Yamaha DS-55 User manual

YAMAHA
DIGITAL SYNTHESIZER
SYNTHETISEUR NUMERIQUE
DIGITAL SYNTHESIZER
OPERATION MANUAL
MANUEL D'INSTRUCTIONS
BEDIENUNGSANLEITUNG
TTT mT,

Congratulations!
Your
DS55
Digital
Synthesizer
is
a
fine
example
of
advanced
YAMAHA
music
technology.
It
uses
the
un-
matched
YAMAHA
FM
tone
generation
system
to
create
rich,
vibrant
simulations
of
acoustic,
electric
and
electronic
instruments
—
and
sounds
that
are
totally
different.
The
DS55
offers
200
outstanding
preset
voices
that
you
can
use
immediately.
You
can
also
edit
the
presets
using
the
DS55's
easy
editing
system
to
create
subtle
variations
or
completely
original
voices.
Up
to
100
of
your
original
creations
can
be
stored
in
internal
memory
for
instant recall. The
DS55
even
has a built-in delay effect
that can add extra warmth and
ambience
to any
voice
you
play. Of
course
you can play
any
single
voice,
but
the
DS55
also offers
a
split play mode in
which
you
can
play
two
voices
on
different
sections
of
the
keyboara,
and
a
dual
play
mode
in
which
two
voices
can
be
played
simultaneously
across
the
entire
keyboard.
Perhaps
the
highlight
of
the
DS55
is
its
remarkable
Auto
Performance
system.
This
YAMAHA
innovation
provides
a
wide
range
of
beautifully
orches-
trated
accompaniment
patterns
that you can
use for practice
or
performance.
Of
course, the
DS55
is
fully
MIDI
equipped
so
it
can
serve
as
the
center
of
a
sophisticated
MIDI
music
system.
For
even
more
conven-
ience,
the
DS55
will
operate
from
an
AC
adapter
or
batteries,
so
you
can
play
anywhere,
anytime.
In order to make the most of the fine performance and many features provided by your DS55, we urge you to
read this operation manual thoroughly, and keep it in a safe place for later reference.
CONTENTS
NN
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PRECAUTIONS `... 1
THE
STORE
FUNCTION
—
[STORE
button]
....16
TIANSPOSE LL 15
DS55
CONTROLS
AND
CONNECTORS
....2
AUTO
PERFORMANCE
................
17
CONTROL
PANEL
........
coo.
2
Pattern
Change
`...
17
REARSPANEL
uc
243
add
4
BOYS
ME
ii
e
do
pens
18
BOTTOM
PANEL,,,
coco
5
AIPCQQIO?
curar
ta
2
de?
18
THE
PLAY
MODES,
TUNING
8:
DELAY
....6
LISTEN
TO
THE
DEMONSTRATION
THE
SINGLE
PLAY
MODE
..................
6
See
EE
18
The
Preset
and
User
Voice
Banks
..........
A
RFORMANCE
Selecting
Voices
a
bafer
ses
4
S
EE
>
PLAYING
THE
SELECTED
ge
T
A
ears
19
THE
SPLIT
PLAY
MOE
@
BRING
THe
SELECTED
AUTO
PERFORMANCE
Assigning
Voi
he L
SR
EE
E
Koy
ge
Numbers
when
PN
pa
20
THE
DUAL
PLAY
MODE
8
py
Rey
umber
when
IKEY
is
Selected
20
Dene
ee
el
USING
THE
MIDI
FUNCTIONS
>...
22
MASTER
TUNE
aaen
ee
e
10
MIDI
Switch
sissa
ccc
cece
kanen
22
USING
THE
DELAY
EFFECTS
...............
11
MIDI
Channel
`...
22
VOICE
EDITING
&
THE
STORE
FUNCTION
11
Omni
Mode
.....
6...
eevee
eee
ees
22
Understanding
and
Using
the
Edit
Function
EXCIUSIVE
ll
22
DISPIBVS
ii
ii
ka
jali
Ba
ea
td
11
Bulk
Dump
of
One
Voice
................
