I live in Brighton in the UK on the South Coast which was also the home of a great keyboard player and vocalist and friend of mine called Tony Back.
Tony was a great musician and a really nice bloke. He demonstrated for all the major organ companies in the old days and at that time was a rival to me both selling instruments and finding gigs.
He was one of the first to regularly use a Vocoder then Harmoniser on his gigs and was expert at using these.
Sadly, Tony died a little while ago whilst only in his fifties and will be sadly missed by all who knew or listened to him
But Tony had fingers in lot of musical pies including teaching, recording and writing musical articles and I have taken the liberty of reproducing one of these from the
www.yamahapkowner.com web site, who in turn reprinted it from the Yamaha Club Magazine. It may help some of you to experiment more with the VH in your Yamahas.
If you join the
www.yamahapkowner.com site you can also see the article with screen shots but I dont know how to put them up here.
I'm sorry the article is so long and hope it doesn't pinch all Nigel's webspace - lol
I think this is a nice way to remember Tony as he was always willing to help anyone whoever asked him.
If you want to hear Tony singing and playing you can go to his web site at
http://www.organfax.co.uk/tonyback/tonestunes.html - This is also a good showcase for the Tyros 1 as most of the stuff on there used this instrument (you'll probably recognise some of the introductions but with bits mising and other parts added)
Regards - Keith
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Article follows
As Tony Back discovers, the Vocal Harmony section within TYROS is the most powerful and easy to use yet...
For owners of Tyros / PSR1000 / 2000 and CVP200 series Clavinovas...
First of all, you’ll need a microphone... a really good set-up would include...
A good quality microphone:
This is important. Maybe a Shure SM58, Sennheiser or an Akg. You must try to avoid using a ‘cheapee’ (or one of the old ones that came with your 30 year old tape recorder). If you are buying new, go for one with an on / off switch. This is absolutely crucial or you’ll get external noises triggering the Vocal Harmony function accidentally when it's not supposed to.
Look for one with a ¼" jack plug on the end of the lead. Some mic’s are fitted with an XLR plug - in which case you’ll have to either rewire a jack plug onto it or buy an XLR to ¼" jack extension lead.
A microphone boom stand:
Because you can't hold the microphone whilst performing on the keyboard (nor should you) it’s a good idea to invest in a microphone ‘boom’ stand. This leaves both your hands free to operate your TYROS.
The boom part of the stand will reach across over the keyboard so that the microphone head is in close proximity to your mouth. A normal upright mic stand is not an option as it will have to sit between your legs. Could be nasty..!
A set of headphones:
You've almost certainly got these already but they will be a great help in getting the Vocal Harmony sounds and balances right. More on this later....
If you don't have a microphone with a switch, or a boom stand, you’ll get by... but the hands free system gives you so much more freedom that it’s really worth spending the money.
Right, here we go...
a) Clip the microphone into the boom stand holder and plug the mic lead into the [MIC / LINE IN] socket on the rear panel of TYROS. (Shame it wasn't on the front like previous models such as the PSR8000... but Yamaha say they designed it this way because the boom stand is invariably placed behind the keyboard - so now you don’t have to trail the lead up the front).
b) Switch the mic. on... (simple, but it can be overlooked).
There is a [TRIM] control knob next to the [MIC / LINE IN] socket. This should probably be set clockwise to about 75% of maximum.
c) Turn the [INPUT VOLUME] control (located next to the [POWER ON/OFF] button) clockwise gradually whilst sending some firm “1-2-3's” into the microphone. Keep the mic about 3 to 4 inches away from your mouth, and when you see the red OVERLOAD light appear, back the level off a fraction.
* Whilst it's crucial that you are close enough to the mic to prevent other sounds getting in, do leave some breathing space to avoid distortion. Try to keep the distance absolutely level at all times.
d) The [MIC / VOCAL HARMONY] buttons are located near the top left of the keyboard and you will be returning to these a great deal. Press [MIC SETTING] to see this display...
e) At the bottom right of the display, use button [8] to increase the microphone volume to 127 (maximum).
f) The [EQ] ‘LOW’, ‘MID’ and ‘HIGH’ buttons at the top of the display add bass and treble to your voice. Select the [EQ] setting using buttons [A] or [B] and make adjustments to the tone using buttons [1] and [2] (EQ LOW) ; [4] and [5] (EQ MID) and [7] and [8] (EQ HIGH).
