Yamaha CS-80 inc FX | 36 Iconic Riffs by Vangelis, ELO & More!

[@s.kxx1956]

Finally ! A spot on on africa brass sound !

[@AndyWhitmore]

thanks - I do try my hardest! thanks for watching

[@KBizzy]

Almost… not quite enough release imo

[@AndyWhitmore]

@@KBizzy well i tried!

[@KBizzy]

@@AndyWhitmore it still sounds good. That’s just me being nit picky.

[@NeilVanceNeilVance]

Absolutely terrific! Been waiting 18 years for a proper demonstration showcasing the versatility and sound variations of the CS, on its own with a pinch of the verb. Thank you, man!

[@AndyWhitmore]

Well thank you for your kind works- I did loads of research and I don’t think anyone else has done this video!

[@retrosound72]

Very nice demo of the big boy.

[@AndyWhitmore]

Thank you It took 3 days and I wanted it to be right!!

[@ClaudeLavender]

Very impressed! You nailed them!

[@AndyWhitmore]

I am glad you are happy - thanks for watching!!

[@mkeysou812]

Great job, thanks for taking the time to do this! Macca sure loved this synth

[@AndyWhitmore]

Absolute pleasure - glad the video is gaining traction - McCartney was a fan of the CS80- I wonder if he still has it

[@chriswareham]

With the aftertouch and pitch strip that's a superb performance instrument, and you demonstrate it beautifully!

[@AndyWhitmore]

thanks for the compliment!!!

[@furrymonsta1591]

Excellent recreations. Sent a shiver up my spine. Now I can see what people loved about it.

[@AndyWhitmore]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@DarkSideofSynth]

Splendid!

[@AndyWhitmore]

Thanks very much - if you have any ideas for other songs that use the CS80 do let me know in the comments thank you

[@AlexandreMarzullo]

Wonderful, wonderful video. Amazing!

[@AndyWhitmore]

Thanks - it was a lot of work but I'm happy with the results & feedback!

[@budgetkeyboardist]

Lovely sounds!

[@AndyWhitmore]

Thank u!🙏

[@NOLNV1]

Lovely to see it all in action, what a good looking instrument it is, and I think it sounds great! Some comments here seem as though it's being foisted upon them against their will, well if it is I will gladly take it for you!

[@AndyWhitmore]

thanks for your feedback - & yes - when you put yourself out there - you get everyone coming at you!! however - it has been remarked that the people who watch my videos are extremely well informed!! Thanks for watching!👍😎

[@christopherpederson1021]

such a unique sounding machine. I especially think the resonace is so lovely!

[@AndyWhitmore]

Yes - the resonance & ring mod are legendary

[@DrawbarPete]

This was a wonderful journey of the CS-80. Well done!! Thank you:)

[@AndyWhitmore]

we aim to please - thanks

[@angeleeruiz]

Hats Off maestro, awesome!

[@AndyWhitmore]

Thanks for the feedback - a lot of work but I am feeling the love!

[@soulagegoogle5187]

Thank you

[@AndyWhitmore]

Thanks For watching - glad you enjoyed

[@EphemeralProductions]

I had NO idea most of these had been done on a CS80! Whoa! Crazy!

[@AndyWhitmore]

It really is amazing how much has been created with the CS80! It's a classic for a reason!

[@mickec5245]

Love it! Especially the ELO parts

[@AndyWhitmore]

Thanks, I enjoyed making this video

[@NicolasMelis]

well done!🎹

[@AndyWhitmore]

Thanks for the feedback!!!

[@PoPanzPoPanz]

Der König der analogen Polysynths. Und wie schön er doch klingt. What else ?

[@AndyWhitmore]

great to hear from you! Thanks for watching!👍😎

[@nonsuch]

A lot of those sound spot on. Others sound very close with the only real issue being a bit too much LFO. One I'm kinda struggling with is Dutchess. I only hear the CP70 on that section. Maybe it's used on the bridge? I know Tony used the CS80 a bunch on Duke. Cheers!🥂

[@AndyWhitmore]

Thanks for the feedback- I’ll give the genesis another listen!!

[@jaggass]

The fx isn't overdone. Lovely stereo spread and so glad Takin It Back was played. Spoke to Steve Porcaro about that sound.

[@AndyWhitmore]

no fx at all!!! lol

[@jaggass]

@@AndyWhitmore It sounded like it did but must have a longer release time. Does the CS-80 have any other waveforms like Square, triangle etc?

[@AndyWhitmore]

@@jaggass the CS80 has it all! sub oscillator has sine - the best ever! - both oscillators have sawtooth & pulse width - pulse width gives all variants inc square wave

[@jaggass]

@@AndyWhitmore I actually do hear the square wave on Dreadlock Holiday. I'd love to know why a CS-80 sounds so different from any other analog synth.

