YAMAHA PSS 680 - Review & Demo - Retro Classic From 1988 - HQ Audio

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[@rexterrocks]

I still have mine from the 80's. I absolutely loved it at the time. I liked being able to create my own drum patterns on it. I had a Tascam 4 track and used it as a drum machine. The FM synth parameters allow it to make some really cool and unusual sounds. I got it out of storage recently after a couple of decades and my own presets were still there. The built-in speakers are quite good for home use. The looks and styling are very 80's and some of the sounds are a bit cheesy but it's still fun and usable. I've enjoyed reading the comments.

[@BarryWarne]

I recently came across some 4-track cassette recordings I made in the early 1990s with my brother's PSS-680 and they have a fun vibrancy to them. I was having fun and the tracks have aged better than I would have thought. Might buy one of these again.

[@TheOriginalMistaluv]

This is where my interest began...7 years old! My Dad had one and used to let me mess around on it...everything was better in the 80's!

[@markMelgeorge2845]

this was my first synth back in the day when I was 15, I loved it

[@Comascape]

My wife just picked up one of these for me for free. What a great keyboard. Especially for free! I was especially intrigued by the FM synth.

[@TheSoundTestRoom]

Very nice!

[@JavierDelgadoNauhual]

I had one of those and had many, many hours of fun. It was my first midi able instrument. Thanks for the memories :)

[@mikwhiting938]

So glad you confirmed the Invisible Man riff! I thought I was going mad! This was a brilliant little keyboard - so easy to use and you could be really creative with it.

[@Nemorosus]

My dad used to have one of these. I remember spending hours on that thing as a kid. It's crazy how recognizable the sounds were to me, the second I heard them.

[@mikea683]

I had this as a kid! It was the best thing ever! I've just managed to pick one up (boxed too) on eBay for £65 and I'm super excited to get it!

[@pappachook]

Got one of these for my 16th birthday. That wasn't yesterday. Lots of wee tricks you could do with this.

[@TMGMedia73]

Wow does this bring back memories. My father got me the Yamaha PSS 480 for Christmas and my cousin received the PSS 680 as her gift back in 1988. We both brought our keyboards to our grandparents house that Christmas and was I jealous!! I was envious that she had the model with the percussion pads on the bottom and mine didn't, plus hers sounded a little better.

[@ColinPowell_AMultitudeofOne]

I used to have one of these! Playing the drum pads was good fun. Nice to hear some "forgotten" sounds in this video! :)

[@aaronwalderslade]

I adored my 680 and made many songs on it. I loved the futuristic wedge shape and the pads were quality. Quantizing to any fraction you like. An amazing instrument. The only reason I eventually got rid of it was the mini keys. I never could get used to them. I did wear out the start/stop pad, but they can be replaced.

[@darrenwilson99]

I had one of these for Christmas around 1988. Great memories.

[@texacomann]

Very well explained! Thank you. I have the 680 too, doing music with it!

[@andymillsmusic]

Thank you, you taught me how to record on this now I can practice my stairway to heaven flute parts whilst playing my acoustic guitar at the same time 😃

[@hermeslord]

This was the first keyboard that opened my mind into track making with the song memory part, recorded on to a tape deck, owned by a friend who also joined in (four hands are better than two) and we had loads of fun in the explorations.

[@kimthompson5871]

I’d love to find one of these to add to my collection . I’m more of a guitar player but play these to add backing tracks on a budget . Great fun .

[@fatkev1983]

Looking at cheap synths on eBay... found some of these and found your video while doing some research. All of 3 minutes in and I now really want one of these.

[@fatkev1983]

I can follow this comment up and inform you I now have a PSS 680 on the way. I think it'll make a nice partner with my Casio HT6000.

[@juliem8116]

Would you mind telling me what you paid for it? I have one I want to sell but have no idea what would be a reasonable price. It belonged to my mother who was a keyboard enthusiast and a wonderful singer. I think she hoped I would follow in her footsteps but alas I did not. The keyboard has not been played for probably 10 years - just been sitting here gathering dust - I would love for it to go to someone who could get some enjoyment out of it. I am in Australia.

