My first synth. STILL AWESOME! Yamaha PSS-480 from 1988

Ah it was 1988 and I had just started earning my own cash from an actual employer. Couldn't believe how rich I was! And the first big purchase was, naturally, a keyboard. It actually turned out to be more synth than I had imagined - the Yamaha PSS-480.
Now, over 30 years later, I've found one again in perfect condition. It's so pleasing to find that it's still a hefty sound generator, easily worthy of a place in a modern line-up.

[@Ccescui]

Gosh I spent soooo many hours of my HS and even into college in my beloved PSS-480, I still have it but in its box like a treasure! It was a baby that I wished for for like 3-4 yrs until my parents could aford it and I will always be thankful for it!

[@atacomatimco4724]

i love this keyboard with all my heart. i taught myself how to play on this keyboard and i don’t think i’ll ever switch up

[@gearfacts]

It's a mini classic :)

[@shoseinen]

Yesterday ive found the pss480 in my house. I love it for msdos sounds. Didnt think about the arpeggiator via midi, its awesome! Thank you

[@gearfacts]

Glad you like it!

[@notsofunnynowisit]

Ha! Still have that baby sitting right above to my Arturia! Absolutely adore my 480 and wouldn't trade it for nuthin'. It's truly unique among the crowded FM keyboards that were made for home use - spanky and bright and bizarre - but putter with it enough and you can really pull some awesome sounds out of it that you can't really replicate elsewhere. One of the most important aspects of being able to create is having a few really good inspiration machines - it's like being a painter and having unlimited access to a billion colors that you can just start throwing on a canvas. Try putting a chorus and delay inline with it and you'll get lost for hours. The PSS480 has limitations, for sure, but if you work within that box you can really get some amazing results. . Check out Chris Lody's channel for an excellent example of how to program loop-ish stuff on the 480/580 using the sound banks - it's pretty brilliant. . Cool pick for review, brother!

[@gearfacts]

Yep it's like a little compartment of sounds you can't get anywhere else. I think I'll hang onto it forever too :)

[@jdxijames]

It was also the fact you could loop sections using the chord memory that I loved.

[@AspartameBoy]

Great for jamming to 12 bar blues

[@discgolfpancho]

I love it when you wax nostaligic! I stumbled on your channel a few years ago and it inspired my love for Casios and especially the PSS Yamahas :) I have the 470 and 680 and love them both. Big thanks to Gearfacts for the world of fun you have unlocked for me! Cheers mate!

[@gearfacts]

Awesome message - thank you! You have a 470 and a 680? Well that's pretty much all you need for a happy life :) #gearfacts

[@malmanification]

I must say, This video certainly justified my purchase of a PSS-480 for myself. I recently found myself looking into and getting interested with Synthesizers and this was the one I managed to get my hands on. It's still shipping, but you showed off such a range of possibilities with this model that I cant help but feel giddy waiting.

[@gearfacts]

Ah man it's an absolute joy - just good simple synth fun. Certainly not a complete solution in its own right, but hours of fun to be had and plenty of good sound can be taken from it. Good purchase!

[@avalongmail]

Nice review. My first keyboard was the Yamaha PSS-270 for Christmas in 1987. My father had the PSS 560 from earlier that same year which he later gave to me in 1989 when he bought the PSR-36. From there I bought the PSR-510 in 1995, and then bought my current workstation keyboard...the PSR-S770. The PSS-480 is a keyboard I still want to try. It was a nice portable workstation keyboard for it's time. In the early 90s Yamaha stopped making any PSS keyboards, but started the PSS line again after in 2019 (for anyone that does not know the PSS keyboards all have mini keys, the PSR has full size keys)...What I like the mini keys is complex melodies are easier to play, as well as bass lines.

[@lunarsoundstage8327]

Just got one at a thrift shop for 10 dollars the first 30 seconds of your video justifies my purchase hooking it up to my keystep tonight powerful fun !!

[@gearfacts]

$10 wow! A Korg Volca FM would have cost you ten times that amount and it's not as good. Well done!

[@bicyclops]

I used to love playing with this board as a kid, and I still think the yellow demo button is an absolute riot. I didn't know what I had of course, but now I appreciate that it's a very worthy little synth. If you use an editor like PSS Wave Editor you can get some truly bizarre sounds out of it (there are a surprising number of parameters you can't get at otherwise).

