Yamaha CS-80 vst

[JoeCat]

...

PolyKb has 3 oscillators. Morphing ones. It just means that you can have every waveform between a saw and a pulse for example, and dynamically morph them if you want (thru EV, LFOs, Velocity, Aftertouch and ... PolyAftertouch). It also have 2 filters. Juicy. And plethora of modulations ( for example you can modulate envellope segments with LFO, or velocity etc). A 'vintage' polysequencer. Wich means you can get rather easily really expressive analog patches, that simply can't be done with other synths.

It also has those awesome Voice and Space XY modulators - I still don't know wtf they do but I move the knobs and dots around until I have an eargasm

(seriously though - love that synth).

Also - there was a hardware "resurrection" of the Polykobol at Superbooth? Rackmount and I think it's like, near 4K, but for less than a grand you can put it together yourself

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

[My son has a Yamaha sax and we get it kick out of seeing a Yamaha motorcycle. Would not seem too symbiotic a relationship between products.

If one can't play a saxophone whilst riding a motorcycle, one shouldn't be playing saxophone at all

You guys should get in there - then we'd have, like, an iSax and and iCycle

(OT - I jut got a pair of iLouds - Jeez that sounds ridiculous but I love them. Beats a lot of 5" monitors and I can work on my coffee table (screw room acoustics!) - sure they're a bit boxy but I can actually hear what's going on in the bass at low volumes with those little buggers - something most small near-fields can't accomplish. Just sayin' )

I think we'd probably lean toward iRig Sax and iRig Cycle - or if we pushed further into physical modeling we could do... early rimshot... MOTO Sax

[Lotuzia]

...

PolyKb has 3 oscillators. Morphing ones. It just means that you can have every waveform between a saw and a pulse for example, and dynamically morph them if you want (thru EV, LFOs, Velocity, Aftertouch and ... PolyAftertouch). It also have 2 filters. Juicy. And plethora of modulations ( for example you can modulate envellope segments with LFO, or velocity etc). A 'vintage' polysequencer. Wich means you can get rather easily really expressive analog patches, that simply can't be done with other synths.

It also has those awesome Voice and Space XY modulators - I still don't know wtf they do but I move the knobs and dots around until I have an eargasm

(seriously though - love that synth).

Also - there was a hardware "resurrection" of the Polykobol at Superbooth? Rackmount and I think it's like, near 4K, but for less than a grand you can put it together yourself

PolyKB II/III : Voice Xy and Space Xy are just unique modulators. To put it simply :

Each ball represent a voice.

Space XY : Let you place each voice in True Stereo Space (Not simply 'pan', you get the 3rd dimension ie closer/farther also) It allows you to make easily 3D pads or impressive stereo scenes with sound bouncing from everywhere in the stereo field) (and to kill it, just deactivate the stereo button)

Voice XY : Works on the same principle, except that here you have 4 desitinations for the X/Y axis, with plethora of modulators. So you can simply place the cut-off for each voice, or set the filter enveloppe amount + VCA Decay + VCF Release + Tune OSC 3 for each voice. Just put the balls where you feel it plays best.

Effects can be from very subtle, to sonic mayhem.

I said place the balls , but actually the balls can also move dynamically, so that everything moves in real time. You have two basic chaotic models to move them.

Well this is the base principle at least. If you look at the various presets using these items, you'll soon feel confortable adapting these mods to your own musical ideas.

[BlackWinny]

I think Oxium is hugely underrate, though the GUI probably has a lot to do with it - for a bread-butter subtractive it's spot-on, wonky workflow aside.

THIS !


Years ago (!) I asked Xavier to provide a much more conventional GUI in dark background in addition to the white background instead of that terribly ugly orange GUI cut in two parts. He never did it ! While it was so simple to do ! I even suggested that I could do that new skin myself. He never replied.

And yet... I love that synth. Definitely one of the most underrated plugins in the software synths world. And absolutely obviously due to that insane orange skin which is totally repulsive and doesn't make this synth match the paths the users walk on when they are looking for an excellent synth.

