Chapter 4: Changing Needs and a Return to Roots - Yamaha USA

Chapter 4: Changing Needs and a Return to Roots

Intuitive Sound Creation

Images of User's manuals for the CS1x and SY77

In the first half of the ‘90s, Yamaha introduced a wide range of new synth models, leveraging formidable technical expertise acquired in the development of the workstation-type synth and the new VA tone generation system. In contrast to the ‘80s, however, our synthesizer business was mired in difficulties, and we failed to score any successes of the same level as the DX7.

This was partly caused by changes in the synth market. In the past, users had been drawn to innovative technologies and models, and new products practically flew off the shelves. By the ‘90s, however, ongoing advancements in semiconductors, software, and related technologies meant that everyday users were no longer captivated by technology itself. As a result, manufacturers turned their attention to design, user interfaces, product concepts, and marketing. This period was also notable for significant changes in the music scene and the ways in which synths were typically used. All in all, the industry was in an extremely chaotic state.

Amongst all this fluctuation, a new trend emerged: the return of the analog synth. Products that featured sounds and utilized sound-creation techniques similar to those of the analog synth – known as "virtual analog synthesizers" – started to grow in popularity.

Several factors contributed to this increasing popularity of the virtual analog synthesizer, but one of the most crucial was an inability to create sounds in an intuitive fashion using the digital synths of the day. Instruments like the DX7 had as few switches, dials, and other controllers as possible, leaving the musician to navigate through menu after menu to make changes to a bewildering array of sound parameters. PC-based editor software had been developed, allowing sounds to be sculpted using a graphical interface, but the approach was far from ideal for live performance where tone, timbre, and other sound characteristics needed to be instantly controllable. Once the digital filters developed in the ‘90s had become fully accepted, sound designers started going back to their easy-to-understand cutoff and resonance parameters, which were responsible for creating the unique “squidgy” sound of the analog synth. And when the attack, decay, sustain, and release parameters of the envelope were also added to the mix, more emphasis was placed on the ability to directly manipulate parameters in the same way as on the synths of the ‘70s. Parallel to this, in the world of dance music, DJs started to thrill audiences by performing in real time using filters built into mixers that were designed for their own specific needs, further intensifying demand for powerful filter-based sounds with cutoff and resonance at their core.

CS1x

Recognizing this need, we introduced the CS1x Control Synthesizer in 1996. A compact, lightweight instrument in a fresh blue color, the CS1x featured a rotary switch for rapid selection of editable parameters, as well as a host of other innovative features. Many of these were suited to the sound-creation needs of the day. For example, the keyboard included dedicated sound control knobs for instant manipulation of key parameters such as cutoff and resonance. This instrument was one of the first with a built-in arpeggiator, allowing the owner to create intricate musical phrases by simply holding down a chord on the keyboard. Prior to this, the synthesizer had commonly been perceived as a keyboard player's instrument—something that could only be played by skilled pianists. This arpeggiator, however, made it possible for practically anyone to perform on the synth. The CS1x was also notable for the way in which the arpeggiator and sound control knobs could be used together for exciting, creative performances that required no advanced skills.

A Full-fledged Virtual Analog Synthesizer

Images of CS1x catalog

The CS1x and other similar synths won over many customers by making sound creation easy to understand while providing real-time manipulation. Meanwhile, the sound of the analog synth became critical to techno and other forms of electronic dance music. As a result, demand grew for digital synths that could produce analog-like sounds.

In 1997, one year after releasing the CS1x, Yamaha followed up with the AN1x, a digital model optimized for use as an analog synth. This was made possible by analog physical modeling, a new technology that simulated the unique characteristics of waveforms produced by analog-synth oscillators and the way in which slight instabilities in their electrical systems affect the sound. Despite its digital design, this full-fledged virtual analog synthesizer could easily hold its own with other instruments in a band and was extremely well received. Meanwhile, to make the CS1x more suited to live performance, we increased the number of sound control knobs from six to eight, and added a ribbon controller.

The extremely popular music-production synths of the mid-‘90s all had common sound banks thanks to the widespread adoption of GM*1, XG, and other similar technologies. This meant that they could reproduce the sounds of acoustic instruments such as drums and piano, and could be used to produce full arrangements without the need for any other devices. In contrast, the Yamaha developers took the bold step of intentionally omitting support for this feature from the CS1x in order to perfect it as a simple performance synthesizer.

*1: The General MIDI (GM) standard was developed to ensure compatibility between the sounds produced by different synthesizers. Instruments complying with this standard have a set of 128 specific sounds, such as piano and guitar, in addition to all the voices for one complete drum set. As such, any GM tone generator can play back MIDI-format song data created using a synth from a different manufacturer and still sound correct.

Enhancing Product Development with Feedback from Market Research

AN1x

Towards the end of the ‘90s, thanks to the growing popularity of the Internet, synthesizer owners could instantly access information from all over the world, and modes of use of the synth began to diversify rapidly. In our industry, it became extremely important to ascertain the needs and behavior of synth users through market research and develop the right products in response. While this certainly included improvements to tone generation systems, keyboards, and other hardware, serious attention had to be paid to the physical design and color of synths, as well as how the synths were actually put to use after purchase, and a wide range of other factors. Meanwhile, there was growing demand for synth functions to be easier to understand, even for beginners. From this perspective, the changes occurring in the synth industry during this time are most apparent in their owner's manuals. Just looking at their covers, these booklets had clearly become much more contemporary and modern than in the era of the SY Series.

