This VL1-m Archive Page is meant to be a convenient place where fellow VL1-m and VL1 users can submit patches that they've worked on. The elements in these sounds are either those from the Yamaha factory disk, the new .all file from the Yamaha rep, or voice designers that have sent me patches for distribution on this page. Commercially available patches will not be included here -- if any end up here inadvertently, please notify me and they will be removed.

Note: I've zipped and Stuffed some files, and they are available as .zip and .hqx archives, for PC-clone (PKZip) and Macintosh (StuffIt Expander), respectively. Simply unzip or unstuff these files to a convenient directory, or to DOS-compatible floppy, and load that into the VL1. Mac users must have the PC Exchange extension installed in their System folder. VL7 players can also use these patches, but for ones with two elements, have to choose between one or the other.

Unless otherwise noted, the zip and hqx files will consist of one .1vc file each.

UPDATE 12/23/13: John Korchok's VL1 Site -- it's more up to date than this one! You can find the Expert Editor for Mac there as well as many other resources for VL's.

Version 1, Version 2.....?

If you have a Version 1 machine, it will *not* be able to read Version 2 voices. (Ver. 2 machines can read Ver. 1 patches.) Most of the newer voices here (above "vl1lib.zip", and including some from "vl1arch.zip") are Version 2 and hence not compatible with V.1 machines. The solution? Ask your VL dealer to order the "Yamaha VL1 (or VL1-m) Version 2 Upgrade Kit" (VL1 keyboard and VL1-m use different ROM chips so make sure you tell them the right machine), or if they're having problems getting the part, you can order it directly from Yamaha -- The upgrade is available from their consumer products division at 1-888/892-6242. The upgrade from Yamaha is around US$200, and somewhat less expensive from a dealer. Version 2 features a new "straight horn insertion" parameter which increases flexibility and realism of many voices. Dennis Nomer has more Version 2 info and EPROM installation instructions at his web site.

NOTE: I received an e-mail from Fabian Draeger in Germany, who sent me the following:

Just a little note on upgrading if anybody out there has trouble getting the e-proms: Just call Yamaha UK (guy named Dusty at tech support) they send me a pair of version 2 e-proms for free about half a year ago.
Yamaha UK Phone: 0044 1908 366700 (that might have changed though)

WindWorks Design is making available a librarian for VL1 and VL1-m. You can visit WindWorks' page, or this mirror site hosted here at kbspace.

VL Computer-Based Editors

VL1 and VL1-m computer-based editors are available at the Yamaha Synth Zone VL web site -- The Expert Editor (Mac only) will give you complete access to all parameters of the instrument.

Yamaha Patch Site

Yamaha UK has quite a few patches available for VL synths.

