Yamaha VL70-m User Manual
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6. Why do some bowed string instrument voices
tend to “squeek”?
As anyone who has played (or tried to play) a
real violin knows, these instruments naturally
tend to squeek if not properly controlled. The
same occurs with S/VA synthesis. As with a
real bowed string instrument, bow speed and
pressure must be properly controlled in the
VL70-m to produce the desired sound. Bow
speed is usually controlled either via breath
control or an expression pedal. Bow pressure is
controlled via control number 13: “64” is
medium pressure, lower values produced
reduced bow pressure, and higher values
produce increased bow pressure.
real violin knows, these instruments naturally
tend to squeek if not properly controlled. The
same occurs with S/VA synthesis. As with a
real bowed string instrument, bow speed and
pressure must be properly controlled in the
VL70-m to produce the desired sound. Bow
speed is usually controlled either via breath
control or an expression pedal. Bow pressure is
controlled via control number 13: “64” is
medium pressure, lower values produced
reduced bow pressure, and higher values
produce increased bow pressure.
7. Why are pitch bends produced by a pitch
bend wheel not always accurate?
Natural acoustic musical instruments have no
“pitch parameter”. Pitch is determined by the
properties of the instrument’s resonant body as
well as the condition of the instrument’s driver.
The same applies to Virtual Acoustic Synthesis:
in the VL70-m pitch bend is simulated by
manipulating the appropriate pipe/string length
and driver characteristics. As a result, the pitch
bend range may not always be “mathemati-
cally” accurate.
With reed instruments such as saxophone or
clarinet, highly realistic pitch bends are pro-
duced by controlling both pitch and embou-
chure at the same time. Since the embouchure
component of the pitch bend behaves with
characteristics acoustic unpredictability, precise
pitch bends are not always produced. If you
want the kind of pitch-bend precision produced
by conventional synthesizers, select the VOICE
sound module mode, go to the CONTROL
EDIT mode, and set the Embouchure Depth and
Embouchure Depth parameters to “+00”. Then
set the pitch bend range to the desired value.
Other controller parameers assigned to “pitch
bend” can affect pitch bend accuracy, so check
to make sure that none are assigned.
“pitch parameter”. Pitch is determined by the
properties of the instrument’s resonant body as
well as the condition of the instrument’s driver.
The same applies to Virtual Acoustic Synthesis:
in the VL70-m pitch bend is simulated by
manipulating the appropriate pipe/string length
and driver characteristics. As a result, the pitch
bend range may not always be “mathemati-
cally” accurate.
With reed instruments such as saxophone or
clarinet, highly realistic pitch bends are pro-
duced by controlling both pitch and embou-
chure at the same time. Since the embouchure
component of the pitch bend behaves with
characteristics acoustic unpredictability, precise
pitch bends are not always produced. If you
want the kind of pitch-bend precision produced
by conventional synthesizers, select the VOICE
sound module mode, go to the CONTROL
EDIT mode, and set the Embouchure Depth and
Embouchure Depth parameters to “+00”. Then
set the pitch bend range to the desired value.
Other controller parameers assigned to “pitch
bend” can affect pitch bend accuracy, so check
to make sure that none are assigned.
8. Why do some voices not respond as expected
to EG edits?
The effect of editing envelope generator
parameters may not always be as expected —
particularly with plucked string instrument
voices such as guitar or bass. This is because
the VL70-m actually simulates the plucking,
free oscillation, and muting of the strings rather
than simply using an EG to approximate these
events. If the sound of a string voice decays
naturally, for example, setting a long release
time will have little or no effect on the actual
sound of the voice. Since the attack and decay
portions of the voice also have natural timbre
variations, these can be unnaturally altered by
inappropriate EG settings — which is OK if
you’re trying to produce an unnatural effect.
Trial and experimentation and the only sure
ways to determine how the EG parameters are
going to affect a particular voice.
parameters may not always be as expected —
particularly with plucked string instrument
voices such as guitar or bass. This is because
the VL70-m actually simulates the plucking,
free oscillation, and muting of the strings rather
than simply using an EG to approximate these
events. If the sound of a string voice decays
naturally, for example, setting a long release
time will have little or no effect on the actual
sound of the voice. Since the attack and decay
portions of the voice also have natural timbre
variations, these can be unnaturally altered by
inappropriate EG settings — which is OK if
you’re trying to produce an unnatural effect.
Trial and experimentation and the only sure
ways to determine how the EG parameters are
going to affect a particular voice.
Appendix