This and the Montage series are proof that FM synthesis is nowhere near played out. It's harder than hell to program, but that's not a bad thing because it actually forces you to think your sounds through. You have to know what you want and how you're going to get it - or at the very least, devote the better part of a weekend to experimenting :)
Beautiful, funky, spacy FM. Spent the last week in Colorado's Rocky Mountains and had a visitor -- a fearless red fox who arrived every afternoon around sunset. I fed him apple bread and nuts. Whatever he didn't eat, he buried in a scrape, covering the food with his snout. One morning out for an early walk, I saw another fox on my neighbor's roof! How he got there is anyone's guess.
I bought one of these about twelve years ago for around £250. That was expensive back then, because Yamaha couldn't give them away. VA was making itself felt, and FM seemed to have gone out of favour. I didn't really know what I was buying, but I was glad that I bought it, because it offers something completely different to the VA and sample-based synths that seem to proliferate music these days. Needless to say, I've kept my FS1r.
Thank you! My studio is torn apart right now but I'm really jazzed people actually watch these things. I want to do a few more FS1R bits as soon as time permits.
@stickyfox Thanks for the info. I reset mine to factory defaults and now they are all present. Thanks for the vid. If not for that, i would have never known i was missing out here.
I had 3 of these new (2 in the box and the last one was a floor model from a store which was going out of business.) as you can hear, it had a wide range of interesting sounds. I think Yamaha missed the marketing on this one. it was marketed as a "formant" synth rather than a kick ass FM synth. the problem was/is - much like autism or gluten - you can read about formants, hear them, experience them and still have no idea what they are. also, it had a small display, no dedicated keyboard version (rack mount only) and most people just didn't find a use for it.
I wish Yamaha would do more focused TRUE synths like this again. This thing was hard to program because of the interface, but it was one of THE most powerful and incredible FM synths ever made by far.
Great fs1r demo. It's no wonder this synth nowadays costs 3 times original price. I have no idea how easy or difficult is to program it, but couldn't imagine better synth.
Thanks so much for the feedback! Whichever route you go I'm glad if it helped you decide. The JD800 is an awesome-looking piece of gear. I have a poor man's JD.. the D50 with the PG1000. I only touched the JD once, and I really can't say if it compares, but I wouldn't be against the idea of doing a little bit of video with the D50 next time I have a free afternoon.
It didn't sell well because they dropped the ball with the promised editing software and promised ability to add your own formants. Now that this software exists (for both PC AND MAC unlike most other control software released for synths of the era), this synth happens to be one of the most editable (over 4,000 CC parameters) and unique in existence. Sure, it begs to be run through some external processing to fit it into a mix, but that's a small price to pay for what it can do.
Yes, quite underrepresented! Thanks for sharing, I've drooled over the rack FS1r for a while! The TX-816 is another great piece of gear, that nobody seems to own / know what to do with. :) Maybe I should put something up with mine. :) There are a couple obscure 8-op yamahas, but yeah, really rare. My guess is most people are confused enough by 6 operators. :) I hear foxes are innocent.
One bank of each. Programming FM synths is tough! If you're familiar with the DX series, a "voice" is similar to a voice from that synth. There are only 128 that can be edited; the rest are organized into various banks such as DX7 classics or drums or pads, etc. There are something like 1400, so there's always a voice close to what you're looking for unless you are into waaay out there type noises.
That is one of my favorite songs from definitely my favorite band EVER! And I hardly ever run into people who know them. You made my day with that. I found a patch on my Ion that sounds exactly like the intro to "Goodbye, Once Upon a Time," and I can almost play it sorta ok, and I've been working up the nerve to record it for YT. You seriously gave me a little more courage with that comment. Thanks!
