TRUE-TO-LIFE SOUND
With the authentic instrument voices of the EL-90 Electone. your music comes alive. These aren’t merely simulations- they’re the real thing! That’s because the voices of the EL-90 feature actual digital recordings of real instruments, plus the brilliant sound shaping potential of modern synthesiser technology. They take advantage of the combination of Yamaha’s two most sophisticated tone generation systems, AWM and FM. AWM (Advanced Wave Memory) offers the remarkable realism of digitally sampled sounds. Yamaha’s famed FM (Frequency Modulation) Synthesis, on the other hand, produces an infinite variety of complex waveforms and harmonics for recreating acoustic sounds or creating wild synthesised effects. With the user assignable dotted buttons and Voice Menu pages, the total amount of different voices you have at your fingertips is staggering-131 on the EL-90.
And that’s not all. Additional voices can be loaded to the Electone from optional Voice Disks, each disk having a wide variety of newly created authentic and dynamic instrument sounds.All these Electone voices utilise the new Touch Tone response function, which gives you real time control over the subtle expressive changes that occur with actual acoustic instruments. For example, it lets you recreate the powerful blast and raspiness of a horn being overblown, just by hitting the keyboard wrongly. Make an electric guitar scream, or have a violin sing. And with the outstandingly realistic piano voice, Touch Tone response is so true across all registers, you’ll swear there’s a grand piano right beneath your fingers!And now you can hear the voices with all their dynamic punch and clarity-from the thundering lows to the crisp highs. The Electone has an advanced amplification system that delivers unprecedented power and accuracy. The built-in amplifier/speaker system features a multiple-amplifier configuration for perfectly reproducing the full dynamic range of the Electone’s rich digital voices.
VARIETY OF ORGAN SOUNDS
The EL-90 Electone is a classic in more ways than one. It also features a separate section of organ combination voices, called Flute Voices, that provide classic organ sounds-from jazz and pop to church and theatre.Flute Voices let you easily create your own organ sounds by adjusting the flute footages, attack and length, and percussive key click sound, as well as the overall keyboard response of the voices.
EXTENSIVE SOUND SHAPING POTENTIAL-EFFECTS
All Electone voices can also be enhanced with a full range of professional quality effects. Effect application is also exceptionally flexible—independent selections and settings for each voice section allow you to create richly textured effect combinations for the most non electronic sound ever heard in an electronic instrument.The extremely natural and lifelike digital Reverb effect can be set individually not only for all voice sections and the rhythm patterns, but even for the other effects, such as Tremolo and Symphonic. Independent Length and Depth controls let you create a variety of different sonic environments, and give you the precise ambience you want. Tremolo/Chorus perfectly reproduces the popular rotating speaker effect-right down to the gradual speed changes and the luscious, swirling sound.
The digital Flanger and Delay effects provide additional sound colouring flexibility: Flanger lets you add swirling textures to the voices, while Delay features crisp and clean echo repeats for special effects.
There’s a lot more, too. Like Lead Slide, for reproducing the characteristic pitch bending of instruments like trombone and violin. Octave controls let you change the register on each of the voices. And a separate Tune control on the Lead voices gives you more detuning control for “fattening” the overall sound. The impressive effects of the Electones include Symphonic/Celeste and a Dynamic Range Enhancer, most of them employing the same sophisticated digital signal processing technology used in professional recording studios. Moreover, flexible Vibrato, Sustain and Pan controls let you add that extra bit of expression you need to make your performance complete.
DYNAMIC RHYTHM PATTERNS AND PROGRAMMABLE PERCUSSION SOUNDS
The Rhythm section of the Electone features authentic drum and percussion sounds, utilising the same AWM technology as the voices. Expert rhythm programmers used these real sounds in creating a total of 66 automatic rhythm patterns, ranging across all styles of music from traditional waltzes and marches to modern dance beats and sophisticated Latin rhythms. Fill-in and Intro./Ending patterns are also provided to add spice to your arrangements.
