Yamaha DX11 User manual

YAMAHA
DIGITAL PROGRAMMABLE ALGORITHM SYNTHESIZER
SYNTHETISEUR PROGRAMMABLE FMNUMERIQUE AALGORITHMES
DIGITALER PROGRAMMIERBARER ALGORITHMUS SYNTHESIZER
SINTETIZADOR DIGITAL ALGORITMICO PROGRAMABLE
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POPERATING MANUAL
MANUEL D'UTILISATION
BEDIENUNGSANLEITUNG
MANUAL DE INSTRUCCIONES
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INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing the Yamaha DX11 FM Digital Programmable Algorithm
Synthesizer. The DX11 is an 8-note polyphonic keyboard that can act as up to 8in-
dependent instruments. Some of the many features of the DX11 are...
61 -note velocity and pressure sensitive keyboard.
128 preset and 32 user-programmable voice memories.
32 user-programmable performance memories.
Data is compatible with the TX81Z tone generator and
the DX2V27/27S/100 synthesizers.
Data can be stored on aRAM cartridge or cassette tape.
FM synthesis using non-sJnewave waveforms.
Two independent LFOs and eight vibrato generators.
13 Microtonal Scales (2 user-programmable and 11 preset).
•Pan, Chord and Delay effects.
•Alternate Voice Assign lets you play adifferent voice with
each successive note.
•Quick Edit functions.
•Illuminated LCD for good visibility.
In order to take full advantage of the DXII's functions, please
read this manual carefully.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Front/Rear Panel 2
Introducing the DXII 4
Single Play 6
Single Edit 7
Performance Play 14
Performance Edit 16
Utility 18
Other Functions 24
Ideas and Suggestions 24
Waveform Harmonic Content 25
Error Messages 26
DX/TX Data Compatibility 28
What's FM? 28
Performance Memo Chart 30
Voice Memo Chart 31
MIDI Implementation Chart 32
Index 33

PRECAUTIONS
•Avoid placing the DX11 in direct sunlight or close to
asource of heat. Also, avoid locations where the unit
is likely to be subjected to vibration, excessive dust,
cold or moisture.
•Avoid rough handling, such as applying excessive force
to the switches or dropping the unit. While the internal
circuitry is of reliable integrated circuit design, the unit
should be treated with care.
•Always grip the plug directly when removing it from
an AC outlet. Removing the plug from the AC outlet
by pulling the cord can result in damage to the cord
and possibly ashort circuit. It is also agood idea to
disconnect the DX11 from the AC outlet if you don't
plan to use it for an extended period of time.
•If necessary, clean the DX1 1using aslightly damp
fcloth, and dry with asoft cloth. Never use solvents
{such as benzine or thinner) since they can melt or
discolor the finish.
All computer circuitry, including that in the DX11, is
sensitive to voltage spikes. For this reason, the unit
should be turned off and unplugged from the AC outlet
in the event of an electrical storm. This precaution
will avoid the chance that ahigh voltage spike caused
by lightning will damage the unit.
Computer circuitry is also sensitive to electromagnetic
radiation. Becareful notto set ittoo closeto equipment
{such as atelevision set) that generates electromag-
netic fields. Proximity to such equipment could cause
malfunctions in the DXl 1's digital circuitry and in-
terfere with the operation of the other unit.
When inserting acartridge, make sure it is facing the
correct way, and do not use excessive force.
This unit contains no user servicable parts. Opening
it or tampering with it can lead to electrical shock as
well as damage, and will void the product warranty.
Refer all servicing to qualified Yamaha personnel.
SPECIFICATIONS
•Keyboard
61 keys CI C6, velocity and pressure sensitive
•Tone Generator
FM tone generator: 4operator (8 wave) x8voice
•Polyphony
lip 8notes
•Memory
128 ROM voice, 32 RAM voice, 32 RAM per-
formance
•Controls
PITCH, MODULATION, VOLUME, DATA ENTRY
•Display
LCD {16 characters x2lines, illuminated)
•Terminals
BREATH, PHONES, OUTPUT {I/MIX, II), VOL-
UME PEDAL, FOOT CONTROLLER, FOOT
SWITCH, MIDI (IN, OUT, THRU), CASSETTE
•Dimensions (W xHxD)
901 X298 x63 mm (35 1/2 x113/4 x21/2")
•Weight
7.0 kg (15 lbs 6ozs)
•Power Requirements
U.S. &Canadian models: 120V, 50/60 Hz
General models: 220-240V, 50Hz
•Power Consumption
10 W
•Included Items
Cassette cable

