Yamaha TG500 / SY85 1992 is an incredible virtual analogue synth - no talking

[@sauermusicDE]

3:05 There is no such thing as an "SPX500". When people mention an "SPX500" on the internet, they are talking about the SPX50D (the "red" version of the SPX90...with internal distortion effects for guitar players). The "D" almost looks like a "0" if you are looking at the device from a bigger distance. That's where the mistake comes from. The internal effects sections of the SY85 are based on the SPX900 (it was the same story on the SY99 synthesizer around that time). The SPX900 is the successor of the SPX90 mk II.

[@jameshancox1]

You are correct, it has 2 parallel units

[@madness8556]

If I remember correctly, the SPX1000 with its stereo ins was released before the mono input only SPX900?

[@ASH-ou4cg]

Thanks so much for sharing this. I am really happy to see a new video on this unit. I really liked how you taught us all about it, while we listened.

[@jameshancox1]

Thank you for taking the time to comment. I originally picked this up very cheap as I remembered how amazing they were back in the day. I was horrified to see the lack of support and did some digging around and spent some time with it and was blown away by the results. This has turned from a studio synth to being a part of my live setup as it does stuff other synths do not.

[@ASH-ou4cg]

This is amazing. You are very lucky to have that. I am still trying to get my hands on a very good conditioned one, as I feel it will compliment my setup very well. Keep up the great work and I have now subscribed and look forward to future videos from you.

[@lovelost28]

I'm about to get mine in next month, watching this video make me so excited for what to come

[@jameshancox1]

Hope you like it still

[@simonmatele4621]

Hi, thanks for the demo. Could you please share the sound bank you compiled? Sounds great!

[@ToXball]

I agree with you, there are sounds on the sy85/tg500 that on that era was impossible to program on the more selled M1, D50 and Roland JV series. Well done demo. 👌

[@ryanpeplinski1884]

Excellent demo!

[@jameshancox1]

Thank you

[@CharlieYoung-nn4dy]

Hey there, incredible sounds! Is there any chance you could share the soundbank? I'd just love to use some of those on my good old SY85! Cheers!

[@devingademan]

Thank you for sharing! Subscribed to your channel. Greetings from another SY85 owner. -Devin

[@jameshancox1]

Sy85 rocks!

[@skye6508]

It's been MANY years since I did deep menu diving on my rack synths however I always felt the TG55 and TG500 had a special something, those two units can have incredible sounds when you get deep into programming, and I still think the TG55 might have some of the best Vocal / Choral sounds. Both the aforementioned units I sold off and regretted however I found a TG55 with a damaged screen but otherwise working for $20 local and found a good shape TG500 for $100 local. Both will not be leaving my rack.

[@jameshancox1]

I had a tg55 for a while too and loved it, until I swapped it with someone for an Ensoniq SQr+ and that started something The TG500 though is something else

[@mkiswatoo]

6:16 New Order - Subculture 4:58 Mumbly - Gold Mine (this is my old band, just the same chords came by chance I guess as they're fairly common!) btw, this sounds impressive.

[@jameshancox1]

I generally play the first thing that comes into my mind to showcase that particular sound

[@79yank]

There is editor for the Amiga computer, and it's not a big deal to emulate Amiga today.

[@looneyburgmusic]

Few things a little bit wrong with the info - The SY-85 was not the first AWM-based synth, that was the SY-77/99, which were released a few years earlier; While the TG-500 is a "64-note" poly synth, (2x32 engine), the SY-85 was only 32 note polyphonic. I've also read that the 85 is actually only 28-note, (not sure where that number came from), but either way it's nowhere near 64-note poly.

