Yamaha PSS-480 - Part 1: The FM Synthesizer

[@VIsTheMusic]

This was the first keyboard my MaMa bought me. RIP mama I miss you eternally. Thank you for your amazing content.

[@Am71919]

Your mother wanted to get you started the right way

[@ricardodelabarral2535]

Y aprendió a tocar? Que feliz que le regalaron un sintetizador.

[@mississippimeatloaf1637]

First keyboard I got in 1988 was the PSS 460, it was originally a Christmas gift for my brother but he was more interested in the guitar so he let me have it, it's the only keyboard I've ever owned and I still gig with it today and it still works just as good as it did the day I unwrapped it, this keyboard literally has everything that a songwriter and composer needs

[@EverHappyDude]

Wow, you just included a perfect short course on FM Synthesis...

[@matthewseelye122]

You aren’t kidding! I just got a DSR 500 and am waiting on it to ship in, so in the meantime I watched this video again to really understand what the heck is going on with FM synthesis; such an awesome tutorial and done in such a pleasing manner, bravo 👏👏👏

[@comrade_crab]

The best breakdown of FM synthesis I've ever seen. If only I'd seen it in 1984! Better late than never.

[@Ccescui]

I got this after many years begging my parents (like 4, we didn't have much money, prolly if Dad had let me work but nope, he said school was my job) to buy me a keyboard. This beauty gave me many many MANY hours of fun and satisfaction and got me through teenage depression and college stress and pressure, this keyboard is one of my most precious treasures and I still have it with its box after and it works still beautifully even though I have other more "newer" instruments but I keep it as a trophy and as a reminder of patience and great memories and for that I'm so thankful! I love this thing, forever ❤

[@junema9924]

I bought one of these a few months ago and secretly dreamed you would do a video on this!!

[@KeenOnKeys]

And there is more to come. Part 2 is almost finished.

[@unnaturalworld]

The other day I saw one of these up for silent auction at a thrift store near my house. I didn't even research it: I just put a bid in. I thrifted a PSS-460 last summer and ended up recording a three-song EP with it. It was my first synthesizer so it's quite special to me. Now that I've seen this video, I am dying to win the PSS-480! It's clear to me that this model outclasses the 460 by a large margin. Thank you for making this fantastic video series. I'll update this comment once the auction ends. Here's hoping I can snag it. EDIT: I won it! So excited.

[@matthiasstock9620]

My son and me just got a PSS 480 as a gift. Starting to recognize now what a nice synth this basically is. Big thanks to the guy from the Netherlands who gave it to us.

[@unsoundmethodology]

Terrific explanation of this synth and of 2-operator FM. I'm quite fond of this machine, as sort of the end of when consumer-targeted portable keyboards were still synthesizers, and not just PCM playback engines. Thanks for taking the time. I picked up my PSS-480 without box or manual from a pawn shop maybe a decade ago, and have in that time managed to break the low G key, though everything else works. (Need to see about replacing the plastic key.) I've used it both as a MIDI controller and as a sound module, working with the rest of my cheap studio.

[@StatsGod]

What a wonderfully clear and straightforward mini-intro to FM synthesis!

[@ruxiwang9571]

why can't we have such simple and beautiful thing today?

[@mississippimeatloaf1637]

We can, these things are all over the Internet and can be had very cheap, they very rarely appear on Facebook marketplace so looking there is a waste of time(they have other PSS boards that appear but not this one), musicgoround, ebay, mercari, or Sweetwater would be your best bet

[@ruxiwang9571]

@@mississippimeatloaf1637 I know but they are no longer produced any more. they are abandoned by the market, by the people, like corpses of an era.

[@mississippimeatloaf1637]

@@ruxiwang9571 truth be told, they don't need to be reproduced, they were perfect for their time and their perfect for now, and are always readily available, and I wouldn't exactly call them abandoned as they have obtained a cult like following over the past 35 years

[@MrDuncl]

@@mississippimeatloaf1637 "these things are all over the Internet" I misread your comment and thought you meant things like the free Yamaha synth I have on my iPod touch. As for availability there has been a PSS680 in a local pawn shop for £50 for weeks. I chose the PSS-A50 they had for the same price there over that and then discovered this channel.

[@cfytcf]

I will never own any of the keyboards you feature - but I cannot stop watching this channel. So much knowledge and understanding on display.

