Yamaha Unleashes New PCI Audio Card

Overview

So we ripped out most of the guts of the MU100, added multi-channel digital hard disk recording capabilities, with multiple effects busses, channelized EQ, and put it on a PCI card.

We added more effects, more effects busses, more routing, more voices, more I/O and made it so that any application can control them via MIDI, and process analog effects in the same way, without touching your CPU load. Get the idea? Now you can have multi effects in your favorite hard disk recorder/sequencer without using your precious CPU power on reverbs that will turn even the hardest Pentium 2 into a 286 clone!

The pinnacle (no pun intended) of XG & MIDI sound combined with upgrades to full hardware SVA Physical modeling, VL technology, and VH harmonizer capability make this card bigger than anything anyone has even thought about, let alone designed. And it isn't bogged down with the old ISA bus - no more of those audio blips, or 'head inside the PC' nights trying to figure out what is going on.

After the arrival of the DB50XG and the SW60XG, Yamaha could only do one more thing with XG, and that was... ADD EVEN MORE POWER. Even our guys think we may have gone a little over the top, but hey, lets have the competition spend another 4 years catching up!

An Earth shattering 20MB of on-board samples (almost 3 times as many as the MU80, and a factor of 3 bigger than any other card), over 1000 on board voices (when the PLG100VL card is fitted even more!), and over 45 drum kits. This is coupled with the long awaited arrival of the PLG100VL daughterboard, which gives an additional 256 SVA physical modeling voices (yes - the real thing), and up to 7 independent on board 24-bit effects processors (busses) , with over 69 different variation effects types, insertion effects (1 & 2) and multi EQ on every channel for the synth parts, master EQ for audio & synth parts (with EQ type, Q and width) This really is a monster synth on a card.

Main Features

People thought we were kidding when we said that our XG modules, keyboards and soundcards had 3 parallel 24-bit resolution effects processors, and when we announced that the MU90R had 6, journalists were stunned at the breakthrough Yamaha had made. Traditional effects processors of this caliber alone cost hundreds of dollars, and in some cases were not even capable of the enormous range of effects types built into the XG spec. Now with the SW1000XG, we have increased that to up to 7 (with the plg100VH) parallel 24 bit effects processors (counting the multichannel EQ), with an even greater range of DSP types than ever before... read it and weep if you just went out and bought yourself a new 'all singing all dancing' sound card.

Imagine, from a palette of several thousand different fully programmable effects combinations, you could add up to 4 different reverbs to the same channel, several compressors/limiters and delays, multiple distortions, amp sims, wah wahs, and even process though a genuine licensed Aphex Aural Exciter, that comes fitted as standard. And every single one of them runs real-time, with no CPU overhead.

The SW1000XG features internal connectors that allow it to be linked to the 32-bit capable DSP Factory system, the stunning board that integrates the power of the 02R mixing console. Put that with the awesome power on board this card, and ...well...just imagine it ....for less than 1000 pounds UK, you could have (using only 2 PCI slots, 2 IRQ's , no DMA's, no port address lines), the power of 20Megs of XG, 9 effects busses (all in real-time and not one of them using a single drop of CPU power), multichannel mixing, EQ and recording. Or basically the heart of the 02R mixing desk, with the heart of the MU100, and if fitted a fully programmable VL synth, or multipart harmonizer.

When VL was launched in 1993/94, its staggering capabilities were only matched by the equally staggering cost. Now as a board for the SW1000XG, anyone can gain access to the power of TRUE physical modeling synthesis.

The DB50XG and its other first generation XG cousins could all do things that no other card could approach - the difference between the SW1000XG card and the power of the DB50XG is of the same order of magnitude.

The new SW1000XG card features full hardware 64-note polyphony and 32 part multi-timbrality in standard XG mode. The SW1000XG card uses only 1 IRQ, no port address lines, no DMA channels, has full MIDI in and out on the back, and supports up to 48 MIDI channels (2 internal synths split between 2/32-part XG synths, and/or the PLG100VL (you can have 31 parts form XG and 1 part from the VL, this gives you the finest and most powerful sound card in existence.

Internal digital interfacing to the DSP Factory system over a new bus, a new VL daughterboard connector that will also take the PLG100VH vocal harmonizer card for multipart harmonizing. Be it in the studio or in the bedroom, the SW1000XG has the more than enough power and flexibility to be suitable for literally any MIDI music situation.