[@jameshancox1]

The sy77 was afm and the 99 was later

[@looneyburgmusic]

@@jameshancox1 Both the '77 and '99 shared the same AFM/AWM hybrid engine, (16 voices of each). For the SY85 Yamaha dropped the AFM side, and went with straight AWM

[@redmaskmcr5286]

Love the SP Space patches. Great sounding patches in general 👏

[@jameshancox1]

This synth really excels at this type of sound

[@someoneoutthereable]

hello ! i just got a sy85 and saw your video here i really liked your sounds here how could i have this soundbank you have ? im from sweden and would be very happy to have those sounds tomas martin sweden

[@jameshancox1]

I tried to email you, but the email bounced back

[@oupahens9219]

AWM2 was already used in SY77. Still, SY85 sounds "fresher", compared to a pure AWM2 voice on the SY77 or even the SY99, which has the same effect system like the SY85.

[@jameshancox1]

I have never really spent time with the SY99 or 77, They both have FM?, The 85 is really underrated these days, they were almost untouchable back in the day

[@globetrotter761]

Great patches. Are these patches available in sysex? Or for purchase?

[@jameshancox1]

Email me

[@jamed3189]

Hi ... I have a TG500.. How you add these samplers??? Card? Ram? Sysex? Thanks....

[@jameshancox1]

Sysex

[@Maryandme4550]

Will you share your sound bank? Its quite good!

[@jameshancox1]

When I get around to setting the dump up I will. I am working on my live setup at the moment as I want to integrate some of the patches.

[@Swanlord05]

Patch download?

[@pepperparkffm]

Where can I buy these custom patches?

[@jameshancox1]

Email me

[@Hwral]

Is it corect you can’t upload external soundbanks without having installed a memory card?

[@jameshancox1]

No, that is not correct You can upload external banks via midi and sysex The memory cards come in 2 kinds One which stores patches and one with external waves

[@BobsBand]

@@jameshancox1 I installed SIMM memory in my SY85 into which I could load external samples. It's not ideal as it's volatile memory. You can load sound banks consisting of patches based on the internal waveforms with no extra memory.

[@jameshancox1]

@@BobsBand easy to do on the sy85 because it has a floppy. I had the memory expansion in my tg but it was crazy because no floppy and the Yamaha format is different

[@jonathans8580]

Wow Sounds Great for more Pad sounds

[@jameshancox1]

Great synth

[@Schule04]

Is the TG300 related to this? I guess not really

[@jameshancox1]

No, I don’t think it is

[@RunningonairMusic]

A lot of these remind me of Jarre. Thanks.

[@jameshancox1]

Thank you

[@doctorsynth1]

I just bought one - having sold one off a few years ago after only a few weeks of use. What do you use as an editor/librarian?

[@jameshancox1]

There is no editor what works as mine is a v1 you have to use midi quest and send each individual sound as it freaks out when you send banks and has loads of error messages. I then save to my trusty alesis datadisk which is king with old synths as high speed sysex freaks most of them out

[@jameshancox1]

Oh and use the sy85 in midi quest instead of the tg500 template

[@AdamTheAd-vanc3d]

​@@jameshancox1Thanks for the tip

[@AdamTheAd-vanc3d]

​@@jameshancox1By the way . Does the sy85.sqz work directly with the tg500

[@Bendy2K]

So how did you actually program this thing?

[@Bendy2K]

Also, these are magnificent! Any plans to release them soon?

[@jameshancox1]

By doing loads of menu diving unfortunately, it cannot be mapped to a standard midi controller. Also the menus and the small screen are very cryptic

[@jameshancox1]

I may do, watch this space

[@torbenanschau6641]

If the SY85/TG-500 are one thing not, then it's virtul analogues synths. As to be heared here. Very digital sounding beefed up with effects and good filters. Base sound though always are samples, there is no synthesis in it.

[@jameshancox1]

The source is a sample, however the sample then runs through a very powerful synth engine which is essentially the same as a virtual analogue. It has samples of square, saw, pulse etc as well as the staple of pianos, organs etc

[@torbenanschau6641]

@@jameshancox1 But that is exactly not virtual synthesis where DSPs are programmed to simulate actual oscillating Oscillators, Filters and Amp as models. First synth to do that was the Nord Lead. The synth engine is pretty standard I would say. One Element consists of Waveform, Filters and "Amp", Modulated by LFOs and Envelopes. Compared to other synths at the time the 4 Element architecture and the effects where a plus but the waveforms couldn't compare to the JV 1080.