Oh, well I was comparing the D50 with the JD800. They aren't the same, but they share a similar sound engine; and adding the PG1000 gives you lots and lots of sliders, albeit without the sci-fi aesthetic and mean-looking dual orange displays. I have too many synths. I spend more time crawling around under them and patching stuff than actually playing. I actually considered selling it all and buying something flexible like a Kronos.... I'm just not emotionally ready yet. :)
Thanks for the really handy demos! "but as with all FM synths, the harmonics are non-arithmetically related to the fundamental, and if you don't use filters skillfully, it's easy to make it sound cold and sterile." I guess you didn't meant frequency, since in the default ratio mode, the sidebands are precisely arithmetically related to the fundamental, all being at deliberately chosen multiples of it So, if you meant amplitudes, because they have nonlinear Bessel function-derived curves rather than linear slopes - then sure, this isn't "arithmetic" by the common connotation of simplicity/linearity, but it is mathematical, and more importantly - it doesn't follow from this that FM is inherently harsh and needs filters. In fact, its unfiltered spectra can sound _better_ than the linear ones of saws and squares because there's more variation - many voices from the majority of FM synths that lack filters still don't sound "cold and sterile" :-)
Actually, that was pretty much what I meant.. arithmetically, as in integral multiples of the fundamental, versus geometrically, where the sidebands can be found in all sorts of harmonic ratios. I guess the ear tends to associate harmonically-related tones as a single sonic entity, all that stuff.
+FuelledByHamish Arithmetic and geometric are also mathematical terms describing sequences and series; this is how I meant them here. Each term is derived from the previous by either adding or multiplying by a constant. FM is really complicated tho, and you shouldn't take my explanation as scientific fact.
@stickyfox Yikes! I've always liked them personally. :) I have one that shows up from time to time in my back yard, it's kinda cute (although it's slacking off on keeping the woodchuck population at bay!). The FVX-1 was 8-operator, if that even counts, alongside Electone HX. Seems part of the STAGEA (see: 16oaGSltUPE) was set up that way too, though I can't find any evidence as I look now. Kinda wonder why there aren't more. Complexity? Cost? Necessity? Anyway. Cool stuff. :)
@KManJapan Congrats! There are thousands of ROM voices, and one bank of 128 RAM voices. There are four banks of performances, all of which can be edited. You can reset the voices and one of the four performance banks by executing the "Initial:FactSet" command. I might have the original voices on a disk somewhere. I just don't have a floppy drive anymore, haha.. I believe I can dump the .syx files from my RM1x into logic and put them on the web if you need 'em.
If you can create some crazy sounds utilizing the fm 8 operators, that would be cool...if you're up to it. All the operators on, but I think this video showcased a plenty of those ones already.
@maccagrabme FM7 and FM8 don't really approach the functionality of the FS1R, except that they are compatible with the 6-op DX7. You can't really compare them. But if all you want is the EP and organ DX7 sounds, you don't need an FS1R. I don't use soft synths at all because I don't trust/like computers in the studio. But a rack module is probably useless to anyone without a studio. You can get an FS1R today for a little more than the cost of a DX7; you just have to be patient and thorough.
Hello i bought this keyboard but it looks like in need of memory card for the other sounds. My question is what kind of memory do i used for this keyboard and what is the right name of the memory card and it is already have a sounds inside it? Please help me i really appreciate your help thank you
Hi and happy to share what I know! I think the EOS B/YS 100/200 use the Yamaha MCD32 or MCD64 memory card, which is kind of rare and collectible. But there is an internal memory! Your battery is probably dead and you'll have to clear the internal memory after changing the battery. You can do this from the test menu (hold EXIT+STORE+NAME or EXIT+STORE+JOB depending on the version) then choose test 24 "Factory set?" and the YS200 will reboot with all the memories programmed. This reset also fixes the keyboard being out of tune. You can do this without changing the battery, but the memory will eventually fade if you leave the keyboard powered off. My battery is dead and I was considering making a video about that anyway so maybe I'll try a little harder! Let me know if you have any trouble with yours.
@TheMindOfPat In my office are all kinds of fox decor. A new coworker from England eventually worked up the nerve to ask why I was such a fan. Apparently they are not generally considered all that lovable over there! "Vicious little sociopaths" was the term she used, I think. Foxes really don't have a whole lot of significance in US culture, but I never gave much thought to what it's like elsewhere. Interesting... You've got me on the 8-op synths. I'd love to know more.
Michael Bauers Not as used in the FS1R but many other modulation modes. Motion control is sweet. You can't make it talk like the FS1R but it is more flexible otherwise.
