Holy Crap!!! The PA-80 can trigger fills based on key velocity??? What an awsome feature! Why doesn't Yamaha do this.. That's so cool.. You can keep your hands on the keys.... That's a really good feature.. I'm surprised Yamaha hasn't done this yet..

Squeak

STAM:

I echo Squeak here !

Please tell us MORE about the key velocity activated method of activating fills on the PA80. How do you determine WHICH fill (assuming there are different fill options available) gets played.

Also, how about the fill itself, I've heard some reports about fills not syncing up (coming in) at the right time on the PA80/60. Has this been a problem or not for you?

Scott

Squeak....Korg did it long ago on the i30. Its a good feature. I could also bring in and out ACC parts depending on velocity.

Graham UK

Geez! It just keeps getting better.. Bringing accomp parts in and out too... Is this even listed in the specs or is it just in the manual..? I don't recall seeing it on the specs....

Squeak

Scott, Squeak:

4 functions can be controlled by the velocity: break, fill1,
fill2, start/stop.
The only disadvantage is that the control of velocity is saved in "global mode". The "global" is the place where all the higher functions of the pa80 are saved.
The global setting is superior on all others (styles, performances and sounds(programs)). There is one global for each set.
So, 1 set = 1 global + 3 user styles (16 styles each) + 160 performances + 3 user programs (64 each if I remember + drumkits).

So, for the velocity you have to choose between the 2 fills, the break and the start/stop function.

I usually have assign the fill1. Most of time this is enough for me.
Obviously you can have several sets, each with other global settings

With regard to the quality of fills, personnaly I have no problem whith them even if I admit that sometimes I ask myself which amateur created them. Here it is not a question of the quality of the fills themselves but of their integration in the style. Sometimes the timing is not good. However this concern a minority of styles. Most have good or at least sufficient good fills. And most of time you have absolutely no problem with them.
Break is ridiculous and useless for me.
Some bad fills and break are the two weak points on pa80.

Regards
STAM

I use custom styles most of the time and do all dirty tricks to have the fills I need. I started as a drummer; maybe that's where the obsession comes from. On PA80, I program even intro1 and intro2 as fills. I like it because, then I have two fills that I can jump into at any time of the measure (fill1 and fill2) and two fills (intro1 and intro2) that can be synched with the start of the next measure. If needed I would program end1 and end2 as intro and end. If I need a fill just before a perfect cadence, I would hide the fill in a chord variation and assign it to 7sus4 and try to hide 4th note with right hand playing; doesn't work always, but most of the time. Sometimes I put percussion in the drum track, put the fill in the percussion track, and mute the percussion track. At the right time I unmute it to get the drums-only fill and mute it back. I do not do all the tricks at all the time, but as the need arises.

I know this is really non-standard, but when the fill-ins are very specific and generic fills wouldn't work, these tricks really work for me.

Shiral

Scott:
In creating backing tracks (not live performance), I generally use the pianist mode (to get the bass line right), which prevents easy access to the fill buttons. So----I manually try out the different fills in real time as I bounce to a hard disc recorder. That way I can be more precise and selective about the fills throughout the song.

Brilliant.. I wish I'd have thought of doing that when I converted some of my favorite Yamaha styles to the PA80 Shiral, but I'm glad to read this and glad you thought of it. I actually did do something like that with a few of my styles for the PA80 but it was to add and or change a few parts for extra original variations.. ( actually mixing and / or rerecording some parts of the originals. I just never thought of doing it for fills though. I NEVER use the intros and endings that change keys or chords anyway.. hmmmm good going Shiral...

AJ


[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 11-21-2002).]

So many nice ideas being posted on this Topic. Thank you Scottyee for starting it.

Like most, my approach is basically to use a Fill (and change in variation) to mark a transition to a new section of a song.
On the Ketron X1, however I sometimes introduce a change by activating Intro 1 instead of a Fill. Intros 2 an 3, may not be suitable because they can be too fancy and may sound unrelated to the music theme, if activated in the middle of the song.

Another technique is to use the KeyStop followed by pressing a Fill. On the X1, with the KeyStop on, the rythm stops if the left hand quickly strikes the chord and is released immediately. After the music stops you can just press one of the Fill buttons and then, when you resume action with the left hand the music starts again with the selected Fill.

Finally, my old Technics KN1000 has a button for so called "Dynamic Accompaniment". (When the button is active), the idea is that depending on some key velocity/chord/right hand combination, the instruments introduces a random fill or variation. To be honest, I have not been able to determine exactly what combination triggers the event, but it works and would be nice to have something similar on the X1.