@@juliem8116 just bought one for 40gbp

[@juliem8116]

@ well done - hope you get great pleasure from it. I'm in Australia, sold mine for AUD$140 a couple of months back. The guy who bought it was really happy to have found one and in great working order. I was sad to see it go coz it was my mums, but at least I know someone will get pleasure from it now.

[@NLind]

Nice! I had a 680 a few years ago and miss it, might just have to find another.

[@RebeccaTurner-ny1xx]

The standard keyboard in many UK schools at the time. Hundreds of these were installed, demonstrated by the teacher and promptly wrecked.

[@kentaccordionist]

I had the 790 it was Advanced Wave Memory. It had an 8 track 8 song sequencer onboard. Midi on out and thru. Vector synth with joystick, no mod wheel but you could reverse the pitch bend so up would go down and vice versa. It had the pads down below for playing drums, and best of all it was 16 part multitimbral, so using an external sequencer you could play 16 different sounds at once. It had 16 voice polyphony, and you could bulk dump the memory to atari computer or anything that accepted bulk dumps. Cost me just over 200 pounds new. Oh and you could use pitch bend on channel 10 which as everyone knows was the drum channel. I might get another off ebay to use as an expander for my accordion, some of the auto accompaniment was really professional.

[@trains-of-canada]

Just got one for $40 in a thrift shop... Mint condition, original box with the receipt. WAY easier to get sounds then the DX7

[@pongtrometer]

I used to dream of getting one of these from Argos....it never happened ........ I fell down the rabbit hole with fingerlabs sk-1 app 🥳...thanks Doug....it was like an excursion to Benidorm.

[@torbenanschau6641]

This was my first serious keybaord and I've been using it very hard. It was my way to learn about FM-Synthesis. So I advise you to have a try on the synthesizer section which can give you some neat sounds. E.G. Take the Synth--Brass, turn off the vibrato and turn the Modulation level up to around 77, this will be a neat synthbrass. Or you start from the sine wave (I think Voice 99), raise the modulation up to even 80 and then raise the Feedback Level to 6. It's also possible to program better synth basses than the presets are, almost sounding late the late bass - use the the frequency settings of the operators for that. Also much better strings are possible than the presets are pretending. About the Sequencer: On the Chordtracks you can simply record the whole Accompainment. It will record everything you do regarding the chords, rhythm style changes, orchestration and Fill-Ins. So you could first record this "backing track" and then play along on the whole keyboard. About the tempo setting: If you press plus and minus at the same time, the preset tempo for each style will be used; for transpose it will be set to 0.

[@michaelhoodleeder]

Mine too. Great memories of being 14 for me.

[@michaelhoodleeder]

I think that's why I love the FM7 so much now

[@suadcokljat1045]

My most wanted thing from childhood! Now I have full studio of synths and still no PSS680. Cheers!

[@zackhartmann]

start huntin before theyre all gone !

[@LittleRichard1988]

Well buy one, I have one right in front of me as I type that only arrived in the post yesterday mid afternoon. It's never too late.

[@bartektanski1139]

I actually own one that I no longer use and I’m looking forward to sell it

[@_yadokari]

My first keyboard (aged 15). Got it from Boots. I mostly used it to play Jean-Michel Jarre tunes over MIDI I'd programmed into my ZX Spectrum 128. Thanks for trip down the memory lane!

[@LittleRichard1988]

I bought a PSS-680 in 2021, I didn't think I would ever buy one but I liked some of it's sounds that John Shuttleworth used like Glass celesta and Musical saw. The Digital Synthesizer is also more advanced on this keyboard than the Yamaha PSS-470 although I find the PSS-470's Digital Synthesizer more fun to mess around with. I'm still thinking about weather or not I should get a PSS-380 or PSS-390 as well. I also have the PSS-790s which was the PSS-680's successor but it uses AWM samples of actual instruments instead of FM synthesis ( actually I have 2 PSS-790s as the button no longer works on one ). Another fun thing to do if you have a PSS-680 and a 790 or PSS-51 is layering them both if you connect them with a midi cable, it works well with the percussion type sounds and can add more texture to some of the sounds. The lofi drums also have their charm, I was lucky to get a PSS-680 with all the buttons and drum pads still working.