Then there are the "performances," which are split/layer combos of voices, plus formant sequences. There is again only one bank of 128 that can be edited. But the editing is pretty sophisticated and includes a control matrix, so by using controllers and RPNs/NRPNs you can get a lot of versatility out of a performance and the voices inside it. I agree, some of these sounds are the kind you can only use once (some never!), but FM is by nature a very strong flavor. You don't really need a lot.
@zzzxtreme I could never get rid of my 85. If I was homeless I'd find shelter for it first, then look for a place to sleep. I almost bought a second one once. I settled on the TG500, which is pretty much the same synth with a few more sounds but no sequencer.
Yamaha has never been famous for stock sounds, and FM is very difficult to program. The FS1R can be warm and fat but as with all FM synths, the harmonics are non-arithmetically related to the fundamental, and if you don't use filters skillfully, it's easy to make it sound cold and sterile. Most Yamaha FM synths don't even have filters anyway. I agree that if you could only have one synth, a rompler is more musically versatile, but I wouldn't take ten Motifs in trade for my FS1R.
I have never seen patches for the YS200, but I think it can load TX81z and other 4-op patches. (I have to admit I've never tried it.) I can certainly try it and see what happens!
@@squishmusic I use snoize Sysex Librarian and an Edirol UM-1. For some reason I have trouble with sysex and my MOTU micro express so I keep the UM-1 for just this purpose. It's probably just a wrong setting somewhere because people have told me it should work.
It's a rack module I got in 1999/2000. Espen Kraft did a better demo recently where you can see the whole thing. I guess I need to play more! ua-cam.com/video/Ul-V498IpbQ/v-deo.html
Are these factory patches or added? I bought an FS1R (eBay) recently and very few of the sounds listed here are on my unit. I'd like to know where i could grab some of these. Thanks, K
How many of the patches are rewriteable and how many are not? Lot's of good stuff here, and lots of programming potential most def...but also lots of patches sound cheesy that I would never use! :-) Hopefully they're not in there permanently.
So YOU personally "design, repair, and modify synths"? That's really cool. What do you mean by "design"? Also, Do you ever mess around with any "circuit-bent" stuff? I wish I could do even minor keyboard repairs, like replacing worn out tactile switches. Alas, I lack the patience & mechanical ability required for that kind of stuff. I used to get frustrated just trying to assemble "Snap-Tite" models. LOL BTW, what other keyboards/synths do you have/use? & PS: You're NOT a bad keyboardist. =D
Hi Michael and Jeff, I have the Emu Morpheus and the Yamaha FS1R and I can say that they are very different, you can only play wonderful sounds of the two with their respective editors, but it is best to mix their sounds with a Korg Wavestation that you can do an unimaginable song!
..and if you would like to know what the e-mu's are capable of, you can download the free Proteus VX which includes most of its sounds AND the z-plane filters AND an extensive manual too. :-)
FS1R VS JD800? Well, they both make "sound", but I think the comparison ends there. =D I have a number of keyboards & modules, (nothing analog, just a few analog/digital hybrids) 1 of which is a Korg Kronos X. I was thinking about picking up a Kurzweil PC3K at some point, but then I decided,...rather then spending another $4k on a *new* keyboard, I'd start collecting some older synths/sound modules. (Casio HT-3000, JD800,etc) I'll get a FS1R eventually. I just haven't decided what to get 1st.
Nice demo of the FS1r, I'd love to have one to add to my collection. Can I just say that the YS200 gets my vote for ugliest synth ever. Whenever I saw one in a music shop it made me feel ill! ;)
That i think was the problem with many of the Yamaha synths from that time! They didn't got sequencer which is bad, very bad! It doesn't have to got especially arpegiator, but i think sequencer is extremely needed and useful! Take example the Yamaha VL-1! The best Virtual Acoustic Synth i personally think from all synths! But what was the use of it if you couldn't store or save your pieces into sequences or even songs? Was there a program at the time which you could use Vl1 as a MIDIController?
Well... that's a tough question. The FS1R is an FM synth, which has always been kind of a niche instrument in pop music. It has more algorithms and operators than a DX7, but that really just pushes it farther into FM territory. Yes, the electric pianos, organs, and bells are incredible. And the formant sequencing does very cool stuff but the machine is incapable of editing or creating them on its own. In 1998 this thing was magical. But today, for some reason, street prices are climbing again, and simply put there are better options in virtual instruments for much cheaper. If you're a Jan Hammer tribute player, or you absolutely must have 8-op FM in a single rack space, then this might be exactly what you need. But it probably isn't.
