The SY-77 is one of the most underrated, ridiculously overpowered, synths ever made. Even today the '77 can hold its own against "modern" synths in a mix, thanks to the AFM + PCM sound engine. I own 3 '77s currently, (2x SYs, and 1 TG), and will probably never sell any of them.
@@alinn.4341 umm hello? the fx have zero to do with the synth. tune your ear. most people do not have monitors to tell the difference. that's the problem with value gear, it snowballs in the wrong direction and "everything becomes the same."
I just have one Sy77 (The first arrived in Italy.... before the official presentation in my country, it was already under my fingers!). And I'll never sell it. I'm in love with her! Actually I came here just to listen to her voice since it is in my other house and I was missing her!! 🤣 This guy is destroying the synth with that crappy, unnecessary and inappropriate effects!!!! Whyyyyyyyyyyyyy this outrage to my beloved baby??!!!
@@alinn.4341 While the SY77 effects engine leaves a lot to be desired, Yamaha upped the stakes with the SY99 onboard effects, which were far more capable and better sounding.
Still tempted to get my hands on one of these sometimes. Used to have a SY22 some 11 years ago but sold it once i got a Roland D-50. I still miss that early 90s of the SY series. The SY77 is such a mighty beast with such an incredible appeal.
It isn't nostalgia. It's looking for beauty and satisfying aesthetic needs, which lets face it, most of current electronic device do not deliver. It's all about pure utility these days. The look, feel, aesthetics, form factor, and build quality are being compromised today. All that matters are cost of production (lowest possible), profits (highest possible), and so we end up with a lot of mass produced generic devices which do not seem to satisfy our aesthetic needs. So we always need next one, and next one, and newer one, etc. With SY77 it's a complete machine. SY99 is also great, but SY77 is sufficient.
aesthetic arent that important in my opinion, I think the original Dx7 is the ugliest synth ever made, poopy Brown With the turquoise/Yamaha green a great turd aesthetically. But still is like the greatest synthesizer ever made!
Classic Yamaha fm synths are some of the greatest instruments I think. The sy77/99 are so good because if you put in the time understanding fm thoroughly they make cutting edge sounds that will compete with literally any daw/workstation out there to this day. But I t's rare to find people who put in the time and can use the sy99 to its potential. Very rare
Here I am!! The first SY77 landed in my country arrived straight under my fingers. I produced several sounds for the SY in collaboration with the Italian distributor in '90s! the combination of 2 AWM and 2 AFM sounds together gives you an incredible dynamic... the SY77 still with me after 30 years... oh fuck it's her birthday this year!!!!
Dear State Shirt, I am totally with you. I grew up in S. Korea. I was a college student when SY77 was released (1989 I guess). I loved to visit a huge music store complex in Seoul and one fateful day! It was a Yamaha dealership and so many people standing in and outside of the store. I could not see what was going on but could hear beautiful music obviously played by a band. The demo included even some sort of violin concerto. I got no visual so could only guess a famous band visited to demo new instruments! Then someone began to talk - a Japanese guy in heavily accented English! It was just ONE man demoing this EXPENSIVE NEW Yamaha snthesizer - SY77. I still remember him proudly saying it was the most powerful synth in the world! That day, my love for SY started and eventually ended up owing a 77, a 99, and even EX5 (l kinda love and hate Ebay :). Sadly I am still no musician and too busy but 77 (and later 99 too) has been something connecting my 20s and 40s and more. Enjoy your 77, thanks for sharing your sweet story (IKR?) and wonderful DEMO!
Ethan Tufts What would you say is your favorite synthesizer today from both the FM and subtractive synth categories. All I have to work with right now is a microkorg, which I'm honestly really enjoying.
I've only tried a few FM synths (DX21, DX7, SY77) and played around a bit with the Prophet 12's FM features. For FM sounds I'd have to go with the SY77. As far as subtractive, out of the handful I've tried, I loooove my Oberheim Matrix 6.
Thanks for the info! Yeah I saw your video about Oberheim M6. It has truly mesmerizing sound, you have me sold on the Strymon effect pedals as well lol. I'm thinking about investing in the Yamaha Reface DX so I can experiment with some FM patch making. Apparently FM patches can be pretty tricky to make but I love the bell-ish dissonant sounds that can be made.
Congratulations! I also have 99 and EX5. SY77 and 99 sounds somewhat different. 99 sounds cleaner and airy and 77 sounds thick and heavier. I like both equally. EX5 is amazing too. There 3 are together on one of my synth stands and I call it "the tower of Yamaha'. Thanks for the cool video. Enjoy!
Just picked one up myself. Mostly covering DX stuff on my channel but SY77 is just one of those MUST HAVE keyboards IMHO. Nice touch using a bit of saturation on that delay. Beautiful stuff.
Awesome music and really fun to hear your story. Growing up playing guitar and not lusting after any gear - it's interesting to see people who knew what synthesizers were when they were young (We had a toy Yamaha keyboard, that was it). Subscribed.
Very nice demo! Scored one today for $50 on Facebook market. Need to replace the battery but it will work if I do a factory reset after turning it on each time. Having a great time with it so far.
I've got two, plus SY99 and TG77. I bought an SY77 as I prefer keyboards to racks, but it was in need of repair. I thought I'd broken it during the refurb and put it aside. Then bought another, replaced screen with modern LCD and ended up fixing the other. Do check out the RAM and PCM cards from Sector101, you can write your own cards and the RAM card have loads more storage than the Yamaha ones.
I bought my TG77 brand new back in 89 and still have it. what a monster of a synth.this is a real synth you don't need external effects. it has it's which can be turned off.