[@gustavoberocan]

that is amazing! I'm sure 99.9% of the former owners never realized this keyboard could make such cool sounds. Or maybe they found that ghostly brass from outer space and their parents hid their synth in the basement. I'ts fun to think how engineers were paid to build those sounds simulating instruments but decades later musicians are only worried about how to destroy it until it sounds like the cool fm synth is hidden behind this "user friendly" interface.

[@valdenirsilva9732]

Tive um. Teclado fantástico para a época. Até me arrependi de te-lo vendido. Tecladinho incrível. Até gravava músicas e ficava na memória. Saudades.

[@localhost4460]

17:35 Best explanation of FM synthesis I've ever heard. It all clicked with that.

[@fremax6946]

I was curious and impatient to see how you could present this not simple keyboard, and I think your work is a masterpiece ! My 480 and I thank respectfully you.

[@bag_of_nerves_on_a_balustr489]

Great channel, you are singlehandedly encouraging me to keep amassing cheaper/more overlooked goodies from the past to create new music. Your videos are PRIMA bc they are just so straight to the point and real informative without being overly biased/too much fluff. I have learned so much from the few vids i have seen. Peace, man!

[@melvinhawkins4567]

Awesome deep dive on this gem! Clicked mostly to see the insides, but ended up learning some things I didn't already know about it. One of my favorite things this can do is act like a sequencer and sequence up to 5 different external synths/drum machines. This is more powerful than a lot of entry level gear today imo. Looking forward to the other parts!

[@kenzieprice6745]

Good job with cleanly capturing the audio from the keyboard so you can hear the subtle nuances of each tone and choosing nice arrangements for the demos! I also appreciate the history and related models as that helps me understand better and is an interest of mine. I hope to see you review everyone of them!

[@SauvikRoy]

You just showed that with just 2operators so much complex sounds are possible! I've found it as one of the best tutorials on FM synthesis. I wonder what the engineers at the time might be thinking when they conceived this model. I'm not a musician, but love to learn about computers and music! Subscribed! Thanks!

[@MrDuncl]

I have always felt the two operator sounds are a bit harsh AKA annoying. My four operator YS100 sounds lush in comparison.

[@talahamut8242]

This is the first real synth I owned (thanks Dad!) and I loved it back then, but it wasn't until the last few years when I finally learned enough about synths to realize what a little beast it really is!

[@Breadster]

This is probably the most in-depth, interesting and easy to follow review of anything I've ever seen. Great video, it's helped me decide to pick one of these up.

[@alfonsemusic]

Superb - really in-depth and only part 1! Great arpeggiated parts in your demo tracks as well.

[@pianokeyjoe]

Hey! Look who's here too! lol! Hi Alfonse! I am still enjoying your great music!

[@alfonsemusic]

@@pianokeyjoe :D thanks! PSS-580 was one of my first keyboards as a youngster, so I was Keen to see the full review of its sibling!

[@pianokeyjoe]

@@alfonsemusic Amen! Yeah I never had the 580, even now. I still do not really know the difference between them other than the model number..

[@MisterMoccasin]

This is absolutely brilliant. I found this beauty at goodwill for $25 and you've helped me so much in figuring out more of the FM synth stuff :) Wonderful video!

[@inthefade]

That's a great price. I had to pay 4x as much for mine but it had been refurbished at least.

[@museum1401]

This channel is still so underrated.

[@gzaq]

I loved this synth back when I was 14, have literally spent years in my room with it. Programmed the hell out of it, had a really awesome synth lead sound from Banjo (34), interesting how I never could replicate it starting from any other presets, with the exact same parameters.

[@djpopcorns]

Have you tried the editor?

[@allanjazzera7630]

You're making the same sounds I could only have dreamt of making in 1988.

[@toworu22]

I own a PSS-580, but I didn't know it had so many features. It is a great video!

[@jnkmal9519]

This is more than a keyboard review. It's one of the best explanations of how FM synthesis works. Well done!

[@trulyinfamous]

I've spent quite a lot of time using OPL2 and OPL3 in plugins and music trackers so hearing similar sounds to ones I've made come from an old synth is fun. The ability to use different waveforms in the FM-synthesis really lends itself to some unique sounds, despite being only 2-operator.

[@MegaDoraibu]

30:48 Timm Thaler's Theme! I got the PSS-680 in 1990, now I have the 270, 470, 570 and 580 in my collection even though I can't play a note... Just love these "toy" keyboards!

[@buskingforlife]

So you collect them but never play them?

[@Big_Red_Dork]

Start learning!