23
TONE
—
[TONE
button]
e,
12
All
Data
Bulk
Dump
a
23
AMPLITUDE
ENVELOPE
—
[AMP
EG
button]
.
.12
Setup
Data
Bulk
Dump
e,
23
BRILLIANCE
ENVELOPE
—
[BRL
EG
button]
..13
RECEIVING
VOICE
DATA
FROM
EXTERNAL
LOW
FREQUENCY
OSCILLATOR
(VIBRATO
&
EQUIPMENT
-naaasar
24
TREMOLO)—
[LFO
button]
................
14
THE
MULTI-INSTRUMENT
MODE
........
24
OTHER
VOICE
EDITING
FUNCTIONS
—
AN
EXAMPLE
OF
MULTI-INSTRUMENT
[FUNCTION
button]
`...
14
MODE
USE?
ii
Ai
a
KA
BA
ala
adas
tada
26
Pitch
Bend
Range
`,
14
USING
THE
DS55
KEVBOARD
TO
PLAV
Modulation
Wheel
Function
..............
14
IN
THE
MULTI-INSTRUMENT
MODE
.........
27
Breath
Controller
Function
...............
14
ERROR
MESSAGES
..................
27
Name
of
Voice...
15
SPECIFICATIONS
....................
28
“Assign
Mode...
15
INDEX
`...
29
Velocity
Depth...
15
MIDI
DATA
FORMAT
..............
Add-1
MIDI
IMPLEMENTATION
CHART
.....
Add-6
>

PRECAUTIONS
AVOID EXCESSIVE HEAT, HUMIDITY, DUST AND
VIBRATION — Keep the unit away from locations
where it is likely to be exposed to high temperatures or
humidity —such as near radiators, stoves, etc. Also
avoid locations which are subject to excessive dust
accumulation or vibration which could cause mechani-
cal damage.
AVOID PHYSICAL SHOCKS — Strong physical shocks
to the unit can cause damage. Handle it with care.
DO NOT OPEN THE CASE OR ATTEMPT REPAIRS
OR MODIFICATIONS YOURSELF — This product
contains no user-serviceable parts. Refer all mainte-
nance to qualified YAMAHA service personnel. Open-
Ming the case and/or tampering with the internal cir-
` cuitry will void the warranty.
MAKE SURE POWER IS OFF BEFORE MAKING OR
REMOVING CONNECTIONS — Always turn the
power OFF prior to connecting or disconnecting
cables. This is important to prevent damage to the unit
itself as well as other connected equipment.
HANDLE THE CABLES CAREFULLY — Always plug
and unplug cables by gripping the connector, not the
cord. Also avoid applying excessive force to the cables
or connectors during use.
CLEAN WITH A SOFT DRY CLOTH — Never use sol-
vents such as benzine or thinner to clean the unit.
Wipe clean with a soft, dry cloth.
POWER SUPPLY — The DS55 must be powered from
either an optional YAMAHA PA-3 AC Adapter (the AC
input voltage of the adapter supplied depends on the
area in which the equipment is sold), a YAMAHA PA-1
or PA-1B AC Adapter, or the specified dry batteries. At-
tempting to use an AC adapter other than the PA-3,
PA-1 or PA-1B can cause serious damage to the DSS5.
ELECTRICAL INTERFERENCE — Since the DS55 con-
tains digital circuitry, it may cause interference and
noise if placed too close to TV sets, radios or similar
equipment. If such a problem does occur, move the
DS55 further away from the affected equipment.
BACKUP BATTERY — The DS55 contains a long-life
backup battery that retains the contents of its RAM
memory locations even when the power is turned
OFF. The backup battery will last for approximately 5
years. When the battery finally fails, the contents of
the internal RAM memory will be lost. If this happens,
have the battery replaced by qualified YAMAHA serv-
ice personnel. Dot not attempt to replace the battery
yourself,
worldwide,
following measures:
of corrective measures.
of America, 6600 Orangethorpe Ave., Buena Park, CA 90620, U.S.A.
Commission helpful:
— Stock No, 004-000-00345-4.