Great vid! Your story isn't that different from myself, or a lot of us I imagine. Thanks for sharing. I also firmly believe there will be a lot of room in the future for great digital synths. As we head into 2018, everyone is clamoring for analog, analog, analog. But a tremendous amount can be done with digital synths, like the SY-77, in the right hands. I think that's the real challenge for a lot of younger synthesists.
Guess what, I am doing the same. I got a SY77 for AUD $250 and it is factory cool, couldn’t afford this in the 90s, but here we are 33 years later and this baby is solid as! Paul, melbourne Australia
I have a TG77 (the rack version) and an SY99. I don't use the 99 much, but some of the sounds on the TG77, especially the "Beltone" EP are still favorites of mine. Putting some effects on it definitely improves it even more. Buy them now while they're still cheap--that won't last much longer, probably.
Nice come up on that SY77! I recently scored a near mint condition DX7s, has one of the best feeling keybeds/action and very cool for those 80's sounds. Cool demo by the way.
I bought my SY77 in 1993!! When I went to Musicians Institute. It had been in the case for quite a while and yesterday I took it out and plugged it in. I was thinking of selling it... but got sooo sentimental playing with all the sounds!! It's really a great instrument and seem to have withstand the test of time in electronic synth evolution :)
I bought one two years ago. It is in a terrible state and a couple of the keys are broken. Sadly the Patch C button is stuck. It looks like it was knocked to the side a bit so it can't be pressed down. May have to try to open the synth. It has the best keybed I have tried on any synth. I also have a Yamaha DX7S. Its battery is dead and it is a hassle to open and replace.
Nice, i love my Sy77! still powerful by today's standard with its Dx7II 16 multitimbral, 6 operator Fm synthesis, lot of workstation capabilities by today's standards even. Fantastic machine. Good video too.
Murmure Great video :-), the Sy77 sound pallete is so so versatile. I must send you some of my custom patches just for sheer fact you have stepped up out of all the synth videos on youtube and demonstarted this sleeping animal.
I spent years and years with producing sounds and songs with it. I almost know every corner inside of it. Still have it. Still make music with it.... :)
You and I have the exact same story I hocked my life to buy mine I was a janitor and I finally came up with a $2700 to buy that thing I still have all the floppy disks with all the crazy sounds on it even though I don’t have the machine anymore,) 👊👊💥
I have this synth since 1990. Floppy is dead and all my old compos lost lol. Battery is dead too. But its still good to switch it on and play it. And you made really cool sounds with your effects
The SY77 on board effects are pretty good for 1990, but pretty lame by today's standards. I was going for a particular seasick sound, so I guess it worked :)
I was able to score one of these for a like $150, last year, and I couldn't be happier - This is my first synth besides the lesser quality PSS 480 and two other x80 models (not the 680, still looking to find that at a thrift store). I need to repair the floppy drive (it works but gets "stuck" trying to read the disc...bad belt, perhaps) or buy the usb mod that's out there. Mine sounds really nice but I think, I could benefit from updating the sounds. Also, it would be nice to be able to program sounds on my computer and then load them to the SY77. I am intrigued by the floppy that came in the drive as it's labeled " M Garson, Chick I, D Bryan II, Super LA, Ai Synth". I look forward to getting some of the cards, a FC7 exp. pedal and sustain pedal... maybe a breath controller, too, to take full advantage of this thing's capabilities.
Sounds like you're loving those add on boxes more than the synth. If you play and edit a bit deeper, you'll find it can do what the boxes can... perhaps even more. The SY series was very under rated and ahead of its day. There's a mountain of stuff this synth can do effects and AFM wise. Go... play!!!
I completely agree! If I pass the sound of a hairdryer inside a Korg Wavestation AD and I add also some other "stuff" on the signal, that hairdryer could became better than a Moog!!! Here we have exactly the opposite: HE JUST RUINED ALL THE SOUND WITH RANDOM AND INAPPROPRIATE EFFECTS! IT'S DEFINITELY NOT A DEMO...unless he wanted to demonstrate how not to use that stuff! I used to add effects on other vintage synth, but SY77's sound are powerful and rich. they don't need additional effects. Internal EFX are awesome. And you can also program the wheels, the aftertouch, the velocity, the data entry fader and the dial to modify the sound and the effects.... so it is no needed at all. The only moment you need external effects is when you want to use multiple sounds. Like every vintage synth, in MULTI/Combi the sounds are flat. the two effects are available, but are only two. To have the WHOLE sound with its effects, you need to play it single.... like here! I produced several sounds for this jewel. The power of this machine in 1990 was unrivaled. A milestone in synthesizers' history. The sound in this video is pure blasphemy!
Hey, I just came across your video here. I wanted to ask if you might live in or around the NYC area? And if so, i would like to talk more with you about possibly playing synth on 3 full albums of new dance rock music with an 80s sound. And tell you of all the opportunities im offering as well! Please let me know.. Thank you
Doesn't look like you have the display working? I have a "mint TG-77" Classic sounds and movement of the sounds once you get into it ...just as good as the "Montage" just different algorithm structures is all. ..I still love the SY-TG series to bits.
Can anyone tell if the presets have their original effects when you are in multi timbral mode. I want to use it as an multi timbral source for my AKAI MPC where I'm sequencing. But I need to be able to have at least 4-5 presets with the original effects (as in patch mode) when i am in multi timbral mode. Many synth disable the effects on multi timbral mode (like the Triton I use now) and they sound really wack. Thanks!