@@stickyfox I really like the sound of formant synthesis, and the fs1r seems the only synth to offers this. I found out pretty late that this is the specific plaid sound I like that much... prices climbing is nothing new, 12 years ago a sh101 or waldorf q cost 400 euros, now easily 1000. And for those there are some cheap alternatives available. However, since I don't earn money making music, this really is a though call... thanks for replying!
@@saren6538 Buying one of course, I'm a gear addict. At some point I even had 2 of them since I saw a cheap one and could not control my impulsiveness. the 2nd one I sold again, making some profit. They got even more expensive, so I can tell myself it was an investment😄
It's a Yamaha YS200, a four operator FM synth similar to the DX9 or TX81z. It has very limited editing ability but a very nostalgic "sound blaster" quality to it. It is possible to port TX/DX patches and program with a computer, but it ain't easy. I kept mine because I love the giant volume knob and the key action is actually really nice.
From what I recall, it used the TX81z engine. I was in Japan when they released it. It was part of the EOS line of keyboards, along with the TQ5 module. Japan actually got way more mileage out of simple 4-op FM than we did in the US.
You dont know what real sounds are. I'm contemplaining to buy one for its excelents sounds. I want it together with my arranger psr-3000. And i can say that Yamaha did the best with this synth, together with the VL-1 and the EX5. I am contemplaining to buy them cuz im not that interested of arrangers like tyros, although they are also good. I want to combine the reality of sounds from an arranger with the strength of sounds from synths. Just check some soundtracks from the NFS II SE series.
If you are not thankful with your key send it to me and buy a Tyros. I was right that you dont know what those keys were made for. This is a SYNTH, which doesnt give you real quality sounds like Tyros. It gives you leads and synths and some parameters to edit. Its the world who were stupid to not buy some of these great synths, thats why Yamaha splited up in companies and created Tyros. I sincerely dream for a Tyros 4 for good sounds, an VL-1, and FS1R and an EX5 (and maybe a Clavia Nord Lead)!
This and the Montage series are proof that FM synthesis is nowhere near played out. It's harder than hell to program, but that's not a bad thing because it actually forces you to think your sounds through. You have to know what you want and how you're going to get it - or at the very least, devote the better part of a weekend to experimenting :)
Absolutely!😊
Beautiful, funky, spacy FM. Spent the last week in Colorado's Rocky Mountains and had a visitor -- a fearless red fox who arrived every afternoon around sunset. I fed him apple bread and nuts. Whatever he didn't eat, he buried in a scrape, covering the food with his snout. One morning out for an early walk, I saw another fox on my neighbor's roof! How he got there is anyone's guess.
I love foxes
I bought one of these about twelve years ago for around £250. That was expensive back then, because Yamaha couldn't give them away. VA was making itself felt, and FM seemed to have gone out of favour. I didn't really know what I was buying, but I was glad that I bought it, because it offers something completely different to the VA and sample-based synths that seem to proliferate music these days.
Needless to say, I've kept my FS1r.
Sounds very nice. Very pristine. Hi fidelity. I want one now.
that was fun!
still sounds nice, & relevant even by today's standards.
If you are still out there, thank you for this video demo!
Thank you! My studio is torn apart right now but I'm really jazzed people actually watch these things. I want to do a few more FS1R bits as soon as time permits.
@stickyfox
Thanks for the info. I reset mine to factory defaults and now they are all present. Thanks for the vid. If not for that, i would have never known i was missing out here.
I had 3 of these new (2 in the box and the last one was a floor model from a store which was going out of business.) as you can hear, it had a wide range of interesting sounds. I think Yamaha missed the marketing on this one. it was marketed as a "formant" synth rather than a kick ass FM synth. the problem was/is - much like autism or gluten - you can read about formants, hear them, experience them and still have no idea what they are. also, it had a small display, no dedicated keyboard version (rack mount only) and most people just didn't find a use for it.
