This is a demo of the biphonic vintage breath controlled physical-modeling synthesizer Yamaha VL-1.

Sound On Sound’s review of the Yamaha VL-1 said:

This is one of the most desirable instruments I have ever heard. I can see some session players earning lots of money from the VL1 — and that is probably where it sits in the market: for serious professionals only. The rest of us can sit and bite our fingernails hoping that a more affordable version does not appear to tempt us (but it probably will, eventually)!

Description:

The VL-1 is a duophonic synth with a 49-note velocity- and pressure-sensing keyboard, three wheels (pitchbend and two assignable mod), and inputs for breath controller, two footswitches, and two VC pedals.

Twelve control parameters per voice, including tonguing, embouchure, breath noise, throat formant, growl, and scream. The 49-key VL7 and half-rack VL70-m are monophonic, and the PLG150-VL soundcard ($199.95) provides monophonic VL synthesis for the Motif, S80, CS6X, MU100, and other Yamaha synths. The VL7 shares the VL1’s two-processor DSP power, while the VL70-m and PLG150-VL have only one processor.

Resources:

• Mark Vail’s take on the Yamaha VL-1 at Keyboard magazine
• Sound On Sound’s review of the Yamaha VL-1
• A very cool collection of Yamaha VL-1 audio clips
• Yamaha VL1-m V2 Editor/Librarian and Virtualizer for Windows and Macintosh OS X