Yamaha P 155 Instruction Manual

							Selecting & Playing Voices
P-155 Owner’s Manual
ENGLISH
21
[EFFECT]
The [EFFECT] button allows you to select an effect to give your sound greater depth and 
animation.
OFF: When no effect is selected, no EFFECT indicator is lit.
CHORUS: A shimmering, broadening effect.
PHASER: Adds a sweeping effect to the sound.
TREMOLO: Adds an animated, vibrating effect to the sound.
ROTARY SP: Adds the vibrato effect of a rotary speaker.
To  select an effect type, press the 
[EFFECT] button a few times until the indicator corre-
sponding to the desired type lights (the indicators light in sequence each time you press 
the 
[EFFECT] button). No effect is produced when all indicators are off.
Adjusting Effect Depth
Y ou can adjust the effect depth for the selected voice by using the 
[–/NO] and [+/YES] 
buttons while holding the 
[EFFECT] button. 
Default depth settings are different for each vo ice. The depth range is from 0 (no effect) 
through 20 (maximum effect depth). The current depth setting appears on the display 
while the 
[EFFECT] button is held.
“Damper Resonance”
The damper resonance lets you hear a simulation of the sustain sound of the damper 
pedal on a grand piano, as you press the damper pedal and play the keyboard.
This effect is applied to the voice you play on the keyboard and the part (channel 1 & 
2.)
Switching Damper Resonance Effect On or 
Off and Adjusting Damper Resonance Effect Depth
Y ou can switch the “Damper Resonance” effect on or off via F5.8 Damper Resonance 
Effect ON/OFF (page 43) in Function and set damper resonance depth via F5.9 
Damper Resonance Effect Depth (page 43) in Function.
The default effect type (including 
OFF) and depth settings are dif-
ferent for each voice.
NOTE
Releasing the  [EFFECT] button 
changes the effect type.
If you are changing the depth set-
tings by holding the  [EFFECT] 
button, releasing the  [EFFECT] 
button will not change the effect 
type.
NOTE 
						

							Selecting & Playing Voices
P-155 Owner’s Manual
ENGLISH
22
Touch Sensitivity – [TOUCH]
[TOUCH]
You can select four different types of keyboard touch sensitivity — HARD, MEDIUM, 
SOFT or FIXED — to match different playing styles and preferences.
HARD: Requires that the keys be played quite hard to produce maximum loud-
ness.
MEDIUM: Produces a fairly “standard” keyboard response.
SOFT: Allows maximum loudness to be produced with relatively light key pres-
sure.
FIXED: All notes are produced at the same volume no matter how hard the key-
board is played. (No indicators are lit.) The fixed volume can be changed.
To  select a touch sensitivity type press the 
[TOUCH] button a few times until the indica-
to r corresponding to the desired type lights (the indicators light in sequence each time 
the 
[TOUCH] button is pressed). No indicator is lit when “FIXED” is selected.
Changing the volume when FIXED is selected
Wh en you select FIXED, you can set the volume for notes played in FIXED by using the 
[–/NO] and [+/YES] buttons while you hold the [TOUCH] button. The current volume 
level appears on the display. The volume range is from 1 (minimum volume) through 
127 (maximum volume). The default setting is 64.
[–/NO] [+/YES] buttons [TOUCH] button
This setting does not change the 
weight of the keyboard.
Default setting = MEDIUM
The touch sensitivity type will 
become the common setting for 
all voices. However, the touch 
sensitivity settings may have little 
or no effect with certain voices 
that are not normally responsive 
to keyboard dynamics. (Refer to 
the “Preset Voice List” on 
page 57.)
NOTE
NOTE
NOTE
The touch volume set in FIXED 
will become the common setting 
for all voices.
Releasing the  [TOUCH] button 
changes the touch type.
If you are changing the volume by 
holding the  [TOUCH] button, 
r eleasing the  [TOUCH]  button will 
not change the touch sensitivity 
type. (FIXED will remain 
selected.)
NOTE
NOTE
V olume range 
						