It's not nostalgia to me, I play it hours every day. The four outputs are the key; run the stereo pairs to two different systems and the thing is lush. I had it on the road and played it every show for 20 years. A few of the buttons (there are dozens) are hard to engage but I don't dare try to fix it. The three patches I use are third party: Wide Strings, a B3 with tremolo after-touch named full organ and an EP DX Famous. Those 3 sound modern, not 90s.
I think it's a sign of peak nostalgia when we are getting misty eyed about old workstations, romplers and other dated digital gear. I'm guilty as charged myself, I have a Roland JV-1010, Kawai K5000W Workstation, cause you know music is work, right?!
I still use my SY99. At the time (1993) I bought it to tweak sounds in FM, only to discover that it was too damn hard to program, so I basically used it as preset organ + sequencer. Today is only a master keyboard. Actually if you like I could change it for a good weighted 88 keys.
Sorry, but the only similarity between the SY-22, and the SY-77, is the "SY" in the name. The two use completely different synth engines that have next to nothing in common...
@@looneyburgmusic but in this video, where random and unnecessary effects were added, you can listen to an SY77 and believe that the SY22 is quite similar or even better!! 🤣
@@lucderan No. The SY77 was, at the time, a "Flagship" level synth, using a combination of Yamaha's full early AWM, (Advanced Wave Memory), PCM based engine, (which Yamaha has built on for nearly every synth they have released since, including the current Montage), combined with what was at the time the most advanced FM engine on the market. Meanwhile, the SY22 was a "Mid-range" synth, more akin to the Roland D-50, in that it combined limited FM, (2-OP if I recall correctly), with PCM samples, in a 'Vector" style engine, absent any filter, and with only a basic LFO. Just as some claim Roland had done with the D-70, Yamaha apparently was trying to cash in on the "SY" name when they released the '22, perhaps hoping people would think they were getting a cheaper version of the SY77/99, (which they definitely weren't).
@@looneyburgmusic if it was not clear, mine was just a joke. As I wrote somewhere I've received the first SY77 arrived in my country... before the official presentation! I've created sounds for her and I sold them to the Italian distributor. I still have it. And I had or I played with all the Yamaha, Korg and Roland synth of that era! the SY family (or just namesake) includes also the TG100 (that I still have....somewhere) and "other stuff" not comparable with SY77. I just wanted to say that here, with that effects randomly used, he ruined the sounds that (this is the joke ->) appears like the cheapest SY ever made!
a question: I got a PSR-36 because of all the wave of comments about how cool is the FM sounds and how much you can do with the synthetizer switch on it. I got it and i am kind of a dissapointed, i have a PSS which makes more (for instance, you have also a WAVE switch and a separate ATACK and DECAY instead of the ENVELOPE switch that you have on the PSR36). I also felt more comfortable with the DSR-2000. Am i kind of unnormal because of not feel i the clouds with the PSR-36 or is just that i did not take the best out of it yet?
I also have these two. I think the PSR36 has a better keybed than the DSR2000. Sound wise they both have their own character, be it very limited by today’s standards, but the DSR is a little more pro. Both will sound lots better with external chorus and reverb units. You should give it a try.
I remember, the SY77 didn't exactly sound great in the store, I liked the the sound of Korg M1, Kawai K4 or even Roland U-20 more. But I knew, it has potential hidden inside, you hade to explore it. Finally I bought a TG77 and I was not disappointed! I created a lot sounds. But I had to buy a RY30 wave card (house & rap), because the original drums were awful. This wave card offered some kind of Linn 9000 and TR-909 samples, which was exactly what I needed at that time.
Hi! I have Yamaha SY77 and I can't understand one thing: can I write more than one track in [pattern] mode? In [song] mode when I press [rec] I can switch tracks by 'memory keys' at the right part of panel, but in [pattern] mode it doesn't works. Please, help me!
Night Bloomer sounds nice. Not sure what other people are saying about this sounding like a PSR... oh well. It’s nice to hear the sound with and without FX. If you still have this - you should check out the PL88 by Lewismidi, a device that acts as a huge patch storage device and an arpeggiator, which I feel really opens up the synth.
Great vid, yes very nostalgic ... use 2x '99's in the studio but have trusty '77 in the garage(!), must get her up & running again (different feel to the '99's, but in a good way :) ). ps. are your synth shelves the Ikea ones, think Stolmen(??). Best
How do you like that chorus, I am after a chorus that can live up to the good old Juno 106 chorus? Thanks for sharing this video, interesting synth used on more songs than I knew.
I have a SY77. Found it on the marketplace in Hungary a few weeks ago for £55 Also have a SY85. Found it in England, Near London. Bought it for £100 Both are very nice instruments!
LOL, same here. When the SY 77 came to market I was a college kid and part time sales guy in music store. When it arrived in the store, I got so excited that I took it home over the weekends. And then, a few years back, I picked up a TG-77 on Craigslist for $100 . I never caught the same excitement for it. Maybe I should have attached some Strymon effects to it. ;-)
Maybe an idea to make a little correction in the title of this video. The SY77 came out in 1990 (not 1989), a year before Yamaha has completed it the way they wanted it to be. The result was the SY99 in 1991.
Ethan Tufts 😄 Great synth nontheless. I’m a huge fan of FM synthesis. I’ve owned four incarnations of the DX7 over the years and still use a lot of FM patches from the MOD-1 engine in my Korg Kronos. The SY77 took FM and took it to a new level with PCM sampling. I’m tempted to get one now!
@@stateshirt it is so great when you get your dream gear, I just bought a DX7 MKI I dreamt about since my childhood. But seriously, what model your VCR is? 😍
The first synth I bought as a teenager was the DX-7. I had it MIDI'd to my Commodore 64. Like you, I drooled over the SY77 when it came out. I'm just wondering about the signal path in your demo... you're running the Big Sky into the Deco?