I cracked up at the very apt parallel to autism/gluten :)
would you be willing to sell one?
@@jchief40 yes
Thanks, glad to hear it was helpful. I'd be happy to fire it up again if you want to hear anything in particular.
I wish Yamaha would do more focused TRUE synths like this again. This thing was hard to program because of the interface, but it was one of THE most powerful and incredible FM synths ever made by far.
I think the most powerful is the FVX-1 :)
@@Titodublot powerful you need 1000 voices of polyphony
Cool man, was looking fir an actual demonstration of this thing besides that vocoder preset...you used it just as an intro, Nice!
@KManJapan Awesome! I am really glad this was helpful to you. It makes it totally worth the effort and embarrassment.
very good demo of this synthesizer. Many thanks.
Great fs1r demo. It's no wonder this synth nowadays costs 3 times original price. I have no idea how easy or difficult is to program it, but couldn't imagine better synth.
My favourite instrument. FS1R amazing.
Just got me one of these.
That choir is amazingly flexible.
very awesome find in 2023!
Cool,that is why i have a new interest in the montage.
ohhhh! that sounds!!!!!!! :))))
Come on my friend! next part, please!!
I enjoyed hearing what it can do. Surprisingly snappy sounds. I like the talking parts. And the laughing at 3:30 made me laugh too.
Thanks so much for the feedback! Whichever route you go I'm glad if it helped you decide. The JD800 is an awesome-looking piece of gear. I have a poor man's JD.. the D50 with the PG1000. I only touched the JD once, and I really can't say if it compares, but I wouldn't be against the idea of doing a little bit of video with the D50 next time I have a free afternoon.
🤠✌🏻CLASSIC!!!!!!!!!!!🤠✌🏻
I love everything about this.
This has some cool presets. Some nicely complex digital sounds.
It didn't sell well because they dropped the ball with the promised editing software and promised ability to add your own formants.
Now that this software exists (for both PC AND MAC unlike most other control software released for synths of the era), this synth happens to be one of the most editable (over 4,000 CC parameters) and unique in existence. Sure, it begs to be run through some external processing to fit it into a mix, but that's a small price to pay for what it can do.
nice job on the demo and great playing by the way
Yes, quite underrepresented! Thanks for sharing, I've drooled over the rack FS1r for a while!
The TX-816 is another great piece of gear, that nobody seems to own / know what to do with. :) Maybe I should put something up with mine. :)
There are a couple obscure 8-op yamahas, but yeah, really rare. My guess is most people are confused enough by 6 operators. :)
I hear foxes are innocent.
Still the best FM synth.
One bank of each. Programming FM synths is tough!
If you're familiar with the DX series, a "voice" is similar to a voice from that synth. There are only 128 that can be edited; the rest are organized into various banks such as DX7 classics or drums or pads, etc. There are something like 1400, so there's always a voice close to what you're looking for unless you are into waaay out there type noises.
Cool demo, thanks! (Yes, Jexus does excellent demos too! ;-)
@5:08 tjat i would use to play Wind him up by SAGA !!
That is one of my favorite songs from definitely my favorite band EVER! And I hardly ever run into people who know them. You made my day with that.
I found a patch on my Ion that sounds exactly like the intro to "Goodbye, Once Upon a Time," and I can almost play it sorta ok, and I've been working up the nerve to record it for YT. You seriously gave me a little more courage with that comment. Thanks!
Oh, well I was comparing the D50 with the JD800. They aren't the same, but they share a similar sound engine; and adding the PG1000 gives you lots and lots of sliders, albeit without the sci-fi aesthetic and mean-looking dual orange displays.
I have too many synths. I spend more time crawling around under them and patching stuff than actually playing. I actually considered selling it all and buying something flexible like a Kronos.... I'm just not emotionally ready yet. :)
excellent sounds - could you upload those other parts as well?
Yeah, probably, why not?
Thanks for the really handy demos!
"but as with all FM synths, the harmonics are non-arithmetically related to the fundamental, and if you don't use filters skillfully, it's easy to make it sound cold and sterile."
