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An EL-90 is an open design with open space between the speakers and the pedalboard
An EL-90T is a cabinet housing
An EL-90I is white (Ivory)
An EL-90 can easily be disassembled into 5 pieces:
- the upper part (2 screws under the keyboards, just in front of the speakers and 2 screws in the back between the upper part and the speaker part)
- the speakers and amplification part (4 screws on the top and 4 screws behind plastic caps on the back)
- two side panels (two screws each, on top of the pedalboard, under a plastic cap)
- pedal board
The visible differences between an EL-90 and an EL-70 are:
- EL-70 has 8 & EL-90 has 16 presets between the keyboards
- EL-70 has 1 & EL-90 has 2 pedal voices
- EL-90 has a second expression pedal
- EL-90 has a bigger screen (same resolution!)
- EL-70 has 79 & EL-90 has 131 voices (for instance panflute)
- EL-70 has 4 & EL-90 has 6 speakers
- EL-90 has better sounding voices
- EL-90 has initial & after touch on the pedals
- More software is available for EL-90
- and some more
Manuals
Download manuals for Yamaha Electone EL-90 in pdf format:
Owners Manual Part 1 • Owners Manual Part 2 • Service Manual (40MB!)
Disks
There are multiple types of floppy disks:
- Registrations
- Performances (and registrations)
- Voices
- Rhythm Patterns
The REGIST_MENU disks offer an easy way to select between up to 80 different registrations (5 pages of 16 registrations).
These disks contain a number of files, typical 2 or 4 files 17kB each for different Electone models.
- RGM_35.DAT = EL-70
- RGM_36.DAT = EL-90
- RGM_3A.DAT = EL-57
- RGM_3B.DAT = EL-40
- RGM_3D.DAT = EL-50
- RGM_3E.DAT = EL-60
- RGM_43.DAT = EL-20/27
- RGM_46.DAT = EL-500/700/900/900m
Simply copy the files on a pre-formatted floppy disk and label the disk REGIST_MENU (in settings).
Here are the files of two common disks:
| RED101 | RED201 |
CLASSIC Page 1 Strgs|Orche|Flute|Strgs|Piano|Choir|Baroq|March Ens. |stra1|/Harp|Quart|/Strg|Ens. |ue |1 ----------------------------------------------- Pizz.|Orche|Oboe/|Wood |Sugar|Fanfa|Wien.|March Ens. |stra2|Strgs|Winds|-plum|re |Waltz|2 JAZZ/CONTEMPORARY Page 2 Big |Big |Combo|Jazz |Dixie|Euro.|Cross|Cross Band1|Band3|1 |Waltz|1 |Beat |over1|over3 ----------------------------------------------- Big |Big |Combo|Balla|Dixie|Dance|Cross|Funk Band2|Band4|2 |d |2 |Pop |over2| LATIN Page 3 Samba|Bossa|Bossa|Mambo|Rumba|Tango|Tango|Carib 1 |nova1|66 | | |1 |3 |1 ----------------------------------------------- Samba|Bossa|Salsa|Cha- |Begui|Tango|Boler|Carib 2 |nova2| |Cha |ne |2 |o |2 POPS/FOLK Page 4 Pops |Rock&|Hard |Music|Stand|Bounc|Polka|Count Orch1|Roll |Rock1|al1 |ard1 |e | |ry1 ----------------------------------------------- Pops |60's |Hard |Music|Stand|Waltz|Germ.|Count Orch2|Pop. |Rock2|al2 |ard2 |-Folk|Waltz|ry2 ORGAN Page 5 Class|Class|Class|Theat|Theat|Jazz |Jazz |Pop ic1 |ic3 |ic5 |re1 |re3 |1 |3 |1 ----------------------------------------------- Class|Class|Barre|Theat|Theat|Jazz |Jazz |Pop ic2 |ic4 |l |re2 |re4 |2 |4 |2 |
CLASSIC Page 1 Horn/|Orche|Guitr|Brass|Organ|Baroq|Lulla|Cosmc Strgs|stra1|Conc.|Ens. |/Strg|ue1 |by |1 ----------------------------------------------- Strg.|Orche|Celo/|Chamb|G.Pip|Baroq|Noel |Cosmc Ens. |stra2|Piano|.Strg|/Tuti|ue2 | |2 JAZZ/CONTEMPORARY Page 2 Big |Minor|Piano|Flugl|Dance|Funk1|Cross|Cross Band |Blues|Trio |-Solo|1 | |over1|over3 ----------------------------------------------- Horn-|Organ|Jazz |Tb.- |Dance|Funk2|Cross|Cross Tutti|Combo|Waltz|Solo |2 | |over2|over4 FOLK (Around the World) Page 3 Japan|Hindu|Chans|Mando|Bagpi|Mexic|Lamba|Fidle ese |stani|on |Ens. |pes |an |da | ----------------------------------------------- China|Gamel|Flame|Napol|Germ.|Folk |Regae|Hawai Vn. |an |nco |itan |March|Lore | |ian POPS Page 4 Pops |Pop |Love |Polka|Rock |Jazz |Syn. |Sound Orch1|Strgs|Balad|-Pop |Piano|Guitr|Decay|Efct1 ----------------------------------------------- Pops |Piano|Shuff|Music|Rock&|Latin|Orch.|Sound Orch2|Balad|le |al |Roll | |Hit |Efct2 ORGAN Page 5 Theat|Theat|Theat|Pop2 |Jazz1|Jazz3|Class|Class re1 |re3 |re5 | | | |ic1 |ic3 ----------------------------------------------- Theat|Theat|Pop1 |Pop3 |Jazz2|Jazz4|Class|Stret re2 |re4 | | | | |ic2 |Organ |
Performance disks
Performance disks contain a maximum of 40 performances.
Typical are disks with 10 to 30 performances
There are two file extensions: MDR_nn.EVT and MDR_nn.B00
Files with the extension .B00 contain registration information, user voices and rhythm patterns
Apparently sometimes there are specific registration files for specific models, for example .B36 for EL-90
Files with the extension .EVT (event) contain the key strokes
The EL-900 (and the EL-87?) can read an additional file called SONG.NAM and put it on the display
File numbering starts with 00 which corresponds with song number 01 on the MDR
Beware that I accept no responsibility for any problems that may occur when you read (and proceed) beyond this point
- Read and watch me fix a pedal problem with my EL-90
- Documentation how it is possible to use a standard diskdrive in an EL-90 (pdf by Yvonne&Léon Sprenger)
To reset an EL-90, hold down the top left button under the LCD panel and the power up.
To put an EL-90 (probably the whole EL-series) in SELF CHECK MODE:
Hold down the C# Chord on the lower keyboard, starting with the second C# - while switching on the organ.
(This also displays the software versions)
Software versions I have ‘seen’ so far are:
EL-70: (C)'91/03/13 V.4.2(MAIN) V.5.0(MDRI)
EL-90: (C)'91/05/29 V.5.1(MAIN) V.9.0(MDRI)
EL-90: (C)'91/09/05 V 5.3(MAIN) V.E.0(MDRI)
I have no idea what the differences between these versions are.
Unfortunately software of the EL-x0 series can only be updated by replacing ROM's.
