Re: [AH] Yamaha CS30L vs CS30?

From Edward Schultheis
Sent Sat, Oct 13th 2018, 21:21

Mmmm FiveG... love it there!=20

> On Oct 13, 2018, at 1:08 PM, Kylee Kennedy <xxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx> wrote:
>=20
> God no. Tokyo has high rent costs so walk in store prices are always
> higher than the online-auction sites. The benefit of paying more there
> is you know the gear will work right.
> Still go to the stores to check out the rarer synths! My first time
> seeing a System 800 was at FiveG.
>=20
> Kylee
>> On Sat, Oct 13, 2018 at 8:12 AM el macaco <xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx> wrote:
>>=20
>> Yeah the IG chip failures appear rare to me as well, but when it happens,=
 any alternatives?
>>=20
>> Any walk in stores in Tokyo that have good prices or is it all yahoo auct=
ions?
>>=20
>> On Oct 12, 2018, at 9:34 PM, M V <xx_xxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx> wrote:
>>=20
>> CS synths do seem to be very abundant in Japan and are usually a lot chea=
per if you can be bothered to go through the hurdles of bidding using Yahoo-=
Japan auctions. Buying from Japanese sellers on ebay is a bit of a gamble--t=
he first CS-10 I bought was NOT the model shown in the auction. The seller c=
laimed that they had more than one and they got swapped, but my sense (and a=
lso what I have read) is that some unscrupulous sellers will list things the=
y don't have yet and then only go out and buy them once the auction is ended=
. This probably doesn't happen to the same extent on Yahoo-Japan, but who kn=
ows.
>>=20
>>=20
>> The IG chips are rare, but they also don't actually seem to fail that oft=
en. I've only ever heard about a few chips going out, and it always seems to=
 be the VCA (or perhaps filter).
>>=20
>>=20
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>> ________________________________
>> From: el macaco <xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx>
>> Sent: Thursday, October 11, 2018 9:29 PM
>> To: M V
>> Cc: Antti pitk=C3=A4m=C3=A4ki; AH
>> Subject: Re: [AH] Yamaha CS30L vs CS30?
>>=20
>> I had a CS-15 for years.  Probably the only synth I sold I would want aga=
in.  Simple but so flexible and expressive.  The filter tracking you handle w=
ith the brilliance control, which you can select either or both filters.
>>=20
>> Does anybody know if it=E2=80=99s true that they=E2=80=99re cheaper in Ja=
pan? Have someone going that might grab one for me if I tell him where to gr=
ab it.
>>=20
>> The other thing holding me back is those custom Yamaha chips.  If they go=
 bad, has anyone reverse engineered them or found equivalents?  I=E2=80=99d h=
ate to have it not be repairable without cannibalizing existing ones.
>>=20
>> On Oct 11, 2018, at 8:22 PM, M V <xx_xxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx> wrote:
>>=20
>> I understand the desire to stick with the CS, but one thing you should be=
 aware of is that the "black" CS synths, included the 30, have a more polite=
 sound compared to the "wood" m-series. The latter sounds slightly more aggr=
essive and American despite using all the same core chips. Not to dissuade y=
ou--what you lose in presence you make up for in feature richness, and I thi=
nk the 30 is still may fav of all the CS mono and duophonics. You could also=
 go for the CS-40m, which gets rid of all the limitations you mentioned, but=
 in use I found the 40m to somehow be less than the sum of its parts (which a=
re many).
>>=20
>>=20
>>=20
>> ________________________________
>> From: Antti pitk=C3=A4m=C3=A4ki <xxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx>
>> Sent: Thursday, October 11, 2018 2:45 PM
>> To: xx_xxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
>> Cc: AH
>> Subject: Re: [AH] Yamaha CS30L vs CS30?
>>=20
>> Never heard of a GRP A2 before. I checked it out quickly - not for me
>> this time as I really like synths with keyboards. Also the dual filter
>> aspect of the CS30 is highly interesting. And finally, the CS20M was
>> my first analog synth, and I've had it for almost 20 years... The