The Patches

  • VL1-m Version 1 factory disk
  • VL1-m Version 2 factory disk (in a zip file, containing Vl1_ver2.all, Vl1v2_wx.all, Vl7_ver2.all, Vl7v2_wx.all, and Addition.all)
  • Wietze Krikke's patch collection in its own directory. These are some of the most innovative and unusual patches around for the VL1. You may have to press 'shift' while you click on a voice file, for the name to be saved correctly.
  • Bill Busch's patch collection in this directory.
  • sarruso.1vc -- Sarrusophone, sounds like a clarinet with stronger more resonant attack, and tube-distorted square wave as the sustain. (Ken Barry -- added 5/22/03)
  • annoy.1vc -- interesting but slightly irritating sound, with almost random velocity-controlled stuff... (Ken Barry -- added 5/22/03)
  • ah-ee-02.1vc -- Experimenting with formant frequencies. Very vocal-sounding effects, could be pretty expressive. This one applies formant filters to a sax. (Ken Barry -- added 5/22/03)
  • cevitar.zip -- cevitar.1bk, a 15-voice bank. Read the text file. (Wietze Krikke -- added 5/5/98)
  • marakesh.zip -- marakesh.1bk, a 5-voice bank. Read the text file. (Wietze Krikke -- added 5/5/98)
  • 2001.zip and 2001.hqx -- 2001.1vc, a microtonal tone-cluster sound that reminds me of when Dave was going down the space warp thing in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. (Ken Barry -- added 10/29/97)
  • mertslap.zip and mertslap.hqx -- mertslap.1vc, a slap-bass sound. (Mert Topel -- added 10/29/97)
  • velocita.zip and velocita.hqx -- velocita.1vc, a grunge-sitar type of sound. (Mert Topel -- added 10/29/97)
  • altosaxx.zip and altosaxx.hqx -- Altosaxx.1bk, a one-bank file with 4 patches. Here is the descriptive text file on that. (Wietze Krikke -- added 10/07/97)
  • 2viola.zip and 2viola.hqx -- 2viola.1bk, a one-bank file with 9 voices. Read this for more details. (Wietze Krikke -- added 09/19/97)
  • cellish.zip and cellish.hqx -- cellish.1bk, a one-bank file with 5 voices. Here's the text file. (Wietze Krikke -- added 09/19/97)
  • vyolynz.zip and vyolynz.hqx -- vyolynz.1bk, a one-bank file with 16 voices, based on Manny Fernandez's string patches. Here is more info. (Wietze Krikke -- added 09/19/97)
  • brassjac.zip and brassjac.hqx -- brassjac.1bk, a one-bank file with eleven voices. Read the descriptive text file. (Wietze Krikke -- added 09/12/97)
  • babyphon.zip and babyphon.hqx -- babyphon.1bk, a one-bank file with five voices. Here is the accompanying text file. (Wietze Krikke -- added 09/07/97)
  • corrugpi.zip and corrugpi.hqx -- Corrugpi.1bk, a one-bank file with five voices. Here is the accompanying text file. (Wietze Krikke -- added 08/26/97)
  • cosmic.zip and cosmic.hqx -- Cosmic.1bk, a one-bank file with eight voices. Here's a text file describing them. (Dan Blake -- added 08/18/97)
  • chrome.zip and chrome.hqx -- Chrome.1bk, a one-bank file with six voices. Here's a description. (Dan Blake -- added 08/08/97)
  • neptune.zip and neptune.hqx -- Neptune.1bk, a one-bank file with six voices. Read this description. (Dan Blake (danblake@easynet.co.uk) -- added 07/26/97)
  • v2_mfsyn.zip and v2_mfsyn.hqx -- V2_Manny_Synths.all, development voices that Manny Fernandez created in the process of making the factory voices. Please read the notes from Manny. (Manny Fernandez -- added 05/07/97)
  • v2_mfwnd.zip and v2_mfwnd.hqx -- V2_Manny_Winds.all, development voices that Manny Fernandez created in the process of making the factory voices. Please read the notes from Manny. (Manny Fernandez -- added 05/07/97)
  • mannystr.zip and mannystr.hqx -- mannystr.avc, a 64-voice all-voice-file for VL1 consumption, also readable as a Mac format lib file. Contained therein are a set of developmental voices by Manny Fernandez -- please read this description. Many thanks to Manny for sending some of the more "unfinished" works in progress -- that's the interesting stuff! (Manny Fernandez -- added 03/10/97)
  • dntrumps.zip and dntrumps.hqx -- Dntrump.1vc and Dntrumpr.1vc, two trumpets. Read here for details. (Dennis Nomer -- added 02/15/97)
  • kfl31t.zip and kfl31t.hqx -- Kflute31t.1vc, the D and Eb are tuned a little better. (Ken Barry -- added 02/02/97)
  • xxl-flut.zip and xxl-flut.hqx -- Xxl Flute, from Bill Busch. (Bill Busch -- added 02/02/97)
  • busch02.zip and busch02.hqx -- 6 .1vc files from Bill Busch, an addendum to the Buschman bank. Here are Bill's notes about the patches. (Bill Busch -- added 01/28/97)
  • buschman.zip and buschman.hqx -- Buschman.1bk, a one-bank file with 16 of Bill Busch's patches. Read Bill's notes about the patches. (Bill Busch -- added 01/20/97)
  • mfbrass.zip and mfbrass.hqx -- Two new trumpet voices from Manny Fernandez. Read Manny's notes for more information. (Manny Fernandez -- added 01/06/97)
  • synd_ojf.zip and synd_ojf.hqx -- Syndia modified by Otto Fajen, to play more in tune and have more bite via breath attack (d/dt(cc#2)). (Otto Fajen -- added 12/17/96)
  • bobsdrum.zip and bobsdrum.hqx -- Bob's Drums, a .1bk (one bank) file of 16 percussion voices, some of which respond to controller wheels. (Dr. Robert Skerjanc -- added 12/08/96)
