This is the raw output of the synth- no external fx have been applied. The fx engine of the SY35 is very basic but goes a long way to making this a gig-worthy synth without the need for outboard fx.
The opening few sounds, 8:45, 10:00, 11:21, 15:45, 17:22 are all really nice; your playing style adapts to the sounds really well. Reminds me that even the cheesier Yamaha/Casio sounds can prove indispensable when you need something to really cut through a complex mix. 17:42 is clever how the FM part is slightly delayed to recreate a room-sized echo (if that is what's going on).
Very cool observations :) Yes I think this thing is an ultra cheeze machine but as you said, a lot of those sounds fit nicely into a mix. Great synth for color as it sounds different to anything else in my collection! There is a delay parameter that you can turn on per element (and there are four elements, two 2OP FM and two 16-bit samples). In that sound I think they were also going for the effect of a harpsichord with two choirs of strings, where the plectrum plucks the upper set slightly after the lower set of strings. A lot of the sounds will be two copies of each element, slightly detuned, and panned LR for a big stereo image.
Never expected you'd get a synth like that or even be interested. The 22 was my first real synth and I loved it. There's a lot to be explored. I sometimes think the 22 AWM-Samples make it even more interesting today.
I love this thing! It’s different from any other synth I’ve owned. Not quite FM, not quite wavetable, not quite ROMpler, something in between all that. Yes it’s actually pretty deep!
I have one of these and I still use it sometimes. The sounds are rather 'thin' by nowadays Standards but they really seem to fit perfectly in a lot of mixes without additional EQ. Great synth.
I've never seen this before. I think it was the SY77 that everyone was talking about back in the day. I wonder if those wheel movements could be programmed into the sound to keep both hands completely free. That faux clav though.
The next demo, I’ll talk a bit and show off that very thing! There’s actually a lot of fine control over the vector movement - you can record a loop of the vector joystick movements and save that into the sound. Each “frame” of the vector movement can be edited to produce a specific effect if you so desire.
Some inspiring grooves here, it’s always good to come to a mootbooxle video for some inspiration either in sound or in composition, this delivers on both fronts. Something deeply nostalgic yet bright and optimistic in this eras palate of sounds. So will you compile some packs for us hungry hippos?
Thanks for your excellent comment my friend…so, would you want a sample pack of multisamples (Kontakt or EXS24 or something) of this synth? Someone with some knowledge beyond mine could easily design a “virtual” SY35, since it’s just low-quality mono samples + 2 OP FM. It would be cool to have a software version!
@@mootbooxle you could sell some great little licks and lines as well as single hits easily, the MootBooxle deluxe FM pack wav samples or whatever, just a thought but beyond the sound I feel people would pay for the funk, I’d use some stuff
Awesome! I’d still like to have a TG33 eventually, just for that form factor! They go for more money than I’m willing to spend on one right now though.
Was that a 30 year old instrument you're playing with, seem to recall it was new in 92 or 93. And still on its original battery I presume amazing they last that long (ok I just jinxed mine). It's the memory card cell batteries which don't last as long can't tell you when it died since wasn't played with for many years but lost some good external sounds and keyboard splits.
Subscribed! Thank you for sharing this video. Great playing. Impressive! I see in the comment section that you consider a follow up video? That would be great! The SY/TG series are special; Top quality FM synthesis, vector synthesis and beautiful sampled based waveforms! -Devin
Thank you Devin for the comment! I feel like not many appreciate these old Yamaha synths, but the ones who do, such as yourself, and myself, really find a lot to love there - great sounds and build quality!
The string playing around the 10 minute mark reminds me a little of Bernard Herrmann and some of the scores he did with Hitchcock like North by Northwest and Psycho. I forget how good some of the string sounds are on this machine. Makes me want to roll out my old TG-33 and spend an evening with it. Bummer that it was built in an era when Yamaha synth chips didn't have filters. Putting different sounds on the 4 joystic points and programming joystick movements allowed for some mimic of a filter sweep. Also being multi timbral, it allows for some nice MPE controller work.
Thank you for your comment! I was definitely going for a Bernard Herrmann type of thing in one spot. The maddening thing about Yamaha is that they would often add features on a newer model while taking away others. Like the DX11 is a major improvement and also a major downgrade at the same time. A filter on the SY vector synths would have been amazing!
