Yamaha VL70-m

There is a lot of things in this little box but they are arranged nicely; many pages to go throught though. U better use the free Yamaha software editor for this box before U get upset with pages & little buttons. The manual is very clear, a nice tradition of Yamaha.

It's specially designed for generating reed/bow & analog kinds of sound; combining the elements of reeds & strings to make new sound is its highlight.
It's not expandable but it has a lot for U to create new sound, I strongly recommand U also buy the breath control or the WX controller if U play reeds.
The on board FX is quite O.K too.

Keep it short !!
Check it out !!
Try the sax. & the mini moog kind of presets.

I put it in water while the power is on and...
Just joking.
Should be O.K if take care of it.

Never deal with them but they have many things on their web include the free editor.

I would buy it again. I am a composer/guitarist mainly into smooth jazz. The VL70-m gives me very realistic reeds & totally wild syn. lead. I play it directly with my guitar syn. controller or use it for sequencing.
The user is the guy who can bring the best out of it & I am sure it is one of the best syn. ever made.

Because this is a very deep synth with parameters unseen in a sampled based module, it was always going to be difficult to use..
the large screen helps though...it took me little time to figure out the basics....but to do more advanced editing...I must confess
that I never quite got that far....there are free PC and Mac editors available on the Yamaha website...there are 2 versions...
one is basic and the other is more advanced...the advanced one is only available for the Mac...(maybe there's a PC version now..I don't know)
I found the PC editor to be fun and easy to use....

Features are limited, because it was intended as only a specialist instrument..without offence to one of the reviewers below,
this intrument was never design to be your do-it-all module like the Roland JV1010...and it is totally unfair to say that this synth
has a PC soundcard like quality...when I brought the VL-70m home and played it for the first time, my folks thought I had
bought a new flute and cello...it is THAT GOOD...perhaps that particular reviewer was looking for piano sounds or something similar...
which it doesn't have..but what it has it does with realism that nothing else even come close...NOTHING.....if a general purpose instrument is what
you're looking for, don't buy this...but if it's wonderful sounds that you want...this is the best $500 you can ever spend...
I bought mine in early '97, just a couple of months since its release....I've always wanted a VL-1...but at $4000, who can
afford it?? Definitely get the breath controller to with this instrument if you cannot play one of the WX-series wind controllers..
It's only 1-note monophonic...I guess we could wish for 2...but then again, the only thing that gives you that is the VL-1 at $3500 extra...
As a sound source and tool of inspiration, there's no better synth...buy it and you will NEVER regret it...

'Nuff said...
the most realistic acoustic wind/stringed instruments you'll ever hear....and super expressive if you can play the WX-series
wind controllers....it will add analog warmth to you digital recordings...

I think there was ever only one occassion when my V-70m froze...I don't know how I got it to do that...but it never happened again..

N/A

I will buy this instrument again...the only other instrument that I have ever played which I would buy again is the Korg Wavestation..
I had also played with the Korg Prophecy...it has character like the VL-70m...but does totally different sounds..
Honestly, buy it, and fall in love with it...I am sure 99.99% of the VL-70m owners already have...
I suppose if I have the Prophecy (or Z1) + the new Triton, in addition to my VL-70m and Wavestation..I would need no other musical
instruments and have no regrets in life...I love my VL-70m and will marry it...

I use the module with either the standard sounds or sounds loaded from
web. It is hard to edit, but editing is not my interest. The manual is
good. You can transpose the instrument very easily, which is important
for sax/clarinet players.

It is a monophonic synth. The build in effects are chorus and reverb.
They are OK. This synth has midi in-out-through. It has a special
connecter for the WX5 WX7 and WX11. I play it with the WX11 and
believe me : This is the ideal synth for this controller. If you play
a wind controller..... This is the synth for you.

This is where the strength of this synth kicks in. I play it with the
wind controller and it does not feel like I'm playing an electronic
instrument. I can really add feel to the music and the synth's response.
I use mainly sax-type,clarinet and muted trumpet sounds.
Forget sounding like the original instrument. (it is not a sampler),
but think about creating the feel of those instruments. You'll have a
blast.

It hasn't faile me yet... I play it every day. Can finally practise
my scales in the evening on a real instrument.

Haven't dealt with them.

I would buy it again immediatly. I'm not playing in bands anymore.
I became a family man. I can't play the sax at home very often.
I had my WX11 for a long time, but did not use it with the WT11.
The Vl70-m changed all that. I can keep practising improving and enjoy
playing music.

