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The Yamaha VL line currently includes four distinct hardware packages: Original VL1VL1-mVL7VL70-mIn addition there is an upgrade package to what is called Version 2 of the EPROMs, with new voices on disk and manual addendums as part of the upgrade kit (see below). Common Features (except VL70-m)All models in the main VL line have the same basic interface controls and jacks. Voices are loaded using a 3 1/2" floppy disk (must be formatted by the VL1). There is a headphone jack with a volume knob, and a high-grade (rapid-sampling) breath controller input jack. Midi in, out and thru jacks are in back, in addition to 1/4" L and R audio jacks. On the front panel are three mode buttons for Play, Edit, and Utility modes, plus Copy and Store buttons. The display is fairly bright and decent-sized, with a row of eight screen-labeled function buttons beneath it. Screen-labeled function buttons easy to understand, and are widely used on synths from several manufacturers. To the right of the screen are arrow keys for positioning the cursor, and Inc, Dec, Exit, and Enter keys for incrementing, decrementing, popping up a level, and diving down a level. A rotary wheel (data dial) is useful for setting parameters or whizzing through a voice listing. Distinguishing features of the 3 models are given here: Original VL1The original VL1 includes a small (4 octave), burl-decorated keyboard with two mod wheels, a pitch wheel, two sliders, and two octave switches. This package is the most costly, and many musicians opt to use another keyboard that they already have or a wind controller to drive the VL1-m. This package might appeal to a musician who had no other keyboard, and intended to play only the VL1. For gigging it represents a smaller equipment tote. The dual mod wheels side-by-side can be helpful. Note: this model (original VL1 keyboard) has recently been discontinued by Yamaha US due to poor sales, although it is still in production in Japan. VL1-mThis rack-mount module seems to be the most popular and it is the reigning champion in the VL line. It has all of the musical capabilities of the original VL1 (notably two-voice polyphony), a much lower price, and it can be driven by a midi keyboard or a wind controller. For keyboard players, a combination of the Yamaha BC-2 breath controller plus the keyboard of your choice would be used to control the VL1-m. For wind players who prefer woodwind fingering, a WX-7, WX-11, or EWI can be used to control the VL1. More control is possible with the keyboard/BC-2 interface, but many musicians are accustomed to wind instruments, and prefer the feel and phrasing possibilities inherent in that type of controller. For those using a wind controller it is possible to use auxiliary midi controllers (e.g. foot pedals, foot switches, gesture-to-midi controllers, etc) to increase the control possibilities. VL7The VL7 keyboard is basically a clone of the VL1, without the burl decoration. Internally, the VL7 is the crippled version of the VL1, in that it has only single-element capability. Since many of the voices require dual elements (two different voice components), the range of voices is restricted with the VL7. In addition, for most plucked-string (e.g. guitar) voices, you need the second element so that when you pick a note, the note before it doesn't artificially cut-off. In an acoustic situation, the first note is heard decaying when you pluck the second note, and so on. Also, with a dual-element VL1-m or VL1, you can edit a single-element voice and duplicate the voice element (set voice mode to dual), then slightly modify the second element to make a unison sound, for example, of two trombones. By laying down two of these dual-element tracks (using midi notes recorded only once), you can make a convincing sound of a trombone section, for example. It is also possible to combine two different elements in a single voice. For the reasons given, I recommend against getting the VL7 hardware package, but it could find a place for someone who has no other keyboard, who intends to use a keyboard for control, who is pinched for funds, and who only intends to use the single-element voices in single-element mode. Note: the VL7 has recently been discontinued by Yamaha US, although it is still produced in Japan, and can no doubt be obtained one way or another. It has not sold well in the US. VL70-mThis new little member of the VL family has some nice features (like a low price and a WX controller input jack), and some drawbacks, compared to the main VL line. It is a small module like the Yamaha MU-80, so it doesn't fit in a normal rack without using a shelf. The small front panel results in a meager user interface compared to the VL1-m, for example, but if you use a computer editor, or if you don't like to tweak your voices, it would be OK in that regard. It uses only one of the three main DSP chips in the original VL synth design, substituting a cheaper effects chip for the high quality effects native to the original VL line, a cheaper DAC (16 bit instead of 20 bit), and probably a reduced ability to handle midi input, although no one has measured and published this to my knowledge. It is monophonic compared to the dual polyphony of the VL1 and VL1-m. It does not take a floppy disk for voice input, and its editing features do not match that of the other VL instruments, but it comes with lots of preset voices, and it is obviously designed for people who don't want to