@@mootbooxle My kingdom for a filter. Not sure why Yamaha synth chips designs did not include filters back then... maybe because they were still coming off of FM syntheis. Korg was under the ubrella of Yamaha R&D at the time, so the M1, the Wavestation, the 01W and synths from Korg in that time frame were also without filters.
Really top job, friend! ...so between the X5Dr+ midi clavier and a Yamaha SY 35, which one would you suggest me to buy, I just found both used at 240 euros... (Repertoire is mostly old school electronica a lá Kraftwerk, post punk and synth wave, but versatility is really welcome too...) I feel the x5dr does big soundscapes needed for dance, trance, mainstream pop etc that maybe the yamaha doesn't. But then again the Yamaha does better that old retro cheesiness me and the group we are after (old electronica, synth wave, post punk, old videogame platforms)... Hard to decide... Thanks in advance for your help!
I think it depends on what other kit you have - if you have the basics covered the SY35 will give all sorts of wild sounds to your arsenal. But if you still need to cover some basics the Korg is probably the better choice!
@@mootbooxle wow really immediate response, huge thanks! I just discovered your channel and you are really doing a GREAT job! My fault and I was about to clarify, we have no other synths in the band (two el. guitars, el. bass, drums) just an old Yamaha psr150, this is going to be our first... I think each prevails in its own field, it's natural, they are totally different in topology... My thoughts exactly, the Korg X5Dr is far more versatile and has the huge multilayered pad attack that makes you freeze... But the Yamaha has the glitch, the cheese, the sneeze...!!! We should totally get both. Thank you sooo much, you responded immediately and reviewed the Yamaha perfectly!!! (Huge repertoire and top aesthetics you surely have...!) Discovering you friend, just made my evening. Huge thanks!!!
@@georgefromgreece4119 😊 Korg X5D was my first hands-on experience with proper "gear," in a class back in 2001. That workflow (X5D into Logic on iMac) felt effortless, and I'm still chasing down a "DAW-less" equivalent. 😫
I had one when I was at uni in late 90s... found it with about 5 broken keys at a school and asked Yamaha if they sold replacements and IIRC they sent me them for free... just as well as I was on the bones of my arse at time... still a lot of very usable sounds I think.. I can't recall what happened to it...
@@neilloughran4437 Cheers Neil! That’s pretty cool that they sent you replacement keys free of charge! It’s really a unique sound…Doesn’t sound like regular FM, nor does it sound like wavetables, and it’s too synthetic sounding to be a typical ROMpler…It’s so incredibly 90s but doesn’t sound particularly dated imo except on some of the acoustic instruments.
My first real synth - Great playing but the demo just reminds me how bad it actually sounded although was a big step up from my PSS-790 at the time. Think I paid £599 for it when it came out. Sold it for about £180 when I went totally in the box in 2010. Thanks for the memories !
I think “bad” is subjective! It sounds beautiful to me, but not in a way comparable to modern sample-based instruments or Omnisphere or something. It has its own cheezy character that I find lovely. It would be hard to have this as the only synth, although as a kid it would have thrilled me! As a complement to other gear, it’s a great synth to have. Cheers!
Nice. I wouldn't mind having one of those. I have an SY22 that has the Vector in it. It sounds sweet. I have an SY77 also. I wish it had Vector installed in it too. Other than that, I think the whole SY series sounds great. But in the hands of the great and powerful genius Moot, he'll make a Texas Instruments Speak & Spell sound great.
Nice. My SY22 is supposedly a downgrade in sampler/oscillator fidelity, but I haven’t really compared. I uploaded a quick jam with it last year… the mix didn’t translate very well on Instagram. Now I’m not sure whether to blame the keyboard, my mixing skills, or Instagram’s wack encoding.
It would be so fun to have a 22 here to compare the raw sounds with the 35. They don’t really seem that different to me! The 12-bit AWM Yamaha sound is among my favorites! I imagine the SY22 samples have a lot of sonic similarities to the PSS-790 or one of the DASS engine synths.
