The QY Data Filer is here: usa.yamaha.com/support/faq/music_production/1596.html XGEdit, a software for editing XG synth sounds: www.oocities.org/tokyo/island/2526/xg2.html
@@NickHowesAstro Hidden mode QS300 for QY70!!!??? For DB50XG there was such a mode, described in detail in the instructions. But in QY70, unfortunately, there is no such mode. Or do you have additional information?
@@furtovin The SWP00 chipset in the QY70 should support it. To be honest, I never worked on the QY70 or used one in anger, (I did work on the DB50XG/SW60XG and QS300). Try the editor/sysex, it may be that someone at YCJ decided to lock that mode out on the QY70, but the chipset absolutely does support it
@@NickHowesAstro Are you really the same Nick Howes? Then I tend to believe you. I tried using the same methods that work for DB50XG: send a bulk dump to QS300 (Model ID=4B). Then I use the downloaded voices (Bank MSB = 63, LSB = 00. PC 1-32). For QY70 it doesn't work. Specify, if you can, the direction of my search.
I have a QY300. I replaced the screen with a new backlit one....much better. I mainly use the auto-accompany feature. It allows me to play one keyboard but have my other keyboards playing along with whatever I play. Much like an auto-arranger. It's very cool. I use it all the time. The stock sounds aren't bad but I don't use them often. The built in phrases can be mixed and matched, or you can make new ones and then combine them into patterns. Surprisingly easy to use, considering it's a Yamaha. Yamaha really kind of owned this concept. Almost like Band in a Box, but in hardware form.
I did the same mod to mine - really makes it quite a useful bit of kit in the 21st century! I used a whiteish display, but wish I used green; feels more 'period appropriate'
Thanks! My opinion: Synth technology "matured" around the 2000s - since then, we got different UI concepts and better prices, more RAM and so on, but the overall idea what a synth should do and what it should sound like hasn't evolved that much (the only notable exception being the arrival of super lush reverb units in the last decade). So buying a 2000s rompler will get you relatively good sound you can work with in one way or the other. I know this is not true in many ways, but in a broad sense that's how it is. Start arguing. ;-)
GR8 overview of this lil pocket groovebox beast! You mentioned 2:38 one can freestyle on 8 seq trx with the 8 pattern trx, but actually this is a 24 trk groovbox. You can record any pattern (8 trks) into the song pat trk and then utilise all 16 song seq tracks. I typically had extra drums/perc on trk 10-11 you are more likely to max out the polyphony before you max out the track count. Look 4ward to the next episodes. I never got around to doing a deep tutorial on the QY. But this might inspire me to at least post some rtk to my very empty YT channel :D
You're right, my bad! I confused this with another box I have. I should really make that video "correcting all the nonsense I said in some videos". ;-)
My qy70 is presently sequencing a few synths (tb-3,craftsynth2.0,Volca fm) and playing the v- drum module from my td-9 kit. I have a micromonsta2 in the post to hook up to another 2 midi channels. I also use a yamaha kx49 controller as it has nearly 400 motif style sequences on-board which I can easily transfer. The CC works like a dream and will record live in overdub mode. I covered the problem of backing it up by going on eBay and buying another qy70. Can hopefully just dump the midi across from one to the other, although I haven't tried yet. Also I can now DJ with two qy70s which is much fun !
Still got my qy70 , it’s a great portable machine , battery life is pretty good , about 3 to 4 hours and it has some great sounds plus you can edit ADSR on all the sounds , it also has one user drum kit that can be fully edited , modern groove box manufacturers need to up there game , I used to use mine on the train , mine has been spray painted black so it looks like the qy10 and the qy20 , the silver look really makes it look like a 90s handheld game console
Thanks for watching - yes, this certainly is an XG module but Yamaha certainly likes to have their synths with a lot of bass. The filter & envelope control is a thing you can do on all XG products. (That's why I'd really like to try one of those Yamaha MX49 keyboards in - depth, they're fully XG compliant, which means there should be some sound shaping possible with those)
Thanks Floyd! Unrelated: I was searching for a way to “refurbish” my Korg Nanaokey 2, I got it used and was hoping I could give the keys a nicer feel. I disassembled and cleaned it out but still looking for any “mods” I can do to make it feel new or less used at best. Thanks again!
