ENSONIQ TS-10 / TS-12 Musician’s Manual

Performance / Composition Synthesizer · Version 3.0

Section 4 — Understanding Presets

This section offers a basic overview of the concepts involved in selecting, creating, editing, and understanding TS‑10 Presets. For more detailed descriptions of the actual parameters, refer to Section 5 — Preset/Track Parameters.

What is a Preset?

A Preset is a combination of three sounds and an effects set-up that can be instantly recalled for use in performance. Presets are handy “performance memories” which allow you to create and save sound combinations, splits, layers, patch select variations, etc.

The three sounds in a preset reside on three Tracks. For each of these three tracks, the TS‑10 remembers:

A preset also has one Effects algorithm which is common to all three tracks.

The most common context for the TS‑10 to be in is Preset mode. Unless the TS‑10 is in Sequencer mode, you may assume that you are in a preset. Aside from the presets that are saved, there is a Preset Buffer that is always active. A preset buffer is a kind of storage location that is used to temporarily store information.

Whenever you select, layer or edit the Track Parameters for a sound, you are working within the preset buffer. The information in the preset buffer is temporary until you save it into one of the internal preset locations, and then it becomes permanent (it can be recalled). The track parameters of the preset, including mix, pan, transpose, etc. are always active and you should make sure that their settings are correct if you think that your programs are behaving strangely. Whenever you select a new sound from the Sound Bank pages, the track parameters are reset to their standard default settings. If you wish to change a program without resetting these parameters, use the Replace Track Sound feature described later in this section.

What is the Difference between Preset Mode and Sequencer Mode?

There are three Tracks in a “normal” preset and twelve tracks in a sequence or song. A sequence or song, in addition to its ability to record data on its tracks, can be thought of as a giant twelve-track “preset.” However, this giant “preset” is not available simultaneously with normal threetrack presets. The twelve tracks of a sequence or song are available from the keyboard only while in Sequencer mode — indicated by the LED above either Seq/Song Tracks 1-6 or 7–12 button being on. The twelve sequence or song tracks are always playable via incoming MIDI when the MIDI mode is set to MULTI (on the MIDI Control page).

Selecting Presets

Press Presets. The LED above the Presets button lights, indicating that you are in Preset mode.

The display shows you the currently selected bank of six presets, and the bottom left-hand corner of the display will show PSET. You can press the BankSet button and the ten Bank buttons (labeled 0-9) to select the various banks within Preset mode. Take a moment to select different presets by pressing the soft button closest to the preset (either above or below the preset name).

Since Preset and Program banks look very similar (both Presets and Programs have six 11- character names per page), the bottom left-hand corner of the display will show PSET when you are in Presets mode. This helps to differentiate between the two modes, as shown below:

VFD: R2-0 DIGIWARMTH CHAMBR-MUSIC PLUCK-N-STR PSET SAMPLE+HOLD WARM-PAD OVERTURE

Press the Presets button again. Across the top line, the display shows the names of the three sounds that are on the three tracks. On the lower line you see “context” information about the current preset. The illustration below shows the relationship of the preset and its three tracks to what you see on the display:

Preset Effect
The Preset Effect Algorithm and its related parameters
Track 1Track 2Track 3
  • Sound
  • Track parameters
  • Sound
  • Track parameters
  • Sound
  • Track parameters
VFD: PSET MEGASTRINGS HYPER-LOOP TENOR-SAX -PRESET-12- BANK U1-6 *WRITE*
Track Parameters
Mix
Pan & Pan Mode
Attack*
Release*
Brightness*
Timbre*
External MIDI Control (XCTRL)*
Key Zone
Velocity Range
Velocity Sensitivity
Transpose
Detune
Rate* (LFO and/or Wave-List Duration)
Sustain On/Off
Sostenuto On/Off
Pitch Bend On/Off
Mod Wheel On/Off
Reset Controllers On/Off
All-Notes-Off On/Off
Patch Select mode*
Pressure mode*
Volume Pedal Mode
MIDI Status
MIDI Channel
MIDI Program
MIDI BankSelect
Effects Bus Routing
Effect Mod Control

(* indicates saved with Programs)

Whenever the Presets LED is lit, it means that the TS‑10 is in Preset mode, and the ten Bank buttons beneath the display will select Preset Banks when you press them (rather than selecting Sound Banks, as they do when the Sounds LED is lit).

How Many Presets are in the TS‑10?

The TS‑10 offers 300 internal Presets:

Editing a Preset

In addition to the presets stored in memory, there is one more preset that you are using most of the time whether you know it or not. Whenever you are selecting or layering sounds in Sounds mode, you are also creating a preset. The TS‑10 automatically “remembers” the last three sounds you selected and stores them in a special memory buffer called the Preset Edit Buffer. Try this:

You have created a preset with three sounds playing simultaneously. Suppose you wanted to adjust their relative volumes, or shorten the release time, or change the pan location of one of the sounds without losing the combination. You can do all of these things and a lot more with presets.

