I recently acquired an S910 for more subtle dining gigs coming up in the next year. For this purpose, it is a great addition.

Donny has been kind enough to get me started, as I know nothing about Yamaha, other than what I have heard and read. A question from Yamaha users has to do with filling up the board with my own registrations.

I was told that MFD does not save all pertinent data, leaving me with saving in registration memory. In reading the PSR tutorials, I find a difference of opinion as to the method.

The question is, after I make a "set up" registration, do I put 8 songs in a bank, or one song per bank(file)?
I don't need automated changes in variations, etc., but would like custom OTS.

I am used to saving everything by song title and making a playlist from there.

Bernie

I do one song per file. This way I can find the files very easily.

I typically, store the style + everything else in bank (button) #1 and favorite right hand voices in the other banks.

It sounds like a winner to me.

Thanks

Bernie,

Here's a copy of a file I posted on the PSR-Tutorial website a couple years ago. It may help clear things up for you, and other Yamaha users.

Creating Registrations on your PSR and Tyros Arranger Keyboards

Registrations are among the powerful tools available on your keyboard. They are capable of storing an enormous number of command functions and use very little space. They can be stored in the keyboard's onboard memory, a floppy disk, a USB drive, and if available on your model of keyboard, on an internal hard disk drive.

WHAT IS A REGISTRATION?
Much of the confusion pertaining to registrations centers around the difference between a Registration, and a Registration Bank. Yes, there is a difference.

A Registration is the command information stored under one (1) Registration Memory button.

A Registration Bank is the command information stored under eight (Cool Registration Memory Buttons.

WHAT COMMANDS OR INFORMATION CAN BE SAVED IN A REGISTRATION?
There are 10 commands that can be saved to most PSR series of keyboards, and 11 in some Tyros series keyboards. The list includes:

1. Song (midi file link)
2. Style (onboard or User)
3. Voice (onboard or User instrument voice(s))
4. Multi-Pad (onboard or User)
5. Harmony (Instrument voice(s))
6. Tempo (style)
7. Pedal (functions you wish your foot pedals to perform when activated.)
8. Transpose (Master, Song, or Keyboard)
9. Scale (tuning scale of keyboard)
10. Mic Setting (All microphone settings)
11. Text (Tyros 2 & 3)

HOW DO I SELECT THE INFORMATION TO BE SAVED?
Press the Memory button on the right side of the keyboard. This will open the Registration Memory Contents Page. All of the above command functions are listed on this page. They are activated by placing a check mark or tick on the box next to each of the commands. This is done by scrolling through the lost using the Data Entry Wheel, or press the bottom of the #2 thru #7 buttons at the bottom of the display, then using the top (On) or bottom (off) of the #8 button to select or deselect the command function(s).

Once the appropriate boxes have been selected, the next step is to select the location where you wish the command information saved. This can be any one (1) of the eight (Cool Registration Memory buttons, which is saved by merely pressing the button. Keep in mind, however, the information is only saved temporarily–IT IS NOT PERMANENT YET!

The permanent save is not activated until you perform the following steps:

1. From the keyboard's Main Screen, Press the "J" button on the lower right side of the display. This will open the Registration Bank Page.

2. Press the TAB button and tab to the location where you wish to store the information, User, Card, USB, HD1, etc...

3. Press the Save Button (bottom of the #6 button) and a screen will open that allows you to Name the Registration Bank.

4. Using the #1 thru #9 buttons at the bottom of the display, provide the registration bank with a name. The name you provide the Registration Bank will depend upon whether you wish to use a single button for each song, or you wish to use all eight buttons for a single song. This procedure will be explained in more detail in the ensuing text. At this juncture, if you are new to creating registrations, or having some difficulty, I suggest naming each button with a Song Title. This can be changed at any time without losing the stored information.

5. After naming the Registration Bank, press OK and the information is Permanently Stored.

CREATING A NEW REGISTRATION BANK:
I suggest creating a special registration bank that will be used just to create a New bank of registrations, one where every page is blank and awaiting information. This is easily accomplished by performing the following steps:

1. From the keyboard's Main Page, Press the "J" button, which opens the Registration Bank Page.

2. Select any previous registration by pressing the button next to that registration.

3. Press the Save button at the bottom of the screen (bottom of #6).

4. When the Registration Bank page's naming feature opens at the bottom of the display, hold down the DELETE button until the name is erased, then using buttons #1 thru #8 RENAME the registration bank as NEW, and press OK,

5. After renaming the bank, it will be highlighted on the Registration Bank Page. At this point, press the EDIT (bottom of #8 on most keyboards), which will display in information on each of the eight (Cool, individual registrations. All of the information from the previous registration bank will be on that page.