[@funmachine100]

this was the first keyboard I got when I was 13, I still have it, I love it. Its been 20 years. I became a musician and never looked back

[@stompingstones]

Much appreciation for these videos!...Happy 34th birthday to your 480 :)

[@travisguide4516]

I can’t believe the depth of knowledge here unbelievable

[@rarestcoyne6005]

Thank you so much for these tutorials! When I found my PSS-480 a year ago there was not anything online and I couldn't find a manual anywhere. This keyboard really needed a review like these two!!

[@ericobrocki5850]

Love this little keyboard. I'm in the process of making a sysex programmer for it and the 680 using an Arduino. Its one of the few Yamaha PSS/R model I know that has the ability to change program sounds via sysex.

[@javiceres]

There are already soft programmers for it, if that can help you. Don’t know much about them though.

[@ericobrocki5850]

@@javiceres yeah I used ctrlr before. I'm building a standalone controller so i don't need a computer nearby. I'm also doing it for fun lol

[@javiceres]

@@ericobrocki5850 I’d buy one of those if I could

[@ericobrocki5850]

@@javiceres I'd like to make one for sale. I've basically got a working prototype, but it'll take me a while to design a case and pcb since I haven't done this before.

[@2009johndoyle]

@@ericobrocki5850 put up a video on how you make it

[@MattGreerMusic]

Been anxiously looking forward to this video. My first keyboard I ever had. Got it for Christmas when I was a kid. Had no idea that my parents spent so much on it.

[@antoniobrajkovic1977]

Seeing my old PSR-16 for few seconds was a treat. That 2 operator sound engine brings some nice memories. Thank you👍🏼

[@rossthomas123]

I had this when I was 11 and I wrote many many songs on it. Used to love the fact you could build the tracks up and record backings - looking back it was a very versatile instrument!

[@MrTomb789]

What a fantastic explanation of both this underated keyboard and FM synthesis, thankyou so much Keen On Keys....

[@lo-firobotboy7112]

Fantastic exploration of this little gem of a synth.

[@djrommybalibalita5747]

Oh my gosh ❤ I remember when I had a PC from the 90s and it had a Soundblaster Adlib card!! With the OPL Yamaha chip.. these sounds literally bring me back.

[@marcelofp75]

I love this channel. The love you put in all the keyboards is the best.

[@RaptureMusicOfficial]

This is a great FM synth! The PSS keyboards are much more than just "toys" like many say about the Yamaha PSS series. I have the VSS-30, PSS-140 and PSS-390 :) Gotta love the PSS series of keyboards!

[@acehandler1530]

Wow, shock & awe! I've owned one of these since buying it new in 1988 ($199 at London Drugs) and had lots of fun, but it's been back in its box for years while I focus on my stringed instruments. Even (barely) dodge the thrift store deployment a few times - so glad it did! Gonna have to get this baby out again, thanks so much! 🙂

[@trumjohannsmancave]

Super cool and in depth walk-through of the 2 operator FM synth in this little beauty😀 I have the PSS-680 and I like it quite a bit🎶 Lovely channel! Cheers

[@Jo-kh1yo]

My first time watching this channel. I must say, one of the smoothest video`s I have seen on You Tube. So easy to watch and informative. Well done to the creator! I see lots of subscribers in your future! Keep up the good work! :)

[@javiceres]

Thankfully I already got mine foreseen videos like these. This is the best one I’ve seen, for what it’s worth.

[@cheapnoise9014]

Really nice video! You channel is the best musical channel on KZbin.

[@MrBoitsov]

Very useful video! Thank you very much! You play these little keys wonderfully.

[@oliverscarlin]

This is an inspiring, super informative and awesome looking & sounding video! I found a PSS380 in a local thrift store going cheap and this video has convinced me to grab it!

[@osirismaximus2787]

Absolutely incredible work! I also have this keyboard and its one of my favorite of the Portasound series Yamaha keyboards. The PSS-380 is probably my favorite because if the sliders and the extremely long release capabilities.

[@xdendordx]

Been rewatching this and the second video religiously the past week since grabbing a PSS-480 for £20, can't wait for part 3!

[@geoff44yt]

Excellent demo. Very professional and informative. Thank you. 👍

[@Spencers7185]

Really a very nice introduction to FM synthesis! And a great introduction to what is probably the most comprehensive video series about this keyboard! Thanks! A few days ago I treated myself to a Yamaha PSS 380 and will probably buy the 480 too 😉 I thought it was very nice that you played the melody of the aliens from “Close Encounters” 😁👍 Thank you for the great videos

[@PocketOperatorGuy]

I like the sound of this keyboard, some of the tones that come out of this are great for demoscene or synth wave tracks. I like how fat some of those generated tones can get. Some of those guitar tones remind me of some sounds I hear from some Amiga tracker music. There's alot of hidden potential in that machine. Especially with the custom tone generator. Great video buddy!!!

