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Congratulations and thank you for purchasing the Yamaha DX200 Desktop Control Synthesizer! The DX200 is a combination tone generator and sequencer that puts an enormous amount of sonic power and real-time performance control in an exceptionally compact and easy-to-use “desktop” package. As one of the Loopfactory group of instruments, it’s an amazingly high-quality and versatile tool for loop-based music production.
Contents Contents ............................................................ 6 How to Use This Manual .................................. 8 Panel Controls .................................................. 9 Quick Start Guide ........................................... 11 Parameter Structure ....................................... 12 Tone Generator Signal Flow & Effect Block Diagram .............................. 13 Chapter 1 Chapter 8 Pattern Playback....................
Contents Chapter 14 Chapter 19 Pattern Recording ...................68 Master Class 2 — Advanced Music Production ... 103 Tip 57 Tip 58 Tip 59 Tip 60 Tip 61 Erasing a Pattern — and starting from scratch . 68 Setting the Metronome lead-in.......................... 69 Recording a Pattern in real time........................ 70 Step Recording.................................................. 72 Storing your new Pattern................................... 79 Chapter 15 Song Recording ....................
How to Use This Manual How to USE a manual? Sounds a bit obvious, we admit. (“Open it and read it.”) But here goes: 1 Go straight to the Quick Start Guide. This tells you simply and in no uncertain terms how to set up your new DX200 and get sound out of it. 2 Work through the 93 Tips. These are practical, no-nonsense applications that get you actually USING the machine. If this is your first tone generator or synthesizer, fire up the DX200, open up the manual to Tip 1, and go from there.
Panel Controls Main Control Voice Keyboard Here’s a quick way to get familiar with your DX200! The front (or top) panel of the DX200 can be roughly divided into four sections: Main, Control, Voice, and Keyboard. Look through the controls here, and check out the Tips related to each of them for more information. The Tip references by each control are not meant to be comprehensive. They either give the first (or main) Tip in which the control appears, or the group of Tips that are most closely related.
Panel Controls Main These are the fundamental controls of the DX200 — for changing modes, adjusting values, exiting from functions, and so on. Display and indicators [SONG] ...................................Tips 8, 63 [PATTERN] .....................................Tip 1 [DATA] knob .............................Tips 2, 69 [SHOW VALUE] ....................... Tips 21, 22 [STORE]........................... Tips 48, 61, 68 [EXIT].........................................
Quick Start Guide Once that you’ve got the DX200 out of the box and checked that all included items were indeed included, it’s time to set everything up and get playing. 1 Turn the VOLUME control all the way down to the minimum. 2 Connect the OUTPUT jacks (L/MONO and R) to the inputs of your recorder/mixer/amplifier. If you’re using a mono system, use only the L/MONO jack. If you’re using headphones, connect them to the PHONES jack.
Parameter Structure This diagram shows the structure and hierarchy of the Songs, Patterns and Voices of the DX200. As you work with the DX200 and explore its various functions and features, refer back to this diagram to see how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. Pattern Select Setup User Pattern 128 256 Preset Patterns 128 User Patterns Preset Pattern 1 Sequence Synth Track Step 16 1 Synth Voice LFO EG etc.
Tone Generator Signal Flow & Effect Block Diagram Effect section Out Synth track Distortion EQ Rhythm track 1 Rhythm track 2 Rhythm track 3 The EQ processing is accessible only with the DX200 Editor software.
This is NOT an owner’s manual! At least not an ordinary one. But, then again, the DX200 is no ordinary instrument. It’s packed with exciting, powerful, yet easy-to-use features that give you complete, hands-on sonic control — plus tons of dynamic real-time functions that can bring an extra edge to your live performances! With all the digital power under this small hood, the DX200 is a stunning new instrument of the future.
Chapter 1 Pattern Basics Start your synthesizer apprenticeship right here. In this section, you’ll learn about playing Patterns, and how to use some of the DX200’s powerful tools to change the sound as it’s playing. 1 Playing a Pattern Here’s where all the fun starts — with the pre-programmed Patterns. Just press the Start/Stop button, and listen to the Pattern play. The Pattern repeats (loops) until you press the button again to stop it.
