Yamaha CS-5 - dawless jam

video upload by Telantas Changxo

"I got the most wonderful birthday present: a Yamaha CS-5 analogue synthesizer (1979-1982). This video shows my first few minutes with it in a completely unrehearsed, improvised jam accompanied only by a fixed drone provided by a Behringer Crave (during the first minute I also had a repeating sequence played by another Crave).

Martin Gore's first synthesizer was a CS-5. Aphex Twin also used one. But what do I care? I only want to know how it sounds and how it handles. And my first impression is this: the synth is amazing! It has an extremely beautiful, musical tone, and the panel couldn't be more intuitive or immediate. The synth-action keybaord is superb. It is a simple machine: a single-oscillator, monophonic synthesizer with only one envelope generator. However, the controls available are very flexible and there are a few really neat and unique features (I will show some of those in subsequent videos).

The similarity of the white-over-black design in the Yamaha CS-5, CS-10, CS-15 and CS-30 to the Korg MS-10 and MS-20 is not coincidental. These were head-on competitors in production during 1977-1982. In fact, the first synths to sport it were Yamaha's: the CS-10 and CS-30, both released during 1977 (one year before the MS-10 and MS_20). This sober look was a break form the wooden cheeks and coloured buttons of earlier Japanese and American synthesizers (including Yamaha's own CS-80, in production during the same period).

In terms of playability and sonic character, I think it is fair to say that the Yamaha CS-5/10/15/30 occupy a space somewhere between a Minimoog, which sounds great in almost any setting, and an MS-20, which enourages experimentation. However, my interactions with my CS-5 so far indicate that this is a simplification. It has its own character warm, precise, musical. I am really loving it so far.

ABOUT THIS CHANNEL:

Telantas Changxo is the musical side project of quantum physicist Jorge Quintanilla. It features DAWless music made using hardware synthesizers, ranging widely from experimental drone pieces to original synth-pop songs."