I am working on a funk (using Koolfunk style) on the PSR3000 and programmed 4 sequences (4 bars) with different instruments in the Multipads. It's great as a buildup and the result is a terrific drive with funkguitar, clavinet, baritonsax and saxsection.
There are 4 things however that bother me a bit, especially number 2.
1. Voices that use effects, are possible on the Multipads, but without the effects. So if you choose a Wah Clav, there is no Wah (the Wah is done by the DSP and is not in the sample). This is a pity, but not a terrible thing.
2. If I press a Multipadbutton on time, sometimes the sequence starts too late - there is a delay. I noticed that after one round of 4 bars, the timing is adjusted. This is a strange phenomena. Once the timing is OK, it stays OK.
3. Quantize is not possible. I adjusted some notes and chords by hand. It's not a problem that timing is not exact, but it IS a problem when it is a short sequence and it is repeated.
4. The result is mono. It would have been nice if one could pan each voice within the 4 multipads.

I know I am using the Multipad perhaps differently than is intended. My question is, how this is on other arranger keyboards. I noticed that multipads in Roland styles have sometimes little sequences, so there these delays shouldn't be present. Maybe Yamaha can fix this with a software updates.


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drdalet

Hi Drdalet,
I'm leoD..& I've just joined the Forum (today) You subject caught my eyr because I'm a great believer in the power of M.Pads...And I've done a lot of my own..see art on www.Psrtutorial.com
I think the problem you are experiencing may be sorted as follows
1) Make sure when Recording a Pad to START with the 1st Beat of the Bar....then when you go to introduce the M.pad whie playing, make sure you hit it on the 1st Beat...if you do mistime your Pad in ...hit the pad again on the 1st bt next bar..,
Hope this helps,
Regards
LeoD..Ireland;

Thanks for your reply Leo.
In fact the sequence starts on the first beat and I press the button in time - then it seems the sequence starts later and not at the moment I press the button.
Since the style has 4 bars and the sequences too, I make sure I press the button at the moment the style starts with the first bar too.
It seems to me the multipads are OK after they have been played once, but the first time, after loading everything by pressing the registrationbutton, it doesn't start right away.
I will also check if the order by which the multipads are used matters.
BTW, I posted the same question on the psrtutorial forum, with an answer from Michael Bedesem. You'll find it in the Styles/Multipads section: click here .

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drdalet

[This message has been edited by drdalet (edited 10-25-2004).]

Hi Leo,
finished working I just read your article on the Multipads. Excelent.
I wished I read it beforehand, because now all the voices are panned in the middle.
So I have to correct this with an external sequencer - I use XGworks.
The same thing with reverb. I hope I can make some adjustments or I have to do it over again.

What I do recording the pads is: I start the drums wait one bar and then start playing. If the first time is not OK, I play on and do it another time and maybe still one more time. Then I pick the best one and edit the other notes out. Of course I also erase the first empty bar by shifting all the notes up. A lot of editing, but it goes quickly if you use multiselect.
Sometimes the notes do not start on the first beat, but half a beat later (for instance voice at 1.1.0000 and first note at 1.1.0950) - that might be the cause of the timingproblem. I have to check this out.
Anyway - I have a busy night ahead .... but I love it !!


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drdalet

[This message has been edited by drdalet (edited 10-25-2004).]

LeoD, thanks for your good contribution regarding Yamaha multipads. I agree that the power of multipads in lilve performance is under utilized by many of us (me included). I only WISH that Yamaha would add the ability for us to assign Multipads 1-4 to a foot pedal controller function option, and/or to SysEX, so it can be triggered via a remote 'midi foot pedal', as both my hands aren't usually at liberty to hit a multipad button at just the right moment, as they're already fully occupied actually playing the keyboard.

As Andrea Rotolo (Dreamer) had brought up on an earlier posting here, adding support for Multipad (1-4)activation via Registrations (1-8) would greatly enhance the convenience of triggering Multipad activation as well. Yamaha, hope you're listening.

Scott

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http://scottyee.com

Scott, thank you for quoting me... you are a real friend.