In Preset mode, whenever you are hearing the Preset Edit Buffer, the preset name is shown as *-EDITED--*. You can always toggle between the edited and currently selected preset by pressing the soft button closest to the preset name.

As we have already discussed, a preset consists of three tracks, each of which has a sound and a set of track parameters. The track parameters are found in the Track Parameters section of the front panel. Presets can be saved, so that you can call them up at any time, or you can use the Preset Edit Buffer in real-time as a powerful performance tool.

While you still have three programs layered, press the Mix/Pan button in the Track Parameters section. The display shows:

VFD: MIX MEGASTRINGS HYPER-LOOP TENOR-SAX 127 127 127

On this and all Track Parameter pages, selecting or layering sounds from the upper line determines what sound(s) you hear, and selecting parameters on the lower line determines which track will be modified if you move the Data Entry Slider or the Up/Down Arrow buttons. Try pressing some of the other Track Parameters buttons — Tuning, Brightness, Key Zone, etc. — and adjusting the track parameters on those pages. You will soon see that within a preset, it’s easy to create splits and layers, transpose a sound, change the pan and many other useful things.

You can even assign one or more tracks in a preset to play only over MIDI, making presets a great tool for controlling remote MIDI instruments in combination with TS‑10 sounds.

What are Preset/Track Parameters?

Preset/Track Parameters provide easy access and control for track and sound attributes, and are used in mixing/manipulating sequencer tracks and in creating presets.

A group of Preset/Track Parameters is associated with each preset and sequencer track. These parameters control various aspects of the track, including some important and useful sound controls which may be easily adjusted during performance, or recorded into the sequencer. The settings of these parameters are saved with every preset. These instantly recallable presets include an effect setup and three programs on three tracks with a full set of programmable performance parameters, including key zones, transpositions, release times, timbral variations and others. The settings of all performance parameters on sequencer tracks are saved for each track while the power to the TS‑10 is off, and are always available.

The buttons which control the pages containing these parameters are found in the Track Parameters section of the front panel to the right of the display.

To view or adjust the setting of a particular type of track parameter, press the appropriate button in the Track Parameters section. The selected parameter type is indicated in the top-left corner of the display.

On the Track Parameter pages, the top line of the display will show the names of three programs and their current layering status. The name of the parameter type is abbreviated to four characters in order to make room for the program names, and is shown in the top left corner of the display. The bottom line of the display shows the current values of the selected parameter for the three tracks of the preset.

In Sequencer mode the current values of parameters for the six tracks (Tracks 1-6 or 7-12) will be displayed. You can press the Tracks 1-6 or 7-12 button again to toggle back and forth between the TRAX page which shows the names of the programs on the tracks and the last selected track parameter page which shows parameter values.

The currently selected track parameter will be underlined. This is the active parameter which will be modified. You may select a parameter for a different track by using the soft buttons.

When programming performance presets, the lower row of soft buttons is used to select tracks.

For sequencer or song tracks, both upper and lower soft buttons are used.

Remember that you can edit parameters on tracks that you are not hearing. The tracks that you can hear are indicated with solid or flashing underlines on their names.

Saving a Preset Once you have created a preset you like, you can save it to one of the 120 Preset locations in the User RAM memory (you cannot save presets or sounds to the ROM memory — it is read only).

Saving a preset to a User RAM location will erase the one that is currently there, so be careful.

To save a preset, first decide which User RAM BankSet and Bank location you want to save it to, then:

VFD: WRITE EDIT PRESET NAME=PRESET NAME *EXIT* LEFT -CURSOR- RIGHT
VFD: U0-0 -PRESET-00- -PRESET-01- -PRESET-02- SAVE -PRESET-03- -PRESET-04- -PRESET-05-
SAVE flashes while you hold Presets. U0-0 is the current BankSetand bank.
Hold the BankSet button and press a Bank 0–9 button: 0–1 User RAM, 2–7 ROM, 8–9 Sampled Sound BankSets
Hold BankSet and press Bank 0–9 to choose a BankSet (User RAM, ROM, or Sampled Sound).

If you need to listen to a few presets in order to decide which one to replace, simply press the soft button beneath *EXIT* and then select presets just as you normally would. The word *EDITED* disappears from the screen, indicating that you are listening to saved presets. Your new preset is safe in the Preset Edit Buffer. But make sure you don’t edit anything in any of the presets you audition, including selecting or layering sounds in Sound mode, or this will create a new Edit Preset, erasing the one you created.

When you are ready to save the new preset, press the Presets button, and then the lower left soft button. You will be returned to the Edit Preset (the word *EDITED* should return on the display). Now you can save the preset as described above.

Avoiding Confusion when using Presets

Whenever you create and save a preset, the TS‑10 only “remembers” the location of the three sounds in memory — not the actual sounds themselves. This is important to remember when you use User RAM programs in presets. If you move a sound, put another in its place, or transfer an entire BankSet of sounds, the preset might still be “pointing to” a location that no longer contains the sound you had in mind.

