mLAN16E & MOTIF ES A Getting Started Power User Guide (Studio Manager 2 – Windows: Sonar/Cubase/SQ01v2) Phil Clendeninn Senior Product Specialist Technology Products ©Yamaha Corporation of America MIDI Connections Word Clock Audio Connections
WORD CLOCK: Word Clock in mLAN world is negotiated automatically – again via the same single cable. Word Clock is a necessity when you are using more than one digital device in a setup. Basically it allows you to make one of the devices the Master clock – and although all your digital devices may be set to run at 44.1kHz (44,100 cycles per second), 48kHz, 88.2kHZ or 96kHz – you need to have them agree on what is a “1” and what is a “0” otherwise you will get these seemingly random clicks and pops (errors).
plug in a microphone as an AD input to the Motif ES, you would need to be in Performance or Mix. The same is true for mLAN inputs…you have four pairs of mLAN audio inputs available during any Performance or Mix. If you want to route a PART out via an assignable output you would need to be in Performance or Mix. The same is true for mLAN outputs. • This is not a limitation in any real sense, because if you know about your Motif ES, any Voice can be placed in a PART of a Performance.
mLAN2 Audio Input screen (shown below): • Notice that each mLAN input pair has a setting for Volume, Pan, Reverb Send, Chorus Send, Dry Level, Mono/Stereo select, and Output Select. You can monitor the mLAN input with effects and send the signal out to an mLAN output dry. Right Click on the mLAN Manager icon in your System Tray. Alternatively, you can start the mLAN driver by going to START > All Programs > mLAN Tools > Start mLAN AUTO CONNECTOR Introduced in mLAN version package 1.5.
OUTPUTS from the computer (some future expansion is already planned). You can select a single connector by clicking in the empty space to the right of the number – a small jack will appear. You can hold [SHIFT] on your computer keyboard and click next to number 8 to prep 8 cables for connection. The computer will take a few more seconds to negotiate the setup. • • Open the “Graphic Patchbay”. Right Click on the mLAN Manager icon in the System Tray and select “Graphic Patchbay.
highest quality and capable of transferring signal at 24-bit resolution with up to 96kHz sample rates. And when you think about the cost of the mLAN16E and a single firewire versus 24 high quality analog cables (that still couldn’t function in this manner), the expansion kit has already paid dividends!!! • • • • • • On the MIDI view: connect 4 PORTS from the mLAN16E to the computer and 4 PORTS from the computer back to the mLAN16E.
Chapter: Studio Manager version2 7
When you launch Studio Manager as a separate application you will need to setup the Modify Workspace screen and then set the MIDI Port screen. Launching Yamaha Studio Manager ver2 • If you are using a non-Studio Connections compliant application (something other than Cubase SX3/Nuendo3) you will open Studio Manager separate from your main sequencer program. Basically, setup your DAW software – we will give a few examples below; then launch the Studio Manager host program.
environment. Saving normally will automatically incorporate your Motif ES data with the .cpr or .npr Project file. • it to a VOICE EDITOR File and then Import that Voice Editor file into your active Multi-Part Editor data. Additional Note: The Voice and Multi editors are fully Studio Connections compliant. If you have PLG150 Board Editors (AN Expert, DX Simulator, VL Visual Editor, etc.
and 2) and Drum User Voices – this way you can select sounds by name in the Editor. Each Editor file will archive not only your current MIX it will save the entire internal USER Voice set in one neat file (.m4e). Alternatively, you can ‘import’ other Motif ES Voice Editor files (.w7e) – so you can access any Voice libraries you may have accumulated. • • Under the FILE pulldown find the “Import Voice…” selection This will allow you to browse your computer for your libraries of Voice Editor files (.w7e).
A full listing of the Yamaha Editors will be shown. You simply launch them from this list. When each opens you will need to set the MIDI communication ports to and from the particular Editor.
Chapter: Assigning Parts to mLAN Outputs 12
Assigning Motif ES Outs in a MIX: Routing of PARTS to outputs in the Motif ES is handled typically in Song Mixing or Pattern Mixing modes (however, you can do this in Performance mode). Voice mode only uses the main outputs and does not use Parts. Mainly you will want to work in the Motif ES’s multi-timbral modes. This will give you greater flexibility with routing and processing signal for recording. How you proceed with your session is really personal taste.
indicators disappear from the Reverb and Chorus knobs) and is routed up and to the output. Once you have launched the Voice Editor and double clicked on the Kit you want to edit the above COMMON screen will open. The drum kit you select will be sent to the Motif ES Editor buffer and you will hear your edits immediately. • Click on the ELEMENT KEY button (red circle above) to open a view where you can edit each individual drum.
you start working you realize that, OF COURSE you do. When multi-tracking who cares if you do them all at one time? Modern recording sessions rarely assemble all the musicians at one time. It was maybe 30 years ago the last time “live” in the studio sessions were the norm. (I remember those days...
and simply record your entire Motif ES sequence as a stereo track. Or you can as I outlined briefly above - split it out to as many mono and stereo pairs of tracks as you desire to accomplish your mix. The idea is to get the music to your DAW with the number of tracks that you feel will make sense to accomplish the sound you are going after. There are some projects where you may print the drums to a stereo track ...
