Yamaha MU128

Buy PDF

Sound Module

Published in SOS February 1999

Printer-friendly version

Reviews : Sound Module

Yamaha's latest XG MIDI module achieves more onboard sounds and greater polyphony and multitimbrality than previous tone generators -- and allows users to install additional synthesizer and effects boards. Simon Trask explores the power of MU...

The MU series of GM/XG sound modules from Yamaha emerged in the mid-'90s as the company's response to Roland's SC series of GM/GS modules. In essence, they are playback modules rooted in the General MIDI tradition of sonic standardisation and categorisation, as opposed to the category-busting experimentation of creative synthesis. Another tradition -- that of competition -- has seen successive flagship releases from both companies steadily up the number and quality of both sounds and effects, as well as the amount of polyphony and multitimbrality available, resulting in modules which are impressively powerful and versatile while retaining the core attributes of GM.

With their latest addition to the MU series, the MU128, Yamaha are aiming to show that there's still more mileage to be had from the MU/XG concept. As well as providing more sounds, polyphony and multitimbrality than ever before, Yamaha's new MU module also lets users plug in daughterboards which augment the module's sample-based sounds and internal effects with additional synthesis methods and effects processing.

Yamaha's approach to naming their MU modules follows a couple of simple rules: the more powerful the module, the bigger the number, while if it's a rackmount as opposed to a desktop module then an R needs to be added on the end. Accordingly, the MU128 is the most powerful MU module yet, not just incrementing but doubling the polyphony and multitimbrality of the previous flagship MU100R, and further upping the number of sampled sounds. It also sees Yamaha reverting to the desktop module format, having previously gone rackmount with the MU90R and MU100R.

Rather impressively, the 128 of the module's name equates to the amount of polyphony it offers, while the multitimbrality is an equally impressive 64 parts, receiving on up to 64 MIDI channels via the module's rear-panel To Host serial port connection. In its XG mode, the

YAMAHA MU128 £749 pros Warm, full, dynamic ensemble sound. Large, well-rounded collection of sample-based XG MIDI instrumental sounds. 128-voice polyphony. 64-part multimbrality (via computer serial port connection). Plenty of high-quality effects with versatile multi-effects architecture, and effected audio inputs for external instruments. Sonic expandability via support for PLG plug-in boards. cons All XG and PLG sounds are output via a single stereo pair. Limited sound editing, and for Parts only. Fiddly front-panel buttons and operation. summary An impressive sample-based desktop playback module, also capable of sonic expansion utilising different synthesis methods, the MU128 is Yamaha's most powerful and versatile MU model to date -- and is available at a competitive price.

The module's 2U height also means that, despite being a half-rack unit, it can retain the data entry dial of the MU90R and MU100R, and add a second, alternative MIDI IN A socket and an array of individual Voice category select buttons on the front panel. The latter allow you to jump straight to the first Voice in each GM/XG instrument category, the GM/XG drum kits, or a bank of Voices which doesn't conform to the GM ordering. The small buttons and cramped layout make front-panel operation a fiddly business physically, yet the streamlined user interface and the large, informative LCD with its graphical, iconic approach and large text allow you to find your way around the module fairly quickly and easily.

There are two types of XG Voice: Normal and Drum. The former are pitched instrumental Voices, while the latter contain only drum and percussion sounds. Each of the MU128's 64 Parts can be assigned one Normal or one Drum Voice; with the latter, you can select one of the 37 available preset kits or one of four global user-edited kit memories (drum S1-S4). The new module also follows the MU90R and MU100R in providing two additional Parts in the form of front-panel A/D jack sockets into each of which you

A normal XG Voice consists or either one or two Elements (sampled sounds), with each Element requiring one voice of polyphony. While this means the maximum polyphony is only available if no two-Element Voices are used, the MU128's generous 128-note polyphony means there are plenty of voices to go round. Like Roland's rival GS format, Yamaha's XG MIDI extends General MIDI by providing Variations on the 128 General MIDI sounds. You use MIDI program numbers to select the type of GM sound, and MIDI Bank Select LSB values to scroll through the available variation sounds for each GM sound. In this way the standardised GM organisation of sounds is maintained, while any alternatives to each of the 128 basic sounds can readily be selected.

What you can't do on the MU128, or any of the other MUs before it, is edit any of the Voices directly. Assigning different samples to the Elements of a Voice is definitely verboten -- after all, it would be completely going against the grain of the XG Variation concept. Again like

So what can you do to change a Voice? At the synthesis level, you can edit filter, EG and vibrato settings. For the filter section you can adjust the programmed low-pass cutoff frequency, and resonance and high-pass cutoff frequency values. You are offered control over the attack, decay and release times of a common level/filter EG, as well as the initial level, atack time, release level and release time of a separate pitch EG. You can also play with pitch by changing vibrato rate, depth and delay settings. In addition, each Part has its own two-band EQ, and you can change frequency and gain individually for the low and high bands. Send amounts for the reverb, chorus and variation effects can also be set per Part. Further Part-specific parameters include volume, pan, note shift (+/-24), MIDI receive channel, note and velocity high/low limits, mono/poly play, portamento on/off and time, and settings for pitch bend, mod wheel and assignable controller response. There are also several All Part parameters: master volume, master attenuator, transposition, and reverb, chorus and variation return levels.

