Yamaha S70xs basics

[Newby]

I need help understanding how to create/retrieve patches on this thing. Not interested in any kind of sequencing at this point, I just want to be able to layer sounds and retrieve them quickly for live performance. My last board was a Kurzweil K2000 purchased in 1993. The manual has me thoroughly confused.

 

[happyrat1]

You'll find more help at http://psrtutorial.com

All the Yamaha types hang over there.

Gary

 

[Newby]

Thanks!

 

[Newby]

hmmm... Looks like just psr stuff. No Yamaha types here?

 

[happyrat1]

The S70 IS the PSR line. You could try http://motifator.com but you'll quickly get blown out cause it's not a "real motif."

Gary

 

[Ted Nicoson]

Sorry guys !

The Yamaha PSR's are ARRANGERS - "One-Man-Banders" - "Cheese Machines" to the synth "purists" at motifator.com - with rhythm styles and built-in speakers and all that stuff ! The S70XS is a 76 note weighted hammer action stage-piano/performance-synth - a direct extension of the TOTL Motif-XS synth workstation line, so not only would he fit in, but he would be more than welcome at motifator.com The average S70XS owner would take its relegation to the PSR line as an outrageous insult. The S70 and S90's claim to fame is their 124Mb 8-element sample for the concert grand alone. For as good as the top end PSR's and Tyros' sound, no PSR ever sounded like the S70/90.


ANYWAY - NEWBY:

To get you started: Lets say you want to layer a grand piano with a set of slow strings. Turn the S70 on and press the VOICE button to put it into VOICE Mode. Press the CATEGORY SEARCH button. The MAIN data field should be highlighted. If not, up arrow to highlight it and press ENTER. The MAIN data field should now show PIANO. If not, use the data wheel until it shows PIANO and then down arrow to the SUB field and press ENTER. You should now see a list of all the piano voices in the S70. Scroll down through the list, auditioning them as you go. When you find one you like, press ENTER. You have now selected your main voice. Now press the LAYER button and use the above procedure, except use the data wheel to put STRINGS in the MAIN field instead of PIANO and when you arrow down to SUB, you will see a list of all the strings voices in the S70. Once again, scroll down through the list, auditioning them as you go, until you find one you like and press ENTER. The display will now show New Performance. If you like what you have, press STORE and your new performance will be saved under that name. With your new performance still on the screen, PRESS AND HOLD the SHIFT button as you press the COMMON button. This puts you into performance edit mode. Use the instructions on Page 31 of the main user's manual to rename your "New Performance" to something more appropriate.

Best of luck ! I certainly hope you enjoy that S70 !
\

 

[happyrat1]

Sorry ted...

I stand sheepishly corrected...

Gary

 

[Ted Nicoson]

Hey, Gary !

You don't have to apologize to me. I don't even own an S70, but in case you couldn't tell, I would love to. The Motif XS they are based on was discontinued almost 2 years ago, but the S70's are still selling brand new for around $2500. I would have to sell all my other keyboards, and then some to afford one. And then . . . I probably wouldn't even be able to lift the darned thing and would have to hire a roadie to move it around for me.

 

[Newby]

Thank you, Ted! I'll give it a try later today. Do you know..... does Yamaha call these setups/layered voices "performances"? Can they be assigned to the 1-16 buttons on the lower right side of the control panel for one-touch access, or do you have to scroll to find them?

 

[Ted Nicoson]

Ken

No ! Those 16 buttons on the lower right of the S70 are for controlling transmission of the 16 MIDI channels (ON/OFF) and for selecting various parts of voices while editing them. They really don't have anything to do with performances. You select a performance by pressing the PERFORM button to put it into "Performance" mode then pressing the "Category Search" button, selecting the "Category" then scrolling through the list as you thought. Sorry ! Wish there was a better way. That "layer" I described previously is a "Performance", but instead of layering, you could have used the "SPLIT" button and put the strings on the left and the piano on the right, or a bass on the left and the piano on the right, or a drum kit on the left and been your own drummer (a really nice feature for players with a third hand). My point is, any time you do anything collectively with more than one VOICE, you save it, recall it, and play it as a "Performance". Single voice play is exactly that - "VOICE" play - no "Performance involved in that". There is a FAVORITE button for quick recall of voice set ups, but here again, that is for individual voices - not "Performances".

You have, probably, one of the finest performance keyboards ever made, but there is a level of difficulty that goes with that reputation, so I would encourage you to stay cool and stay with it. What seems tedious today will seem commonplace tomorrow, but you are correct about the manuals. They are some of the worst I have ever seen, so I would also encourage you to introduce yourself to the folks over at the motifator.com forum, as I fear that you are going to quickly exhaust our ability to help you here, due strictly to our infamiliarity with the S70. What little knowledge I have of it is from spending an all too short afternoon with the first one that my local Guitar Center shipped in quite some time ago. The S70 DOES have a separate manual for each one of its major features. I am wondering if you got them all. If not, you can download them from here:

http://download.yamaha.com/search/p...maha.com&category_id=16381&product_id=1029664

You will need to register as a Yamaha User before you can download, but that is just a one-time requirement.

Best of luck !

 

[Newby]

Mercy, thanks again! I was accustomed to the Kurzweil way of doing things with great difficulty. No board has everything everybody wants but I'm looking forward to making this one work for me. The manual has nice graphics but it might as well be a book of Masonic rituals translated from Swahili. I shall explore your suggested sites!

 

[b3maniac]

I don't have that keyboard but do own a Motif ES. On my board, Yamaha called splits and layers "performances". I find that the Yamaha interface is awkward for me, but I have done set-ups by using the directions in the manual. If you don't have a manual, you can download them from Yamaha. Sorry I don't know any short cuts to help. Don