ET VITAM VENTURI II (1995) for Yamaha FB01 Sound Generator or TX81Z Tone Generator and MIDI Keyboard Arthur B. Hunkins And I look for the resurrection of the dead. And the life of the world to come. Apostles' Creed And Jesus said to him, "Verily I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise." Luke 23:43 GENERAL ET VITAM VENTURI II is a live performance work for either Yamaha FB01 Sound Generator or TX81Z Tone Generator and MIDI Keyboard. Musical results and performance are the same for both Yamaha synthesizers; only their software setup differs. The work is a companion piece to ET VITAM VENTURI for two Yamaha PSS-480/PSS-680 synthesizers. Musically the pieces are very similar; only the opening and close are significantly different. However, varying features of the synthesizers themselves dictate entirely contrasting performance and setup procedures. The stereo output from FB01 or TX81Z is run to a stereo amplifier. VITAM II may be performed in either mono or stereo mode. If stereo is selected, place the speakers so that stereo imaging is only modest. (If such placement is not feasible, select mono mode.) Preset amplifier level to moderate at any point starting with the third event (tone 2). Only the two opening and closing sounds are slightly softer than the rest. Any MIDI keyboard of four octaves of more may be used to control the synthesizer. (If it is velocity sensitive, so much the better--see below.) The lowest key of all four- and five-octave keyboards seems to be MIDI C3, two octaves below middle C, MIDI C5. This work uses the four octaves from C3 to C7, all of a four-octave keyboard or the four bottom octaves of a five-octave keyboard. Throughout these instructions, pitches refer to KEYS PLAYED, not to sounding pitch (which may be different, especially with respect to octave; see below). One MIDI cable is required. ET VITAM VENTURI II exists in four variants, one of which is chosen for a particular performance. On the FB01, these variants are represented by four "configurations," named Vitam1 through Vitam4. Vitam1 and 2 are basic 2-op FM sounds; Vitam1's are simpler and more focussed, while Vitam2's are richer in sidebands. Vitam3 and 4 correspond to 1 and 2, but are 4-op sounds that incorporate subtle beating. (This creates a bit more animation.) On the TX81Z, the third and fourth variants are obtained by loading a different (second) "voice bank," while selecting either VITAM1 or VITAM2 as a "performance." (FB01 "configurations" equal TX81Z "performances;" both synthesizers require a "voice bank.") In this work, the keyboard is divided into eight "ranges" (i.e., an eight- way split). Each range except the last, spans the interval of a perfect fourth--either C to F or F# to B. Thus, range 1 is C3-F3; range 2, F#3-B3; range 3, C4-F4; range 4, F#4-B4; range 5, C5 (MIDI middle C and midpoint of the four-octave range) to F5; range 6, F#5-B5; range 7, C6-F6; and range 8, F#6-C7 (including the extra half-step on top). The "top" two octaves, ranges 5-8, sound DOWN two octaves, duplicating the pitch of the the lower half. However, the lower half is detuned one-quarter of a step up, so that the "low" octaves actually sound a quarter step higher than the upper two. In sum, it helps to think of the right half of the keyboard as duplicating the left half, with the left half a quarter-step higher than the right. This left/right orientation also has relevance to stereo imaging. The left half (ranges 1-4) sounds on the left speaker, the right half (5-8) on the right. Also, corresponding ranges 2 and 6 (the lower F# to B on each half) sound on BOTH channels (center position). Each range is assigned a single note and a unique bell sonority. The prominent bell-tone sidebands are noted in the list below. The bell is identified by its range number (1-8). Besides the eight "bells," there are two other sonorities, "frame1" and "frame2," that are associated with range 2 in that they play range 2 pitches. They precede/introduce tone 2 at the beginning, and reappear at the very end. Since these and tone 2 use the same range, none of them can overlap. This is the reason for the somewhat unusual switching that marks the beginning and end of performance, where these tones occur in direct succession (for details, see "Sample Realization.") SETUP Software preparation of the two synthesizers is quite different. Each is described below. FB01-- First, prepare the FB01 to receive the "configuration" and "voice bank" files by "unprotecting" it as follows: Press the SYSTEM SETUP key (twice) until Protect ON appears; then press DATA ENTRY -1/NO one time (display changes to Protect OFF). Continue by pressing SYSTEM SETUP again (six times) until the original display reappears. Next, connect the MIDI cable between MIDI Out on the MPU-401 style interface to MIDI In on the FB01. Get to the floppy drive directory (a: or b:) that contains this diskette and type MIDIEX . (MIDIEX is a shareware system EXclusive file transfer utility.) Choose T (for Transfer) then type the filename, VITAMCFG.FB1 , then again. (This loads the