Beginning with our release of the SY1 in 1974, Yamaha’s rich history of development and production of synthesizers has now reached the 40-year milestone. As a musical instrument that lets you create exciting new sounds and express yourself freely, the synthesizer has been at the cutting edge of electronic music making ever since it first arrived on the scene.
What’s more, the technologies perfected in order to make this instrument a reality are now being put to use in all kinds of audio-related devices, and we can rightly say that the synth truly embodies the evolution of modern music.
On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Yamaha synthesizer—which has remained consistently at the forefront of the music industry—we explore this innovative history, looking back on the products, technologies, and developments unique to each period.
CHAPTER 1
Origins of the Yamaha Synthesizer
Part 1/2
Evolution from the Electone
Technologies and products that could be seen as prototypes for the first electronic musical instruments have been around since the 1920s, but none has developed in closer association with popular music than the electronic organ. The Electone® ("Electone" is the product name and trademark used for Yamaha's electronic organs) debuted in 1959 with the D1.
Similar musical instruments based on vacuum-tube technology were already available at the time, but the D1 was revolutionary in that its modules relied on transistors alone. Although the Electone set the stage for the modern synth in terms of sound synthesis, it lacked the expressivity of acoustic instruments to such a degree that the president of Yamaha at the time referred to it as a mere "musical toy".
The instant one played a key, the instrument produced a tone that ceased immediately with an abrupt mechanical cutoff sound when the key was released. Various research projects at that time had identified the way in which a tone changes over time as the most important factor in our interpreting it as the sound of a musical instrument.
Let's consider the piano as an example: the tone produced when a key is played includes complex harmonics generated by the physical striking of the string. As the sound sustains, however, it gradually comes to resemble a wave with less harmonic content—such as a sine wave. This specific sonic variation over time is the most distinctive characteristic that allows us to identify the sound of the piano.
Yamaha realized that the development of technologies capable of recreating these changes in a sound would be critical if electronic instruments were ever to produce the natural-sounding voices of acoustic instruments. In reality, Yamaha's history of synthesizer development actually began with this variation of sound over time and our quest to make the Electone produce more interesting sounds.
Christened the "Electone", our D1 was released in December 1959 as an electronic organ with an all-transistor design.
Why digital technology in an analog synth?
The tone producing system used in the first-generation Electone was extremely simple. Each key on the keyboard had its own oscillator—or what we now call a "tone generator"—which would generate a sound whenever its key was played. If the keyboard had 40 keys, the instrument would have 40 oscillators, with each pair operating in much the same way as a switch and buzzer.
The decision to use new circuits capable of modifying sound over time as described above would thus have meant providing one for each and every key on the keyboard. Given the state of technology at the time, however, this would have made the design extremely expensive and resulted in an instrument that was unfeasibly large.
It was thus clear that new control technology would be required in order to use a limited number of circuits in a more effective manner. If, for example, an instrument had eight control circuits, it could generate up to eight polyphonic tones—that is, eight different notes at the same time.
Sound synthesis in the Electone D1
But if it also had 36 keys in a three octave configuration, this new technology would need to know which of the circuits to trigger in response to the playing of a particular key. Our solution was to introduce a device that could assign circuits to keys efficiently, based on the order in which they were played, the total number of keys currently being held down, and other related factors.
This type of device was known as a Key Assigner, and it can rightly be called the predecessor of today's dynamic voice allocation (DVA) technology. Back in the early 70s, when tone generators still relied on analog technology, digital circuitry was already being put to use in these key assigners. As such, their adoption was an important milestone in the introduction of digital technology in the analog-synth era.
Key Assigner at work
Birth of the SY1
In 1973, Yamaha completed development work on a prototype codenamed the GX-707. Based on cluster voltage control, this instrument could be regarded as the predecessor of the Electone GX1. Although it looked just like an Electone, the GX-707 was actually an 8-note polyphonic synthesizer—more specifically, the upper and lower keyboards supported 8-note polyphony, while the solo and pedal keyboards were both monophonic.
As the flagship model in the Electone lineup, however, this prototype was conceived of as a "theatre model" for use on the concert stage. With a console weighing in excess of 300kg and a separate board required for editing tones, it was not well suited for sale to the general public, and to this day is still considered a niche instrument.
Yet the GX-707 did possess extremely expressive tone generators, technology which Yamaha elected to use in a separate solo-part keyboard product for use with existing Electones. Thus was born the SY1 monophonic synthesizer, which became Yamaha's first synth upon its release in 1974.
Given that analog synthesizers have typically evolved from monophonic to polyphonic, this reverse pattern—namely, moving from poly to mono—is further evidence of Yamaha's unique way of thinking.
Yamaha SY1
Although the SY1 lacked a key assigner, it did feature an envelope generator for altering its sounds over time. The envelope generators used in synthesizers typically comprise four stages, identified by the letters ADSR.
"A" stands for Attack time—that is, the adjustable time between pressing of a key and the resultant note reaching its peak level. The Decay time—represented by "D"—defines how long it will take when the key is being held down for the sound to drop from this peak to the Sustain level.
This Sustain level, indicated by "S", is the constant volume that held notes ultimately reach. Last but not least, the Release time—represented by the "R" in ADSR—specifies how long it will take for the sound to fade away completely once the key has been released.
Normally, one would use a controller for each of these parameters to adjust how the sound should change over time in response to playing, holding, and releasing the keys. However, we can clearly see that the SY1 control panel lacks the knobs provided on modular synths such as the Moog and Minimoog for configuring the ADSR stages of amplitude and filter envelopes.
Instead, a pair of sliders labeled Attack and Sustain are used to adjust the amplitude envelope, and a feature known as Attack Bend allows the pitch and filter envelopes at the beginning of the note to be adjusted in a unique way.
SY1 envelope section
The SY1 featured a range of preset envelopes for recreating the sound of various instruments such as the flute, guitar and piano, which could be activated simply by moving the tone levers. Today, we take it for granted that synthesizer presets can be easily recalled, but Yamaha's inclusion of this functionality in its very first analog synthesizer was highly innovative.
Another groundbreaking feature of the SY1 was touch control, or what is commonly known today as velocity sensitivity. Prior to the introduction of the SY1, electronic organs had typically been equipped with a volume or expression pedal that the musician could use to modulate the sound for greater expression while playing.
Yamaha had, however, been working on a range of different prototypes with the aim of modulating tone based instead on how hard the keys were played. Ultimately, we perfected a technology that measured the strength of playing by detecting how long it took for keys to be fully pressed down, and it was this system that we debuted in the SY1.
Crossover to CS Series Combo Synthesizers
In 1975, one year after releasing the SY1, Yamaha introduced the GX1 as a concert-model Electone; however, the first non-Electone products to inherit the unique technologies of the SY1 were the combo synthesizers of the CS Series.
One of the most notable features of the CS synths was the integrated circuitry used in their tone generators and controllers—components that had up until then taken the form of transistor assemblies. This integration of state-of-the-art technology paved the way for huge weight reductions and vastly improved portability.
Consider, for example, the GX1 and the CS80—the top-of-the-line CS synth: while these two instruments certainly differed in terms of design and mode of use, the GX1 weighed in at over 300kg and had a price tag of 7 million yen, but the CS80 was only 82kg and cost just 1.28 million yen, meaning that the individual musician could both afford it and move it around.
Introduced in 1975, the GX1 was 8-note polyphonic and had 35 tone generators for sound synthesis. This famous instrument was much loved by owners such as Stevie Wonder and Keith Emerson.
Yamaha GX1 with its speakers.
Yamaha synthesizers at the time had two very distinctive features, the first of which was the ability to retain programmed sounds. These days, we think nothing of storing our original sounds in an instrument's memory in much the same way as saving a file on a PC. Back in the 70s, however, neither RAM nor ROM yet existed, so an extremely analog approach was employed to store sounds.
The following illustration shows part of a page from the CS60 service manual, which was used by technicians when repairing the instrument. This section, titled "Tone Preset 1 Circuit", contains instrument names, resistance values, and a circuit diagram. The synthesizer's levers were connected to variable resistors—that is, circuit elements that can limit current and voltage.
As shown, however, fixed resistance values corresponding to specific positions of these levers are built into this circuit. The combination of these values resulted in a certain sound or tone, leading these circuits—which were widely used back then—to be called "tone boards."
CS60 service manual (Tone Preset 1 Circuit)
In instruments like the GX1, tone boards were physically inserted and removed to change sounds. As such, Yamaha was already at that time employing a sound storage method not unlike analog-type ROM cartridges. The CS80, meanwhile, possessed functionality that allowed instantaneous switching between four original sounds.
Specifically, it had four complete sets of memory elements, with one memory element from each set corresponding to a specific instrument controller. Each of the four sets could thus be used to store all of the controller positions for a user-created sound.
The other distinctive feature of Yamaha synthesizers was IL-AL type envelope generators. IL and AL refer to Initial Level and Attack Level, respectively, and these envelope generators used a slightly different approach to that of the standard ADSR type. In an ADSR envelope, the value corresponding to the very start of the attack stage is the base value, zero.
