FCC INFORMATION (U.S.A.) 1. IMPORTANT NOTICE: DO NOT MODIFY THIS UNIT! This product, when installed as indicated in the instructions contained in this manual, meets FCC requirements. Modifications not expressly approved by Yamaha may void your authority, granted by the FCC, to use the product. 2. IMPORTANT: When connecting this product to accessories and/or another product use only high quality shielded cables. Cable/s supplied with this product MUST be used. Follow all installation instructions.
SPECIAL MESSAGE SECTION This product utilizes batteries or an external power supply (adapter). DO NOT connect this product to any power supply or adapter other than one described in the manual, on the name plate, or specifically recommended by Yamaha. WARNING: Do not place this product in a position where anyone could walk on, trip over ,or roll anything over power or connecting cords of any kind.
The G50 is a high-performance Guitar MIDI Converter designed to work in conjunction with the Yamaha G1D Divided Pickup Unit installed on an electric or steel-string acoustic guitar. The G50 offers unprecedented MIDI guitar synthesizer performance with exceptionally fast response and a range of advanced features that bring the true creative potential of MIDI control to guitar players for the first time.
Precautions !! PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE PROCEEDING !! ■ Location Do not expose the G50 to the following conditions to avoid deformation, discoloration, or more serious damage. • Direct sunlight (e.g. near a window). • High temperatures (e.g. near a heat source, outside, or in a car during the daytime). • Excessive humidity. • Excessive dust. • Strong vibration.
G50 Overview The G50 is basically an “interface” which converts the analog output from a G1D Divided Pickup Unit installed on your guitar (or directly from the guitar’s normal output if used without the G1D in the mono synthesizer mode) to corresponding MIDI data which is transmitted to a MIDI tone generator to produce the “synthesized” sound output.
The Controls & Connectors Front Panel 1 [POWER] Switch Press to turn the G50 power on or off. The PARAMETER & MEMORY#/VALUE display will light when the power is on. 2 INPUT-DIVIDED Connector One end of the multi-pin cable supplied with the G50 plugs in here. The cable plugs in with the release button facing upward. This is a locking connector — the release button must be pressed to unplug the cable. The other end of cable connects to the G1D Divided Pickup Unit (refer to the G1D owner’s manual for details).
Rear Panel K DC IN Connector N SUSTAIN/HOLD Jack The DC output cable from the Yamaha PA-3B AC adaptor or another adaptor recomended by Yamaha is plugged in here. Page 6 for details. A Yamaha FC4 or FC5 footswitch can be connected to this jack for sustain or hold operation. Page 18 for details. O MIDI IN and OUT Connectors L GUITAR DIRECT OUT Jack The MIDI OUT connector connects to one or more external tone generators or synthesizers to be driven by the G50.
Setting Up Power Supply Plug the DC output cable from the AC adaptor into the DC IN jack on the rear panel, then plug the adaptor into a convenient wall AC power socket. It is also a good idea to clip the adaptor’s DC cable into the cable clip on the G50 rear panel to minimize the possibility of accidentally unplugging the cable during operation. DC-IN DC-IN ■ CAUTION • Turn your tone generator on before turning on the G50.
MIDI Channel Settings The G50 has three MIDI channel modes. Be sure to select the right mode for the type of tone generator and setup you are using. Multi-channel Mode (settings “S 1” through “S 16” on the G50 display). In this mode the MIDI data derived from each individual guitar string is transmitted from the G50 via a different MIDI channel. This mode is suited for use with a “multi-timbral” tone generator such as the Yamaha MU80 or MU50. This mode is fully polyphonic (i.e.
Preset Program Sets In addition to the normal “user” programs, the G50 has 3 preset program sets designed specifically for use with certain tone generators, as follows: This is the normal user-programmable G50 memory. The factory preset program conform to the standard GM (General MIDI) voice assignments. The “1” preset program set contains a selection of programs designed for use with the Yamaha MU80 or MU50. This set has been created for use with the Yamaha VL70-m.
Input Level Adjustment Before actually playing your MIDI guitar it might be a good idea to adjust the G50 input gain for each string. This will ensure optimum sensitivity so that picking nuances will not be lost, while at the same time avoiding wrong pitch detection. You may have to re-adjust the input levels if you change the string height on your guitar, or switch to a different type of strings.
Tuning The G50’s built-in tuner makes it easy to precisely tune your guitar — even in a noisy environment. 1. Engage the Tuner Mode Press the [TUNER] button. The red indicator above the [TUNER] button will light and the current base tuning pitch will appear on the display: normally “A 440”. Although standard “concert pitch” is A = 440 Hz, the base pitch can be set anywhere from 440 to 445 hertz in 1hertz steps at this point by using the [-1] and [+1] buttons. PARAMETER 2.
Play Mode Any of the G50’s 128 “programs” can be selected and played in the PLAY mode. Each program includes a range of settings which determine, for example, how the G50 responds to notes you play on the guitar, which voice is selected on your tone generator, split modes, and more. The actual settings for each program can be individually edited by you via the EDIT mode, described in the following section.
G1D [UP]/[DOWN] Button Modes As described above, the G1D [DOWN] and [UP] buttons normally function in the same way as the G50 panel [-1] and [+1] buttons. This, however, is actually just one of three possible G1D [UP]/[DOWN] button modes. Memory/Value Mode (“dE”) The normal G1D [UP]/[DOWN] button mode in which the [DOWN] and [UP] buttons function in the same way as the G50 panel [-1] and [+1] buttons.
Edit Mode The EDIT mode lets you set up each of the G50’s programs for the response and playing features you require. The EDIT mode includes 25 parameters, each identified by a letter of the alphabet from “A” to “Y”. The parameters are divided into three groups according to function: • Guitar Setup (parameters “A” through “G”) • External TG Setup (parameters “H” through “P”) • Realtime Control (parameters “Q” through “Y”) The parameters are accessed and edited as follows: ■ Edit and Write Operation 1.
Guitar Setup The “Guitar Setup” parameters (“A” through “G”) determine how the G50 responds to what you play on the guitar. These settings are important for achieving optimum response with your own instrument and playing style. continuously. The ideal setting will depend on your guitar’s pickup, noise levels, and the G50 input level settings. It may be necessary to readjust the Note Off Level setting if you change the G50 input level settings.
G: Pitch Bend Range Settings: 0 … 24 Sets the maximum range of pitch bend data generated by the G50. The minimum setting of “0” produces no pitch bend data, while the maximum setting of “24” allows the G50 to produce pitch bend data over a 2-octave range. Each step corresponds to a semitone: a setting of “4” produces a pitch bend range corresponding to an interval of a third, a setting of “7” produces a pitch bend range corresponding to an interval of a fifth, etc.