I guess you didn't meant frequency, since in the default ratio mode, the sidebands are precisely arithmetically related to the fundamental, all being at deliberately chosen multiples of it
So, if you meant amplitudes, because they have nonlinear Bessel function-derived curves rather than linear slopes - then sure, this isn't "arithmetic" by the common connotation of simplicity/linearity, but it is mathematical, and more importantly - it doesn't follow from this that FM is inherently harsh and needs filters. In fact, its unfiltered spectra can sound _better_ than the linear ones of saws and squares because there's more variation - many voices from the majority of FM synths that lack filters still don't sound "cold and sterile" :-)
Actually, that was pretty much what I meant.. arithmetically, as in integral multiples of the fundamental, versus geometrically, where the sidebands can be found in all sorts of harmonic ratios. I guess the ear tends to associate harmonically-related tones as a single sonic entity, all that stuff.
+FuelledByHamish Arithmetic and geometric are also mathematical terms describing sequences and series; this is how I meant them here. Each term is derived from the previous by either adding or multiplying by a constant. FM is really complicated tho, and you shouldn't take my explanation as scientific fact.
Bravo !!
Very nice sounds but aren’t you worried about the wobbly keyboard stand? I like a solid one that doesn’t move so I can have a good jam!
I call that end of my house "the Wobbly X Ranch." You're not kidding.
holy shit that fucking choir patch
@stickyfox Yikes! I've always liked them personally. :) I have one that shows up from time to time in my back yard, it's kinda cute (although it's slacking off on keeping the woodchuck population at bay!).
The FVX-1 was 8-operator, if that even counts, alongside Electone HX. Seems part of the STAGEA (see: 16oaGSltUPE) was set up that way too, though I can't find any evidence as I look now.
Kinda wonder why there aren't more. Complexity? Cost? Necessity?
Anyway. Cool stuff. :)
@KManJapan Congrats!
There are thousands of ROM voices, and one bank of 128 RAM voices. There are four banks of performances, all of which can be edited. You can reset the voices and one of the four performance banks by executing the "Initial:FactSet" command.
I might have the original voices on a disk somewhere. I just don't have a floppy drive anymore, haha.. I believe I can dump the .syx files from my RM1x into logic and put them on the web if you need 'em.
If you can create some crazy sounds utilizing the fm 8 operators, that would be cool...if you're up to it. All the operators on, but I think this video showcased a plenty of those ones already.
Yeh as per previous comments thanks and you gotta love 6op fm every time.
fs1r is 8op
@maccagrabme FM7 and FM8 don't really approach the functionality of the FS1R, except that they are compatible with the 6-op DX7. You can't really compare them. But if all you want is the EP and organ DX7 sounds, you don't need an FS1R.
I don't use soft synths at all because I don't trust/like computers in the studio. But a rack module is probably useless to anyone without a studio.
You can get an FS1R today for a little more than the cost of a DX7; you just have to be patient and thorough.
SY85 at the bottom? had SY85 and FS1R, both sold a long time ago. really miss the SY
Hello i bought this keyboard but it looks like in need of memory card for the other sounds. My question is what kind of memory do i used for this keyboard and what is the right name of the memory card and it is already have a sounds inside it? Please help me i really appreciate your help thank you
Hi and happy to share what I know!
I think the EOS B/YS 100/200 use the Yamaha MCD32 or MCD64 memory card, which is kind of rare and collectible. But there is an internal memory!
Your battery is probably dead and you'll have to clear the internal memory after changing the battery. You can do this from the test menu (hold EXIT+STORE+NAME or EXIT+STORE+JOB depending on the version) then choose test 24 "Factory set?" and the YS200 will reboot with all the memories programmed. This reset also fixes the keyboard being out of tune.
You can do this without changing the battery, but the memory will eventually fade if you leave the keyboard powered off.
My battery is dead and I was considering making a video about that anyway so maybe I'll try a little harder! Let me know if you have any trouble with yours.
Nice demo.
This still sells for £500 on eBay !!
@TheMindOfPat In my office are all kinds of fox decor. A new coworker from England eventually worked up the nerve to ask why I was such a fan. Apparently they are not generally considered all that lovable over there! "Vicious little sociopaths" was the term she used, I think. Foxes really don't have a whole lot of significance in US culture, but I never gave much thought to what it's like elsewhere. Interesting...