LeoD,
I just d'loaded all of your mpad files a couple days ago and I think they are great.
I welcome this opportunity to thank you for sharing your work with the rest of us. And It has inspired me to try my hand at my own creations. Now if I can just find the time


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The old Newb

Ditto to what Old Newb said. I hadn't realized that LeoD is the same guy who created those impressive multipads. I assume that LeoD's multipads were written & tweaked specifically for the PSR2000 though, right, as on my Tyros, the instrument balances sound just 'a little' off.

LeoD, many thanks for your generous contribution.

- Scott

Leo, it worked
I edited the Pan and Reverb of the multipad in XGworks and it sounds much better now. But it is easier to do it the next time as you described it. The problem with the timing is still a mystery.
Sometimes I play multipad 1 and 2, and they are in sync with the style drums. Then, exactly in time, I press multipad 3 and it comes late. If I let it play, the next round is OK - so there is a gap between the end of multipad 3 en the beginning of the first repeat - multipad 1 and 2 just play on. Sometimes it sounds funny too.

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drdalet

[This message has been edited by drdalet (edited 10-25-2004).]

DrDalet, I had the same timing problem you were referring to. I have seen that it can be overcome editing an existing multipad (instead of creating a new one from scratch); another advantage is that all the settings have been arranged already.

You can experience strange effects due to hanging events in MultiPads.

If you desire, I will attempt to discover the problem. Please send the file and how you encounter the problem to mpb@sover.net

Regards,

Michael

In my case I would have to edit everything, voices, play notes, correct reverb and panning, so why not start from scratch?
I have some ideas about the timing problem.



Michael, I noticed that the timing mistake always occurs after I use the variationbutton again to trigger a fill-in. If I press a multipadbutton on the first beat right after that, it starts late or on the wrong count. If I wait a round, it is OK. If one of the multipads was already running, the next multipadbutton I press is late. Somehow the multipads timing derails.
So my next test will be playing without breaks and fill-ins, press the button always on the first beat of a fourbar sequence and see if the problem still occurs.
I also noticed that variation B, C and D are 4 bars, but variation A only 2. So I already made variation A also 4 bars, so everything has the same barlength (also the multipads are 4 bars each)
If this doesn't help and I have no more ideas I will gladly send you the file to have a look at it.

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drdalet

Drdalet wrote:
In my case I would have to edit everything, voices, play notes, correct reverb and panning, so why not start from scratch?

Well, I have a feeling that, if you edit an existing multipad, your timing problems would "magically" disappear...
Furthermore, if you can be satisfied with a drums multipad (i.e. one with only percussive sounds), you could get away just modifying the drums notes. Personally, I would never try to create a multipad or a style using Megavoices.
Good luck in your endeavour.

That is possible. Still, I am a bit of a professor and want to know how things work. If nothing works, I will be really gratefull for your advice, so thanks for that.

I am not satisfied with drums multipads. I have not found any use for them. I made use of the multipads for the strings in One Day I'll fly away .(my first attempt on the PSR3K) and the one I'm working on now.
And using Megavoices - - that would be a real challenge, but I am quite happy with the panelvoices too.

Thank you very much.


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drdalet

[This message has been edited by drdalet (edited 10-27-2004).]

Scottyee,
I've sent you a private e-mail seperate subject. Meanwhile the synchronising of M.Pads is down to ...a) starting pad rec. on 1st beat of bar....then when playing you must bring pad in exactly on 1st Bt also

If you miss-time the Pad intro ...just watch the Red flash button (1st Bt) & simply hit pad button again. A lot of my M.Pads are long..countermelodies...if while playing you want Pad to restart at the begining (in mid sequence) simply hit Pad button ...on 1st beat of a bar.

LeoD


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Hey Guys,
LeoD M.Pads were created on 9k and more recently...the longer pad sequences..on Tyros. I do all my Pads on the KBD...in real time, and never use quantizise ...as I think it reduces 'Expression'
A note of warning...when you assign a M.Pad to a Style, or a Reg...the OS of T
memorises the link by M.Pad NAME.+ Pic. & its file/folder location...so be careful about making changes to Names/Pics...AFTER you have assigned Pads.....if you do make this error the M.Pad will 'default' to preset M.Pad 1..Hip Hop..I think..

LeoD

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