When we apply the envelope produced by such a generator to a filter, the tone at the start of the sound is determined by the current cutoff-frequency setting; however, the tones at the peak of the attack and while the note is being held are defined by this cutoff-frequency setting in combination with the envelope generator depth and the sustain-level value.
Because these tones are thus the result of multiple settings, adjusting the way in which a sound changed over time could become quite confusing. In contrast, when applying an envelope with Initial Level and Attack Level settings, the filter's cutoff frequency determines the tone produced while the note is being held, and the IL and AL controllers can set the tones at the start and peak of the attack stage independently.
This approach provides a much higher degree of freedom, especially when trying to recreate natural-sounding tones. As a unique Yamaha feature, the IL-AL type envelope generator further demonstrates the commitment of our developers to high-quality sound creation.
IL and AL type envelope generator (Yamaha CS10)
The CS80 was also equipped with a portamento bar known as the ribbon controller, which could be used to bend the pitch smoothly, and aftertouch functionality that could detect the pressure applied to each key being held down and change the tone accordingly.
Given that these functions remain extremely popular in modern synths, the fact that Yamaha devised and implemented them four decades ago underscores the technical excellence of our synthesizer development team.
Flagship model of the CS Series, the CS80 debuted in 1977 with 8-note polyphony.
CS80s four memory sets
Lower prices, more compact designs, and further enhancement
In the latter half of the 70s, we expanded the CS Series with low-priced, monophonic synthesizers, and as amateur musicians could now afford these instruments, they grew in popularity. Thanks in part to rapid advancements in electronic circuit integration and the resultant lower prices, the CS5, which we introduced to the market in 1978, weighed only 7kg and cost just 62,000 yen.
Yamaha CS5
Many of the technologies and features of today's Yamaha synths were first realized during the development of compact, affordable instruments such as these. For example, the wheel-type pitch bend and modulation controllers of the CS15D have become distinctive features of our instruments and are still utilized in the very latest MOTIF XF models.
Yamaha CS15D
Wheel-type pitch bend and modulation controllers (CS15D)
In 1979 we released the CS20M, switching to digital technology for storing sounds. The CS70M introduced in 1981 was very similar to modern instruments in terms of functionality: in particular, it offered an auto-tune function that solved the perennial tuning problems encountered in analog synthesizers, and also featured a built-in sequencer realized using a dedicated microprocessor.
Released in 1982, the CS01 featured a compact, 48.9 x 3.6 x 16 cm body that weighed just 1.5kg, allowing players to attach a strap to it and use it as a shoulder keyboard.
Battery-powered, and equipped with pitch bending and modulation wheels at the top left of the instrument body, this synthesizer allowed keyboard players to move around on stage in a similar manner to guitarists.
The CS01 offered breath control capability, and came with a gray body as standard, with white, black, and maroon color schemes also available (in Japan).
Chick Corea was one artist to use the CS01 on stage.
Yamaha CS01
Inspired to create new forms of synthesis
Since its beginnings in 1974, synthesizer development at Yamaha has unfolded in parallel with many other advancements in tone generation technologies that also began back in the 70s.
Notable examples are research into FM synthesis, which would go on to become extremely popular in the 80s, and the hybrid Pulse Analog Synthesis System(PASS), which combined digital and analog technologies and was adopted for use in Electone tone generators in 1977.
Recordings of the sounds produced by these prototype technologies show that, in particular, the analog synthesis approach used in the SY1 had actually been perfected to a commercially viable level. In this regard, it is remarkable how quickly the Yamaha developers of the time identified so many highly promising new technologies and immediately put them to use.
Even after we released the D1 as the first Electone, many issues concerning sound quality still needed to be resolved. One particularly challenging problem was how to make these new instruments as expressive as their acoustic counterparts. As we have seen, changes in tone and volume over time were identified as critical in this regard, prompting continuous, round-the-clock research and development in the pursuit of better and better sounds to satisfy this need.
Perhaps symbolic of the high-growth period of the Japanese economy, the then president of Yamaha is said to have instructed his team to "spend whatever you want, but give me something that can be the best in the world." With such passion and devotion, synthesizer development at Yamaha during the 70s did more than give birth to a dazzling array of original technologies—it undoubtedly laid the foundations for the coming popularization of the synthesizer as a musical instrument.
The standard bearer for digital synthesizers, the DX7 (May 1983, shown at front), and its successor, the DX7 II FD (October 1986, 2nd from front). At rear is the DX1 (1983) and immediately in front of it, the DX5 (1985). With an FM tone generator, 32-voice onboard memory (64 voices with an external ROM attached), and a price tag of 248,000 yen, the DX7 and other instruments in the DX series were hit products that sold around 420,000 units worldwide. The body of the DX7 was given a brown color to match the body color of the YIS home computer that Yamaha was selling at the time.
FM Tone Generators and the Dawn of Home Music Production
Part 1/2
Great advances in semiconductor technologies
The start of the 80s saw an explosion in the popularity of semiconductor-based electronic components, and devices that simply had not been possible with earlier technologies started appearing on the market in rapid succession. Terms such as "integrated circuit" and "large scale integration" began to show up on university entrance exams, and companies started producing electronic games based on this type of circuitry.
The breakthroughs made in the field of semiconductors during those years were truly remarkable. One of the more notable technologies made commercially viable by these rapid advances was the digital Frequency Modulation (FM) tone generator. This sound creation method was originally developed at Stanford University in the USA, and Yamaha—the first company to recognize its true potential—signed an exclusive licensing contract with the university in 1973.
Testing FM tone generation at Stanford University in the USA
Our research team started working with FM tone generators as part of a scheme to switch over the Electone® to digital technologies, and by 1974—when the analog SY1 Yamaha synth was released—we had already successfully completed a prototype instrument with a digital FM tone generator at its core.
Unfortunately, it was not yet possible to bring this instrument to market due to the huge number of integrated circuits required by the semiconductor technologies of the time, and also because of the difficulty experienced in balancing size and function satisfactorily. As further advances were made in the field of semiconductors, we finally achieved an instrument with specifications we considered acceptable.
And in April 1981—seven years after the start of development—Yamaha released its first FM tone generator product in the F70, a classic Electone model. This was followed one month later by the GS1 keyboard, an instrument intended for stage use.
Released in 1981, the GS1 digital keyboard featured FM tone generation and touch-sensitive control. Notable for its grand piano-like body, the GS1 was an expensive instrument that sold for 2.6 million yen
The voice programmer for the GS1
FM synthesis is notable for its ability to recreate with remarkable levels of realism those sounds that are full of variety and rich in harmonics—such as the electric piano, brass instruments, and glockenspiel. Sampling has now become the mainstay of tone generation, and because this technique makes use of actual recordings, we take it for granted that our synths can effortlessly reproduce the sounds of a vast array of different musical instruments.
However, the analog synthesizers of the early 80s were simply unable to produce certain kinds of voice—bell-type, metallic sounds being a notable example—and this made the FM sounds of the GS1 truly sensational. The GS1 was not actually marketed as a synthesizer, possibly because sounds could not be edited on the instrument itself.
Voice cards could be used to change the bank of 16 voices that the GS1 was able to produce, but a special, programming device for use by developers was needed to create or modify these sounds. Truth be told, this ability to make voices editable proved to be quite a hurdle in realizing a commercially viable synthesizer product.
The user interface concept
The sounds produced by an analog synthesizer can be changed by adjusting the values of resistors and other electronic components that make up its tone generator circuit; therefore, knobs and faders containing variable resistors can be added to provide sound editing functionality.
The way in which these controllers are arranged depends on the design and size of the synth itself, and instruments such as the CS80 introduced in Chapter 1 already needed a huge array of knobs. Digital synthesizers have many more sound-related parameters than their analog predecessors, so assigning a physical controller to each and every one would have been totally impractical.
It is also important to remember that digital synthesizers operate based on programs in much the same way as computer software. To produce a new sound, one simply needs to add the required program. However, if the parameters of the sounds themselves are to be editable, then the synthesizer also needs an editing program. Needless to say, the editing program would require its own buttons and knobs for entering parameter values—in modern parlance, its own user interface (UI).
A catalog showcasing the GS1 and GS2 (for Japan). Chick Corea appeared in the opening pages
One of the UIs most familiar to us is the computer's screen, keyboard, and mouse. Neither Windows nor Mac yet existed back in 1980, and entering commands and text using a keyboard was the principal way that users interfaced with their computers. The methods we have grown used to today—for example, working with a graphical interface and mouse or a touch-sensitive screen—were not available back then.
In developing the digital synthesizer, creating a clear and simple UI for the musician who wanted to interface with sound in a more intuitive fashion and also for the user with no experience of computer programming was perhaps the greatest challenge that had to be overcome.
As a solution, our developers devised the new type of programmer shown below. This instead utilized a combination of lamps and buttons that the sound designer could use to confirm the parameters' previous settings when making edits. The UIs of modern synths provide full and free access to all internal parameters—we do not realize how lucky we are, because this was not always the case.
Back when semiconductor and program technologies were developing at breakneck speed, countless rounds of trial and error were needed to perfect a UI conducive to creative sound design. Nevertheless, this was a crucial step in the development of the synthesizers of that era.