EX5, CS6x, S80

Following the release of the SY Series, Yamaha rearranged its synth lineup to focus on (with the exception of the VL1 and VP1) affordable models with great performance in order to appeal to a new set of customers. As such, there was no professional-level synthesizer worthy of being called a successor to the SY99 during that period – something that changed with the arrival of the EX5 flagship workstation, the culmination of years of product development research.

The sound engine of this music synthesizer featured an AWM2 tone generator, the first from Yamaha to deliver 128-note polyphony; a VA physical modeling tone generator as developed for the VL1; the popular AN virtual analog tone generator from the AN1x; a Formulated Digital Sound Processing (FDSP) tone generator that had been newly developed to allow DSP control using pitch and other individual items of note data; and a flexible, integrated sampling system. This veritable powerhouse of synthesis incorporated practically all the technologies we had perfected to date—in particular, controllability was enhanced to the maximum. For example, the EX5 featured a three-wheel design combining a pitch bend wheel with two modulation wheels and a ribbon controller. Yet the improvements realized for the EX5 extended beyond pure function; it could also produce the thick synth sounds that had been highly praised upon the release of the AN1x, allowing the EX5 to deliver unique sounds with a richness never heard before.

Simultaneous Development of New Tone Generation Systems

FS1R Image of EX5 catalog

After introducing physical modeling tone generators in the VL1 and the VP1, Yamaha also worked on the parallel development of several new tone generators, such as the AN virtual analog tone generator of the AN1x and the FDSP tone generator found on the EX5. One of the more notable achievements of this effort was the revolutionary Formant Synthesis (FS) tone generator. The FDSP and FS engines both represented further advances of existing tone generation technologies, but the FM-based FS tone generator made headlines with an innovative approach that produced sound by adding together formants—that is, tones characteristic of the human voice. Its implementation in the FS1R was driven by an eight-operator FM tone generator, and, thanks to features such as backwards compatibility with DX7 voices, it soon developed a reputation as a hidden treasure.

PLG100-SG Image of PLG100-SG user's manual

At the time of the FS tone generator’s release, Yamaha was already marketing a plug-in board called the PLG100-SG as a sound module expansion for desktop music (DTM). This caused quite a stir in the Japanese market with its ability to sing lyrics entered in Japanese. Although today's Vocaloid products also sing lyrics, this synth did so much earlier, using a completely different design. This is further evidence of the artisan spirit of Yamaha developers—never neglecting technical innovation, even in the face of difficult operating conditions that demanded the market be put above all else.

The Results of Market Research

CS6x CS6x

Following the SY Series, Yamaha released a great many products that combined a variety of technologies and functions ideal for the needs of the day. However, absent of any massive hit like the DX7, the ‘90s were a difficult time for our synthesizer business. Light at the end of the tunnel finally came in the shape of two models released at the same time in 1999—the CS6x and the S80.

One might well assume based on its model name that the CS6x comes from the same family as the CS1x Control Synthesizer, but it was developed primarily as an instrument for serious on-stage use. The most noticeable difference was the new color scheme. In contrast to the refined black and dark-blue bodies that had been the norm until then, the CS6x was silver. We had, of course, released brightly colored products prior to the CS6x, but they had mostly been limited editions or special silver versions with an "S" added to the model name. The CS6x marked the first time a Yamaha synth had been released solely in silver.

This synthesizer mainly produced PCM sounds using its built-in AWM2 tone generator; however, it could be expanded using up to two additional plug-in tone generator boards that provided access to VL, AN, FM, and other sound engines. To appeal to the club scene, we asked famous European sound creators to design its preset voices. As such, the CS6x satisfied the needs of the market in terms of both hardware and software. Thanks to sounds inherited from the EX5, a cutting-edge plug-in system, its simple sound-engine design, and coloring that made it stand out on stage, this synth became very popular, particularly in Europe.

S80

Whereas the CS6x was developed with an eye to the European market, Yamaha incorporated a great deal of feedback from North America into the S80. For instance, the S80 came with 88 full-size keys, and the quality of its piano sounds—a must for serious keyboardists—was significantly improved. These and other novel features marked a fresh departure from the Yamaha synthesizers that had come before.

To further ensure that the principal needs of all players would be satisfied, we selected our AE*2 design for the keyboard since it had the same feel and touch as a real piano while also being perfectly suited to playing synth and organ sounds. In the music scene of the day, synths were commonly used for piano voices in a band or as part of a jazz session, although keyboardists also made frequent use of organ, strings, and other similar voices. As such, the S80 grew in popularity, particularly among professional musicians.

On most synths, the pitch bend and modulation wheels were located to the left of the keyboard. On the S80, however, they were moved to the top left of the front panel, reducing the overall instrument length needed to house the 88-note keyboard. At the time, many keyboardists in North America transported their synths in the trunks of cars, so making the length of the instrument was an important factor.

The CS6x and the S80 had an enormous impact on how Yamaha would develop synthesizers in the following decade. For instance, the silver design of the CS6x significantly influenced the color choices for the upcoming MOTIF synth series. Additionally, the success of the S80 as a credible alternative to real pianos led us to configure the MOTIF8 with a piano-like feel, while the MOTIF6 and MOTIF7 featured synth action.

While it cannot be denied that Yamaha synths struggled through the ‘90, the fresh approaches adopted for the CS6x and the S80 revealed the right path to take in the years ahead.

*2: The AE keyboard is highly expressive yet flexible, making it ideal for playing both piano and synth sounds, as well as for rock piano performances. Also supporting aftertouch, it’s perfectly suited to use as a master keyboard.