Yamaha MU series

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The Yamaha MU series is a line of Yamaha XG and General MIDI sound modules made by Yamaha starting in 1994. They introduced Yamaha's XG format and competed against the Roland Sound Canvas series among others.

Most MU series devices feature not only XG support, but also unofficial Roland GS support via the TG300B mode, and unofficial partial Roland CM-64 compatibility via the C/M mode.

The MU series was not Yamaha's first attempt at General MIDI sound modules; the MU series was preceded by the Yamaha TG100 and TG300, and it inherits some of their features, but not their appearance or form factor.

Models

Overview and history

Desktop (half-rack) modules:

  • Yamaha MU80 (1994),[1] first MU module and first XG module
  • Yamaha MU50 (1995),[1] cheaper version of the MU80 supporting only 16 parts and without the A/D inputs
  • Yamaha MU90 (1996),[1] improved MU80 with more presets (especially drumkits) and two insertion multi-effect units instead of a distortion effect unit
  • Yamaha MU100 (1997),[1] improved MU90 with almost twice as many presets, XG Plug-in System expansion support, and new per-part EQ support
  • Yamaha MU128 (1998),[1] double-height MU100 with 64 parts, 128 polyphony and three plug-in slots; supports General MIDI 2 with a software upgrade
  • Yamaha MU1000 and MU2000 (1999),[1] the most powerful models, released only in Japan, with 4 insert effect units, General MIDI 2, and for the MU2000 only, sampling features and a SmartMedia card slot
  • Yamaha MU500 (2000), final model in the MU series; only 64 polyphony and lacks the screen and A/D input, but has the same set of presets as the MU1000 and MU2000[2]

Full-rack modules:

  • Yamaha MU90R, full-rack version of the MU90 with individual audio outputs
  • Yamaha MU100R (1997),[1] full-rack version of the MU100 with individual audio outputs and two pre-installed plug-in cards

Portable (battery-powered) models:

(TODO: More notable models?)

Comparison of major desktop modules

The following table compares the main desktop modules representing each generation/level of capability. Each module may have some other variants, please see each's page for more info. The MU50 is considered the baseline for XG support; many devices with the XG logo have the same capabilities as the MU50's XG mode.

The MU2000 also features sampling and sequencing functions, not present on any other model (including the MU1000).

