Hi to all!


This is to inform you about the release of my new software "Tyros - Magic Voice Generator".

The "Tyros - Magic Voice Generator" is a Generator, Variator, Editor, and Bankloader for the Yamaha Tyros.
It generates very good, sometimes astonishing, sometimes curious sounding Yamaha Tyros Custom Voices with just 1 (one!) mouse-click! Plus Voice edit down to the last detail and a Bankloader with comfortable Voice management.


more screenshots can be found on http://www.midiweb.de


The Tyros Custom Voices give you the posibility to use really new Voices apart from the Tyros panel and XG Voices. They really can "enrich" your play resp. to make your play sounding "different", much more "individually", "interesting", or even sometimes "oddly".
A "fresh" sound can "vitalize" your play and also "heat-up" the audience. What would be the song "Popcorn" without its typical "Plop" sound? Or what would be "The Final Countdown" without its "Synth-Fanfare" sound? The examples are countless...
But who of the Tyros musicians can handle the Tyros sound synthesis? Hundreds of parameters, what do they do, and where to start?
So I decided to write a software that enables a "rookie" as well as a "sound-pro" to create new Custom Voices in a COMFORTABLE, FAST, (and most important!) EASY way.
This will be done in the "Easy Voice Generator" window (see screenshot) of the "Magic Voice Generators" with just 1 (one!) mouse-click!
You'll get very good, sometimes astonishing, sometimes curious sounding Voices here...
The kind of Voice to be generated can selected from a list:
- Piano
- Organ
- Strings
- Choir
- Brass
- Trumpet
- Sax
- Flute/Clarinet
- Guitar
- Bass
- Perc
- Accordion
- Pad
- Synth
...or randomly any Voice type from the list
...or a combination of "Piano"+"Strings", "Brass"+"Pad", "Organ"+"Synth" etc...
...or a combination of "Organ"+"any type", "Synth"+"any type" etc...
...or a combination of "any type"+"any type"
...or ...
With the second button (the "Variator" button) the Voice can be "roughed up"...
If necessary the result of the "Easy Voice Generator" can be postprocessed down to the last detail in the "Voice Editor".

The "Element Mixer" in the "Voice Editor" is a good point for a "rookie" to start "directly" editing a Voice.
The "Voice Editor" offers the same functions as the "Easy Voice Generator" offers, but it comes with additional features:
locking of Elements -> a locked Element won't be ovewritten by the Generator/Variator while unlocked Elements still will be generated/variated
locking of Element sections -> a locked Element section (like LFO) won't be ovewritten by the Variator while unlocked Elements sections (like Filter section) still will be variated

Furthermore, own "Mega Voices" can be easily made with the "Velo Range" and "Auto Midi Out Velocity" functions. A "Standard Mega Map" can be assigned by one mouse-click -
after that just assign the Element sounds, balance the volume -> ready! Of course, own "Mega Maps" can be edited, saved, loaded and assigned too...

The software consists of three main modules
* "Easy Voice Generator" (see screenshot):
- to create a new Voice with just one mouse-click
- to vary it with another click on the Variator button

* "Voice Editor"
- like the "Easy Voice Generator"
+ additional Generator/Variator functions
+ Voice edit down to the last detail
+ copy, paste, reset, compare and lots of other useful functions...

* "Bankloader"
- offers comfortable sound management
- incl. Voice import from Yamaha *.T2E library files
- sort, search, double?, auto-rename, category and favorite markers
- and much more...

furthermore:
* "Active Help"
gives a short explanation of all Voice parameters and program functions "on the fly"
* "Teaching Bank" (registered version only)
sound Bank with example of the "Active Help" parameter explanations
* "Best Of" Voice Bank (registered version only)
favorite Voices from my personal collection
- and much, much more...

The software is shareware, the registration fee is US$ 59.00 / 49.00 Euro

Here is a link to download a trial version.
Filesize is 2.17 MB


Enjoy!
Achim (author of the software)

P.S. SORRY for my *yxrzkxpzzsrwyz* English!

"Tyros - Magic Voice Generator" homepage: http://www.midiweb.de

Is this software only for the original Tyros or can it also be used with the Tyros 2?

Hi again,



The Tyros2 is not compatible with the Tyros1 Custom Voice format so it won't work with the Tyros2. But if I can affort a Tyros2 I'll figure out a solution...

Regards
Achim

Interesting concept Achim.

I downloaded and tried the trial version and it does generate some interesting Voices. One thing it doesn't seem to generate well is Bass voices. Of the several selections I tried none of the Bass voices seemed acceptable to me. I was also hoping for better acoustic Piano sounds but I didn't find the 'outstanding' you mentioned. You know, something better than the Live! Grand Piano, etc. Some of the Organ sounds were very nice though.

Oops! gotta go..... I will post a follow up when I have more time.

Best regards,
Mike

Hi Mike!


There are millions of variations possible - the next click on the Generator/Variator button could have produce the "Bass of the Year" - who knows? Try combinations of Bass/Synth, Bass/Organ etc. with different "Max Elements", "Fixed" on/off, "XG Booster" on/off, etc. - I got some very, very nice ones here...
But if you are looking for a certain Bass sound select one from the "Voice Selector" and try to modify it in the "Voice Editor" till it fits your needs. Also, in the Editor, a good idea would be to double (copy/paste) a Bass Element and to slightly detune them. Remember: a right click on a knob/slider resets its value...


Oops, where did I mention an 'outstanding' acoustic Piano sound? But to be serious: the Generator/Variator can't generate better Samples.

