EMUSIC-L Digest Volume 58, Issue 06 This issue's topics: PSR-500 PSR-500 - PSR-600 Yamaha (2 messages) psr-600 (fORMATS OF PAGE MEMORY ?????) Urgente - PSR - 600 (5 messages) Write in Spanish (PSR 500/600) Urgent !!! Yamaha PSR-500 Yamaha psr-70 Your EMUSIC-L Digest moderator is Joe McMahon . You may subscribe to EMUSIC-L by sending mail to listserv@american.edu with the line "SUB EMUSIC-L your name" as the text. The EMUSIC-L archive is a service of SunSite (sunsite.unc.edu) at the University of North Carolina. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Sun, 14 Nov 1993 00:14:01 EST From: JOHN ALBERT PINION Subject: Re: . I have a Yamaha PSR-500 I think I gave over $400 for. It's touch-sensitive, full-sized 5-octave sampled sounds (limited voice editing), on-board sequencing, Drawbacks: crude touch response, no midi-output from sequencer, sounds good but still a notch off of "pro" equipment (appreciate any technical info in this regard if anyone knows). What sold me: I couldn't resist the piano, which BTW is 28 note polyphonic ALTHOUGH some voices use up 2 or 3 polyphonies per note, which adds up (!) There are newer machines in this line now, I think the PSR-530, PSR-600. Hope this helps. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Nov 1993 09:30:00 EST From: Pedro Hernando Rozo Mora Subject: PSR-500 - PSR-600 Yamaha Hello, Friends I want to know, if exists users which have the Keyboards Yamaha PSR-500 and PSR-600; but to compart information and experience. I have a PSR-500 and i going to purchase a PSR-600 now. bye. Thanks. pdta. Does they speak spanish ?? ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 14 Nov 1993 06:23:47 -0500 From: "Robert C. Graham Jr." Subject: Re: PSR-500 - PSR-600 Yamaha In article Pedro Hernando Rozo wrote: > Hello, Friends > > I want to know, if exists users which have the Keyboards Yamaha PSR-500 and > PSR-600; but to compart information and experience. > > I have a PSR-500 and i going to purchase a PSR-600 now. > > bye. > Thanks. > > pdta. Does they speak spanish ?? Hello! I have a PSR-500 and advise you not to purchase PSR-600. I say this because the PSR-500 has an incomplete MIDI implementation. I am assuming the PSR-600 has the same MIDI implementation. In the states, I think the PSR-600 must run at least $450. For this money, get a used professional keyboard, with FULL MIDI implementation, including velocity sensative keys (both down and up directions of key), and pressure (after-touch) sensativity. The only thing you will gain by staying with the Yamaha PSR line is the intelligent accompaniment features. If you do not require this (there are programs like Band-in-the-Box that does this, but not "as you play"), and are serious about computer MIDI, go to a professional setup, which does not have to be expensive, and can be purchased a component at time. One reommendation is a Roland U-20 whih sells for about $550 to $600 I think, used. I do not think you will regret this kind of purchase. I know people who have spent $$$ (like $10,000) in MIDI equipment and still kept their original Roland U-20! I am sure their are other good used keyboards in this price range too. The Yamaha PSR series good for what it does best: an affordable high end consumer product purchased for the family. It is not adequate for anyone who is serious about computer MIDI music. At the high end of the PSR line of products, I do think you can make a better purhase with a different product. RCG ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Nov 1993 12:35:00 EST From: Pedro Hernando Rozo Mora Subject: psr-600 (fORMATS OF PAGE MEMORY ?????) Hello, friends My name is Pedro Rozo, I'm Colombian and I am a Systems Engineer (Computers), my hobby is music, (The keyboards). I have a Yamaha PSR-500 and a DTK 80386 20 Mhz (PC); What can I do to connect them? I Know boards like Sound Blaster (16,16 ASP) and other MIDI interfaces, but they are very very expensive in my country (> $400), and don't have the MIDI conectors (are additional and can't be found). I need sequencing as well as other special effects (wave events), is possible this operations with PC and PSR-500 ? I can get more instruments or sounds (MIDI), working with the PC ? or this function is exclusive of the sinthetizers ? I 'am thinking have a Yamaha PSR-600, is it a good machine ?? What problems can have with the PSR-600 ?? but, and other hand : Can i work MIDI with the serial port (RS-232) of my PC ? Thanks Is Urgent. Pedro Rozo. Pdta: Excuse me, i don't write correctly English; can you write in spanish ? ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Nov 1993 09:18:00 EST From: Pedro Hernando Rozo Mora Subject: Urgente - PSR - 600 Hello, friends My name is Pedro Rozo, I'm Colombian and I am a Systems Engineer (Computers), my hobby is music, (The keyboards). I have a Yamaha PSR-500 and a DTK 80386 20 Mhz (PC); What can I do to connect them? I Know boards like Sound Blaster (16,16 ASP) and other MIDI interfaces, but they are very very expensive in my country (> $400), and don't have the MIDI conectors (are additional and can't be found). I need sequencing as well as other special effects (wave events), is possible this operations with PC and PSR-500 ? I can get more instruments or sounds (MIDI), working with the PC ? or this function is exclusive of the sinthetizers ? I 'am thinking have a Yamaha PSR-600, is it a good machine ?? What problems can have with the PSR-600 ?? but, and other hand : Can i work MIDI with the serial port (RS-232) of my PC ? Thanks Is Urgent. Pedro Rozo. Pdta: Excuse me, i don't write correctly English; can you write in spanish ? ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Nov 1993 11:27:31 -0500 From: Joe McMahon Subject: Re: Urgente - PSR - 600 >My name is Pedro Rozo, I'm Colombian and I am a Systems Engineer (Computers), >my hobby is music, (The keyboards). I have a Yamaha PSR-500 and a >DTK 80386 20 Mhz (PC); > > What can I do to connect them? Glad to meet you! You're really going to need to get a MIDI interface of some kind; you may end up having to build yourself one. They're not terrifically complex, pretty much a current-loop communications port running at 31.25 (I think that's right) bps. > I need sequencing as well as other special effects (wave events), is possible > this operations with PC and PSR-500 ? If the PSR-500 has a MIDI in port and a MIDI out port, you can do sequencing with it. By wave events, do you mean the playback of .WAV files? I think you'll need a real sound board for that. > > I can get more instruments or sounds (MIDI), working with the PC ? or this > function is exclusive of the sinthetizers ? The PC essentially lets you have a multi-track event recorder (this is provided by the sequencer software). The PC itself doesn't contribute anything to the music in a MIDI setup; it just drives the keyboard, as if were a printer or a modem. > I 'am thinking have a Yamaha PSR-600, is it a good machine ?? It depends. Are you planning on building yourself a professional studio, getting together a rig for playing live, or just on having a new (or another) keyboard? I don't know the machine myself, so I can't comment on whether it is good or whether it has any known problems. > but, and other hand : Can i work MIDI with the serial port (RS-232) of my > PC ? Not directly. You'll need something to convert from the RS-232 to the current-loop stuff that MIDI uses. I see that you're at a BITNet site, so I'll mail you the MIDI specification privately - that includes the hardware requirements, so you might be able to put something together if you're handy with a soldering iron. You'll definitely need to find those 5-pin DIN sockets for the MIDI plugs, or else make modifications to your keyboard to use a different-style socket. I apologize for being unable to reply in Spanish. I hope this will help. --- Joe M. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Nov 1993 20:59:33 CET From: Jack Latanowicz Subject: Re: Urgente - PSR - 600 On Fri, 5 Nov 1993 11:27:31 -0500 Joe McMahon said: >>My name is Pedro Rozo, I'm Colombian and I am a Systems Engineer (Computers), >>my hobby is music, (The keyboards). I have a Yamaha PSR-500 and a >>DTK 80386 20 Mhz (PC); >> >> What can I do to connect them? >Glad to meet you! You're really going to need to get a MIDI interface of >some kind; you may end up having to build yourself one. They're not >terrifically complex, pretty much a current-loop communications port >running at 31.25 (I think that's right) bps. > >> I need sequencing as well as other special effects (wave events), is >possible >> this operations with PC and PSR-500 ? >If the PSR-500 has a MIDI in port and a MIDI out port, you can do >sequencing with it. By wave events, do you mean the playback of .WAV files? >I think you'll need a real sound board for that. >> >> I can get more instruments or sounds (MIDI), working with the PC ? or this >> function is exclusive of the sinthetizers ? >The PC essentially lets you have a multi-track event recorder (this is >provided by the sequencer software). The PC itself doesn't contribute >anything to the music in a MIDI setup; it just drives the keyboard, as if >were a printer or a modem. > >> I 'am thinking have a Yamaha PSR-600, is it a good machine ?? >It depends. Are you planning on building yourself a professional studio, >getting together a rig for playing live, or just on having a new (or >another) keyboard? I don't know the machine myself, so I can't comment on >whether it is good or whether it has any known problems. > >> but, and other hand : Can i work MIDI with the serial port (RS-232) of my >> PC ? > >Not directly. You'll need something to convert from the RS-232 to the >current-loop stuff that MIDI uses. I see that you're at a BITNet site, so >I'll mail you the MIDI specification privately - that includes the hardware >requirements, so you might be able to put something together if you're >handy with a soldering iron. > >You'll definitely need to find those 5-pin DIN sockets for the MIDI plugs, >or else make modifications to your keyboard to use a different-style >socket. > >I apologize for being unable to reply in Spanish. I hope this will help. > > --- Joe M. Hello Joe :-) I wonder why didn't You reply to my 'RS-232' mail. I was wondering if it's possible to use RS-232 in PC as MIDI input/output. I got response that there is a problem of the speed of data. I have Amiga's interface which runs on RS-232 that isn't different from a PC. I have 386dx/4Mb with Cubase and no MIDI. I surely would be glad to check out PC for it's MIDI capabilities, if there is a cheap way of using what I got/making an interface please write some info. I'm little (total amateur) in electronics that is I know what an condensor or resistor is... :-) Jack L. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jack Latanowicz tel/fax Pl-(0-61) 798-202 Ul.Porzeczkowa 27 Jack@plpuam11.bitnet 61-306 Poznan P O L A N D "exploring life is the sense of living..." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Nov 1993 17:40:28 -0500 From: Joe McMahon Subject: Re: Urgente - PSR - 600 > I wonder why didn't You reply to my 'RS-232' mail. I was wondering >if it's possible to use RS-232 in PC as MIDI input/output. I got >response that there is a problem of the speed of data. I have Amiga's >interface which runs on RS-232 that isn't different from a PC. > I have 386dx/4Mb with Cubase and no MIDI. I surely would be glad >to check out PC for it's MIDI capabilities, if there is a cheap way >of using what I got/making an interface please write some info. >I'm little (total amateur) in electronics that is I know what an >condensor or resistor is... :-) Hi, Jack. I know that there are boxes that can hook onto the serial port and provide MIDI - the Kee Electronics one being the one I remember a little something about. Heaven knows how complex a box it is inside, though. Here's the small part of the electrical specification from Bob McQueer's MIDI Primer document (out there on castrovalva.gsfc.nasa.gov): --------- snip --------- ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATION Asynchronous serial interface. The baud rate is 31.25 Kbaud (+/- 1%). There are 8 data bits, with 1 start bit and 1 stop bit, for 320 microseconds per serial byte. MIDI is current loop, 5 mA. Logic 0 is current ON. The specification states that input is to be opto-isolated, and points out that Sharp PC-900 and HP 6N138 optoisolators are satisfactory devices. Rise and fall time for the optoisolator should be less than 2 microseconds. The specification shows a little circuit diagram for the connections to a UART. I am not going to reproduce it here. There's not much to it - I think the important thing it shows is +5 volt connection to pin 4 of the MIDI out with pin 5 going to the UART, through 220 ohm load resistors. It also shows that you're supposed to connect to the "in" side of the UART through an optoisolator, and to the MIDI-THRU on the UART side of the isolator. >> I'm not much of a hardware person, and don't really know what I'm talking about in paragraphs like the three above. I DO recognize that this is a "non-standard" specification, which won't work over serial ports intended for anything else. People who do know about such things seem to either have giggling or gagging fits when they see it, depending on their dispos- itions, saying things like "I haven't seen current loop since the days of the old teletypes". I also know the fast 31.25 Kbaud pushes the edge for clocking commonly available UART's. << -------- snip ---------- That's about as much as I can tell you, being a software and not a hardware personage, and a Mac one at that. --- Joe M. