The Yamaha Reface CS Synthesiser.

DankPods
23 Mar 202312:00

TLDRThe Yamaha Reface CS Synthesiser is a compact and modern reinterpretation of the classic Yamaha CS80 synthesizer. In this video, the presenter explores the CS Synthesiser's features, including its wave pattern options, modulation capabilities, and looping functions. Despite its simplicity compared to digital synths, the CS Synthesiser offers a hands-on, intuitive experience for creating unique sounds. The video also touches on the history of Yamaha's synthesizer development and the evolution of electronic music, emphasizing the craftsmanship behind sound creation.

Takeaways

  • 🎹 The Yamaha Reface CS is a compact and portable synthesizer that brings the power of the classic CS80 to a smaller, more manageable size.
  • 👨‍🎓 The presenter, a jazz musician with a background in electronic music, appreciates the complexity and creativity involved in electronic music production.
  • 🏍️ Yamaha is known for its diverse range of products, from musical instruments to high-performance racing bikes and tech equipment.
  • 📈 The evolution of synthesizers is highlighted, with Yamaha playing a significant role in their development since the 1970s.
  • 🔧 The original CS80 was a top-of-the-line synthesizer used in many famous recordings but was large, fragile, and expensive.
  • 🎚️ The Reface CS synthesizer is user-friendly with a variety of controls that allow for sound manipulation, despite its complexity.
  • 🎵 The script demonstrates the synthesizer's capabilities, including wave pattern selection, modulation, and the creation of unique sounds.
  • 🔄 The concept of looping and the challenges of creating clean loops on a synthesizer are discussed, showcasing the instrument's recording features.
  • 🎶 The script explains musical theory basics like notes and octaves, helping non-musicians understand the synthesizer's functionality.
  • 📱 Many people may already own a synthesizer in the form of GarageBand on their iPhones or iPads, offering a similar creative outlet.
  • 🎵 Electronic music is a craft that requires skill and practice, as evidenced by the detailed control and nuanced sound design possible with the Yamaha Reface CS.

Q & A

  • What is the Yamaha Reface CS?

    -The Yamaha Reface CS is a compact, portable synthesizer that is a modern reinterpretation of Yamaha's classic CS80 synthesizer.

  • What is the historical significance of the Yamaha CS80?

    -The Yamaha CS80 was a top-of-the-line synthesizer released in 1976, known for its use in iconic 1980s music and media such as the Doctor Who theme and ELO's music. It was large, heavy, and expensive, with less than 800 units made.

  • How does the Yamaha Reface CS differ from the original CS80?

    -The Reface CS is a compact version of the CS80, designed to be portable and user-friendly. It retains the essence of the original synthesizer but in a smaller, more accessible form factor.

  • What features does the Yamaha Reface CS offer for sound creation?

    -The Reface CS offers features like wave pattern selection, modulation, low-frequency oscillation (LFO), portamento, pitch bend, and various effects like delay and phaser to create a wide range of sounds.

  • Why is the Yamaha Reface CS considered difficult to use?

    -The Reface CS is considered difficult due to its complexity and the lack of presets, requiring users to manually tweak parameters to create sounds, which can be challenging for beginners.

  • What is the significance of the 12 notes in music and how does it relate to the Yamaha Reface CS?

    -The 12 notes form the basis of Western music theory, and the Yamaha Reface CS, like other synthesizers, uses these notes to create music. The instrument allows users to explore different octaves and frequencies within these 12 notes.

  • How does the Yamaha Reface CS handle polyphony compared to monophonic synthesizers?

    -The Reface CS can handle polyphony, allowing multiple notes to be played simultaneously, unlike monophonic synthesizers that can only play one note at a time.

  • What is the role of pitch bend in synthesizer performance?

    -Pitch bend is used to alter the pitch of a note in real-time, creating expressive effects similar to those on a guitar. It's a critical feature for many synthesizer players to add emotion and dynamics to their performance.