Arrival of the DX7 to transform the music scene
Two years after prevailing against all odds to develop an FM tone generator, create a UI for programming and editing sounds, and successfully release the GS1, Yamaha introduced the world to its DX7 FM synthesizer. At the heart of the FM tone generator lies the operator—a fundamental component used to generate and modify sound. Whereas the GS1 had 4 operators, the new DX7 now featured 6, allowing it to create much more elaborate sounds.
What's more, this revolutionary synth also had built-in functionality for creating and editing sounds, and it allowed these sounds to be stored on cartridge-type memory, all for roughly one tenth of the price of the GS1. It is hardly surprising then that this new instrument had such a profound effect on the synthesizer world.
At that time, a number of Yamaha departments were developing different instruments in parallel, and whereas the GS1 was preceded by the TRX100 prototype, the direct forerunner of the DX Series synths was a test model known as the Programmable Algorithm Music Synthesizer(PAMS). In recognition of this fact, the DX7 is identified as a Digital Programmable Algorithm Synthesizer on its top panel.
As its name suggests, the PAMS created sound based on various calculation algorithms—namely, phase modulation, amplitude modulation, additive synthesis, and frequency modulation (FM)—and from the very start, the prototype supported the storing of programs in memory.
However, this high level of freedom in sound design came at the price of a huge increase in the number of parameters required, meaning that the PAMS was not yet suitable for commercialization as an instrument that the average user could program.
In order to resolve this issue, the Yamaha developers decided to simplify the synth's tone generator design by having the Modulator and Carrier envelope generators share common parameters. They also reduced the number of algorithms—or operator combination patterns—to 32. This paved the way for completion of the original DX Series lineup, comprising the DX1, DX5, DX7 and DX9.
Although four models were released at this time, five model codes—DX1, DX2, DX3, DX4, and DX5—were actually employed during development. The DX1 kept its code upon release, which is quite rare for Yamaha products, while the DX2 and the DX3 together became the DX5. The DX4 and the DX5 development models came to market as the DX7 and the DX9, respectively.
The DX7 was an instant hit all over the world, and both the instrument and its sound soon became driving forces of the pop music of the eighties. We should note, however, that many of its technologies and features also greatly influenced how synths would be developed thereafter.
The first of these was an LCD screen comprising two lines of 16 characters each. Prior to the DX7, synthesizer parameter values were typically confirmed from the positions of knobs and sliders, meaning that there was no way to accurately check parameter settings or display voice names. With the arrival of this type of UI element, however, it became possible to display all types of information, and the tradition of naming original voices was born.
Meanwhile, the fact that individual parameters could be called up and edited one at a time on the LCD screen eliminated the need for a vast array of controllers on the top of the instrument. The neat and tidy control panel of the DX7 would not have been possible without this screen, and this clear distinction from the synthesizers of the past was yet another factor behind its overwhelming popularity.
The next groundbreaking feature of the DX7 was the use of memory cartridges to store and recall voices—a feature that was only possible thanks to the synth's digital design. Whereas the GS1 had used magnetic-type voice cards, Yamaha decided that cartridges containing digital memory would be better for the DX Series as they are unaffected by the powerful magnetic fields produced by speakers and other similar equipment.
The DX7 can store 32 voices internally, but with a ROM cartridge plugged into its cartridge slot, an extra 64 voices become available. RAM cartridges, meanwhile, can be used to write and recall up to 32 original voices. This ability to boost the number of voices is unique to the digital synthesizer, and our highly convenient cartridge-based approach also made the sounds of professional musicians available to all.
Back in the era of the analog synth, the only way to reproduce the sounds used by pros was to copy the positions of each and every knob, and even then, it was almost impossible to get the exact same settings. DX7 owners, however, could easily purchase cartridges containing the actual sounds of famous synth players.
This novel approach, which made it possible not only to own the same instrument as one's synth hero, but to also play the very same sounds, was extremely attractive to amateur musicians. Also worthy of special mention are the remarkable improvements that Yamaha developers achieved in keyboard performance—now all the more important in controlling the highly complex sounds that FM made possible.
Working in combination with a touch-sensitive keyboard, the FM tone generator can modulate sounds in a myriad of different ways, and in order to get the most out of this technology, we decided to equip the DX7 with our FS Keybed. Although originally developed for the Electone, this keyboard went on to be a standard component in flagship Yamaha synths for over two decades, becoming much loved by a great many musicians.
Last but far from least is the DX7's support for MIDI—a technical standard introduced in 1982 to enable musical instruments to exchange information digitally with one another. In addition to information produced by playing the keyboard, this also includes data generated by operating the sustain pedal, the volume pedal, and many other performance-related controllers.
The simple fact that Yamaha adopted this standard so soon after its release was another reason why the DX7 attracted so much attention at the time, yet the functionality it provided was just as inspired. For example, when controlling the DX7 using a MIDI sequencer—a device that can play synths automatically by transmitting MIDI data—one could recreate the performance of another musician note for note, and effortlessly create robotic sounding parts or high-speed phrases that humans would find very difficult to play continuously.
Another feature that got the DX7 noticed was its ability to produce innovative, cutting-edge music such as the dance and techno sounds born in the 80s—music that was achieved by combining robotic MIDI performances with hard synth bass that possessed a distinctive FM sound.
With these and other trailblazing features, the DX7 digital synthesizer shook up both the performance and business sides of the music industry and greatly influenced both the pop music of the day and the shape of synths to come.
FM Tone Generators and the Dawn of Home Music Production
Part 2/2
The changing world of the synthesizer
Following the introduction of the DX7, the world of the synth underwent major change. The addition of MIDI support not only made it possible for musical parts to be played automatically, but it also gave rise to the concept of tone-generator expansion for real-time performers.
For example, two DX7s could be made to play exactly the same electric piano part, and if the pitch of one of these instruments was raised ever so slightly, the result would be a chorus-type effect, making the overall sound much richer.
This approach was just as applicable to greater numbers of synths, but because nobody could actually play three or four synths at the same time, we realized that DX7s being used exclusively in an expansion capacity had no need for a keyboard. Our response was the TX Series of keyboard-less tone generator modules.
The DX7 was followed by many more of these products, such as the rack-mounted TX816 tone generator capable of producing extremely rich sounds, and the TX7, which packaged a DX7 tone generator in a highly distinctive case. The luxurious FM sounds they delivered through tone-generator expansion also became an indispensable part of the music scene of the day, gaining these products an excellent reputation in the process.
The synths of the Yamaha DX Series continued to evolve together with advances in technology. The DX7 II had an aluminum body for reduced weight and greatly improved portability, and a disk drive was later added to cater for the 3.5" floppy disks that were in widespread use at the time.
Further development of the series saw the introduction of even more creative features, such as dual output channels with support for stereo panning, and micro-tuning functionality that allowed musicians to use tuning systems other than equal temperament, such as Arabic musical scales.
Yamaha DX7 IIFD
Meanwhile, the DX100 mini keyboard model (which was released slightly earlier) featured a number of innovations specifically for the player: for example, the pitch bend wheel was moved to the top-left corner, and when played standing up using a strap, the instrument's pitch-bend direction could be reversed so that notes could be bent in the same way as with a guitar.
Not only did it take the music world of the 80s by storm, the DX Series was also an engine of development of the modern digital synth's UI and primary functionality as an instrument.
Onward to home music production
Up until the 80s, amateur musicians certainly performed their music live, but recordings were exclusively made in studios by professionals. During this decade, however, the multitrack recorder (MTR)—a device capable of recording 4 individual tracks on a standard music cassette—became extremely popular, and this made it possible for anyone, regardless of ability, to produce multitrack recordings from the comfort of home.
In the beginning, the standard MTR process was to record the rhythm first using a drum machine, and to then layer bass, guitar, and keyboard tracks on top to complete the song. With the growing popularity of MIDI-compatible instruments, however, musicians were able to synchronize their sequencers and drum machines, and MIDI synths such as those of the DX Series were regularly used for both bass and chord-type tracks.
Yet the DX7 could only produce one voice at a time, meaning that two of these synths would be required if, for example, bass and electric piano had to be played at the same time. Yamaha's solution was the multi-part tone generator.
MIDI data can be assigned to specific channels, and if a MIDI sequencer such as a QX Series product is used to transmit performance data organized into different channels, then bass, piano, and marimba voices can, for example, be played by the data on channels 1, 2 and 3, respectively.
A multi-channel tone generator receiving this data would assign a different voice to each channel, and in our example, the equivalent of 3 individual synthesizers would need to be integrated into a single tone generator. The product that Yamaha developed in line with this approach was the TX81Z tone generator module—a revolutionary device containing the equivalent of 8 FM synthesizers, each with 4 dedicated operators.
All 8 of the FM tone generators could also be set to the same channel to produce richer, denser sounds. Furthermore, the operators were equipped with waveforms other than the Sine wave for the first time so that a more diverse range of sounds could be generated, and for this reason, the TX81Z it is often considered a hidden gem among synth modules.
Around this time, music producers started playing all parts—be they rhythm, bass, or chord-type instruments—simultaneously using one synthesizer, and synths with built-in MIDI sequencers began to appear on the market.