Hello BW. You could try the Ice White skin for Oxium.

Unfortunately it is the inverse that I would need. The exact negative film of the Ice White skin background. It is this that I had asked Xavier.

[JoeCat]

...

PolyKB II/III : Voice Xy and Space Xy are just unique modulators. To put it simply :

Each ball represent a voice.

Space XY : Let you place each voice in True Stereo Space (Not simply 'pan', you get the 3rd dimension ie closer/farther also) It allows you to make easily 3D pads or impressive stereo scenes with sound bouncing from everywhere in the stereo field) (and to kill it, just deactivate the stereo button)

Voice XY : Works on the same principle, except that here you have 4 desitinations for the X/Y axis, with plethora of modulators. So you can simply place the cut-off for each voice, or set the filter enveloppe amount + VCA Decay + VCF Release + Tune OSC 3 for each voice. Just put the balls where you feel it plays best.

Effects can be from very subtle, to sonic mayhem.

I said place the balls , but actually the balls can also move dynamically, so that everything moves in real time. You have two basic chaotic models to move them.

Well this is the base principle at least. If you look at the various presets using these items, you'll soon feel confortable adapting these mods to your own musical ideas.

TY

Yeah, the Space XY is pretty easy to muck with; the Voice feels like you need a plan!
Mucking with the Space into a good ambient reverb is spacey-pad heaven (I feel like a built-in reverb effect would have been a great with this synth; one of the rare cases where it wouldn't have felt as "tacked-in" just to help sell with the presets.)

[Examigan]

...

PolyKb has 3 oscillators. Morphing ones. It just means that you can have every waveform between a saw and a pulse for example, and dynamically morph them if you want (thru EV, LFOs, Velocity, Aftertouch and ... PolyAftertouch). It also have 2 filters. Juicy. And plethora of modulations ( for example you can modulate envellope segments with LFO, or velocity etc). A 'vintage' polysequencer. Wich means you can get rather easily really expressive analog patches, that simply can't be done with other synths.

It also has those awesome Voice and Space XY modulators - I still don't know wtf they do but I move the knobs and dots around until I have an eargasm

(seriously though - love that synth).

Also - there was a hardware "resurrection" of the Polykobol at Superbooth? Rackmount and I think it's like, near 4K, but for less than a grand you can put it together yourself

PolyKB II/III : Voice Xy and Space Xy are just unique modulators. To put it simply :

Each ball represent a voice.

Space XY : Let you place each voice in True Stereo Space (Not simply 'pan', you get the 3rd dimension ie closer/farther also) It allows you to make easily 3D pads or impressive stereo scenes with sound bouncing from everywhere in the stereo field) (and to kill it, just deactivate the stereo button)

Voice XY : Works on the same principle, except that here you have 4 desitinations for the X/Y axis, with plethora of modulators. So you can simply place the cut-off for each voice, or set the filter enveloppe amount + VCA Decay + VCF Release + Tune OSC 3 for each voice. Just put the balls where you feel it plays best.

Effects can be from very subtle, to sonic mayhem.

I said place the balls , but actually the balls can also move dynamically, so that everything moves in real time. You have two basic chaotic models to move them.

Well this is the base principle at least. If you look at the various presets using these items, you'll soon feel confortable adapting these mods to your own musical ideas.

I really like both Syn’X and PolyKB III.

[greggybud]

I'd love if a talented developer would pick it up again and work on an extremely accurate emulation. Been waiting for one for ages.

You mean hardware?

Deckards Dream isn't good enough?

I doubt anyone will go much further with CS-80 software emulations in the near future. There is a point of diminishing returns.

Benny Anderssons GX-1 was considered by Arturia a couple years ago, but I was told the timing wasn't right. You get into CS-80 territory, you might as well consider the GX-1, and know the differences.

[ENV1]

BTW, I think Xavier of Xils worked for Arturia; not sure whether he had a hand in the CS-80 V

He sure had, its his baby.

The V1 versions even have his initials in the ID (CS80 X. O.) where X. O. stands for Xavier Oudin.