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FRONT/REAR PANEL
FRONT PANEL
(T) BREATH CONTROLLER JACK: Abreath controller (BC
1
or BC2) connected to this jack can control the Pitch
Modulation, Amplitude Modulation, Pitch Bias or
EG Bias of" avoice, for the expressive phrasing typical
of awind instrument.
(2) PITCH WHEEL: This bends the pitch up or down. The
range of the effect will depend on the Pitch Bend
settings for each voice.
(3) MODULATION WHEEL: This controls modulation effects
(vibrato, tremolo and"wah"). The actual effect de-
pends on the Modulation Wheel settings for each
voice.
(J) VOLUME: In Single mode, this controls the overall vol-
ume.
In Performance mode, it controls the voices played
by the built-in keyboard.
(D CARTRIDGE SLOT: ARAM cartridge such as the RAM4
can store DX-1 1data.
(6) CURSOR: These keys move the blinking cursor in the
LCD.
(7) DATA ENTRY SLIDER and -iy +1: These are used to
change the data shown in the LCD. The -1/+ 1keys
adjust data values down/up in steps of one, and are
also used to answer "no/yes" to prompts in the LCD.
(8) STORE: Voices or performances can be stored in DX-1
1
internal memory or in aRAM cartridge. In Single
Edit mode, this key is used to copy an Envelope setting
from operator to operator. In Utihty mode, this key
is used to copy an Effect setting to another effect
memorv.

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(9) LCD: A16-character two-line Liquid Crystal Display,
illuminated for visibility,
(f^ INTERNAL: Select internal memories.
(jj) BANK A—D: These keys select preset voice banks A—D.
In Single Edit mode they turn operators on/off.
(J|) CARTRIDGE: Select memories from adata cartridge.
@SELECT 1—32: In Single Play mode these keys select
voices. In Performance Play mode they select per-
formances. In other modes they select the functions
printed above and below the keys.
KEYBOARD: A61 -note keyboard, with Velocity and After-
touch sensitivity.
UTILITY: Utility mode has useful functions relating to MIDI,
data storage, effects, micro tuning, etc.
M.PROTECT: Before data can be stored in DX-1 1internal
memory or in aRAM cartridge. Memory Protect must
be off.
EDIT: Edit mode is where you modify or create your own
voices or performances. While in Edit mode, you can
press this key again to Compare the edited data with the
original data.
SINGLE: In Single mode the DX-11 can play chords of up
to 8notes with asingle voice.
PERFORMANCE: In Performance mode the DX-11 can act
as up to 8independent instruments.