Chapter 1 Pattern Basics 3 Switching Patterns on the fly Try mixing it up now. The DX200 lets you change Patterns as easily as pressing a button... Thanks to the Pattern Select function, you can chain together Patterns in real time from the keyboard — as you perform. Select a Pattern, then press [PATTERN SELECT]. The button lights. Start the Pattern. While the Pattern is playing, press one of the keyboard buttons (except 1, 4, and 8). Avoid these keys — they won’t change the Pattern.
Chapter 1 Pattern Basics 4 Playing it backwards The Reverse function lets you completely turn the Pattern around, and play all the notes backwards. Before you start the Pattern (or during playback, if you want), simply press the [REVERSE] button. 5 Changing the bpm Now, that you’ve got a Pattern playing, try changing its speed. (This is also called “bpm” — beats per minute.) The DX200 gives you two ways to do this — tapping out the speed manually, or using the [DATA] knob to adjust it.
Chapter 1 Pattern Basics 6 Messing with the Beat There’s more than one way to mess with the rhythm. Actually, the DX200 gives you a truckload of ways you can disturb and deconstruct your beats. One of these is the (appropriately named) Beat function. You’ll be meeting up with this control again when you record your own Patterns. But let’s see how you can use it now to change the feel of a Pattern while it’s actually playing... 1 Select a Pattern and start it by pressing the Start/Stop button.
Chapter 2 Song Playback As we said before, the Patterns are the basic building blocks of the DX200. But what can you build with them? Songs! Our team of expert programmers has created a few Songs using the various Patterns of the DX200. Check these out and hear just how powerful and versatile the DX200 can be for recording your own material. 8 Playing a Song Let’s select a Song now and play it. 1 Press the [SONG] button. 2 Select the desired Song by turning the [DATA] knob.
Chapter 3 The Keyboard Small and compact as it is, the DX200 also features a one-octave keyboard for playing and recording the sounds of the instrument. 9 Playing the keyboard The built-in keyboard is small — just one octave — but it lets you use all the features of the DX200 without having to connect a separate keyboard. Try it out now. 1 Press [KEYBOARD]. 2 Play the keyboard. The button lights. The buttons give you a full octave, from C to C.
Chapter 3 The Keyboard 11 Playing the Rhythm track The DX200 also has a special Rhythm track (actually there are three) that let you play and record drum, percussion, bass and other sounds — giving you the power to easily create your own ultra-hip beats. Naturally, you can play all these sounds straight from the built-in keyboard... 1 With the [KEYBOARD] button lit, press [RHYTHM TRACK]. The button lights. Press the button repeatedly to switch among the three Rhythm tracks: 1, 2, and 3.
Chapter 4 Scene Basics Scene is one of the most powerful and exciting features of the DX200. It lets you “morph” between two completely different sounds — in real time, as the Pattern is playing. 13 Switching Scenes Here we’ll switch between Scenes, for instant sound changes. Select a Pattern and start it up. While it’s playing, press the SCENE [2] button. Hear how the sound changes? Press SCENE [1] to go back to the first sound. Try to do this on the beat, alternating between the two in rhythm.
Chapter 5 Effects The effects of the DX200 are more than just icing on the cake — they’re powerful tools you can use to completely transform the sound, and put your tracks over the top. 15 What is an Effect? The Effects are the last element in the sound chain — they are the last bit of processing done to the sound before you hear it. These real-time Effects — Delay, Flanger, Phaser, Overdrive/Amp — let you mangle the sound in wild and exciting ways.
Chapter 5 Effects 16 Playing with the Effects Let’s take a look at each of the Effects, and try applying them to the sound. Before you begin, set the [WET] knob up to about 2:00 or 3:00. Generally, you should keep the knob at this position. This ensures that you can properly hear the Effect. (Tweak it later as needed to adjust the Effect balance.) Now, try out each Effect, and use the same procedure: 1 Select the Effect type. Press the [TYPE] button, then use the [DATA] knob.
Chapter 5 Effects ● Flanger (Flanger 1, 2) This modulation-based Effect produces a “swishing” or “tunneling” sound. Play a Pattern and select Flanger 1 (FLG1). Take the [PARAM] knob from minimum to maximum, and notice how the sound grows from a subtle sweeping, metallic sound — like a jet airplane taking off — to a virtually pitch-less sonic meltdown.