[@RoneySmithseedoflife]

I love your words early in the video about looking at the keyboard for what it can do versus the sounds and rhythms onboard! My first keyboard was the Yamaha PSS-680. After I discovered that my mother-in-law and wife took it to Goodwill, I immediately bought another one within the past 6-9 months lol 😂 🏆🏆🏆🏆

[@gearfacts]

Wow the 680 must blown your mind as a first keyboard :) #Gearfacts

[@RoneySmithseedoflife]

Gearfacts I bought it while being underpaid and overworked as a restaurant manager with a layaway plan from Montgomery Ward which are no longer in business, so my only answer is yes lol 😂 After I discovered it missing, I found a cassette tape of several songs that I composed using it. I then felt like Liam Neeson in “Taken”. I immediately went online and got my third daughter (PSS-680) back lol 😂😂😂😂. I acquired it before I was married so I was more attached to the model than the specific keyboard. I even went to the thrift store where it was taken. They are all kept closer to my bedroom to avoid having history repeat itself!

[@sahilhiramanlakhraj7508]

Finally saw.the keyboard brought back memories my spell checker changed I from 480 to 40

[@gearfacts]

Awesome :) #Gearfacts

[@doggerproductions]

PSR SQ16........nice rear beast from the early 90's🤗

[@pianokeyjoe]

Ah yes :D The ONE that got away from me sadly.. A PSR500 on steroids

[@kimthompson5871]

You are still doing great work brother . Keep up the great reviews !

[@gearfacts]

I appreciate that!

[@Am71919]

Got my PSS 570 the other day, just did a few videos on it and a whole lot more are coming!!!

[@gearfacts]

subbed

[@Am71919]

@@gearfacts awesome, now sit back and enjoy!!!!

[@quantumeseboy]

My first synth too. I remember writing down parameters on paper because once unplugged all the user patches were gone.

[@gearfacts]

Same! I still do it today sometimes

[@RaptureMusicOfficial]

Amazing. It's different than the PSS390 in sound and style, but the design of those keyboards are quite similar.

[@sonicaids]

Hope you're keeping this one, they are getting harder to find these days.

[@gearfacts]

Yeah, I really think I will. I'm not usually that much of a sentimental guy, but this keyboard is literally where it all started. So yep it's a keeper. And hey, as we've seen - it can still kick out some nice tones. Thanks for the comment! :) #Gearfacts

[@LittleRichard1988]

I would probably buy one if I didn't already have the PSS-470 and PSS-280. The drums on this one actually have a natural tone to them.

[@gearfacts]

I agree. The only other PSS I'd be looking to add to your collection would be the PSS-680 or 780. That'd make a really nice trio :) #Gearfacts

[@pianokeyjoe]

Where to start? This keyboard was my first ever semi pro midi workstation keyboard back in the early 1990s. I used it for most of my music compositions. It has 100 preset but editable 2 operator FM tones, 100 12bit PCM preset rhythms, and 9 note polyphony with last note priority. It features a 256 step real time, auto quantizable 5 track midi sequencer with 5 track chord/registration memory(each CHORD track on the sequencer an actually be used to record track 1-5 live punch in/punch out events for a looping song mode). The synthesizer section actually has 10 parametres based on the 2 operator format. You press button 1, on the synth, and get one set of values, press it again, and you get the second operator's set of values. You can save upto 5 custom synth sounds in the internal 64kb of static ram which stores ALL memory based data, like song,custom drummer, and synth sounds, in it. This is retainable only with a set of batteries installed at all times and using the power adaptor, or with the power adaptor plugged IN at all times, even when switched OFF. You do get a few minutes of capacitor backed memory while you plug in or replace batteries. If not, you loose all data again and go back to zero. The internal sound engine is 16 part multitimbral with full velocity sensing only via the midi input jack using an external midi keyboard controller. The polyphony stays at 9 notes max so you get last or high note priority when playing more than 9 midi channels. The rhythm track in set to midi channel 16 on this unit. The CHORDS are midi transmittable in NORMAL mode which is 00 mode in midi button. Tone gen mode which will NOT allow local control of functions, is mode 99. The sequencer has 5 monophonic tracks for SONG, and each track can be combined pressed to give you more polyphony but you lose track space. Unit has easter egg parametres in MIDI MODE 99 that are NOT accessible via the front panel or under normal midi mode 00. This board was a faithful friend and I still have one but in need of repairs. IF I was you, I would go for the PSS680. It has the same features, but a few extras added in including 61 keys, a pitch bend wheel, and an RX11 drum machine sound engine with drum pads. The custom drummer is 8 bars or 8 counts in 4/4 measure that loops. The preset beats are the same length, and they loop after count 8. That roll function is VERY handy and nice to have.

