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« In line with expectations, so wonderful »
Published on 11/10/13 at 07:07
Best value:
Poor
Keyboard 61 keys with aftertouch, all possible conventional connections. Wheels 2 and modulation. But not balanced audio outputs.
Digital frequency synthesis "advanced" modulation (AFM) from the words of the days of Yamaha and a sampler (AWM). The basic philosophy of this key is to combine the performance of the FM to the sampler, one overcomes the shortcomings of the other, to get to make possible at the time the most realistic sounds, but totally overwhelmed today.
Unlike its big brother SY99 (it overpriced), the SY77 does not use its own samples. Only store-bought cards could propose to increase the collection of samples. It is not impossible that on the other hand in the near future, passionate develop a map that allows to do so.
Each setting can be monophonic or not, in fact I do not know how many votes beings can play at the same time (around 16) since it can play a setting that uses either the FM or samples, or both that pass through the independent processors each other.
Effects reverb, chorus, flanger, distortion, echo are available, but I will not go into details about their configuration because I'm no expert in this field, ie there where it takes far to enhance the sound. But if you just to bypass instead of completely disable, one can perceive a change in its origin not so desirable ...
This keyboard has a pretty basic but sufficient sequencer to develop small prototypes. It is limited to the maximum number of playable voices simultaneously. Some sounds can be played later than expected or even outright cut to play another. To make a piece without these bugs requires patience computer programmer 70 years to optimize it. Blah blah ...
It is possible to "retune" the keys to play pentatonic songs or even more exotic, which gave him success among others in the Maghreb countries.
UTILIZATION
What worried me most was the constraint of small LCD screen making it difficult to setup. This method, however, was what was best at the time, could not escape. In addition, the interface is not intuitive at all and it is necessary to train with the manual, which fortunately, is sufficiently well done to him by going to essentially no more.
However, once used you can finally notice the ingenious designers work despite these technical constraints, and use becomes very fluid.
Managing files and other settings is catastrophic. I recommend using a "librarian" to be able to separate and save the settings, and the transfer will flexibly to the keyboard via SysEx.
SOUNDS
Sounds very 1990 and the pre settings can be easily recognized in a few productions of the time, giving a kitsch mind the keyboard. As stated above, the samples were very good at the time but are really usable as is. You can make very convincing and worked better than the default settings.
However nowadays this keyboard is one of the most functional in FM synthesis, which particularly interested me. It is now possible to innovate with this keyboard producing using the knowledge and tools now available, sounds that have very little to do with the typical horror video games arcade years 80, and also because the FM synthesis has left plenty of room in the market compared to the much more common subtractive synthesis.
OVERALL OPINION
I use it for 6 months, and I hesitate to use it as a MIDI master keyboard so that the touch is nice. I would have liked a DX7, but the sequencer that I decided to buy the SY77 to work independently of a prototype PC.
When you know that the SY77 was the most high-end Yamaha in 1990, we can expect some very good stuff that is the same case today.
One can find specimens variable bargain price. What really makes the difference is the wearing of buttons that can be less damped or buttons whose contacts may strain. You can always try to negotiate the price of the floppy drive belt which relaxes to the point of not turning anything (ultra easily replaceable), or the LCD screen has no backlight .
Note that the disk drive can be replaced completely by a block of flash memory, and the LCD screen can be replaced by models of completely different colors and which less greedy backlighting eliminates the need of the inverter that sizzles and make the perfectly silent keyboard.
In the end, even the synthesis of this keyboard is 100% digital, and thus replaceable by software on a computer, it will keep this collector's spirit and independence that is precious to me.
Digital frequency synthesis "advanced" modulation (AFM) from the words of the days of Yamaha and a sampler (AWM). The basic philosophy of this key is to combine the performance of the FM to the sampler, one overcomes the shortcomings of the other, to get to make possible at the time the most realistic sounds, but totally overwhelmed today.
Unlike its big brother SY99 (it overpriced), the SY77 does not use its own samples. Only store-bought cards could propose to increase the collection of samples. It is not impossible that on the other hand in the near future, passionate develop a map that allows to do so.
Each setting can be monophonic or not, in fact I do not know how many votes beings can play at the same time (around 16) since it can play a setting that uses either the FM or samples, or both that pass through the independent processors each other.
Effects reverb, chorus, flanger, distortion, echo are available, but I will not go into details about their configuration because I'm no expert in this field, ie there where it takes far to enhance the sound. But if you just to bypass instead of completely disable, one can perceive a change in its origin not so desirable ...
This keyboard has a pretty basic but sufficient sequencer to develop small prototypes. It is limited to the maximum number of playable voices simultaneously. Some sounds can be played later than expected or even outright cut to play another. To make a piece without these bugs requires patience computer programmer 70 years to optimize it. Blah blah ...
It is possible to "retune" the keys to play pentatonic songs or even more exotic, which gave him success among others in the Maghreb countries.
UTILIZATION
What worried me most was the constraint of small LCD screen making it difficult to setup. This method, however, was what was best at the time, could not escape. In addition, the interface is not intuitive at all and it is necessary to train with the manual, which fortunately, is sufficiently well done to him by going to essentially no more.
However, once used you can finally notice the ingenious designers work despite these technical constraints, and use becomes very fluid.
Managing files and other settings is catastrophic. I recommend using a "librarian" to be able to separate and save the settings, and the transfer will flexibly to the keyboard via SysEx.
SOUNDS
Sounds very 1990 and the pre settings can be easily recognized in a few productions of the time, giving a kitsch mind the keyboard. As stated above, the samples were very good at the time but are really usable as is. You can make very convincing and worked better than the default settings.
However nowadays this keyboard is one of the most functional in FM synthesis, which particularly interested me. It is now possible to innovate with this keyboard producing using the knowledge and tools now available, sounds that have very little to do with the typical horror video games arcade years 80, and also because the FM synthesis has left plenty of room in the market compared to the much more common subtractive synthesis.
OVERALL OPINION
I use it for 6 months, and I hesitate to use it as a MIDI master keyboard so that the touch is nice. I would have liked a DX7, but the sequencer that I decided to buy the SY77 to work independently of a prototype PC.
When you know that the SY77 was the most high-end Yamaha in 1990, we can expect some very good stuff that is the same case today.
One can find specimens variable bargain price. What really makes the difference is the wearing of buttons that can be less damped or buttons whose contacts may strain. You can always try to negotiate the price of the floppy drive belt which relaxes to the point of not turning anything (ultra easily replaceable), or the LCD screen has no backlight .
Note that the disk drive can be replaced completely by a block of flash memory, and the LCD screen can be replaced by models of completely different colors and which less greedy backlighting eliminates the need of the inverter that sizzles and make the perfectly silent keyboard.
In the end, even the synthesis of this keyboard is 100% digital, and thus replaceable by software on a computer, it will keep this collector's spirit and independence that is precious to me.