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Conference napalm::commusic_v1

Title:* * Computer Music, MIDI, and Related Topics * *
Notice:Conference has been write-locked. Use new version.
Moderator:DYPSS1::SCHAFER
Created:Thu Feb 20 1986
Last Modified:Mon Aug 29 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2852
Total number of notes:33157

2585.0. "YAMAHA SY99" by PAULUS::BAUER (Richard - ISE L10N Center Frankfurt) Mon Mar 04 1991 05:57

    Hi folks (YAMAHA fans in particular) !
    
    YAMAHA introduced the SY99 at the Musikmesse Frankfurt.
    It is an enhanced SY77. The same basic concept plus
    
    - 76 keys
    - master keyboard functions
    - midi data recording functions
    - 2 complete independant fx (SPX900 processors !!!)
    - 8 MB wave ROM (that's double the 77) with 270 waves
    - 512 k wave RAM (expandable up to 3 MB)
    - user loadable sample dumps through built in disks 
      or MIDI sample dump standard
    
    It seems they have polished the waves a bit + the new ones are pretty
    good. The demo was impressive.
    
    I didn't ask for the price, delivery date (and the rack module....).
    
    	Richard
    
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
2585.1VERY nice peace of machinery!!STKHLM::ARENDIJaak A. CS/Via StockholmSat Sep 21 1991 14:4111
2585.2and think about the flexibility in SW (samples)PAULUS::BAUERRichard - ISE L10N Center FrankfurtMon Sep 23 1991 07:089
Hi Jack !

The price in Germany is just below 6000DM and I've seen an ad for 5500DM.
Hence, I expect it to be less than 3000$ in the states. And I hope that the
TG99 (to be expected next spring) will be less than 2000$.....

What does it help me ? Nothing ! Just keeps me dreaming...

	Richard
2585.3Another demo'd userTROOA::CONNOLLYThu Oct 10 1991 16:2711
    I went to an SY99 demo/propaganda session the other night. It is a very
    impressive machine, given that it has a sequencer (16 track, 30K notes,
    I think), sample loading capability, and all the other goodies (I have
    the info sheet at home, if anyone wants more info I can list it).
    
    My only beef is that for almost $4000 (approx. Canadian selling price),
    the least thing they could have done is include some 'Cheezy Organ'
    presets (i.e. like in '96 Tears'). I mean, Hammonds and pipe organs are
    real nice, but some of us just can't get enough of old Farfisas!
    
    						Cal C.
2585.4...and another thing...TROOA::CONNOLLYThu Oct 10 1991 16:296
    Let's not forget Hohners as well! 
    
    (I figured I'd reply before someone else did).
    
    Cal
    
2585.5Time For An UPSRGB::ROSTI Had A Torrid Affair With GeraldoThu Oct 10 1991 17:216
    Heard on USENET that the SY99 sequencer has a minor nit, umm major nit,
    umm fatal bug.....no battery backup!  Shut it off or get a power
    failure before you've saved to disk and memory goes south.  For the
    price tag it bears, Yamaha could do better than that!!
    
    						Brian
2585.6RYO organ sounds?MINNY::WALDISPUEHLThu Oct 17 1991 08:324
    re cheezy organs:
    
    Isn't the SY99 programmable? I have only DX7 experience, and on DX7s
    organ sounds are not too difficult to program.
2585.7PAULUS::BAUERRichard - ISE L10N Center FrankfurtWed Nov 13 1991 07:3230
Re: .5

Brian, this must be a misunderstanding. I think Yamaha claims that they are the
only vendor that offers a "static RAM" for the user samples, means samples are
KEPT on power off. Anything else is like in any other synth I have tried so
far. The user programs (sounds) are buffered. However, the sequencer data may
not (as in my V50).

Re: .6 

Yes, the SY99 is fully programmable (and BTW DX7 compatible !!!, but better
sounding because of the filters and the built-in effects). Eg. it has an
dedicated processor that is doing dynamic panning that can be programmed in
various ways for every voice (layer) seperately.

I had a chance to play with some sound disks from Yamaha. The contain samples
and voice data. I found them good. But the important thing to me is, there is a
lot of SW available already (Yamaha AND 3rd parties). I think this is an
indicator that this machine will make it into a top seller that will stay
around for some time (like the DX7).

There's one thing which concerns me a bit. That is the flexibility of the
polyphony. I remember from the SY/TG77 that you could have the maximum of 16
AWM2 notes and 16 note AFM notes. The review of the SY99 in the German Keyboards
magazine states the same restriction, however the brochure seems to indicate
that in a "multi" you could have any combination eg. use AWM2 voices only in
the multi. Can anybody confirm this ? Maybe the restriction on the 77 was also
only true for voice mode ?

	Richard
2585.8Who Beta Tested This Thing?RGB::ROSTAll American Alien BoyWed Nov 13 1991 11:4614
    Re: .7
    
    Yes, Richard, I'm referring to the *sequencer*, not the sounds.  
    
    Kind of a pain if in the midst of recording your 9th Symphony, there is
    a power failure or a fuse blows or someone trips over the AC cord. 
    Every non-computer sequencer I've used in the past (Casio, Roland,
    Ensoniq) retained sequencer memory after turning the unit off.  At
    *$4000* list, I see that as a *big* zit on the SY99.  
    
    Yes, sometimes I *do* forget to save my changes to disk when turning
    the unit off to go eat dinner or whatever.
    
    							Brian
2585.9PAULUS::BAUERRichard - ISE L10N Center FrankfurtThu Nov 14 1991 09:3611
Hi Brian !

Don't be so picky.....  ;-)
I wasn't too concerned as my V50 had the same restriction and my ATARI-based
sequencer even more.

BTW, Chick Corea did the Beta Test.

best regards

        Richard