Nice dude! I have TWO PSR-32 boards. I went down the SY rabbit hole with an SY-22, just got a disappointing SY-55, and am currently hunting down an SY-77 or a 99 cos I'm done messing around. Lust. Yes. Lust.
mine was absolutely the FIRST SY77 arrived in Italy. I wanted it without listening to it. On papers was superlative.... and it was.... it is! My absolutely preferred synth for years. With Wavestation AD and 01W was my preferred light setup
@state shirt.. you are like me bro.. I still know yamaha, kirg and roland headquarters addresses by heart.. because in the 80s and early 90s I kept sending them mail for latest catalogs and they sweetly obliged every time.. and the next weeks or months were spent in dreamland. Back then in India you couldn't find these in music stores, as imports were restricted.. one had to suck up to musicians who bought them from overseas, often paying twice the standard US street prices, to spend some minutes with these beauties... fast forward today, I have almost all those I lusted for now lying next to my bed.. Roland D50, Korg 01/W proX, Roland JP-8000... will add a DX7II and M1/ Wavestation once I come across them .. I have no interest in the post-millennium keyboards
I too was dreaming to have a SY-77 as a kid and I've had one now for a few years. I really love it, the FM there is wicked ! So what does the former kid you are thinks ? Was it worth dreaming about it ?
I have the Sy85. I'm not sure what the difference is, apart from the 3 mod wheels. I love it, and Yamaha synths I have six.i saw this model and the SY85. in a trade in-store in the uK. for as little as £200. when you consider how much they went for new. A great digital synth. cheap. Ideal for a beginner or pro.
I also posessed DX21 and later V50 and, finally, SY77 that I have still today. There are plenty of new sounds available via web these days, so I am wondering why are you using preset sounds through external devices. You can get beautiful sounds for free on the internet, splendid analogue classics as well as famous sounds of the most popular keyboards of the past. Of course, it is up to us what tone we shall find useful, but this machine in the nineties was pride of Yamaha engineering team.
I know what ya mean, in 1989 I wanted the G. I. Joe Aircraft carrier playset, but that thing was like $300+ now that I'm in my 40s.... its still $300+... Wait wtf why is that still $300?
I have my sy77 since 1991. I was 17. Thank you for sharing and thumbs up for your video!!!
The SY-77 is one of the most underrated, ridiculously overpowered, synths ever made. Even today the '77 can hold its own against "modern" synths in a mix, thanks to the AFM + PCM sound engine. I own 3 '77s currently, (2x SYs, and 1 TG), and will probably never sell any of them.
99
@@snoolee7950 too big and those FX are easily replaced.
@@alinn.4341 umm hello? the fx have zero to do with the synth. tune your ear. most people do not have monitors to tell the difference. that's the problem with value gear, it snowballs in the wrong direction and "everything becomes the same."
I just have one Sy77 (The first arrived in Italy.... before the official presentation in my country, it was already under my fingers!). And I'll never sell it. I'm in love with her! Actually I came here just to listen to her voice since it is in my other house and I was missing her!! 🤣 This guy is destroying the synth with that crappy, unnecessary and inappropriate effects!!!! Whyyyyyyyyyyyyy this outrage to my beloved baby??!!!
@@alinn.4341 While the SY77 effects engine leaves a lot to be desired, Yamaha upped the stakes with the SY99 onboard effects, which were far more capable and better sounding.
Still tempted to get my hands on one of these sometimes. Used to have a SY22 some 11 years ago but sold it once i got a Roland D-50. I still miss that early 90s of the SY series. The SY77 is such a mighty beast with such an incredible appeal.
Did you manage to get one? It is really a great synth !
@@LizJensenMusic Sadly no. Not yet I have a priority list of gear i need and am slowly working it off. But i would still want to get one.
Conclusion: any s h i t sounds stellar passing through the Big Sky
My first love, and my first synth. Saved over 2 summers to buy in high school. The keybed on that thing is second to none. Hugely underrated synth.
It's her birthday!!!! 30 years!!!! Happy birthday beautiful jewel!
It isn't nostalgia. It's looking for beauty and satisfying aesthetic needs, which lets face it, most of current electronic device do not deliver. It's all about pure utility these days. The look, feel, aesthetics, form factor, and build quality are being compromised today. All that matters are cost of production (lowest possible), profits (highest possible), and so we end up with a lot of mass produced generic devices which do not seem to satisfy our aesthetic needs. So we always need next one, and next one, and newer one, etc. With SY77 it's a complete machine. SY99 is also great, but SY77 is sufficient.
aesthetic arent that important in my opinion, I think the original Dx7 is the ugliest synth ever made, poopy Brown With the turquoise/Yamaha green a great turd aesthetically. But still is like the greatest synthesizer ever made!
Classic Yamaha fm synths are some of the greatest instruments I think. The sy77/99 are so good because if you put in the time understanding fm thoroughly they make cutting edge sounds that will compete with literally any daw/workstation out there to this day. But I t's rare to find people who put in the time and can use the sy99 to its potential. Very rare
Here I am!! The first SY77 landed in my country arrived straight under my fingers. I produced several sounds for the SY in collaboration with the Italian distributor in '90s! the combination of 2 AWM and 2 AFM sounds together gives you an incredible dynamic... the SY77 still with me after 30 years... oh fuck it's her birthday this year!!!!