Developed to address this need, the Yamaha V50 was the ultimate FM synthesizer, combining the TX81Z with a keyboard, a MIDI sequencer, a rhythm machine based on PCM tone generation, and digital effects processors. This instrument transcended the boundaries of the digital synth, propelling it into the workstation era.
In less than a decade, between the GS1 of 1981 and the V50 of 1989, our digital synthesizers evolved from basic performance instruments to full-fledged music workstations. Without doubt, the 80s was one of the most exciting and dynamic periods in the history of the Yamaha synthesizer.
The SY77, released in 1989. Offering much greater expressive power thanks to newly-developed digital filters that duplicated the behavior of analog synths, this instrument was truly symbolic of 90s synthesizers. Released in 1991, the SY99 took this further, offering greater voice creation capabilities and making considerable strides as a workstation synth. The SY99 would also prove to be the genesis for the Yamaha workstation synths that led to the MOTIF series.
Evolution of Tone Generator Systems & Approaches to Music Production
Part 1/2
Arrival of the sampling-based tone generators
Spurred on by development of the FM tone generator, Yamaha transitioned its synthesizers to digital technologies during the 80s, and thanks also to advances in integrated circuits, we released products with a diverse array of new functions. One part of this approach involved the development of technologies that would allow digital recordings of the actual sounds of acoustic instruments—commonly referred to as "samples"—to be used as the tone generator.
Drums, percussion, effect noises, and other similar sounds are relatively short, making them ideal for sampling; as such, sampling technology can be applied to easily recreate their sound without the need for actual sound generation. Yamaha began to use sampling-based tone generation—also known as Pulse Code Modulation(PCM)—in rhythm machines and in our Electones and in other similar products during the 80s.
Here at Yamaha, we call this type of engine the Advanced Wave Memory(AWM) tone generator. Yet this type of tone generator was not limited to drum sounds: it could also replay samples recorded from pianos, guitars, and other instruments with longer decay times, as well as the sustained sounds of organs and the like.
That said, their main mode of use was as a sampler—that is, a device that replays recorded instrument sounds as–is, and they were not used in synthesizers to actually create sound.
One particularly difficult task was the development of digital filters that could behave in the same way as those featured in analog synthesizers. Although the theoretical mathematical formula that described how these devices operated were certainly well understood at the time, when replicated inside a digital circuit their behavior was much less smooth than that of the analog filter.
Developers found it especially difficult to give character to "resonance," a highly distinctive feature of the analog synth. Other instrument manufacturers had already released synthesizers featuring digital filters, but the majority fell short of the mark. Many did not feature resonance at all, while others attempted to simulate this unique filter behavior in an artificial manner.
At that time, Yamaha had actually developed a digital filter capable of reproducing the behavior of an analog one, a feature that made its long awaited debut in our SY77 digital synthesizer in 1989. The SY77 was equipped with both an AWM tone generator and an FM tone generator, both of which could be used together with the digital filter to sculpt sound for remarkable levels of expressivity.
SY77 & SY99 screenshots
These two new approaches to tone generation were christened Advanced Wave Memory 2(AWM2) synthesis and Advanced Frequency Modulation(AFM) synthesis, respectively. The SY77 made it possible to create exciting sounds using a hybrid-like combination of sampling and FM, and also featured many other groundbreaking functions—for example, the PCM waves of the AWM2 engine could even be used as Operator waves in the AFM tone generator.
The digital filter's cutoff frequency and resonance parameters could also be controlled using the keyboard's velocity and aftertouch, and the combination of all of these features together was referred to as the Realtime Convolution & Modulation(RCM) system. With its smooth digital filter and combination of both PCM and FM—the two giants of digital tone-generation of the time—the SY77 seemed almost too good to be true upon its release, and went on to epitomize the advanced state of synthesizer technology of the 90s.
Multitimbrality
Another notable aspect of the synthesizers of the 90s was the development of multitimbral tone generators. Multitimbrality refers to the ability of an instrument to play multiple different types of sound at the same time, a capability that is indispensable in music production.
While not so important to the keyboardist performing live, this function does allow different instrument voices such as drums, bass, piano, and solo parts to be played together. However, it really came into its own when MIDI sequencers started to become popular towards the second half of the 80s, allowing a single synthesizer to be used to create a full musical arrangement.
Against this backdrop, the multitimbral synth saw increasing use in the production of full-fledged demo tapes and backing tracks for keyboardists to play along with. Although tone generators offering multitimbrality had actually existed from the slightly earlier FM era, interest in this feature increased markedly with the emergence of synthesizers capable of the high-quality, highly realistic sounds of acoustic instruments made possible by the AWM2 and other similar tone generators.
At the same time, fierce competition erupted between the various synth makers as they strove to deliver products that were cheaper, could play more notes or voices simultaneously, and offered greater choice in voice variations. Up until that time, if you had wanted to automatically play multiple voices using a MIDI sequencer, you would have had to fork out hundreds of thousands of yen to purchase enough synthesizers for the number of voices required.
Now, however, a single instrument could effortlessly produce all of these sounds simultaneously. Although various manufacturers addressed this need with tone generator modules supporting 8-part multitimbrality, our TG55 offered excellent value for money with a 16-part multitimbral sound system, as did the SY77 and SY55 workstations, revolutionary instruments than can be credited with vastly expanding the number of people producing music.
Evolution of our PCM synthesizers
As tone generators based on sampling technologies started to become more popular, synth makers introduced various types of instrument based on PCM tone generators, making the market increasingly competitive. Yamaha responded by further enhancing the AWM2 tone generator developed for the SY77 and exploring a range of other applications.
Released a year after the SY77 in 1990, our SY55 represented a significant technological advancement, by making it possible to simultaneously use 4 components known as "Elements," each of which produced sound using sampled waves. This approach allowed sounds to be sculpted in a highly artistic and inventive fashion—for example, one could create an original voice by combining just the attack portion of a piano with the sustained portion of a flute, or alternatively, assemble a horn-section sound from trumpet, trombone, alto sax, and tenor sax.
In parallel with these developments, effects units were also evolving at a rapid pace thanks in part to the adoption of digital technologies. The upshot was that synth owners could now process their sounds to the same high quality levels as dedicated hardware units found in professional recording studios just by using the effectors already built into their instruments,.
The SY99 introduced in 1991 could sample external sounds for use in its AWM2 tone generator. With this and other novel features, it greatly enhanced expandability and sound creation capabilities, marking a major evolutionary milestone for the PCM synthesizer. In fact, the AWM tone-generator design perfected in the first half of the 90s—together with "Element" and other related terms—are used to this day in the instruments of our MOTIF Series.
Dawn of the workstation era
From the start of the 90s, the hardware sequencers that had been used in the latter half of the preceding decade—such as those of the QX Series—were gradually replaced by computer-based software sequencers. In the recording studio, meanwhile, it became increasingly common to see a vast array of digital devices, such as MIDI interfaces connected to computers; samplers, synths, and other tone generators loaded into racks; and a master keyboard for entering performance data, all connected by a complex web of cables.
Using a music production system with a computer at its core required considerable computer skills and expert knowledge of tone-generator programming techniques for a wide range of different synth manufacturers. This undeniably raised the bar to becoming a keyboard player, and it was at around this time that the course of development the synthesizer split into two different paths based on what was required of it as an instrument.
The first of these was predicated on the synth being used simply as a tone generator. Certain applications saw tone generators played using wind and guitar synths, but the prevailing trend was for them to be used as an integral part of a computer-based music production system. To address this, Yamaha released a range of rack-mounted and desktop-type tone generators under the TG designation.
The second path saw the synth develop as a workstation capable of satisfying the requirements of both keyboardist and arranger—a format to which most of the keyboard-type synthesizers of the era adhered. Players could produce full-blown tunes using just the workstation, and with no particular computer skills, make complete productions on this single instrument without any complicated cables, be creatively inspired by high-quality sound, and produce music with studio-quality audio.
The SY99 mentioned previously brought all of these elements together, and came to be seen as the ultimate in 90s workstations; and the SY Series as the genesis of the Yamaha workstation synthesizer.
Evolution of Tone Generator Systems & Approaches to Music Production
Part 2/2
The quest for new tone-generation techniques
As digital synthesizers moved from FM to sample-based tone generation, synths from all makers evolved at a rapid pace. The decreasing price of memory brought with it increases in the number of voice presets available to the player, and in the size of the wave ROMs used to store sampling waveforms, as well as a reduction in the overall price of the instruments themselves, and the advantages that each maker was able to offer dwindled.
Under these circumstances, the Yamaha synthesizer development team was faced with the problem of finding a new tone generation system to replace PCM. Their task was not easy; they had to find something altogether different from analog, PCM, and FM, the three systems that even today remain the mainstay of tone generation. In their search they found a system called "Physical Modeling," which appeared to show promise.
Physical Modeling is an approach to tone generation where the physical actions that actually occur when producing the sound are expressed in the form of mathematical equations, which are then used to model the overall process. If, for example, producing the sound of a saxophone, this type of tone generator would mathematically model the musician blowing air into the instrument, the blown air causing the reed to vibrate, and the sound of the vibration being amplified due to sympathetic resonance inside the body of the sax.