With the Keyboard Percussion function you can also play a total of 43 different drum and percussion sounds from the lower keyboard and pedalboard. Moreover, flexible Rhythm Pattern Programming and Rhythm Sequencing functions are provided so that you can use these realistic Keyboard Percussion sounds, along with 32 additional sounds, to create and record your own rhythm patterns. You can also combine these patterns and the preset rhythms to make songs.
INSTANT REGISTRATION CHANGES
The EL 90 Electone is equipped with convenient registration menu features that allow you to instantly change all settings for the entire instrument – including voices, rhythms, effects, and other functions – in real time, as you play. Each registration has been specially programmed by professional Electone artists to match specific instrumental combinations and music styles, from combo jazz and country group to big band and pop orchestra.The registration features are the most extensive ever to be found on an Electone. They include the Basic Registration section, and the vast amount of registrations (a total of 80) that can be called up from the Registration Menu Disk, included with the Electone. Even more registrations are available on an optional Registration Menu.
Naturally, you can also create registrations your self, and save them to the Registration Memory numbered buttons on the panel between the keyboards, for instant recall during your performance.And if your hands are too busy, Registration Shift lets you use the right foot switch to select your pre programmed registrations sequentially in any order you specify, or jump to a predetermined registration.
VOICE EDITING
Voice Edit provides a comprehensive set of tools for changing the Electone’s voices. Just like a synthesiser, but with far greater case, the Voice Edit functions let you get into the inner workings of the voices–the various tonal components and envelope settings—and adjust them as you want, allowing you create your own original Electone voices.
EXTENSIVE PERFORMANCE FEATURES
The EL-90 Electones are packed with sophisticated performance functions that let you sound like a pro the very first moment you sit down to play. Foremost among them is Auto Bass Chord (A.B.C.), which automatically adds matching bass Lines and chord voicing to your rhythm accompanied play-even with the press of a single finger. There’s also an Accompaniment feature that automatically plays specially created harmonic and melodic embellishments along with the rhythm patterns. Together, the two use the realistic voices and rhythms to make the Electone a complete entertainment/performance system.Melody On Chord is another function that works to orchestrate your performance: it automatically transforms upper keyboard melodies into harmonies that perfectly follow the chords you play on the lower keyboard. Convenient foot controls include multi-function foot switches, which can be used to activate Glide, Tremolo, or basic Rhythm controls, as well as the Registration Shift function. A second expression pedal is included on the EL-90 for continuous control over pitch bend or the rhythm tempo.Moreover, a knee lever control is provided for turning on Sustain, Lead Slide, or the Melody On Chord function.
MULTI-TRACK RECORDING
The Electone also features a Music Disk Recorder for recording your performances. The recording is completely digital and is stored to disk, which means that no matter how many times you play back the recording, it will always sound as clear and clean as the original performance. Being digital, it also allows you to easily record the various parts of your performance separately. This means you can build your songs up step by step to create complete, polished performances that would be impossible to play live. The Music Disk Recorder can also be used to save your voice and rhythm data as well as Registration Memory settings for instant future recall.
EXTENSIVE SET OF CONNECTION TERMINALS
Both of these new Electones come equipped with a panel of accessory terminals and controls for nearly any application. In addition to a stereo headphone output, auxiliary outputs let you drive an external stereo system. Two sets of audio inputs allow you to play external sound sources through the Electone’s speaker system: Rhythm In jacks let you connect an external rhythm machine, while a set of auxiliary inputs can be connected to a CD player or cassette deck. The EL-90 also includes a special microphone input with its own level control for further input flexibility.
MIDI
Naturally, the EL-90/70 Electone also features MIDI IN and OUT terminals and comprehensive MIDI capabilities: output channel selection for the Upper and Lower keyboards, as well as switching between internal and external sync, for synchronizing operation with a connected MIDI device.
The EL-90 Electone features a large, Full-dot LCD display from which virtually all of the operations and functions of the instrument can be seen and controlled. In effect, it’s a huge window into the workings of the Electone. The LCD serves as the main control centre – the brains of the Electone. You see at a glance all of a function’s relevant settings, making all operations exceptionally easy to understand. Instead of burdening you with a jumble of numbers and arcane abbreviations, the EL-90 Electone shows you all settings with graphic bars and words. Never before has operating such sophisticated instruments been so easy.