four "ConFiGurations.") In a moment, the display "dump/received" should appear; if it doesn't, recheck these steps. Press SYSTEM SETUP once, then DATA ENTRY +1/YES. The display should now include the name "Vitam." (If it doesn't, press one of the DATA ENTRY keys until it does.) Repeat the transfer process by choosing T again, typing the new filename, VITAMVB.FB1 then . (This loads the Voice Bank, i.e., the instruments/tones for all variants.) "Dump/received" should again appear. Then press SYSTEM SETUP. The display returns to configuration identifier "Vitam" and the download procedure is complete. Hit ESC to exit from MIDIEX. The FB01 is now programmed; you have only to select which of the four variants you wish to perform. This is done with the two DATA ENTRY keys. The various "configurations" are indicated by the bracketed numbers 1 through 4 in the display, followed by their names (Vitam1-4). In immediate preparation for performance: press INST SELECT (usually once) until #2 appears at the left margin of the display. Then press VOICE SELECT, which should display (to the right) a tone number of "2" or "2+." Now press DATA ENTRY -1/NO twice; the tone should now be indicated as "frame1" or "frame1+." Keep the display on this "Voice Select" screen during performance, pressing only the DATA ENTRY buttons as appropriate. The piece begins and ends with "frame1(+)." TX81Z-- First, prepare the TX81Z to receive the "performance" and "voice bank" files by "unprotecting" it as follows: Press PLAY/PERFORM until it displays PLAY SINGLE (it may already do so); then press UTILITY. Press the PARAMETER keys until Mem Protect:on appears, then press the DEC button one time (the display changes to Mem Protect:off). Continue by pressing PLAY/PERFORM again. Next, connect the MIDI cable between MIDI Out on the MPU-401 style interface to MIDI In on the TX81Z. Get to the floppy drive directory (a: or b:) that contains this diskette and type MIDIEX . Choose T then type the filename, VITAMPRF.TX , then again. (This loads the two "Performances.") In a moment, the display "Midi Received" should appear; if it doesn't, recheck these steps. Press PLAY/PERFORM once; the display should now include the name "VITAM." (If it doesn't, press one of the DATA ENTRY keys until it does.) You must now decide whether you wish to use the purer 2-op voices or the slightly more animated, beat-enhanced 4-op's. Select VITAMVB1.TX for 2-op, VITAMVB2.TX for 4-op. Repeat the transfer process by choosing T again, typing the new filename, either VITAMVB1.TX or VITAMVB2.TX , then . "Midi Received" should again appear. Then press PLAY/PERFORM twice to return to performance identifier "VITAM" and the download procedure is complete. Hit EXC to exit from MIDIEX. The TX81Z is now programmed; you have only to select one of the two "performances." This is done with the two DATA ENTRY keys. The performances are indicated by the numbers PF01 or PF02 in the display, followed by their names (VITAM1 or VITAM2). VITAM1 has fewer sidebands, VITAM2 has more and is richer. In immediate preparation for performance: press EDIT/COMPARE, then use the PARAMETER buttons to reach the screen on which the bottom line contains four numbers beginning with "I1" or "I11." The cursor will be blinking over the first of these; press the CURSOR Right Arrow key to place the cursor over the second number, either "I4" or "I14." The top right (tone number) should indicate "2" or "2+." Now press DEC twice; the tone should now be indicated as "frame1" or "frame1+." Keep the display on this particular "Edit" screen during performance, pressing only the DATA ENTRY buttons as appropriate. The piece begins and ends with "frame1(+)." PERFORMANCE Keyboard MIDI Out must be connected to synthesizer MIDI In. One item must be verified on the keyboard: its MIDI Transmit Channel must be set to 1. Probably it already is, but check the keyboard (and documentation, if necessary) anyway. (If, when you perform VITAM, no sound is heard from the synthesizer, a wrong transmit channel is likely the problem.) There may, in addition, be other items on your keyboard that need to be set in order for it to ACT AS A CONTROLLER. For example, Yamaha 4-op FM synthesizers require a MIDI On/Off setting to be ON. Check your keyboard documentation. The performer constructs, in advance, his/her own realization of this work, according to criteria discussed below. The piece consists largely of single, overlapping "bell tones" performed alternately in the various keyboard ranges. The principal pitch of each new bell closely matches one of the prominent sidebands of the previous tone. The beginning and ending, however, are comprised of very simple harmonic sonorities. First, a pitch is selected from range 2 (F#3-B3; G#3-B3 is recommended as it offers more matching options); it is played to tone "frame1." When it has died out completely, the pitch is repeated, now to "frame2." When silence is again reached, another repetition occurs, but to tone 2, the first bell. At this point the overlapping sequence described above begins. The