Adding sounds to my S900

About 18 years ago I bought a controller keyboard, a drum unit, a brass module and an acoustic module, it was fun to play with but a nightmare on the job. I own a S900 Yamaha and it is a good keyboard for the dollars spent and I am looking to go up a step.

My question:
I want a great Violin, trumpet and a sax for a section, how is the best way to add these instruments to my keyboard?
It has to be friendly and not to expensive.

John C.

Have you considered a sound module... Possibly use a laptop and VST programs that run as stand-alones....

Squeak,
Thanks for the reply.
Until a get a new laptop that will have to be out. A sound module might be the way to go. Which one would give me (your opinion) the great Trumpet, Violin and sax?

Thanks again, John C.

Why don't you like about the wonderful Yamaha Trumpets, Violin, and Saxes you already have in the S900?

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 12-31-2008).]

Honestly..., I'm with Donny here. The S900 has some great trumpets, saxes, and that sweet violin is pretty nice. Have you considered using the synth function on the 900 to fine tune those instruments? It may save you some money. If you're not too familiar with editing those parameters just drop me a line and tell me what you're wanting from them. I may be able to give you a few tweeking suggestions.

As far as modules go...., you may want to look at the SonicCell.., maybe a used Motif ES rack, Perhaps a Ketron SD4....

If you find a hardware sound module that has better renditions of those instruments PM me. I want it.I have not heard one yet. But ears are like opinions....We all have them.

The voices on the S900 should in principle be capable, but like many they can (and often need to be!) improved upon.
Even the modest non-SA sweet violin can be improved to give a more gutsy performance, to the extent of bringing out articulations you may not have guessed were there, just listening to the preset voice.
I've uploaded a zip file containing tweaked sweet violin, SA Trumpet and 2x SA saxes so you can try these and see what you think. (Download and copy to USB. Then with stick in the S900, push any voice button, navigate to the file and select it to load into R1 or 2).
http://www.box.net/shared/z7zq4o49vi

Three of these were made on Ty2 so should be compatible with the S900. The one I'm not so sure about is the SA RockSax because I have made mods and resaved it on Ty3 but on the face of it, it is still a similar format file & should also work. I included the latter since it is a slightly stronger sound than the BigBand Sax. Try both saxes and trumpet with harmony switched on too - to assess the quality as ensembles.

John

All of those instruments you mention are ones that have CONSTANT inflection. In other words, to sound realistic you have to use TWO hands to get the bends, trills, scoops, doits, moans, etc. from them. This is a real problem if your left hand is tied up doing the chord input constantly.

Not to mention that brass voicing is a two hand thing... look at any bigband score, or EWF or BST transcription, and you will see intervals you can't play with just one hand! Likewise strings, guitars, many things...

The truth is, the sounds you already have, if played two handedly, can already sound utterly convincing (check out the factory demos if you don't believe me!) but a better 'sound', still played in a one handed manner, will get you very little closer to where you want to be.

The cheapest solution to your problem? Prepare sequences for the songs you want to use these sounds on, then use BOTH hands to get the inflections you want, on the sounds you already have! Practice, practice, practice... getting all those inflections right isn't intuitive! It takes a lot of work, but once you get it down, you'll see the benefit of it, AND save yourself a chunk of cash chasing something that can't be done (at least in normal arranger mode)

[This message has been edited by Diki (edited 12-31-2008).]

Hi John,
don't quite know what you have in mind, but my psr1500 made a lousy controller for my SD2 sound module ie I wanted to use the SD2 for melody voices while the psr played the style parts.
The PSR couldn't send out the correct bank & program changes to suit the sd2 via OTS. I could only access the main bank , not the higher banks. The only way I would have been able to access the higher banks would have been via the sd2 itself if it had , had buttons.(unfortunately it hasn't).

Just depends what you have in mind.


best wishes
Rikki

[QUOTE]Originally posted by bruno123:
[b]



[This message has been edited by rikkisbears (edited 12-31-2008).]

I use my SD2 with a controller, with access to all banks(MSB/program). I still marvel at the authenticity and clarity of the many instruments.

Has anyone had any luck adding an SD2 and using a Yamaha keyboard, (mine is a S900) as the controller?

John C.

Thanks Bernie

Real question is how much work does it take to use the SD2 with the S900 and get it set up.... Everything on the SD2 has to be done by bank numbers.., as there is virtually no control from the panel.

Hi!
Yamaha + SD2
Take a look at this adress http://www.psrtutorial.com/forum/index.php?topic=4412.0

Hi John,
I connected my SD2 to my PSR1500 a couple of years ago for playing styles. Also used it with One Man Band software.
I was only able to get the default GM sounds via the psr L/R buttons.
I couldn't get the PSR to send the correct bank changes to access the other banks of sounds.

Ketron only uses
MSB Controller 0

wheras Yamaha uses MSB Controller 0 and
LSB Controller 32
for changing banks.

The SD2 has no buttons etc , so you can't manually change the sounds.

With my Korg PA800 it works perfectly, but,
with the Korg I am able to assign whatever bank & program change I choose to send,
(same as on a controller keyboard) on my psr the bank changes were fixed to suit the yammie sounds.

I think for midifiles it would be different ie you could probably put the correct bank changes into the midifile.
I did this with a couple of user styles I put together for psr/sd2 combination. All the work involved was not really worth it.

best wishes
Rikki

best wishes
Rikki

I used to,also, use the SD2 with my laptop, as a multi-timbral midi module. It works great with no settings at all. With a keyboard, I don't know.