[@afreezaphorogiancossack2194]

Nimble fingers buddy! This looks like a lot of fun!

[@hellitastenfan]

Hello ,...a nice demo my friend. best wishes

[@NeptuneReturnz]

I bought one of these around 1990 and recorded cassette albums with it. Great machine. I have a PSS 780 and DJX now and all are brilliant and worth getting!!👍

[@NSTY109]

was there any difference between the PSS 680 and 780?

[@WalterGalindo]

Charming little things those padded PSS

[@canecreek00]

I've got one of these in my shed, its been in there about 5 years, i got it from a car boot sale for about £4, i pretty sure it has midi I/O, i better bring it in the house.

[@zackhartmann]

lol for real

[@ProSimex84]

Grew up with one, didnt realize what it was really other then a toy. Going to get it back from my late sister's husband. Just wish my jupiter 4 worked.

[@jimsanger]

This was my first keyboard and I spent hours using the record function to create tracks until I got myself a 4 track tape machine

[@lunallewellyndelamorte5235]

just bought one of these...

[@bertkeusch4368]

Dope! Wanna learn that stuff

[@ACLMSC]

I had a PSS 480 which has the same styles and sounds but no MIDI thru and few less options but essentially the same board. The PSS 680 sounds a little cleaner and has the drum pads. I have both boards. The PSS 480 was my first real board.

[@Am71919]

Just got a PSS 570 about a week ago, already done a few videos of it, have a PSS 80 coming in a few days, I'm going to do a lot of videos of that as well, great little hidden gems these PSS boards are

[@Am71919]

I just got a PSS 570 that I've done a few videos on, I love that little thing, it has completely replaced my Yamaha PSR 700, my Casio CTX 800 and my Casio WK 200, I have a Yamaha PSS 80 coming in a couple of days, I'm going to do some videos on that as well, that board will go great with the PSS 570

[@trumjohannsmancave]

Got one coming my way!!😀👍🏻🎹🎶

[@TheSoundTestRoom]

They are a lot of fun, great for sampling too.

[@CreateAlive]

Love this. It *is* pretty cool. - 5:56

[@andrewbriggs6083]

I had one of these beauty,s, Wish I had it back. How much now, anybody.

[@bestrickie2]

Yes it’s a great vintage instrument I proudly owned one years ago. Y not put it through an EFX processor? I might try and find another one of them.

[@johnpenguin9188]

Pretty cute, and it sounds decent (and cheesy) the top of the line models were a lot better than my cheap Casio.

[@steviemacmuttley]

I have mine too in its box.

[@illustriouschin]

Sounds like Pilotwings 64!

[@SimonB.]

I dont understand what the style list means. How can i choose sounds from there?

[@Scotty_Russell_Music]

was there any sound editing in the video? I kinda skimmed it waiting for the 2 operator synth editing action

[@rhiannonstudios]

Just been testing an effects processor and wanted something to plug in to it to test it so I plugged in my Yamaha PSS680, strange thing, as soon as I plugged the PSS680 in to the processor and even before I turned it on I could here my voice through the processor, turns out I can sing in to the PSS as though it’s a microphone without even switching it on, the audio output on this thing must be linked to a microphone that simple picks up the sound of the speakers and routes it to the audio outputs along with any other ambient sound it picks up, never seen that before, what a prehistoric way of doing things 😆

[@mariaulfah7902]

this is good,

[@MatthewJohnCrittenden]

I had a similar model, great fun. Amusing that the early Queen albums had “No synthesisers” on the cover, they came round eventually ...

[@TheSoundTestRoom]

TheVimFuego Yes, the first Queen album to feature a synth was The Game and it was Roger Taylor’s Oberheim, although I can’t remember the model, it was probably an OBXA

[@boot665]

I had it in 1987...🤔😆🧐

[@PeterPan-fu4xz]

I had this as a kid I use to make some bad tunes in this

[@industrial_records]

Hello, I have a question. I'm considering buying a PSS-680 today, but I have a problem I can't find an answer to, can I use this MIDI-enabled keyboard in programs like "FL Studio", "Mixcraft" - to play instruments in the program?