As with FM synthesis, this method is based on a theoretical approach developed at Stanford University, with fundamental research having started back in the 80s. However, it was not until the following decade—when the development of new tone-generation systems became an urgent matter—that the Yamaha synthesizer development team of the time decided to begin R&D with the aim of converting it into a practical technology for use in synths.
It took all of the team's resources to do so, but their dedication ultimately paid dividends in the Virtual Acoustic (VA) tone generator—the first in the world to use physical modeling. We proudly unveiled this tone generator to the world in 1993 as the heart of the VL1 synthesizer.
With just 2-note polyphony, this unconventional synth contrasted starkly with the SY Series and other similar instruments from the heyday of the synthesizer, which possessed a much higher level of polyphony and were capable of simultaneously producing the sounds of multiple different instruments. Yet the VL1 stole the show with its ability to reproduce—with remarkable levels of realism—the sounds of wind instruments such as the saxophone and trumpet, as well as the violin and other string instruments.
Yamaha VL1 v2 & VP1
In order to do so, a signal from a sound generator known as an instrument was processed and sculpted by a modifier, which controls the sound of the instrument model. In the case of a wind instrument, for example, an instrument corresponding to the mouth piece or reed would be combined with a modifier defining the physical material or shape of whatever was being modeled.
A range of parameters unique to the VL1 could be assigned to the instrument and modifier in order to modulate their behavior, but the real driver of this synth's realistic sound was the high degree of freedom with which it could be played. Unlike the synthesizers of the past, notes were not produced just by playing the keyboard: if modeling a wind instrument, for example, the VL1 could be set to produce sounds using its breath controller—a device that changes MIDI parameters based on how hard you blow onto it.
With the VL1, the musician would blow onto the breath controller exactly as if he or she was blowing into the instrument being modeled, while at the same time pressing the keys on the keyboard. While any MIDI-compatible synth of the day would have been able to control volume using a breath controller, what made the VL1 special was the way in which it faithfully modeled instruments such as sax and trumpet to the extent that even subtle changes in tone and pitch could be produced based on how hard one blew onto the controller, all of which made for dramatically more realistic sounding performances.
In fact, the wind instrument sounds produced by this synthesizer could easily be mistaken for the real thing, and its release attracted massive interest from all over the world. Subsequent models included the VL1-m, which had the VL1 as its tone generator module, and the low-cost VL70-m. Even today, these instruments are still regularly used by wind synthesizer musicians.
In addition to the Self Oscillation type VA (S/VA) tone generator used in the VL1, Yamaha also developed a Free Oscillation type—the F/VA—and the VP1 virtual analog synthesizer released the following year was driven by this engine. The F/VA tone generator could model many different variations in the striking, plucking, and bowing of percussion and string instruments, but rather than being limited to simulating existing sounds, it could also model instruments that had never even been conceived of.
Although the VL1 and the VP1 synthesizers were very technologically advanced and expressive, a number of different controllers, such as the breath controller, had to be played at the same time in order to perform on them, and this meant that their musicians needed to become highly skilled. For this reason, they did not become particularly popular with conventional keyboard players and remained a niche instrument.
At the mercy of the 90s' economy
In the 80s Yamaha established itself as a leader in the development of digital synthesizers with the groundbreaking DX Series. With the arrival of the PCM synth era in the latter half of that decade, we successfully developed the AWM2 tone generator, before moving on to the powerful SY Series. Yet all was not smooth sailing for this synth maker.
One of the biggest factors affecting our business was exchange rate fluctuation. When the DX7 was released in 1983, one US dollar was roughly equivalent to 240 Japanese yen; however, this dropped markedly to 145 yen by the time of the SY77 release in 1989. The dollar had fallen even further when we introduced the SY99 at the end of 1991, dipping below the 130 yen mark.
From then until the arrival of the VP1 in 1994, the yen strengthened even further, ultimately forcing the dollar below 100 yen in value. Back in the DX7 era, we proudly delivered high-performance synthesizers at reasonable prices to customers all over the world, but the rapid appreciation of the yen in the 90s severely eroded the price competitiveness of our products.
In particular, the synthesizers that Yamaha had developed as entry level models now found themselves in the mid to high price brackets in overseas markets, putting them beyond the budget of the users for whom they were intended. The collapse of the Japanese economic bubble brought further grief.
The period from 1991 onward was marked by rapid economic decline in Japan, and sales of relatively expensive electronic instruments suffered greatly. Other Japanese manufacturers endured similar hardship and faced these difficult times by streamlining their product range, sharing functionality between multiple models, and reconfiguring their lineups with less expensive products.
Although the synthesizer had been born of a desire to grant the musician the same level of expressivity as afforded by acoustic instruments, advances in sampling technologies had now made it possible to produce exactly the same sounds as these instruments with ease. As a result, more importance came to be placed on the synthesizer as an alternative to acoustic instruments than on the functionality that it provided for creative sound design.
Furthermore, a number of other developments had also made it easier to compare the sounds of synths from different manufacturers using the same performance data. For example, the General MIDI (GM) standard was published in 1991 for synthesizers that produce sounds in response to MIDI messages, and the Standard MIDI File (SMF) was developed as a common format for exchanging MIDI performance data.
Consequently, synth buyers focused more on differences in the sounds produced and suitability to music production than on synthesizer-specific functions and playability. Taking their lead from this, other synth makers scaled back the resources committed to the development of hardware and functionality, instead channeling their effort into the quality and diversity of the waveforms at the heart of their PCM synthesizers.
That is to say, they strove to compete and differentiate themselves on the basis of digital content, and this produced steady growth in customers. In reaction to this trend of the times, Yamaha sought to get back on track via technological innovation. At the opposite end of the spectrum from the performance-oriented VL and VP models, we worked to enhance the music production functionality of our workstations.
And for the more cost-conscious customers, we released our W Series in 1994, followed a year later by the QS300 synthesizer—a model that supported the XG MIDI standard. The W Series synths were particularly well suited to high-quality music production with their 8MB of wave memory (the most available at the time), 6 independent effect processors, 16-part multitimbrality in all situations, and GM support. Unlike the instruments of the SY Series, however, they did not find favor with a great many pro keyboard players.
Numerous different ideas such as the development of new tone generators, adding innovative functionality, and further enhancing our PCM tone generators were proposed in order to escape this rut, and we also planned and released a great many new products. Unfortunately, however, Yamaha was unable to keep up with rapid change in the synthesizer market and the general business environment, and we also failed to release any products that fully satisfied the needs of users.
Needless to say, this exacerbated an already precarious situation for the Yamaha synth. In the first half of the 90s alone we released or upgraded around 30 different products, including the SY/TG Series, the EOS B Series, the P Series, the VL/VP Series, the W Series, the QS300, and the A7000, and it is evident that period was one of trial and error. As we urgently searched for a way to overcome these difficulties, Yamaha's synthesizer business remained stuck in a real quagmire.
The EX5 workstation synthesizer was released in 1998. The successor to the SY99, this flagship model is truly representative of the synths of the 90s, and was aimed at professional musicians. The S80 music synthesizer was released in 1999, and featured a piano-size 88-key keyboard that clearly differentiated it from other Yamaha synths of the day. This feature, so important to keyboard players, was extremely well received, and also affected the designed of the MOTIF synths that followed it.
Changing Needs & A Return to Roots
Intuitive sound creation
In the first half of the 90s, Yamaha introduced a wide range of new synth models, leveraging formidable technical expertise acquired in the development of the workstation-type synth and the new VA tone generation system. In contrast to the 80s, however, our synthesizer business was in difficulties, and we failed to score any successes of the same level as the DX7.
This was caused in part by changes in the synth market. In the past, users had been drawn to innovative technologies and models, and new products practically flew off the shelves. By the 90s, however, continuous advances in semiconductors, programming, and other related fields meant that regular users were no longer excited by technology alone.
As a result, manufacturers turned their attention to design, user interfaces, product concepts, and marketing. This period was also notable for significant changes in the music scene and the ways in which synths were typically used. All in all, the industry was in an extremely chaotic state.
A new trend thus emerged in the synth industry—the return of the analog synth. This does not mean that the analog synthesizers of the 70s were simply put back into stores; instead, products that featured sounds and utilized sound-creation techniques similar to those of the analog synth and known as "Virtual Analog synthesizers" started to grow in popularity. In other words, users were looking for instruments that could simulate those classic analog synths using the latest digital technologies.
A number of factors contributed to this increasing popularity of the virtual analog synthesizer, but one of the most crucial was an inability to create sounds in an intuitive fashion using the digital synths of the day. Instruments like the DX7 had as few switches, dials, and other controllers as possible, leaving the musician to navigate through menu after menu in order to make changes to a bewildering array of sound parameters.
PC-based editor software had been developed, and this allowed sounds to be sculpted using a graphical interface, but the approach was far from ideal for live performance, where tone, timbre, and other sound characteristics needed to be instantly controllable. Once the digital filters developed in the 90s had become fully accepted, sound designers started going back to their easy-to-understand cutoff and resonance parameters, which were responsible for creating the unique squidgy sound of the analog synth.
