CS80 improvisation 1 - sit back & relax

video upload by The Synth King

"Hi,
here is my first ambient improvisation with a Yamaha CS 80. This instrument has been given to me for thorough inspection. Cosmetically the CS80 is in a quite bad shape, however, from a technical perspective it works almost perfectly. You will notice some issues with one voice distorting and not beeing consistent in volume (probably a bad VCA).
I´m working on a video showing further details on how I came to this instrument or shall I say how this CS80 found me. Stay tuned.
Bernd"

Game Boy, Tape Loop & CBX-K1XG Lo-fi Electronica | Nephew 2025-11-15 by atnr

video upload by atnr

"This piece was created using a Game Boy, a tape loop, and the YAMAHA CBX-K1XG.
It is an electronica composition where lo-fi synth tones and piano layers blend with a delayed, lo-fi rhythm.

On the Game Boy, rhythms are programmed in LSDj, with delay added using the ‪@strymon‬ TIMELINE.

A one-minute piano performance is recorded onto a tape loop. The loop is played back and processed with ‪@ChaseBlissAudio‬ LOSSY, adding reverb and EQ to create a warm lo-fi texture.

The CBX-K1XG is performed live on the keyboard, with additional delay and reverb applied using ‪@ChaseBlissAudio‬ LOST+FOUND."

Yamaha DX200 Desktop Control Synthesizer SN HJ01445

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this Reverb listing

"Manual, CD, floppy and power adapter included."

CLICK FOR MORE »

Bad Gear - NO ONE understands this! & It's UGLY

video upload by AudioPilz

"Today, however, we are going to talk about K2000. This range of Synth/ROMpler/Sampler hybrids was originally brought to the market in 1991 by Ray Kurzweil, a completely overpowered mega brain who went from being Stevie Wonder ’s custom shop to looking forward to merging with AI by 2045. No one understands this.


Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
01:04 Overview Kurzweil K-2000
01:19 Different Models, Sampling
01:41 What the Actual...?!? (The Samples)
02:17 Keygroups
02:31 Layers, Algorithms, Synth Architecture
02:59 Sync, FM, Complex Signal Chains
03:13 Filters
03:23 Modulators, FUN, Midi Control
03:48 Problems with the Aging Hardware
03:56 Programs, Presets (No, we're still not finished)
04:31 FX Section
04:48 Patches
05:08 What else? (Outputs, Sequencer, Thanks, Pricing)
05:48 H*te Screen
06:12 Jam 1 ( Techno Preset Surfing )
07:13 Jam 2 ( Tracker Drum'n'Bass )
08:13 Finale ( 90s Adventure Game OST )
08:46 VERDICT"

Bad Gear - It's UGLY!!!

video upload by AudioPilz

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:26 Overview Akai MPC Live III
00:37 The new fancy Pads
01:17 The Catch, Articulations
01:38 Built-in Mic, Speakers
01:45 Step Sequencer
02:22 Tech Specs
02:34 Arrangement, Clip Matrix
03:01 Ribbon Controller, Q-Link Knobs, Touch Screen
03:37 Instruments (Drums, Keygroups, Plugins,...)
04:11 More DAW-like Stuff, Time Stretch, Mixer
04:43 Pro Pack, Compatibility to other MPCs, Stems
05:07 What else? (Content, Hardware, Pricing, Thanks)
06:12 H*te Screen
06:40 Jam 1 ( EDM )
07:36 Jam 2 (Epic Lo-fi Type Beat )
08:42 Finale ( 90s FPS Style DnB )
09:14 VERDICT

And the Halloween episode:

CLICK FOR MORE »

Adventures in Audio - Yamaha PSS-130 - Simple Yet Endearing Toy Keyboard

video upload by Manitou Productions

"Adventures in Audio looks at the Yamaha PSS-130 toy keyboard from 1987. We'll explore the sounds, rhythms, and functions and take a look at the innards while we're at it. The PSS-130's older cousin, the PSS-30, makes a guest appearance.

Chapters:
0:00 No more noises please
0:22 Titles
0:29 Intro
1:24 Let's turn it on!
1:37 The sounds
5:09 The rhythms
7:08 Melody Memory
7:55 Demo song
8:21 Enter the PSS-30
9:27 Duelling keys
10:49 Buzz
11:15 Duelling rhythms
12:17 Duelling demo songs
13:14 The guts of the PSS-130
17:21 The guts of the PSS-30
18:20 Turn me off!
18:57 Outro
19:25 Ivy's Corner"

Yamaha RX 17 + Patch Bay, Pitch Control and Joystick Mods

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this Reverb listing

Video in the listing for another mod previously posted here. "One-of-a-kind modified Yamaha RX 17 1987 12-bit programmable drum machine featuring two ROM modulation patch bays, a joystick for performance control of four pre-set effects (which may also be combined on the diagonal axes) and pitch control. These modifications generate an array of bit crushed, flanging, glitching, distorted, delayed, tonal effects, flams and digital noise. Five patch cables included- these can be 'stacked' for even deeper audio manipulation. The unit functions as normal when the patch bay is not in use. Only one available.

