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Reference

About the Tone Generator of the CBX-K1XG

G E N E R A L

General MIDI (GM)

General MIDI (GM) is a new addition to the worldwide MIDI standard. The main feature of GM is in the standardization of instrument sounds, ensuring that song data recorded in the GM format can be played back on GMcompatible tone generators of any manufacturer, and sound as the composer or programmer intended.

XG

XG is a major new enhancement to the GM format developed by Yamaha, and it provides for more instrument sounds and variations, as well as greater expressive control over voices and effects. XG-compatible instruments feature full compatibility with GM, while ensuring forward compatibility with future instruments and software.

The CBX-K1XG features four different performance modes: XG, TG300B, C/M and DOC. Normally the CBX-

K1XG plays in XG mode. However, since it automatically recognizes which mode to select based on incoming MIDI data, you can easily change the performance mode from the

MIDI control functions of the CBX-K1XG itself. (Refer to the following function explanations on pages 30 – 33 : GM

Mode On, XG System On, C/M Mode On, and TG300B

Reset.) You can also change the mode by MIDI System

Exclusive messages that you program in sequencer data, at the head of your composition.

* The DOC mode is a special mode used for playback of

Yamaha’s Disk Orchestra Collection song data. DOC mode is automatically selected when playing back such song data; however, the mode cannot be selected from the CBX-K1XG itself.

Please note the following:

• Starting up your computer will automatically initialize all CBX-K1XG settings, or parameter values.

• Since the CBX-K1XG requires about half a second to change modes when it receives a mode change message, be sure to insert at least one blank measure at the top of the song in order to allow enough time for the mode to change before your actual music data begins.

● XG Mode

In XG mode the CBX-K1XG will play XG-compatible multitimbral data, as well as multitimbral data created for the GM System Level 1 format.

In XG mode the CBX-K1XG can:

• Play up to 16 Parts.

• Choose from 480 Normal Voices and 11 Drum

Voices.

● TG300B Mode

In TG300B mode the CBX-K1XG will play multitimbral music data created for TG300B-compatible tone generators.

TG300B mode also provides compatibility with the GM

System Level 1 format.

In TG300B mode the CBX-K1XG can:

• Play up to 16 Parts.

• Choose from 579 Normal Voices and 10 Drum

Voices.

● C/M Mode

The C/M mode provides semi-compatibility with song data recorded for computer music systems preceding the GM

Level 1 standard.

In C/M mode the CBX-K1XG can:

• Play up to 16 Parts.

• Choose from 192 Normal Voices and 1 Drum Voices.

NOTE ■

When set to C/M mode, reception over MIDI channel 1 is turned off, and the tone generator Voices will not sound for that channel.

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Voices and Elements

A CBX-K1XG Voice can be made up of one or two elements (i.e., sounds), depending on the complexity of the

Voice. Many Voices are made up of only one element. Twoelement Voices are made up of two one-element Voices, and may be configured in a variety of ways.

The number of elements in use determines the maximum number of simultaneous notes (polyphony) which the CBX-

K1XG can play at any given time, depending on the amount of incoming MIDI Note data. For details about the number of elements used in each Voice, see the XG Normal

Voice List on page App-17.

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Maximum Polyphony

The CBX-K1XG can play a maximum of 32 notes polyphony at once. However, the actual number of notes that will play at any given time is determined by the number of elements in use across the 16 Parts.

For example, if you use only one-element Voices, you can achieve the full 32 notes maximum polyphony. If you use one or more two-element Voices, however, maximum polyphony will be reduced accordingly.

The CBX-K1XG is a last-note-priority tone generator, which means that if it receives more than 32 notes of MIDI

Note data at any time, earlier (first) notes will automatically be cut off to accommodate the most recent (last) incoming notes.

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Part Priority

Each of the CBX-K1XG’s 16 Parts corresponds to each of the 16 MIDI channels (1 – 16). If incoming Note data exceeds the maximum polyphony, the CBX-K1XG will prioritize which Parts are played first, in the following order, from higher priority to lower:

• Channel 10 (Drum Part), 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12,

13, 14,15, 16.

Therefore, if you are creating your own music data using sequencer software, you should assign your most important

Parts (such as melody and bass) to higher priority MIDI channels (i.e., lower MIDI channel numbers) in order to preserve the integrity of your composition. Note that with the GM System Level 1, the Drum Part is always assigned to MIDI channel 10.

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Element Reserve

The CBX-K1XG has an Element Reserve feature that lets you reserve a specified number of notes for certain Parts, in order to keep notes from being “stolen” from those Parts by other Parts if incoming MIDI Note data exceeds maximum

About the Tone Generator of the CBX-K1XG

available polyphony.

For example, if you specify an Element Reserve value of

“10” for Part 1, then Part 1 will always keep 10 elements for itself. You can set Element Reserve values with MIDI

System Exclusive messages (refer to the MIDI Data Format section: XG Native Parameter Change on pages App-9 –

10, and Table 1-5 on pages App-13 – 15).

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Selecting Voices

The CBX-K1XG not only contains the 128 basic GM

Voices and GM drum set, but many variation Voices as well—to give you access to a total of 737 Normal Voices and 22 Drum Voices.

Voices are selected by specifying a Bank number and a

Voice (program) number. Bank numbers and Voice numbers can be selected directly from the keyboard of the

CBX-K1XG. (See pages 15 and 16.)

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Effect Types

The CBX-K1XG features dozens of extremely versatile digital effects generated by Yamaha’s advanced Digital

Signal Processing (DSP) technology.

There are three distinct effect types, or effect sections, each of which include a variety of individual effects. There are

11 Reverb type effects, 11 Chorus type effects, and 42

Variation type effects. For a complete list of effects, see the

Effect Type List on page App-26.

Reverb, Chorus and Variation effect types are configured, or routed, in one of two ways—to be either a System Effect or an Insertion Effect. The difference is as follows:

• SYSTEM EFFECT

- Applies the designated effect to all 16 Parts.

• INSERTION EFFECT

- Applies the designated effect to only one specific Part.

Reverb and Chorus effect types are dedicated System

Effects, and therefore are applied to the overall “mix”. The

Variation effect type, however, can be configured as either a

System Effect or an Insertion Effect. To designate effect types and parameter values via MIDI messages, see XG

Native Parameter Change, pages App-9 – 10.

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