Yamaha CS-80 VST

[lilulo]

Is there a good VST for Yamaha CS-80?

[sqigls]

viewtopic.php?t=616990

[planetearth]

Arturia makes a pretty good Yamaha CS-80 emulation, which is now in its fourth version.
https://www.arturia.com/products/softwa ... v/overview

Softube makes one that (for some reason) they combined with a CS-50 and a CS-60. So it's not quite any of them. (That doesn't necessarily make it "bad", of course.)
https://www.softube.com/us/plug-ins/syn ... ayer-synth

Cherry Audio has also made one, but, like Softube's emulation, they combined it with another synth (in this case, a Yamaha GX-1).
https://cherryaudio.com/products/gx-80

And Xils-Lab recently came out with their emulation.
https://www.xils-lab.com/store/theeighty/

Someone else will probably release another emulation by the time you read this.

Steve

[BONES]

There are a few. The Xils Lab one seems really good and I have the Softube one, which definitely sounds really good. Cherry Audio also make one but, given Cherry's reputation, it's probably not in the same ball park as the other two as an accurate emulation.

The thing I find with Softube's, called Model 77, is that exposes what a basic synth the CS-80 really was. That synth was all about the playability, with polyphonic aftertouch and the long ribbon controller. It doesn't exactly have what I'd call a great synth engine and it's easy to bump up against it's limitations. But Model 77 does sounds really, really nice for the things it can do, so it's not a total waste of time or money. I bought it recently for $59, during a sale, and that's about what I reckon its worth.

[shatteredmindofbob]

If you're using Windows and don't mind using something a little more, uh, vintage, there's also ME-80
https://www.memorymoon.com/me80.htm

[lilulo]

Thanks, got Arturia's Yamaha CS-80

[lilulo]

There are a few. The Xils Lab one seems really good and I have the Softube one, which definitely sounds really good. Cherry Audio also make one but, given Cherry's reputation, it's probably not in the same ball park as the other two as an accurate emulation.

The thing I find with Softube's, called Model 77, is that exposes what a basic synth the CS-80 really was. That synth was all about the playability, with polyphonic aftertouch and the long ribbon controller. It doesn't exactly have what I'd call a great synth engine and it's easy to bump up against it's limitations. But Model 77 does sounds really, really nice for the things it can do, so it's not a total waste of time or money. I bought it recently for $59, during a sale, and that's about what I reckon its worth.

I'm a beginner and wanted something simple to recreate sounds I'm familiar with and like (Vangelis' Blade Runner), so I guess limitations are good in my case

[Nug Wrangler]

Recent one:
https://www.morphoice.com/unstable

Free (Win 32bit only)
https://plugins4free.com/plugin/2816/

[BONES]

I'm a beginner and wanted something simple to recreate sounds I'm familiar with and like (Vangelis' Blade Runner), so I guess limitations are good in my case

Then you might prefer Softube's Model 77, as it has a better interface to work with. It doesn't try and cram everything into a single page, you can switch easily between each of the two synth parts, with simple red/green colour-coding so you always know where you are.

[Uncle E]

Unstable is hard to recommend now that it's nearly the same price as the XILS. IMO, it was the best freeware synth ever when it was freeware.

Model 77 is excellent but I prefer the sharpness of the XILS. It just comes down to personal preference at that point because they're both great.

[Echoes in the Attic]

Unstable is hard to recommend now that it's nearly the same price as the XILS. IMO, it was the best freeware synth ever when it was freeware.

Model 77 is excellent but I prefer the sharpness of the XILS. It just comes down to personal preference at that point because they're both great.

Not only is unstable 99 usd but it still is unsigned on Mac OS. Do we have to run code in terminal to allow it to run. Only worked for the AU for me though not vst3. I asked the dev about this and he was rather rude actually, saying that it’s common for small developers not to sign the plugin and how could he know every configuration of a user or why something doesn’t work. And said there will be no change as he has no control over it. If I’m not wrong it’s 100 dollar fee to Apple per year? Literally the cost of one license.

Shame, as it sounds great. But come on, even most free plugins are signed. But if the signing thing doesn’t bother and it works, it’s a really nice cs-80. Even improved filters.

[masterhiggins]

The modulation in XILS's is pretty grand.

[Echoes in the Attic]

The modulation in XILS's is pretty grand.

I think a CS-80 shold have mpe though. Natural extension of the original aftertouch. It's too bad the softube one isn't mpe compatible. I like it better than the arturia one.

[zerocrossing]

I've got tried the XILS one yet, as I already own Arturia's, Cherry Audio's and Softube's.

Arturia: The weakest sounding of the bunch, but still quite good sounding. Definitely more going on under the hood to play with, and that makes it more fun for sound design.

Cherry Audio: Better in some ways than Arturia's, but pretty simple and a UI that's not great, IMO. Cheapest of the bunch, though.

Softube: Best sounding to my ears, but least flexible. Novel UI makes programming a weird synth architecture synth easier. If you're a beginner with sonic accuracy as your main concern, this would be the one.

For the hell of it, I downloaded XILS's. Before I even listened to it, I wished they'd left off the keyboard so the extra layer had more room. Also, in 2025, do we need the preset buttons? But the sound is good. Really good, actually. Not as good as Model 77, but pretty close, and it seems to have a lot to play with.

I guess my take on these is that you can't really go wrong. They all sound good, and considering you're probably not debating on whether or not to buy software or a hardware CS-80, the accuracy probably isn't that crucial, as long as it captures the general vibe and sounds good. I guess if I didn't have one, I'd probably get the Xils The Eighty, as it seems to have a good blend of sound and features. I'm not sure if I'll get it though. I'll have to play with it some more tomorrow and see if there's something special enough about it that makes me want it.

[nirm123]

Arturia is definitely the best sounding one.