Thanks for watching! The Nanokeys are quite "wobbly" even fresh from the factory. I never heard of mods to improve this. As these are rubber keys, I guess you'd have to replace the keys.
I love my QY70 - so glad to see more love for this device! I would really like to connect to the host port from a modern PC - maybe via a RPi 2040 as a serial to USB interface? Either that or a good walkthrough for a wiring diagram for the plug to a serial to USB adapter. My attempts to do this have failed so far - maybe I am using the wrong type of USB to serial adapter.
In case anyone needs the manuals and data lists - and a little tips file I created - please download these in a zip file here drive.google.com/file/d/1by_83DzXMscaqzHGtw7OhXj0LMZFc3lc/view?usp=sharing
i just found mine back,, i bought it in 1999 and used it in all my travels over 10 years.Now i have to clean it and put a new battery in for the internal storage.@@mr_floydst
Dude! So glad I found your channel. Are you able to transfer files from QY70 to PC and vice versa? I've tried everything from installing and reinstalling the Yamaha data filer, to changing OS, to changing PC, to trying serial to USB cables, etc. Have you had any luck saving data onto your PC and transferring them back again? Any help would be so appreciated as I've been at this for nearly 10 years and have had no success. Its embarrassing.
To be honest, I only ever record the audio output. Yamaha's QY filer isn't working any more, but there's a SysEx string you can send to the QY that causes it to dump all it's song data. I think the easiest way to do this is to just record the MIDI output of the QY. Set up your DAW so it responds to the "play" button on the QY and starts recording once you hit playback. Also, MIDI sync should be enabled for this.
Excellent video, thanks for covering the QY70. In your previous QY100 video, you show the Create Continuous function, and while I was able to copy the process, I don't fully understand what all the values and changes you made did. At some point would you be able to explain the various values in the Create Continuous function? Also, is there a way to assign a midi channel to a specific instrument track in patter mode, so I wouldn't need to shuffle up and down between [Intro], [Main A], etc. and the instrument tracks? That way I could start making CC changes immediately after switching pattern. Again, thanks for covering the QY70. You are a very good communicator and these videos are a great resource.
Great video! This is one of my favourite Groove boxes to use on the sofa. Do you know if you can mute tracks only in the different parts (intro, part A etc) rather than globally? Would make it quicker to create songs. Thanks.
Hello and first of all thank you for the many great videos about this unusual device! I will definitely own one of these in a few days! but now I have some questions. The most important thing would be: which USB-to-Midi interface do you use in this video or which one could you recommend? thanks again and keep having fun 😊
I found that in the bin at the local grocery store and had to buy it. ;-) I found it curious that a well known manufacturer of toy cars releases such a thing in the 2020s.
@@mr_floydst Thanks for sharing its origin. I'm always keeping my eye open, for Beatles memorabilia like that. I picked up a great Yellow Submarine coffee mug, at local guitar store. Great reminders of good times 🙂
Thanks for watching! It's Yamaha's AWM2 engine - a subtractive synth that uses samples instead of oscillators. It's a bit dumbed down in the QY series, but you can still adjust filter frequency, resonance, envelopes, LFO and so on. I once made a video on th subject if you're interested: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-inrNTWBivNY.html
Hi! I already kind of did in one of my QY100 videos. Here it is ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-59JZmVHYNtU.html But you're right, maybe I should make a video on this topic specifically so it's easier to find on search engines. Best regards!
I think the QY70 sounds much better. The 100 had a slightly higher resolution that lost some of the "synth" vibe and moved more towards something of an overly crisp digital sound.
