yamaha

Lou and Yamaha CS-15

Lou basks in the sun above a vintage Yamaha CS-15 synthesis. From synthguy216 on Instagram.

That’s what a sunny afternoon is for. Lou recharging next to my CS-15

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdEQoKeOBGb/

The CS-15 is not one I know much about, compared to some of the others in Yamaha’s famous CS series. A bit from Vintage Synth Explorer:

This synth really has its own sound. The CS-15’s got style. Built like a tank with a lot of nice knobs and best of all, not one but two of those funny sounding multimode filters…The best things about it are the flexibility of the VCFs and the routings to the filters and envelopes. You can rout VCO 1 to both VCFs and the VCFs to any of the envelopes positive or negative voltage. The VCFs are 12 dB/Oct and are switchable between low, band or high-pass. They are the key to the nice sound of the Yamaha CS family. Other nice features are noise, external-in for processing other sounds, LFO with Sample & Hold for those bubbling sounds and an individual auto-bend for the VCOs.

https://www.vintagesynth.com/yamaha/cs15.php

Big Merp, Yamaha RX5, and Modular

Today we feature our very own Big Merp in the studio. He was assisting with our recent video on the Yamaha RX5 – specifically the “RX5USB” cartridge. We also one portion of our modular collection, including Metasonix modules, Rossum Morpheus, E350 Morphing Terrarium, Benjolin, Expert Sleepers, Sputnik Modular, Mordax, 4MS, Make Noise, Pittsburgh Modular, Koma Elektronik, 2hp, Folktek, and more.

This is the video we were working on at the time.

We also have a detailed tutorial for the RX5 itself

Bread and Tuna with Yamaha DX100 and RX7

Orange cat on a Yamaha DX100 synthesizer. Black cat on a Yamaha RX7 drum machine. All are on top of a checkered tablecloth

Bread (orange) and Tuna (black) team up again. Bread is playing the Yamaha DX100 FM synthesizer and Tuna has his paws on the RX7 drum machine. Together, they are ready for some retro-1980s Yamaha-synth fun. From thedigitalpurrgatory on Instagram.

The RX7 is quite similar to the RX5 drum machine we have here at CatSynth HQ, and a fine instrument in itself – the only main differences are that the RX5 has separate outputs for different pads and more complex envelope editing. You can find out more about the RX5 (and by extension the RX7) in our recent demo and tutorial.

Saruman on Yamaha SK50D

Saruman performs for us on the Yamaha SK50D vintage analog ensemble synthesizer.

From hdgenis (Héctor D. Genis) via Instagram and Twitter.

Saruman en el estudio grabando algunas de sus ideas para una nueva canción.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CrkHqRdsZXd/

We’re now getting to the point where I can start to translate Spanish myself without resorting to Googlish.

“Saruman in the studio recording some of his ideas for a new song”

Bread with Yamaha DX100 and DX7

Bread is back, and this time he is playing two of Yamaha’s classic FM instruments, the legendary DX7, and the smaller DX100. From thedigitalpurrgatory via Instagram.

Bread likes his frequencies modulated.

The DX100 is a four-operator FM synthesizer, similar to the DX27 and DX21, but lacking the extended features of the TX81Z. The DX7 is, of course, the six-operator FM workhorse of its era, and the most well-known of the entire line.

Shiro, Yamaha YC20, Roland TR707 and JX8P, more

Shiro Poses adorably atop the red Yamaha YC20 organ. We also see two Casio SK-1s, a Roland JX-8P, and a Roland TR-707 drum machine.

From Héctor Genis (@hdgenis) on Twtitter.

If Shiro’s collection of instruments looks familiar, you would be correct. It is the same set that Saruman posed on last week. Siblings Shiro and Saruman live in Mexico City with their human.