|
I
would like to introduce you to the Yamaha SY-77 workstation and
TG-77 rack mount synth module. The TG-77 has the same synth engine
as the SY-77 but without the keyboard and sequencer. the Yamaha
SY/TG-77 consists of a complete 16-voice polyphonic AFM (Advanced
FM - and it really is) section and a 16-voice polyphonic AWM (sample
playback) section. That's 32 voices folks! Plus four built in, programmable
digital effects processors, a full set of drum samples, an a built-in
floppy disk drive (SY only). The SY also adds a five octave keyboard
and a 16-track sequencer.
Yamaha
has always been the leader in utilizing Breath Control data in their
synthesizers and these two pieces of gear are no exception to this.
Breath Controller data can be routed to many different destinations
including Filter Cutoff, EG Bias, Volume, Amplitude Modulation,
Pitch Modulation, Filter Modulation, Pan and Pan LFO, Volume, etc.
Expression
is the key word for us Wind Synthesists and the SY/TG doesn't skimp
here. The SY-77 has aftertouch, a programmable data entry slider,
TWO modulation wheels plus a pitch bend wheel. It will accept any
type of controller information via MIDI and there are input jacks
for a Yamaha BC1 or BC2 breath controller, a programmable footswitch,
a programmable foot controller, a foot volume controller input,
and a sustain pedal. There are two volume controls on the front
and two sets of stereo outputs on the back.
The
synthesis capabilities of the SY/TG-77 are the best I've seen anywhere
(keep in mind this article was written when the SY-77 was first
introduced - ed.). Each patch can consist of up to 4 layers. Each
layer has two digital filters that con be completely controlled
by breath! This means you can have as many as eight digital filters
being controlled by your breath in any single patch! A patch can
be made up of a single AFM element, or a single AWM element, or
on of each, or 2 AWM samples and 2 mono-mode AFM sounds, or 4 AFM
sounds, or 4 AWM sampled sounds, etc. The number of layers in a
sounding patch ultimately determines the overall polyphony of the
instrument. In other words, if you have a trumpet sound that is
made up of 2 AFM layers, each note you play actually takes up 2
voices of the AFM section's polyphony. You still would have all
16 AWM sampled voices available. Remember that the SY/TG-77 is divided
into two separate 16-voice units -- 16 AFM and 16 AWM sampled voices.
Although layered patches sound fuller, I've programmed some really
fat-sounding SINGLE-element voices.
The
new AFM features include a noise generator (!), and 16 different
waveforms (ala the TX81z) plus two digital dynamic filters to filter
the final sound if you so desire. Also, you can use a sample as
an AFM modulator in what might be the most powerful and ground-
breaking sound-generating feature of the SY/TG-77. Yamaha calls
this Realtime Convolution and Modulation Synthesis - RCM, and it's
a killer.
Each
patch stores the 4 digital effects processor settings including
balance, levels, and delay times, etc. When you call up a sound
you are actually calling up a completely different acoustic environment
with effects balance, pan, levels,etc.
The
SY/TG-77 is very well suited to the wind synthesizer player, especially
the solo performer. If you wanted to, you could do an entire show
by yourself with just the SY-77. Your backing tracks, drums, effects,
preset mixes, and wind controller sounds can all come from the SY-77
at once. The entire set up can be saved to floppy disk in one step.
With two pairs of stereo outputs and their respective separate volume
controls you can send all of your background tracks out one pair
and reserve the other pair for your wind synth output. (The TG-77
has 8 additional individual output jacks). All of your effects can
be set up and pre- mixed ahead of time. Just plug the MIDI out from
the EWV-2000 into the SY-77 MIDI and then plug it all into a P.A.
SY-77
Sequencing Tips for the Wind Sythesist
The
SY-77 sequencer has the capacity to record 16,000 events. This can
effectively be doubled to 32,000 events by dividing the tempo, time
signature, and metronome click value in half (120 bpm of 4/4 becomes
60 bpm of 4/8). A metronome that was set to quarters should now
be set to eighths. Also, any quantizing you do must be divided,
for example, 16th note quantizing should now be set to 32nd notes,
etc. The sid effect of this is that it decreases the recording resolution
from 96 clocks/quarter note to 48 clocks/quarter note - but this
won't matter at all if you like to quantize everything. In any event,
I would suggest that you record everything BUT breath controller
tracks into the SY-77 because the continuous controller data spewing
out of the EVI/EWI will gobble up your memory pretty quickly.
I
found one small quirk when recording a track that is playing a mono-mode
FM patch from my EVI into the SY-77 sequencer. In order for the
sound to play back correctly in the legato style, you must go into
the "Modify Gate" screen when you've finished recording
the track and add +4 to the "offset" parameter. If you
don't do this, the track will play back the notes in a non-legato
style instead of gliding through them smoothly as you originally
played them. This quirk is also true when I use Opcode's Vision
- so I don't believe it is only an SY-77 problem.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article was written when the Yamaha SY/TG77 first came out.
This synth continues to be an excellent choice for EWI/EVI players.
I have had a TG77 in my rack for several years and love it. These
units, because of their age and the introduction of the Yamaha VL
series, are readily available inexpensively in the used market.
Wind controller patches are available for this unit from Yamaha (see Patches section) as well as other third party
programmers. -Ed.
|