Chapter 5 Effects 17 Distortion The last tip introduced you to a distortion effect, the Overdrive/Amp types. Here’s yet another way to dirty up the sound — Distortion. Although not strictly part of the Effect section, Distortion is a strong effect in its own right. Compared to the warm Overdrive/Amp Effect types, it has more edge and bite. When applied to many of the DX200’s Voices, it is capable of creating very convincing guitar-like distortion effects. 1 Press the DIST [SWITCH] button.
Chapter 6 Filter (VCF) The VCF or Filter section is one of the most powerful and dynamic on the entire instrument. Used in the right way, the VCF controls are capable of transforming sterile, boring sounds into something really dynamic and exciting. Try out the following Tips and see what we mean... 18 Cutoff and Resonance For your Filter explorations, here’s the best place to start. These two Filter controls work interdependently — changing one of them affects the sound of the other.
Chapter 6 Filter (VCF) 19 Wild, wild filter sweeps — VCF Types The enormous power and versatility of the Filter section continues with the VCF Types. These hidden variations put some really heavy-duty sonic fireworks at your fingertips — just what you need to blow the crowd away. Try these settings out for size... 1 Call up a Pattern and press the Start/Stop button. Start out by setting both [RESONANCE] and [FEG DEPTH] to around 1:00. 2 Simultaneously hold down [SHIFT] and turn the [CUTOFF] knob.
Chapter 6 Filter (VCF) VCF Type Determines the filter type used for the VCF section. The filter passes only a specified range of frequencies while cutting off the rest. There are several completely different types, as well as a variety of filter slopes (see below). range, with a cutoff curve of 12dB/octave.
Chapter 6 Filter (VCF) 20 FEG Depth Technically, the FEG Depth controls how the Filter works over time. This is even shown on the panel for you: Indicates a “dip” in the filter, just at the start of each note. Indicates a filter “peak,” just at the start of the note. With the the [CUTOFF] and [RESONANCE] knobs set respectively to 9:00 and 3:00 (see above), slowly turn the [FEG DEPTH] knob.
Chapter 7 Nuts and Bolts Let’s take a break from the fun and games for a moment. Check out the following functions and familiarize yourself with them — they’re very useful, convenient tools you’ll need as you work with the DX200. 21 Show Value Sometimes you’ll want to see what value a knob or button has been set to. Remember that when you call up different Patterns, the knobs won’t correspond to the settings, so just looking at the knobs won’t help.
Chapter 7 Nuts and Bolts 3 Press the [EXIT] button to return to normal operation. All of the indicated controls can be used with the Show Value function. (Original Value, too. — See Tip 22 below.) Show Value Allows you to check the current value or setting of a Voice-related parameter, without changing the value or setting. Press the [SHOW VALUE] button, then turn the appropriate knob or press the appropriate button. The current value/setting is displayed.
Chapter 7 Nuts and Bolts ● What’s the difference between Original Value and Show Value? • Show Value — Lets you view the CURRENT settings of the Voice. • Original Value — Lets you view the ORIGINAL PRESET PROGRAMMED settings of the Voice. If you haven’t done any editing to a Voice, both of these will display the same values — those of the currently selected Pattern.
Chapter 7 Nuts and Bolts ● Do a Factory Reset operation. (See Tip 24.) Use this only if you suspect something is actually wrong with the DX200. (For the most part, many of the confusing things about the instrument may just be things that you don’t quite understand yet.) Remember, this will COMPLETELY ERASE any original work you’ve done or saved — so be careful! ● Check the Troubleshooting section (page 115). We mean it.
Chapter 8 Pattern Playback We’re going to pick up where we left off in Chapter 1, and give you some more Pattern Tips. These are simple things you can do to change the sound, pitch, rhythmic feel, and other aspects of the Patterns — even the Patterns themselves — in real time. 25 Adjusting the Gate Time Try this simple, fast and cool tool — and change the feel of your tracks. Select and start a Pattern. Any Pattern will do.