[@gearfacts]

Notable point about the battery/memory relationship. Important to remember that one. I'd like to access the 'Easter egg' parameters you mention. Oh and Yep I think I've done a couple of videos about the PSS-680 but there are over 1300 vids in my archive now so you'd have to search "Gearfacts pss-680" to see them I think :) #Gearfacts

[@joonglegamer9898]

Had the PSS-680 when I was a kid, sadly most people mistook these for a toy. The thing is, back in those days - Yamaha used FM synthesiz in everything they could throw at it. Last year I discovered something even more amazing. They made a lineup of really expensive organs called the ELECTONE series, and in the late 80s (1987) they made one called the HS-4, HS-6 and HS-8 (flagship model), it looks like an old hammond organ, but is in reality a 4-operators 16 algorithm FM synth, in fact - got 2.5 of those - in STEREO, with the worlds first AWM sampled drum-set. Most demos you see on youtube, just mis-use it as if it was a traditional organ, but in reality it was a completely over-engineered FM synth with a sequencer so hard to use, no one bothered with it. I have played with it, and not only can you make your own FM sounds (like on the cheaper Portasound series) but you have a multi-timbral setup too, where you can layer up to 3 instruments on each keybed/channel...it has 3... with 7 polyphony on each. Crazy - and it's all programmable, arpeggios, sequence, drums and sounds. As if that wasn't enough, they threw in Touch sensitivity as well as after-touch on each keybed. And to think people just toss those into the garbage, thinking it's just an organ from the 80s. OOOof...

[@gearfacts]

Wow I am so looking around for an HS now!

[@joonglegamer9898]

@@gearfacts Take a look at this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z4C9pH-tmb6UpLM - the guy uses the top model HS-8 (I have the HS-6, the only difference is that the HS-8 has an LCD display to display the menu text from the rotary menu selection) and also have after-touch on the PEDALS! They used to be SICK expensive, and you can see the design resembles the PORTASOUND series a lot, it's from the exact same time, and they tossed in a couple of Yamaha DX7's for good measure - which makes this a WICKED strong workstation for FM synthesiz (which is something this man you see in the video, clearly demostrates in 2018) :)

[@davidvass9645]

Mine has an awful 60hz buzz that i fear will never be mended. Really fun piece this one.

[@gearfacts]

Surely a tech could isolate the buzzy component though? I guess it's a cost/benefit thing...

[@doordedeur]

I've had the PSS-580, which is the same as the PSS-480, but with a different color scheme. I bought it as a toy with many features, but I couldn't get in love with the ugly FM sounds. I ended up selling it and I now use a simple Casio SA-35 keyboard with pcm sounds as a portable toy keyboard instead. Just its piano sound alone makes it lots more usefull for jamming.

[@gearfacts]

Yeah the SA35 gives generously for its size. I don't think I've reviewed it.

[@doordedeur]

@@gearfacts The SA-35 is no different than an SA-20, except for a display and half an octave of extra keys. I also have a Casio SA-10, which is an SA-20 with one speaker less. It has exactly the same rhythms and sounds as the SA-35.

[@pianokeyjoe]

I would like to add: PSS480/680 made and distributed in Puerto Rico and sold by Kmart and Sears for a retail price of $169.99 or there abouts, in 1987. In 1988, the Casio MT240 tonebank keyboard came to Puerto Rico. For the commenter who likes the PCM casio tone over the Yamaha FM tones. The Casio MT240 is FAR better than the SA35.

[@gearfacts]

Cool :) #Gearfacts

[@Simon-ui6db]

these are great when used with pssed. A windows 10 compatible pss x80 editor. Can access some parts of the operators that the front panel can't. Use it with my 680.

[@gearfacts]

Ah yes I read about it some times ago. Thanks for reminding me! I'll seek out a download now.

[@antonisatwork]

pissed

[@travisguide4516]

Your videos are so cool

[@gearfacts]

Thanks TG ;)

[@subhasishalder3510]

I have it. It is my first synth.

[@terranceshider3660]

I want one I love Yamaha keyboards

[@dougradford5100]

I have one in great condition.

[@dougradford5100]

For sale.

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

Some nuts sounds.

[@telophasemusic]

I got this as a gift a long time ago, and while i have a decent collection of synths (for me anyhow lol) i still love this one. I like to play early OMD songs with it because it's the closest i can feel to playing a Korg M500 Micro Preset Tiny keys are a hassle though not gonna lie

[@gearfacts]

Hook up a midi controller with proper keys, it's a whole new experience!

