Yamaha CS-80
| Yamaha CS-80 | |
|---|---|
Yamaha | |
| Dates | 1977 - 1980 |
| Price |
ADSR |
| Aftertouch expression | Yes, polyphonic |
| Velocity expression | Yes |
| Storage memory | 22 preset 4 user |
| Effects | chorus, tremolo |
| Input/output | |
| Keyboard | 61-note with velocity and polyphonic aftertouch (on a per note rather than per patch basis) |
| Left-hand control | Ribbon Controller |
The Yamaha CS-80 is an analog synthesizer introduced by Yamaha Corporation in 1977.[2] It supports true 8-voice polyphony, with two independent synthesizer layers per voice each with its own set of front panel controls, in addition to a number of hardwired preset voice settings and four parameter settings stores based on banks of subminiature potentiometers (rather than the digital programmable presets featured on the Prophet-5 introduced soon after).
It has exceptionally complete performer expression features, such as a layered keyboard that was both velocity-sensitive (like a piano's) and pressure-sensitive ("
Production of the instrument ceased in 1980. Vying with the
Software and hardware emulations
There are plug-in instrument software emulations of the CS-80 for usage in digital audio workstation, music sequencer and other software which supports the plug-in formats. This includes the following plugins with the year they were first released:
- Arturia CS-80 V (2003)[5]
- Cherry Audio GX-80 (2022)[6]
- CS-80 emulation combined with its predecessor the GX-1.
- memorymoon ME80 (2009)
- Softube Model 77 (2024)
- Xils-Lab The Eighty (2025)
There are no known hardware clones of the entire CS-80. At the 2014 NAMM Show, Studio Electronics premiered the Boomstar SE80 synthesizer which includes a cloned filter section of the CS-80. Black Corporation's Deckard's Dream (2017) and upcoming Deckard's Dream MK2 (autumn 2024) are rackmount synthesizer with CS-80 inspired architectures and features which support polyphonic aftertouch using compatible third party external keyboards.
In 2015, Yamaha introduced the
Vangelis
The Greek composer Vangelis used the Yamaha CS-80 extensively. He described it as "the most important synthesizer in my career — and for me the best analogue synthesizer design there has ever been ... It needs a lot of practice if you want to be able to play it properly, but that's because it's the only synthesizer I could describe as being a real instrument, mainly because of the keyboard — the way it's built and what you can do with it."[7]
Vangelis first used the CS-80 on his 1977 album
Other users and appearances
Other users and prominent appearances of the Yamaha CS-80 include:
- Don Airey (used CS-80 in his work with Rainbow and with Ozzy Osbourne, including the Blizzard of Ozz tracks "Mr Crowley" and "Revelation (Mother Earth)")[8]
- Tony Banks (used CS-80 extensively on the Genesis album Duke)
- Roy Bittan (used CS-80 on various Bruce Springsteen tracks, including "Dancing in the Dark", "I'm on Fire" and the main synth horn sound on "Born in the U.S.A.")[8]
- Kate Bush (used CS-80 on songs including "Babooshka" and "Hounds of Love")[9][10]
- album, most notably on "Mr. X" and "Western Promise")
- Electric Light Orchestra (used CS-80 on "Here Is the News")[9]
- Empire of the Sun (used CS-80 on "Walking on a Dream")[9]
- Brian Eno (used CS-80 on Before and After Science for "Here He Comes", "Julie With" and "By This River")[11]
- Peter Howell (used CS-80 for the bassline and "sting" sound of his 1980 interpretation of the theme tune to the BBC science fiction show Doctor Who)[9]
- Michael Jackson (Jackson himself played the CS-80 as part of the four-chord vamp ensemble introducing "Billie Jean")[11]
- Oxygene 7-13)[9]
- UK and on The Green Album)
- Paul McCartney (used CS-80 for chord stabs on "Wonderful Christmastime")[8]
- Metric (used CS-80 on Pagans in Vegas)[9]
- Steve Porcaro (used CS-80 with Toto, notably on "Africa"[13][9][8] and "Rosanna", and on the introduction passage to Michael Jackson's "Human Nature"[8])
- Klaus Schulze[12]
- Squarepusher (used CS-80 for "4001" on Ufabulum)[9]
- Mike Thorne (used CS-80 extensively on Wire's 154)[11]
- Steve Winwood (used CS-80 on Arc of a Diver, mostly for "orchestral violin" sounds;[9] also an extensive user of the CS-80's "flute" patch)[12]
See also
- Yamaha GX-1, a polyphonic synthesizer released in 1973
- CS-15
- CS-60
References
- ISBN 0-918371-08-2.
- ^ "[Chapter 1] Origins of the Yamaha Synthesizer - Yamaha - United States". usa.yamaha.com.
- ^ a b "The World's most desirable and valuable synthesizers and drum machines". Attack Magazine. Attack Magazine. 30 September 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
- ^ "The Schmidt synth and the CS80". Synthtopia. Synthtopia. 7 April 2011.
- ^ Magnus, Nick; Reid, Gordon (April 2005). "Arturia CS80V - Software Synth (Mac/PC)". Sound On Sound. SOS Publications Group.
- ^ "Cherry Audio release GX-80". Sound On Sound. SOS Publications Group. November 2022.
- ^ Goldstein, Dan (November 1984), "Soil Festivities Vangelis Speaks", Electronics & Music Maker, retrieved August 22, 2016
- ^ a b c d e "Exploring the Yamaha CS-80" - article in Reverb Machine
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "The Synths Behind the Songs: CS-80" - article in Ransom Note
- ^ "Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill Synth Sounds" - article in Reverb Machine"
- ^ a b c "An introduction to the Yamaha CS-80 and 10 records it helped define" - article by Josh French in The Vinyl Factory, 6 February 2019
- ^ a b c "Yamaha CS80 - Polysynth (Retro)" - article in Sound on Sound by Richard Clewes
- ^ Yamaha CS-80 Synthesizer 1980 listing at Reverb
Bibliography
- Jenkins, Mark (19 October 2009). Analog Synthesizers: Understanding, Performing, Buying. Taylor & Francis (published 2009). ISBN 978-1-136-12277-4.
- "Yamaha CS-80 - Polysynth (Retro)". Reviews : Keyboard. Sound On Sound. No. July 1995. Archived from the original on 2015-06-07.
- Reid, Gordon (18 May 2013). "The Yamaha CS-80". Gordon Reid's Vintage Synthesis (gordonreid.co.uk).
- "Yamaha CS-80". Music Technology. Vol. 4, no. 10. September 1990. p. 64. OCLC 24835173.
External links