  • How does the Yamaha Reface CS compare to digital synthesizers in terms of sound customization?

    -The Reface CS, being an analog synthesizer, offers a more hands-on, tactile approach to sound customization compared to digital synthesizers, which often provide presets and more precise control.

  • Can the Yamaha Reface CS be used by musicians with different skill levels?

    -Yes, the Reface CS can be used by musicians of varying skill levels, although it may be more challenging for beginners due to its complexity and the need for manual sound creation.

  • What is the relevance of the Yamaha Reface CS to modern music production?

    -The Reface CS is relevant as it offers a portable and compact way to create analog sounds, which are sought after in modern music production for their unique warmth and character.

Outlines

00:00

🎵 The Evolution and Mastery of Electronic Music

The speaker, a jazz musician with first-class honors in jazz philosophy, discusses their journey from a traditional musician to appreciating electronic music. They recount their early days of remixing The Simpsons on YouTube and how they developed a deep respect for the complexity of creating unique sounds in electronic music. The narrative then shifts to Yamaha, a company known for its diverse contributions to the music industry, from synthesizers to modern drum kits. The speaker highlights Yamaha's pivotal role in synthesizer development, particularly with the release of the CS80 in 1976, which was a top-of-the-line instrument used in iconic music and TV scores of the 1980s. However, the CS80 was bulky, fragile, and expensive, with less than 800 units ever made. The discussion transitions to the Yamaha CS reface, a compact and modern version of the CS80 that retains the essence of its predecessor but is more portable and user-friendly.

05:01

🎹 Exploring the Yamaha CS Reface Synthesizer

The speaker delves into the features and capabilities of the Yamaha CS reface synthesizer, emphasizing its complexity and the challenge it presents to users. They explain that it's not a keyboard but a synthesizer that requires skill to operate, with no buttons to hold the user's hand. The speaker demonstrates the synthesizer's sound modulation capabilities, showcasing how different wave patterns and resonance can create a variety of sounds. They also touch on the concept of octaves in music and how the synthesizer can produce lower frequencies. The discussion continues with the use of a Looper, a feature that allows users to layer sounds, and the portamento effect, which mimics the gliding sound of a guitar. The speaker also talks about the pitch Bend, a key feature in synthesizers that allows for expressive playing, and how it has been adapted into other instruments like the keytar. The segment concludes with a demonstration of the synthesizer's effects, such as delays and phaser, and the speaker's candid admission of their own limitations in playing the instrument, yet their enjoyment in experimenting with it.

10:02

📱 GarageBand: The Synthesizer in Your Pocket

The speaker shifts focus to the accessibility of synthesizers through modern technology, specifically mentioning GarageBand on Apple devices. They highlight how this free app can serve as a powerful tool for creating music, allowing users to experiment with various synthesizer sounds and effects. The speaker shares their personal experience of using GarageBand to record music on an iPad, emphasizing its user-friendly interface and the potential for creating complete songs. They also touch on the broader appreciation for electronic music, encouraging listeners to recognize the craftsmanship behind the sounds they enjoy. The segment ends with a playful acknowledgment of the speaker's patrons and a tease for upcoming content related to Yamaha's musical products.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Yamaha Reface CS

The Yamaha Reface CS is a compact, portable synthesizer by Yamaha, a renowned Japanese company known for its musical instruments and electronics. In the video, the presenter discusses how Yamaha has played a significant role in synthesizer development, and the Reface CS is a modern, miniaturized version of their classic CS80 synthesizer. It's designed for musicians who want a powerful, yet portable, tool for creating electronic music.

💡Synthesizer

A synthesizer is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals that can be pitched and shaped into music. In the video, the presenter explains that the Yamaha Reface CS is not a keyboard but a synthesizer, meaning it is used to create a wide range of sounds and musical textures without relying on pre-recorded samples. The video demonstrates how the synthesizer's various controls can be manipulated to produce different effects and tones.

