrequiresno morethan the WX11,
theWT11and a soundsystem.A stereosound systemwill
provide the bestsound, but a mono soundsystem(suchasan
instrument amplifier)canbeusedasan alternative.Ifyou usea
mono sound system, use theL/MONO OUTPUTjack from the
WT11(when onlythe L/MONO OUTPUTjack isconnected,
theL/MONO and R OUTPUTsignalsaremixed and delivered
viathe L/MONO jack).Morecontrolversatilityisprovidedby
connecting a pairofoptionalYAMAHA FC4orFC5
footswitches totheWT11'sMEMORY INC and DECjacks.
Thesefootswitchescanbeusedtoselectdifferent performance
combinations while playing.Itisalsopossibletoconnect the
WTll's MIDITHRU connectortoa secondMIDItone genera-
tor,allowingthe WX11tocontroltwo tone generatorsat once.
In thiscase,the outputs ofthe WT11and thesecondtone gen-
eratorshouldbefed toan audiomixer which inturn feeds the
sound system.Forprivateorlate-nightpractice,a pairofhead-
phonescan bepluggedinto the WT11PHONESjack. Although
not shown inthe diagram, the WT11'sAC power adaptermust
bepluggedinto an appropriateAC walloutlet, and the adapter's
output cableconnectedtothe WT11DC15VIN jack.
4

Turn ON the WT11 and Play
1. Turn ON the rear-panelPOWER switch. Fora few seconds
after the POWER switch isturned ON, allthe panel LEDs
will light and " * YAMAHA WT11* " willappearonthe
LCD display panel.After this, the mode that wasactive
when the power was last turned OFFwill be automatically
re-selectedand the WT11isready for operation.
2.If an LED indicator other than the PLAY LED islit,press
the PLAY button toenter the play mode.At this point you
should beabletoplay the WX11and produce some sound —
assuming that your system isproperly setup asdescribed
above.Ifnothing happens, check allconnections and con-
trolsagain (Isyour sound system turned ON?Isthe volume
control turned up? Isthe WT11INPUT SELECTswitch set
to WX
IN?).
3.Toselectand try out the many performance combinations
provided by the WT11,use the BANK button toselectany
ofthe availablememory banks (A,B, C orI),and then use
the DATA ENTRY +1and -1buttons to selectany ofthe 32
performance combinations contained ineach bank.
PerformanceCombination
1—32?
Note:
Donot apply breathpressuretothe WX11when turning
the system power ON,and do not pressthe setup key
while playing.
Note:
Although the bareessentialsofWT11operationarede-
scribedhere,the WT11offers a wide range offeatures
and you shouldmost definitely read the WT11 Opera-
tionManual thoroughly inordertomake full use ofits
performance potential.
5

General Operation
AWord About Fingering
Standard saxophone fingering canbeused with the WX11with
no modifications. Since the WX11 useselectronicswitches
rather than valves,however,veryslightkeypressureisallthat
isrequired tochange notes.Ifyou're usedtoplaying a saxor
clarinet, this may takea while togetused to,but you'll find the
WX11 easierand smoother toplay inthe longrun. The WX11
doesfeature a few improvements which can significantly facili-
tate fingering in many cases.Thetrillkeys,for example,canbe
used with allnotes rather than a limited few, toprovidedsemi-
tone orwhole-tone trillswherever necessary.Inthe same way,
the low B key can be usedtoflatten other notesasrequired.The
5octave keys alsoprovide the advantageofbeing abletouse
standard fingering overan extremely wide range — from 2
octavesbelow to 3 octavesabove normal pitch. Refer to the
enclosedWX11Fingering Chart for details.
Selecting Performance Combinations
fromtheWX11
We briefly describedhow performance combinations can be se-
lected using the WT11controls inthe previoussection,but you
can alsoselectperformance combinations directly from the
WX11.The WX11 iscapable oftransmitting MIDIprogram
change numbers (thedata that isused toselectvoicesontone
generators and synthesizers) 0 through 4, allowing you toselect
voices orperformance combinations 1 through 5 ona tone gen-
erator orsynthesizer. The fact that you can only transmit 5 pro-
gram change numbers isreally not a limitation when using the
WX11 with the WT11orany other YAMAHA tone generator
that allows"programchange assignment," since this handy
function allows you to assignany memory location in the tone
generator toany program change number. You could select
voiceorperformance combinationnumber 16,for example,
when you transmit program changenumber 1.
Toselecta performance combination hold the WX11program
change key (1)and pressthe octave key (2)corresponding to
the program change number you wish tosend:
KEY
3octaves up
2octaves up
1octaveup
1octave down
2octaves down
PROGRAM CHANGE NUMBER*
1
2
3
4
5
6
*Actually, the MIDI programchange numbers transmitted are
0— 4, but these correspondtomemory locations1 — 5 on
most equipment.

Setting Sensitivity
TheWX11 has5 different sensitivitysettingsthat you can
choosetomatch your playing requirements.Thedifferent sensi-
tivity settingsprovidedifferent combinationsofwind gain(the
amount ofbreathpressurerequiredtoproduce a givenvolume
ofsound) and lipgain(theamount ofliporreedpressurere-
quired toproduce a givenchange inpitch).You shouldtry all
theavailablesettingsand selectthe onethat you feelmost
comfortable with.
The5 possiblesensitivitysettingsare:SOFT,MEDIUM SOFT,
MEDIUM, MEDIUM HARD and HARD.TheMEDIUM set-
ting isautomatically selectedwhen the WX11systempower is
initiallyturned ON.
1.After the system power has beenturned ON,holddown the
WX11setup key(1)and pressthe octavekey (2)correspond-
ing tothe desiredsensitivity setting*:
KEY
3octavesup
2octavesup
1octave up
1octave down
2octaves down
SENSITIVITY
SOFT
MEDIUM SOFT
MEDIUM
MEDIUM HARD
HARD
2.Releasethe octavekeyand then the setupkey.
*Sensitivity settings canonly beselectedwhile no breath
pressureisappliedtothe WX11 mouthpiece.
*Thesetup key alsohas a "windzeroreset"function that
resetsthe no-wind (no-breath)status ofthewind sensor.If
temperature extremes orother unusual circumstancescause
the WX11 tocontinually produce sound evenwhen no breath
pressureisapplied,simply pressthe setup key.
7