You've got me on the 8-op synths. I'd love to know more.
The new Montage picks up where this left off.
Does the Montage have the formant modulation options?
Michael Bauers
Not as used in the FS1R but many other modulation modes. Motion control is sweet.
You can't make it talk like the FS1R but it is more flexible otherwise.
I wish I could afford a Montage :)
Does it sound as good as the SY 77 or the DX7 II ?
Then there are the "performances," which are split/layer combos of voices, plus formant sequences. There is again only one bank of 128 that can be edited. But the editing is pretty sophisticated and includes a control matrix, so by using controllers and RPNs/NRPNs you can get a lot of versatility out of a performance and the voices inside it.
I agree, some of these sounds are the kind you can only use once (some never!), but FM is by nature a very strong flavor. You don't really need a lot.
@zzzxtreme I could never get rid of my 85. If I was homeless I'd find shelter for it first, then look for a place to sleep. I almost bought a second one once. I settled on the TG500, which is pretty much the same synth with a few more sounds but no sequencer.
Yamaha has never been famous for stock sounds, and FM is very difficult to program. The FS1R can be warm and fat but as with all FM synths, the harmonics are non-arithmetically related to the fundamental, and if you don't use filters skillfully, it's easy to make it sound cold and sterile. Most Yamaha FM synths don't even have filters anyway. I agree that if you could only have one synth, a rompler is more musically versatile, but I wouldn't take ten Motifs in trade for my FS1R.
@TheMindOfPat
I have a fully populated TX816 and love it. The TX816 Yahoo group has some activity these days.
Hola (no speak inglish) is sintetizador ys200???
I remember there was an editor for this to convert samples into fm sounds!!
Look for fseq editor
@KManJapan Oh yeah, and these were all factory sounds. I have not dared to do much beyond knob tweaking yet.
looking for sounds for ys200 ,any ideas where i can get them now ?
I have never seen patches for the YS200, but I think it can load TX81z and other 4-op patches. (I have to admit I've never tried it.) I can certainly try it and see what happens!
@@stickyfox let me know how you get on ?
@@roysteel1701 Hi Roy, I dusted off the YS200 and found a TX81z bank online, and yes! The YS200 does indeed accept syx files for the 81z.
@@stickyfox How easy was it to load them in? Mid-ox or snoize: will just playing a syex from this app direct to YS-MIDI in do it?
@@squishmusic I use snoize Sysex Librarian and an Edirol UM-1. For some reason I have trouble with sysex and my MOTU micro express so I keep the UM-1 for just this purpose. It's probably just a wrong setting somewhere because people have told me it should work.
Nice sounds, like ;-)
Nice video, is this a keyboard or a rack ? Trying to see if it's for sale but can't find i :(
It's a rack module I got in 1999/2000. Espen Kraft did a better demo recently where you can see the whole thing. I guess I need to play more! ua-cam.com/video/Ul-V498IpbQ/v-deo.html
Are these factory patches or added? I bought an FS1R (eBay) recently and very few of the sounds listed here are on my unit. I'd like to know where i could grab some of these. Thanks, K
How many of the patches are rewriteable and how many are not? Lot's of good stuff here, and lots of programming potential most def...but also lots of patches sound cheesy that I would never use! :-) Hopefully they're not in there permanently.
So YOU personally "design, repair, and modify synths"? That's really cool. What do you mean by "design"? Also, Do you ever mess around with any "circuit-bent" stuff? I wish I could do even minor keyboard repairs, like replacing worn out tactile switches. Alas, I lack the patience & mechanical ability required for that kind of stuff. I used to get frustrated just trying to assemble "Snap-Tite" models. LOL BTW, what other keyboards/synths do you have/use? & PS: You're NOT a bad keyboardist. =D
Was this the first synth with formant shaping?
Michael Bauers the EMU Morpheus and UltraProteus have over 200 z-plane filters that created formant shaping in the mid 1990s
Hi Michael and Jeff, I have the Emu Morpheus and the Yamaha FS1R and I can say that they are very different, you can only play wonderful sounds of the two with their respective editors, but it is best to mix their sounds with a Korg Wavestation that you can do an unimaginable song!