Chapter 8 Pattern Playback 26 Transposing the key The Transpose function lets you change the pitch or key of the Pattern as it plays back. With this, you can change chords on the fly, and create your own chord progressions — instantly, as you perform. Let’s try it out. Select a Pattern and start it up. Now, hold down [SHIFT] and press [KEYBOARD]. The button flashes. As the Pattern plays, try pressing various keys. For example, press [12] — and hear how the key changes.
Chapter 8 Pattern Playback 27 Swing Here’s an instant way to change the rhythmic feel of a Pattern. Play it straight, or give it some swing. Call up a Pattern and start it up. While it’s playing, press the [SWING] button and turn the [DATA] knob. Try a setting of about 65 - 70 and notice how the Pattern takes on a “bouncy” feel. Experiment with different settings and different Patterns. Judicious use of Swing can make the Patterns sound less mechanical — and give your tracks a more “human,” natural feel.
Chapter 8 Pattern Playback Notice how buttons [1], [2], [3], and [4] light while you hold down [SHIFT] — this means all four tracks are on. Button [1] corresponds to the Synth track; when you press this, the Synth track cuts out. To bring the Synth track back in, simply hold down [SHIFT] and press [1] again. 3 Now, do the same with Rhythm tracks 1, 2, and 3 — which are assigned to buttons [2], [3], and [4], respectively.
Chapter 8 Pattern Playback • Adding and subtracting beats Did you notice that you can add sounds, too? This is especially effective in the Rhythm tracks. If the selected Rhythm track has some unlit buttons — meaning there are spaces in the track — try pressing some of those buttons to add more drum/percussion hits to the track. Or try taking some of the lit buttons’ sounds out, and hear what kind of rhythm you come up with. • Save your edits If you like the new Pattern you’ve created, store it.
Chapter 8 Pattern Playback 31 Assigning Patterns to the keyboard buttons Remember in Tip 3 how you selected Patterns on the fly, as they were playing? Here’s where you can set which Patterns are triggered by which keyboard buttons. Any Pattern — even the User Patterns — can go to any button. Plus, you can use a key range of three octaves, from C2 to B4 — that’s 36 different Pattern Select locations. 1 Hold down [SHIFT] and press [PATTERN SELECT].
Chapter 9 LFO Modulation Here’s another crucial cornerstone in synthesizer sound — the LFO. Although LFO modulation can be used to make the sound warmer and more natural, its strong forte is in creating wild and extreme special effects. Explore the following Tips and you’ll soon build up a huge arsenal of powerful tools for mangling the sound in awesome ways. 32 Modulating the volume Get to know your LFO. This Tip takes you through the basics in setting up and using the LFO.
Chapter 9 LFO Modulation 33 Modulating the Filter Now, let’s apply the LFO to the Filter — and create some interesting wah-wah effects. 1 Press [DETAIL] until “Fmd” (Filter Modulation Depth) appears briefly in the display. 2 Use the [DATA] knob to set the value to around “50.” This is the Filter Modulation Depth setting. Setting Filter Depth to 50 gives the LFO some control over the timbre or tonal quality of the sound. 3 Press [KEYBOARD] to use the keyboard, and hold down one of the keys.
Chapter 9 LFO Modulation 34 Modulating the pitch Try using the LFO to warp the pitch — and discover some more awesome modulation effects. 1 Press [DETAIL] until “Pmd” (Pitch Modulation Depth) appears briefly in the display. 2 Use the [DATA] knob to set the value to “0.” This is Pitch Modulation Depth. Start out with this minimum value. 3 Press [KEYBOARD] to use the keyboard, and hold down one of the keys. As the sound sustains, slowly turn the knob clockwise.
Chapter 9 LFO Modulation 35 Changing the LFO wave The LFO uses one of 6 different waveforms to modulate the sound. The particular wave you select has a huge effect on the final sound. Try out some of these and see what kind of chaos you can create. 1 Press [DETAIL] until “UA
Chapter 9 LFO Modulation Wave Determines the LFO waveform.
Chapter 10 EG Basics Shape the volume, shape the tone. Use the EG (Envelope Generator) section to control how your sound moves, grows and evolves. As you work through the Tips in this chapter, keep in mind that the actual sound and the effects of the suggested tweaking may widely differ depending on the selected Patterns, the LFO settings (see Chapter 9), and the current EG settings. If the sound doesn't change or changes unexpectedly, try selecting a different Pattern.