>> Yamaha sound has been a part of my synth hobby for such a long time,
>> but I don't like some of the CS20M's limitations, especially the lack
>> of filter tracking control and the lack of single triggering keyboard
>> mode, both of which the CS30 has, along with dual filters, ring mod
>> and all the weirdness.
>>=20
>> If I was more sensible, I'd probably get a used Matrixbrute. Similar
>> price as a CS30, I think. Also dual filter but with memories, analog
>> effects, possibility to split the keyboard for left hand bass (which
>> I'd really like!) etc.
>>=20
>> But I kinda want to experience that CS Yamaha sound without the
>> CS20M's limitations. I could finally create those sounds I dreamt of.
>> The lack of filter keyboard tracking is so annoying... Just when
>> you've dialed it perfect for the lower range of the keyboard, it's too
>> bright in the upper registers etc. And always multiple triggering.
>> Single triggering is just so much more expressive. Although I
>> discovered a little workaround for that, but still.
>>=20
>> Cheers,
>> Antti
>>=20
>> to 11. lokak. 2018 klo 4.40 M V (xx_xxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx) kirjoitti:
>>>=20
>>> I don't have much to add to the specific debate at hand, but as a former=
 CS-30 owner, thought I would suggest an alternative in the form of the GRP A=
2. I was recently thinking about getting a CS-30 again, but as I did, I was r=
eminded about the various weird limitations. Some of these can be overcome w=
ith modding, but still... not ideal.
>>>=20
>>>=20
>>> At the same time I was looking at the A2 and I basically came to the con=
clusion that if you ignore the independent dual filter aspect (which can be a=
 little too "CS-funk" for its own good at times), the A2 has all the same fe=
atures and then some. Useful, and also novel modulations out the wazoo, insa=
nely snappy envelopes, and a really classy filter sound that feels somewhere=
 in between the SEM multimode filter and the first ARP LP filter. And the bu=
ild quality is top notch--it sets a precedent that every maker should be fol=
lowing.
>>>=20
>>>=20
>>> If I desperately need the CS sound, I have a CS-10 which does the job fi=
ne. The only things I really miss on the CS-30 now are the formant vowel sou=
nds (surprisingly good). The A2 is about the same price as a CS-30 or 30L th=
ese days, but they are about to be discontinued, so well worth looking into n=
ow.
>>>=20
>>>=20
>>>=20
>>> ________________________________
>>> From: Antti pitk=C3=A4m=C3=A4ki <xxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx>
>>> Sent: Sunday, October 7, 2018 4:02 PM
>>> To: AH
>>> Subject: [AH] Yamaha CS30L vs CS30?
>>>=20
>>> Hi,
>>>=20
>>> I'm thinking of selling my Yamaha CS20M and getting either a CS30L or
>>> a CS30. But which one is better?
>>>=20
>>> If I've understood correctly they are the same, except CS30L lacks the
>>> sequencer but has a "brilliance" control, allowing tweaking the cutoff
>>> of both filters simultaneously. As an extra feature the CS30L also has
>>> a "sustain" control, allowing controlling the release of all envelopes
>>> simultaneously. CS30L also has a pedal control voltage input for the
>>> "brilliance", which the CS30 lacks.
>>>=20
>>> However, is there any way with the CS30 to tweak the cutoff of both
>>> filters simultaneously, apart from using two hands? If not, is it easy
>>> to mod to have this feature?
>>>=20
>>> I'm leaning towards a CS30L because of the extra "brilliance" feature
>>> and a somewhat cheaper average price, although of course then I'll
>>> loose the sequencer. I've never been terribly interested in analogue
>>> sequencers and so I don't value the sequencer that much, but of course
>>> it would be fun to have it integrated in a synth like the CS30 has
>>> (allowing weird stuff like one oscillator controlled by the sequencer,
>>> one by the keyboard but so that the sequence is also transposed, and
>>> some envelopes controlled by the sequencer and some by the
>>> keyboard...).
>>>=20
>>> Anyways, I'd love to hear opinions on which one is better, the CS30 or
>>> the CS30L? :)
>>>=20
>>> Cheers,
>>> Antti