Yamaha S90 ES Manual Do Utilizador

Using the Plug-in Boards

Plug-in Boards give you an enormous amount of additional sonic flexibility and power. When installed, they work seamlessly 
and transparently within the system of this synthesizer—meaning that you can use their sounds and functions just as if they 
were built right into this synthesizer at the factory.
The boards that are available for and can be installed to this synthesizer are described below.
Up to three Plug-in boards can be installed to the S90 ES. These boards are not simply a source of more Voices; they are 
also full-featured, editable tone generators in their own right and extend the system-level specifications such as maximum 
polyphony.
In addition, they allow you to use synthesis systems besides AWM2. You can play Plug-in Voices just like ordinary internal 
Voices and use them as Parts in a Performance/Multi.
This synthesizer is compatible with the Modular Synthesis Plug-in System (see below).

There are three types of Modular Synthesis Plug-in System-compatible Plug-in Boards: Single Part, Multi-Part and Effect 
Plug-in Board. Using these, you can build your own system based on the sounds you require. 

Single Part Plug-in Boards let you add a completely 
different synthesizer or single timbre tone generator (page 
115) and play its voices by using a single part of this 
synthesizer. Some boards allow you to use synthesis 
systems besides AWM2. 

●

Using Analog Physical Modeling (AN) synthesis, the very latest 
digital technology is used to accurately reproduce the sound of 
analog synthesizers. With this board installed, you have real-time 
control over the playback of vintage synthesizer sounds as well as 
the very latest sounds heard in today’s club-oriented music.

●

These boards have the AWM2 tone generators mounted a massive 
waveform memory (16MB), which is dedicated to the reproduction 
of piano sounds. The PLG150-PF offers 136 stereo sounds, 
including a number of acoustic and electric pianos. The PLG150-
AP offers 32 stereo sounds, including a wide variety of 
exceptionally high-quality, authentic acoustic piano sounds, as 
well as an assortment of unusual effect-processed piano sounds. 
Each board enables you to expand the polyphony of the 
instrument by up to 64 notes. You can even install two of these 
boards to double the polyphony to 128 notes.

●

The sounds of the DX7 are available on this Plug-in Board. Unlike 
PCM-based tone generators, this board uses the powerful FM 
Synthesis system — the same as found on DX-series 
synthesizers—for extraordinarily versatile and dynamic sound 
shaping potential. Sounds are compatible with those of the DX7, 
and the board can even receive DX7 data via MIDI bulk dump.

●

With Virtual Acoustic (VA) synthesis, the sounds of real instruments 
are modeled (simulated) in real time, giving a degree of realism 
that cannot be achieved using conventional PCM-based synthesis 
techniques. When playing these sounds using an optional MIDI 
Wind Controller (WX5), you can even capture some of the physical 
feel of woodwind instruments.

●

Once connected and installed, the PLG150-DR/PLG150-PC 
becomes a seamless additional sound source of AWM2 for the 
host tone generator or synthesizer—providing a total of 88 drum/
percussion voices. Thanks to the built-in effect processing power, 
the PLG150-DR/PLG150-PC has two separate effect blocks—
Insertion and Reverb—that can be applied to each kit.

Multi-Part Plug-in Boards let you add a completely 
independent multi-timbral tone generator to the S90 ES 
(page 115)—expanding the Voice capacity and polyphony 
of the instrument with a full sixteen additional instrument 
parts.

●

This Plug-in Board is a 16-part XG sound generator. You can play 
back XG/GM song files using the rich variety of sounds and effects 
on this board.

Effect Plug-in Boards let you add a completely different 
effect block to the host synthesizer. 

●

With this board installed, you can add harmonies to selected parts 
using four types of effects. Chorus parts for vocals can be created 
automatically from chords that have been prepared and stored as 
MIDI data. You can also use this synthesizer like a vocoder by 
connecting and using a microphone while playing the keyboard. 

The Yamaha Modular Synthesis Plug-in System offers powerful expansion and upgrade capabilities for Modular 
Synthesis-Plug-in-compatible synthesizers, tone generators and sound cards. This enables you to easily and effectively 
take advantage of sophisticated synthesizer and effects technology, allowing you to keep pace with the rapid and multi-
faceted advances in modern music production.