Yamaha S90 and Midi

[hermanjoe]

I am considering an S90 and have a question about MIDI. How easy is it to mid a 61 note controller to the S90 so I can have two teirs? I would like to play organs and strings on the top tier and have pianos and e.p.'s on the S90. I would also like to change patches from the 61 note controller. Any S90 owners or MIDI dudes out there, I appreciate any advice, thanks...

 

Tom

[Unsound Practices]

Hey Tom,

 

What 61 key controller are we talking about? Let me know. I am pretty familiar with the Motif/S90 Master Mode, both strengths and shortcomings.

[eric]

It is very easy to do this. I use an S90 and Nord Electro. I favor the Master mode on the S90, which allows me to "point" to a variety of S90 voices or performances and also set up the external MIDI conversation in many ways.

 

I have programmed a number of Master setups to do things like this:

 

1) S90 with no sound, controlling my Electro for Rhodes sounds (MIDI channel 7).

 

2) S90 with no sound, controlling the lower manual of my Electro organ (MIDI channel 2). I have the 4 sliders on the S90 set up to control Electro volume, Leslie fast/slow, chorus on/off and the last one controls the top drawbar of the lower manual of the Electro organ. INCREDIBLY flexible.

 

3) S90 sound layered with Electro sound.

 

4) Split with a couple of S90 sounds all over the keyboard and Electro wherever I want it.

 

The possibilities are endless. I have not had a more powerful MIDI controller. The only thing I wish the S90 had was more than one MIDI out, so that it could control multiple keyboards without using MIDI thru (Nord does not have MIDI thru).

 

Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

Regards,

Eric

[hermanjoe]

Thanks Guys,

 

I actually don't know what midi controller. I haven't bought one yet. You may have seen another post where I asked about comparing the S90 and P250. Some of the midi controller questions came up. Most S90 user's said it's great for midi stuff were as the P250 can be a bit more difficult. I also considered buying a P250 and using my Karma for other sounds with no midi setup whatsoever. Its an endless debate.

 

Eric what you said about your setup helps me. I would be looking to control sounds on the S90 from any 61 note controller. Can You switch patches on the S90 from another controller? Example. I have a piano sound on the S90 and a string sound on the controller, then I want to switch to an organ on the controller. Can I do this, or is it complicated?

[Unsound Practices]

A shortcoming of the S90/Motif Master Mode system that has bugged me is that you can not use program change comands (you have to use sysex) to changes MODES (Voice, Performance, Song/Mix, Master) or change actual MASTERS. The latter is important when you add a third 'board or module to the rig and/or you want your S90/Motif to be a slave.

 

If it is just the S90 in Master Mode and another 'board, you'll be fine.

 

Do a search over at www.motifator.com on "master controller" and you can get some additional info. Also have a look at the Behind the Manual document on Master Mode at www.sninety.com.

 

My Kurz has a mode called "Setups" which is very similar to Motif/S90 Masters, but it does respond to program change data. That allows me to to use the Motif as a Master, and the Kurz and other modules as slaves, so the Kurz and the Motif can play sounds on themselves, each other, and all modules. I've chucked a MOTU MTP AV MIDI router in the middle and it is a very flexable setup.

 

Note Motif/S90 Master Mode is lightyears ahead of Kurz's Setups, with response to program change data being the only beef. It is a question of using one button on one keyboard to change your setup verses using multiple buttons on multiple keyboards.

 

Hope that helps rather then confuses you. Rereading this is it a bit confusing!

[Jazz+]

Hey Eric,

 

Do you prefer the Rhodes sound in your Electro over the Vintage 74 Rhodes in your S90?

[eric]

Do you prefer the Rhodes sound in your Electro over the Vintage 74 Rhodes in your S90?

Yes I do! I will occasionally use that S90 Rhodes sound (or Sweetness) when the Electro is busy doing organ duty. But I find the Electro Rhodes to be more expressive and realistic.

 

Regards,

Eric

[Steve Force]

Originally posted by Unsound Practices:

A shortcoming of the S90/Motif Master Mode system that has bugged me is that you can not use program change comands (you have to use sysex) to changes MODES (Voice, Performance, Song/Mix, Master) or change actual MASTERS. The latter is important when you add a third 'board or module to the rig and/or you want your S90/Motif to be a slave.

 

If it is just the S90 in Master Mode and another 'board, you'll be fine.

 

Do a search over at www.motifator.com on "master controller" and you can get some additional info. Also have a look at the Behind the Manual document on Master Mode at www.sninety.com.

 

My Kurz has a mode called "Setups" which is very similar to Motif/S90 Masters, but it does respond to program change data. That allows me to to use the Motif as a Master, and the Kurz and other modules as slaves, so the Kurz and the Motif can play sounds on themselves, each other, and all modules. I've chucked a MOTU MTP AV MIDI router in the middle and it is a very flexable setup.

 

Note Motif/S90 Master Mode is lightyears ahead of Kurz's Setups, with response to program change data being the only beef. It is a question of using one button on one keyboard to change your setup verses using multiple buttons on multiple keyboards.

 

Hope that helps rather then confuses you. Rereading this is it a bit confusing!

Has this SYSEX mode change ever locked up your Motif ES?

 

I just aquired a Motif ES6, and wanted to do mode changing from Cubase. Sometimes this mode changing locks up the unit..

 

Ideas?

 

I am also checking www.motifator.com for ideas.

 

Thanks.

[Prague]

Originally posted by Unsound Practices:

...Note Motif/S90 Master Mode is lightyears ahead of Kurz's Setups, with response to program change data being the only beef.

I read the document you suggested and don't see the "lightyears ahead" functionality. It seems largely the same.

 

A glaring difference is that the Yam's only have an Increment function when switching to different master "Setups" with a footswitch. Kurzweil's have a Inc, Dec, and GoTo. Vastly more flexible. In any of the setups you can also change one of the zone's programs with a Program Change without switching to a different Setup. Changing the Setup can be done on an independant MIDI channel with Program Change as well.

 

What have you found on the Yam's?

[ELP71]

Originally posted by Prague:

Originally posted by Unsound Practices:

...Note Motif/S90 Master Mode is lightyears ahead of Kurz's Setups, with response to program change data being the only beef.

I read the document you suggested and don't see the "lightyears ahead" functionality. It seems largely the same.

 

A glaring difference is that the Yam's only have an Increment function when switching to different master "Setups" with a footswitch. Kurzweil's have a Inc, Dec, and GoTo. Vastly more flexible. In any of the setups you can also change one of the zone's programs with a Program Change without switching to a different Setup. Changing the Setup can be done on an independant MIDI channel with Program Change as well.

 

What have you found on the Yam's?

I sort of blinked too when I saw "light years" ahead. I own both boards (S90 and PC88/K2000) and I would call it a draw. I would even say the Kurz stuff is maybe a little more 'immediate' in its intuitiveness...the Yamaha Master mode may be deeper and richer...but I haven't found that yet.