13 pads: tom 1/conga 1, tom 2/ conga 2, hi hat open/bongo high, ride/agogo high, cowbell/whistle, timbale high/ cuica high, bass drum/ tambourine, snare/rim shot, tom 3/conga low, hi hat closed/ bongo low, crash/agogo low, clap/shaker, timbale low/cuica low.

Accent, level, pan for each sound.
User Patterns: 999.
User Songs: 10.
Tempo Range: 40 - 240 BPM.
MIDI in/ out.
ROM Size: 26 PCM waveforms at 12-bit resolution.
Screen: 16x2 character display.
Weight: 1.5 kg."

CLICK FOR MORE »

OP-1 Field, Wingie2, Prophet-10 & Piano Ambient Resonance | Critical Part 2025-11-12 by atnr

video upload by atnr

"This piece was created using the ‪@teenageengineering‬ OP-1 field, ‪@MengQiMusic‬ Wingie2, ‪@SequentialLLC‬ Prophet-10, and piano. It features piano performances layered over randomly repeating glockenspiel samples enhanced by resonant tones from the Wingie, creating a delicate ambient atmosphere.

On the OP-1 field, glockenspiel sounds are sampled and sequenced using the ENDLESS sequencer. The output is routed through the Wingie2, which adds resonance and harmonic richness.

The ‪@YamahaSynthsOfficial‬ CP-88 piano continuously plays a repeating chord progression, providing a stable foundation for the piece.

The Prophet-10 performs soft synth tones with a slow attack, processed through the ‪@strymon‬ blueSky for reverb, adding depth and texture to the overall sound."

Yamaha CS-50 Polyphonic Synthesizer Brochure

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this Reverb listing

CLICK FOR MORE »

Yamaha DX5 w/ Data Cart

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this Reverb listing

"Absolute beast of a machine. Every patch has a very big soundstage as it is essentially 2 DX7's in one. Everything works as it should on the machine, and the keys feel brand new (nice and heavy action). After-touch works wonderfully. It is much more premium of a build than the DX7's."

CLICK FOR MORE »

Trouble – Soulful Blues Jazz with Oberheim OB-1 Magic | AWJI Void

video upload by AWJI Void

"Trouble is blues jazz at its most soulful — driven by the rare Oberheim OB-1 analog synth, warm Wurlitzer 200A, and expressive guitar solos. Recorded live with no overdubs, this session from AWJI Void captures real emotion and vintage tone.

🎵 Musicians & Credits
• Yamaha CS80, Roland Jupiter 4, Oberheim OB-1, Wurlitzer 200A – Andy Whitmore
• Fender Telecaster, Gibson 335 – John Isle
• Fender Precision Bass – David Whitmore
• Pearl Drum Kit – Alun Harries
Engineered by Stepan Honc
Mixed by Andy Whitmore & Ed Stokes at greystokestudio.com

⏱️ Chapters
0:00 – Intro / Main Theme
0:55 – Guitar Solo (Gibson 335)
2:38 – Synth Solo (Oberheim OB-1)
4:20 – Main Theme
5:11 – Bass Solo (Fender Precision)
5:38 – Drum Solo (Pearl Kit)
6:02 – Main Theme"

The Smooth Jazz Track You’ll Play on Repeat 💫 | AWJI Void – Sleepless in Cala Pi

video upload by AWJI Void

"Smooth jazz blues instrumental music for relaxing, working, or late-night driving. “Sleepless in Cala Pi” by AWJI Void is a laid-back, melodic track with echoes of George Benson’s Lady. AWJI Void “Sleepless in Cala Pi”

Recorded June 2023
🎹 Yamaha CS80, Roland Jupiter 4 & programming – Andy Whitmore
🎸 Fender Telecaster American – John Isle
🥁 Gretsch Catalina Drum Kit – Gabor Dornyei
Recorded & Mixed by Andy Whitmore, John Isle, Bernard Dyerson & Ed Stokes

⏱️ Chapters
0:00 – Intro / Main Theme
0:38 - Jupiter 4 Solo
3:15 – Fender Telecaster Solo
5:48 – Main Theme
6:27 - Jupiter 4 Solo
8:04 – Fender Telecaster Solo

💡 AWJI Void = Andy Whitmore & John Isle, lifelong friends and collaborators with London’s top session musicians. Every track is live, first takes only – music from the heart. Andy Whitmore has played keyboards on 50 hit records, produced 14 Top Ten hits, and worked with artists including Elton John, Lemar & Peter Andre.