FCC INFORMATION
While the following statements are provided to comply with FCC Regulations in the United States, the corrective measures listed below are applicable
This series of YAMAHA professional music equipment uses frequencies that appear in the radio frequency range and if installed in the immediate proximity
of some types of audio or video devices (within three meters), interference may occur. This series of YAMAHA professional music equipment has been type
tested and found to comply with the specifications set for a class B computing device in accordance with those specifications listed in subpart J of part 15 of
the FCC rules. These rules are designed to provide a reasonable measure of protection against such interference, However, this does not guarantee that
interference will not occur. If your professional music equipment should be suspected of causing interference with other electronic devices, verification can
be made by turning your professional music equipment off and on. If the interference continues when your equipment is off, the equipment is not the source
of interference. If your equipment does appear to be the source of the interference, you should try to correct the situation by using one or more of the
Relocate either the equipment or the electronic device that is being affected by the interference. Utilize power outlets for the professional music equipment
and the device being affected that are on different branch (circuit breaker or fuse) circuits, or install AC line filters.
In the case of radio or TV interference, relocate the antenna or, if the antenna lead-in is 300 ohm ribbon lead, change the lead-in to a co-axial type cable.
If these corrective measures do not produce satisfactory results, please contact your authorized YAMAHA professional products dealer for suggestions and/
If you cannot locate a franchised YAMAHA professional products dealer in your general area contact the Electronic Service Department, YAMAHA Corporation
If for any reason, you should need additional information relating to radio or TV interference, you may find a booklet prepared by the Federal Communications
“How to identify and Resolve Radio — TV Interference Problems". This booklet is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington D.C. 20402
[This information on:safety-is provided to comply with U.S.A. laws, but should be observed by users in all countries. i

DS55
CONTROLS
AND
CONNECTORS
BREATH CONT PHONES
vv
CONTROL PANEL
PP NN NN cr
O Keyboard
The DS55 keyboard is a high-quality 61-key type
that features full touch response — i.e. the key-
board can be used to control musical dynamics
just as in an acoustic piano.
MASTER VOL Control
The MASTER VOL control adjusts the volume
(level) of the signal delivered to the rear-panel
OUTPUT jacks. The VOLUME control also adjusts
headphone volume when a pair of headphones is
plugged into the PHONE jack.
PITCH BEND Wheel
The PITCH BEND wheel offers extra expressive
control by allowing you to “bend” notes played on
the keyboard. Roll the wheel UP to raise pitch, or
DOWN to lower pitch. The amount of pitch bend
produced by the PITCH BEND wheel for a specific
voice can be programmed using the Pitch Bend
Bend Range parameter accessed by the FUNC-
TION
button
(see
“OTHER
VOICE
EDITING
FUNC-
TIONS — [FUNCTION button)” on page 14).
O MODULATION Wheel
Another DS55 expression control, the MODULA-
TION WHEEL makes it possible to apply varying
degrees of vibrato, tremolo or wow-wow effect to
the voice being played. Whether the MODULA-
TION WHEEL controls vibrato, tremolo or wow-
wow for the selected voice is determined by the
Modulation Wheel parameter accessed by the
FUNCTION button (see “OTHER VOICE EDITING
FUNCTIONS — [FUNCTION button!" on page 14).
O Liquid Crystal Display
This 16-character x 2-line LCD (Liquid Crystal Dis-
play) serves as the DS55's information and human
interface center. It displays the number and name
of selected voices, editing functions and values,

ao
and all other information you need for smooth,
simple operation.
PLAY MODE Buttons
The PLAY MODE buttons — PRESET, USER,
' SINGLE, SPLIT and DUAL — allow selection of
the DS55's various voice banks and play modes.
Details on page 6
EDIT Buttons
The TONE, AMP EG, BRL EG, LFO and FUNC-
TION buttons in the EDIT group provide access to
all functions and parameters required for voice
editing. The editing parameters are separated into
logically related groups, and editing procedures
have been made: simpler than ever so you can
easily create new voices.
Details on page 11
O DELAY Buttons
The ON/OFF, SHORT and LONG buttons control
the DS55's internal delay system, allowing you to
add delay effects to any voice for extra depth and
ambience.
