Yamaha SY-85
Music Synthesizer (1992)

Digital workstation with high-quality wavetable and samples import functions.

Last of the SY series now 100% rompler leaving FM and vector synthesis.

KEYBOARD 61 velocity keys with aftertouch. The main panel features a 40 X 2 lines display, 53 buttons, 1 data encoder and 8 continous sliders for real-time data edit (like drawbars system). On the left side 2 wheels for modulation and pitchbending and 2 card slots.

Back panel terminal connectors:
- Midi interface
- headphones out
- 2 AUX out
- 2 assignable pedalswitch inputs
- expression pedal input
- sequencer click volume knob.

 

TECH main cores HD6435328F (h8/532) + HD6433258P (h8 / 325) handle 30 voices polyphony based on AWM2 - advanced wave memory 2 - rompler synthesis. SY85 DAC is a Burr Brown PCM56P + IC YM3029. A basic PATCH is composed by up to 4 elements or PCM sample layers with some individual settings:

- volume / panning - analog out asssign - pitch tuning - velocity switch - keyboard zone - effect amount

 

WAVETABLE the 6 MB ROM contains 244 PCM samples at 16 bits resolution.
The ROM is organized in 16 categories for easy retrieval: : acoutsic piano, other keyboard, brass, wind, strings, acoustic guitaris, electric guitar, bass, follk- ethnic, synth, choir, tuned percussion, drums, sfx and basic oscillator waveforms.

HEAR piano ragtime

EXPANSION the wavetable can be expanded using some cards usually set of PCM+DATA.
PCM cards are compatible with 16 bits yamaha machines inlcuding Sy55 / Tg55 / Ry30 / Sy99 / Sy77 / Tg77.

ID card name Publisher pic SY8501 2 Jazz & Funk Yamaha SY8502 2 Rock & Pop II Yamaha   SY8503 2 Ethnic Sounds Yamaha Metrasound 1 / Metrasound   Pro-rec 1 / Pro-rec

 

SAMPLE-IMPORT internal 512kb of non-volatile RAM can be expanded up to 3 MB using custom SYEMB06 memories. Up to 64 samples can be loaded by Midi dump and directly available in the waveform table under a special category.

hear this SAMPLE imported from Atari ST speech synthesizer

FILTER single resonant digital filter with 4 preset modes:

- lowpass at 2 or 4 poles modes - highpass - band pass - band reject HEAR filter on pad

LFO a single delayed modulator (shapes:triangle, up saw, sine, down saw, square and random) with adjustable phase attack and random fluctuation.
3 modulation destinations:

- LFO to amplitude - LFO to pitch - LFO to filter cutoff HEAR LFO in action

 

ENVELOPE system features 3 EGs:
- EG pitch: 4 segments + 4 times + 1 rate scaling with sensibility level
- EG amplitude: 5 segments + 2 times + 4 levels scaling
- EG filter : segments + 7 times + 4 levels scaling

SEQUENCER manages 9 tracks (8 +1 for rhythm) - notes/chords can be entered in real-time or step at a maximum of 1/48 quarter note resolution.

Internal tempo range from 30 to 240 BPM or synched to external Midi clock devices.

 

PERFORMANCE the MULTIMODE manages 16 parts with individual settings:

- part volume - stereo panning - pitch tuning - effect balancing - aftertouch can be assigned to LFO pitch/amplitude/filter, filter cutoff and EG Bias MIDI Standard implementation with full sysex support.

EFFECT double DSP in serial or parallel mode for a total of 90 editable effects presets including: reverb, flanger, exciter, EQ, delay, phaser, Leslie and ring modulator Hear delay on percussions

MEMORY:

- 256 ROM voices - 128 RAM performances - 512 KB sample RAM - 20000 notes - 100 patterns - 10 songs LEFT - Battery replacement: a 3V CR2032 soldered to mainboard.

Sound RAM doubled if MCD64 memory card is fitted.

Sample RAM can be also upgraded by 512 Kb for each memory boards SYEMB06 for a maximum of 3 MB Kb.

 

STORAGE internal 3"5 drive which is a DD 720kb (no HD!) model with frequent issues.

LEFT: The belt from the floppy drive, but unfortunately it has a custom interface (26 pins like sy99 ) and cannot be direclty replaced with common cheap PC models. This model needs either a new belt (few bucks on Ebay) or a boring pins rewiring or you can still replace the drive with a more reliable USB model.

EDIT classic programmers are:

- Soundiver (commercial PC/MAC) - Take500 (Atari ST) PIC - Galaxy Plus Editors - VED (commodore Amiga) PIC - Midiquest (commercial PC/MAC) (pic below)

 

RELATED FAMILY:

	TG-500 - later rackmount edition TG500 VS Sy85: TG many enhancements like more ROM wavetable, presets, more card slots and double polyphony. On the other hand Tg500 has no factory internal RAM for samples, no disk drive quite no control resulting really uncomfortable to use.
	SY-22 (1990) vectorial synth: a mix of FM and PCM synthesis. Upgrade later to SY-35. Module version is TG-33
	SY-77 (1989) workstation. RCM synthesis (PCM+FM). Module version is TG-77
	SY-99 (1991) a mix of PCM and FM synthesis RCM synthesis (PCM+FM).

 

 

VST PLUGIN / SAMPLED VERSION there are some free and commercial samples set:

Martin 78

FREE samples DRUM SET

GALLERY: