Yamaha PSS-780 - the Portasound FM flagship

Music: "Robot Coalition" (C) Copyright 2021 Alfonse
Download the track here: https://alfonse.bandcamp.com/album/once

Yamaha Portasound PSS-780 MusicStation FM keyboard (1989)

The PSS-780 almost identical to the PSS-680, aside from some different coloured pads and buttons, a few new rhythm patterns and a pointless re-numbering of all the voices, and it has the same sounds as the PSS-480 and 580, which were the next rung down in the product line.

The 780 has a 2 operator FM synth on board, which can be edited via the limited Digital Synthesizer parameters on the front panel. More than that, it also has Midi In, Out and Thru which gives you the capability to access even more parameters via MIDI SysEx messages; a number of editors exist to modify and build your own patches.

All sounds you hear in this track (other than the kick drum) come from the 780 and custom patches were made using Martin Tarenskeen's excellent PSS-780 panel for Ctrlr. http://ctrlr.martintarenskeen.nl

All the patches from this track and my other keyboard demos featuring the 580, 680 and 780 can be downloaded free from my website, https://www.alfonsemusic.com/synth-pa...

If anyone with a 680 or 780 is looking for a solution to that really invasive whining on the output, there's a video by James Bennett looking at the issue here:    • 1989 Yamaha PSS780 - Noise Free Direct Out...   (Note - I have minimal ability with electronics, so haven't tried to replicate it, but it makes for an interesting video!)

Coloured dot pattern used in video: https://alex4d.com

ALFONSE
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