Chapter 10 EG Basics 5 Next, play with the [DECAY] knob and hear how that affects the sound. Experiment with the [DECAY] knob. Depending on the Voice and the other EG settings, a short Decay value (knob around 9:00) may result in a weak, percussive sound. Try adjusting the knob around 11:00 or 12:00 and then slowly move upwards from that as you repeatedly play the key. 6 Now, on to the [RELEASE] knob. Start by resetting [ATTACK] to 7:00, [DECAY] to 11:00, and [SUSTAIN] to 1:00.
Chapter 10 EG Basics • Tweak them together When you start out tweaking the EG, you may want to set [SELECT] to both FEG and AEG. This eliminates a lot of confusion about which EG is doing what. For example, if you have separate settings and the FEG opens up long after the AEG has already shut down, you’ll probably not hear much of the sound. Similarly, if the AEG takes its sweet time to unfold — by which time the FEG has already come and gone — the sound may never come through.
Chapter 10 EG Basics 37 Using EG to control the Filter (FEG) In Tip 36 above, we introduced you to the EG and showed you how it works with volume (Amplitude). Now, let’s take a look at what the EG can do with the Filter. These specific FEG setting examples will get you started, and give you a definite feel for how to use EG to change the tonal quality of the sound. In the process, you’ll learn more about how the Filter works, too — and how you can get it to work for you.
Chapter 10 EG Basics 7 Just for good measure, play around with the [DECAY] knob a bit. As with the other controls, tweak this to various settings as you play the keys. Finally, set this to around 1:00 or 2:00 (80 - 90). 8 You’re on your own now! With the above settings as a starting point, go back to each of the EG knobs and play around with them some more. Take a crack at using other controls as well — and hear how they change the sound.
Chapter 10 EG Basics 39 Going negative — with FEG Depth As we promised in the last Tip, here’s a sound-creating pointer that takes advantage of the negative values of FEG Depth. Try these settings out — and hear what it’s like on the “minus” side of the sound. 1 First, get everything set up with the following settings: EG [SELECT]........... to “ALL” (both FEG and AEG) [ATTACK] ................ to around 2:00 (90 - 100) [DECAY].................. to around 1:00 (80) [SUSTAIN] ..............
Chapter 11 Advanced Sound Shaping Controls By this point, you’re well on your way to becoming a master synthesizer programmer. You’ve learned about the Patterns, the Scenes, Effects, the Filter, LFO, EG, and so on — but your education’s not over yet. The DX200 has actually got quite few more sonic tricks up its sleeve. Let’s try some of them out now... 40 Portamento — the famous gliding pitch effect. You’ve heard the sound before.
Chapter 11 Advanced Sound Shaping Controls 41 Selecting the Algorithm Algorithm is one of the fundamental controls behind the FM Synthesis sound of the DX200. It determines how the basic sound-generating elements (operators) of the synthesizer are organized and combined. Without getting into too deep of a discussion of FM Synthesis (you can read more about that on page 116), selecting an Algorithm changes how the six operators are configured.
Chapter 11 Advanced Sound Shaping Controls 42 Shifting Harmonics Now that you’ve tried out a few different Algorithms (in Tip 41 above), tweak the FM sound some more with the Modulator controls. These give you enormous control over the sound of the DX200 Voices — letting you add a rich spectrum of harmonics to the sound, and/or radically change the basic pitch. 1 Select a Pattern and enable the keyboard for playing the Voice.
Chapter 11 Advanced Sound Shaping Controls 43 Mellow or metallic — FM Depth Depending on the other settings, FM Depth can be very subtle, adding harmonics or changing the pitch — almost imperceptibly at times. Keep in mind that it works interdependently with the other Modulator controls, so you’ll need to factor these in as well. (By the way, did you notice the lines on the panel connecting the MODULATOR [SELECT] button with the [HARMONIC], [FM DEPTH], and [DECAY] knobs? All these controls are related.