Dear State Shirt, I am totally with you. I grew up in S. Korea. I was a college student when SY77 was released (1989 I guess). I loved to visit a huge music store complex in Seoul and one fateful day! It was a Yamaha dealership and so many people standing in and outside of the store. I could not see what was going on but could hear beautiful music obviously played by a band. The demo included even some sort of violin concerto. I got no visual so could only guess a famous band visited to demo new instruments! Then someone began to talk - a Japanese guy in heavily accented English! It was just ONE man demoing this EXPENSIVE NEW Yamaha snthesizer - SY77. I still remember him proudly saying it was the most powerful synth in the world! That day, my love for SY started and eventually ended up owing a 77, a 99, and even EX5 (l kinda love and hate Ebay :). Sadly I am still no musician and too busy but 77 (and later 99 too) has been something connecting my 20s and 40s and more. Enjoy your 77, thanks for sharing your sweet story (IKR?) and wonderful DEMO!
Great stuff man, as always. A little personal history and and a demo of your childhood dream synth. Love it!
Thanks very much! :) :)
Ethan Tufts What would you say is your favorite synthesizer today from both the FM and subtractive synth categories. All I have to work with right now is a microkorg, which I'm honestly really enjoying.
I've only tried a few FM synths (DX21, DX7, SY77) and played around a bit with the Prophet 12's FM features. For FM sounds I'd have to go with the SY77. As far as subtractive, out of the handful I've tried, I loooove my Oberheim Matrix 6.
Thanks for the info! Yeah I saw your video about Oberheim M6. It has truly mesmerizing sound, you have me sold on the Strymon effect pedals as well lol. I'm thinking about investing in the Yamaha Reface DX so I can experiment with some FM patch making. Apparently FM patches can be pretty tricky to make but I love the bell-ish dissonant sounds that can be made.
Seems like you're loving more those boxes rather than the synth. If you spent a little time you can program the internal effects to do that.
I had several 80s analogue Polysynths that are seriously overhyped these days. Sold all of them, kept my SY77. Great Vid!
Congratulations! I also have 99 and EX5. SY77 and 99 sounds somewhat different. 99 sounds cleaner and airy and 77 sounds thick and heavier. I like both equally. EX5 is amazing too. There 3 are together on one of my synth stands and I call it "the tower of Yamaha'. Thanks for the cool video. Enjoy!
The Yamaha SY77 have their own effects section.
Wow man, i really love this story-inspiring and unique!
Just picked one up myself. Mostly covering DX stuff on my channel but SY77 is just one of those MUST HAVE keyboards IMHO. Nice touch using a bit of saturation on that delay. Beautiful stuff.
Awesome music and really fun to hear your story. Growing up playing guitar and not lusting after any gear - it's interesting to see people who knew what synthesizers were when they were young (We had a toy Yamaha keyboard, that was it). Subscribed.
:) :) :)
Very nice demo! Scored one today for $50 on Facebook market. Need to replace the battery but it will work if I do a factory reset after turning it on each time. Having a great time with it so far.
I've got two, plus SY99 and TG77. I bought an SY77 as I prefer keyboards to racks, but it was in need of repair. I thought I'd broken it during the refurb and put it aside. Then bought another, replaced screen with modern LCD and ended up fixing the other. Do check out the RAM and PCM cards from Sector101, you can write your own cards and the RAM card have loads more storage than the Yamaha ones.
I really enjoyed your trip down memory lane. I too have bought things in my adulthood that were my childhood fantasies. Enjoy your SY-77
I bought my TG77 brand new back in 89 and still have it. what a monster of a synth.this is a real synth you don't need external effects. it has it's which can be turned off.
Great vid! Your story isn't that different from myself, or a lot of us I imagine. Thanks for sharing.
I also firmly believe there will be a lot of room in the future for great digital synths. As we head into 2018, everyone is clamoring for analog, analog, analog. But a tremendous amount can be done with digital synths, like the SY-77, in the right hands. I think that's the real challenge for a lot of younger synthesists.
Great demo of this awesome synth.
Guess what, I am doing the same. I got a SY77 for AUD $250 and it is factory cool, couldn’t afford this in the 90s, but here we are 33 years later and this baby is solid as! Paul, melbourne Australia
What Amazing AFM Synth, thank you for sharing, do you Know if you can update the firmware on the SY line ?
Love this! I finally got one 8 yrs back for 500.
Why are you using Big Sky? The SY77 has its own types of reverbs/delays built in
synth guys are incapable of not using big sky lol
The reverb in the SY77 is pretty bad.
I have a TG77 (the rack version) and an SY99. I don't use the 99 much, but some of the sounds on the TG77, especially the "Beltone" EP are still favorites of mine. Putting some effects on it definitely improves it even more. Buy them now while they're still cheap--that won't last much longer, probably.
Beltone is sort of a stereo adaption of the famous Full-Tine of the DX7. Verry nice. It is not stock on the SY77.
Nice come up on that SY77! I recently scored a near mint condition DX7s, has one of the best feeling keybeds/action and very cool for those 80's sounds. Cool demo by the way.
telereve agreed!
am new to these, can tell me the difference between dx7 and sy77 please?
dont laugh at noobs. =)
The DX7 uses FM synthesis only. The SY77 adds recorded samples of other instruments (acoustic as well as other synth sounds) to that in a layer.
I bought my SY77 in 1993!! When I went to Musicians Institute. It had been in the case for quite a while and yesterday I took it out and plugged it in. I was thinking of selling it... but got sooo sentimental playing with all the sounds!! It's really a great instrument and seem to have withstand the test of time in electronic synth evolution :)
Really nice melodic little ditties ... I still love that keyboard and what you did with it was awesome...