[@maximix3531]

It's not the tool but the master behind it. This is a very good example of this maxim.

[@daeone1514]

When he said, “old keyboard sounds bring back memories”, I felt that. That’s why I need that Yamaha PSR 36 again. I looooovveeedd that thang.

[@marsupial3ew]

Great tutorial on this impressive little synth! (and it also works for the PSS-680!)

[@pc-sound-legacy]

Great review! I'm impressedby its versatility. FM is candy to my ears, love it🤗

[@balazstorok9265]

Unbelievable quality as always!!

[@Music-tg5is]

3:36 - Ahh! That takes be back. The Yamaha PSS-780 was my first proper keyboard that I learned to make music with. I would soon translate many of my compositions using that keyboard into music tracker modules on my Commodore Amiga A500. Later, that became easier once I got a MIDI interface and migrated from Sound/Noise Tracker to MED/OctaMED software (which supported MIDI) on that same device. Sigh! The good old days. This keyboard brought me many hours of enjoyment during my youth, from around 11-years-old, until around 18. Great times.

[@EuroDJ]

Very Cool Video And The Supply Of Material!!!

[@Dario-33]

Amazing video and channel!! Big fan of this fm keyboards, just got this one just the music station version. I love recording the accompaniments separately, definitely an underrated synth. The only problem I usually get is that the tempo does not sync perfectly with other instruments which is easily solved by recording and looping in my DAW. I also have the PSS 380 and can't be happier with them. Thank you so much for explaining the FM process in this keyboard, much love to the channel.

[@FairchlldMusic1]

Awesome video! I’ve got the 380, 460 and 680 - love them all.

[@PolaroidsofthePyramids]

Great job on another interesting and informative video! I was debating on getting either a PSS-470 or a 480. This video helped me decide to get the 480 and I love it! I used to have a PSS-680, but I found its size and shape awkward. The 480 is a great keyboard you can pick up anytime and jam.

[@EldarBaruch]

I love and appreciate your videos! Great guidance for these fun keys! ✨

[@johnnyrocketed2225]

Want to get one now- looks like a lot of fun. Had no idea you could change so many parameters on keyboard like that. Thanks!

[@rodrigotudancafernandez17]

Fantastic video! As always

[@monsieurskippa]

Ein super-Video. Inalt, Machart, technische Umsetzung. Perfekt!

[@josh.artsound8433]

I have this one when I was teenager and this one are the best quality song ever

[@joeakajoe1]

Great vid! this was my 1st keyboard. I never had the manual so u showed me a lot of things I didn't know it could do. I must get it fixed! I love hooking this up to my keystep and playing sequences on it

[@myomyomusic2570]

I have 780,580 and SHS 10,,,bought for portamento and midi,now I know their full potential/// thanks

[@vhm14u2c]

Very nice tutorial on operators, thanks for sharing!

[@JozeatTxb]

Superb video👌These PSS boards were my first foray into synths, one of our lecturers bought a PSS 680 around 1990 for our uni band, it changed everything, since it could be made to do ANYTHING (DX7 tones, and more -). They remain truly phenomenal value and versatility these mini keys -FM synth, sequencer/ drum machine to full featured MIDI controller ( @32:50 to end 👍) . I still have a PSS 780 and PSS 680 (through a QY10,etc)), and i it is a bit of a let-down that the modern reissues ( Yamaha Reface series) kind of miss the mark in comparison.

[@forsale313]

Thank you so much for this video. I picked one of these up for $60, I knew it was a winner when I saw the envelope charts on it. now I Don"t have to read the manual. Thank you again

[@petals9287]

I love your videos, presentation, and just the feel of your videos. I would totally love if you made a Instagram or did some KZbin shorts where you play some original tunes. Your amazing! Keep up the good work.

[@seuck1870]

Lovely! Really nice tune four minutes into the video.

[@reedsutter8485]

I had a lot of fun with one of these over the years. It found its way onto recordings alongside much more “pro” synths. That nasty fm distortion is magnetic.

