Organ footages explained

When in VOICE mode the CS (Control Sliders) send System Exclusive messages that control the volume of the individual ELEMENTS of the current VOICE. When building a sound like PRE 1:098(G02) All Bars Perc AF1&2 where each of the 8 Control Sliders is a different organ footage - you are actually controlling individual Element Levels.

Let’s explore this VOICE.
Press [EDIT]
Press Track button [1] to view Element parameters
Press [F1] OSCILLATOR
Here you can view, by touching each track button 1-8 the different Waveforms assigned to the Elements 1-8
Element 1 = the first and the third drawbar, (Sub-octave) + (Principal) 16’ and 8’ (ganged to together as there are only eight CS)
Element 2 = the 5 1/3 (the Quint)
Element 3 = 4’ (the Octave)
Element 4 = 2 2/3 (1 Octave + a fifth)
Element 5 = 2’ (2 Octaves above principal)
Element 6 = 1 3/5 (2 Octaves + a major third)
Element 7 = 1 1/3 (2 Octaves + a fifith)
Element 8 = 1’ (3 Octaves above principal)

When viewing the main Voice mode screen you will be able to view the eight CS at once. The graphic of the Fader is accurate to the current physical location of your CS (Control Slider). If a red chevron (arrow) appears next to the fader track then that fader is not yet “live”. The red chevron indicates the current actual value that that slider is sending. Once you move a slider and reach (or ‘hook’) the red arrow, it will disappear and the position of the fader is now the output level of that Element.

Individual Element control is only available in VOICE mode.

In PERFORMANCE mode the CS are tasked with controlling the four PARTS CS1-CS4. Again System Exclusive messages are used because this is a Yamaha Motif XS exclusive parameter (Part Volume). So if the ALL BARS PERC AF1&2;_ Voice is used in a PERFORMANCE the CS assigned to its Part will control the overall volume of the entire organ sound. You can no longer control individual Elements via the CS.

In a similar scenario, when you are in MASTER mode, if you assign the Organ Voice to a ZONE (that is, with the ZONE SWITCH active (ON), then the CS will control the overall volume of the entire sound assigned per ZONE. You cannot reach the Elements.

However, if you are in MASTER mode, (ZONE SWITCH = OFF) and the Master program is recalling a VOICE, then the Voice mode rules will apply and the CS will be controlling Element levels. But if you activate the ZONE SWITCH (ON), then once again the CS will send a CHANNEL MIDI message as determined by the parameter within that Master program (and therefore, no individual Element level).

As mentioned in one of the posts above, the Assignable Knobs (AS1/AS2) can be, and often are enlisted to control Element level. Also the Assignable Function buttons (AF/AF2) are often used in Voice mode programming to “gang” together drawbar settings. You would set the AF buttons to “latch” so they remain without having to hold the button down.

Typically, when playing an actual B3, for example, you may need to make a change in the relative drawbar levels - you have “presets” on a B3 that recall specific drawbar combinations - so you can actually pre-set for yourself a few different drawbar combinations. It is not always necessary to work the drawbars manually when you need to change the sound while playing… in fact the presets are very, very convenient and once you have determined where you want to go, you can lock that in and access the sound quickly. You will find this in some of the tone wheel organ sounds in the Motif XS/XF… press the AF1 or AF2 button and you have instantly a different combination of drawbar volumes (listed in the screen below the faders you can see the assignm of the AF1, AF2 buttons - when set to E-LEVEL this is most likely what they are doing.)

I’ve on occasion also used the Ribbon Control (set to “HOLD") as a “ganged” drawbar. So you have the AF1, AF2, AS1, AS2 and RB that can help you control “E-LEVEL” (Element Level). Within a VOICE:
Press [EDIT]
Press [COMMON EDIT]
Press [F4] CTRL SET (Control Set)

Here you can select a SOURCE (physical controller), assign it to a DESTINATION (parameter to control), - if you select E-LEVEL, you can then select (by setting a red check mark) which Element or Elements that will be controlled by that particular controller.

So if you know what you want to do with a B3 sound, you can easily program what you need. And by the way, the physical Controllers are available in all modes when you are playing that particular sound. The more you know about drawbars the better you can have this serve you - nothing really replaces the drawbars - it is a unique interface, but just as you do with other synth emulations, you ‘program’ the synth to do the job. Nothing really replaces the plucking of a guitar string, it is another totally unique interface, but don’t let that stop you from doing guitar emulation… Nothing really replaces the bow for a violin string sound, but…

Hope that helps.