Anyone here find they use more XG voices in a song than panel voices? Lately I've been using the XG voices more.. I'll do all my backing with XG voices and use the panel voices for my solos. I also find that there are several XG voices that I like better than the panel ones.. Plus the XG voices have the effects programed into them (notice that the DSP light doesn't come on when an XG voice is selected) This has reduced my problems with conflicting DSP's when recording a song. It actually works out quite well too. I recorded a song that consisted of 12 tracks, but I used a solo voice that utilized an insert effect. My 550 only allows 1 insert effect to be used and by doing the entire song in XG voices (minus) the solo, I was able to get around this problem.. By using the panel voices I have to turn the "voice set" off and then I'd have to adjust each voice accordingly to record with because after you record a panel voice with voice set off and move to the next track, the next voice you select will have the same effects that you chose for the pevious voice.. To time consuming for me..

Squeak

I use nothing but the XG voices. Since I'm mostly interested in organs I can't use the panel organs as they don't respond to velocity either from the keyboard or midi. On the 740 all the voices can be routed through the DSPs. I can get 5 DSPs working on the same voice - you can get some pretty weird sounds that way. Also I layer the voices. Using multipart sysex I can put nine voices on top of each other, eight parts and one right voice. I keep the other eight parts for the styles and turn off the receive midi for them. This way I can use the keyboard for all nine voices but still get the styles playing properly. You can do all of this with the 2000 and higher machines.

Bryan

I don't know why I really didn't mess with them before.. They sound much better than typical GM sounds. I think the Grand Piano on the XG set was better than the Grand Piano on the Casio MZ-2000 I used to own.. I like that the effects are already in the voice.

Squeak

I found the XG voices rather plain and boring compared to the panel voices, so I never used them, but never tried applying DSP's to them. This is a shame because I am only using 2/7ths of the keyboard. I did notice that the DSP light is not on, on the XG voices. I suspect that some of the organ sounds would be quite good if I could apply a rotary affect on them. Can this be done?
I'm surprised, Pilot, that the panel organ sounds are not touch sensitive. I'm sure they are on the PSR550.
Starkeeper

You can apply DSP to the XG voices if you like. Where you benefit from using these voices is that the DSP for that voice is already in it.. On our 550's you'll notice the DSP light comes on every time you select a panel voice, bit it doesn't when you select the XG voice, again this is because the affect is already in the XG voice.. When you record with the 550's sequencer it's very important that you turn of the "voice set" function. If you don't do this you'll run into conflicting DSP's when recording.. Meaning if you record 3 tracks and one of those ultilize an insert effect, and then add a 4th track. This 4th tracks voice might also utilize a insert effect and you may not know this unless you check it out.. Plus turning off "voice set" means you'll most likely have to adjust each voice before recording because the next voice you select will use the DSP, reverb, and Chorus settings from the previous voice. That's where the XG voices come in... By using more XG voices (which I think some sound quite good), you'll lessen the DSP conflicts. Here's what I mean by conflicting DSP... Say you wanted to record a song that uses more than one distortion guitar.... You might want to use one distored guitar for a rhythm track, and then another for a lead.. Here's where you'll run into problems. Say you want the lead distorted guitar to be powerful, yet the rhythm to be decent as well... You could use a panel distorted guitar for the lead and a XG distored guitar for the rhythm.. This way you will not run into DSP problems..

Squeak

[This message has been edited by squeak_D (edited 01-14-2003).]

Starkeeper, you should be able to apply a rotary effect. It's standard in XG. And you could probably layer several organ sounds via sysex. Check the manual for multi-part sysex. As for touch sensitivty on the 740, the keyboard velocity is turned on and off by the Touch button. The problem is in the synth. I asked Yamaha about this and their excuse was that the wanted the organs to sound like "real" ones, eg. Hammond, so the velocity is always at max. Poop! They could have done it if they wanted. All the other panel instruments are velocity sensitive. It's the same on the 2000 and 9000 though the 9000 sounds better than the 740 and I could use the panel organs on that.

Bryan

Pilot,
I tested the touch sensitivity of the organ panel voices last night and you were right, they are NOT touch sensitive, and are touch sensitive on the XG voices. I was wrong, I was very wrong, I doubted you, I admit to be wrong. LOL.
Is there a way of saving the DSP settings so that when I change organ XG voices I don't have to go back and reset the DSP's to rotary again.
What DSP rotary setting do you select for XG organ voices (SP5)?
Starkeeper

Starkeeper, you should be able to save the DSP settings in registration memory. Works on the 740. As to rotary setting I just pick whatever sounds good. I tend to use vibrato instead though as it sounds a bit more Hammond like for some reason. Unfortunately you can't get at it from the keyboard - you have to use sysex. One of the sysex editors will do it - XGEdit, XGPad, XGGold or XGWorks. Or you can cobble your own and use Cakewalk or whatever.

Bryan