I bought one two years ago. It is in a terrible state and a couple of the keys are broken. Sadly the Patch C button is stuck. It looks like it was knocked to the side a bit so it can't be pressed down. May have to try to open the synth. It has the best keybed I have tried on any synth. I also have a Yamaha DX7S. Its battery is dead and it is a hassle to open and replace.
Found one for 150€, had a low battery. Finally managed to change it. I love this beast! Btw nice playing!
its a great synth. combines the best fm synth engine yamaha ever made with d50'ish flavours and korg m1 style full pcm sounds
totally love this!! i'm looking for a D50!! Love that type of sounds
Thx!! :) :) :)
Nice, i love my Sy77! still powerful by today's standard with its Dx7II 16 multitimbral, 6 operator Fm synthesis, lot of workstation capabilities by today's standards even. Fantastic machine. Good video too.
Murmure Great video :-), the Sy77 sound pallete is so so versatile. I must send you some of my custom patches just for sheer fact you have stepped up out of all the synth videos on youtube and demonstarted this sleeping animal.
I spent years and years with producing sounds and songs with it. I almost know every corner inside of it. Still have it. Still make music with it.... :)
came out in 1990
Exactly, not 1989
I've heard a few people tell me 1990, but I was fairly certain the Japan release was December 1989
This was the non plus ultra Synth :) My favorite sound was the "Millenium" on the extra to buy soundcards. Loved to see it again after so long time :)
You and I have the exact same story I hocked my life to buy mine I was a janitor and I finally came up with a $2700 to buy that thing I still have all the floppy disks with all the crazy sounds on it even though I don’t have the machine anymore,) 👊👊💥
TG77
I have this synth since 1990. Floppy is dead and all my old compos lost lol. Battery is dead too. But its still good to switch it on and play it. And you made really cool sounds with your effects
The wobble effect is slightly nauseating, but the Big Sky box does add more life to the sound. Are the on board effects not as good then?
The SY77 on board effects are pretty good for 1990, but pretty lame by today's standards. I was going for a particular seasick sound, so I guess it worked :)
I was able to score one of these for a like $150, last year, and I couldn't be happier - This is my first synth besides the lesser quality PSS 480 and two other x80 models (not the 680, still looking to find that at a thrift store). I need to repair the floppy drive (it works but gets "stuck" trying to read the disc...bad belt, perhaps) or buy the usb mod that's out there. Mine sounds really nice but I think, I could benefit from updating the sounds. Also, it would be nice to be able to program sounds on my computer and then load them to the SY77. I am intrigued by the floppy that came in the drive as it's labeled " M Garson, Chick I, D Bryan II, Super LA, Ai Synth". I look forward to getting some of the cards, a FC7 exp. pedal and sustain pedal... maybe a breath controller, too, to take full advantage of this thing's capabilities.
Sounds like you're loving those add on boxes more than the synth. If you play and edit a bit deeper, you'll find it can do what the boxes can... perhaps even more. The SY series was very under rated and ahead of its day. There's a mountain of stuff this synth can do effects and AFM wise. Go... play!!!
I completely agree! If I pass the sound of a hairdryer inside a Korg Wavestation AD and I add also some other "stuff" on the signal, that hairdryer could became better than a Moog!!! Here we have exactly the opposite: HE JUST RUINED ALL THE SOUND WITH RANDOM AND INAPPROPRIATE EFFECTS! IT'S DEFINITELY NOT A DEMO...unless he wanted to demonstrate how not to use that stuff!
I used to add effects on other vintage synth, but SY77's sound are powerful and rich. they don't need additional effects. Internal EFX are awesome. And you can also program the wheels, the aftertouch, the velocity, the data entry fader and the dial to modify the sound and the effects.... so it is no needed at all. The only moment you need external effects is when you want to use multiple sounds. Like every vintage synth, in MULTI/Combi the sounds are flat. the two effects are available, but are only two. To have the WHOLE sound with its effects, you need to play it single.... like here!
I produced several sounds for this jewel. The power of this machine in 1990 was unrivaled. A milestone in synthesizers' history. The sound in this video is pure blasphemy!
Yeah I wanted to hear what it sounded like stock...
@@lucderan No, mod-wheel or velocity control of effect parameters is only possible in the SY99. Not in the SY77.
mesmerizing chords you play
Thanks man!! :)
Hi, congrats, I love your attitude! Very nice sound and playing, too! All the best!
i am happy for you man
Hey, I just came across your video here. I wanted to ask if you might live in or around the NYC area? And if so, i would like to talk more with you about possibly playing synth on 3 full albums of new dance rock music with an 80s sound. And tell you of all the opportunities im offering as well! Please let me know.. Thank you
Doesn't look like you have the display working? I have a "mint TG-77" Classic sounds and movement of the sounds once you get into it ...just as good as the "Montage" just different algorithm structures is all. ..I still love the SY-TG series to bits.
Display works, just needs a new backlight. TG77 is sweet too! :)
Can anyone tell if the presets have their original effects when you are in
multi timbral mode. I want to use it as an multi timbral source for my
AKAI MPC where I'm sequencing. But I need to be able to have at least
4-5 presets with the original effects (as in patch mode) when i am in
multi timbral mode. Many synth disable the effects on multi timbral mode
(like the Triton I use now) and they sound really wack. Thanks!
It's not nostalgia to me, I play it hours every day. The four outputs are the key; run the stereo pairs to two different systems and the thing is lush. I had it on the road and played it every show for 20 years. A few of the buttons (there are dozens) are hard to engage but I don't dare try to fix it. The three patches I use are third party: Wide Strings, a B3 with tremolo after-touch named full organ and an EP DX Famous. Those 3 sound modern, not 90s.
sounds great with the delay and reverb. instant 80scape sounds.
