Trend price : 100€
Budget FM box with strange designed aimed to home consumers with clock and calendar features :) originally designed to be paired with PF1500 electric piano. Basically it's a YS200 desktop module version, with same structure of famous rackmount TX81z with still 4 OP class FM synthesis.
Overview
24 push buttons, 1 rotary volume knob and a numeric pad for data entry. Classic LCD orange backlit display with 40x2 lines.
Rear panel terminal connectors:
-
main signal out
- headphones out
- Midi interface
- Ram card slot for memory expansion
Power supply is a 15V external PSU DC +)- original is model PA-1505
TECH
CPU Hitachi manages 8 voices polyphony- DAC is based on a IC YM3017. Main IC chip Y2414B features 4 OP + 8 combinations.
TQ-5 ROM contains 1 stored digital half sinewave on a lookup table that can be read in different way and speed, thus creates 7 extra harmonics sinewaves variations with partials overtones and fundamentals fixed settings.
Synthesis
the TQ FM generator is based on 4 sinewave operators organized as algorithms, assigned as either carrier
or modulator, linked between them on different
pathways or algorithms interacting on their harmonic contents depending on the
varable feedback strength.
- carrier defines the amplitude and the spectral frequency
- modulator sets the sound timbre and the relative harmonic contents.
ALGORITHM
TQ5 features several OP signal paths combinations with frequency ratio or fixed frequency: the output is fed back to its input with 7 feedback levels, as general rule, high values feedback results in richer harmonic contents.
PERFORMANCE the FM voices can be assigned to 8 parts each with independent settings:
- analog mix level
- detune amount
- note limit assign
-
Midi channel assign
- effect amount
- panning position
- portamento with glide time
NOTE: portamento glide is not implemented unlike tx81z or other 4 OP DX.
LFO up to 2 delayed and retriggerable modulators (shapes: sawtooth, square, triangle and sample & hold, frequency range from 0.007 Hz to 50 Hz).
ENVELOPE 4 EGs: each OP features 1 amplitude EG (4-segments).
EFFECTS Up to 9 effects: hall, plate, room, delay, stereo delay, stereo echo, distortion+ reverb, distortion + echo, gate reverb and reverse gate.
TECH: YM3413 IC same found on : FX-900 processor unit, but also TG-33, EW-20, SY-22, SY-35, SY-55, SY-77, TG-100,, V-50, YSS-100/200.
SEQUENCER manages up to 8 tracks with some presets accompaniment styles: piano, pops, fusion, rock, jazz, latin, classic. Time signature can be assigned to 1/4, 4/4, 1/8, 8/8, up to 999 measures. Some classic functions like quantisize (from 1/48 up to 1/4 notes) , copy, cancel, insert, [...]
SYNC: internal tempo range from 60 to 180 BPM or sync-clock to external Midi signal.
MEMORY:
- 100 ROM patches
- 100 RAM patches
- 10,000 notes
- 8 songs
STORAGE: sounds, songs can be saved to Midi exclusives or to internal RAM CARD model MCD-32 (bigger 64 are compatible, but wasted)
FUN FEATURE for some strange reason the TQ5 has an internal clock with internal
Review
OK: Fm edit / cheap
NOT : portamento / not common
"Fun unit, very cheap! FM edit is quite simple and far more quick than brother rack tx81z, plus a basic sequencer and calendar function... "
Text , review, special demos copyright polynominal.com / Eric Pochesci
polynominal.com is not associated or affiliated with Korg in any manner.
