Yamaha Vl70m User Manual

7Virtual Acoustic Synthesis
Controllers (also envelopes)
Instrument Modifiers
Sound out
The VL70-m  Model
The overall VL70-m model or “algorithm” consists of three main blocks:
the instrument, controllers, and modifiers. In schematic form these blocks
are arranged as follows: 

8Virtual Acoustic Synthesis

 NOTES
• The sound thus
produced is amplified
and sustained by the
body of the instrument.
• The pitch of the sound
is determined by the
length of the air
column or string, and
the timbre is a complex
product of the driving
source (reed, lip, air,
string), the shape of
the resonant cavity, the
materials from which
the instrument is made,
etc.
One of the remarkable features of the VL70-m’s Virtual Acoustic Synthesis
system is that just about any driver can be used with any...

9Virtual Acoustic Synthesis
The Controllers
The input to an acoustic wind instrument comes from the player’s lungs, tra-
chea, oral cavity, and lips. In a string instrument it comes from the player’s arm
movement, transmitted to the string via a bow. These elements actually form an
important part of the sound generating system and, in the VL70-m model, are
included in the controllers block. The player also influences the sound of the
instrument by playing the keys, tone holes, or frets, and this aspect...

10
The Modifiers
Virtual Acoustic Synthesis
The modifiers block consists of 4 sections as shown in the diagram. Although
these may appear to be simple effects, they are actually intimately related to the
VL70-m’s sound-producing model and have a significant effect on the sound
(the VL70-m has a separate effects stage with reverb, chorus, variation, and
distortion effects — see page 86).
 Harmonic Enhancer
The Harmonic Enhancer determines the
harmonic structure of the sound to the
extent that it can...

11Virtual Acoustic Synthesis
There’s More …
In this brief introduction to VL70-m basics we’ve only looked at the central
physical model which is the key the VL70-m’s unprecedented sound and
musical performance. There’s actually much more to it. There’s also an exten-
sive range of other functions and features that are similar to those you may be
familiar with from conventional synthesizers. There are, for example, program-
mable envelopes that can be applied to most of the controllers in addition to...

12The Controls & Connectors
The Controls & Connectors
The following brief descriptions of the VL70-m controls and connectors
should help you to understand the overall logic of the interface.
Front Panel
q[POWER/VOL] Control
Press to turn power ON or OFF. Rotate to adjust
overall output volume (clockwise to increase the
volume).
wBreath Controller Jack
An optional Yamaha BC3, BC2 or BC1 Breath
Controller can be plugged in here.
➲ page 17
eWX IN Jack
Allows direct connection of a Yamaha WX-
series Wind...

13
!2[MIDI/WX] Button
Pressing this button alternately selects the VL70-
m MIDI and WX control modes (when the rear-
panel HOST SELECT switch is set to Mac, PC-
1, PC-2).
➲ page 18
!3[ENTER] Button
The [ENTER] button is used to engage sub-
modes, confirm input, and execute certain
operations. Double-clicking this button (i.e.
press the button twice in rapid succession)
provides access to the SHOW CONTROL and
SHOW EXCLUSIVE (page 103) modes.
➲ page 24
!4[EXIT] Button
This button is used to exit from...

14
!8DC IN Connector
The DC output cable from the Yamaha PA-3B
AC Power Adaptor supplied with the VL70-m is
plugged in here.
➲ page 15
!9OUTPUT L/MONO and R Jacks
These are the main stereo outputs from the
VL70-m. Be sure to connect both outputs to the
appropriate channels of a stereo sound system in
order to appreciate the full quality of the VL70-
m sound and effects. The L/MONO jack can be
used alone when connecting to a mono sound
system (e.g. a musical instrument amplifier).
➲ page 22
@0MIDI IN, OUT...

15Setting Up
Setting Up
Power Supply
Your VL70-m comes supplied with a Yamaha PA-3B AC adaptor. Plug the
DC output cable from the AC adaptor into the DC IN jack on the rear panel,
then plug the adaptor into a convenient wall AC power socket. It is also a good
idea to clip the adaptor’s DC cable into the cable clip on the VL70-m rear panel
to minimize the possibility of accidentally unplugging the cable during opera-
tion.

 CAUTION
• Do not attempt to use an AC adaptor other than the supplied unit or an...

16Setting Up
MIDI Connections
The VL70-m can be used with virtually any type of MIDI controller: key-
board, wind controller, sequencer, etc. To ensure reliable error-free transfer
of MIDI data always use high-quality MIDI cables obtained from your Yamaha
dealer or music equipment store. Also avoid MIDI cables that are longer than
about 15 meters, since cables longer than this can pick up noise which can
cause data errors.
The VL70-m MIDI receive channel and device number parameters are available
via the...