Hello world! Anyone know how to save edited factory sound on sy35 into chosen location. Failed on that few times, all I can do is save as external sysex on the pc editor
@@Knightlain I don’t think so, but I’m sure it could be re-created as long as in the same source samples are there. From what I understand, the two machines are virtually identical except for the bit resolution (12-bit vs 16-bit).
Obviously, in skillful hands, an about 30 years old device partly sounds totally ageless that even does without velocity responsive FM (I'll never understand why) but with usual DCA velocity only (besides its vector synthesis of course).
yes it is odd that these don’t have parameters for velocity/aftertouch control of the FM modulator. That would definitely make it a more expressive synth! The Yamaha vector synths seem like a clever repackaging of tech that was being employed in their PSR/PSS series. They could have definitely taken it further!
@@mootbooxle I guess YAMAHA.called it DASS on PSR/DSR & other series. More or less accidentally I've got 2 TG33 some years ago but actually would prefer SY35. In your video it seems it's resolution is higher. TG33's basic sound has not really blown me away, but in your video there ain't the slightest thing to complain. Almost everything sounds fresh. In the meantime I guess even SY22/TG33/SY35 have become cult. Many prefer the previous (worse sounding) ones, that don't sound more interesting but musty. Occasionally there are some totally into it. My personal opinion is that some lofi devices sound totally cool & nasty, like KORG DS8 (if programmed accordingly) but TG33 is neither fish nor flesh. SY35 seems to sound explicitly better.
@@mootbooxle I got the wavestate a year ago, However i can't quit my wavestation And the D50 was a 61 key velocity and AT synth Mine was stolen in 2012 so i got the D-05 and the sy35 maps to the A/D joystick and all and also to the wavestate which responds to AT And 61 vel/at keys? Yep D50 all the way.
This is the raw output of the synth- no external fx have been applied. The fx engine of the SY35 is very basic but goes a long way to making this a gig-worthy synth without the need for outboard fx.
A true musician finds the way to play anything in an entertaining way, even a toaster I guess. Lovely playing Matt as always!
Thank you! These old Yamahas are some of my favorite toasters :)
That’s a great comment
This board was designed by Dave smith so it’s a nice toaster
The SY 35 sounds really nice. Very 80s/90s which is a plus in my opinion.
Really nicely played Moot 👊🏾👊🏾👊🏾
Thanks my friend! I agree, it’s super “of its time” sounding! It sounds like a lot of Super NES soundtracks to me!
That slap bass felt very Earth Worm Jim.
Edit: Now that I think about it you might get a kick out of The Flying King from EWJ2.
@@thb-music Every time I think of EWJ I just think about his damage sfx “Ayyyyow!” 😂 This synth is a SNES soundtrack waiting to happen!
@@mootbooxle “ohhhhhh nellyyy”
@@timnixx5733 hahaha yes 😂
Great demo, as always from Moot
@@dudfaz thank you!!
These and the 22/33 are capable of such great weirdness.
The opening few sounds, 8:45, 10:00, 11:21, 15:45, 17:22 are all really nice; your playing style adapts to the sounds really well. Reminds me that even the cheesier Yamaha/Casio sounds can prove indispensable when you need something to really cut through a complex mix.
17:42 is clever how the FM part is slightly delayed to recreate a room-sized echo (if that is what's going on).
Very cool observations :) Yes I think this thing is an ultra cheeze machine but as you said, a lot of those sounds fit nicely into a mix. Great synth for color as it sounds different to anything else in my collection!
There is a delay parameter that you can turn on per element (and there are four elements, two 2OP FM and two 16-bit samples). In that sound I think they were also going for the effect of a harpsichord with two choirs of strings, where the plectrum plucks the upper set slightly after the lower set of strings. A lot of the sounds will be two copies of each element, slightly detuned, and panned LR for a big stereo image.
Moot getting his Wakeman on. 😸 Always a pleasure.
Some really cool playing. You make those old 90s presets really come to life!
Thanks Bill! There is something inspiring about these old sounds, to me.
Never expected you'd get a synth like that or even be interested. The 22 was my first real synth and I loved it. There's a lot to be explored. I sometimes think the 22 AWM-Samples make it even more interesting today.