Experiment with these to get the best tone for your individual microphone.The better the mic the less twiddling you’ll need to do.
At this point it is important that the [MASTER VOLUME] control knob is set somewhere between 12 and 3 o’clock. Make sure that the [VOCAL HARMONY] button is ON.
Press the [EFFECT] button and you should hear some voice delay which is nice in moderation.
Press [DIRECT ACCESS] followed by the [EFFECT] button to see this display... If you’ve been following the “Keyboard Performer” series you’ll recognise this display as the effects page of the MIXING CONSOLE.
i) Use button [4] to adjust T DELAY to 22.
ii) Select the REVERB controls using button [C] or [H] and adjust the MIC REVERB level to about 45 using button [4] under the screen again.
You should now have a good mic sound with effects. You can set up, not only Vocal Harmony effects, but also the auto-accompaniment patterns (styles) to go with them. My first two selections are SPEEDY MOUSE and SING BASS - as these don’t require vocal harmonies. They merely shift the pitch of your voice up or down one full octave. We can have some fun here simulating Billy Eckstein and Sarah Vaughn singing their "Passing Strangers" song...
Let’s begin with the auto-accompaniment style...
a) Press [MUSIC FINDER] and locate the song title "Passing Strangers".
b) Select MAIN VARIATION [B] together with OTS 3.
c) Save this selection in REGISTRATION MEMORY button [1].
d) Change the MAIN VARIATION to [D] and save this selection in REGISTRATION MEMORY button [2].
e) Add SPEEDY MOUSE to REGISTRATION [2] by pressing [VH TYPE SELECT] and see... SPEEDY MOUSE listed on page one of the display.
f) Highlight SPEEDY MOUSE using button [J].
g) Talk or sing through the microphone and you’ll hear that your voice now sounds one octave higher.
h) Save this back into REGISTRATION MEMORY button [2].
Now select the SING BASS effect from page three ...
Unfortunately the preset effect is a 50/50 mix of your own voice and the Sing Bass effect. You can eliminate your own voice by accessing the BALANCE control so that only the effect is heard.
i) Press REGISTRATION MEMORY button [1].
ii) Press [MIC SETTING]to see this display....
iii) Activate the BALANCE control by pressing button [E] or [J].
iv) Now use button [4] under the display to adjust the level
Let’s begin by setting up four registration memory settings for the lead and accompaniment voices. When you’ve done that I’ll show you how to insert a Vocal Harmony effect into each of these registrations.
Registration 1 - Teletubbies
You’ll be able to hold a “conversation” with the Teletubbies by turning the effect on and off as you speak...
i) Select the 70's Disco 2 style and set the Main Variation D
ii) Set the tempo to 120 beats per minute.
iii) Use Intro 3 to start the style - and Ending 2 to finish.
iv) Next, set the sounds for the right hand..
a) Right 1 - Strings
b) Right 2 - Funky Lead
c) Right 3 - Vinylead
When you use several voices at once you should separate them by ‘panning’ to the Left, Centre and Right of the stereo spectrum. To do this press the [Mixing Console] button and page to the Vol/Voice display.
Press either the (D) or (I) button at the side of the display to activate the [PAN] control buttons.Then, using the buttons 6, 7 and 8 beneath the screen pan R1 to the left, R2 to the centre and R3 fully right. You should now hear the three voices in a stereo formation. Super!
Finally save the setting in Registration Memory button [1] - by pressing the black [MEMORY] button followed by Registration Memory button [1]. When the lamp stops flashing your setting is stored.
Registration 2 - Mrs. Robinson
This great Simon and Garfunkel hit incorporates a vocal duo harmony sound. One lead voice and one automatic harmony...
i) Select the Country 8Beat 2 style - Main Variation 2
ii) Set the tempo to 170 beats per minute.
iii) Using Intro and Ending 2
iv) Set the following guitar voices...
a) R1 - Vintage Open
b) R2 - 12 String Guitar
c) R3 - Electric 12 String
Pan the voices as we did in Registration 1
Finally, save the new setting into Registration Memory 2.
