Yamaha Ex5 Patch Editor Salary

Hello, I play wind controller for years using a set composed of a WX5 and a VL70-m. I look from time to time in the Yamaha catalog to see if any new instrument is coming. And the only novelty is that these instrument disappear from catlaog and nothing comes to replace it. For now, nothing can replace VL technology to get a really responsive musical sound from a synth when using it with a wind controller. And you can't get any Yamaha controller when you live in Europe What will I do if my instruments fail? Why do you love us no more, we wind controller players?

Welcome to Yamaha Synth! When the VL Technology hit the market some twenty-one years ago, Yamaha introduced the world to a technology (Virtual Acoustic - Lead) that utilized the first Physical Modeling (high speed number crunching) engine to mathematically recreate the acoustic processes in generating a musical tone in a pipe (or bowed string). Synthesizers unlike acoustic instruments do come in and go out of vogue. You can hardly name a synth that lasts 20 years.

I have never been tempted by the Motif range as none of the models offer the sound creation capabilities of the EX5 which drew me into sound. Full implementation of MIDI SYSEX to provide compatibility with 3rd Party controllers and editors and legacy hardware. What would YOU pay money for?

We agree that VL technology was very special. And those who 'know', know just how magical and individual the sounds could be. It was the nature of the times. Most wind players were initially threatened by the technology (not sure if you remember). We would hear the very ludicrous remark that it was designed to put horn players out of business or was something to compete with. As you know, nothing could have been farther from the truth.

And how silly that sounds now, but it was real back in 1993-4 when many wind players first encountered the technology. The VL70-m and WX Wind MIDI Controller was a very steady product combination throughout its lengthy life-cycle. Most keyboard players couldn't get beyond the 'L' (Lead) nature of the instrument. An accurate physical model of a column of air in motion or a bowed string will create a single note (monophonic).

In order to get accurate acoustic behavior, the technology requires an understanding of the need to be gloriously monophonic! The comment we got from most keyboard players were that they were waiting for a polyphonic VL (sic). (actually when a 'polyphonic horn' is invented, Yamaha will probably be the first company to model it). So it was destined to be a niche product. It was a 'heady' product.

And it has a very loyal following. In its history, the technology was placed in a high-end dedicated version (VL1), a mid-level dedicated version (VL7), in rack mount (VL1-m) and an affordable rack model (VL70-m), in hardware plug-in modules (PLG150-VL) for several series of synth products and for computer, and was offered as one of several technologies in a multiple technology synthesizer workstation (EX5). The tech was around for an amazing 20 year run. The VL70-m being the last of them, was discontinued last year, it had an unprecedented long run.

I can think of very few modules/controller combination that lasted as long, from 1996-2013 (can you?) Was it ahead of its time? Could it have benefitted from wider exposure? (like imagine if there was an internet back when it was first introduced). Will its time come again?

Wind players unite. You will want to participate in Athan Billias' Future Yamaha Synths forum here on this site. He has extended the 'ear' of Yamaha 's Product Planning to players like yourself. Now is the time to speak up and be heard!

Let him know what you're doing with the technology and what you'd like to see. The WX5, third generation Wind MIDI Controller, is still a current product. Bad Mister says that the WX5 is still a current product. Not in Australia and Europe.

I speculate that it is only current in the USA because there is unsold inventory. I do not believe that it is in current production - and why should it be? Anything which might be essentially dependant on the standard MIDI cable connection: the WX5, the VL70-m, every other tone generator such as the MU series, the UX64/256; and the related stuff: the XG Format and the PLG cards - all have been destined for the 'Obsolete / Discontinued' bin since 2008 when the MMA publicly announced that it was two years into a project to develop a new high definition MIDI specification.

The HD MIDI project has been very protracted; the MMA is still revising the specification and testing prototype implementations. I speculate that Yamaha did not want to invest in production of obsolete product but in bringing MIDI 2.0 product to the market in a timely manner they may have been caught out by the long delay in finalising the specification. I stopped blowing wind into pipes made of wood or metal a decade ago; so, I am totally dependent on my WX5 and VL70-m combo, especially the WX5.

I do not think Yamaha will abandon the WX-VL system and, given the increase in CPU, GPU and DSP power since they were designed, I imagine that the replacement system will be awesome. But, just in case they do stop loving us, and in answer to your question 'What will I do if my instruments fail?' , my solution has been to buy insurance: I recently added 2 WX5s to my original 2 (performance and spare) units; and in addition to my 2 VL70-ms I have several PLG-VL cards, and MU100 and MU128 hosts to support them, which I know how to set up to get VL70-m equivalent performance. Although the WX5 is discontinued here, Yamaha Australia have provided excellent service in sourcing items from Japan for my newly established stock of critical spare WX5 parts. I think Alain has a very valid question, one that I keep asking myself. Why on earth didn't Yamaha's amazing VL technology not take the music world by storm, the way the DX-7 did? And I'm not even a wind player, I'm a straight synth player.