Details on page 11
MIDI Buttons
The DS55's many MIDI functions are accessed by
the MIDI buttons. In addition to general channel
and mode selection, the DS55 has a MIDl-control-
lable multi-instrument mode that can be accessed
and controlled via the MID! buttons.
Details on page 19
Data Entry Buttons
The number buttons (0 through 9) and the -1 and’
+1 buttons are used for voice selection and data
entry when required by any of the DS55's editing
or other functions.
Details on page 11
3

W AUTO PERFORMANCE Buttons
The AUTO PERFORMANCE SELECT and START/
STOP buttons provide access to the DS55's most
remarkable feature — the auto accompaniment
function.
Details on page 17
Y STORE Button
The STORE button accesses both the DS55's
memory protection and data storage functions, al-
lowing voices you have edited to be stored in any
of the 99 available user memory locations.
Details on page 16
® TUNE Button
The TUNE button accesses the MASTER TUNE
function, allowing you to tune the DS55 to match
other instruments or recorded material.
Details on page 10
6 BREATH Jack
The BREATH jack accepts one of VAMAHA's origi-
nal breath controllers (BC1 or BC2), allowing wind-
instrument breath and tongueing techniques to be
used for the application of various effects.
Details on page 14
6 PHONE Jack
A standard pair of stereo headphones can be
plugged in here for private practice or late-night
playing.
REAR PANEL
G POWER Switch
Slide to the ON position to turn power ON, and to
the OFF position to turn power OFF. When the
power is turned ON a brief greeting will appear on
the DS55's LCD, then the SINGLE PLAY mode
(see “THE SINGLE PLAY MODE on page 6) will
be automatically selected and you're ready to play.
O DC(10—12V)IN Jack and Cable Clip
The DC output cord from an optional YAMAHA
PA-3 AC Adapter or PA-1/PA-1B AC Adapter
should be plugged in here when the DS55 is to be
operated from AC power. The AC adapter cord
can be clipped into the cable clip located next to
the DC(10—12W)IN jack as shown below, to pre-
vent accidental unplugging of the cord during use.
Gm
6 L/MONO & R OUTPUT Jacks
These two monaural 1/4* phone jacks deliver the
stereo output signal from the DS55 to subsequent
amplification or mixing equipment. These jacks
can be connected directly to the inputs of a key-
board amplifier, recording equipment or a mixing
console. Since the DS55 SPLIT and DUAL PLAY
modes offer true stereo sound, we recommend

connecting both output jacks to the corresponding
inputs of a stereo or two-channel! sound system in
order to get the best possible sound. If this is not
possible, connect only the LIMONO OUTPUT jack
to the amplification equipment used.
@ SUSTAIN Jack
This jack accepts an optional YAMAHA FC-4 or FC-
5 footswitch which functions as a sustain pedal
when connected. The sustain pedal functions in
the same way as a damper pedal on an acoustic
piano — when the pedal is pressed notes played
have a long sustain. Releasing the pedal immedi-
ately stops (damps) any sustained notes.
@® FOOT VOLUME Jack
e
The FOOT VOLUME jack accepts an optional
YAMAHA FC-7 Foot Controller which permits foot
volume control for extra expressive capability.
BOTTOM PANEL
Q Battery Compartment
If you intend to use battery power (which makes
the DS55 very portable and convenient), six 1.5V
SUM-2, R-14 or equivalent alkaline batteries (sold
separately) must first be installed in the DS55 bat-
tery compartment.
Open the battery compartment cover located in
the center of the instrument's bottom panel.
Insert the six batteries, being careful to follow the
polarity markings (+, -) on the inside of the com-
partment.
Replace the compartment cover, making sure that
it locks firmly in place.
@ FEEDBACK LEVEL Control
This control makes it possible to adjust the overall
“length” of the DS55’s delay effects to match
your music.