Registration 3 - Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" utilises a big fat Vocal Harmony sound simulating a Soul Choir behind the lead voice... with some fantastic Hammond type organ and gospel singers right there behind you.
i) Select the incredible “Amazing Gospel” style - together with Main Variation 4
ii) Set the tempo to 70 beats per minute. This 3/4 time style is essentially a waltz.
iii) Use Intro and Ending 3.
iv) Set these fabulously gospelly voices for the right hand...
a) R1 - Rotary Drive (organ)
b) R2 - Live Mmh (choir)
c) R3 - Live Gospel (choir)
Don’t forget to pan the voices... very important.
v) Set Live Gospel for the left voice as well to thicken up the accompaniment with vocals.
Save this setting into Registration Memory button 3.
Registration 4 - Sing Something Simple
"Sing Something Simple" features the Jack Emblow accordion sound with mixed vocal harmonies that you can use for any good old sing-alongs.
i) Select the super “Midnight Swing” - using Main Variation 3.
ii) Set the tempo to a sing-along 110 beats per minute.
iii) Use Intro and Ending 3.
iv) Set these voices for the right hand...
a) R1 - Musette (accordion)
b) R2 - Tutti Accordion (accordion)
There are only two voices this time so pan one to the left, the other to the right.
When you’ve finished... save this setting to Registration Memory button [4].
Setting the Vocal Harmony Effects...
Okay so far..? You should now have all the appropriate registrations you need to support the Vocal Harmony effects... so plug in your microphone and we’ll move on.
Vocal Harmony settings for Registration 1
i) Press the Registration Memory button [1] to call up the Teletubby registration you made earlier.
ii) Check microphone volume in the ‘Balance’ display... and the Input Volume (far left of Tyros’ panel - just above the master volume dial). It’s worth checking that the ‘Trim’ control on the rear panel is set to maximum too.
iii) Press the [VH Type Select] button (near the power buttton) and select [Spdy Mouse]. (As indicated in the image to the right).
iv) Talking or singing into the mic should now produce the speedy mouse effect.
v) Save the new registration back to Registration Memory button [1] again. Now you have stored both the keyboard and vocal harmony settings together.
Club members who are also avid fans of the Teletubbies can now recreate Teletubby conversations - alternating between the narrator’s voice and the Teletubbies responses by switching the Vocal Harmony button on and off... Oh do grow up!
Vocal Harmony settings for Registration 2
i) Press the Registration Memory button [2] to call up the ‘Mrs. Robbinson’ registration setting.
ii) Press the [VH Type Select] button and select [Std Duet] which provides just one voice in harmony with yours.
iii) Check your Vocal Harmony volumes again as they may be different for each registration memory button.
iv) Save the new registration back to Registration Memory button [2]
Vocal Harmony settings for Registration 3
i) Press the Registration Memory button [3] to call up the ‘Amazing Grace’ registration.
ii) Press the [VH Type Select] button and select the ‘Karaoke Auto’ setting. This big gospel choir effect is one of my favourites...
iii) Check that the vocal harmony volumes are set as high as possible without distorting. This way the gospel choir should be right in your face alongside your voice. Make sure your mouth is not too close to the microphone, but do sing into it with clear strong lyrics.
iv) Save the new registration back to Registration Memory button [3]
Vocal Harmony settings for Registration 4
i) Press the Registration Memory button [4] to call up the ‘Sing Something Simple’ registration.
ii) Press the [VH Type Select] button. For this setting I chose the ‘Jazz Sisters’ template as a tongue in cheek version of the Sing Something Simple singers - which tend to be top heavy with female voices. Nevertheless, Jack Emblow's accordion really gives the sound some authenticity so great fun can be had by all.
iii) Save this setting back in the Registration Memory button [4].
Adding More Reverb and Delay...
If you want to add more reverb and/or digital delay to your voice settings, select the registration you want to work on. Here’s an example using the Amazing Grace registration...
i) Press Registration Memory button [3] to call up your Amazing Grace registration.
ii) Press the [Mixing Console] button.
iii) Use the [Next] button (top right of the display) to go to the ‘Effect’ page. If by chance the ‘MIC’ slider is not displayed, press the [Mixing Console] button a couple of times until it appears.
iv) Use buttons [C] or [H] at the side of the display to alter the reverb. A level of 53 gives a strong reverb.
v) Access the digital delay setting by pressing buttons [E] or [J]. A level of about 30 will give a slight echo to your voice and the result should be a super vocal harmony sound.