							Selecting & Playing Voices
P-155 Owner’s Manual
ENGLISH
23
Transposition – [TRANSPOSE]
The instrument’s Transpose function makes it possible to shift the pitch of the entire key\
board up or 
down in semitone intervals to facilitate playing in difficult key signatures, and to let you\
 easily 
match the pitch of the keyboard to the range of a singer or other instru\
ments. For example, if you 
set the transposition amount to “5,” playing key C produces pitch \
F. In this way, you can play a 
song as though it were in C major, and the instrument will transpose it to the key of F.
Use the [–/NO] and [+/YES] button while holding the [TRANSPOSE] button to trans-
pose down or up as required. The amount of  tr ansposition appears on the display while 
the 
[TRANSPOSE] button is held. The default transpose setting is “0.”
The
 [TRANSPOSE] button indicator remains lit when a transpose setting other than 
“0” is selected. Every time the
 [TRANSPOSE] button is pressed after that switches the 
tr anspose function ON or OFF.
[–/NO] [+/YES] buttons
[TRANSPOSE] button
TERMINOLOGY
T ranspose:
Changing the key signature of a 
song. On the instrument, trans-
posing shifts the pitch of the 
entire keyboard.
The transposition range:
–12: –12 semitones (down one 
octave)
0: normal pitch
12: 12 semitones (up one 
octave)
NOTE
Transposition 
						

							Selecting & Playing Voices
P-155 Owner’s Manual
ENGLISH
24
Using the Metronome
The instrument features a built-in metronome for convenience in practici\
ng and use with the 
Recording features.
1.Press the [METRONOME] button to start the metro-
nome.
The metronome sound is turned on.
Adjusting the tempo
The tempo of the metronome and song recorder playback (the recorder is 
described in the next section) can be set from 32 to 280 beats per minute by 
using the 
[TEMPO/FUNCTION –, +] buttons (when the [TEMPO/FUNCTION –, 
+]
 button’s [TEMPO] indicator is lit).
Adjusting the time signature
The time signature (beat) of the metronome can be set by using the 
[–/NO]  and 
[+/YES]  buttons while holding the [METRONOME] button. You can set the beat 
from 0 to 15. The current setting appears on the display while you are holding 
the 
[METRONOME] button.
2.Press the [METRONOME] button to stop the metro-
nome.
The metronome sound is turned off.
1 212121212[–/NO] [+/YES] buttons
[TEMPO/FUNCTION –, +] buttons
The beat indicator flashes 
at the current tempo.
If the  [TEMPO/FUNCTION]  but-
ton’s  [FUNCTION]  indicator is lit, 
press the  [TEMPO/FUNCTION]  
button to light the  [TEMPO] indi-
cator.
NOTE
The volume of the metronome can 
be adjusted via the Metronome 
V olume function in Function 
(pages 39, 44).
NOTE
Beat 
						

							Recording Your Performance
P-155 Owner’s Manual
ENGLISH
25
Recording Your Performance
The ability to record and play back what you’ve played on the keyboar\
d can be an effective practice 
aid. You can, for example, record just the left-hand part, and then practice t\
he right-hand part 
while playing back the recorded left-hand part. Or, since you can record up to two parts separately, 
you could record the left- and right-hand parts separately, or record both parts of a duet and hear 
how they sound when played back. The two-part Song Recorder on the instr\
ument allows the 
recording of up to three songs (U01–U03) or up to a maximum of abou\
t 100KB (11,000 notes) in 
each song on the instrument depending on pedal usage and other factors.
Y ou cannot record the performance to the connected USB storage device directly. The recorded 
songs are saved to the instrument automatically. If you want to save data to the device, perform the 
Save operation (page 31) after stopping recording.
Re cording a performance quickly
This convenient and simple recording method lets you quickly record your\
 performance without 
specifying the recording parts — useful, for example, in recording so\
lo piano pieces.
In this way, the performance is automatically recorded to right part.
CAUTION
To  avoid erasing previously recorded song(s):
If the file contains data, the part indicator lights up green when you\
 select a file. Note 
that recording new data on this part will erase the existing data.
1.Select the voice you want to record (or voices if you 
will be using Dual or Split), before you begin to 
record.
Ma ke any other desired settings (reverb, effect, etc.) as well. You might also want 
to  set the volume.
Y ou can also adjust the playback volume using the 
[MASTER VOLUME] dial.
Y ou can record your performance 
(audio data) to an MD recorder or 
other recording device via the 
AUX OUT jack (page 47).
NOTETERMINOLOGY
Recording vs. Saving:
The format of performance data recorded on an MD differs from that of data recorded on the instrument. 
An MD records audio signals. The instrument “saves” information regarding note timing, voices, and a 
tempo value, but not audio signals. When you play back recorded songs, the instrument produces 
sound based on the saved information. Therefore, recording on the instrument may be more accurately 
called “saving information.” However, this book often uses the word “recording” because it seems to 
make more sense.
1
2   4
43    5
Record mode cannot be engaged 
during Demo/PRESET/USER/USB 
song playback or in the File Oper-
ation mode.
NOTE 
						