work eventually concludes when a pitch in range 2 is sounded (matching a sideband of the previous event which is NOT from range 2) to "frame2." This tone dies out, and is followed immediately by the same pitch with "frame1," whereupon the work ends. (For further details concerning the beginning and ending, see "Sample Realization" below.) With respect to the overlapping bell sequence, it is important to realize that since each range has only one note assigned to it, each succeeding event must be selected from a different range. (This is one of the ways in which the right/left-half duplication of range is significant.) Most importantly, each new basic pitch must match a prominent sideband of the previous tone. The match will be marked by a very audible beating effect, the slower (and closer the match) the better. (The quarter-tone detuning of the keyboard halves facilitates matching.) The beating must remain prominent throughout the overlap. If the matched sideband is weak, or the beat rate too fast, beating will disappear when the new tone attains sustain level. Also, be aware that beating is much less evident in stereo when switching directly from one speaker to the other. Finally, all--or nearly all--bell tone sonorities are to be used at least once. Each bell tone consists of a principal pitch (which corresponds to the key played, or--for the right keyboard half, two octaves lower) and two or more prominent sidebands: at least one upper, one lower. The APPROXIMATE distance of these sidebands from the main pitch is listed in the table that follows. (These intervals can vary a half-step or more; indeed the sidebands are inharmonic, or "out of tune," to begin with.) Only those capable of being matched are listed. Under specific conditions (particularly with VITAM2/4), other sidebands may be prominent as well; they too may be matched. Lower Sideband(s) Upper Sideband(s) Range 1 none A4 up Range 2 P4 down M7 down M3 up (P5 up) Range 3 A4 down m10 down M3 up Range 4 P5 down P8 + P4 down P4 up Range 5 none A4 up Range 6 m6 down A4 up Range 7 A4 down m9 down M3 up (P5 up) Range 8 P5 down P8 + M6 down P4 up With respect to selection and performance of overlapping bell tones, the following guidelines apply: sonorities are chosen so as to be euphonious, not "funereal," and to beat as slowly and prominently as possible. A released bell dies out completely, and the sustaining sonority sounds alone for at least five seconds before the next event is initiated. Exactly HOW LONG the bells overlap (a minimum of five seconds at sustain level) and sound alone is a matter for personal taste and the attractiveness of particular sounds separately and in combination. Overall, the timing of tone entry and exit is varied rather than predictable. A sample realization used by the composer is given below. It incorporates each range once, and all except the two highest ranges, more than once. This is a relatively short rendition; it lasts (at a minimum) somewhat under nine minutes. (The C on the far left of a four- or five-octave keyboard is notated as C3; the four-octave key span thus extends from C3 to C7.) SAMPLE REALIZATION: Key (Range) Tone Performance Directions/Observations G3 (2) frame1(+) At sustain level for at least five seconds. Just as tone disappears, press DATA ENTRY +1; nearly simultaneously (minimum break in sound): G3 (2) frame2(+) At sustain level for at least five seconds. Just as tone disappears, press DATA ENTRY +1; nearly simultaneously (minimum break in sound): G3 (2) 2(+) HERE STARTS OVERLAPPING BELL SEQUENCE (see D#5 (5) discussion above) A5 (6) C#3 (1) G5 (6) C4 (3) F6 (7) A6 (8) C3 (1) F#3 (2) A#5 (6) D#4 (3) G4 (4) C#6 (7) C5 (5) F#5 (6) This last bank prior to frame 2 must NOT be #2! During this operation, press DATA ENTRY -1, recalling "frame2(+)" B3 (2) frame2(+) At sustain level for at least five seconds after previous tone disappears. Just as tone disappears, press DATA ENTRY -1; nearly simultaneously (minimum break in sound): B3 (2) frame1(+) At sustain level for at least five seconds. Performance ends with final fadeout. REGARDING VELOCITY SENSITIVE KEYBOARDS Yamaha FB01 and TX81Z tone generators are both capable of having their individual operator output levels controlled by keyboard velocity. ET VITAM VENTURI II allows for velocity control of MODULATION operators; this means that the complexity or diffusion of a bell tone is based on how hard the key is struck. When a key is hit forcefully, its sonority "blossoms," while a key pressed gently will result in a sound containing little more than the basic pitch itself. This is particularly true of the VITAM1/3 variants, which have a more constrained sonority to begin with. LOUDNESS (amplitude of carrier operators) is not effected, only "tone color." (Also uneffected is loudness ENVELOPE, i.e., attack/"blossom" time.) Finally, please note that ONLY the BELL TONES (tone #'s 1-8) are sensitive to velocity, not "frame1" or "frame2." The performer is encouraged to experiment with velocity as a way of further varying the overall harmonic spectrum.