I have the PLG VL board in my Motif. I find the presets totally playable and inspiring, with no breath controller. The VL-1 should have taken the world by storm.

It should have sold like hotcakes. The technology was FAR more amazing than the DX's FM techology. So what really happened, Yamaha?

What went so right with the DX line that didn't with the VL's? The only plausible explanation I have found so far is that in 1983, synths were king. There was a lot of attention on them, and the exciting directions synthesizers would take in the future.

And of course the DX blew everyone away at the time. In 1994 things were looking very different in the popular music arena. Samplers and ROMplers had unfortunately enjoyed years of popularity (a crime.) And in EDM, where synths were still king, there was no place for expressive physical modeling lead instruments. Any other ideas?

Was Yamaha just way too ahead of the times? Any other ideas? Keyboards players (mainly piano players originally) do not understand anything with the lack of polyphony! So in one word: Polyphony. The most heard (silly) comment was 'I'll wait till they come out with a polyphonic VL(sic)' _ Of course there will not be one, because there is no polyphony in a model of a column of air in motion (a single pipe supports one note) or a single bowed string in motion supports one note. And much of the unique behaviors are a result of being gloriously monaural.

'By storm' is not always measured in the numbers sold, those who got it, (like yourself) 'know' it was innovative. There are simply not a whole STORM of people who got it.

Physical Modeling had to start somewhere. I guess you could say that the first modular MOOG did not take the world 'by storm' either. 'Storm' definitely was the DX7 which easily sold more than a quarter of a million units!!!! (it came at a time when the Rhodes was heavy and cumbersome, and FM did that tone well enough for the piano players looking to lighten the load.

It more than doubled the polyphony of the typical synthesizer at the time (huge!! Also it was among the first keyboards with M-one-D-one!!! Even the MINIMOOG (1971) did not take the world 'by storm' - there were approximately 13,000 MiniMoogs made in its entire 13 year history.

That kind of 'storm' would put most companies out of business now-a-days. Just my opinion - having lived through the entire history of synthesizer - What makes something popular seems to have to do with getting what MOST people need. Of course, Yamaha is often way too ahead of the times. I joined the company 27 years ago and they were on their third or fourth computer at the time _ I can recall musicians saying no one would ever use a computer to record music!!! I remember one retailer telling me 'Did I really think that a computer would be able to replace reel-to-reel tapes and multi-track cassettes?' Thanks for your reply.

Since you mentioned the Minimoog. That's what I'm talking about. Forget that I used the term 'by storm'.

The Minimoog was seen in every major keyboard player's rig. Keyboard players do understand mono/lead synths.

There are tons of mono synths being sold these days. I'm a bit surprised at the quote about 'waiting until the VL is poly'. There should have been a VL in every major keyboard player's rig in the 1990s and 2000s, period. Yamaha's VL technology should have had a huge impact on the synthesis field of the 1990s and 2000s. Today there should be an inexpensive ($600) physical modeling lead synth in every keyboard player's setup.

The expressiveness and sound was and still is that amazing. What happened, or didn't happen? Can we convince Yamaha to create a $600 standalone physical modeling lead synth and put all its marketing behind it? If Arturia can make a big splash with something like the MiniBrute, surely Yamaha can make an even bigger one? The one I like to tell involves the original VL1 Preset Trumpet Voice. Okay in the VL Quartet only one of us (Ave) had any experience playing a 'lip reed' instrument (see there I go talking the Virtual Acoustic tech) - Technically speaking, all wind instruments are 'reeds'; there are the single reeds, that everyone knows like sax and clarinet; there are double reeds like bassoon and oboe; flutes/piccolos and piped instruments with an open whole are 'jet reeds' and finally, brass horns are 'lip reeds').

The Oscillator (sound source) in any instruments is the thing that vibrates. In a flute the 'jet' of air blown across that open whole causes the vibration; In brass instruments it is the lips that are the oscillator. Any way, only Avery had any real experience playing an actual horn, as his first instrument was originally the trombone. We figured that we would do some brass quartet pieces. And as we were getting started at the first rehearsal, it was clear that Avery simply had a better Trumpet Voice than any of us, because he just sounded so much better than the rest of us playing trumpet - right out of the shoot. I remember crowding around his VL to see which Preset Voice he was playing and to everyone's astonishment - it was the same Preset Trumpet we all had. I remember Avery giving me my first 'horn' lesson, he started talking about blowing these 'pear shaped' notes and how to control the breath output properly.