Thanks for watching! The QY100 does sound better, but not by a wide margin - at least I could barely hear it when comparing. Maybe my ears need checking. ;-)
BTW you guys at Yamaha created so much great stuff, but for some reason, the late 90s/early 2000s period is my personal favourite part of Yamaha's history. Thanks a lot for that. And thanks for watching my incoherent rambling ;-)
@@mr_floydst It was also interesting in that both the DB50XG/SW60XG sound cards (and also the QY70) support QS300 mode, which is a vastly more interesting synth editing mode. I wrote the book on the DB50XG. That hidden mode got me in to a heap of trouble with some of the synth sales team (as they were trying to sell QS300's for a lot more money)
@@NickHowesAstro I have had a DB50XG for a long time and use the QS300 mode a lot. I also have QY70, I tried to find this mode there, but without result. Do you have more information about QS300 mode in QY70 ??!!!
@@furtovin Hi, I thought I replied, but it appears not. I didn't work on the QY70 itself (I did work on the 50/60/1000XG and QS300). The SWP00 chipset on the 70 "should" support this mode, but I suspect that YCJ in some way cut the capability out from sysex/O.S to not impact sales of the QS300
Hi, thanks for watching! That's filter cutoff and a bit of resonance on the drum track. Might be some clipping, too ;-) because using resonance will produce frequency spikes
It's that one by hobbytronics.co.uk which sadly got discontinued. You can use a RasPi as well (I have a video on that) but several viewers pointed out that's a bit of overkill. ;-) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-N4yUduOqR3M.html Note to myself: I really need to finish that "answering the most common questions on this channel" video. ;-)
@@mr_floydst Thanks. The Pi solution is interesting. I made up a simple converter, a while ago, with just USB in and MIDI Out (so no need for an optoisolator circuit), using the HobbyTronics USB Host Controller Mini board - which has also been discontinued. There's still the USB Host Controller Board V2.4 though - same thing, but a bit bigger, and a bit more expensive. I guess that with their MIDI breakout, plus a mini USB socket breakout for the power connection, is most of what you'd need to make the one they used to sell, minus the case. I might try it, eventually. I was hoping for a cheap, lazy solution :) I can make these things, but getting around to it is always a problem. They sell a USB Host Controller IC too, including one in DIP28 form. There are a few more parts to add, to make that do the same as the USB Host Controller Board V2.4, and of course, it wouldn't be as small.
@@mr_floydst Thanks. I'm thinking about getting the QY100 to connect with my Polyend Tracker. I'm wanting to set up a small mobile studio that I can put in a case and take it with me.
Thanks for watching! It's this one www.hobbytronics.co.uk/usb-midi-converter but it's been out of stock for a long time now. Perhaps write them a mail...
Technically the three effects are send effects. Unless you're in song mode where you can decide if you want the variation effect to be a send effect or an insert effect on a single channel. Oh and the maximum song length is 999 bars. ;)
One could do a lofi jam on the QY70, they even included relatively long record noises and radio static in this box. Or are you asking specifically me if _I_ could do a lofi jam? ;-) (Perhaps)
@@mr_floydst thank you for telling me about those sounds. I think more qy70 videos from you would be great. This one was super helpful! I thought maybe since the qy seems to be a thing in the lofi community it would be cool to see how you would approach it.
Thanks for watching! Well, the QY70 was quite expensive (compared to the Volcas) when first introduced. But then again, all of Yamaha's 90s products were quite forward-thinking and had a lot of depth to them that was hidden behind a wall of submenus.
Thanks! Well, yeah, the topic of RU-vid subscription. It's an important metric on RU-vid (especially for potential channel sponsors). The stats clearly show that the number of subscriptions per video is 10 times - or more - higher when I ask people to subscribe compared to not doing it. So that's what I do. If you're so upset by that 30 second message _after_ getting all the relevant info, oh well, so be it. ;-) Best regards!
@@mr_floydst I'm not upset, it just have oposite effect on me, but since algorithm prove your method to be effective I guess I'm not exactly in your scope audience :) Excellent work though, checking in from time to time. Much appreciated!