[@coolelectronics1759]

does it have disc jockey feature? I need it to have like djx disc jockey function and they have like this same exact one on craigslist for $25

[@kentaccordionist]

Doug when using the fm synth to make your own sounds, can you dump them via sysex. I want some fm hardware again, haven’t got room for a dx 21, or money enough for a dx100 or a tb81z, and although these are only 2 op, they are dirt cheap on eBay, although I would get the 480, which programs the same it just has an octave less of keys, since I only want it as a multitimbral module and not a keyboard.

[@TheSoundTestRoom]

I don't have any of these anymore to try, but you can still find the manuals and tons of info on the web

[@LiamOwen1991]

Can you get a choir sound normal keyboard sound and piano on this one please ?

[@juliem8116]

I have one of these which belonged to my mum. It has not been played for probably 10 years because I do not know how to play. How could I tell if it is still in good working order? I would like to sell it.

[@davidmohlomi9016]

Please how can i do to get it again for once had it just around later 80s

[@jacobjallen2620]

I can't seem to get a good string sound out of this, how would you do it?

[@aaronwalderslade]

Yamaha never had very good strings on these 80s keyboards. It's not a sampler, it's a FM SYNTH. Samplers came shortly after, and killed the PSS range. The PSR range continued the mini key range, and had sampled sounds. It's confusing because the PSR numbers make them sound like lessar models, but the PSR keyboards are actually more advanced, sound wise with a mixture of sample and FM sounds. But nothing is as flexible for sequencing in the mini key range as this classic wedge. I still rate the drum samples on this 680. Really vivid. The hi hats were particularly good and the closed hat stopped the open, which previous keyboards did not do.

[@ikramboughzou8952]

heyy can i plug it to a computer ?

[@user-JM1967]

É um bom equipamento para criar efeitos sonoros e usar os padrões de ritmo como teclado escravo.

[@RosalvoParadella]

Eu gosto deste teclado. Tive a oportunidade de tocar em um há muito tempo atrás.

[@undeadgamer2861]

Caralho

[@junkheadyamiken]

8:41 whaat not cheesee. Its ahhh pleasure

[@danielantoniak8530]

Found one 2nd hand on eBay for $80 AUD, is that a good price? need something to complement my volca

[@TheSoundTestRoom]

Actually if it’s in good condition that is a pretty good price, works out around £44

[@danielantoniak8530]

@@TheSoundTestRoom awesome, thank you :)

[@saabigee7004]

Very good price!

[@NeptuneReturnz]

Daniel Antoniak They usually go for around £85 on the eBay so you got it at a good price.

[@thomasshugar5636]

I can't find part 2...

[@andresgranado6514]

Is it also sensitive? sorry, I don´t knw anything about pianos, is for my cousin :)

[@TheSoundTestRoom]

I don’t have the keyboard anymore, but as far as I can remember it’s not touch sensitive.

[@SuperMickyChow]

No it isn't sensitive - from someone who has owned one of these since 1989

[@AJC19811]

These any good there one for £70 on eBay

[@AJC19811]

It’s actually ps-780 On eBay are they good

[@NeptuneReturnz]

Andrew Crump Brilliant keyboard and the DJX too.

[@junkheadyamiken]

9:09 pokemon

[@mymos2010]

does it have sensitive touch?

[@darrenwilson99]

No, it doesn't.

[@LittleRichard1988]

No but it does have midi so you can use any touch sensitive keyboard with midi as a controllar.

[@buibuibuiestudio5561]

Is the difference between the pss680 and pss780 an aesthetic one?

[@LittleRichard1988]

Yes only an aesthetic difference. Apart from that they are both the same keyboard.

[@LittleRichard1988]

I think the PSS-680 does have a few different sounds or some of them have different names but most of them are the same.

[@patchstein810]

🤣🤣🤣

[@cansuturgut3724]

can we have a review without the rhythm blasting in the backgorund ffs pls I just want to hear the sound bank!

[@humbertoreyes6399]

Muy feos sonidos...... No todos buscan ritmos Y todos demos se enfocan en ritmos.