And when the attack, decay, sustain, and release parameters of the envelope were also added to the mix, even more emphasis was placed on the ability to directly manipulate parameters in the same way as on the synths of the 70s. Parallel to this, in the world of dance music DJs started to thrill audiences by performing in real time using filters built into mixers that were designed for their own specific needs, further intensifying demand for powerful filter-based sounds with cutoff and resonance at their core.
Recognizing this need, we introduced the CS1x Control Synthesizer in 1996. A compact, lightweight instrument coming in a fresh blue color, it featured a rotary switch for rapid selection of editable parameters as well as a host of other innovative features never before seen on Yamaha synths.
Many of these were perfectly suited to the sound-creation needs of the day—a perfect example being dedicated sound control knobs for instant manipulation of key parameters such as cutoff and resonance. What's more, this instrument was one of the first with a built-in arpeggiator, allowing the owner to create intricate musical phrases by simply holding down a chord on the keyboard.
Prior to this, the synthesizer had commonly been perceived as a keyboard player's instrument—something that could only be played by skilled pianists. This arpeggiator, however, made it possible for practically anyone to perform on the synth. The CS1x was also notable for the way in which the arpeggiator and sound control knobs could be used together for exciting, creative performances that required no advanced keyboardist skill.
Yamaha CS1x
A full-fledged virtual analog synthesizer
The CS1x and other similar synths won over many customers by making sound creation easy to understand once again and providing for real-time manipulation. Meanwhile, the sound of the analog synth was becoming more and more critical to techno and other forms of electronic dance music.
As a result of these factors, demand grew for digital synths that could produce analog-like sounds. A wide range of analog modeling synths were also released by other instrument manufacturers, and software synthesizers employing the analog modeling approach also started to appear.
In 1997, one year after releasing the CS1x, Yamaha followed up with the AN1x, a digital model optimized for use as an analog synth. This was made possible by analog physical modeling, a new technology that simulated even the subtle yet unique characteristics of waveforms produced by analog-synth oscillators and the way in which slight instabilities in their electrical systems affect the sound.
Despite its digital design, this full-fledged virtual analog synthesizer could easily hold its own with other instruments in a band and was extremely well received. Meanwhile, in order to make the AN1x more suited to live performance, we increased the number of sound control knobs to 8 from the 6 on the CS1x and added a ribbon controller.
The extremely popular music-production synths of the mid-90s all had common sound banks thanks to the widespread adoption of GM*, XG, and other similar technologies. This meant that they could reproduce the sounds of acoustic instruments such as drums and piano, and most could be used to produce full arrangements without the need for any other devices.
In contrast, the Yamaha developers took the bold step of intentionally omitting support for this feature from the CS1x in order to perfect it as a simple performance synthesizer.
*The General MIDI (GM) standard was developed in order to ensure compatibility between the sounds produced by different synthesizers. Instruments complying with this standard have a set of 128 specific sounds, such as piano and guitar, in addition to all of the voices for one complete drum set. As such, any GM tone generator can play back MIDI-format song data created using a synth from a different manufacturer and still sound correct.
Enhancing product development with feedback from market research
Thanks to the growing popularity of the Internet towards the end of the 90s, synthesizer owners could instantly access information from all over the world, and modes of use of the synth began to diversify rapidly. In our industry, it thus became extremely important to ascertain the needs and behavior of synth users through market research and develop the right products in response.
While this certainly included improvements to tone generation systems, keyboards, and other hardware, serious attention also had to be paid to the physical design and color of synths, how they were actually put to use after purchase, and a wide range of other factors. Meanwhile, there was growing demand for synths and all of their unique features and functions to be easier to understand, even for beginners.
From this perspective, the changes occurring in the synth industry during this time are most apparent in their owner's manuals. Even just looking at their covers, these booklets had clearly become much more contemporary and modern than in the era of the SY Series.
User's manuals for the CS1x and SY77. Even the covers show the difference between the two manuals.
With the beginning of the latter half of the 90s, we started to feed back all of the findings of our prior research to product development. Introduced in 1998, the EX5 flagship workstation synthesizer encapsulated all of our effort during that decade.
Following the release of the SY Series, Yamaha rearranged its synth lineup to focus on (with the exception of the VL1 and VP1) low-end models with good cost performance in order to appeal to a new set of customers. As such, we introduced no professional-level synthesizer worthy of being called a successor to the SY99 during that period, something that changed with the arrival of the EX5.
EX5s (Limited Silver Edition)
The sound engine of this music synthesizer featured an AWM2 tone generator, the first from Yamaha's to deliver 128-note polyphony; a VA physical modeling tone generator as developed for the VL1; the popular AN virtual analog tone generator from the AN1x; a Formulated Digital Sound Processing (FDSP) tone generator that had been newly developed to allow DSP control using pitch and other individual items of note data; and a flexible, integrated sampling system.
This veritable powerhouse of synthesis incorporated practically all of the technologies we had perfected to date—in particular, controllability was enhanced to the maximum with, for example, a three-wheel design combining a pitch bend wheel with two modulation wheels and a ribbon controller.
Yet the improvements realized for the EX5 extended beyond pure function, and the sound of the instrument similarly reflected our research findings. It could also produce the thick synth sounds that had been highly praised upon the release of the AN1x, allowing the EX5 to deliver unique sounds with a richness never heard before.
Simultaneous development of new tone generation systems
After introducing physical modeling tone generators in the VL1 and the VP1, Yamaha also worked on the parallel development of a number of new tone generators, such as the AN virtual analog tone generator of the AN1x and the FDSP tone generator found on the EX5. One of the more notable achievements of this effort was the revolutionary Formant Synthesis (FS) tone generator.
The FDSP and FS engines both represented further advances of existing tone generation technologies, but the FM-based FS tone generator in particular made headlines with an innovative approach that produced sound by adding together formants—that is, tones characteristic of the human voice.
Its implementation in the FS1R was driven by an 8-operator FM tone generator, and thanks to features such as backwards compatibility with DX7 voices, it soon developed a reputation as a hidden treasure.
The FS tone generator uses formant elements as voice parameters, and as you might expect, this allows it to produce sounds similar to those of the human voice. At the time of its release, Yamaha was already marketing a plug-in board called the PLG100-SG as a sound module expansion for desktop music (DTM). This caused quite a stir in the Japanese market back then with its ability to sing lyrics entered in Japanese.
Although today's Vocaloid products also sing lyrics, this synth did so much earlier, using a totally different design. This is further evidence of the artisan spirit of Yamaha developers—never neglecting technical innovation, even in the face of difficult operating conditions that demanded the market be put above all else.
The results of market research
Following on from the SY Series, Yamaha released a great many products that combined a variety of technologies in an effort to offer functions ideal for the needs of the day. However, absent of any massive hit like the DX7, the 90s was a difficult time for our synthesizer business. Light at the end of the tunnel finally came in the shape of two models released at the same time in 1999—namely, the CS6x and the S80.
One might well assume based on its model name that the CS6x comes from the same family as the CS1x Control Synthesizer, but it was actually developed primarily as an instrument for serious on-stage use. The most immediately noticeable difference is the new color scheme. In contrast to the refined black and dark-blue bodies that had been the norm until then, the CS6x was silver.
We had, of course, released brightly colored products prior to the CS6x, but they had mostly been limited editions or special silver versions with an "S" added to the model name: this was the first time that a Yamaha synth had been released solely in silver. This synthesizer mainly produced PCM sounds using its built-in AWM2 tone generator; however, it could also be expanded using up to two additional plug-in tone generator boards that provided owners with access to VL, AN, FM, and other sound engines.
In order to appeal to the club scene, we asked famous European sound creators to design its preset voices. As such, the CS6x fully satisfied the needs of the market in terms of both hardware and software. Thanks to fat sounds inherited from the EX5, a cutting-edge plug-in system, its simple sound-engine design, and coloring that made it stand out on stage, this synth became very popular, particularly in Europe.
Whereas the CS6x was developed with an eye to the European market, Yamaha incorporated a great deal of feedback from North America into the S80. For instance, the quality of piano sounds—a must for the serious keyboardist—was significantly improved, and with 88 keys this synth's keyboard was just as long as a real piano's. These and other novel features marked a fresh departure from the Yamaha synthesizers that had come before.
As a further means of ensuring that all of the principal needs of players would be satisfied, we selected our AE*design for the keyboard because it had the same feel and touch as a real piano while also being perfectly suited to playing synth and organ sounds.
In the music scene of the day, synths were most commonly used for piano voices in a band or as part of a jazz session, although keyboardists also made frequent use of organ, strings, and other similar voices. As such, the features of the S80 were perfectly suited to these market needs, and it made steady in-roads, particularly among professional musicians.
It is generally accepted that all basic synths (with the exception of portable models) will have their pitch bend and modulation wheels to the left of the keyboard.
On the S80, however, they were moved to the top left of the front panel. Making it possible to reduce the overall instrument length needed to house the 88-note keyboard, a modification that took into consideration the fact that many keyboardists in North America at the time moved their synths around in the trunks of cars, so making the length of the instrument an important factor. We would not have been able to satisfy this need had it not been for research in the North American market.