  • Fuzzball.1vc -- distorted lead guitar patch. Read Randy's notes about it. (Randy Hudson -- added 11/24/96)
  • MelTromb.1vc -- a ska trombone tenor brass patch. Read Randy's notes on it for more details. (Let me know if you have any trouble saving this .1vc file.) (Randy Hudson -- added 11/17/96)
  • kflute31.hqx and kflute31.zip -- new flute made from altorecorder no.126 (Ken Barry -- added 11/10/96)
  • kewi02.hqx and kewi02.zip a new EWI, using AnorakSyn... (Ken Barry -- added 11/10/96)
  • trumpbn3.hqx and trumpbn3.zip -- tuned TrumpBone, kinda squirrely in upper register. But not too bad other than that... (Ken Barry -- added 11/10/96)
  • trumpbon.zip and trumpbon.hqx -- TrumpBone. Behaves like a trombone as far as the overtone structure, but has a timbre like a trumpet especially in the upper register. (Ken Barry -- added 07/15/96)
  • cppflute.zip and cppflute.hqx -- C++Flute. A concert C flute, with the breath-pressure-to-pitch response similar to that used with classical music. (Ken Barry -- added 07/12/96)
  • deepaltf.zip and deepaltf.hqx -- DeepAltoFlute. An alto flute in the key of G. Mellow....(Ken Barry -- added 07/12/96)
  • modex.zip and modex.hqx -- Mode X. A strange large metallic instrument which jumps modes oddly. Definitely for more 'experimental' tastes.(Ken Barry -- added 07/12/96)
  • sax_t3_4.zip and sax_t3_4.hqx -- Tenor saxes 3 and 4 from Bill Busch -- correcting some of the 'bump' problem. (Bill Busch -- added 07/10/96)
  • yak.zip and yak.hqx -- A 1971 Berg Larsen mouthpiece with Medium Van Doren reed, attached with hose clamp, to the small intestine of a yak...... well, sort of.... (Ken Barry, added 07/07/96)
  • turboyak.zip and turboyak.hqx -- New and improved Yak!
  • 6vc_guit.zip and 6vc_guit.hqx -- 6vc_Guitar.1vc, an example of how to get chords out of your VL. Element 2 is a 5th higher than Element 1, E2 has pitchbend enabled, and both are going through the Pitch Change mod effect with left pitch = +2 and right pitch = +4. You get the 1,2,3,5,6,7 of the scale with pitchbend low, and 1,2,3,b6,b7,8va with pitchbend high. (Ken Barry -- added 07/05/96)
  • visedit.zip and visedit.hqx -- An .all file which contains 128 of the combinations of drivers/pipes from the VL Visual Editor. Many thanks to Bill Busch for organizing this one. (Added 06/27/96)
  • busch01.zip and busch01.hqx -- a bank of 16 voices that Bill Busch has crafted -- the tenor sax is particularly nice to play. (Added 06/28/96)
  • vl1lib.zip and vl1lib.hqx -- A New .all File From Glen Carbone -- He got this disk from a Yamaha rep at an electronic music show... The names of the seven 16-voice banks contained therein are New Bowed, Performance, Voice of the World, Rock Lead, Gent Lead, Wood Wind, and Potpourri. The eighth bank is from the Yamaha ROM demo from the VL1. Glen says that the rep says that the voices on this disk were not among those currently sold by Yamaha and were being freely distributed to VL1 players. He did get permission to distribute them over the Internet...so here they are!
  • The 26 .1vc and .1bk voices below are included in the files vl1arch.zip and vl1arch.hqx. (updated 06/26/96)
    • kflute.1vc -- I used the Pan Pipes element for this two-element voice (sorry, vl7 users :( ). Follow this link for some more details about it. NOTE: C++Flute above is really much better, and uses only 1 element... (Ken Barry)
    • milezoid.1vc -- A Miles-like muted trumpet, transmutated from Gonzilla on the factory disk (Ken Barry)
    • sinewave.1vc -- An almost-pure sinewave, useful for checking levels and stuff -- from the BigSquare element on the factory disk (Ken Barry)
    • oboe_ma1.1vc -- An improved oboe sound, from the factory disk oboe (Michael Andreas)
    • saxsexio.1vc -- A sax section with 3 voices, based on the Bell Miked element from the factory disk (Michael Andreas)
    • frenchy.1vc -- The French horn patch from the machine's demo. This one's great! And hard to play...;-) (Ken Barry)
    • jungle.1bk -- This is a one-bank file containing the 16 voices from the VL1-m demo on the machine. The included voices are Jungle, Tenor Sax, NiteMare, Syndia, RkGt/Pigs, Shakuhachi, Haze, Alto&Trump, FatBass, SoloViolin, Hydrophone, Frenchy, Highlands, Methane, ElViolin, and SopranoSax. (Colin Whyles)
    • sumo.1vc -- A Brecker-ish lead sound, inspired by the EWI sound on _Sumo_ from Steps Ahead's _Magnetic_. Uses the Analunar element from the factory disk. (Ken Barry)
    • sopranom.1vc -- A more centered-sounding soprano sax, based on the Soprano 3 element from the factory disk. (Michael Andreas)
    • cha0sjet.1vc -- An ominous-sounding large flute-like thing. From the TapedJet element on vl1lib.all, mentioned above. Kind of Zawinul-like. (Ken Barry)
    • harmon.1vc -- A mellow harmon-mute trumpet. Note: Wind controller players might want to reassign embouchure from cc#13 to pitch-bend.(Manny Fernandez)
    • lippy.1vc -- A bright lead trumpet. Has a ring to it.(Manny Fernandez)
    • piper.1vc -- An ethnic wood flute. (Manny Fernandez)
    • sopranon.1vc -- A new soprano sax. (Manny Fernandez)

