VL1 Expert Controller: First Details and Contact

This is the realisation of my vision: an ideal hardware controller for the famous Yamaha VL1 synthesizer. After my experience of making a HW controller for the FS1R, I decided to create an new user interface that deals easily with hundreds of parameters to control this beast. The case is designed as a 19″ rack mount, the same size as the VL1m module. As the name implies, it can edit all physical modelling parameters as you were able with the Yamahas Expert Editor for Macs.

Individual dials for all parameters rendered quite impossible, so I found a way to divide the parameters into several pages of 16 parameters and show the content on an OLED displays.

You have 7 groups on the front panel: Global, Control, Effect, Driver, Physics, Pipe and Modifier. Each group has several buttons and LEDs to indicate the current selected parameter page. In the next image you see that the page for editing breath noise and excitation is selected, and the 16 dials are assigned to the belonging parameters.

The dials are endless encoders with haptic clicks. The displays are divided in two halves, upper display half describes the parameter name and value for the upper dial and vice versa.

That’s it: you have a good overview about the whole context and you can easily dive into all parameters.

One group lets you define the control matrix and assign the MIDI CC mods to live controls.

Here an example of the Pipe Physics page, where you can adjust the holy settings of the pipe length, damping etc. The separate TFT display gives an idea how the current parameters change the shape and relations between the parts of the instrument.

Many parameters can be individually adjusted to key scalings. This type is identified by a leading “#” signs before the parameter name. A press on the dial changes to the Key Scaling view on the TFT display.

You have now access to these breakpoints. The content of the dials and the OLEDs are now assigned to breakpoint editing. The lower dial edits the key number, you can also use the keyboard to update the key. The upper dial is changing the BP offset. The TFT shows all parameters live. Pressing any upper dial returns to the page before. If there are more then 8 breakpoints, a press on any lower dial changes to the remaining BP. There are not many parameters with support 16 breakpoints, normally we have to dial with 2 or 4 BPs.

An example of an envelope generator page

Resonator page

Tuning page

Equalizer setting.

Finally the controller can store the changed voice onto the internal storage (SD card) and access quickly to the library.

Even the controller is in a good usable state now, there are still many ideas to implement in the future: an internal MIDI looper and sequencer, a virtual LFO for all parameters, preset templates for groups, macro page to edit holistic parameters at the same time, automate polyphonic voice extension with more than one VL1, etc.

The white one is the prototype. The new black face plate matches the VL1m.

I can build this controller for you on request, and it needs several months to have all parts together. The price is 1350€ plus shipping.