The CS6x and the S80 had an enormous impact on how Yamaha would go on to develop synthesizers in the following decade—the first of the 21st century. For example, the silver design of the CS6x had a major effect on color selection for the soon-to-be-released MOTIF Series, and the success of the S80 as a viable alternative to real pianos influenced our decision to configure the synth product lineup with the MOTIF8 having a piano-like feel while the MOTIF6 and MOTIF7 had a synth action.
While it cannot be denied that Yamaha synths struggled through the 90s, the completely new approaches adopted for the CS6x and the S80 revealed the right path to take in the years ahead.-
*The AE keyboard is highly expressive yet supple, making it ideal for playing both piano and synth sounds, as well as for rock piano performances. Also supporting aftertouch, it is perfectly suited to use as a master keyboard.
Το 5ο και τελευταιο Chapter θα ειναι ετοιμο μεσα στον επομενο μηνα.
The MOTIF (2001), MOTIF ES (2003), MOTIF XS (2007), and MOTIF XF (2010) were released as successive flagship-model products. Yamaha synthesizers have aided in the creation of many famous songs representative of their era since the release of the first model, the SY1. In 2014 Yamaha celebrated 40 years of making synthesizers, and in commemoration released a version of the MOTIF XF in pure white, a coloring that represents a return to the roots of Yamaha synths.
The Complete Musical Instruments of the MOTIF Series
Part 1/2
The ultimate workstation
Yamaha's decision to listen more closely to the voices of customers paid dividends with instruments such as the S80 winning great praise as stage keyboards among other achievements. That having been said, efforts to develop a successor to the workstation synths of the SY Series and the EX Series failed to deliver any instruments that went on to become massive hits.
As a result of remarkable advancements in PC technologies and the lower prices that they brought about, the early 90s saw music production gradually migrate towards systems with PCs at their core. Yet one still needed a considerable amount of technical expertise in order to get the most out of the computers of the time, and this set the bar a little too high for the pure musician.
As a result, the workstation came to provide a convenient one stop shop for their production needs. In the latter half of the decade, further significant progress in the Windows and Macintosh operating systems made it possible for those with little or no computer skills to use PCs with confidence, and many musicians—both professionals and amateurs—started to build their music production systems around computers.
Although the workstation excelled in its ability to make serious music without the need for any other equipment, it began to fall short of the requirements of the market as a result of these developments. In response, we refocused our development of new workstation synths on the following three goals.
1. Great Sound
New Yamaha workstations would need to deliver highly practical and expressive sounds in both recording and live settings. This does not refer only to the voices of individual instruments, but also to an overall sound capable of stimulating the creativity of the musician. The synthesizer is generally expected to deliver a myriad of different sounds, but in order for it to be treated as a serious musical instrument, the quality of these sounds is paramount.
2. Easy To Make Music
We could not allow confusing modes of operation to distract the user from the creative process of music making. For this reason, we decided to leverage the high quality of our hardware in order, for example, to enhance the user interface and make it possible to create fantastic sounding music in a very short time.
3. Computer Integration
Adopting a radical new approach for the workstation synthesizer, we realized that greater compatibility and affinity with computers must be achieved. Our workstations could not only be suited to the production of music as standalone, fully independent devices; rather, they would also need to play a key role within systems built around the PC.
Dawn of the MOTIF era
Yamaha had been working on a new form of workstation developed under the code name Kangaroo, and we set about enhancing it as a top class instrument capable of satisfying all three of the above goals. To this end, we focused on further improvements to our PCM waveforms (i.e., the raw data for sampled sounds), which had been steadily improved since the development of the S80, intelligent arpeggiator functionality, and support for the remote control of digital audio workstations (DAWs).
Developed as a commercially viable product based on the Kangaroo project, the MOTIF workstation synthesizer had a massive impact on the synth world upon its release in 2001. Prior to the MOTIF, our EX Series workstations had been equipped with many of the tone generation systems that we had developed to date, such as VL and AN.
However, Yamaha selected AWM2 as the fundamental tone generation technology for the MOTIF, and with all of these other tone generation systems supported in the form of plug-in boards, we achieved a perfect balance between simplicity, convenience, and expandability.
In the early 2000s, audio loops—that is, short sections of drum and instrument tracks several beats in length—had started to become very popular with music producers, and in order to support this approach to music making, MOTIF workstations featured an Integrated Sampling Sequencer (ISS). Using this functionality, the synths could automatically detect the beats in an audio loop, slice it up, and apply a natural sounding release to each slice.
Intelligent time stretching could then be applied—in other words, the audio loop could be played back at different tempos without sounding unnatural. The ISS could also rearrange the order of the slices in order to create totally new grooves. And because pitch could be changed without having to modify the tempo, the ISS was extremely effective with pitched musical phrases as well as drum loops.
Thanks to this innovative feature, MOTIF owners could now make beats and tunes in a highly intuitive fashion by combining audio and MIDI phrases—functionality that is now taken for granted in the modern DAW. The MOTIF also featured an intelligent arpeggiator that proved highly effective both when playing live and arranging.
The term "arpeggiation" may conjure up the image of a musician holding down a chord and his or her synth responding by automatically playing the constituent notes in sequence up and down; however, the MOTIF went far beyond this approach in its implementation.
For example, an arpeggiator configured to play the notes G, A, and G when G was played on the keyboard could also be set to do so only in a certain higher band of velocities, meaning that a trill effect could be produced with voices such as flute or guitar just by playing a little harder.
So rather than simply generating basic upward and downward phrases, the MOTIF arpeggiator could also be used in a variety of ways to make performances more expressive, effortlessly breathing life into parts that sounded uninspiring when played using the keyboard alone. It is not surprising, therefore, that arps became one of the most popular features of the MOTIF.
Hardware innovation
In addition to wide ranging improvements in software, the MOTIF also featured hardware with specifications that differed markedly from those of the Yamaha synths that had gone before. For a start, all of the instruments in this series had the same tone generation functionality, regardless of keyboard length.
Prior to this, the number of keys making up a synth's keyboard, its body dimensions, and its feature lineup usually depended on whether it was intended for professionals, stage use, or beginners. However, the 61-key, 76-key and 88-key variations of the MOTIF synths were all equipped with exactly the same tone generation functionality.
The keyboard from the 88-key model had a slightly different mechanical design, but there was no difference at all between the three variations in terms of the number of dials and voices. If, for example, you owned a 61-key MOTIF but would need to play a 76-key or 88-key model from a rehearsal or recording studio or rented to bring on tour, this innovative approach meant that you could do so in complete confidence and without anything seeming unfamiliar.
This advantage was further enhanced by the inclusion of a flash memory slot, allowing voices and sequence data to be stored on memory cards. With all required data stored on a single card, therefore, you could easily recreate your preferred playing environment on any MOTIF anywhere in the world.
Meanwhile, faders and dials ergonomically arranged at the left of the top panel could be used for real-time control of the MOTIF's voices and arps as well as DAW software running on a PC. Elegantly achieving our goal of computer integration, these features allowed the MOTIF synth to be built into the heart of a computer-based production system connected via USB or MIDI cables.
Yet the MOTIF also packed in many more features that were critical to a professional workstation synthesizer. For example, the sampling libraries that had become standard tools among the professional producers of the day could be imported, and the instrument also supported digital output for direct digital connection to studio equipment.
In addition, the instrument's physical design and colors looked great on stage. From this perspective also, the MOTIF Series incorporated far more feedback from the market than was reflected in our three original goals. Offering so much to the musician, it comes as no surprise that the MOTIF Series was released to great acclaim.
In terms of sound quality, frequent improvements made to the built-in waveforms primarily used as the basis of backing patterns meant that sounds like the electric piano, bass, and electric guitar were singled out for particular praise. The quality of the instrument's built-in audio effects was also recognized right away, and the MOTIF quickly found itself a permanent feature in many professional recording venues.
Meanwhile, the ISS made it possible for music production techniques focused on drum sampling to be applied with ease, and methods previously available to only a small number of dance music producers could now also be used by pop-music artists. Given that the Hip-Hop sound started to make inroads into the US charts only after the MOTIF was introduced, this family of synths clearly had a major impact on the music scene of the day.
Further evolution to Mega Voices
Having regained their groove, the developers of the MOTIF set about planning the synth's second generation, and the most notable change in this—the MOTIF ES—was a doubling of the memory provided for built-in waveforms. In specific terms, the 85MB of memory originally available for this data was increased to 175MB, allowing much more sampled data to be stored on the instrument.
One could be forgiven for thinking that this memory boost simply allowed more individual voices to be stored, but the availability of waveform memory is actually extremely important in enhancing the quality of sampled voices. To understand why, let's look at the example of a piano voice.
Examples of sampling piano sound
As shown in the illustration, a piano sample slowly attenuates over time, and in the case of a grand piano, it could take dozens of seconds for each note to fade away completely. Storing all of this data on a synth would soon exhaust the available memory, and therefore, looping is usually applied as an alternative.
Sticking with our piano example, the attack portion of the sound comprises an extremely complex blend of harmonics that changes rapidly over time; however, the same basic waveform repeats in the release portion, gradually decaying in volume. We can, therefore, simulate the way in which piano notes actually fade out by looping a suitable length of the release portion and slowly reducing its volume.
