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Description
The YRM-502 (YRM-55 in Japan) FM Voicing Program II is the second version of the software developed by Yamaha to give precise control over the SFG digital FM voice generator. This software, released in 1985, was sold on cartridge, but it was also pre-installed into the MSX1 CX5MII and the MSX2 CX7M/128 computers as a mini-cartridge. It allows to modify the pre-programmed voices 1 to 48 and create entirely new voices from scratch.
All data can be saved on disk, cassette tape or data memory cartridge UDC-01. The data and the list of all voices can also be printed (hardcopy of the screen).
Contrary to the 1st version, the software is not launched automatically after booting. You need to enter CALL FMV or _FMV.
Screens
The YRM-502 software displays 7 main screens: the Command menu on which you land after the intro screen, the Directory (enter DI on the command line), the Edit mode that you can reach by pressing F1, the Load/Save menu (enter TR on the command line) and 3 different Key lists, accessible by pressing F5, for the Command, Edit and Load/Save modes.
The command line is available on all screens, except the Key lists. In the Edit mode, you need to press F1 to switch between this line and a block. The main commands can't be entered on the Load/Save menu screen, while the specific Load/Save commands are only available on this special screen.
The green point on the line under the command line indicates the split point of the music keyboard between instrument 1 used in polyphonic mode for the editing keyboard and instrument 2 used in monophonic mode for the comparison keyboard. By default, this point is set at the lowest key, so it means that all keys are used for the editing keyboard.
To change the split point, you need to press SELECT, then a key on the music keyboard. The keys at the left of the green point will be used for the comparison keyboard. The current voice data are set for this keyboard by pressing F4 in the Edit mode.
The screen of the Command menu is divided into 3 parts: a command line on which you can enter different commands, the list of the main available commands and the explanation of some abbreviations. Voice number can vary between 1 and 48.
| Command | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| n | voice number n | Select voice n and go to Edit mode |
| CO n, m | COPY voice number n, voice number m | Copy data of voice n to voice m |
| DI | DIRECTORY | Go to the Directory screen |
| HE | HELP | Back to Command menu |
| KI n | KILL voice number n | Initialize voice n to create a new voice from scratch (original data are saved in the save buffer) |
| MU | MUSIC | Go to the SFG-01 or SFG-05 synthesizer firmware |
| PR n, m | PRINT voice number n, voice number m | Print the data for voices n to m (hardcopy of screens) |
| RE | RESTORE | Replace the data of the currently edited voice by the data saved in the save buffer |
| RE n | RESTORE voice number n | Replace the data of voice n by the data saved in the save buffer |
| SA | SAVE | Save the data of the currently edited voice in the save buffer |
| SA n | SAVE voice number n | Save the data of voice n in the save buffer |
| SP a | SELECT PRINTER a | Select printer type (a=1 for MSX, 2 for EPSON) |
| SW n, m | SWAP voice number n, voice number m | Swap data of voices n and m |
| TR | TRANSMISSION OF DATA | Go to the Load/Save menu |
Directory (DI)
The screen of the Directory is divided between the command line and a list of all of the names and numbers of the voices stored in the computer memory. By default, it's the list of the system voices.
This list can be different after loading of created voices from disk, cassette tape or data memory cartridge, or switching to user voices in the SFG-05 firmware.
Access to the SFG-01 or SFG-05 firmware is indeed possible, by entering MU on the command line; you can then press twice on SELECT to switch between the system voices and the user voices if you are using the SFG-05 module. To go back to the FM Voicing Program, you need to press ESC in the synthesizer firmware.
Edit mode (F1)
The screen of the Edit mode is divided between the command line (access by pressing F1) and 5 blocks allowing to make a fine editing of the currently displayed voice.
General settings are in the first block, specific settings for each operator of the digital FM voice generator are in the 4 blocks with number 1 to 4. The cursors are useful for selecting a parameter. To modify it, just type the new value and press RETURN, or use the (INS +) HOME or DEL keys.
Each of the 4 operators can be switched ON/OFF by pressing CTRL + one of the keys 1 to 4 corresponding to this operator. You can also move the cursor over the operator number and type in a different number to turn it OFF or the correct number to turn it ON. Instead of typing a number, you can also use the HOME and DEL keys.
