Hi there

I just acquired a SY77 with the intent of adding more FM type sounds to my motif XF.
I have built quite a number of patterns in the xf’s pattern mode and would like to “import” and replace some of the voices in some of the tracks.

I am totally new to MIDI as I have always been making music onboard the xf.

For my quest above, do I need any other hardware, or a DAW software, besides the usual 5pin MIDI cables?

My basic understanding of MIDI is that it only transmit data, so I’m not sure if I need other hardware to “import” the sounds of another keyboard into the xf.

I have tried reading the xf owner manual but have not been able to find something to address specifically what I am trying to achieve.

Any advice will be much appreciated!

Thanks!

Sean

An XF Pattern can “play” the SY77 by connecting a cable from the XF’s MIDI-Out to the SY77’s MIDI-In. Each XF Track can be set for MIDI Transmit Channel and whether the Track data will be applied internally (XF), externally (SY77), or to both. The settings are accessed by pressing [F3] while in Pattern Play mode.

See page 169 of the XF Reference Manual for details.

What the SY77 plays will depend on how it’s set up.

Many thanks! I should have read the reference manual instead haha. Will do so and report here if I encounter further issues.

Ok managed to feed the SY’s voice into the motif by connecting both keyboards with a midi cable and a cable into the AD input of the motif.

Was also able to insert effects and add chorus/reverb to the SY voice by selecting AD as one of the 8 voices.

My next question is whether can the SY voice be fed thru the motif’s effect filters? Would love to be able to change the voice’s qualities such as cutoff, attack etc.

Thanks in advance.

Sevano - 12 September 2020 03:29 AM

My next question is whether can the SY voice be fed thru the motif’s effect filters? Would love to be able to change the voice’s qualities such as cutoff, attack etc.

Parameters of the XF’s effects that can be adjusted are dependent on the effect type chosen, as given in the Effect Parameter List, beginning on page 95 of the XF Data List. To make such adjustments the XF may have to be set up to edit the effect, and the particular Parameter chosen.

However, certain SY77 Parameters can be adjusted via MIDI Control Change messages. See the table in section 2.2.2.2 of the SY77 MIDI Data Format Manual (page 2, PDF page 3), available here:
https://usa.yamaha.com/files/download/other_assets/1/317121/SY77E2.PDF
The XF, in Pattern mode with “Tone 1” knobs selected using [SELECTED PART CONTROL], these knobs send CC messages as follows:
RESONANCE - 71 decimal, 47 hex
ATTACK - 73 decimal, 49 hex
DECAY - 75 decimal, 4B hex
RELEASE - 72 decimal, 48 hex
ASSIGN 1 - As set by Controller Assign in Utility mode
ASSIGN 2 - As set by Controller Assign in Utility mode

Note that the Control Number (ctrl#) for the MIDI adjustable Parameters shown in the SY77 info is given as a range of 0~120 for most of them. I presume that indicates the CC numbers can be set via the SY’s Utility mode. At any rate, matching what the XF sends via the knobs with what the SY is set to receive should make it possible to control the Parameters in the table via the XF. (You’ll probably need to ignore how the knobs are labeled on the XF.)