Best regards,
Achim



[This message has been edited by progmaker (edited 10-30-2005).]

Mike,

I don't know Achim's program other than having had a surface look at it, but there are some similarities with some of the editors and hosts I have for my virtual analogs.

I have several hosts and synths that act in a similar way. Randomization appears to be a key element here. Nothing you do can change the raw sample, which is the primary building block used in a sample based machine.

I like customizing patches for varying sounds. It applies well in a subtractive analog for instance becaue you can alter the sound as it is generated. Still, mangling samples can also give some unique and useful sounds, keeping in mind that the raw material you start with ( sample ) is still there at the end.

That's why sample sets sell so well... right ?

I ( like most synth guys / gals I suppose )think more in terms of editing being useful to come up with non "acoustic" sounds, which can really be anything from pads to leads to brass to bass sounds, etc. But.. there is nothing wrong with mangling acoustic sounds either... I just wouldn't expect them to always sound like acoustic instruments when all is done, but you might be surprised and get a cool new synth patch by doing it.

Programming sounds can be a lot of work sometimes, so I do think it's kinda cool when I can click a mouse or even make a few clicks and have the chance at coming up with something useful and perhaps even unique.

AJ



[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 10-30-2005).]

Best regards,
Achim

Sorry, I meant to say "astonishing" Achim.

It seems that even though as you say "you can't generate better Samples" from the Generator, that it would be possible to 'build upon' the Sample such as the Live! Grand Piano sample to formulate an acoustic Grand sound that would supplant the Live! Grand. In other words that the overall sound would/could be richer, with better aesthetics and overall better ambience and yes... better overall 'sound'. One thing I've found about the Tyros Live! Grand Piano is the 'depth' of the sound is a little lacking. How can I say? - Guts! Substance! Grit! Yes, yes... that sums it up from my viewpoint.

PS: If you've listened to the Grand Piano from the Roland RD-700SX you will get an idea of what I'm looking for in a Piano sound. Bold, in your Face, cut through the Mix, Dynamic, Superior and Illustrious Acoustic Grand Sound! Kudos to Roland for giving the RD-700SX such an astoundingly beautiful Grand Piano sound[s].

It just seems to me that with the Generator or with extensive editing with the Editor software the Tyros' Live! Grand Piano sound could be improved upon or any other Voice for that matter. Not the Sample itself per se but the resulting sound from the sample. I hope I'm making sense.

So am I asking for too much from your software Achim?

Best regards,
Mike

PS: Btw, thanks AJ for your take on it. I agree that for the most part Achim's software is probably meant for achieving 'unique' sounds in which some happen to be quite good sounding. What I'm trying to achieve is "better" sounds than the Presets from the various categories of sounds e.g. Piano, Guitar, Strings, Organ, etc. from an already great sounding Keyboard. Without necessarily having to upgrade to the latest/greatest if at all possible.

>> I'm still hoping Yammie makes a 76 note Tyros2. I won't budge though if they don't. I will continue to wait until someone fits my bill to a tee - or thereabouts. Whether it's Yamaha, Roland, Korg, GEM, or Ketron, it doesn't matter. 76 keys, at LEAST 128 polyphony, superb key action, overall light weight, i.e. [30-38 lbs. max], cutting edge features, top notch customer support(which I feel Yamaha comes up short in many ways but things 'could' change, who knows??) and also, needless to say, a superior sound set. I have other wish list features but I can do without some of them if the other features and specs are in place.

Hi Mike,



No, but the Generator/Variator has no idea of your (or Carla's, Willi's, Jim's, Mark's, Jane's etc.) "perfect" piano, bass, guitar etc. sound - that's why you can try so much different instruments in e.g. a well sorted guitar shop - and they have also different strings, pick-ups, amps, FX boards, and so on...
So if you want to get a certain (more Roland like) piano sound then you should start to carefully modify one of the piano Voices listed in the "Voice Selector". Start with e.g. the "GrandPiano", the sound gets more "body" by just doubling (copy/paste) its Elements, and/or add an Element from a different piano Voice listed in the "Element Selector", and/or tweak the Filter, Envelopes etc. If the result comes closer to your sound idea go on...
But keep in mind: the Tyros hasn't got the raw Roland samples and it's not a Fender, Hammond, Roland, Gibson, Korg etc. emulator - that's why some keyboarders (in a live concert) are still "invisible" behind a wall of keyboards

Best regards,
Achim

[This message has been edited by progmaker (edited 10-31-2005).]

Mike,

If you want to achieve a very different piano sound and you want it to be better ( of course better is relative to what the player likes to hear ), you would do well to do as Achim suggests. In the end, you may be happy with what you can come up with, or you may not.

I modified and tweaked a few of the presets on the Motif ES, ac pianos being among several of my user voices. I can access raw samples in the machine, which you may or may not be able to do on a Tyros. I consider myself to be fairly adept at tweaking sounds, if only because I've done enough of it, but I am quite confident that I'm nowhere near the level of someone like a Tim Conrardy, who I ( and probably many others ) think is a world class synth programmer.

In the end though, the Motif samples are what they are, and I can only do so much with them. I can't get anywhere near the quality ( for my tastes of course ) of my Plugsound keyboards soft module.

In contrast, I can come up with some fairly cool alterations on the electric guitar voices, partially because the sounds are affected more by effects. By far, for me, the best comes from the editing I can do on an analog or analog modeled synth. Even the Motif's AN150 plug in gives me so much to work with, and it allows me to come up with sounds I couldn't have even thought up myself.

AJ