Chapter: SONAR 17
SONAR 3 / SONAR 4 There is no one-way to proceed, but for the sake of this article let’s continue with what a Motif ES with mLAN can provide in the way of routing AUDIO and MIDI. Make sure LOCAL CONTROL is OFF: [UTILITY] > [F5] MIDI > [SF2] SWITCH. Select mLAN as your MIDI I/O and Sonar as your “MODE-A” Remote Setting assignment.
In general 24-bit will give you better sound quality while tracking. Of course, when you burn a CD you will have to dither down to 16-bit (44.1kHz). SONAR – Setup a MIDI Track Recording MIDI data into Sonar is handled as usual. If you are new to Sonar please consult the manual for Sonar. Nothing has changed in how you record MIDI data to Sonar - other than the fact that you are now using mLAN MIDI Ins and Outs. Here is a close-up of the data on a typical MIDI track.
Left ASIO mLAN mLAN 01 is the first of 16 possible mLAN inputs… Select this if the signal is mono. Right ASIO mLAN mLAN 01 is the second of 16 possible inputs… Select if the signal is mono. If your signal is a stereo input it will use both of these – and you would select “Stereo ASIO mLAN mLAN 01”. Patch – The sound selected in this screen shot is the drum kit Dr: Hyper STD. The red arrow indicates the Sonar “AUTO THRU” function. We are operating with the Local Control Off on the Motif ES.
You can select any pair of inputs on the mLAN16E card that suits you. These would typically be so you could monitor the signal. The signal comes back to one of the four-mLAN AUDIO IN screens: Signal sent on ASIO mLAN 07 (&08) coming into mLAN4 (is shown in the bottom screen shot above) is heard as audio coming back to the Motif ES.
Chapter: Cubase SX3 22
Cubase There is no one-way to proceed, but for the sake of this article let’s continue with what a Motif ES with mLAN can provide in the way of routing AUDIO and MIDI in Cubase SX3.
Cubase MIDI Track setup A close up of a MIDI track information box shows the following: MIDI IN is set to “mLAN MIDI In”; if in the past you were used to working with ALL MIDI IN (basically any incoming channel) please alter your operating procedure. It is imperative that you select specifically which MIDI input you are going to record. In a ‘network’ you are likely to have more than one port sending data.
What about Studio Connections and using the Motif ES Editors within Cubase SX3? If you have installed Studio Manager v2.x.x and the Voice and Multi-Part Editors and have setup a workspace as described earlier in the article, you can use them inside of Cubase SX3. They can be useful in archiving not only the current Voice selection but all the Mix parameters and in fact, the entire User 1, User 2 and User Drum Voices current in the Motif ES.
can work without a computer on line. And your system is easily expandable. When using the VOICE EDITOR you will want to store your edit to in a VOICE EDITOR (.w7e) file. Then you will import that newly created VOICE EDITOR file with the Multi-Part Editor. This way you will always have the current data associated with your session. Shown here on the toolbar of the MULTI editor is the Import Voice function.
Chapter: SQ01v2 27
When you are ready to use any of the editors you can click on the list shown above or you can even place Quick Launch icons on your main toolbar. SQ01v2 You can think of the SQ01v2 as an advanced entry-level program. While worth much more than its “free” status would lead you to believe, it can give you a real good idea of the hardware/software integration concept. The SQ01v2 is OPT compliant.
When working with the SQ01v2 find the SETUP pulldown and select your MIDI Device. A typical setup with Motif ES is shown above – activate “mLAN MIDI In” Ports 1-4 and “mLAN MIDI Out” Ports 1-4. Under SETUP locate the Tone Generator function. Here you can associate the mLAN MIDI OUT port to the Motif ES – allowing you to select sounds using the “Generator” option on the main track screen. This will let you see a list of the Voices in your Motif ES.
Chapter: Multi-Part Editor 30
sequencer data – this way when you recall the song file you can go and get the Mix data as well. You will immediately see the benefit that the Multi Part Editor has over the definition files or mixer script files because it contains everything you tweaked about the Motif ES. The Multi Part Editor is every parameter in your Motif ES MIXING mode setup including how you have the signal routed per Part.
and later) is the +6dB boost parameter per mLAN output pair. This can help bring MIDI tracks with softer performances up in level when rendering them as audio via mLAN. have unbelievable tools in terms of editing and tweaking your performance. You can adjust velocity, fix wrong (or unfortunate) notes, you can perfect the performance. Audio tracks have ‘a certain permanence’ about them and of course, allow you to record things that are acoustic.