edit voices much, but just use factory voices. It still has the famous VL expressive capabilities when played with breath control. Remember that even after the latest price drop, it is less than half the cost of a VL1-m, so if you want to play with the latest PM technology without breaking the bank, and if you don't need a pro-grade instrument, this may just be the ticket for you! Version 2 EPROMS, Voices, & Upgrade InstructionsNew VL synths are equipped with the Version 2 firmware and voices, although Version 1 voice disks can be obtained and used. Beware, though, since a dealer may have a VL synth that sat on the shelf and has not been upgraded to Version 2. For those who own a Version 1 VL1, a very strong case can be made for upgrading to Version 2. Assuming that you payed about $2000 for your VL1-m (street price), the $200 (or less) cost to upgrade is small. The benefits are significant. This technology is in its infancy, and you can use every engineering improvement that they can make! To wit:
That seems like quite a bit of inducement to me. The most important part, though, is the improved voices. They are making steady progress on getting more good, really playable voices, and eliminating the bad voices. One of the advantages of buying a programmable music box is that you can buy software (plus firmware) upgrades at modest prices. Quite a bit of engineering has been shoe-horned into a couple of EPROM chips and a floppy disk. Version 2 EPROM Installation InstructionsThese instructions apply to the VL1-m (rackmount), with the differences for the VL1 keyboard described farther below. It's not too tough if you follow certain guidelines. You might want to do this on the kitchen table where your floor isn't carpeted. Get a medium-small phillips-head screwdriver, a small slot-head screwdriver, and the VL1-m box on the table, and touch your sink fawcet before you start, to ground out any static electricity that you may have been carrying. Unscrew all of the screws holding the top/back sheet metal cover to the base/front, leaving alone the ones that don't go through the outer cover. There are about 20 of them, all the same. Don't lose any. Pull the cover off and eyeball the units guts. The digital circuit board is at the top rear, with the battery and EPROMs prominently visible in the middle of the board. I left my battery alone, but that's where it is if you ever need to replace it. Observe that each of the two EPROMs has a notch on one end, and make sure that you keep the orientation the same as you see. Notice also that both old and new EPROMs have serial numbers printed on top. You've got to replace the 'high' chip with the 'high' upgrade; consult the sheet that they are sending out with the upgrades now on which chip is hi/lo. The left and right units in each pair differ only in one digit. I believe one side had a '3' and the other had a '4' in the 'unique digit position' of the serial numbers. Use the small slot-head screwdriver to carefully pry up each end of just one of the original EPROMS. Pry with the screwdriver until you can pull it out with your fingers. Observe the polarity of the notch and the unique digit, and select the matching new EPROM. Check the width between the two rows of pins. If they are too wide to fit the socket, carefully bend them all together on each side on a flat surface (the table). So far no one has had to bend the pins. When they all line up just right above the socket, with the notch at the correct end, push it firmly into the socket. When pushing the chip into the socket, it is a bit nicer if you support the circuit board on the bottom with your other hand, to avoid flexing it too much. Do the same with the other chip. Replace the cover, but not all of the screws. After plugging the VL1 back in, watch the display during boot to make sure that it looks sanitary. The boot display will say 'Version 2' temporarily. If you get the chips reversed it will not boot, but no harm is done. Just reverse the high and low chip (keeping the notch at the same end). If all looks normal, congratulations! You are the proud owner of Version 2 of the latest, greatest music synthesis technology to commercially arrive on the planet! When you calm down, replace all screws, load the Version 2 VL1 main voice set, go into 'Utility/System/Breath Mode' and make sure it is 'BC/WX', and go to it! For the VL1 keyboard, turn it upside down, cushioning the keyboard and faceplate areas. Remove all screws found on the backside (there are a lot!). Lift the back side off (it is one large metal casing which lifts off in one piece) and set aside. The digital circuit board is at the center rear. The two PROM chips are clearly visible next to the lithium battery. Remove the chips (per instructions above) and place the new chips in. Return the backside to the unit, and replace all screws. There were no instructions on which chip to place in which socket, but I noticed that the original chip identified with a lower alphabetic character ('M') had been positioned nearer to the battery than the chip with a higher character ('N'), so I used this logic when placing the new chips (lower character next to the batter; higher character further from the battery). This is a typical lo/hi logic, which Yamaha seems to follow. I powered up and all the led lights flashed a couple of times, and I was then greeted with the 'Version 2' message. New voices sound great. The VL1 keyboard specifics were supplied by Michael Fleming (mdfmuse@leonardo.net) |