Press Release
AWJI Void announce the release of their debut album Lovely Day, arriving 30th October 2025. The record features 8 original tracks blending smooth jazz and blues-rock instrumentals, showcasing the band’s unique groove and atmospheric soundscapes. Lovely Day will be available on all major streaming platforms."

Sampling Vintage Synths at SynthTemple with the Elektron Tonverk

video upload by Group Technologies Australasia

"Armed with the Elektron Tonverk, GT Lab visits SynthTemple- one of the largest working collections of vintage synthesizers in the world- to sample a host of different sources."

Elektron Tonverk - Routing & FX

video upload by Group Technologies Australasia

"Check out our GT Lab tutorial exploring some of the Tonverk's new effects and routing possibilities."

80s YAMAHA Rhythm Machine RX17 & Kasane Teto sampled OP-1 field | Resolve 2025-11-11 by atnr

video upload by atnr

"This piece was created using the ‪@teenageengineering‬ OP-1 field, ‪@NordKeyboards‬ Nord Lead, ‪@YamahaSynthsOfficial‬ RX17, MU15, and MOTIF-RACK ES. It combines rhythm machine beats, melodies made from sampled vocals of 重音テト Kasane Teto SV, and live bass performance.

On the OP-1 field, the sampler contains Kasane Teto’s voice, which is used to create melodic phrases. At certain points, looping is applied through the NTS-3, and the signal is processed with the ‪@ChaseBlissAudio‬ MOOD MKII.

The RX17 rhythm machine is recorded with an ALESIS 3630 compressor applied.

On the MU15, synth sounds are performed using its built-in keyboard, with reverb added via the blueSky.

The Nord Lead plays melodic parts in the middle section of the piece, processed through the ‪@gfisys‬ Specular Tempus for delay.

The bass is recorded through a SANSAMP Bass Driver DI, routed directly into the audio interface for a clean yet warm tone."

Yamaha DX7 Synthesizer from 1985–some favorite Custom Presets

video upload by Tom Loncaric

"Earlier this year, a friend gifted me this beat up Yamaha DX7 MKI. A sticker on the back indicates it was manufactured in 1985. A technician replaced the felts and rebuilt the keyboard. Apparently someone had spilled some sort of beverage inside! I also installed a new OLED display and the Special Edition ROM chip, which adds some useful features.

Since then, I’ve dragged the DX7 all over the United States, from Nashville to New York. It actually performs very well at concerts. This video showcases some of my favorite presets. The presets are gathered from various sources, including ones on the HyperSynth Hcard-101 cartridge, Bo Tomlyn cartridges, and believe it or not, DX7 patch books from the 1980s. I made a couple presets from scratch, however it took many hours—one must be extremely patient! Only one preset is from the factory Yamaha collection, and that is the infamous “E. Piano 1” sound.

Everything played live straight into an iPad.

Effects used:
Meris MercuryX reverb
Strymon Volante delay
Strymon Lex rotary speaker simulator"

Yamaha CS-01 - The Little Synth That Could

video upload by BucketBrigade

"I'm back! (A little later than planned.) Today we're looking at the Yamaha CS-01, a monosynth from 1982 that - while it can't compete with it's older bigger brother the CS80, has plenty to give - more than you may think ;) Thank you to Paul for loaning me this lovely machine.

Let me know if you owned a CS01 in the comments below, I'd love to hear your stories - and feel free to suggest any other synthesisers you'd like to see on the channel in the future.

PS: A quick note - the quality of the microphone and camera are a bit skew-whiff in this channel. Unfortunately nothing went quite as I had hoped as I didn't have my normal equipment, ran out of time and made some errors - chucking a screen with some photo references in the corner of my eyeshot reflecting the whole time being one of them. Lastly, if my voice sounds a bit weird at the start, my noise reduction plugin went a bit overboard and makes me sound like an AI voice. I'm not, I promise!!"

Yamaha CS-50 Polyphonic Synthesizer SN 2215

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this Reverb listing

CLICK FOR MORE »

"STAGE 5 BGM" from the FC action game "Konomi's Monster Party" arranged by YAMAHA TX816

FC用アクションゲーム「このみのモンスターパーティ」より"STAGE 5 BGM" YAMAHA TX816 Arrange♪

video upload by NOZ MUSIC

Google translated (original Japanese below):

"My name is NOZ, and I was in charge of all the background music and sound effects for the FC action game "Konomi's Monster Party," released by GAME IMPACT on April 28, 2024.
This time, I arranged the game's STAGE 5 background music using an FM synthesizer.