I tell you I'd swear it sounds as if it is Yamaha Sales people are
writing the reviews here at this site. This single "tone" monophonic
sound generator is a real diappointment. It is easy to use but then so
is a kazoo! Most of the sounds (especially sax) have that horrible
FAKE cheap pc sound card quality.

1 note Polyphony is a major blunder by this company. Don't they think that maybe
someone considered using a computer to interface with this thing? GEEZE!
How STUPID ARE THEY to think that giving a sax player the chance to play
a new instrument (such as lead guitar) would not inspire him to want to hear
HARMONY! you know..CHORDS! I am pissed! The wx-5 and Vl-70 are FAR from the
perfect match! Well maybe the match made in hell...

This module is not worth the money in any way shape or form.Such initial
potential! What a real let down. I WANT 64 VOICES PLEASE! Don't waste your
time on this one. Wait for their heads to pull out someday and come out with
this same unit but with something that can be used as composition tool as
well as a performance module. There are a few and I say few decent sounds in
this module but come on...there are thousands of sounds in a roland JV-1010
for $499...and you can even add addtional sounds with cards. What was YAMAHA
thinking?

I plan on taking it back. Very Very Very disappointed!

The presets all sound great. Absolutely awesome reeds and winds. As close to 'real' as you will get, especially when there is a Wind Controller or Breath Controller in use. Patch editors are available free on the web and give you access to parameters not available for editing on the unit itself. The manuel is pretty good as manuels go, but doesn't help to be an effective editor. Designing new sounds from scratch is pretty complicated, but it is very easy to create 'new' acoustic timbres using the Visual Editor. There are some good 3rd Party sounds available.

The polyphony is limited to a single voice, but this module is designed to be a solo voice. It can breathe new life into an otherwise flat all-midi mix. The built-in effects sound good and are easy to manipulate from the front panel. The VL70-m is midi capable, although it is a little quirky in a sequencing situation. All expression characteristics, which you will find on no other synths (other that VL series), are midi assignable. This is where the true strength of the VL70-m lies...being able to control tounging, reed pressure, breath noise and much more to create the true-to-life character you would expect from a real acoustic instrument. The controls you might typically use would be: mod wheel, pitch bend (not always for bending pitch in the traditional way), foot pedal and Breath Controller. Of course, if you play EWI or WX controllers, the VL70-m is the instrument for you.

This, in my opinion, is the most real sounding synth available. Forget all the flat-sounding sax patches on ANY other synth. The VL70-m excels in sounds that would be idea for jazz and new age musical stlyes. It reacts very expressively to velocity and aftertouch. The Breath Controller has adjustments for sensitivity. The VL70-m aslo has some very cool vintage synth sounds. It's very cool to use breath pressure to control a low pass filter opening! The VL70-m is simple fun, fun, fun to play.

I have had the VL70-m a short time, and it hasn't left my studio, so I cannot attest to its reliability or durability. It is a compact, 1/2 rack size (very portable) and has custon gig bag you can get for it. My impression of the VL70-m is that it was really designed for live perfoming.

I had some problems getting the VL70-m to work with my sequencer/interface. There was a midi feedback loop when I tried to record using the BC. That's because the BC sends Breath control data out the Midi Out and causes a loop when it comes back into the controller keyboard. I was able to get to a VL product specialist who work with me (via email) over a 3-day period (!!!) to resolve the problem.

I would definately buy this again. The VL70-m is hard to find in stock, so it has to be ordered and that took several weeks. I shyed away from the additional cost of the BC-3, so when I decided to get that (VL70-m is simply no fun without it), I had to wait another 3 weeks. I would recommend buying the BC-3 with the VL70-m. Frankly, I don't know why it doesn't come shipped with one, it's that important. I guess they figure mostly Wind Controller users are going to buy the VL70-m. I just couldn't pass it up for the price, having previously had an opportunity to play and hear the VL-1 keyboard, which was MUCH more expensive and much less expansive. I could only wish it was a little easier to midi implement. It seems the developer really overlooked its value to the small midi studio musician, not adept at playing a Wind Controller. As I said, put a VL70-m track on top of a completed midi track and it's like you hired a real sax/flute/trumpet player to your session! I defy the uninformed listener to detect there isn't a real player on the recording.