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YAMAHA
REAR PANEL
(T) CASSETTE: Use the included cassette cable to connect
adata cassette recorder for saving and loading DXl 1
data.
(D MIDI THRU: All messages received at MIDI IN are re-
transmitted unchanged iVom this terminal.
@MIDI OUT: DX 11bulk data can be sent from this terminal
to another DX 11 or to abulk data storage device such
as the MDF MIDI Data Recorder.
(4) MIDI IN: MIDI messages coming into this terminal can
control the DXl 1, and DXl 1bulk data can also be
received here.
®FS: Afoot switch such as the FC4 or FC5 connected to
this jack can control Sustain or Portamento.
®FC: Afoot control pedal such as the FC7 or FC9 con-
nected to this jack can control Volume, Pitch Mod-
ulation or Amplitude Modulation.
®VOLUME: Afoot control pedal such as the FC7 or FC9
connected to this jack can control volume in the same
way as the front panel volume slider.
®OUTPUT l/ll: Sound produced by the DXl 1is sent from
here to an external mixer or amp. Each instrument
in aPerformance can be assigned to either or bott^^x,
outputs. If only output Iis plugged in, it will transmit"-'
the combined signal for both outputs.
®PHONES: Ajack for standard stereo or mono head-
phones. Using this jack will not affect the rear panel
outputs.
INTRODUCING THE DX11
There are two ways to play the DXl 1: SINGLE mode and
PERFORMANCE mode. In Single mode, you can play a
single voice (sound) using chords of up to 8notes, In Per-
formance mode, the 8tone generators (sound-producing
circuits) can act independently as up to 8different instru-
ments, each assigned to its own section of the keyboard or
producing sound in response to incoming MIDI signals.
SINGLE PLAY: Select and play any voice using chords of up
to 8notes.
SINGLE EDIT: Create your own voices or modify an existing
voice.
PERFORMANCE PLAY: The DX 11acts as up to 8independent
instruments as specified in the Performance Memory
you select. Each instrument can play adifferent voice
over adifferent section of the keyboard, and can be
controlled independently.
PERFORMANCE EDIT: Change the settings of aPerformance
Memory.
UTILITY: Various useful functions for data storage, micro
tuning, effects, etc.
MEMORY
Here are the main types of memory in the DXl 1.
Voice Memory: There are 5voice memory banks, each with
32 voices. Banks A-D are preset, and cannot be changed.
Bank I(internal) is for you to store your own voices in.#^
(For details please see p. 6)
BANKS ABCD1
voices 1-32 132 1-32 132 1-32
Performance Memory: Each performance memory can set
the DXl 1to act as up to 8independent instruments,
each on its own area of the keyboard.
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Effect Memory: Each performance can use one of three types
of effects; Delay, Pan or Chord. (There are four memories
for each of the three effects.)
CONNECTIONS
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Effect 1(Delay)
Oelay Tirm
Pitch Shift
Feedback
EffKit Level
Effect 2(Pan)
Select
Direction
Part Range
Etteci3 (Chord)
Chofd note I
ilIM?P*F
Connect the audio output of the DXl 1to an amp/speaker
system, or plug in aset of headphones. When you turn the
power on, the DXIl will display "**** YAMAHA
**** <How are you? >"for afew seconds (this greeting
can be changed, see p. 24), and then will display whatever
function was selected when the power was turned off.
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Program Change Table: Incoming program change messages
can select voice or performance memories.
Program Change Table
Incoming Elected
1B19
PF?42
3107
127
128
A32
C14
Micro Tune: You can use scales other than the standard "equal
jj^ temperament" found on pianos and organs. POl—PU
~are preset, Octave and Full are programmable.
1/8 Tone
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SINGLE PLAY
SELECTING AVOICE
In Single Play mode, you can select and play any voice using
chords of up to 8notes. Bank select switches Banks AD
are internal ROM preset voice banks.
Bank 1(internal) and bank Cj (cartridge) are for voices
that you create. When you select bank Ior C-[, the LCD
will change, but the voice will remain until you select anew
voice 132.
ISINGLEl Enter Single Play mode
Select aROM preset voice bank
or the internal RAM bank
2. [A] [D]
or
llNTl
or
[cart] or the cartridge voice bank. (A cartridge
must be inserted.)
3. Q] |32i Select and play avoice.
BANK ABANKB BANKt BANKD
1Syn.Str 1iDX7 EP 1Strings 11Bass Drum 1
2Syn.Str 22Old Rose 2Strings 22Bass Drum 2
3Sy. Brass 13E. Piano 13Ensemble 13Snare 1
4Sy. Brass 24E. Piano 24Ensemble 24Snare 2
5Sy. Brass 35Grand PR 5Violin 15Tom 1
6Sy. Brass 4 6 Upright 6Violin 26Tom 2
7Sy.Ensenn. 1-r\' Flamenco 7Cello 17Tom 3
BSy.Ensem. 28A. Guitar 8Cello 28Tom 4
9Sy.Ensem. 39F. Guitar 9Brass 19"HI!" Hat!
10 Sy.Ensenn. 410 Banjo 10 Brass 210 Cow Bell
11 Sy.Ensem. 511 E. Guitar 11 Trumpet 111 Agogo Bell
12 Sy.Perc. 112 Mute Gtr 12 Trumpet 212 Wood Block
13 Sy.Perc, 213 Harp1 13 Trombone 13 Castanet
14 Sy.Perc. 314 Harp 2 14 Horn 14 SyBon
15 Sy.Perc. 415 Harpsichrd 15 Tuba 15 BoConga
16 Sy.Bass 116 Clavi 16 Sax 116 Tom-Pany
17 Sy.Bass 217 Koto 17 Sax 217 SynGameran
18 Sy.Bass 318 Syamisen 18 Wood Wind 18 Mouse-Tom
19 Sy.Bass 419 Marimba 19 Clarinet 119 Carnival 1
20 Sy.Bass 520 Xylophone 20 Clarinet 220 "Air" imba
21 Sy.Organ 121 Vibe. 21 Oboe 21 SplashClav
22 Sy.Organ 2M.' Glocken 22 Flute 122 BamboBlock
23 Sy.Solo 123 Tube Bell 23 Flute 223 Terror!
24 Sy.Solo 224 Toy Piano 24 Recorder 24 Wind Voice
25 Sy.Solo 325 Pizz. 125 Harmonica 25 GuiRoach::
26 Sy.Solo 426 PIzz. 226 E. Organ 126 Space BUG?
27 Sy.Voice 127 E.Bass 127 E. Organ 227 Passing By
28 Sy.VoJce 228 E.Bass 228 E. Organ 328 Earthquake
29 Sy. Decay 129 E.Bass 329 E. Organ 429 TAP TAP<<<
30 Sy. Decay 230 Wood Bass 30 P. Organ 130 Space Gong
31 Sy.Sitar 31 Bell 31 P. Organ 231 iRADIATION?
32 Sy.AftrTch 32 Steel Drum 32 Accordion 32 White Blow