I love this thing! It’s different from any other synth I’ve owned. Not quite FM, not quite wavetable, not quite ROMpler, something in between all that. Yes it’s actually pretty deep!
I am blown away by these tones and now I am swimming with the dolphins.
excellent! 🙏
sy35 was my first synth ever :). Still got it and will never give it back :)
I have one of these and I still use it sometimes. The sounds are rather 'thin' by nowadays Standards but they really seem to fit perfectly in a lot of mixes without additional EQ. Great synth.
Golly gosh that’s some mind blowing talent and fluency!!!!
thank you!!
Wow this is amazing 👏. First video I've seen way back was the ghetto talk box. Glad to see you're still at it
I appreciate that very much!!
I love your playing.
thank you!!
Great chops man, shredding it !
Great hands boy.
I like the sy35 because it has after touch and the joystack maps to wavestation/ state automatically
Great board
sick visual design
thanks bro :)
Интересная линейка SY, у меня была SY55!
Great work
thank you!
I've never seen this before. I think it was the SY77 that everyone was talking about back in the day. I wonder if those wheel movements could be programmed into the sound to keep both hands completely free. That faux clav though.
The next demo, I’ll talk a bit and show off that very thing! There’s actually a lot of fine control over the vector movement - you can record a loop of the vector joystick movements and save that into the sound. Each “frame” of the vector movement can be edited to produce a specific effect if you so desire.
Great improv, Matt :) - wish I had practised as a kid!
thanks Howard!
The beginning had a "God's waiting room music" quality.
This synth is good at that!
Some inspiring grooves here, it’s always good to come to a mootbooxle video for some inspiration either in sound or in composition, this delivers on both fronts. Something deeply nostalgic yet bright and optimistic in this eras palate of sounds. So will you compile some packs for us hungry hippos?
Thanks for your excellent comment my friend…so, would you want a sample pack of multisamples (Kontakt or EXS24 or something) of this synth? Someone with some knowledge beyond mine could easily design a “virtual” SY35, since it’s just low-quality mono samples + 2 OP FM. It would be cool to have a software version!
@@mootbooxle you could sell some great little licks and lines as well as single hits easily, the MootBooxle deluxe FM pack wav samples or whatever, just a thought but beyond the sound I feel people would pay for the funk, I’d use some stuff
Nice!
THX! I got the TG-33 …love it!
Awesome! I’d still like to have a TG33 eventually, just for that form factor! They go for more money than I’m willing to spend on one right now though.
@@mootbooxle Yeah …the TG33 looks really sexy! And it fits perfectly in a 19“ rack. Funky vibes..
I love the electric guitar sounds
Cheezy but good!
Was that a 30 year old instrument you're playing with, seem to recall it was new in 92 or 93. And still on its original battery I presume amazing they last that long (ok I just jinxed mine). It's the memory card cell batteries which don't last as long can't tell you when it died since wasn't played with for many years but lost some good external sounds and keyboard splits.
Great stuff Matt! :-)
Cheers my friend! i appreciate you listening!
Subscribed! Thank you for sharing this video. Great playing. Impressive!
I see in the comment section that you consider a follow up video? That would be great! The SY/TG series are special; Top quality FM synthesis, vector synthesis and beautiful sampled based waveforms! -Devin
Thank you Devin for the comment! I feel like not many appreciate these old Yamaha synths, but the ones who do, such as yourself, and myself, really find a lot to love there - great sounds and build quality!
Amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thank you!!
The string playing around the 10 minute mark reminds me a little of Bernard Herrmann and some of the scores he did with Hitchcock like North by Northwest and Psycho. I forget how good some of the string sounds are on this machine. Makes me want to roll out my old TG-33 and spend an evening with it. Bummer that it was built in an era when Yamaha synth chips didn't have filters. Putting different sounds on the 4 joystic points and programming joystick movements allowed for some mimic of a filter sweep. Also being multi timbral, it allows for some nice MPE controller work.
Thank you for your comment! I was definitely going for a Bernard Herrmann type of thing in one spot.
The maddening thing about Yamaha is that they would often add features on a newer model while taking away others. Like the DX11 is a major improvement and also a major downgrade at the same time. A filter on the SY vector synths would have been amazing!