Waveform data from behind the looped portion would no longer be needed, and when this is removed from the sampled sound, less on-board memory is required for storage. If, however, the loop points must be positioned too far forward due to memory constraints, it becomes much more difficult to reproduce the delicate nuances of the sampled instrument, and the resulting voices become sterile and mechanical.
A red prototype of a MOTIF ES7 that was never released
In other words, when more memory is available for storing sample data, more realistic, higher quality sounds can be replicated. In addition, the subtle noises produced when playing a real instrument—in the case of our piano, the sounds of mechanisms such as the actions and pedals—can also be sampled when more memory is available, and when properly mixed with the musical sounds, they make the simulation much more realistic.
In the MOTIF ES, we were able to achieve a level of musical expressiveness that memory limitations made impossible on the original MOTIF, significantly boosting the overall quality of the synth's sound. Meanwhile, a technology known as Keyboard Mega Voice made all of the nuances of an acoustic instrument's sound instantly playable.
For example, guitar mutes and harmonics could in the past only be accessed by individually loading the corresponding programs, but Keyboard Mega Voices could also produce these sounds in response to specific key velocities and other performance data. They too played a critical role in making the MOTIF ES a much more expressive musical instrument.
Revolutionary advancements in the MOTIF XS
As the second-generation MOTIF ES made steady inroads and the MOTIF Series synths became a favorite of amateur and professional musicians alike, expectations for the next generation began to grow. The third installment in this series—the MOTIF XS—further increased the memory available for waveforms, but it also provided a great many other enhancements in terms of functionality.
First of all, we changed the operating system used to drive the synthesizer's on-board programs. Earlier operating systems had been specially designed for synthesizer development, and therefore, drivers had to be built on a case by case basis for functions that needed to communicate with a computer. This extremely inefficient and time consuming situation was made even worse by the fact that the drivers needed to be updated whenever a computer OS was upgraded.
As a solution, we switched to operating systems such as Linux, which had originally been developed for use on computers. This allowed us to resolve all compatibility issues and also boosted the pace of development. What's more, it became much easier to release subsequent OS updates that added new functionality to the synths. From this perspective, the MOTIF XS could almost be described as a computer with a built-in piano keyboard.
With the MOTIF XS, we also greatly enhanced the functionality of the arpeggiator, now a key feature of this synth family. In contrast to earlier MOTIFs, where phrases were combined from multiple voices each using one type of arp, 4 arpeggiators could now be driven in parallel for much more complex phrasing. It may at first seem that simply combining 4 of the trill or up/down type arps described above would not be musically effective; however, this all starts to change when you consider that arpeggio note data can also be assigned to drum phrases.
MOTIF synths can be played in two different modes—Voice mode, which lets the musician focus on all the nuances of one specific instrument, such as piano or guitar, and Performance mode, which allows a number of these voices to be layered on the keyboard and played at the same time. Using the 4 arpeggiators of the MOTIF XS in Performance mode makes it possible to simultaneously play sequenced phrases of up to four voices.
If, for example, the first of these voices is set to drums, its arpeggiator can be used to play a drum loop. Bass could be selected for the second voice and the corresponding arpeggiator could play bass guitar phrases; meanwhile, if piano were selected for the third, a backing part could be played by the corresponding arpeggiator. Finally, selecting guitar for the last voice and having its arpeggiator play a strumming phrase would round out a complete backing pattern.
It is important to bear in mind that this is not the same as simply programming a multi-part backing sequence: the fact that the pattern is arpeggiator driven means that it can instantly respond to the notes played. While the drum phrase would normally be set to play the same loop, the other three voices could change in real time based on the notes played.
The MOTIF XS could also identify chords based on the keys held down, and this paved the way for powerful functionality allowing the player to effortlessly play intricate backing phrases with chords changing instantly as he or she desired.
Of course, many of the other synthesizers available at the time had pattern sequencers with support for chord changes, but what made the MOTIF XS special was a more realistic-sounding approach that also allowed the phrases themselves to be changed based on velocity data from the keyboard.
For example, the drum pattern's arpeggiator could be set to produce a crash cymbal and kick variation in response to the playing of a note above a certain velocity (or strength). This made it possible to easily produce accent cymbals or syncopated 8th-note or 16th-note rhythms during actual performances.
Rather than switching to "pattern" or another similar term, Yamaha has stuck firmly with "arpeggiator" to describe this ability to freely control phrases in line with the player's wishes, and it has become synonymous with the MOTIF Series.
The Complete Musical Instruments of the MOTIF Series
Part 2/2
Further enhancement of core functionality in the MOTIF XF
The current MOTIF XF was introduced in 2010, further building on the basic functionality of the MOTIF XS of three years earlier. The memory available for built-in waveforms has been increased from 355MB to 741MB, and this synth is also equipped with more inspiring and powerful voices. In addition, consideration has been given to expandability with, for example, support for flash memory expansion modules that can boost the available sampling and waveform data to a maximum of 2GB.
Its predecessor, the MOTIF XS, also provided for voice expansion, but not using flash memory. For this reason, any expansion waveform data had to be reloaded every time the instrument was turned on. With the addition of support for flash memory expansion modules, expansion voices can now be loaded into the MOTIF XF just as easily as presets.
Meanwhile, effects and various other synth features can be updated using software upgrades, meaning that the synth's owners benefit from ongoing enhancements without having to purchase new hardware. In developing the MOTIF XS, we also reviewed the synth's basic hardware functionality. Many internal components associated with sound quality have been upgraded, and the driver voltage for analog circuitry was also increased from that of the MOTIF XS. As a result, the punch and fatness of sounds has been tremendously improved.
Leveraging all of the Yamaha synthesizer expertize acquired over the years in the realization of a perfect balance between content and technology, the fourth-generation MOTIF XF condenses the successes of every member of the MOTIF Series into a single instrument. Since its release, this remarkable synth has become a favorite of a great many musicians.
Having matured rapidly through the first decade of the 21st century from the original MOTIF to the XF, this series has developed an enviable reputation for ease-of-use, great sound, and excellent performance. As such, the MOTIF has taken the place of ultimate workstation synthesizer in all but name. With an adoption rate for recording studios, tour rentals, and a diverse array of other applications that rivals that of the incredibly successful DX7, the MOTIF Series continues today to support musicians all over the world.
Crossover to other models and the CP Series
Yamaha's new releases in the 2000s were not limited to the MOTIF Series alone. In the MO Series debuted in 2005 and the revolutionary lightweight MM Series of 2007 among others, we introduced a great many entry-level and mid-level synths that inherited various MOTIF technologies and features.
And as with the MOTIFs, each series comprised a range of models that could all be played and operated in exactly the same way despite having different keyboard sizes and designs. This notable feature meant that once you were familiar with one synth, any other from the same series could be mastered in an instant.
The synths of the MOX Series and the current MOXF Series are equipped with the same 4-layer arpeggiator found on the MOTIF XS, allowing for hours of inspiration and fun with intelligent arps. Meanwhile, our compact MX Series synthesizers, which cater for all age brackets from teenagers up, feature a rich array of PCM waveforms taken straight from the MOTIF Series, and even the entry-level models perform to the highest standards.
Another highly noteworthy development of that decade was our release of CP Series stage pianos. Although stretching back to the CP70 introduced in 1976, this series had been dormant since the CP60M of 1985, but thanks to the large onboard waveform memory and high-quality sampled content of the MOTIF Series, we were able to successfully relaunch it at the end of the decade.
The original CP Series comprised two different types of instrument—an electric piano type that used pickups to capture the sound of actual piano strings, and an electronic piano type that created sounds using circuitry; however, the current CPs apply the experience and expertise of four decades to bring together the best of both worlds.
Starting with the CP1, many new models have been developed as part of this reborn CP Series, and as typified by the current CP4 STAGE, it has successfully evolved with the needs of the times for stage instruments. This too was only possible thanks to Yamaha's policy decision at the start of the decade to proactively feed the findings of market research back to product development.
CP4 <-- --> CP1
The 40 year journey of the Yamaha synth
From its genesis in the SY1 of 1974, the rich tradition of the Yamaha synthesizer has evolved through many stages, such as innovation in tone generation systems, advancements in user interfaces, and enrichment of content. This tradition has now been handed down to the MOTIF XF WH that we proudly introduced in 2014.
In the 70s and 80s, Yamaha focused on technical innovation in building the fundamental components of keyboard mechanisms and unlocking the secrets of tone generation. The challenging 90s saw a repeated number of trial and error attempts in our quest to understand how the synthesizer could be made a better musical instrument. Over the course of the past decades, we have slowly but surely perfected our craft.
Today's MOTIF Series is much loved by musicians all over the world because of Yamaha's application of technical knowhow in the creation of sounds of the same quality as those of acoustic instruments—a policy that was established at the very start of SY1 development—and our commitment to the production of easy-to-use synthesizers that constantly evolve with the times.
The diverse array of technologies and content that we perfected over these 40 years did not merely contribute to the development of an electronic device called the synthesizer: it also helped to stimulate the creativity of countless artists and had an immeasurable impact on music itself in both recording and live settings. Going forward, we can expect Yamaha synthesizers to continue to break ground in the creation of new forms of music hand in hand with artists and musicians.
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