You can have loads of fun experimenting with different sounds and, when used in conjunction with the Music Finder song database, you’ll be able to enjoy many hours of singing
Jazzing Up Your Vocal Harmoniser!
If you’ve followed my previous two articles you’ll have become quite familiar with the set-up procedures and the vast selection of vocal harmony choices on offer. At the end of the day the more you experiment the more progress you’ll make...
In a farewell to this feature, lets take a look at two really unusual (and fun) aspects of the Vocal Harmoniser that you may not otherwise discover...
I bet you haven't found the incredible “Bebop” rhythm (main variation D) in which the drums take a four bar solo - just enough time to stir your tea and count 16 beats - before you come back in with the band for another four bars after which ‘Buddy Rich’ takes over once more.
The music opposite will take you through the singing, chording and drum solos... so listen up.
Setting up...
As always, we begin by setting TYROS up.
i) Press the [SWING & JAZZ] style category and call up the “Bebop” style.
ii) Set the tempo to 160 bts per minute and select variation D.
iii) Save this setting to Registration Memory button [1].
Add the vocal harmony setting...
Now press the [VH TYPE SELECT] button and select the vocal harmony type - “Sing B+G” (located on page 3). This produces the effect of Boy and Girl singing together. The voices only sing the melody, so don't expect to hear fat harmonies when you play chords.
Make sure the vocal harmony volume is at the maximum level possible (before you start to get feed-back). Experiment with the [TRIM] control (located on the rear panel of TYROS), the volume pot (to the top left of the keyboard), and the microphone volume within the “Balance” display page.
You won’t be required to play anything with your right hand, so you can give your full attention to the chords (which aren't difficult), and to counting the bars of drum solo so that you come back in again tightly after each four-bar break.
When I play with the “Just Friends” quartet we play the tune through several times - each taking turn to improvise a chorus. Then we’ll sometimes take four bars of the song each - which creates terrific variation in the performance. Now, with TYROS you too share a solo with your drummer... and to my knowledge this is the only keyboard that provides this experience.
The suggested 160 bpm tempo is just that - a suggestion - so if you find it too fast or too slow make your own adjustments accordingly. Don’t forget, once you’ve completed all my instructions, to save these - together with any changes you make of your own - into the registration memory. This will save you the trouble of setting up again each time you want to play “Sing B+G”.
Prior to starting to play you should press the [Intro 1] and [Sync Start] buttons. Now TYROS is ready... are you?
The music sheet...
Once you have triggered the Sync Start - by playing the first left-hand chord - the drums will play a two bar fill-in.
Keyboard music is usually written as a ‘lead sheet’, with just the melody line and chord symbols, but for this example I've also provided the full notation for the left hand chords. There are only three chords to play... C major ; F7 and G7.
The melody in the treble clef is to be sung, not played. Use the “doo doo” sound to trigger the vocal harmoniser. It'll be good enough!
When you reach the end of the first four bars of singing... stop singing, take your hands off the keyboard - and listen as the drum solo automatically takes over. Count “1-2-3-4” four times (or even 1 to 16) as crotchet beats.
Start to sing and play again at the F7 chord. After four more bars of singing and playing take another break and count again before coming back in at the G7 chord. When you reach the end of the drum solo (at the repeat bar at the bottom of the page), go back to the repeat mark at bar three and play on.
Now get this..! A great alternative voice to the “Sing B+G” is the “Voice+Inst” (voice and instrument) sound. You’ll find this on page 6 of the Vocal Harmony Type page. When you select this you can also choose up to three of the keyboard’s instrumental voices - just as you would if you were going to use them to play normally. The sound or sounds you choose will be added to your singing voice without you playing the keyboard. Is that clever... or what?!
Jazz Guitar is a great sound to use - but do experiment by singing your “Doo’s” out loud to hear the instrument playing along with your voice. Even the Distortion Guitar is amazing. Make sure your pitching is good though or the effect may be catastrophic.
TYROS’ vocal harmoniser is quite fantastic - and great fun - but it does warrant a lot of time experimenting. If, in doing so, you find some great sounds and effects.
[This message has been edited by KFingers (edited 07-22-2006).]
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