Synth Forum

Notifications
Clear all

Combining a YC61 with a second keyboard via MIDI

11 Posts
6 Users
0 Likes
1,841 Views
Posts: 0
Active Member
Topic starter
 

Dear Yamaha Synth Forum,

As a newbie in playing keys, I am a very late beginner (57), but have some ideas what I want to achieve and have some questions that I could find. Next to piano and synth sounds I really like B3 based music.
I just bought a YC61 10 days ago. I asked the seller if NAMM would show a 73 key version of it and he didn't expect that.
He was as surprised as I was seeing the YC73 and YC88 being introduced less than a week ago.
I decided not to return the unit in favour of a YC73 as i think that I like the smooth waterfall keys on the 61.

As my (not to) future plan is to make a dual manual keyboard I have the idea to add a second one and connect it to the YC61 as the lower one (2ManualLo)

Question 1
As the CP73 is a lot lower cost than a YC73, I think that this one is a great addition. It will be fine to use them separately and in the mode where I only use the CP73 as a MIDI device the keybeds of the YC73 and CP73 look like they are the same.
This connection will be done via the DIN cable. Is this a fair statement?
And will the MIDI connection give the same feel and expression as the local keyboard (with the difference of the two keybed constructions), so touch/velocity sensitive?
In other words, will the CP73 play identical via MIDI to the YC61 as a YC73 would?

Question 2
I can also loop the YC61 to the CP73 via the analog out and input respectively and come out of the set analog balanced (XLR) as the YC61 has only unbalanced outputs. This connection will be short, leaving the balanced out for the long run. Will this still work when the CP73 is in MIDI out mode? (and to disable the mix of of the local outputs of the CP73 I toggle off the 3 generators) .... is this correct?
In non-MIDI mode I just have two keyboard that are mixed in the analog output domain.
Can the 2ManualLo setting be part of a preset?

Question 3
Does the CP73 have sounds that the YC has not?

Thanks a lot Forum,
Cheers,
Peter

 
Posted : 20/01/2021 9:57 am
Bad Mister
Posts: 0
 

Please see the following article:

Link: Mastering YC: Connecting External Keyboards

 
Posted : 21/01/2021 1:04 am
Posts: 0
Active Member
Topic starter
 

Thanks Bad Mister, that is indeed a fantastic link with additional explanations.

Can you add something about my question 2 and/or 3?
Cheers,
Peter

 
Posted : 21/01/2021 9:15 am
david
Posts: 0
Reputable Member
 

Sorry Peter but you have exceeded your limit of questions (1) for a single session. Kidding.

I tried 20 times to midi the Fantom to the YC and it never would work correctly. It would only play the voice in channel one or something.

My advice: Get a Fantom and/or the SKPRO in March. I've been a Yamaha guy for 40 years but they are off the rails with this new management and dark order.

I own the YC61 but the OS update wasn't much to talk about and Yamaha made this thing to be way to limited. SKPRO will bury it and I've never owned a Hammond but will in March.

If I'm wrong I will come back and say so here but the SKPRO looks to be extremely versatile capable of playing 10 (Organ+ Mono Synth+ (4) part Ensemble/Piano 1 + (4) part Ensemble/Piano 2) parts simultaneously not that you need them all, custom storage for 4 engine created voice types and a real tilted color display that you can actually read etc.

 
Posted : 22/01/2021 2:57 am
Bad Mister
Posts: 0
 

Question 2
I can also loop the YC61 to the CP73 via the analog out and input respectively and come out of the set analog balanced (XLR) as the YC61 has only unbalanced outputs. This connection will be short, leaving the balanced out for the long run. Will this still work when the CP73 is in MIDI out mode? (and to disable the mix of of the local outputs of the CP73 I toggle off the 3 generators) .... is this correct?
In non-MIDI mode I just have two keyboard that are mixed in the analog output domain.
Can the 2ManualLo setting be part of a preset?

Yes, when you are using the CP as a MIDI controller, you can choose to use its own sounds, you can switch them off if you wish, or you could turn Local Control = Off. Which you do will depend on what else your doing.
A Live Set will store your settings.

Question 3
Does the CP73 have sounds that the YC has not?