Details on page 11
MIDI IN, OUT & THRU Connectors
The MIDI IN connector receives MIDI data from
an external MIDI device (such as another MIDI
keyboard or a MIDI sequencer) which can be used
to control the DS55. The MIDI THRU connector re-
transmits any data received at the MIDI IN con-
nector, allowing “chaining” of several MIDI instru-
ments or other devices. The MIDI OUT connector
transmits MIDI data generated by the DS55 (e.g.
note and velocity data produced by playing the
DS55 keyboard).
More details on MIDI are given in “MIDI FUNC-
TIONS” on page 21.
Caution:
@ When the batteries run down, replace them with a
complete set of six new batteries. NEVER mix old
and new batteries.
4 To prevent possible damage due to battery leak-
age, remove the batteries from the instrument if it
is not to be used for an extended period of time.
“aaa
8
DS55 CONTROLS AND CONNECTORS 5

THE PLAY MODES, TUNING & DELAY
EE a
THE SINGLE PLAY This is the DS55’s “normal” play mode in which you can play a single selected
MODE voice on the keyboard. The SINGLE PLAY mode is always selected automatically
when the POWER switch is turned ON. The SINGLE PLAY mode can also be
selected from any other mode by pressing the SINGLE button in the PLAY MODE
group. When the SINGLE PLAY mode is selected, the LED above the SINGLE
button will light and a display similar to the one shown below will appear on the
LCD. Up to 8 notes can be played simultaneously in the SINGLE PLAY mode.
Indicates that the SINGLE mode is selected.
PLAY SINGLE
AO) Soft Brass
This is the name of the selected voice.
This is the bank and number of the selected voice (in this example
voice “01” of bank “A” is selected).
The Preset and User The DS55 has two PRESET voice banks (bank A and bank B), each containing 100 y
Voice Banks (00 through 99) different preset voices (a total of 200 voices). The preset voices
are stored in ROM (Read Only Memory) and cannot be edited or changed in any
way. The DS55 also has a USER voice bank (bank U) which has 100 RAM (Random
Access Memory) locations into which you can store edited versions of the preset
voices.
E BANK A
PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE
NAME NAME NAME,
Elegant FloatChime Guitar 1 Sax 1
SoftBrass Guitar 2 Sax 2
WideString . E.Guitar Oboe
Cosmic SandBell Harp Clarinet
LargePipes Suspense Koto Flute
SynString 1 Fog Marimba Recorder
FolkGuitar HuskyVoice Violin 1 Harmonica ~ M4
Piano 1 Swirlies Cello 1 Whistle
E. Piano 1 HuskyChoir CelloEns. Castanet
DistGuitar PluckBrass UpriteBass Triangle
SoftString AngelChoir E.Bass 1 BellTree
SynString 2 FluteVoice E.Bass 2 Referee
RichString SmallPipes SynBass 1 SteelDrum 1
SynBrass 1 ) E.Organ 1 SvnBass 2 SteelDrum 2
SvnBrass 2 : E.Organ 2 SynBass 3 GuiRoach
SynBrass 3 Piano 2 SynBass 4 Zap!
BrethBrass E.Piano 2 Bass Shwhap!
SoftEns. | WireBrass NasalLead Poundwood
WarmEns. EasyClav SolidLead OilDrum
OrchesEns. FunkyClav ClariLead SynSnare 1
Sunbeam Harpsichrd Trumpet 1 DragonHit
Shimmer 1 Vibe TightBrass DuneHit
SoftCloud Celeste Trombone 1 Warp
Bamarimba TubeBell Horn 1 ModernTele
Sandarimba MusicBox Horn 2 Encore

E BANK B
PERFORMANCE
NAME
PERFORMANCE
NAME
PERFORMANCE
NAME
PERFORMANCE
NAME
MultiMoon
BrassEns.
SynBrass 4
SynBrass 5
SynBrass 8
Brass 1
Brass 2
Brass 3
Strings 1
Strings 2
Violin 2
Cello 2
Pizzicato
TremString
SynString 4
SynString 5
SynEns. 1
SynEns. 2
SynVoice
Digital Vox
Aqua
MusicSaw
DolbyDream
DigiEns.
MetalTwang
Selecting Voices
1.
FletlessB.