..and if you would like to know what the e-mu's are capable of, you can download the free Proteus VX which includes most of its sounds AND the z-plane filters AND an extensive manual too. :-)
Contesteishon please
FS1R VS JD800? Well, they both make "sound", but I think the comparison ends there. =D
I have a number of keyboards & modules, (nothing analog, just a few analog/digital hybrids) 1 of which is a Korg Kronos X. I was thinking about picking up a Kurzweil PC3K at some point, but then I decided,...rather then spending another $4k on a *new* keyboard, I'd start collecting some older synths/sound modules. (Casio HT-3000, JD800,etc) I'll get a FS1R eventually. I just haven't decided what to get 1st.
Nice demo of the FS1r, I'd love to have one to add to my collection. Can I just say that the YS200 gets my vote for ugliest synth ever. Whenever I saw one in a music shop it made me feel ill! ;)
This box is TX802 +TG77 on steroids x 1000.
That i think was the problem with many of the Yamaha synths from that time! They didn't got sequencer which is bad, very bad! It doesn't have to got especially arpegiator, but i think sequencer is extremely needed and useful! Take example the Yamaha VL-1! The best Virtual Acoustic Synth i personally think from all synths! But what was the use of it if you couldn't store or save your pieces into sequences or even songs? Was there a program at the time which you could use Vl1 as a MIDIController?
So spend 1500 on this or not?
Well... that's a tough question. The FS1R is an FM synth, which has always been kind of a niche instrument in pop music. It has more algorithms and operators than a DX7, but that really just pushes it farther into FM territory. Yes, the electric pianos, organs, and bells are incredible. And the formant sequencing does very cool stuff but the machine is incapable of editing or creating them on its own. In 1998 this thing was magical. But today, for some reason, street prices are climbing again, and simply put there are better options in virtual instruments for much cheaper.
If you're a Jan Hammer tribute player, or you absolutely must have 8-op FM in a single rack space, then this might be exactly what you need. But it probably isn't.
@@stickyfox I really like the sound of formant synthesis, and the fs1r seems the only synth to offers this. I found out pretty late that this is the specific plaid sound I like that much... prices climbing is nothing new, 12 years ago a sh101 or waldorf q cost 400 euros, now easily 1000. And for those there are some cheap alternatives available. However, since I don't earn money making music, this really is a though call... thanks for replying!
@@BXLruleswhat did you do in the end ?
@@saren6538 Buying one of course, I'm a gear addict. At some point I even had 2 of them since I saw a cheap one and could not control my impulsiveness. the 2nd one I sold again, making some profit. They got even more expensive, so I can tell myself it was an investment😄
What keyboard is that?
It's a Yamaha YS200, a four operator FM synth similar to the DX9 or TX81z. It has very limited editing ability but a very nostalgic "sound blaster" quality to it. It is possible to port TX/DX patches and program with a computer, but it ain't easy. I kept mine because I love the giant volume knob and the key action is actually really nice.
+stickyfox Whoa, nice to see someone else who fondly remembers the Sound Blaster.
From what I recall, it used the TX81z engine. I was in Japan when they released it. It was part of the EOS line of keyboards, along with the TQ5 module. Japan actually got way more mileage out of simple 4-op FM than we did in the US.
What is the keyboard controller?
Yamaha YS-200, 4-op FM synth.
You dont know what real sounds are. I'm contemplaining to buy one for its excelents sounds. I want it together with my arranger psr-3000. And i can say that Yamaha did the best with this synth, together with the VL-1 and the EX5. I am contemplaining to buy them cuz im not that interested of arrangers like tyros, although they are also good. I want to combine the reality of sounds from an arranger with the strength of sounds from synths. Just check some soundtracks from the NFS II SE series.
No one wanted thr F1SR i remember them being sold new for a little less that 220 dollars
If you are not thankful with your key send it to me and buy a Tyros. I was right that you dont know what those keys were made for. This is a SYNTH, which doesnt give you real quality sounds like Tyros. It gives you leads and synths and some parameters to edit. Its the world who were stupid to not buy some of these great synths, thats why Yamaha splited up in companies and created Tyros. I sincerely dream for a Tyros 4 for good sounds, an VL-1, and FS1R and an EX5 (and maybe a Clavia Nord Lead)!