💡MIDI

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a protocol that allows electronic musical instruments, computers, and other equipment to communicate with each other. The video mentions that Yamaha was known for their MIDI modules in the 90s, which were essential for connecting and controlling various electronic music devices. MIDI is a fundamental technology in the creation and performance of electronic music.

💡Analog Synthesizer

An analog synthesizer is a type of synthesizer that uses analog electronic circuits to generate and manipulate sounds. The video contrasts the Yamaha Reface CS with the older, larger, and more fragile analog synthesizers like the Yamaha CS80. The presenter highlights the challenges of tuning and maintaining these older instruments due to their sensitivity to temperature and physical movement.

💡Waveform

A waveform is the visual representation of a sound wave's shape, which determines the sound's timbre or quality. In the video, the presenter discusses different waveforms like Sawtooth and Square wave, which are types of waveforms that can be selected on the synthesizer to create distinct sounds. These waveforms are the building blocks of the sounds produced by the synthesizer.

💡Modulation

Modulation in music refers to the alteration of a sound's characteristics over time, such as pitch, tone, or volume. The video demonstrates how the synthesizer's modulation controls, like the Low-Frequency Oscillator (LFO), can be used to add depth and movement to the sounds created. This is an essential technique in electronic music for adding expressiveness and complexity to sounds.

💡Resonance

Resonance in the context of a synthesizer refers to the emphasis or amplification of certain frequencies within a sound. The video shows how adjusting the resonance control can drastically change the character of a sound, making it brighter or more pronounced. This is a key parameter for shaping the tone of synthesized sounds.

💡Looper

A looper is a device or function that allows a musician to record a short phrase or sequence and then repeat it, creating a layered or looped effect. The video mentions the challenge of creating clean loops with the synthesizer, which requires precise timing and control. Looping is a popular technique in electronic music for building up complex arrangements and textures.

💡Portamento

Portamento is a musical effect where the pitch of a note slides smoothly to the pitch of the next note played. In the video, the presenter discusses the portamento feature of the synthesizer, which can create a smooth, gliding effect between notes. This is often used to mimic the legato effect found in stringed instruments or to create unique, expressive musical transitions.

💡Effects

Effects in music production are processes or algorithms that alter the sound of a signal. The video touches on various effects like delay and phaser that can be applied to the synthesizer's output to create a richer, more textured sound. Effects are crucial in electronic music for adding depth, space, and character to the sounds.

Highlights

The Yamaha Reface CS Synthesiser is a compact and modern take on the classic CS80 synthesizer.

The original CS80 was a top-of-the-line instrument in the 1980s, known for its use in the Doctor Who theme and by ELO.

The CS80 was large, heavy, and prone to tuning issues due to its analog nature and sensitive components.

Yamaha's Reface CS is a portable and user-friendly version of the CS80, running on six AA batteries.

The Reface CS synthesizer is not a keyboard but a standalone synthesizer with its own unique sound.

It features a range of wave patterns, including Sawtooth and Square waves, for sound generation.

The synthesizer includes a modulation section with controls for resonance and low-frequency oscillation.

The Reface CS allows for polyphonic play, unlike many early synthesizers that were limited to monophonic sound.

It includes a pitch bend feature, similar to that of a guitar, for expressive note control.

The synthesizer has a built-in looper for creating layered sounds and effects.

Effects such as delay and phaser are included, offering a range of sound manipulation options.

The Reface CS is designed for hands-on control, with many parameters requiring precise adjustments.

Yamaha provides SoundCloud examples to inspire users and demonstrate the synthesizer's capabilities.

The Reface CS is part of Yamaha's Reface series, which includes other compact and innovative music instruments.

GarageBand on iOS devices offers a similar synthesizer experience for free, with a wide range of sounds and effects.

Electronic music production is a craft that requires skill and creativity, as demonstrated by the complexity of the Reface CS.

The Reface CS synthesizer has been available since 2015, offering musicians a portable and powerful tool for sound creation.