							Recording Your Performance
P-155 Owner’s Manual
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26
2.Press the [REC] button to engage Record Ready 
mode.
This automatically selects an empty file (U01–U03) for recording and makes the 
RIGHT part’s indicator turn red. If all file numbers contain recorded data, File 
U01 will be selected. This simply enables recording; to start recording, go on to 
step 
3.
The 
[PLAY/PAUSE] indicator will flash at the current METRONOME tempo 
setting.
Y ou can turn on the metronome in this step, and adjust the tempo by using the 
[TEMPO/FUNCTION –, +] buttons. (Range: 32–280)
Re cord Ready mode can be disengaged before recording by pressing the 
[REC] 
button again.
3.Start recording.
Re cording will begin automatically as soon as you play a note on the keyboard 
or press the 
[PLAY/PAUSE] button. The current measure’s number will appear 
on the display while recording.
4.Press either [REC] or [STOP] button to stop record-
ing.
Wh en recording is stopped, dashes appear in the display in succession to indi-
cate that the recorded data is being saved to the instrument automatically. After 
the data is saved, the file name (U01–U03) appears in the display. The recorded 
part’s indicator will light in green to indicate that it now contains data. (Record 
mode is disengaged automatically.)
CAUTION
Never attempt to turn the [STANDBY/ON] switch OFF while flashing dashes appear 
in the display (these indicate data is being written to internal memor y). Turning the 
power off in this state results in loss of all recorded data.
5.Play back the recorded performance.
Pr ess the [PLAY/PAUSE] button to play back the recorded performance. To stop 
playback in the middle of a song, press the 
[STOP] button.
TERMINOLOGY
Mode:
A mode is a status under which 
you can execute a certain func-
tion. In Record Ready mode, you 
can record your performance.
If you have selected the LEFT 
part previously in the same file, 
the LEFT part will automatically 
be made active when pressing 
the  [REC]  button in step  2. 
If the metronome was on when 
you started recording, you’ll be 
able to keep time with the metro-
nome while recording, but the 
metronome sound will not be 
r ecorded.
For more recording information, 
see page 29.
The function of the  [PLAY/
PA USE]  button can be assigned 
to the AUX pedal (pages 39, 43). 
This allows you to start recording 
by pressing the Footswitch con-
nected to the AUX jack.
Song recording can not be 
paused, even by pressing the 
[PLAY/PAUSE]  button.
If the memory becomes full dur-
ing recording, “ FUL” will appear 
on the display and recording will 
stop automatically. (All recorded 
data up to that point will be 
r etained.)
Pressing the  [PLAY/PAUSE]  but-
ton to start recording, then press-
ing the  [STOP]  button to stop 
r ecording will erase all previously 
r ecorded data on the selected 
part.
NOTE
NOTE
NOTE
NOTE
NOTE
NOTE
NOTE 
						

							Recording Your Performance
P-155 Owner’s Manual
ENGLISH
27
Re-recording a previously recorded song
If you are not satisfied with the recording, you can record it again. \
Using the following operation.
1.Select a voice or voices (and other settings) for 
recording, if necessary.
Re peat step 1 on page 25 if you wish to change the previous settings.
2.Press the [REC] button again to re-engage Record 
Ready mode.
The selected part’s indicator lights in red.
Follow the procedure from step 
3 in “Recording a performance quickly” on 
page 26 to re-record.
If you want to change the tempo, 
r everb type, or effect type when 
r e-recording a part or when 
r ecording to another part, do so 
after engaging the Record Ready 
mode.
Y ou cannot re-record in the mid-
dle of a song.
NOTE
NOTE 
						