[@cheapmusicgear]

I have a pss-380 that I ended up getting for free last year, and it’s seriously so good for being a cheap little home keyboard/synth

[@sssyntax]

This is the best and slickest keyboard video ive ever seen!

[@KeenOnKeys]

Thanks!

[@kgbstudio]

long awaited, so excited to watch this! :)

[@mvoproject]

Excellent home synth for the time (even today I think). It`s not just a rompler but the true synthesizer, of course if you are familiar with an FM programming. Some of the sounds clearly reminds my fav. Sega Mega Drive game console. Very cool demo song you made at the end.

[@Cesarsound1]

I had one in 1990, would love to buy it again.

[@drmn247]

The PSS breakdown I've been needing!

[@valley_robot]

I love FM synths , they sound dark and metallic to me, just what i need in my music

[@DiscoCitizens240]

Ahh yes! I had this back in the late 80s. It’s how I learned FM synthesis. I shouldn’t have sold it

[@tbdaemon]

Really working that dark, ambient synth this episode.

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

As a PSS 680 owner i was always happy you could save presets in the keyboard (as long as it had batteries inside) or dump it as MIDI SysEx patches on your computer (and getting them into your keyboard again the other way round). Insanely fun to play and tinker with, despite the mouse-keys.

[@directionlessstudios7210]

Absolutely amazing!! Just picked one of these up in the wild. Your video far exceeded my expectations. Looking fwd to part 2, & to checkout your bandcamp album. Cheers.

[@tonybarnes8877]

As always, well worth the wait

[@inthefade]

I just got one of these and can't wait to dig into it. The pure sounds are so nostalgic, but running it through a Zoom CDR pedal or other effects is where I'm expecting the real gold.

[@michaelturner4457]

I like this channel. Don't turn it on, take it apart!...then turn it on.

[@dl8cy]

Awesome video ... I like definitely your way of presentation (Grűße vom Pernlauer Berg)

[@javiceres]

I concur

[@outsideredge]

My parents got this brand new for me and brother for Christmas back in the early 90s. It was a really expensive toy. I admit I played the hell out of it for years and we kept it even when we moved houses. As much as I played with it though I'm sure I only scratched the surface of what I could do with it

[@merttopel]

Beautiful musicianship!

[@cbuchner1]

I got this keyboard in 10th grade and loved it. Unfortunately after a few years some of the soft buttons got worn out and would no longer register reliably. I really enjoy how your video series treats this little „toy synth“ like a first rate citizen.

[@clarel6252]

This is an amazing video!!!

[@geoffm296-games3]

If Yamaha made a new portable keyboard of a similar size as this one that has automatic accompaniments (plus a simple sequencer for making custom ones) and a simple feature for editing and creating voices with three modes (FM like this one, analog filters, and built-in samples on which one could add an effect and a filter) and set an affordable price for it (similar to current beginner keyboards of the brand), I am very sure that it would sell really well. I imagine such a keyboard to have a similar design style as the current PSS series (like A50) and to be part of that series.

[@5argetech56]

Oh boy, an instant classic. My first real synthesizer and I mean it was a real synthesizer and a good keyboard too. You can use as a controller or sound module with 16 midi Channel control I made some absolutely spectacular sounds with the two oscillator synth that's on it and you can store the sounds with midi bulk dump. I used it with a QX-21 two track sequencer

[@konkl]

damnit i used to have a pss-780 as a kid and i really regret throwing that away so long back

[@jennoscura2381]

I recently got a PSS-680. I love it. At first it doesn't sound like much. But once you start tweaking the parameters you can get some nice sounds. I am working on a cover of the 80s Doctor Who theme. I already have patches for the bum bu bum and the doo wee oo. I used the portamento on the doo wee oo. It's the only use for portamento I have found so far. And to add the cherry on top I added some dely from my mixer. It's not bad at all compared to the original done on a Yamaha CS-80. Given the small size of the keyboard I play it via MIDI from my Radio Shack Concertmate. So I these keyboards are worth picking if the price is right. EDIT TO ADD I had no idea you could adjust the portamento. Glad I found your video.

[@jennoscura2381]

An update after having this for a while. I really like it. The piano (03) sounds really nice with vibrato, sustain, chorus, and duet. The MIDI makes it really nice to play since I can use another keyboard or MIDI controller. Tomorrow I have the 4 operator FB-01 arriving. I plan on getting a getting a DX7. I love the idea of having 2 op, 4 op, and 6 op synths. I may also get a 4 op keyboard so I can have a nice stack of FM keyboards on a single stand.