General settings
| Parameter | Values | |
|---|---|---|
| Code | Personal code as memo for selecting a voice | 0 to 99 |
| Tr | Transpose | -128 to 127 |
| LR | Left Right Switch | 00 (no output), 10 (left channel), 01 (right channel), 11 (both channels) |
| Ams | Amplitude Modulation Sensitivity | 0 to 3 |
| Pms | Pitch Modulation Sensitivity | 0 to 7 |
| Name | Voice name | Use BS for corrections before pressing RETURN ! |
| Al | Algorithm | 1 to 8 |
| Fb | Feedback (operator 1) | 0 to 7 |
| Ne | Noise Enable | 0 (OFF, then change the keyboard split point) or 1 (ON) |
| Nf | Noise Frequency | 0 to 31 (press F4 after each change) |
| LFO | Low Frequency Oscillator | 0 (OFF) or 1 (ON) |
| Syc | Synchronization of LFO to the playing of a note | 0 (OFF) or 1 (ON) |
| Wf | Waveform | 0 (sawtooth), 1 (square), 2 (triangle), 3 (sample & hold) |
| Spd | Speed (LFO frequency) | 0 to 255 |
| Amd | Amplitude Modulation Depth (LFO influence on volume) | 0 to 127 |
| Pmd | Pitch Modulation Depth (LFO influence on pitch) | 0 to 127 |
Specific settings for each operator
| Parameter | Values | Parameter | Values | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Envelope generator - Attack Rate | 0 to 31 | IF | Inharmonic Frequency | 0 to 3 | |
| D | Envelope generator - 1st Decay Rate | 0 to 31 | Dt | Detune | -3 to 3 | |
| S | Envelope generator - Sustain Level | 0 to 15 | Ks | Key Scaling Select | 0 to 3 | |
| D | Envelope generator - 2nd Decay Rate | 0 to 31 | Kd | Key Scaling Depth | 0 to 15 | |
| R | Envelope generator - Release Rate | 0 to 15 | Rk | Rate Key Scaling Depth | 0 to 3 | |
| O | Output Level | 0 to 127 | Vs | Velocity Sensitivity | 0 to 7 | |
| F | Frequency | 0 to 15 | Aj | Adjust | 0 to 15 |
The screen of the Load/Save menu is divided between the command line and a list of all available commands.
The command line of this screen is reserved for the specific Load/Save commands.
If you use the SFG-01 module, the commands that require a disk are not displayed in the list.
To quit this screen, you need to press the ESC key.
| Command | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| CL f | CLOAD [filename] | Load data from cassette tape |
| CS f | CSAVE filename | Save data on cassette tape |
| DD f | DISK DELETE filename | Kill data file on disk |
| DF | DISK FILES | LIst of files on disk |
| DL f | DISK LOAD filename | Load data from disk |
| DS f | DISK SAVE filename | Save data on disk |
| RL f | RAM CARTRIDGE LOAD filename | Load data from data memory cartridge (UDC-01) |
| RS f | RAM CARTRIDGE SAVE filename | Save data on data memory cartridge (UDC-01) |
- There is a bug in the initial release of the FM Voicing Program II shipped prior october 1986 (Rom Dump CRC 51F7DDD1). When you save a voice bank on disk ("VOG" file), it eliminate the last 32 bytes of the file, so this "short" file (3079 bytes instead of 3111) eliminates the data for operator #3 and operator #4 of the last voice #48. Yamaha released a corrected version of the FM Voicing Program II (Rom Dump CRC 5330FE21)
Key lists (F5)
The Key lists screen displays a list of the most important keys to be used with this software. Distinction is made according the mode that you are using ('general' command line, Edit mode, Load/Save menu).
The command line is not available on these screens. Press on ESC to go back to previous displayed screen.
Here's a more complete list that integrates all the modes of this software:
| Key | |
|---|---|
| F1 | Go to Edit Mode or switch between blocks and the command line in Edit mode (not available in Load/File menu) |
| F2 | Decrease velocity |
| F3 | Increase velocity |
| F4 | Load current voice data to instrument 2 for the comparison keyboard |
| F5 | Go to the Key list corresponding to the mode you are using |
| All cursors | Select parameter in Edit mode |
| Left cursor | Previous voice when you are on the main command line |
| Right cursor | Next voice when you are on the main command line |
| BS | Correction for Voice Name in Edit mode or command on command line |
| CODE/KANA/HANGUL | Switch hardcopy density |
| CTRL + 1 | Switch ON/OFF operator 1 in Edit mode |
| CTRL + 2 | Switch ON/OFF operator 2 in Edit mode |
| CTRL + 3 | Switch ON/OFF operator 3 in Edit mode |
| CTRL + 4 | Switch ON/OFF operator 4 in Edit mode |
| CTRL + P | Hardcopy of current screen |
| CTRL + R | Replace the data of the currently edited voice by the data saved in the save buffer (in Edit mode) |
| CTRL + S | Save the data of the currently edited voice in the save buffer (in Edit mode) |
| CTRL + STOP | Stop loading/saving operation, hardcopy |
| CTRL + TAB | Restore operator in its previous state (before copy operation with TAB) in Edit mode |
| CTRL + Z | Switch the key click ON/OFF |
| DEL | Increase value (+1) in Edit mode |
| ESC | Back to previous screen when you are on a Key list screen, cancel not yet entered command |
| HOME | Decrease value (-1) in Edit mode |
| INS + DEL | Increase value (+10) in Edit mode |
| INS + HOME | Decrease value (-10) in Edit mode |
| RETURN | Enter new value (or name) for parameter in Edit mode, enter command on command line |
| SELECT followed by a key on music keyboard | Change music keyboard split point |
| SPACE | Insert space in Voice Name in Edit mode or in command on command line |
| TAB | Copy the data of an operator to another operator in Edit mode |