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1993 07:01:00 EDT From: Arthur Friedman Subject: Re: Urgente - PSR - 600 I have Yamaha PSR500m connected to an AT 286 clone with a Music Quest PC Midi Card. The card plus 2ables Midi cables cost less than $100. I am using shareware software. Everything works. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1993 08:28:00 EST From: Pedro Hernando Rozo Mora Subject: Write in Spanish (PSR 500/600) Urgent !!! Dear frieds: I have a YAMAHA PSR-600 now, the reasons for the change: 1. I need store my sequence and my compositions; but i need moving the keyboard for play music in diferent locations. 2. With the PSR-600 the work can store in diskette 3 1/2 compatible with the format MS-DOS (for PC'S). 3. I want to Know an other persons which have keyboards PSR 500/600 for compart experience. 4. Somebody Know the format of Page Memory of this Keyboards ??? (This formats can to be read in PC'S). 5. Somebody know where can to meet rithms (Salsa, merengue, balada pop, etc) with sequences for this keyboards ??? Thanks. Pedro Rozo PROZO@ITECCOL Santafe de Bogota , Colombia ITEC / TELECOM Office: Tr 49 # 105-84 House : Tr 75 A # 62-04 Fax: 2 53 61 43 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1993 15:45:56 EST From: JOHN ALBERT PINION Subject: Yamaha PSR-500 I have a PSR-500 connected to my Mac Classic II using Beyond and various shareware. Works great. Most pleased by: nice piano and strings for the price Dissapointments: clumsy touch response, no midi output of onboard sequencer Nice kb for the itinerant non-professional musician. I would love to know: How can I get more detailed engineering data? For instance, does anyone know the data structure for the SYS DUMP? (not given in the manual.) Would love to use the onboard sequencer to write a tune, then download that to the mac, do some editing, then pop back to the PSR-500. Currently I compose using the kb and sequencer together, but sometimes, by the time you get the whole mess working, you're not in the "mood" anymore. I generally get around this by just leaving the whole setup running for days at a time; in fact, I virtually never turn my Mac off; so when I feel like tickling the plastic (so to speak), and I come up with something nice, it's pretty quick to save it on the computer; often I use one of the small shareware sequencers like MiniTrax or Midi Companion to kick out a quick midifile for later editing and manipulation. I can honestly say I have learned a huge amount about music from a string of inexpensive keyboards; sure everyone would like a Steinway or a Stradivarius, but that's the beauty of music - all that's really required is a heart and an ear - and nothing beats a nice one of either. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 Nov 1993 13:46:19 CET From: Jack Latanowicz Subject: Re: Yamaha psr-70 On Tue, 12 Oct 1993 14:14:59 -0700 dv8 said: >I have one, but have lost the overlay that cae with it. I was a plastic >sheet that layed over the buttons and swithches. When you held down the >'midi mode' button, each of the instrument voice buttons and accompianment >buttons, became something different (ie clock sync, etc). >Does anyone out there possibly have an overlay or know where to get one? >It's an 1986 model. > >Thanks... I had this model and sold it about year ago. My friend still has it. >From what I recall whan You hold MIDI and press first button on top in 'orchestra' the left voice is I think MIDI receive channel and right MIDI transmit channel. When you press MIDI button and Calliope than it means external clock on/off. I can check it if You want it for sure. When you select MIDI and transmit/receive...each key on keyboard from the left means a channel. First ch1, second ch2...etc. Hope this helps. Jack L. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jack Latanowicz tel/fax Pl-(0-61) 798-202 Ul.Porzeczkowa 27 Jack@plpuam11.bitnet 61-306 Poznan P O L A N D "exploring life is the sense of living..." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ End of the EMUSIC-L Digest ******************************