VL70m Expert Editor FAQ guide.

This guide to using the Exed is a result of the frequently asked
questions sent to us since the Exed was released. Hope it helps.

For further info write 
aaronm@freewwweb.com or david.rice@criticallink.com
or post your comments or questions to the windlist.
(info at http://windsynth.org)

Before using the program, connect the VL70 MIDI in and out cables
to your PC and connect your controller. If you are using a WX it
is easiest to connect to the front panel of the VL and use
standard MIDI cables to a MPU-401 port.

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To install:

1. Create a new directory (folder) named VLEDIT using File
Manager (Win3.x), Explorer (Win95/8) or DOS (md \VLEDIT). 

2. UnZIP ALL the files in VLED-ALL.ZIP into this directory.

3. If you have any VL70 library files, put them in the same
directory.

4. Create a Program item or shortcut to VLEDITOR.EXE to run the
program. You can also run the program from the Run menu or from
File Manager or Explorer.

Please note: There is no online help file. Selecting HELP in the
Exed only gives an error message. We hope to include one
soon.     

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Getting started:

1. Connect the MIDI OUT from the PC to the MIDI IN on the 
VL70-m, connect the MIDI OUT from the VL70-m to the MIDI IN on
the PC. Set the switch on the back of the VL70-m to 'MIDI.'

NOTE: If you are using your serial port and the special XG cable, 
set the switch to PC-2. You also have to install the XG MIDI
driver: Yamaha CBX Driver for Windows95 95DRV-E.ZIP;(there's one
for Win3.x too) try: http://www.yamaha.co.jp/english/xg/utility 
These drivers don't work with the Exed on some PC's.

2. Select the input and output devices from the menus. Probably
"SB16 MIDI IN [220] (and out) if you're using a Sound Blaster
with MIDI cables. You need to select them *EACH TIME* you run the
EXED since it can't yet save the settings.

3. Choose "File"; "Open Library"; Select a library in the dialog
box and click OK. The library will open and show a list of
voices. Click on a voice and it will be sent to the VL and you
can try it out.

---------------------------------------------------
As a librarian, we havent finished all the functions, but it's
fairly easy to use. You can audit and save voices. And send then
to the 6 custom slots in the VL. Once you've opened a library and
selected a voice, you can play it with your controller.

Clicking on a Voice name simply sends the sound to a temporary
Voice edit buffer in the VL70-m. This allows you to quickly and
easily audition sounds. To actually STORE a sound in a Custom
memory slot using the ExEd, first highlight the patch you want to
store, go to the "Send" menu, select "Custom", then select a
memory slot (1 to 6)."

The Library "Save" function on the menu doesn't work and you
cannot create new library slots. But you can save a voice after
loading it into the edit buffer (when you try to exit) and you
can start with a big existing library and overwrite the voices
with your favorites.

Here's how:

Before starting the Exed, copy any VL70m library to a new name.
For example, copy 14HORNZ.LIB to MYOWN.LIB. This is just to
create a lib to store your voices. (We haven't yet written
library creating routines for the Exed.)

Now start the Exed. Open a library and select a voice or open a
sysex with "File"; "Open"; You will then see its name in the
program Header: VL70m Editor - MYVOICE.

Now open your new library with "File"; "Open Library"; click on
any voice in the library. you will get a dialog box that says,
"Voice has changed or a new voice selected. Save current voice to
the selected slot in the library?"

Choose "yes" and the voice will be saved in the library. Do this
for any voices you want in the library.

You can also use two copies of the Yamaha Visual Editor to audit
and cut and paste between libraries. You just have to rename one
copy of the editor so two instances will run.

-----------------------------------------------------
VL70 voices:  The VL70 has three voice formats and they can be
confusing. Custom, Internal, and Current.

The VL70 has the "custom" voice as its native format. The presets
in ROM and Custom slots are in this format and the libraries as
well. It contains the element section and the common part
section. You can think of the element as the instrument itself
and the common section as how the controller plays it. ROM
presets cannot be changed. Custom voices can.

"Internal" voices are small modifications made to presets or
custom voices and saved in the internal bank. They point to the
voice they are modifying. You can think of them as "performances"
as used on more conventional synths. The parameters modified are
only in the control and effects sections like reverb and breath
control, etc. Internal voices can be edited from the VL70 front
panel. Custom voices cannot.

If you replace a custom voice, any internal voice pointing to it
will become confused.

See page 34 in the manual. Chose an internal voice and then press
the part + and - buttons together and you'll see what preset or
custom is the source of the internal voice.

"Current": When a voice is loaded into the play/edit buffer, it
is convoluted into the "current" voice format, we assume for XG
compatibility. All editing takes place in "Current" voice format.

Voice sysexes can be in any format:
Current : 1808 bytes (in a group of 14 sysexes)
Custom  : 1572 bytes (in 2 sysexes)
Internal:  174 bytes (in 1 sysex)

The ExEd has no way to get sounds from the VL. But you can use
any sysex tool to recieve sysexes from the VL and save them to
disk. You can then use the ExEd to load and edit the sysex files.
You can also use our DOS utilities including syx2lib to move
voices in and out of libraries. 

---------------------------------

As an Editor:

As an editor, the VL is rather complex. It uses a set of
equations to create the Stanford model, of a real horn and then
"plays" it by calculating the results. The Exed creates different
instruments by modifying variables in the mathematical model. If
you want to understand something about this you might start with
Arthur Benade's book "Horns, Strings and Harmony" available in
paper from Dover. Or the more advanced "Fundamentals of musical
acoustics" also by Benade for the real math.

From here on, you're pretty much on your own. Best way is to try
editing parameters and listening to the results. And post your
questions and comments to the wind list. We're all just learning
this new synthesis model. Edited voices can be saved as described
above.

We wrote the ExEd concentrating on the element itself since
there's no other editor for the PC. We haven't addressed the
common part parameters since they can be edited from the front
panel. Or you can use Daniel Reisinger VL70m-editor for Win95. 
http://iphcip1.physik.uni-mainz.de/~reisinge/program3.html