The core sound engine of the SW1000XG is based around some the existing range of Yamaha XG and VL instruments such as CS1x, Vl70-m, MU100r/MU90, however there are several major changes, both in software and hardware, which make the SW1000XG stand out from the rest of the planet.

A huge 20MB wave ROM (the DB50XG has 4MB of compressed samples) and a new effects stage delivers a staggering 6 simultaneous, 24-bit resolution digital effects. (7 with the PLG100VH) The effects are not only accessible by the internal voices. By using analog inputs on the card, the user can apply multiple combinations of these effects to an external source whilst maintaining complete MIDI control over the effect parameters (up to 16 per effect). A new multichannel internal AUX bussing system allows you to record with effects direct to hard disk, or just preview using the audition mode. This includes (if fitted) the all new Harmony effects from the VH harmoniser board.

A common complaint of many 'all in one' soundcards has been the lack of individual outputs. These have generally only been available on very expensive or specialized cards, never before on a multi card such as the SW1000XG, which addresses this criticism by including multiple audio outputs in a clever internal AUX routing system, making it unique in its market. The main outs being stereo analog and S/PDIF, with the internal buss acting as a hardware mixing system

This enables sounds from the recorded tracks in audio mode to be sent out of separate busses (if you wish to have active movie style effects on separate parts), and also via the on board multi effects busses, whilst voices from XG mode can be sent to the main outs or to the aux outs also.

Along with the analog phono out connectors, the rear panel sports a MIDI connector and digital S/PDIF output.

The SW1000XG drivers are simple to run, and take benefits from the acclaimed Yamaha SW60XG. Using the new PCI technology, however, means that Windows 95 just sees the card, and requests the disk, then off you go, no need even to restart the machine.

The SW1000XG is due for release this spring with full support from leading software companies. Even at this stage the card is fully functional in Cubase VST, Logic Audio 3.0, Cakewalk Pro Audio, Sound Forge, SAW and many more. A panel for Cakewalk 6.01 is already near completion. Cubase mixer maps for all functions are ready to go also. Gary Gregson has already completed the first stage of XGEDIT for SW1000XG , which will cover the PLG100VL functions as well. Mentioned earlier and equally as important is the new third party VL expert editor for Win95/NT4.0 available now from our Sondius page at www.xgfactory.com

The SW100XG is not a games card - if you want one of those, then you are on the WRONG page. However it is fully Direct X5.0 (and up) compatible and fully supports all third party Active movie plug ins. So rather than hang around waiting for cards to support specific plug ins or third party DSP chips, that will still grab some CPU power, just plug this in and away you go !!

Also remember that this card is upgradeable and planned updates will keep up with any new radical developments planned, so its future proof too !

Other Important Specifications

• More than 1000 normal voices and more than 45 drum kits (kits... not sounds... kits!!! including the way cool 'Coffin kit' and a host of new analog drum samples).
• 20 MB wave ROM with more than 1000 PCM samples
• Optional PLG100VL gives 256 monophonic VL (Virtual Acoustic) preset voices and 70 internal voices. (Real SVA physical modeling synthesis) in hardware (so no latency or CPU overhead)
• Up to 7 independent 24-bit effects sections including 12 Reverb, 14 Chorus, 70 Variation, 43 Insertion 1 and 43 Insertion 2 effects, 5-band multi EQs on the master stage, and channelised EQ with hi/low and gain on every single part! And with the PLG100VH fitted, another 4 unique "VH Insertion" effects for instant harmonies and "Gender Control".
• 2 A/D inputs for independent analog effects processing, stereo analog outputs, S/PDIF, plus 48 channel MIDI support.
• Tone Generation : AWM2 + optional PLG100VL (Virtual Acoustic Synthesis).
• Polyphony : 64 notes + 1 (VL) (if fitted).
• Sound Module Mode : XG (including VL-XG if fitted ), TG300B (GS), C/M (MT32) all fully programmable.
• Multi-timbral Capacity : 32 parts internal, 16 part external (48 part total)
• Optional VL Voices : 256 (monophonic) (on PLG100 card). Presets are fully editable using either the Yamaha VVE visual editor or the excellent VL Expert editor (see Sondius page)
• Optional PLG100VH harmonizer card, offering multi part vocal harmoniser functions.
• This is a half length (so it will fit in any PCI slot) PCI level 2.0 compliant card.
• S/PDIF digital connector.
• Internal multi-pin bus interface for connection to the DSP Factory card system. This means that the SW1000XG can run alongside and in perfect sync with all of the functions of the DSP Factory system.