Glad you enjoyed the sounds!! :) :)
Great Video Man! I purchased my SY77 back in 1990 and still use it today in my studio. I paid $2300.00 Worth every Penny! I'll Never sell it.
Yeah, SY77 has deep character and it lives on ! One of the best. Now I have to ask this: Did your "dreams" come true ?
Great sounds and demo. enjoyed the story. I have the 85, is there much difference to the 77?.
I think it's a sign of peak nostalgia when we are getting misty eyed about old workstations, romplers and other dated digital gear. I'm guilty as charged myself, I have a Roland JV-1010, Kawai K5000W Workstation, cause you know music is work, right?!
where did you get your patches from?
Is the lcd backlit?
It should be. Mine is broken!
@@stateshirt i heard it cam be upgraded to Led backlight, compare to original which is EL. Hows the weight? Is it ok for giging?
I still use my SY99. At the time (1993) I bought it to tweak sounds in FM, only to discover that it was too damn hard to program, so I basically used it as preset organ + sequencer. Today is only a master keyboard. Actually if you like I could change it for a good weighted 88 keys.
I bought an yamaha sy22 which is very similar and I love the sounds. Great Video!
Sorry, but the only similarity between the SY-22, and the SY-77, is the "SY" in the name. The two use completely different synth engines that have next to nothing in common...
looneyburgmusic oh right thanks for bringing that to my attention
@@looneyburgmusic but in this video, where random and unnecessary effects were added, you can listen to an SY77 and believe that the SY22 is quite similar or even better!! 🤣
@@lucderan No.
The SY77 was, at the time, a "Flagship" level synth, using a combination of Yamaha's full early AWM, (Advanced Wave Memory), PCM based engine, (which Yamaha has built on for nearly every synth they have released since, including the current Montage), combined with what was at the time the most advanced FM engine on the market.
Meanwhile, the SY22 was a "Mid-range" synth, more akin to the Roland D-50, in that it combined limited FM, (2-OP if I recall correctly), with PCM samples, in a 'Vector" style engine, absent any filter, and with only a basic LFO.
Just as some claim Roland had done with the D-70, Yamaha apparently was trying to cash in on the "SY" name when they released the '22, perhaps hoping people would think they were getting a cheaper version of the SY77/99, (which they definitely weren't).
@@looneyburgmusic if it was not clear, mine was just a joke. As I wrote somewhere I've received the first SY77 arrived in my country... before the official presentation! I've created sounds for her and I sold them to the Italian distributor. I still have it. And I had or I played with all the Yamaha, Korg and Roland synth of that era! the SY family (or just namesake) includes also the TG100 (that I still have....somewhere) and "other stuff" not comparable with SY77.
I just wanted to say that here, with that effects randomly used, he ruined the sounds that (this is the joke ->) appears like the cheapest SY ever made!
a question: I got a PSR-36 because of all the wave of comments about how cool is the FM sounds and how much you can do with the synthetizer switch on it. I got it and i am kind of a dissapointed, i have a PSS which makes more (for instance, you have also a WAVE switch and a separate ATACK and DECAY instead of the ENVELOPE switch that you have on the PSR36). I also felt more comfortable with the DSR-2000. Am i kind of unnormal because of not feel i the clouds with the PSR-36 or is just that i did not take the best out of it yet?
I also have these two. I think the PSR36 has a better keybed than the DSR2000. Sound wise they both have their own character, be it very limited by today’s standards, but the DSR is a little more pro. Both will sound lots better with external chorus and reverb units. You should give it a try.
I remember, the SY77 didn't exactly sound great in the store, I liked the the sound of Korg M1, Kawai K4 or even Roland U-20 more. But I knew, it has potential hidden inside, you hade to explore it. Finally I bought a TG77 and I was not disappointed! I created a lot sounds. But I had to buy a RY30 wave card (house & rap), because the original drums were awful. This wave card offered some kind of Linn 9000 and TR-909 samples, which was exactly what I needed at that time.
just awesome mate!!
Nice and nostalgic video! The Sy77 is a great synth indeed. Now put away your effect pedals and do it allover again! ; )
Brilliant idea. But, you see, that StryMon was probably 5 times the price of the second hand SY77, and he can't let it just go to waist.
wonderful! is there any editor existing to send own patches to this machine? like the D-50 has?
Hi! I have Yamaha SY77 and I can't understand one thing: can I write more than one track in [pattern] mode? In [song] mode when I press [rec] I can switch tracks by 'memory keys' at the right part of panel, but in [pattern] mode it doesn't works. Please, help me!
Maybe someone else can chime in? I'm not really familiar with that feature...
Night Bloomer sounds nice. Not sure what other people are saying about this sounding like a PSR... oh well. It’s nice to hear the sound with and without FX.
If you still have this - you should check out the PL88 by Lewismidi, a device that acts as a huge patch storage device and an arpeggiator, which I feel really opens up the synth.
yah thanks a lot Lewis. "All products are out of stock for the forseeable future due to parts not being available. We regret the inconvenience."
Cool video.
That big sky would make even your old PSR sound good! Magic box I can’t afford.
Great video 😀I have the EX5 from the early nineties, also cheap by comparison to original market price and sound fantastic....
Great vid, yes very nostalgic ... use 2x '99's in the studio but have trusty '77 in the garage(!), must get her up & running again (different feel to the '99's, but in a good way :) ). ps. are your synth shelves the Ikea ones, think Stolmen(??). Best
$300 is a steal. Well done.