      Here are 3 "analog synth" voices from Manny, followed by his descriptions.

    • pulzemod.1vc -- PulzeMod 1 -- "Tailored for WX playing. The Vibrato LFO creates the pulse width mod effect as well as random pitch drifting. Thus, no Mod Wheel vibrato for keyboard players, but still OK for WX players with mouthpiece sensor pitchbend (use tight lip mode)."
    • pulz2mod.1vc -- PulzeMod 2 -- "Again, tailored for WX playing. Resonant filtered version with a much thinner pulse width setting (from Tap settings)."
    • fusion.1vc -- Fusion Saw -- "So the keyboard guys aren't left out. Sawtooth synth lead with MW1 vibrato, MW2 filter control. EG filter control as well, most noted with MW2 at minimum. CS1 controls the portamento time (fingered mode), and CS2 controls the delay effect mix."

    • turbosax.1vc -- A sax patch from Manny Fernandez. See what you think!
    • jg_sopr_.1vc -- A Jan-Garbarek-inspired patch, based on Syndia from the Ver. 1 factory demo.(Ken Barry)
    • shawm.1vc and consort2.1vc -- Two early-music voices. "The first is a shawm/bombard type sound. The second, is two slightly softer voices combined, an octave apart. They both need to be played like a double reed instrument, with each note tongued." These are Version 2 voices.(Martin Shakeshaft)
If you have a VL patch that you've worked on and would like to have up on the archive, send me an e-mail and include the .1vc file as an attachment, and please include a short description of the voice.