[@AndyWhitmore]

@@jaggass HI - I can give you a few pointers: 1 - CS80 has 16 individual oscillators with 16 individual signal paths - most synths (eg - Prophet 5 Rev 3, OB-8) us a chip (Curtis chip in the Prophet & OB-8) that has 10 oscillators & 16 oscillators in one chip meaning they all sound the same - & then they are processed as one. So the CS80 does literally sound like 16 individual voices. 2 - CS80 has 2 individual synths - synth 1 & synth 2 - so you can set them up as 2 different sounds - even the Jupiter 8 has both banks of oscillators going through one set of processing. 3 - the pitch bend strip is seen on very few other synths 4 - there is glissando & Portamento 5 - it has 5 LFOs for modulation routes (like the other CS synths) meaning it has much more flexibility for vibrato type effects - the Jupiter 8 has 2 & the prophet 5 has one - unless you use the 2nd bank of oscillators as a LFO 6 - Polyphonic After touch 7 - The best ever ring modulator 8 - Tremolo that speeds up like a real Leslie speaker There is more - but this is the main ones Thanks for watching!

[@marvinlilienfeld7476]

Toto Takin It Back 👏 beautiful.

[@AndyWhitmore]

thank you!

[@jackierabbit450]

I used to have a Yamaha sk20 symphonic ensemble when I was a teenager, I tried so hard to reproduce so many of the things I heard on the vangelis spiral and blade runner soundtrack where unmistakably Yamaha synth sounds, or the strings sounds, I did very much enjoy the drawbar organ on the sk20 symphonic ensemble and was able to pair it together with the synth and string sections to do very interesting things, the actual most interesting bit was the percussive adjustment to the drawbar, it allowed me to make very convincing piano sounds when combined with other elements... No matter how hard I tried I could not recreate that vangelis sound and was unable to figure it out until I realized the multiple oscillators and ring modulation we're just not something I had access to even though I recognized the very specific Yamaha synth sound from that little sk20...

[@AndyWhitmore]

yes - i've been there - trying to copy a sound made on a different synth - originally - the idea of a synth was it could make any sound - well if that was true - you would only need one synth! lol - anyway - thanks for watching & maybe you can buy any of the CS range which has a ring modulator on - cs40m at £1500 for instance!

[@Fallingoverbackwards]

Can you do the bladerunner blues example?

[@AndyWhitmore]

Will do

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

Here’s my question I should’ve asked previously, Andy. The literature I’ve read about this synthesizer leads me to think that it was the first ever instance where a hammer action keyboard was ever attached to one. Does it feel synonymous with the touch of a digital piano as they have emerged in the time since the 80s? For instance, if you were going to place it next to a Kurzweil K250, would you say that they have remotely similar touch?

[@AndyWhitmore]

good question - it doesn't feel anything like a piano - or the K250 - there is a certain squelchiness to the feel of the CS80 keyboard - mainly due to the aftertouch - its in a group of one!!

[@stephennoble2647]

10cc Dreadlock Holiday lead sound was an electric organ not CS80....

[@AndyWhitmore]

oops!

[@darrengoodenough8064]

Legendary machine time by elo great album

[@AndyWhitmore]

completely agree - great album!

[@geoffk777]

I saw the dry video first and this is just night and day. I actually remember playing the CS-80 in the 70's at music shops and trade shows. I was never impressed and thought that it sounded just Ok. But with a bit of reverb and eq, it really comes alive. I still think that a Montage or Kronos could copy these sounds pretty easily, but I see why the CS-80 was considered a classic. Incidentally, Blade Runner had a LOT of reverb. I think you could have added a bit more and it would have been closer to the original.

[@AndyWhitmore]

thanks for your feedback - comments noted!

[@Esperluet]

Montage or Modx can recreate those sounds rather precisely, question of time and habit

[@AndyWhitmore]

@@Esperluet Excellent - when you do a video of it - let me know & I'll give you my review - thanks for watching!!!

[@AndyWhitmore]

@@Esperluet let me know if you release a video demoing this - thanks for watching!

[@Meteotrance]

Some are probably done with the GX 1 especialy stuff of Stevie Wonder from song in the key of life , the Jacksons the brothers of Michael also use those CS 80 on stage and a least on the Destiny album.

[@AndyWhitmore]

I'm sure you are correct!!

[@LovelyRita57]

UK's Alaska?

[@AndyWhitmore]

Yep - good shout - it’s on my list for the next CS 80 video

[@panutalus]

it's a bit funny how you managed to get "to the unknown man" sound wrong because it's simply the default guitar preset.

[@AndyWhitmore]

You are right, and I actually know that. Do you want to know the story? Why I had to do it that way

[@therestorationofdrwho1865]

You played the Doctor Who bass an octave too low, btw.