Chapter 11 Advanced Sound Shaping Controls 44 Controlling the FM Decay Decay is a simple EG-like control (remember Chapter 10?) that lets you control how quickly the volume of the Modulators dies out. This gives you additional control over the tone or timbre of the sound. Keep in mind that the Modulators’ level is controlled by FM Depth, so make sure that FM Depth is set to an appropriately high value. Otherwise Decay will have little effect on the sound.
Chapter 11 Advanced Sound Shaping Controls 46 All kinds of noise Maybe you thought that if you’ve heard one kind of noise, you’ve heard them all. Not true. The Noise Oscillator on the DX200 gives you quite a choice of noise makers — sixteen in all! As we pointed out in Tip 45, noise can be very useful in crafting sounds. Try selecting different noise types here and listen for the difference in sound. 1 Press the MODULATOR [SELECT] button, repeatedly if necessary, to select “ALL.
Chapter 11 Advanced Sound Shaping Controls 47 Fat, phatter and phattest! How phat do you want to get? Key Assign lets you configure the DX200 in either Poly or Mono operation, for full chords or single-note lines. Combined with the Unison setting, this function brings the humongously phat sounds of vintage synthesizers to the digital realm — letting you beef up the FM Voices the old analog way. 1 Call up a Pattern and press [KEYBOARD]. Try to select a Pattern that has a relatively thin, sustained Voice.
Chapter 11 Advanced Sound Shaping Controls 48 Creating your own original Scenes — and saving them The exciting and powerful Scene feature lets you create and use two different Voices within a single Pattern. Most importantly, it lets you instantly switch between them or gradually “morph” from one to the other — all in real time. You tried out some preset Scenes in Tip 23, and heard just how effective, dynamic, and ultimately hip the function can be.
Chapter 12 Free EG Here’s another ultra-cool power tool for the control freak in you. The DX200 is packed with an endless supply of sonic mayhem and wild, shifting synthesizer textures, but you can keep it all under control — with Free EG. 49 Free EG The DX200 has so many real-time control features, it’s hard to get a grip on them all. Feel you need an extra pair of hands? Or maybe an extra two? No problem. Just use the amazing Free EG feature.
Chapter 12 Free EG 3 Start the Pattern, and make your moves. Press the Start/Stop button. The metronome clicks to lead you into the recording, so you can start your knob moves right with the start of the Pattern. Remember the rule: One knob, one track. Once you record a certain knob, no other knob can be recorded to the track (unless you start the whole Free EG recording again). Any tweaking of other knobs is ignored. The display number indicates the current measure number.
Chapter 12 Free EG 50 Changing the Length of your Free EG tracks The flexible little Length feature works both ways — both in recording and playback. It lets you set how long (in measures) your Free EG moves are recorded for, and it lets you separately set how long it takes for them to play back. Set Length before recording any Free EG tracks. Specifically, set it BEFORE you press the red Record button (but after you’ve selected the Pattern) in Step 1 of Tip 49 above.
Chapter 13 Pattern Power Tips It’s time to put your DX200 know-how and experience to work — and delve into these Pattern Power Tips. The first couple of Tips introduce you to some important tools for working with the Patterns, such as copying and erasing data. They’re basic nuts-andbolts stuff, but don’t ignore them.
Chapter 13 Pattern Power Tips 52 Shake, Retrigger, and Roll! In Tip 51, you saw how to use the Top function to play your own stutter hits. Here’s a nifty variation on that function — it’s called Retrigger & Roll. Retrigger & Roll does just as its name suggests. It retriggers notes of the Synth track, and repeats them — like a drum roll. Select a Pattern and start it up. As the Pattern’s running, hold down [SHIFT] and simultaneously press and hold the Start/Stop button.
Chapter 13 Pattern Power Tips 53 Selecting a Voice (Copy Voice) One important step you can take in creating a Pattern is to select the Voice you’ll be using for it. Keep in mind that each Pattern includes a Voice, and that strictly speaking, Voices CANNOT be selected separate from their Patterns. However, this function lets you select a Voice that you like from one Pattern, and copy it to another Pattern. 1 First, select the source Pattern — the one that has the Voice you like.
Chapter 13 Pattern Power Tips 55 Transposing the pitch of a Pattern Try this cool editing tool on your tracks. The Transpose Pattern function lets you change the overall key (pitch) of a Pattern — including the Rhythm tracks. Shift the pitch way up, or bring it way down — there’s a lot of range here to work with. 1 While the Pattern is stopped, simultaneously hold down [SHIFT] and press [13] (MOVE/PITCH). You may have to press the button more than once to call up the “PtCH” (Transpose Pattern) display.
Chapter 13 Pattern Power Tips 56 Copying a Pattern (Sequence) Earlier in this section, in Tip 53, you learned how to copy a Voice from one Pattern to another. Here you’ll learn how to copy a Sequence (the Pattern’s notes) from one Pattern to another. 1 First, select the source Pattern — the one that has the Sequence you like. The word “Sequence” is used here to describe the recorded notes or steps of a Pattern.
Chapter 14 Pattern Recording By this point, you’ve built up a lot of experience twisting and tweaking the Voices, and playing around with the Patterns. Now it’s time to strike out on your own — and create some Patterns yourself. Let’s get started... 57 Erasing a Pattern — and starting from scratch The first thing you’ll need to do when you make your own Pattern is to make room for it on the DX200. To do that, you’ll have to erase or clear one of the factory preset Patterns.
Chapter 14 Pattern Recording 58 Setting the Metronome lead-in When you record your parts in real time, you’ll need a rhythmic guide — a metronome click — to lead you into the recording, and keep you in time. Here, you can set the length of the Metronome lead-in — in other words, how long the Metronome clicks before Real-time recording actually starts. 1 Simultaneously hold down [SHIFT] and press [16] (UTILITY SETUP). You may have to press the button more than once to call up the “mtro” display.
Chapter 14 Pattern Recording 59 Recording a Pattern in real time Up until this point, you’ve been working with the preset Patterns of the DX200. Now, here’s your chance to create some Pattern magic yourself — by recording your own original Patterns. We’ll give you the basic procedure to get you started. You supply the creative ideas and talent. And the DX200 will provide the sonic horsepower you need to produce some truly hip and happening tracks.
Chapter 14 Pattern Recording 7 Start recording. Now, let’s get down to business. Press the Start/Stop button. While listening to the metronome, play the keys on the keyboard. The DX200 has a nifty “Loop Recording” feature that immediately and automatically plays each note you record as the Pattern repeats (loops). This lets you hear the Pattern as you’re recording — making it much easier to “feel” your way to a great recording.
Chapter 14 Pattern Recording 60 Step Recording In Tip 59, you learned how to record a Pattern in real time, by playing the notes on the keyboard as the Pattern was looping. Now, you’ll learn a completely different method — Step recording. Real-time recording is like using a tape recorder — whatever you play is recorded as you play it. Step recording, on the other hand, allows you to enter each note individually — like writing down the notes on a sheet of music paper.
Chapter 14 Pattern Recording ■ Entering the Notes • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • In this section, you’ll be entering the notes (pitches) for each of the sixteen steps. We’re going to show you a quick way to do this. The results here may not be very musical — but they’ll get you started fast and point you in the right direction. 4 Turn all the Steps on. In this condition, all the buttons are probably off. (Remember? You cleared the Pattern...
Chapter 14 Pattern Recording Enter the notes for these Steps in the same way as you did with Steps 1 - 8 above, but use the setting guide below: Again, this is ONLY a guide — make your own settings, if you want. 8 Finally, press the Start/Stop button — and hear your new masterpiece. ■ Gate Time • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • In the next few steps, let’s work with Gate Time and lengthen some of the notes.
Chapter 14 Pattern Recording 15 Set the knobs as shown. Set knobs [1] and [5] to around 2:00. (The display value should be around 90 - 100.) Set knobs [2], [3], [4], [6], [7], and [8] to around 11:00. (The display value should be around 40 - 50.) Or, make your own settings. After all, you’ve mastered the process now. Plus, since you can hear what you’re doing — AS you’re doing it — you can come up with some amazing ideas of your own.
Chapter 14 Pattern Recording Rhythm Tracks The DX200 is filled to the brim with an enormous variety of drum, percussion, and special effects sounds. Put these to good use with the Step Recording features — and create your own awesome beats and smokin’ rhythms. ■ The Basics — Rhythm Track 1 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • In the next few steps, we’ll walk you through the basics — and give you a quick way to edit.
