To: analogue@hyperreal.org,
From: "panflet" panflet@montly-catalog.demon.co.uk,
cc:
Subject: RE: [AH] Yamaha GX-1 -secret features
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2004 16:57:46 +0100

---

because you can't sequence it
> without a custom mod created by someone without a custom mod created
by someone and you need that programmer
box to change any sound, there's no realtime panels of knobs and
sliders for the sound parameters.



Being lucky enough to have one I have to tell you that you are wrong
twice,there is a sequencer on the gx1!! I haven't read about it anywhere
else so now you know .
And you can actually change the parameters really easily while the
cartridges are plugged in!
Just stick up a list of all the parameters against numbers by your gx1
Then just adjust each one as required with a screwdriver.
If you select patch 10 on each of the synths then the cartridges at the
front can be reached easily ,after awhile you learn the numbers easily
like pwm is number 14 etc
Then you are programming the presets directly and do not need the tone
board or the programmer,decent.

You can feed any of the drum instruments to trigger the solo synth!
E.g every time the kick drum sounds or the Hihat etc the solo synth can
be triggered which actually gives you untold pattern possibilities if
you combine the drum pattern selectors.

Then you can either manually play the key you want with it being
triggered in sync.
Or just let it trigger automatically.
Also the same drum instrument pattern is fed into a s/h which in turn
can randomly select the pitch of the solo synth and the cut off
frequency of both filters, with varying amounts ,sliders for each.
Instant acid and from the 70`s!
if only keith emerson has used it this way!
Instead of that fanfare for the common prick stuff.
Dance music history would have been completely different
**smile**

[Gordon Reid says that the drum machine is crap,this is understandable
for someone from his era [sorry Gordon] but let me tell you this is
probably on e of the best analogue drum machines ever,the cymbal is so
sexy and the snare can actually be very realistic for an analogue
machine,I love it
The kick is huge especially through the valve amps.]

You can also feed this s/h output into the lower and upper synths
simultaneously and set it to control randomly and in sync with the solo
synth trigger and drum machine, pitch deviation,loudness and filter
cutoffs
So that's 6 filters it can be changing at once.
But you cant trigger the notes or the pedal,shame,will be my first
attempted mod which hopefully will allow different drum sounds from the
solo synth to be selected for triggering....

Then at the flick of a few more switches you can set the lfo speed of
the lower and upper manuals to come from the pitch of the solo synth,its
pretty mental how complex this beast is,much more than I expected.
And then don't forget the brilliant swing/humanise feature which will
effect all of the above.

Ideally you need 7 programmers for the gx1 to save unplugging and
plugging them into the synth you want to change all the time.
I have 2 which is brilliant because either the lower,upper,or pedals has
actually 2 separate synths for each and being able to plug 2 programmers
in simultaneously to work on your patch is so much better.
Got the second one on ebay for a few hundred $
When you get good at programming the cartridges it takes a few minutes
to translate it to 1 preset although muiltiply that by 7 for below
What can sound indescribable is when you have all 7 synths set to the
same sound,especially the pedals as they have an extra oscillator,
Didn't mean this to go on so long but this machine is deep and I could
go on for ages...

A midi`d gx1 would really be an incredibly lush rich/full analogue setup
As you could have 7 synths controlled individually.
Anyone want to come and customise mine?

Eric