[@jameshancox1]

@@torbenanschau6641 I had a jv and really pushed it to its limits and have a video of it. I don’t know if it was the terrible cryptic manual (he says as he compares it to a Yamaha) or just the lack of not getting tired of it. Allot of the Roland synths from the jv upwards use and still use those waveforms. Essentially a VA is a synth with limited waveforms anyway, they just got more knobby I much prefer the TG500, you can layer 4 independent sounds in the performance mode which is similar to the jv, however for me the samples, synth engine and effects are better too. These are just single patches, you can layer 4 at a time and the tg has massive polyphony for the time. Nice filters too

[@torbenanschau6641]

@@jameshancox1 No, a VA is something different than Sample-based Synth with different waveforms and more knobs. They are not samplebased but actually create their sounds instead of replaying them. Check it out.

[@jameshancox1]

@@torbenanschau6641 I have an access virus a which is for me the best VA on the market and also a modal. The sounds are dsp based and the virus also has wavetables as are most VAs I also have a mopho which is fully analogue but uses a DCO instead of a VCO because the tuning is more stable and this practice was started on the Roland Juno’s in 1982 The synth engine on the tg is the same routing as a single oscillator analogue synth architecture. This synth structure is very different on most rompers and is often simplified or modified ie Korg M1, Ensoniq and roland jv Therefore the tg is capable of va type sounds but you have the added bonus of 2 parallel effects units and the additional waveforms (the tg has additional waveforms to the sy85 and double the polyphony) You cannot get these sounds from other comparable romplers

[@patrikknoerr9777]

My JV2080 sits and weeps.

[@jameshancox1]

The Yamaha excels at this type of sound and would give the 2080 a good run for the money

[@GiveMeAnOKUsername]

I thought the TG500 sounded better than the SY85.

[@jameshancox1]

Both virtually the same except tg has more polyphony and more samples on rom

[@GiveMeAnOKUsername]

@@jameshancox1 I remember finding a reason why the TG500 sounded better but I can’t remember what it was.

[@devingademan]

@@GiveMeAnOKUsername​​⁠it is unfortunate that you cannot remember, because I’d be interested to know! I’m a big fan of the SY/TG Series. They were a great run of synthesizers.

[@synthesizerhome2041]

This is not "virtual analogue", it's sample based

[@jameshancox1]

I know, but it does have the standard saw, square, pulse etc and a full synth engine and is capable of incredible sounds

[@synthesizerhome2041]

@@jameshancox1 every sample based digital synth in existence has saw, square and pulse waveforms, since they are classic waveforms. Even Korg M1. Nothing to do with "virtual analog" synths which simulate analog circuits.

[@jameshancox1]

@@synthesizerhome2041 exactly, but some sound better than others when attempting to emulate analogue sounds. Roland Gaia and SH201 are classed as virtual analogue yet sound like a toy compared to the TG. The early rompers have the advantage of crossing over from analogue, fm, hybrid and had to be comparable to be competitive. I have had the fortune of owning synths from 1983 and also worked in a music shop during this time selling synths. The secret is in the quality of the synth engine and the source samples/waves and essentially the programming. Unlike the original first gen rompers the tg had the equivalent of 2 SPX500s which are fully routable

[@FilipMilerX]

"Virtual analogue predecessor" would be more correct, I think it was one of the first synths with usable resonant digital filters controllable via faders.

[@self4autism333]

Like he said, its not analogue its virtual analogue, like spotify only better.

[@GoodLuck-GoodLuck]

rompler

[@jameshancox1]

Absolutely, but also has square, pulse, triangle waves which when put through the synth engine is also a virtual synth. With one of the worst Yamahatastic menu in menu in menu systems known to man. However, if you persevere...amazing things are possible

[@oupahens9219]

Just like that JV1080.