6. Press the DELETE button (bottom of #5 on most keyboards), select ALL, and press OK. This will Temporarily remove all of the information from the current registration bank. IT WILL NOT have any effect on the previous registration bank, which is STILL stored under it's original name.

7. After deleting the information on the NEW registration bank, press the UP button, which will return you to the Registration Bank screen, Then press the Save button at the bottom of the screen, followed by the OK button. A message box will open telling you that registration already exists and ask if you wish to overwrite the registration. Select YES and the NEW registration will be overwritten. Now you have a blank slate to create new registrations from.

CREATE A STARTUP REGISTRATION.
A Startup Registration is one that instantly recalls pertinent commands that will be used every time you turn on the keyboard. This is among the easiest to create, yet it can be the most important registrations. It will essentially tell the keyboard how you wish your foot pedals to operate and specialized settings for the keyboard's onboard vocal processor.

1. From the keyboard's Main Screen, press the "J" button and when the Registration Bank page opens select the NEW registration.

2. Press the Save button at the bottom of the screen.

3. When the naming feature opens at the bottom of the screen, hold down the Delete button until NEW is gone, then rename the Registration Bank to STARTUP and press OK. Now exit to the main screen.

4. Press the MEMORY button, which will open the Registration Memory Contents page.

5. UNCHECK every box on the Registration Memory Contents page OTHER THAN Pedal and Mic Settings–these two must remain checked. Then exit to the main screen.

6. Press the keyboard's DIRECT ACCESS button, then step on one of your foot pedals. (Be sure the pedal(s) are connected to the appropriate jacks.) This will open the CONTROLLER page, which will allow you to assign the functions you wish your pedals to perform. Once the funcations have been selected, exit to the keyboard's main screen.

7. Press the keyboard's Mic Setting/Vocal Harmony button. This will allow you to select the type of vocal harmony you wish, and also select individual mic settings that are best suited for your mic and singing voice. After adjusting all of these parameters, exit to the keyboard's main screen.

8. Press the MEMORY button, followed by the #1 Registration Memory button. NOTE: The only information (commands) that will be saved in this registration are PEDAL and MIC SETTING!

9. Press the "J" button, which will open the Registration Bank page, press SAVE, OK and when asked if you wish to overwrite the existing file, select YES.

10. Press the MEMORY button and when the Registration Memory Contents page opens, UNCHECK the MIC and PEDAL BOXES, and recheck all of the other boxes. Now, exit to the main screen.

This will allow you to create subsequent registrations without effecting any of your mic or pedal settings.

Additionally, upon turning on the keyboard, the very first registration you should select is the STARTUP registration. This will instantly activate all of your specialized mic and pedal settings. NOTE: Be sure to press the #1 Registration Button or the information will not be retrieved and features will not be activated. You would be amazed at the number of individuals that forget to press that single button.

CREATE A REGISTRATION BANK FOR EIGHT SONGS.
There are two, time-tested methods of creating registrations banks, both of which are used by professional entertainers throughout the world. Each has its own merits, and each are very effective at eliminating dead time between songs. The first, creating a single registration for each song, for a total of eight songs per registration bank.
The second is to create an entire bank for each song. There are a huge number of options available for each method, and it would be impossible to cover all of them without writing an entire book on registration creation. Therefore, the following is merely a starting point, guidelines that will, hopefully, make creating registrations and registrations banks easier.

1. Press the "J" button, and when the Registration Bank page opens select NEW.

2. Using the steps outlined above for renaming the registration bank, rename it to a specific music genre. For starters lets rename it to "COUNTRY1", press OK and exit to the main screen.

3. Now, select a Country style from the style section of the keyboard. Country Pop would be a good one for a song I have in mind, City Of New Orleans by Willie Nelson. After the style has been selected, the keyboard should revert to the main screen.

4. Now, select the Intro, tempo, and variation.

5. Select the various voices you wish to use, Right1, Right2, Right3, Left. You can also tune each of those voices using the Mixing Console.

6. If you use the transpose feature, select the half-step you wish to use for that particular song.

7. Be sure the accompaniment, Auto Fill In, OTS Link, Variation and Sync Start lights are on, and the Start/Stop light is flashing.