							Recording Your Performance
P-155 Owner’s Manual
ENGLISH
28
Recording to RIGHT/LEFT
This lets you record the right and left parts separately. Since you can record the left part while play-
ing back the right, this is useful for independently recording both part\
s of a duet.
1.Make all the initial settings.
Same as step 1 in “Recording a performance quickly” on page 25.
2.Select a file (U01–U03) to record.
Pr ess the [SONG SELECT] button so that the “USER” indicator lights then press 
the 
[–/NO][+/YES] buttons to select a file for recording.
CAUTION
To  avoid erasing previously recorded song(s):
If the file contains data, the part indicator lights up green when you\
 select a file. 
Note that recording new data on this part will erase the existing data.
3.Engage the Record Ready mode.
Pr ess the [REC] button and press the [RIGHT]/[LEFT] button to engage the 
Re cord Ready mode. Recording does not actually start yet.
The 
[PLAY/PAUSE] indicator will flash at the current METRONOME tempo 
setting.
Re cord Ready mode can be disengaged before recording by pressing the 
[REC] 
button again.
4.Start and stop recording.
Same as steps 3–5 in “Recording a performance quickly” on page 26.
3231
2
Pa rt button indications
Off: Contains no data 
On (green): Contains data 
On (red): Part is enabled for 
recording
If the metronome was on when 
you started recording, you’ll be 
able to keep time with the metro-
nome while recording, but the 
metronome sound will not be 
r ecorded.
If you want to change the tempo, 
r everb type, or effect type when 
re recording a part or when 
r ecording to another part, do so 
after entering the Record Ready 
mode.
If you don’t want to hear the previ-
ously recorded part while you 
r ecord (for example, when you 
want to record a song different 
from what you recorded on the 
previous part), press the play-
back part button before pressing 
the  [REC]  button so that its indi-
cator is turned off.
For more information on record-
ing, see page 29.
NOTE
NOTE
NOTE
NOTE
NOTE 
						

							Recording Your Performance
P-155 Owner’s Manual
ENGLISH
29
The song recorder records the following data:
Data in addition to the notes and voices you play is recorded.
This data includes “Individual Parts” and “Entire Song.” See below.
Individual Parts
•Notes played 
•Voice  selection
•P edal (Sustain/Soft/Sostenuto/Expression)
• [REVERB] depth 
• [EFFECT] depth
•D ual voices 
•D ual balance (F3)
•D ual detune (F3) 
•D ual octave shift (F3)
• Split voices (F4)
• Split balance (F4) 
• Split octave shift (F4)
Entire Song
•Tempo 
•T ime signature (beat) 
• [REVERB] type (including OFF)
• [EFFECT] type (including OFF) 
						

							Recording Your Performance
P-155 Owner’s Manual
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Changing the Initial Settings (data recorded at the 
beginning of a song)
The initial settings (data recorded at the beginning of a song) can be\
 changed after the recording. 
For example, after recording, you can change the voice to create a diffe\
rent ambience or adjust the 
song tempo to your taste. 
You can change the following initial settings.
Individual Parts
•Voice  selection
• [REVERB] depth 
• [EFFECT] depth
•D ual voices 
• Split voices
• Damper/soft/expression pedal depth
Entire Song
•Tempo 
• [REVERB] type (including OFF)
• [EFFECT] type (including OFF)
1.Change the settings via the panel controls.
For example, if you wish to change the recorded voice from [ELECTRIC PIANO 
1]
  to [ELECTRIC PIANO 2],  press the [ELECTRIC PIANO 2] button.
2.Press the [REC] button to engage Record mode and 
select a part to change the initial settings.
The indicator lights in red. (Data shared by two parts can be changed via either 
part.)
CAUTION
Be careful not to press the  [PLAY/PAUSE] button or a key on the keyboard after 
step  2, either of which will start recording and erase all previously-recorded\
 data 
on the selected part.
3.Press the [REC] button to exit the Record mode.
2   32