If you are struggling to get a PLG card to work on an MU1000/2000/128 without using a computer: you have to hit the select button while on the assigned part to switch between XG and PLG modes. You can't just navigate to the instruments in their bank. This is documented in the 128 manual but I missed it at first.
Long before laptops and audio interfaces became a thing in the mid 2000s, back in the late 1990s I used my MU100R rackmount synths connected to a Atari STE and Steinberg Cubase to fully automate my Fostex DMT8 v2 digital multitrack mixes. The outputs from the Yamaha MU100R modules would then go to a small sub-mixer and out to a DAT or CD recorder. I would save every single devices settings via MIDI Sys Exc Bulk Dump to the Cubase sequencer, so in a few seconds my entire studio would be setup and ready to roll. The Yamaha user manuals have all the system exclusive data settings, to access some pretty cool stuff that cannot be reached from the front control panel. The Yamaha modules are so powerful and versatile, that you can route audio through the inputs and add multiple FX processors, along with controlling volume, panning etc. So Cubase would record the mixing data using a MIDI Mixer template, and you then assign control faders and mod wheels to mix with. Afterwards pressing play would send this data to the MU100R modules, and you sit back and listen while the computer controls the entire mix.
Hi! I recently discovered the existance of the MU2000 unit and I am doing a bit of research to expand my knowledge. I am a hobby musician and I like all kinds of stuff that generates sound. You seem to be one of the few english speaking/writing people who actually talk about this unit online, so naturally I found this channel. However I am kind of at a loss as to what you are trying to do here, so I was genuinly wondering. It seems that you use this unit, which is currently listed for about 300-400 dollar and which is capable of a lot of sound design and composing capability, to play midi data from games and/or record the midi data from the games, right? But, for doom for instance, the midi files are all downloadable from the internet and besides that, the sound that comes out of the unit does not sound a lot different/better (at least on the crappy youtube sound quality) from the actual sound that comes out of the computer (or when you'd use a soundblaster card or something)... so I'm wondering, what is the point of this complicated (and expensive) setup? And I could guess that maybe you want to rip the midi from other games that don't have their midi files already online, but that could also be achieved with a software virtual midi port and a midi capable daw, right? Which would basically be free, since lots of opensource or freeware tools exist. I hope you can enlighten me...
This video was just a quick and dirty demo, as I have had a lot of people ask me for one. Midi Modules have become quite the fad with a lot of retro gamers, who typically have little experience with MIDI. Music Composition isn't my thing, I just like to play around with whatever I can get cheap, such as PLG boards. I live in Japan, and paid a lot less for my gear then what you will find on ebay and the like. Over the years I found many forum posts where people couldn't figure out how to use various features of the MU2000. The Sample Editor was a total mystery on every English forum I ever saw. I have had numerous people watch me use a PLG-150DR to play games, buy one themselves and get frustrated that they can't make it work. Basically this video is the absolute basics for gamers who have caught the MIDI flu. It's purpose is so that I don't have to answer as many emails as before lol. In the end music is totally subjective, I just like to play and see what happens. Check out my MSX Gradius on PLG150-AN for one such example.
@@superdeadite Thanks for the detailed explanation, it makes more sense now. Although I'm not quite sure why the midi modules would be in favour with retro gamers, I can see the appeal, its fun to play with this stuff. I have seen some bits of your other video you mention, I will watch it again.
Got a mu2000ex and pg150-dr.. nothin i do causes the dr to work. Tried stuff from video and connected to win10 using usb. Plg light lights but doesnt flash as if working when i click select after selecting drums and aming sure set to part assign 10. Any advice. Thinking plg is broken.
@@superdeadite kinda got it working but the instruments are all screwed up.. not sure if theres a factory reset for plg150.. already did it on my mu2000ex. Ill need to record whs tim doing to show you..
So since it records sysex and everything you can use it to record MT-32 family midi files (though it will sound like arse on the mu2000 while you do it) and later play them back on an MT-32?
I have had an MU 2000 I got down from Japan in 2015. Not used it yet. I have installed the Yamaha MIDI drivers and my Sequencer (Turtle Beach MIDI Orchestrator on Win XP) can see the instrument. But unlike in my SC-D70 where I see two MIDI instruments SC-D70 A and B each having 16 channels, I don't see the four MIDI instruments in the MU 2000 so I can use the 4x16 MIDI channels. Any idea how this is done?
I would guess its a software issue. I use Yamaha SOL and it just lets me use 64 channels. The yamaha driver lets you setup ports in any combination you want, so take a look at that if you haven't.
@@superdeadite : I see, that's why I can only find the Japanese version. No need for that, am aware of the basics and have a registered version of XGGold. Have got a MU500 from Japan which I still need to sample. The Japanese version does provide all the voice and drumlists. Thanks for the reply.
I mean the DAC in the MU2000 itself. That DAC is bypassed by using the digital toslink output. The USB on the MU2000 is only for MIDI. MIDI is not audio. It is just data, basically digital sheet music. No DAC is used. As for the UW500, it has a very capable DAC. When using its analog inputs (including aux) it uses an ADC to send the audio through USB. Of course its not going to compare with modern pro level gear, but I have no complaints with it myself.
@@superdeadite thank you very much, I was also wondering how could I set this up to play videogames seeing that the music comes from the yamaha itself and the in-game sound effects come from the computer.
@@retro7703 For my pcs with USB I just tell windows to use the UW500 as default audio device. Then connect its outputs to my speakers. UW500 works as both audio and midi interface at same time. Since UW500 is also a recording device, you may have to check the "listen to this device" box to enable the output. Depends on os.
@@retro7703 Not cheap these days, but a very powerful setup if you go all in. Mu2000 can also be upgraded and use up to 3 plg boards at once. Here skip to 3:10 for a good demo of the drum plg. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-79K04ZqoouI.html
For some reason it keeps going back to part one and I have to set it over again. Whenever it does stay I can't start a MIDI files with the PLG board already active, I have to push the select button which is really annoying.
Well it would depend on the MIDI file you send it. If a MIDI file has a GM Reset message in it's sysex, the module will reset to GM default because that is what the MIDI file says to do. In this case you have to edit the MIDI file itself, I demonstrate this in Part 2.