8. Press the Memory button, which opens the Registration Memory Contents Page. Every box other than Mic Setting and Pedal should have a check mark (tick).

9. Press the #1 Registration Memory button. The button should turn red.

10. Press the "J" button on the lower right corner of the display, which will open the Registration Bank page.

11. Press the Edit button (bottom of the #8 on most keyboards), which opens the Registration Edit page.

12. Press Name followed by OK.

13. When the naming feature box opens, rename the first registration to City Of New Orleans, then press OK, followed by the UP button, which will take you back to the Registration Bank page.

14. Now, press Save, OK and when you see the message the file exist and do you wish to overwrite, select YES!

After filling each of the eight (Cool registrations with songs, you now have instant access to those songs. Of course, after a while you may not remember what songs are in the Country1 Registration Bank. However, this is not a problem because you can access the bank on the fly and by merely pressing the Edit button on the lower right corner of the display you can quickly see what songs are contained within that bank. Then, when you are finished with the song you are playing and singing, you can press the button next to the displayed song and all of the information you saved will be instantly recalled. As soon as you press a key, the keyboard will fire up with the correct style, intro, tempo, variation, right hand voice(s) and left hand voice.

Now, if you wish to create another Country registration bank, merely press the "J" button again, select NEW, rename it to Country2, and you're ready to go.

OPTION #2 - CREATING A REGISTRATION BANK FOR A SINGLE SONG.

This particular option is not much different than using a single button for each song, but it does have one advantage. Every song will be in alphabetical order, with 10 songs displayed on a page. Again, we'll use the same song, "City Of New Orleans" by Willie Nelson, for demonstration purposes. The difference is that we will use the entire bank of eight (Cool buttons for this one song. Keep in mind that registrations DO NOT take up a huge amount of space, therefore, you do not need a massive amount of storage space to hold a huge number of registrations.

1. Follow steps 1 thru 7 above to set up the keyboard for the song.

2. Press the Memory button, followed by the #1 Registration Memory button.

3. Press the Memory button, and UNCHECK every box other than VOICE and STYLE, then exit to the main screen.

4. Now, select new Right1, Right2 and Left voices that you feel would add variety and enhance the song.

5. Press the Memory button, followed by the #2 button. This will add those new voices, while at the same time not have any effect on the performance while you re playing. You can add as many registrations as you feel necessary to switch variations and voices during the performance.

6. Keeping track of the changes you made is easy. Just name the changes you made using the Edit button.

7. Press the "J" button, then save the ENTIRE bank as City Of New Orleans.

Some folks like to use folders to save their registrations, which is OK if you have lots of time–most performers DO NOT. If you decide to use folders, I suggest naming them alphabetically, such as A thru C, then placing all the registrations (songs) beginning with the letters A thru C in that folder. Keep in mind that it is not necessary to use folders–it's just another option.

I hope this will help Yamaha arranger keyboard users in creating and modifying new and existing registrations.

Gary

That's how I do it too.
DonM

Me 2
Eddie

Thank you to all, the adventure begins.

One question is how to turn off internal speakers besides putting a plug in the headphone jack.

Bernie,

If I recall, the S910 does NOT have an auxiliary output, therefore you'll need to use a dead-head jack in the headphone out. However, if you wish I can make you one that will not protrude and sits flush with the cabinet. Let me know.

Gary

Hi Bernie:

Learning to "fly" a 910 is a great deal like learning to land a 747... LOL! Takes lots of practice. I'm grateful that I don't perform in public and only use my 910 for songwriting purposes. I upgraded from a PSR-2000 and the transition has been a little easier for me. Since I don't return to my created songs on the keyboard, I seldom use registrations unless I'm really having trouble with a new song and the process takes more than one day.

So far, I have had to "register" only a few and it is one heckofa time saver. Being a "belt and suspenders" type... as I write a song, I also write down all the settings so I can come back in a year or two and decide to do more work on an existing song. I know my method would be totally impractical for you guys who perform on a daily basis. My hat is off to all of you. Much talent here. Best of luck, Bernie.

Dave Rice

Dave

It will take awhile to learn the finer points, but I find my Yamaha much simpler and intuitive than Korg and Kurzweil eg. I am using the PSR tutorials and forum to good advantage. Of course I see Gary is an institution there.

This brings me to Gary.

I just want to acknowledge what everyone knows. You are not only very knowledgeable, but always willing to go out of your way to help others.

I do find the plug sticking out too much, and maybe you can instruct me on how to make an adaptation, as I don't want to put you out. Thank you