FROM ZAPPA TO ALCATRAZZ
YAMAHA COMPUTER ASSISTED MUSIC SYSTEM (YCAMS) (Yamaha International Corporation) With the refinement of the MIDI as well as the gigantic leaps in digital technology, electronic instrument companies have leapt feet first into the world of computers.
CREEM SHOWCASE
Billy Cioffi
YAMAHA COMPUTER ASSISTED MUSIC SYSTEM (YCAMS)
(Yamaha International Corporation)
With the refinement of the MIDI as well as the gigantic leaps in digital technology, electronic instrument companies have leapt feet first into the world of computers. Yamaha made its YCAMS (short for Yamaha Computer Assisted Music System) available to the U.S. in March. The system and its various components utilize FM digital technology to construct a composition, sequencing and playback chain compatible with (ideally Yamaha DX series) synthesizers and rhythm programmers (i.e., the RX).
There are four basic components involved in the system, all of which use the MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) to communicate with one another. What we’ve tried to do here is provide a brief and rather simplistic outline of each function. (To better understand the system’s possibilities, we advise a live demonstration.) In any case, here’s a brief overview.
The QXI is a digital MIDI sequence recorder that stores the performance of interfaced keyboards. The instrument permits editing, modification and perfection of the player’s performance. The user can record up to eight tracks. However, the QXI stores the notes as data, so overdub capability on each track is virtually unlimited.