The FM synthesizer is a YAMAHA TX816.
The TX816 is sequenced using a YAMAHA QX1.
The drums are a YAMAHA RX11.

I filmed myself playing on the actual machine before recording.
When I press the START button on the YAMAHA QX1, the YAMAHA TX816 and YAMAHA RX11 play in sync.
This music equipment, which was released in 1984, is still in use today.
The recorded sound source will be included in "Konomi's Monster Party ORIGINAL SOUNDTRAK," due for release in March 2026."

Original:

"2024年4月28日にGAME IMPACTからリリースされたFC用アクションゲーム「このみのモンスターパーティ」の全BGMと効果音を担当したNOZと申します。
今回はこのゲームのSTAGE 5 BGMをFMシンセサイザーを使ってアレンジしました。

FMシンセサイザーはYAMAHA TX816です。
TX816はYAMAHA QX1でシーケンス演奏しております。
ドラムはYAMAHA RX11です。

レコーディングする前の、実機で演奏してる様子を撮影しました。
YAMAHA QX1のSTARTボタンを押すと、YAMAHA TX816とYAMAHA RX11が同期演奏されます。
1984年に発売された音楽機材が、こうして今でも現役で動作しております。
レコーディングした音源は2026年3月にリリース予定の「このみのモンスターパーティ ORIGINAL SOUNDTRAK」に収録予定です。"

FC用GAME SOFT「このみのモンスターパーティ」
https://www.gameimpact.info/konomimon...

YAMAHA MODX M Sound Demo pt1 (M6 M7 M8)

video upload by Woody Piano Shack

"YAMAHA MODX M demo showcasing the best of sound live sets. Applies also to YAMAHA MONTAGE M, MODX M6, MODX M7 and MODX M8. Playing many of the sounds, piano, FM-X and AN-X.

Many more all-playing demos and tutorial coming soon and check out my previous video review.

WELCOME TO PIANO CLUB
New members-only video every week and instant access to the archives.

• Music theory and playing techniques
• Song breakdowns & piano arrangements
• Synth and keyboard tips and tricks
• Topics requested by members"

Lesson packs available for one-time purchase on Patreon.

MORE WOODY PIANO SHACK: https://woodypianoshack.com

Yamaha DX7 Digital FM Keyboard Synthesizer SN 91289 w/ Sycologic Upgrade Card

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this listing

Additional Perfect Circuit listings

"New backlit display installed

Sycologic upgrade card installed"

You can find some info on the Sycologic upgrade in this older post.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Yamaha CS01 II Monophonic Synthesizer SN 2341

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this eBay listing

Pics of the inside below.

"See video [in the listing while up] for working features. The feet switch works but you sometimes have to fiddle with it. I bought this in the late 1980’s so it is firsthand. I have kept it in a dry healthy environment. It was bought in Europe and I checked it in the US using a European plug and a proper power transformer. The internal loudspeaker doesn’t seem to work. In the video I connected it to an external speaker. Batteries didn’t seem to power up the synth. Not sure why, the connexions are clean. Maybe modern alkaline batteries are weaker than the older ones. This looks like a toy but is actually a very powerful and sought after synth.

TECHNICAL FEATURES
Improved filter: The CS01 II features a 24dB resonant low-pass filter with an adjustable slider for resonance, a significant upgrade from the 12dB filter with a simple on/off resonance switch on the original model.

Sound generation: It includes a voltage-controlled oscillator with selectable waveforms (triangle, saw, square), pulse width modulation, and a white noise option.

Envelopes and LFO: A single ADSR envelope generator controls both the amplifier and filter depth, and a basic LFO can modulate the VCO pitch or filter cutoff.

Portability: Designed for portability, it has a mini-keyboard, a built-in speaker, and can be powered by batteries.

Controls: It includes pitch and modulation wheels, a glissando (portamento) function, and an input for a breath controller.

The CS01 II is a monophonic synthesizer, meaning it can only play one note at a time.

Sound: It is highly regarded by electronic musicians today for its ability to produce "bubbly and growling" bass sounds and other fat analog tones.

Target audience: While its small size and simplicity made it a good beginner's synth when released, its excellent sound quality has made it a valuable instrument for experienced musicians."

CLICK FOR MORE »

Yamaha CS30 SN 4251

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this Vemia listing

Click the auction link on top when you get there for additional listings.

"Am moving on a really tidy example of Yamahas wonderful CS30 monosynth. It was serviced fairly recently including recapping the power supply. Cosmetically its very clean too. Fully working, tested and sounding superb. "

CLICK FOR MORE »