As to using other synths as a substitute; dont forget that unlike the VCA EGs, the VCF EGs of the CS-80 are not just regular standard ADSRs. Instead of Sustain they have Initial Level and Attack Level, which allows you to start the Attack 'below zero' (Initial Level, -5V to 0V) and to end the Attack anywhere between zero and full (Attack Level 0V to +5V). This allows for Attacks that are simply impossible with a 'normal' ADSR, (where the Attack always goes from zero to full and you can only control Time), so to simulate that part as well you would need special EGs which allow a negative Start Level and an adjustable End Level, like for instance the Pitch EG in z3ta+. (For a visual representation of how the CS-80 VCF EGs work check this screenshot of a GX-1 Tone Board. VCF EG is bottom right.)

click thumbnail to load image, then click into image to enlarge to fullsize

[ENV1]

Deckards Dream isn't good enough?

Its probably better than nothing but not a true replacement since it doesnt even have the ringmod.

[fmr]

BTW, I think Xavier of Xils worked for Arturia; not sure whether he had a hand in the CS-80 V

He sure had, its his baby.

The V1 versions even have his initials in the ID (CS80 X. O.) where X. O. stands for Xavier Oudin.

You're spot on. I always find it funny when I see people attacking Arturia, and at the same time praise Xils. I absolutely think that Xavier deserves praise, and I regret he had left Arturia up to this day (the team would certainly be enriched with his presence). And the CS-80 was the second synth ever done by Arturia, right after the Moog Modular, so it certainly has his hand on it. How much of the initial code is still there is something I cannot say, since it is now already at version 3.

I remember that, at the time, there was a survey, and the winner was the Matrix-12, with the CS-80 coming in second. They approached Gibson, to obtain permission to use the label and the layout, but Gibson refused (as they used to do) and therefore they turned to the CS-80. It would be much later that the Matrix-12 finally came out.

As to using other synths as a substitute; dont forget that unlike the VCA EGs, the VCF EGs of the CS-80 are not just regular standard ADSRs. Instead of Sustain they have Initial Level and Attack Level, which allows you to start the Attack 'below zero' (Initial Level, -5V to 0V) and to end the Attack anywhere between zero and full (Attack Level 0V to +5V). This allows for Attacks that are simply impossible with a 'normal' ADSR, (where the Attack always goes from zero to full and you can only control Time), so to simulate that part as well you would need special EGs which allow a negative Start Level and an adjustable End Level, like for instance the Pitch EG in z3ta+. (For a visual representation of how the CS-80 VCF EGs work check this screenshot of a GX-1 Tone Board. VCF EG is bottom right.)

click thumbnail to load image, then click into image to enlarge to fullsize

I didn't knew this model. What is it? But the representation of the VCF envelope is fantastic. Very clear and graphically illustrative of what it does.

[ENV1]

Its a programmer board for the Electone GX-1.

(You know, the big one, the father of the CS-80.)


And yes, the layout is beautifully done, IMO it couldnt be done any better.

[wagtunes]

It didn't get better than this and nobody played it better than him. R.I.P. Keith.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK92hdp6u18

[himalaya]

Oh yes it did get better.

Keith makes the Yammy sound like any big poly synth, whereas Vangelis was able to get totally unique timbres out of the CS80:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZknyuUEgmWM


To this day, I doubt there is anything out there that allows such direct and intuitive control of the ring-mod and has such an authoritative sound.

[EvilDragon]

Yep, to discount CS-80 as just another polysynth and that Vangelis did nothing special on it other than his use of aftertouch is a bit daft, I'd say. There are plenty of wild timbres available in the CS-80...

[wagtunes]

Oh yes it did get better.

Keith makes the Yammy sound like any big poly synth, whereas Vangelis was able to get totally unique timbres out of the CS80:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZknyuUEgmWM


To this day, I doubt there is anything out there that allows such direct and intuitive control of the ring-mod and has such an authoritative sound.

Well, that's your opinion and you're entitled to it. And FTR, I wasn't comparing the GX-1 to the CS-80. I was just recognizing it for its own abilities.