@@mootbooxle My kingdom for a filter. Not sure why Yamaha synth chips designs did not include filters back then... maybe because they were still coming off of FM syntheis. Korg was under the ubrella of Yamaha R&D at the time, so the M1, the Wavestation, the 01W and synths from Korg in that time frame were also without filters.
@@mootbooxle exactly...
7:00 Kid Cameleon sounding vibes who hoo
Totally!
Daaaang -- 0:20 gave me Dreamsters goosebumps (by Tipper) - heard this song? very ♪ ♫ ♪
nah but I need to! Tipper is awesome.
Really top job, friend!
...so between the X5Dr+ midi clavier and a Yamaha SY 35, which one would you suggest me to buy, I just found both used at 240 euros...
(Repertoire is mostly old school electronica a lá Kraftwerk, post punk and synth wave, but versatility is really welcome too...)
I feel the x5dr does big soundscapes needed for dance, trance, mainstream pop etc that maybe the yamaha doesn't.
But then again the Yamaha does better that old retro cheesiness me and the group we are after (old electronica, synth wave, post punk, old videogame platforms)...
Hard to decide...
Thanks in advance for your help!
I think it depends on what other kit you have - if you have the basics covered the SY35 will give all sorts of wild sounds to your arsenal. But if you still need to cover some basics the Korg is probably the better choice!
@@mootbooxle wow really immediate response, huge thanks!
I just discovered your channel and you are really doing a GREAT job!
My fault and I was about to clarify, we have no other synths in the band (two el. guitars, el. bass, drums) just an old Yamaha psr150, this is going to be our first...
I think each prevails in its own field, it's natural, they are totally different in topology...
My thoughts exactly, the Korg X5Dr is far more versatile and has the huge multilayered pad attack that makes you freeze...
But the Yamaha has the glitch, the cheese, the sneeze...!!!
We should totally get both.
Thank you sooo much, you responded immediately and reviewed the Yamaha perfectly!!!
(Huge repertoire and top aesthetics you surely have...!)
Discovering you friend, just made my evening.
Huge thanks!!!
@@georgefromgreece4119 😊 Korg X5D was my first hands-on experience with proper "gear," in a class back in 2001.
That workflow (X5D into Logic on iMac) felt effortless, and I'm still chasing down a "DAW-less" equivalent. 😫
So cool
FM Skyline would do well with some of these sounds
Loving this format Moot!
thanks my friend!
Looks great!
😂😂😂
I had one when I was at uni in late 90s... found it with about 5 broken keys at a school and asked Yamaha if they sold replacements and IIRC they sent me them for free... just as well as I was on the bones of my arse at time... still a lot of very usable sounds I think.. I can't recall what happened to it...
@@neilloughran4437 Cheers Neil! That’s pretty cool that they sent you replacement keys free of charge! It’s really a unique sound…Doesn’t sound like regular FM, nor does it sound like wavetables, and it’s too synthetic sounding to be a typical ROMpler…It’s so incredibly 90s but doesn’t sound particularly dated imo except on some of the acoustic instruments.
Wow i love how this sounds, and i can actually afford one wtf
Go for it! It’s a very interesting sounding machine…unlike anything else!
Does anyone know if you can split the keyboard?? So having one preset on the left and one on the right?
yes! you can make multi set ups that include up to eight different sounds in whatever combinations or key assignment you choose.
14:20-14:50 was my personal favorite.
@@iSapien1956672 thank you my friend!
At about 16:45 or so I thought about Toejam and Earl.
I love that soundtrack.
😎
I’d love to work with you. I just moved to the area about two months ago.
11.32 amzing
These could be had for £150-200 a few years back, but they are nice synths.
we like when u talk)
:) Thanks! I’ll talk in the next one :)
My first real synth - Great playing but the demo just reminds me how bad it actually sounded although was a big step up from my PSS-790 at the time. Think I paid £599 for it when it came out. Sold it for about £180 when I went totally in the box in 2010. Thanks for the memories !
I think “bad” is subjective! It sounds beautiful to me, but not in a way comparable to modern sample-based instruments or Omnisphere or something. It has its own cheezy character that I find lovely. It would be hard to have this as the only synth, although as a kid it would have thrilled me! As a complement to other gear, it’s a great synth to have. Cheers!