SINGLE EDIT
STORING AVOICE
You can store the currently selected voice (edited or not) in
bank 1(internal). While in SINGLE PLAY mode, hold down
the STORE switch and press a switch 132 to select the
destination memory. To store avoice to bank Ci(cartridge),
press CARTRIDGE, then hold down STORE and select the
destination I32.
MEMORY PROTECT
%
When Memory Protect is On, you will not be able to store
voices or performances, nor will the DXl 1be able to receive
incoming MIDI bulk data. Press M. PROTECT, move the
blinking cursor and use the OFF/ON switches to turn the
Internal and Cartridge protect off/on. Memory Protect is reset
to On when the power is turned on.
This is where you create your own voices or edit the preset
voices. We will assume that you know something about FM
synthesis, If you are new to FM, please turn to page 28 and
read "What's FM?" before continuing.
The DXl 1has some "Quick Edit" parameters that you can
use to easily change the overall character of the sound. See
page 13.
THE EDIT BUFFER
When you select avoice, the data is read into aplace called
the "Edit Buffer," and this data tells the DXl 1how to make
sound. Changes you make in Edit mode will affect only the
data in this buffer, and are not permanent until you Store.
(See above on how to Store.)
EDIT/COMPARE
When you first enter Single Edit mode, the LCD will show
an "E" in the upper left corner, indicating "Edit", As soon
as you modify the data, this will change to "e". Once you
have modified the data, you can compare the results of your
editing with the original voice. Press EDIT/COMPARE. The
LCD will show a"c" in the upper left corner, indicating
"Compare". You can select the various parameters to see the
original data, but will not be able to modify the settings. To
return to Edit mode, press EDIT/COMPARE once more.
You cannot leave Compare mode before returning to Edit.
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Original data
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Modified
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PARAMETERS
A"parameter" is something you can change to affect the
sound. Press the 130 and 32 switches to select the parameters
printed above them. (Some switches have several
parameters—press the key repeatedly to access them.) Use
the ^>switches to move the blinking cursor, and use the
Data Entry slider or -1/ +1switches to change the data.
OPERATOR ON/OFF
When editing, it is often useful to hear only certain operators
by themselves. In Single Edit mode you can use the bank select
keys A- Dto turn operators 1--4 off or on. (This will be
indicated in upper left of the LCD, For example, "1 101"
indicates that operator 3is off.) Obviously, if all carriers
are turned off, there will be no sound.

[1] A[gorithm(1-8)
The Algorithm is the ''arrangement" of the four opera-
tors. The 8algorithms are printed on the front panel.
The LCD will also show agraphic representation of the
algorithm.
[2] Feedback (0-7)
In any algorithm, operator 4can be set to modulate itself
on ascale of (no feedback) to 7(maximum feedback).
LFO Parameters
Keys 4,5and 6have the LFO parameters. LFO is aLow
Frequency Oscillator that sends acontinuously changing
control signal. This signal, depending on the Sensitivity (p.9)
and Controller Parameter (p. 12) settings, can affect the output
level of the operators or the overall pitch of the voice. As
you can see froiji the diagram below, the Controller Parameter
[25] —[28] settings determine how the MIDI Controllers
(Modulation Wheel, Foot Controller, Breath Controller and
Aftertouch) will regulate the LFO signal going to the oper-
ators, and the Sensitivity settings determine how the operators
will react to the LFO signal. As you can see from the diagram,
the modulation you set in the LFO does not go directly to
the operators. The final effect will depend on the LFO
Settings, the Controller Parameter settings, the Sensitivity
settings, and the position of the MIDI controllers (Modu-
lation Wheel, Foot Controller. Breath Controller and Aft-
ertouch) on your keyboard.
This "modulation matrix" may seem complex, but it gives
you total expressive control over your instrument.
[3] LFO
(1) Wave
The first three waveshapes (saw up, square, triangle) are
probably familiar to you. S/Hold stands for Sample And
Hold. At periodic intervals determined by the LFO
Speed, arandom number is sampled, and the LFO is
held at that random value until the next sample. This
is especially useful in creating sound effects.
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