Yes, it does. The Live Set Sounds and Voice Lists are listed in the manuals which are available for download. The CP is piano-centric (for example,includes the Bosendorfer Imperial among its acoustic pianos)... the YC is organ-centric (contains physical models of Tone Wheel organs and Rotary Speakers).

 
Posted : 22/01/2021 3:23 am
Posts: 0
Active Member
Topic starter
 

Hi Bad Mister, thanks again for your reply.
The SKPro is another €1000 more expensive and I like to do more than just Organ, but a nice piece indeed.
Cheers,
Peter

 
Posted : 23/01/2021 6:37 pm
Jason
Posts: 7896
Illustrious Member
 

Peter, FYI - an article covering the SK Pro has the following title:

Hammond’s SK Pro stage keyboard isn’t just an organ - it’s a synth as well

Deciding on price is fine - I just wanted to chime in to help curb what may be a misconception.

 
Posted : 23/01/2021 8:59 pm
Posts: 799
Prominent Member
 

I tried 20 times to midi the Fantom to the YC and it never would work correctly. It would only play the voice in channel one or something.

YC61 puts all of its sounds on a single MIDI channel (which also means it only receives on one channel). But even though all the sounds are on the same MIDI channel, you can still selectively choose which of those sounds you want an external board to trigger. By default, an external board will play the same sounds that are assigned to the internal keys. But based on the External Keyboard section of the manual (pages 45-46), you can independently have Keys A or Keys B or an upper or lower Organ manual triggered only by the external keys. Pretty much any combination you can think of, in terms of splitting its organ/keysA/keysB sounds across the 2 keyboards, can be accomplished with the settings described there.

As for the SK Pro, that does look like a nice board. But there are always trade-offs. It's 25% pricier ($2500 vs $2k), and you lose almost all the front panel effects controls. So you gain some things, you lose others...

 
Posted : 17/02/2021 4:40 pm
 Jim
Posts: 0
Eminent Member
 

But based on the External Keyboard section of the manual (pages 45-46), you can independently have Keys A or Keys B or an upper or lower Organ manual triggered only by the external keys. Pretty much any combination you can think of, in terms of splitting its organ/keysA/keysB sounds across the 2 keyboards, can be accomplished with the settings described there.

It is a pretty handy feature. It's nice too that these configurations are not globally set...i.e. you can have them change per Live Set. I just did a quick three part set up using the YC with my PX 5S....I appreciated the simplicity of it. I'm planning ahead for a July gig and I will definitely use this feature.

If you want to use the YC for recording or sequence playback, the one MIDI channel limitation becomes more problematic but using the split with some creative adjustments of octave ranges and the like you at least can get two separate but simultaneous sounds on one MIDI channel. Further, looks like the YC may be upgraded to MIDI 2.0 at some point which, as I understand it, will greatly increase the MIDI capabilities and DAW integration possibilities. Yamaha's Ben Israel sent me this link and encouraged me to share it suggesting I focus the "Profiles" video in particular: https://www.midi.org/midi-articles/the-midi-association-at-namm-s-believe-in-music-week-2021 It's a lot for an old man like me to absorb...it seems like yesterday I was drilling holes in the back of my Korg PolySix to install an after-market MIDI kit.

 
Posted : 17/02/2021 7:24 pm
Posts: 799
Prominent Member
 

p.s. -- I mentioned that, compared to the SK Pro, the YC61 has the advantages of price and front panel effects controls... other advantages are LED ring endless encoders, and audio over USB. And based on history, I suspect Yamaha will have the better sounding piano sound, and there's a good chance it will also be better at things like strings/brass/winds. And if Hammond is using the same action they've used on other SK models, I think many people may prefer Yamaha's action. Of course, the SK has its advantages too. The point is that each can be someone's better choice.

 
Posted : 19/02/2021 5:02 am
david
Posts: 0
Reputable Member
 

Yamaha might sound better on those other voices. Still deciding on either the SKpro or the Arturia Polybrute since I already have the YC73.

 
Posted : 19/02/2021 6:15 am
Share:

© 2024 Yamaha Corporation of America and Yamaha Corporation. All rights reserved.    Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Contact Us