BrassLead
FatLead
SaxLead
RaspLead
ToughLead
AnasynLead
Wow
ProfetStab
TootyFloot
Trumpet 2
Trombone 2
Flugelhorn
MuteTrumpet
PanFlute
Bassoon
Calliope
WoodEns. 1
WoodEns. 2
Piccolo
Glocken
Xylophone
Gong
CowBell
AgogoBell
Shimmer 2
SandTube
SpaceEcho
DigitalPop
Upright
Grand PF
HonkyTonk
ToyPiano
Rose
WirePiano
NasalClav
E.Organ 3
E.Organ 4
E.Organ 5
Accordion
LeadGuitar
FuzzGuitar
MuteGuitar
Banjo
E. Sitar
Shamisen
SoftHarp
E.Bass 3
SynBass 5
SynBass 6
WoodBlock
Bongo
HandDrum
Cuica
SteelDrum 3
BassDrum
Snare
Cymbal
Slap
Timpani
Tom
SynTom
Tompany
Kick & HH
SynSnare 2
SynPerc. 1
SynPerc. 2
SpaceBell
Bell
GameSound1
GameSound2
Alarm
Thunder
WhiteNoise
ClashClap
Press the PRESET button to select the PRESET voice banks (the LED above the
PRESET button will light), or the USER button to select the USER voice bank
(the LED above the USER button will light).
. If you have selected the PRESET voice banks, you can switch between banks A
and B by pressing the PRESET button. If preset bank A is selected, pressing
PRESET will select bank B, and vice versa. There is only one USER voice bank
(“U") so no further bank selection is possible if USER is selected.
. Voices within the selected bank can be selected by using either the -1 and +1
buttons or the number buttons (0 through 9). Press the +1 button briefly to
increment the voice number by 1, or hold it down for continuous incrementing
(release the +1 button when the desired voice number has been reached). The
-1 button works in the same way except that it decrements the selected voice
number.
To select a voice using the number buttons, enter the number of the desired
voice in two digits. To select voice number “07,” for example, first press the
“0” button (the second digit on the LCD will change to a ”?”) and then the “7”
button. To select voice number 55, press the “5” button twice. The new voice
will be selected as soon as the second digit is entered.
THE PLAY MODES, TUNING & DELAY 7

THE SPLIT PLAY The SPLIT PLAY mode allows you to play two different voices from any of the
MODE DS55 voice banks on different sections of the keyboard. You could, for example,
play a bass voice on the left-hand (lower) section and a piano voice on the right-
hand (upper) section of the keyboard. You can also specify the “split point” — the
key at which the lower and upper sections of the keyboard are separated. Up to 4
notes can be played simultaneously on the upper and lower sections of the key-
board {a total of 8 notes).
SPLIT POINT
Yv
LOWER VOICE UPPER VOICE
Press the SPLIT button in the PLAY MODE group to enter the SPLIT PLAY mode.
SPLIT mode selected.
ys
PLAY SPLIT
U45/U23 PNT- C3
| | Split point set at C3 (Middle C).
Voice number 'U23' assigned to the upper section.
Voice number "U45" assigned to the lower section.
Assigning Voices to the After you've selected the SPLIT PLAY mode by pressing the SPLIT button, as
Lower
and
Upper
Keyboard
described
above,
pressing
the
SPLIT
button
again
causes
a
display
similar
to
the
Sections and Specifying following to appear:
the Split Point
Assign lower SPLIT mode voice.
PLAY SPLIT lower
U12 ELEC-BASSI
aq
Currentiv selected lower voice name.
Currentiv selected lower voice bank and number.
Vou can now select a new voice for the lower section of the kevboard: select the
desired voice bank using the PRESET or USER buttons, then use the -1 and +1 or
number (0 through 9) buttons to select a voice as described in “Selecting Voices”
on page 7.
After selecting a new lower voice, press the SPLIT button again to move ahead to
the upper voice assignment display:
Assign upper SPLIT mode voice.
PLAY SPLIT upper
A12 ELEC-PIANO
Currentiv selected upper voice name.
8 Currentiv selected upper voice bank and number.