It was in that moment we all realized that on a very organic level, the VL was a real instrument where practicing would be not only be necessary to improve your tone and performance, it would be rewarded with better sonic results. Playing a sample is playing a sample, blowing a note on the VL was somehow much more than just playing a sample. And there was actual proof!!! It's hard to tell anyone who has never really played it (like trying to tell some how good ice cream is going to taste).

You have to be there! By the way, you can win bar bets with this one: The Didgeridoo, is in the 'brass' family! (it's a 'lip reed').

Sorry for preaching to the choir again but I'm (obviously) annoyed at Yamaha for sitting on the VL technology without making it a standout feature in today's flagship keyboards like the Motif XF or the Tyros 5. Maybe Yamaha was 20 years ahead of its time.

It can still profit from it now! Yamaha compartmentalizes or silo's its technology, which doesn't seem to be in their best interest. Completely isolated departments. SA2 on the T5, XA on the Motif. Are they doing it for profit?

Why not combine/synergize the silos? I don't buy the 'designed for different target markets' argument - I think there are tons of players from all different backgrounds, who would love to see both SA2 and VL featured as an integral part of their keyboard. And a combination of SA2 and VL would be a dream. Just sitting on VL for 20 years. Imagine what the VL technology would be today if engineers had been working on it for the last 20 years!

If there ever was a case for an application of wireless midi, the WX5 - VL70m combo would be the poster child for this technology. A couple years ago, I had the WX Midi-In connector on the front of the VL70m replaced when it was damaged. Recently, another player tripped over my midi cable when I was performing and it yanked my VL70m onto the ground (it survived). As others here have commented, the VL physical modeling technology is incredible. Wherever I play, people are really curious about the instrument and amazed that I am able to switch from woodwind to brass to string instruments to fill in for all sorts of parts for solos or backgrounds. I'm puzzled that why - over a 20 year run - the VL70m was not better promoted or upgraded.

From a wind player's point of view, so many of the sounds in the VL70m were useless and were poorly organized. Yamaha could license sounds from Patchman Music as a starter. The memory, processing speed and display technology required for physical modeling is now a fraction of what it cost back in 1996. If a new VL unit came out that was designed for gigging with a WX5, I would be the first to buy it. As it stands now, the WX5's are still available (I have 2 in case one fails) but own only one VL70 m. I've had the VL70m in for repair twice and both times I was unable to perform for a couple months. I see that used VL70m's are currently being offered at the list price of what a new VL70m sold for when they were discontinued.

If anyone from Yamaha is listening, this is an incredible opportunity to innovate with both the wind controller and VL sound module. While there are a zillion choices for keyboard players, there are no comparable options to replace the WX-5/VL70m combo for wind instrumentalists.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE resume support for us electronic wind instrumentalists! Again, thanks for the passion - but you are preaching to the choir. Bluetooth (Wireless) would be perfect for the WX player and their tone engine - providing freedom. We are not stupid, we get it. Doesn't take much to understand that point. 'Not better promoted'!! It was not upgraded because (and maybe you don't know), it was the affordable VL (the VL1, the VL1-m and the VL7 all preceded it) and the VL70-m was beneficiary of what was learned in those models.

The cost-down version seemed to match what the market wanted to pay. $3000-$5000 was in the rarefied air of boutique products. Please talk with Matt (@ Patchman Music) I'm sure he will tell you about his custom chip and his good relationship with Yamaha. I personally sent him all of my (top shelf) Voices.

As I'm sure others here at YCA did. Some of which appear in his sound set. Do we really now have to license them back? It is okay to be upset and passionate about the VL70-m and WX - it really makes us smile and wonder where the rest of the horn players are at (and while I'm not a wind player) - we all learned, very early on, that the keyboard players (typical) breath curve was far too 'easy' for the experienced wind player. And the typical wind players curve was way too 'hard' for the average keyboard player.

And when programming you have to be aware of just WHO is blowing the thing. I'm sure you realize this, but the user programming is all about customizing the controllers to YOUR playing style. If you come to NAMM, next week, look me up - some of this discussion, about 'how come' and 'why' are best left for when you can do it over a refreshing beverage. As to some of the sounds being 'useless' - that is an interesting thought (from my point of view) - here's why: There are always sounds that YOU or I, as individuals, don't or will not get. This does not make them 'useless'.

There was one called 'Jet Reed Bow' - don't know if you recall it or not. You can look it up.

I played with it for a while and concluded (much like you) wow, useless. Then I heard Nate (Mr. Nate Tschetter - MM for Music Production) - musing away on this sound - I was coming down the hall and thought, 'Wow, listen to that, not quite a flute, not quite a string.' .but it sounded totally organic and acoustic.