How do you like that chorus, I am after a chorus that can live up to the good old Juno 106 chorus?
Thanks for sharing this video, interesting synth used on more songs than I knew.
I have a SY77. Found it on the marketplace in Hungary a few weeks ago for £55 Also have a SY85. Found it in England, Near London. Bought it for £100 Both are very nice instruments!
We can't know how really sounds the SY77. Most of the beauty of the sounds comes from de Strymon units.
LOL, same here. When the SY 77 came to market I was a college kid and part time sales guy in music store. When it arrived in the store, I got so excited that I took it home over the weekends.
And then, a few years back, I picked up a TG-77 on Craigslist for $100 . I never caught the same excitement for it. Maybe I should have attached some Strymon effects to it. ;-)
Maybe an idea to make a little correction in the title of this video. The SY77 came out in 1990 (not 1989), a year before Yamaha has completed it the way they wanted it to be. The result was the SY99 in 1991.
I've heard a few people tell me 1990, but I was fairly certain the Japan release was December 1989
You should do an in-depth demo without external effects, especially that excessive vibrato.
I love excessive vibrato
Ethan Tufts 😄 Great synth nontheless. I’m a huge fan of FM synthesis. I’ve owned four incarnations of the DX7 over the years and still use a lot of FM patches from the MOD-1 engine in my Korg Kronos. The SY77 took FM and took it to a new level with PCM sampling. I’m tempted to get one now!
What's the model for that VHS player!? 😍
:) :) :)
@@stateshirt it is so great when you get your dream gear, I just bought a DX7 MKI I dreamt about since my childhood. But seriously, what model your VCR is? 😍
How did you get that weird VHS pitch warble?
Strymon Deco, turn up the Wobble knob. :)
Cool. I didn't know the Deco had modulation. I guess I need one now!
The first synth I bought as a teenager was the DX-7. I had it MIDI'd to my Commodore 64. Like you, I drooled over the SY77 when it came out.
I'm just wondering about the signal path in your demo... you're running the Big Sky into the Deco?
Sweet!! Yep, in this video it's BigSky » Deco. :)
Nice dude! I have TWO PSR-32 boards. I went down the SY rabbit hole with an SY-22, just got a disappointing SY-55, and am currently hunting down an SY-77 or a 99 cos I'm done messing around. Lust. Yes. Lust.
mine was absolutely the FIRST SY77 arrived in Italy. I wanted it without listening to it. On papers was superlative.... and it was.... it is! My absolutely preferred synth for years. With Wavestation AD and 01W was my preferred light setup
It's a Strymon demo-not sy77
@state shirt.. you are like me bro.. I still know yamaha, kirg and roland headquarters addresses by heart.. because in the 80s and early 90s I kept sending them mail for latest catalogs and they sweetly obliged every time.. and the next weeks or months were spent in dreamland. Back then in India you couldn't find these in music stores, as imports were restricted.. one had to suck up to musicians who bought them from overseas, often paying twice the standard US street prices, to spend some minutes with these beauties... fast forward today, I have almost all those I lusted for now lying next to my bed.. Roland D50, Korg 01/W proX, Roland JP-8000... will add a DX7II and M1/ Wavestation once I come across them .. I have no interest in the post-millennium keyboards
Love this!!
Thanks so much! :) :)
'Empty House' made me melt.
I too was dreaming to have a SY-77 as a kid and I've had one now for a few years. I really love it, the FM there is wicked ! So what does the former kid you are thinks ? Was it worth dreaming about it ?
I have the Sy85. I'm not sure what the difference is, apart from the 3 mod wheels. I love it, and Yamaha synths I have six.i saw this model and the SY85. in a trade in-store in the uK. for as little as £200. when you consider how much they went for new. A great digital synth. cheap. Ideal for a beginner or pro.
I had the same experience as a kid except mine was the Yamaha SY85.
Oh yeah! Totally forgot about that one!
Never knew that it was that expensive back then
It's amazing how Kurzweil stole the design of the K2000's front panel from the SY77.
I also posessed DX21 and later V50 and, finally, SY77 that I have still today. There are plenty of new sounds available via web these days, so I am wondering why are you using preset sounds through external devices. You can get beautiful sounds for free on the internet, splendid analogue classics as well as famous sounds of the most popular keyboards of the past. Of course, it is up to us what tone we shall find useful, but this machine in the nineties was pride of Yamaha engineering team.
Bought a used SY77 on guitarcenter.com. They shipped it with no padding at all and I received it all broken. Had to return it. I was so sad.
😢 😢 😢
Best sound
I love my Kawai K5000 S, but will also a mint SY77 in a few days!
The kawai 5000 S is one of the synthesizers that i know i will buy myself in the future, i am a huge fan of additive synthesis.
I recently got a Kawai K5000s, i I already have owned a Sy77 for a while. One of the best synths ever!
My god... the Dark Hallway part...
Nice nostalgic vid! I just found mine locally for $159 :)
Sweeet!!
did you found an SY77 for 160$??? I already have it, but for that price probably I'll buy another!
I had one of those, heavy like sone and Roland JV which still exists. But man SY was heavy.
BTW I think it was 9000 SEK on second hand.
I know for Sentimental reasons you bought the SY77 BUT! did you never tought i better go for the SY99 it has more RAM ect ect better sounds?
The psr32 is a really good 80's keyboard. I wish i had one.
Try to get a PSR-36 or PSR-41 (same machine), you can edit your own sounds in it.
I know what ya mean, in 1989 I wanted the G. I. Joe Aircraft carrier playset, but that thing was like $300+ now that I'm in my 40s.... its still $300+... Wait wtf why is that still $300?