40 Years Of Yamaha Synthesizers

40-years-of-yamaha-synthesizersYamaha has introduced a news section on their website, celebrating 40 years of Yamaha synths.

The site features a 5 section history of Yamaha synths, a chronology of their synths and information on a 40th anniversary Motif XF.

Yamaha is releasing the information on the site in chronological order, with updates scheduled through November.

23 thoughts on “40 Years Of Yamaha Synthesizers

    1. Yes. Please! A thousand times yes. A groovebox with 8 4-Op FM tracks, 4 Chip tracks (square wave), and a drum section. Genesis groove box. With .VGM conversion and a huge library of presets from Sega games.

          1. I’m surprised that other people want this, too. I’ve been thinking of building something like this for awhile and figured there would be little market for it.

    1. The Motif XF is actually a VERY VERY powerful synthesizer… a PITA to program, but a serious synth… I guess all the ROMpler distain comes from people who just see them as preset machines. In fairness, most modern workstations are more versatile and powerful (specs-wise) than all the popular “analog resurgence” stuff. That’s why workstations and sampling synthesizers killed analog the first time around.

    2. I had one of the original Motif 8s – I have replaced with the Korg Kronos 88X – but I have to say that even though the Korg is way more powerful and much easier to use, I always enjoyed the Motif, particularly the keyboard action. In the end I did use it more as a preset machine because I hate diving into sub-menus – hence the Korg is much better. But I’d have to argue that the Motif 8 was a great workstation.

      But I do wish Yamaha would get past workstations and start producing some proper synths – either re-release their CS series, or something new.

  1. Yamaha has slept!… After AN1X …. only the Motif? and only workstation? where is the answer to a new technology? enough with AWM2 synthesis. Give us something new, not another one White Motif and some motif’s children MO, MOX or other else you name it M, O, OX, X ….Ha ha ha!!!
    WAKE UP YAMAHA!!!!

  2. Wow. Everyone one talking about what they want released instead of what is on the page. This is a very cool look in to the history of Yamaha’s synth legacy. It’s great that Yamaha thought of writing this. And more to come? Nice!

  3. You people want 4-op FM? You’ve got to be kidding. If Yamaha was going to release another FM synth, they would need to have something mind-blowing, like 8-16 operators with user-definable waveforms (like the Synclavier, but with a memory bank to store waveforms), user definable algorithms (again with a memory bank), user definable feedback loops, with pitch and amplitude envelopes for each operator (as well as a global pitch envelope). They would need to include the ability to select a fixed pitch (including a pitch of zero) for each operator, so it could do amazing recreations of analog synth sounds, like I got on my original DX-7.

    1. Yeah – a thoroughly well designed hardware version of a souped-up FM-8 with a performance oriented interface would be a stroke of genius right now – the total antithesis of all the analogue* we’re surrounded by at the momentº

      * yes I’m British 😉
      º absurd comment bait – ignore it… 😀

    1. The FS1r is a great beast whose only analog is the E-mu Morpheus. They both offer exotic movement that stands as two killer examples of next-level synthesis. If either appeared now, an accessible editor could cause it to become highly prized in a whole new way. I’ve played both and for all of the hollering for something *NEW!*, these particular vintage-y synths are serious instruments that can shove half a grapefruit in the face of any twenty newer synths you could name. Any mention of the FS1r gets a gold star from me. Just stepping through the presets and pushing the mod wheel here and there will make your mouth hang open. Mmmm, FS1r, drooool…..

      1. Also the E-mu Ultraproteus which has hugely greater Z-Plane filter set, and Proteus 2000 which has fewer Z-Plane filters than the Ultraproteus but has the huge and expandable sample library with the four chip slots. As for AWM2 (the Motif sound) I am satisfied with my fully rigged SY85, which is the grand-daddy of all Motif synths. The whole Motif line is simply a history of the refinement and expansion of the SY85. Blade is correct in that Yamaha have not come up with anything new since the AN1X. But, apparently there are a lot of musicians who are happy with status quo, no? Plus being only a small part of Yamaha Heavy Industries Limited allows them to bask in past glory without suffering revenue glut. They’ll just come up with a new motorcycle or bulldozer, or build a couple of container ships, and the synthesizer division will carry on quite well. And all those grand pianos and sewing machines and guitars. Yamaha is like Singer. They build…everything.

  4. How does the X2 rank among you, the synthtopia commentariat? I recently gained one in a gear trade and haven’t had a chance to fully explore it. Thanks all.

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