Nice. I wouldn't mind having one of those. I have an SY22 that has the Vector in it. It sounds sweet. I have an SY77 also. I wish it had Vector installed in it too. Other than that, I think the whole SY series sounds great. But in the hands of the great and powerful genius Moot, he'll make a Texas Instruments Speak & Spell sound great.
@@georgegeez8708 thank you for the great compliment! I actually made a very silly track with a Speak & Spell once!
Nice.
My SY22 is supposedly a downgrade in sampler/oscillator fidelity, but I haven’t really compared. I uploaded a quick jam with it last year… the mix didn’t translate very well on Instagram. Now I’m not sure whether to blame the keyboard, my mixing skills, or Instagram’s wack encoding.
It would be so fun to have a 22 here to compare the raw sounds with the 35. They don’t really seem that different to me!
The 12-bit AWM Yamaha sound is among my favorites! I imagine the SY22 samples have a lot of sonic similarities to the PSS-790 or one of the DASS engine synths.
oh and Insta totally borks the audio, it’s like it goes through a low pass filter.
@@mootbooxle When I move soon, I can definitely lend you mine so you can make a comparison video. Mine is decently mint.
I have the 33. It's definitely grungier than the 35!
Vector-licious
It’s a Vectorola!
Vectoria’s Secret
@@ladyapp-titude hahaha
To the Vector go the spoils
@@ladyapp-titude hahaha
Hello world! Anyone know how to save edited factory sound on sy35 into chosen location. Failed on that few times, all I can do is save as external sysex on the pc editor
I never seen any use of vector synthesis in any kind of music. That being told of a Korg Wavestation EX owner.
That is interesting indeed… I can’t think of any of the top of my head! I should look into that.
7:23-7:40 🎉
fuck yeah do my dr who parody ost already (except it isn't written yet wtf)
oh yeah this synth would be gr8
Does it have VectaSeq?
you mean can you animate the vector control? Yes! You can record the movement of the joystick into a macro that either loops or plays once.
@@mootbooxle There is a preset called vectaseq on Yamaha SY22. Is it on Yamaha
SY35?
@@Knightlain I don’t think so, but I’m sure it could be re-created as long as in the same source samples are there. From what I understand, the two machines are virtually identical except for the bit resolution (12-bit vs 16-bit).
no drums or percussion?
Obviously, in skillful hands, an about 30 years old device partly sounds totally ageless that even does without velocity responsive FM (I'll never understand why) but with usual DCA velocity only (besides its vector synthesis of course).
yes it is odd that these don’t have parameters for velocity/aftertouch control of the FM modulator. That would definitely make it a more expressive synth! The Yamaha vector synths seem like a clever repackaging of tech that was being employed in their PSR/PSS series. They could have definitely taken it further!
@@mootbooxle I guess YAMAHA.called it DASS on PSR/DSR & other series. More or less accidentally I've got 2 TG33 some years ago but actually would prefer SY35. In your video it seems it's resolution is higher. TG33's basic sound has not really blown me away, but in your video there ain't the slightest thing to complain. Almost everything sounds fresh. In the meantime I guess even SY22/TG33/SY35 have become cult. Many prefer the previous (worse sounding) ones, that don't sound more interesting but musty. Occasionally there are some totally into it. My personal opinion is that some lofi devices sound totally cool & nasty, like KORG DS8 (if programmed accordingly) but TG33 is neither fish nor flesh. SY35 seems to sound explicitly better.
Love mine
I also use as a controller for both my wavestation A/D and Roland D-05
Great vid Moot
that’s awesome!
@@mootbooxle
I got the wavestate a year ago,
However i can't quit my wavestation
And the D50 was a 61 key velocity and AT synth
Mine was stolen in 2012 so i got the D-05 and the sy35 maps to the A/D joystick and all and also to the wavestate which responds to AT
And 61 vel/at keys? Yep D50 all the way.
@@kevingamache1512 that is cool that the joystick works for that!
What's the difference between the SY35 and SY22?
I think the only real difference is the bit resolution of the AWM samples - 12-bit in the SY22 and 16-bit in the SY35.
This sounds like a whole looney tunes soundtrack lol