YAMAHA CS60 Unique PWM

Published on Oct 30, 2019 Stephen Coker

"Demonstration of the extremely unique and beautiful Pulse width modulation of the square wave on the Yamaha CS 60 audio output into my oscilloscope."

1977 YAMAHA CS60: Restoring the KAS board

Published on Feb 12, 2019 Stephen Coker

"Stephen Coker Restores the KAS board in the 1977 Vintage YAMAHA CS60 Polyphonic Analog Synthesizer.

These Japanese Instruments are Extremely Complex yet, very well built.

But, many of the Components are no longer available. Especially the Proprietary YAMAHA IC's.
Many of the PCB's are the same within the CS80/CS60/CS50 Synthesizers. The CS80 being the Largest and most dense of the three and, Most well known.

But, the CS60/CS50 are very nice Synth's and are Highly sought after, due to them having the same voice cards as the more popular, larger CS80.

The Difficulty Level in Restoring the CS80/CS60/CS50 instruments are very high, due in part from the amount of components used but also, the complexity of many of the circuits.

These are very unique instruments that are extremely expressive and, is the closest to an acoustic instrument that any analog Synthesizer has ever come, partly due to the non-digital implementation of modulation and, other voltages used within the instrument."

1977 YAMAHA CS60: Restoring the Power Supply

Published on Feb 6, 2019 Stephen Coker

"Restoring the 1977 Vintage YAMAHA CS60 Power Supply By Stephen Coker.

This is Part 1 in a Sequence of Videos i will Upload.

The Power Supply is in Tip-Top Condition, Maintaining Perfect Voltages on All 4 power Rails!

Checking the 4 Power rails even years Later still gives Perfect readings, to this day.

I've Restored the SUV, KAS, SH, KBC, SUB, M 1-8 and, PRE Boards along with many other parts of this Amazingly well Designed Classic Instrument.

I Replaced every Electrolytic Capacitor in the CS60 with the Highest Quality Available.

All Op Amps have been Updated.

Every CMOS chip is Replaced.

SH Board has been Completely Redone for Superior Stability.

All (M Cards) are Restored and I'm awaiting an order of potentiometer replacements of all the various values that have been difficult to source.

Some of the faults I've traced were tracked to the M board Calibration Potentiometers which, there are Well over 100 in the instrument, just for Calibrating the Voice cards.

Due to the Sheer amount of components that have to be replaced, it is Very timely and expensive to Restore these Classic Vintage Synthesizers but, they are worth every moment and, Dollar spent on them.

You have to be extremely careful working on the CS Polysynths for many reasons, to numerous to list here.

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YAMAHA CS60 Dreamscape Reverberations POWERFUL, EPIC, EMOTIONAL SYNTHESIZER PERFORMANCE CS80/60/CS50

Published on Feb 4, 2019 Stephen Coker

Stephen Coker YAMAHA CS60 videos

"Stephen Coker's Live Performance on the Classic YAMAHA CS 60 and, Demonstrates that this Classic Vintage Synthesizer is more then capable of creating all the sonic bliss that the larger CS 80 can.

Plenty of hardware/software Reverb, analog Stereo Chorus and, various other hardware processing and, components are utilized to obtain the classic sound that give depth and sonic weight to the single take.

Over the years, 'v developed various playing techniques and, instrument settings to convey the emotive dynamics and, expression that this Japanese masterpiece can achieve.

The YAMAHA CS 80/CS 60/CS 50 are the most Expressive Polyphonic Analogue Synthesizers, ever developed.

Captured in this video are the Powerful, Emotive Sounds that induce Exciting, vivid worlds of Timeless, Synthetic Landscapes that are unobtainable with any other instrument.

Every note Shimmers with depth in sound that’s beyond magical.

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YAMAHA CS60: Dreamscape Reverberations

Published on Feb 4, 2019 Stephen Coker

"Stephen Coker Plays a YAMAHA CS60 vintage polyphonic analog synthesizer from the 1970s.

Your taken on a sonic journey through synthetic sound-scape bliss. Played live with no added tracks, your able to hear what this instrument is meant to sound like.
Iv developed my playing style with this instrument, over the years to express as much emotion as possible.
This isn’t the type of music i normally play but, its nice to have variety

the Yamaha CS60 is an extremely expressive instrument that conveys feeling and emotion, through its complex electrical and mechanical system and instruments are created like this any more."

Stephen Coker YAMAHA CS60 videos

Yamaha CS60: Dreamscape Reverberations 3rd edit

Published on Feb 2, 2019 Stephen Coker

"Stephen Coker playing a Yamaha CS 60 vintage Synthesizer."