[@AndyWhitmore]

Thanks - I am going to come back to this video & up grade

[@therestorationofdrwho1865]

@@AndyWhitmore I’ve recreated the bass before and have a video up of it if you’d like to hear it. Currently working on an even better version. It’s also played slightly differently than you have here, which seems to be based off of a studio interview with Peter Howell where he strangely played it wrong, likely as it had been a while since he recorded it originally. Another thing is that the opening sting sound is a chord, which can be seen in the same video, though whether it’s the correct chord is hard to tell.

[@therestorationofdrwho1865]

@@AndyWhitmore I’ve recreated the bass before and have a video up of it if you’d like to hear it. Currently working on an even better version. It’s always played slightly differently than you have here, which seems to be based off of a studio interview with Peter Howell where he strangely played it wrong, likely as it had been a while since he recorded it originally

[@AndyWhitmore]

@@therestorationofdrwho1865 I'll be in touch - thanks!

[@AndyWhitmore]

@@therestorationofdrwho1865 I will check out

[@Gerald_Daniel]

Not even a little close except Steve Porcaro's Intro from " Taking It Back"!

[@AndyWhitmore]

Thanks for feedback re Taking it back - thanks for watching

[@stoatystoat174]

:)

[@AndyWhitmore]

Thanks for the encouragement

[@Mrphilharmonic]

Oh come on! They sound NOTHING like the originals!!!

[@AndyWhitmore]

"Not gonna be 100% identical, but hey, it’s a real CS-80 doing its thing! Any specific ones you think I should tweak next time?"

[@XPJV]

Most overpriced synth in the world! Overpriced not in thousands but in dozens of thousands!

[@AndyWhitmore]

Have you seen inside? Its like a computer thats wired up manually with real wires - expensive but currently has no equal

[@XPJV]

@AndyWhitmore , It doesn't matter how it's made, but it matters what it does! To my ears, it has sound of simple VST. Nothing complex or that specific analog warmth. Simply look straight into eyes of truth...

[@AndyWhitmore]

@@XPJV well I get so much feedback back from the synth - it is so expressive & you can feel where the sound is going through the many controls that are set up perfectly - you couldn't do that on a vst - especially with a mouse! Yes - if you get a control pad with controls on it - it will be closer but at the end of the day - a digital synth is like a photograph of the real thing - but is not the real thing - it might even be really close - but it is always a copy. Lastly - each & every CS80 sounded different to each other - so even the perfect clone is only ever a snap shot of one cs80! But if you are happy with a simple VST - then that is great.

[@XPJV]

@@AndyWhitmore, Enjoy your CS-80 religion 👍

[@AndyWhitmore]

@@XPJV Ha! I will & thanks for watching!

[@danl9407]

the worst was Blade Runner... :))))))) shame, as it IS THE MOST iconic sound of the CS-80...

[@AndyWhitmore]

Sorry to hear that - by all means send me what I did wrong? - Thanks

[@danl9407]

@@AndyWhitmore first of all the sound itself, the settings you have used, you did not come even close to the sound. Then the playing, the execution...

[@AndyWhitmore]

@@danl9407 Any chance you can record a video & show me how its done?

[@chrismossy9774]

​​​​​​I think he meant that the attack should be softer both in terms of the volume (VCA) and filter (VCF). It sounded a bit too harsh to me as well. I also think the brass lick from "Chariots of Fire" would have benefited from such a setting with the use of aftertouch to gradually open the filter. I made a cover of that theme and know that the brass lick is a bit tricky to get right because each note varies the usage of the filter in slightly different ways. The filter must be controlled live via aftertouch if possible or by tweaking the filter controls. Simultaneously, the vibrato might sometimes be varied in a similar manner, at least for "Blade Runner". So all in all, volume, filter and vibrato are controlled at the same time which is very hard to do but you are lucky to be able to use the aftertouch to help you out here. The Danish Symphony Orchestra played the "Blade Runner" theme but the filter envelope setting was fixed so that the filter opened up the same for each note which made it sound bad and less smooth and dynamic. For both "Blade Runner" and "Chariots of Fire", the sound should imitate a brass instrument envelope. So, on the long notes, after the initial attack which should go from soft to a bit brighter quickly and the fall back to more mellow, the filter then opens again but later and more slowly than one the short notes. And then the filter closes at the end so that the sound is always moving or pulsating. When one plays this, one should think of the sound as a wind instrument and not just play it as a piano. Feel and shape the sound as if you were blowing wind into a trumpet or flute. This goes for all sounds on a keyboard. String sounds must be played with the phrasing and voicing of a real string orchestra to sound realistic. Same with guitar sounds and so on. One must know how the real instrument is played to emulate it well. I hope you might find my thoughts on this helpful.

[@danl9407]

@@AndyWhitmore send me the CS-80 and will do. Meanwhile check some other videos on you tube where some people use other synths and play the Blade Runner theme