[@terryfinan3645]

love early OMD. Got a cheap Jen synth in early '80's just to try and emulate them. I couldn't.😂. I own a PSS 480 and never thought of trying to play OMD on it but I will try now.👍

[@frogpr1nce411]

After lusting after this one in my local K-Mart for some time, I eventually scrounged up the $149.99 from birthday money and paper route money to buy this. People could have laughed at me... but at the time, it was the only keyboard K-Mart had that had midi ports on the back. It would take me an additional 6 years before I started actually sequencing with this keyboard in the early 90s on Windows 3.1 with Cakewalk 3 (closest thing now is Sekaiju ... which is almost the spitting image of Cakewalk Pro 3). Gave it away to a girl I had a crush on at the time after I bought my Ensoniq T-12, but bothered myself to go back and re-acquire it just recently. 🙂

[@gearfacts]

Cool story - so did she still have it to give back to you after all those years?

[@frogpr1nce411]

@@gearfacts Funny story, I did also recently re-acquire that friendship, as well, and ... no. She did NOT still have it. 🙂

[@kimthompson5871]

I have one and it’s cool very versatile . The only thing wrong with mine is the recording feature died . Other than that a great Timeless machine . .

[@executionsquad3926]

Loved its keys! Could play melodies very fast on it. But my fingers are way thinner than yours. Actually came to watch because I remember the board would resonate when playing certain sounds. Sounding great, literally.

[@gearfacts]

Yep I agree, there are some genuinely good sounds that are hard to find on modern keyboards. Your username ...doesn't sound like the average keyboard player! haha

[@jdxijames]

And (sorry) a sample of the 480 or 680 can be heard in Queens Invisible Man.

[@gearfacts]

I've got to check that out

[@jdxijames]

Have a listen to style 15 and compare.

[@bestrickie2]

I agree, the digital synthesiser is extremely powerful especially when you added some arpeggio it sounds fantastic. I’ve had the PSS 5,80, 680 and loads of others over the years. I’ve got a couple of extremely modern keyboards, including Yamaha PSR, SX 900, which is fantastic and it has built arpeggio. I’m wondering if it’s triggered via midi. If it is triggered via midi I’d absolutely love to hook it up via midi to a couple of vintage Roland music keyboards I probably own and set off the arpeggio to play the sounds on the Roland keyboards.

[@gearfacts]

Yep arpeggios transmit via midi, and it always works particularly well when it’s Yamaha to Yamaha 👍

[@jdxijames]

Still got mine too. Completely bonkers fun and just about working. Need to take it apart at some stage.

[@gearfacts]

A keeper :) #Gearfacts

[@motrcycleboy]

Love these old Yamaha PSS keyboards. I just bought a Yamaha pss -51 from eBay. I like it but am having a problem adapting to the mini keys. I find the keys trigger on the slightest touch so I have to be really careful with my technique. Is this normal for these keyboards or maybe mine needs a good service? I notice you say mini keys are generally hard to play

[@gearfacts]

Hmm I’ve never known them to be so sensitive. But yeah it’s a great series, my favorite is the pss 680. Excellent synth :)

[@delscoville]

I had the PSS 780. Was still a flat control surface, that included a lot of drum pads forward of the keyboard. I think it had an additional FM operator too, dunno, seems like the 780 sounded better than what you are demoing here. But a lot of time has passed since I used one.

[@gearfacts]

The 780 had PCM sounds which sound conventionally better, but the 480 is all FM waveform so it sounds less realistic, but can be a lot more crazy. Both are great! :) #gearfacts

[@sauermusicDE]

@@gearfacts Sorry...but the 780 is also a 2-operator FM synth. Only the drums are PCM samples. Same with 480/580/680. Check the manual or some old brochure. The later PSS790/795/51 used AWM samples.

[@lostinreverb]

Great video! Do you recommend this one for ambient music?

[@gearfacts]

Glad you liked the video! I guess is has some good ambient sounds. Some might say it's a little too 'metallic' sounding for ambient music, but I guess it depends on your personal style

[@bestrickie2]

Not a bad cheesy sound and I owned a PSS 580 which is predominantly the same as this. At one time, I also owned the Big Brother PSS 680 and I’ve also had PSS 780 which are all very much the same apart from the few odd features including slightly different accomplishments found on the 780. What are you using to get the arpeggio affect what device may I ask? The digital synthesiser effects are extremely sophisticated and running these type of keyboards via an effect processor. Absolutely enhances. the sound completely amazing results. The custom drummer is a very good section though I’ve noticed PSS 680 and 780 there are a lot of extra drum sounds in comparison to the 480 and 580 where there are a lot of drum sounds missing.