For example, if you create and save a preset containing a brass sound, a string sound and a piano sound, and you then write over the piano sound with a flute sound, the flute sound will now appear in the location originally occupied by the piano in your preset.

Using the Replace Track Sound Function in Presets Mode

The REPLACE TRACK SOUND function is primarily used for:

Normally, when sounds are selected from the sound bank pages, they are transferred to a track in the Preset Edit Buffer, and many of the track parameters for that track are reset to standard default settings. However, you may wish to change which sound is assigned to a track in a preset without changing any of the other settings for that track. This is done using the Replace Track Sound feature in Presets Mode. The Replace Track Sound button is located next to the Seq/Song Tracks 1-6 and 7-12 buttons on the bottom row in the Track Parameters section.

Replacing a Sound in a Preset

The method described above is also used to change the sound assigned to a track in the current sequence or song. Unlike using Replace Track Sound in a Preset, using it in Sequencer Mode will update the track Program and Bank Select number to the correct value for the sound selected. See Section 10 — Understanding the Sequencer for more information.

Using SoundFinder in Presets Mode

Here’s how to scroll through Programs that have the same defined Program Type in Presets mode. For this example, load the 120-PROGRAMS file called USERBNKS V2 from the TSD-200 disk:

VFD: R3-0 AC-BS/PIANO AC-BS/ORGAN AC-BS/ELPNO PSET AC-BS/NYLON AC-BS/VIBES AC-BS/VOICE
VFD: MIX UPRITE-BASS FULL-BODY SCORING-STR 100 090 100

In this Preset, FULL-BODY is the primary sound (solid underline) and UPRITE-BASS is layered (flashing underline) with it. In this scenario, we will use SoundFinder to audition other Programs that have the same Program Type as the FULL-BODY Program.

VFD: MIX UPRITE-BASS FULL-BODY SCORING-STR 100 090 100
VFD: R2-0 BABY-GRAND FULL-BODY BRITE-PNO STEREO-PNO WARM-GRAND ALL-PURPOSE

Replacing a Sound and the Effect in a Preset

You can replace the sound on a track and make its effect become the preset’s effect by double-clicking the Replace Track Sound button:

Display Location

The following short cut for finding the locations of the sounds assigned to each Preset Track also shows the Display Location for each Program. For any Program or Preset Bank, the Display Locations are numbered as follows:

VFD: R2-0 BABY-GRAND FULL-BODY BRITE-PNO STEREO-PNO WARM-GRAND ALL-PURPOSE

Finding the BankSet, Bank, and Display Location for Sounds on Preset Tracks

To find the BankSet, Bank and Display location (U0-1.5, U1-3.1, R2-7.4, etc.) for the sounds assigned to Preset tracks:

VFD: R2-0 DIGIWARMTH CHMBR-MUSIC PLUCK-N-STR PSET SAMPLE+HOLD WARM-PAD OVERTURE
VFD: PSET R3-0.3 R3-0.6 R2-3.5 DIGIWARMTH BANK R2-0.1 *WRITE*

The BankSet, Bank, and Display location for each of the track sounds are shown on the top line of the display.

VFD: PSET GLASS-KEYS BEST-PAD OL-FAITHFUL DIGIWARMTH BANK R2-0.1 *WRITE*

When a Sampled Sound is assigned to a Preset Track, it follows the same rules as explained in "Finding the BankSet, Bank, and Display Location for Sounds on Sequencer Tracks", found in Section 10 — Understanding the Sequencer.

Performance Tip — Creating Keyboard Splits

One of the most common uses of presets is a keyboard split, in which your left hand plays an "accompaniment" sound and your right hand plays a "solo" sound. This is easy to set up on the TS‑10 by layering the two sounds and assigning them different key zones. You can save this arrangement as a preset so that any time you select that preset, you’ll recall the keyboard split.

Since each track in the keyboard split has its own Transpose value, you are not limited to bass notes on the piano just because it’s on the bottom of the keyboard. Just set the key zone to the keys you want to play and then transpose the sound up or down until it’s playing in the range you want.

Once you have a keyboard split, you can change any of the sounds without affecting the split points by using the Replace Track Sound button.

Using Effects With Performance Presets

All three tracks in each preset, and all twelve tracks in each sequence or song, share the same effects algorithm and settings. The effects settings for each preset is inherited from the primary (non-layered) selected sound, and any layered sounds in the preset will use that same effect. The effects settings for each sequence or song are inherited from the current sequencer effect at the time the sequence or song was created. If this effect is incompatible with other programs in the preset, sequence or song, there are several options:

When you press the Track Effects button from preset or sequencer mode, the first page that appears is the Track Effects Bus Routing page. On this page you can override the normal effects routing of the sound on each track. Subsequent sub-pages let you edit the effect for use in a preset, sequence, or song; these pages are identical to the effects programming pages under the Program Effects button. See Section 6 — Understanding Effects for more information on effect selection and programming.