Drumkit editing on the MU128 is impressively versatile. Starting with one of the preset kits, you can change parameter settings for each sound in the kit (though you can't select different sounds), after which you write your edited kit to one of the four user kit memories. For each individual kit sound, you can set parameter values governing pitch, level, pan, effect send levels, filtering (including resonance), two-band EQ, EG attack and decay, alternate group assignment (for specifying which sounds will cut each other off), and whether or not the MU128 responds to MIDI Note Ons and Offs.

In addition to the two-band EQ available for each Part, the MU128 provides six other effects: Reverb, Chorus, Variation, Insertion 1, Insertion 2, and Multi EQ. The first two are System or global effects common to all the Parts, while the third can be global or Part-specific depending on whether you set the effect configuration mode to System or Insertion. Global effects have Part-specific send levels, while the two Insertion effects and Variation-as-Insertion can each be assigned to any one of the 64 Parts -- so, for instance, three Parts could each have one effect, or one Part could have three effects in series (Insertion 1 - Insertion 2 - Variation). In addition, the System effects can operate in parallel or in series, with the latter further controlled by the send levels along the chain Variation - Chorus - Reverb.

The Multi EQ is a five-band equaliser (Low, Lo Mid, Mid, Hi Mid, High) which can be used to adjust the final, effected stereo signal by means of 12dB cut/boost on each frequency. There are five preset EQ settings that you can choose from (Flat, Jazz, Pops, Rock, and Concert), and you can also use these presets as a starting point for creating your own settings. It is advisable to save these, as with any edits you make in the course of creating a song environment on the MU128, to a sequencer or data filer as part of an All or Multi MIDI SysEx dump.

The MU128 provides 100 preset and 100 user-programmable Performance memories. A Performance can utilise either Parts 1-4 or Parts 1-2 plus the two A-D Parts. With the former option, up to four Voices can

Performances let you play sound combinations and textures that you can't get with single Voices; on the other hand, you lose the extended MIDI multitimbrality of the MU128's XG and TG modes. Yamaha's view is that Performances are intended for live performance work rather than sequencing (hence the name, of course). However, if you think otherwise, you can create a Performance-type texture for sequencing use in multi mode -- you simply assign several Parts to the same MIDI channel and program the required Part settings. This way you can create textures

The MU128 has two MIDI In sockets, A and B, respectively controlling Parts A1-A16 and B1-B16 for up to 32-part MIDI multitimbrality. If you want to use more than 32 parts you'll need to run a serial cable from the module's rear-panel To Host socket directly to a serial port on your computer (Mac or PC). This way, providing your sequencing setup can address multiple virtual ports (and any professional sequencing package should be able to do this), you can address all 64 of the MU128's Parts over the serial cable via ports 1-4 (ie. 4 x 16 MIDI channels). The MU128 can even route MIDI data received on a fifth port (user-definable in System mode) directly to its MIDI Out socket, so you can run an additional 16 channels on one or more external MIDI instruments. Not only does the To Host option give you access to all 64 Parts, it also removes the

Specification     Sound generation method: AWM2 (sample-based subtractive). Maximum polyphony: 128 voices. Multitimbrality: 64 parts (4 x 16 MIDI channels), with dynamic voice allocation. Modes: XG, TG300B. Performance Voices: 1342 total (1149 in XG mode, 664 in TG300B mode). Drum kits: 47 total (37 in XG mode, 10 in TG300B mode). Performances: 100 preset, 100 user. Effects: reverb (12 types), chorus (14 types), Variation (70 types), Insertion 1 & 2 (43 types), multi EQ (4 types), part EQ (1 type). Display: custom backlit graphical LCD. Connections: front panel -- headphones stereo mini-jack, audio jack inputs 1 & 2, MIDI In A socket rear panel -- Left and Right audio input phonos, Left and Right audio output phonos, DC in power socket, To Host socket with Host Select switch (Mac, PC1, PC2, MIDI), MIDI sockets (In A and B, Out, Thru). Expansion: up to three PLG plug-in boards, simultaneously available. Weight: 1.9kg. Dimensions: 219.5mm (W) x 229.5mm (D) x 91.1mm (H).

The key advances that the MU128 brings to the MU range are a doubling of polyphony and multitimbrality and the opening up of the plug-in architecture first introduced on the MU100R – ie. the fact that users can plug in complete synthesizers and effect processors on daughterboards. Sonically the MU128 represents familiar MU/XG territory in the character, quality, array and organisation of its Voices. This is an all-round (and a well-rounded) instrument, providing an impressive number and variety of sample-based sounds, which are strongest in ensemble use -- its primary intended application, of course, is playing back GM/XG songs. There's a warmth, fullness, vitality and depth to the MU ensemble sound which is very appealing. A classy, versatile multi-effects section plays its part here; although the MU128 doesn't offer any advances over previous MU modules in this department, the quality and number of effects provided is already impressive (Insertion effects on more than the usual two Parts would have been welcome, though). The familiar effectable audio inputs are, as always, a welcome inclusion. The new module is understandably more expensive than the MU90R, and with VL and VH boards fitted would be more expensive than the MU100R -- but again, this is understandable given the doubled polyphony and multitimbrality and the open plug-in architecture. All in all, if you're after the greatest power and flexibility that MU/XG has to offer, the MU128 is the module you want.

information

MU128 £749, PLG100VH £99, PLG100VL £119, PLG100DX £199. Prices include VAT. Yamaha-Kemble brochure line +44 (0)1908 369269. +44 (0)1908 368872. www.yamaha.co.uk