Stephen Coker Yamaha CS60 videos

Yamaha CS60: Dreamscape Reverberations 2nd edit

Published on Feb 2, 2019 Stephen Coker

"Stephen Coker playing a Yamaha CS60"

Yamaha CS 60: Dreamscape Reverberations

Published on Feb 1, 2019 Stephen Coker

"Stephen Coker playing a Yamaha CS60 vintage synthesizer drenched in extra Reverb and analog stereo chours.

The CS 60 is my favourite instrument. The ethereal textures that emit from this masterpiece is timeless. Out of all my synths, if i could only keep one, it would be the CS 60.

I dont usualy use this much reverb with tails as long as what i used for this video but, i wanted to do something different..

The CS 60 is my favorite instrument."

Yamaha CS60: Restoring the Power Supply

Published on Jan 30, 2019 Stephen Coker

"Stephen Coker Restoring a Yamaha CS60 Power Supply."

Yamaha CS Soniq Dreams

Published on Jan 29, 2019 Stephen Coker

"Stephen Coker Playing a Yamaha CS60"

Yamaha CS60: 14 minute sonic journey

Published on Jan 29, 2019 Stephen Coker

"Stephen Coker Plays the Amazing Yamaha CS60 and takes you on a sonic journey into some of the endless colours the CS family of instruments can achieve"

Yamaha CS Flute patch: Vangelis inspired played by Stephen Coker.

Published on Jan 28, 2019 Stephen Coker

"Stephen Coker playing a Vintage Yamaha CS60, flute patch.
This is a patch that most people overlook but nothing should ever be overlooked on this amazing instrument.

Because this is one of the most expressive synthesizers, infinite tone colors can be obtained. It always astonishes me how this synthesizer can sound like real instruments but, even better.

Though the CS 80 is the king of the CS line. With the CS 50 and 60, You can obtain any sound that Vangelis did, Partly because most of the time he used only a single layer on his CS80. And of course, the smaller CS synths have the expression and modulation systems within them. The beautiful thing about the expression mechanical system and circuit is that it also effects velocity as well as a aftertouch.

I believe the horns obtained by the CS line are the best out of all others synthesizers.

Of course, I'm biased because I think that everything the CS synth does is untouchable.

In fact, I have used this instrument on tracks that people believe has real horns on.

I can play this flute patch for hours and never get tired of it, just like every other patch on the CS60!


If you ever get a chance, get yourself a Yamaha CS synthesizer and you'll always have one of the very best instruments ever conceived of."

Yamaha CS60: most expressive synthesizer I’ve ever played! by Stephen Coker

Published on Aug 6, 2018 Stephen Coker

Follow-up to this post.

"1977 Vintage Yamaha Cs60 Synthesizer demonstration by Mix Lord. “Stephen Coker”.

Recorded through a Universal Audio LA-610 Channel strip into a Apogee Ad8000 with waves reverb and, a slight chorus plugin. Mastering was simple and minimally done to preserve most of the dynamics of the instrument for this demonstration.

The Yamaha CS 60 is a landmark in synthesis history. This is the very first 8 voice fully programmable polyphonic analog synthesizer available to the general public.

This instrument changed the world and, set the standards for synthesizer companies that come afterwards. Though, no other synthesizer ever reached anywhere near what this and the CS80 synthesizers do. The sheer range in tonal possibilities are endless. From soft perfect moving pads to, hi-fi cutting edge textures.
From Moog type leads to patches that are indistinguishable from a saxophone. I’ve even programmed an exact replica of a fretless bass with complete ease.

The CS60 has 8 VCO’s that make up a single identical layer of the CS80’s dual Voice architecture. With extensive real-time performance controls, this synth was designed for the performing musician and composer in mind. Pulse and ramp waves are available simultaneously with a dedicated LFO for PWM and a beautiful noise circuits that is extremely useful.

The dual filters may be the most important aspect of the CS sound. The high pass and low pass filter act as a band pass filter “ in series” that cannot be matched in pure tone and power. No matter where you have the filter cut off, it always sounds musical and, amazing.

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Most Expressive Synthesizer Iv Ever Played

Published on Jul 16, 2018 Stephen Coker

"Glorious Yamaha CS60 demonstration!!!"

Update: longer version here.

Stephen Coker messing around on a vintage synthesizer

Published on Feb 21, 2016 Stephen Coker

"Recorded with iPad."

Playlist:
Stephen Coker messing around on a vintage synthesizer
Stephen Coker random synth jam
Stephen Coker improvised Yamaha CS 60 preset jam
Stephen Coker playing Alesis Andromeda & Yamaha cs60