[@gearfacts]

The sequencer is a Roland PMA-5. But part of the beauty of this keyboard is that it will readily take midi signals from just about anything. Hook it up to the most powerful synth you can find, you'll get all kinds of cool results :)

[@subwaygaragemusic]

AKA the John Shuttleworth keyboard.

[@notsofunnynowisit]

That was the PSS-680. Bit of a different beast. . ...now I've a hankering for a cuppa yorkshire tea...

[@subwaygaragemusic]

@@notsofunnynowisit I literally read that last sentence in Shuttleworth's voice LMAO

[@keithhampton9700]

Picked mine at Goodwill for 8.00$!!! Score!!!!!!!!

[@gearfacts]

Yes! A little -known classic for $8 ! Well done sir

[@keithhampton9700]

@@gearfacts I have had 2 Yamaha keyboards both from the same era. Power cord shorts on both. To your knowledge, is this common?

[@musique4581]

Also my first synth! There‘s a free VST plugin out there: www.audioanimals.co.uk/shop/sample-shop/yamaha-pss-480

[@gearfacts]

Interesting! :) #Gearfacts

[@cindygroves5804]

I had the PSS-680, which had the same rhythms and sounds and the same synthesizer. The major difference was it had 61 keys and larger drum pads with more drum sounds. It was a great board. Are you going to keep the 480?

[@RoneySmithseedoflife]

Cindy Groves Same here on the PSS-680! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@gearfacts]

Yep I'm going to keep it. The 480 is where it all started for me. I've had a 680 too which as you say is even better, but that came much later in my journey so it doesn't have the same sentimental rush. I think I made a PSS-680 video a few years ago though :) #Gearfacts

[@henrikgustav2294]

route the signal to modern effect processor, and the synth sounds are limitless

[@junglist920]

I've got 2 470's and 2 480's for sale

[@nit707]

How did you program the drums live without the default closed hat and rimshot playing?

[@gearfacts]

You can clear those two sounds, leaving you with just a very quiet metronome :) #Gearfacts

[@nit707]

Gearfacts Hmm weird, doesn’t seem to clear on mine except during playback. Gonna have to mess with it a lil more, thanks man

[@rodrigoserral1396]

Are there some possibility to connect this awsome yamaha pss-480 to the computer? Becouse the driver of yamaha don´t recognize it

[@gearfacts]

USB to MIDI converter maybe? Or just record direct audio. I think those are the only two options.

[@rodrigoserral1396]

@@gearfacts I have the usb to MIDI converter but Yamaha driver doesn't work 😔 my computer detect the keyboard with a generic driver but the pss-480 needs an specific driver which I already have download from Yamahas site.

[@gearfacts]

@@rodrigoserral1396 Hmmm maybe it's just too old. There might be a Yamaha PSS forum on the net perhaps?

[@cobygrant5]

Anyone know if this thing can loop chords without any extra equipment?

[@gearfacts]

It can't do an infinite loop over a series of chords, it'll just keep playing the same chord over and over. You could record a very long "song" though with the chord progression that you need.

[@cobygrant5]

@@gearfacts thanks!

[@thompi8]

what did i se a roland PMA-5 i had one of those :D

[@gearfacts]

Such a useful tool to have in the studio. It's a permanent resident at Gearfacts :)

[@aku7598]

how much it cost then?

[@gearfacts]

Around $US80 :) #gearfacts

[@joshwizinsky1979]

It reminds me of a Sega Genesis a bit

[@gearfacts]

Yes!

[@BabbleOn]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6KkdnVmhsqoY5Y Sounds like he is rapping to the beat

[@zach3360]

HOW THE HECK DO I CONNECT THIS TO MY MACBOOK PRO ??

[@gearfacts]

I guess you'd have to get one of those rectangular docking boxes that give you some USB sockets, then you'd need a USB to MIDI adapter ...sounds fraught with tech problems :/

[@zach3360]

@@gearfacts thank you for the reply!! i bought a $20 usb-c (only ports the mac has) to Midi interface. but if i'm not mistaken, that would not get the audio over right? would I need a 3.5 mm jack to usb-c for the audio signal?

[@gearfacts]

Yeah midi will just transfer information about audio, not the audio itself It's mainly for using the keyboard to control the sounds on the mac, or using the mac to control the keyboard. It's a good setup :)

[@jerzywiktor3249]

UFO

[@gearfacts]

It's got heaps of those inds of sounds! lots fun

[@jerzywiktor3249]

@@gearfacts and that's cool