But not any instrument you knew. It was awesome - I peeked over his shoulder and there was 'Jet Reed Bow'! It became one of my favorite sounds simply because you could play it, sound like an acoustic instrument, and yet not have people caught up in the 'What's he trying to do? Replace a Saxophone?' That really is the surface level most people are on.

(if you get my meaning). At the end of the day it is about the music not the technology. (how many qualified musicians called the Saxophone 'useless' when it was invented in 1876? It still is the red headed step child of wind instruments, and never did make to the 'classical orchestra'). 'Useless' is a very narrow concept and unworthy in this conversation, especially when it comes to synthesizers, or any musical sound, in general. I've learned to purge it from my vocabulary.

You can say you didn't like it (fair enough), but until you broaden your view, you will always sound as bitter as that sentence ('useless and poorly organized')! Just my humble opinion - and experience. I now standby my own words (Craig Anderton, shoved a mic in my face a few NAMM shows ago and asked for some words of wisdom for his magazines keyboard readers) I wound up saying: There are no good or bad sounds when going through any synthesizer, there are only appropriate and inappropriate sounds for what you have in mind at the time. We put it out there - you, as a user, could do far more to PROMOTE it than we ever could. (Did you?) Did you ever try and program your own VL Voice 'from scratch'?

I mean 'from scratch', starting with a blank Voice program in the VL Expert Editor? Just curious.

If yes, then the conversation can go to another whole level, if not, well. Finally, thanks for your thoughts and your passion. We will add it to the number of folks who understood VL (Virtual Acoustic Lead) as a concept. The Yamaha VL series was, and still is ground breaking.

I love this technology and wouldn't give up my VL1-m for anything. Many thanks to Yamaha US and their extended service network for helping me in my quest to keep my VL1-m up and running. I also still love my EX5R because I don't own an AN1X, and the EX also offers FDSP- talk about a powerful rack! BTW, I have programmed (and still am, I know, I'm a sick puppy) VL sounds from scratch. I even had my old Powerbook 1400CS repaired so I could continue to use the expert editor running Mac OS 7.5.3 LOL. Even though there are many versions of the VL technology the seemingly most advanced is the soft synthesizer VA S-PLG100 8 PVL Plugin for the S-YXG 100 PVL.

This software with modern components and se/sp3 drivers is confirmed totally capable of low latency playing down to 128 samples at 44000 hz. Driver Multilaser Adaptador Usb Wireless N 150mbps Windows 7. A purpose built win98se PC comes very close to matching the ability of 8 vl70-m units daisy chained. This Software/Technology I think was not expanded on for a couple of reasons. Modern OS does not allow direct access to the kernel. Hal etc abstraction layer is meant to keep viruses from executing code from the kernel. Which is good at fighting viruses from the internet, however bad when a program is originally coded with an open kernel with limited processing power and cpu support. At the time it would have obviously hurt VL hardware unit sales if it was low latency enough which it wasn't.

GM was winning over XG as the standard format. If you aren't really good at midi programming or can't play a breath controller or wind controller sample based synths are easier to obtain better results for the average user.

Sound quality can be really good on about 8 of the factory patches when played with WC or BC for the rest of the patches further complex editing is required to match playing style and become usable. It would be difficult to explain and support for the average advanced user. VL Hardware pretty much 20 year run anyways. If you really listen to the sounds they are less then perfect pitch and require FX sysex and many other external command just to get setup in the studio this is fine live it wouldn't work easily. This made practicing difficult and performances hard to recreate.

The cost was high smaller market group cost is still high on VL. What is amazing about this synth that I think was overlooked a little is it does have the ability to be played poly-phonically. For instance you can create sections of horns woodwinds etc and use a combination of breath controller and keyboard with channel polyphonic after touch using a channel rotator and key splits to alternate or seperate mono instruments. Create sections using pan and variation effects across multiple VL voices/channels Also the 6 six string mono VL distortion guitar should also be mentioned a highlight of the plucked string model and Yamaha effects section. This can shred pretty hard with midi guitars supporting it. The sax, flute, clarinet, trumpet, oboe, guitar and cello are great factory patches with excellent dynamic capabilities.

Other Patches excel in the Virtual Lead too many user creations to mention that are excellent playable patches. Now if you compare these patches with modern advanced virtual lead instruments you can hear that the new stuff sounds better.

Lets admit that and admit that it is a close contest. I know the VL70-m for Ipad would sell more than any other soft synth app for probably 10 more years if it was made.

Seems like it is up to steinberg and what is left of the yamaha soft synth team to other formally say its done to lay it to rest or bring it back from beyond the grave in software form. Waiting for 50,000 Vl users to unite and beg yamaha/steinberg for more VL will never happen, but if you build it more will come especially with all the advances in midi guitar could be a lot more people interested in VL than just wind controller players. 10 Digit Serial Number Rslogix 500 Tutorial.