Yamaha MU50 Yamaha MU80 Yamaha MU90 Yamaha MU100 Yamaha MU128 Yamaha MU1000
Yamaha MU2000
Image (No photo yet. Please contribute one!) (No photo yet. Please contribute one!) (No photo yet. Please contribute one!)
W × H × D (mm) 220 × 44 × 210[3] 220 × 44 × 210[4] 220 × 44 × 210[5] 220 × 44 × 210[6] 219.5 × 91.1 × 229.5[7] 219.5 × 91.1 × 229.5[8][9]
Rack units 1U, half-width 1U, half-width 1U, half-width 1U, half-width 2U, half-width 2U, half-width
Weight 1.3kg[3] 1.3kg[4] 1.3kg[5] 1.3kg[6] 1.9kg[7] 2.0kg[8][9]
Release date 1995[10] 1994[11] 1996[12] 1997[13] 1998[14] 1999[15][16]
Yamaha XG Yes[3] Yes[4] Yes[5] Yes[6] Yes[7] Yes[8][9]
Roland GS TG300B mode[3] TG300B mode[4] TG300B mode[5] TG300B mode[6] TG300B mode[7] TG300B mode[8][9]
(GS with software upgrade)
C/M mode Yes[3] Yes[4] Yes[5] Yes[6] No No
General MIDI Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
General MIDI 2 No No No No Yes (with software upgrade)[14] Yes[8][9]
Normal parts 16[3] 32[4] 32[5] 32[6] 64[7] 64[8][9]
Max polyphony 32[3] 64[4] 64[5] 64[6] 128[7] 128[8][9]
A/D parts None 2[17] 2[18] 2[19] 2[20] 2[21][22]
XG normal presets 480[3] 537[4] 586[5] 1074[6] 1149[7] 1203[8][9]
TG300B normal presets 579[3] 614[4] 614[5] 614[6] 664[7] 664[8][9]
XG drum presets 11[3] 11[4] 20[5] 36[6] 37[7] 48[8][9]
TG300B drum presets 10[3] 10[4] 10[5] 10[6] 10[7] 10[8][9]
Expansion None None None 1× PLG 3× PLG[20] 3× PLG[8][9]
Reverb
[table 1] 		Yes (12 types)[3] Yes (12 types)[4] Yes (12 types)[5] Yes (12 types)[6] Yes (12 types)[7] Yes (18 types)[8][9][table 2]
Chorus
[table 1] 		Yes (10 types)[3] Yes (10 types)[4] Yes (14 types)[5] Yes (14 types)[6] Yes (14 types)[7] Yes (20 types)[8][9]
Variation
[table 1][table 3] 		Yes (42 types)[3] Yes (44 types)[4] Yes (62 types)[5] Yes (70 types)[6] Yes (70 types)[7] Yes (97 types)[8][9][table 2]
Insertion
[table 1][table 3] 		None 1× (3 types, Distortion/EQ)[4] 2× (43 types)[5] 2× (43 types)[6] 2× (43 types)[7] 4× (97 types)[8][9][table 2]
Multi EQ
[table 1] 		No Yes (4 types)[4] Yes (4 types)[5] Yes (4 types)[6] Yes (4 types)[7] Yes (4 types)[8][9]
Part EQ
[table 1] 		No No No Yes (1 type)[6] Yes (1 type)[7] Yes[23][24] (1 type)
Notes
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 These rows represent how many independent effect units are available, not whether there are effects of a certain type. For example, the MU50 has independent reverb, chorus and variation units, but the variation unit can also do some reverb and chorus effects. Similarly, the MU80 additionally has a multi-EQ unit, but its variation and insertion units can also do EQ effects. The limitation is that each effect unit can only do one type of effect at a type.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Does not include the additional effects added with a software upgrade (TODO).
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 The variation effect unit can be used either as a system effect or an insertion effect; the "insertion" row is about additional, insertion-only effect units.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Keyboard Instruments & Music Production Tools - Display Collection - INNOVATION ROAD - Yamaha Corporation
  2. ↑ MU500 - Display Collection - INNOVATION ROAD - Yamaha Corporation
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 Yamaha MU50 Owner's Manual, pages 125 and 126.
  4. ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 Yamaha MU80 Owner's Manual, pages 129 and 130.
  5. ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 Yamaha MU90 Owner's Manual, pages 10 and 11.
  6. ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 Yamaha MU100 Owner's Manual, pages 173 and 174.
  7. ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 7.15 Yamaha MU128 Owner's Manual, pages 187 and 188.
  8. ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 8.12 8.13 8.14 8.15 8.16 Yamaha MU1000 取扱説明書, pages 154 and 155.
  9. ↑ 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 9.12 9.13 9.14 9.15 9.16 Yamaha MU2000 取扱説明書, pages 186 and 187.
  10. ↑ MU50 - Display Collection - INNOVATION ROAD - Yamaha Corporation
  11. ↑ MU80 - Display Collection - INNOVATION ROAD - Yamaha Corporation
  12. ↑ MU90 - Display Collection - INNOVATION ROAD - Yamaha Corporation
  13. ↑ MU100 - Display Collection - INNOVATION ROAD - Yamaha Corporation
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 MU128 - Display Collection - INNOVATION ROAD - Yamaha Corporation
  15. ↑ MU1000 - Display Collection - INNOVATION ROAD - Yamaha Corporation
  16. ↑ MU2000 - Display Collection - INNOVATION ROAD - Yamaha Corporation
  17. ↑ Yamaha MU80 Owner's Manual, page 24.
  18. ↑ Yamaha MU90R Owner's Manual, page 26.
  19. ↑ Yamaha MU100 Owner's Manual, page 19.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Yamaha MU128 Owner's Manual, page 19.
  21. ↑ Yamaha MU1000 取扱説明書, page 7.
  22. ↑ Yamaha MU2000 取扱説明書, page 7.
  23. ↑ Yamaha MU1000 取扱説明書, page 62.
  24. ↑ Yamaha MU2000 取扱説明書, page 72.
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