Synth: Yamaha CS-5 Review by: Matt"bandwidth-hog" Haines Summary: monophonic, limited-capability pre-MIDI synth with cool sound Years Made: ? Polyphony: no Multitimbrality: no MIDI: no Note on/off: MIDI controllers (aftertouch, CC, etc): Sysex patch dumping: Sysex parameter control: Other external control: CV/Gate: yes in/out (Hz/volt CV, -10v negative-voltage trigger) Clock: no Other CV: no Audio input: yes (with envelope trigger threshold) Proprietary (DCB, etc): no Programmer: no Patch storage: no Patch dumping (tape, MIDI, etc): no Voice architecture: 1 VCO with square and saw waveforms mixer section for square, saw and noise/external signals 1 LFO, selectable sine, falling saw and s/h waveforms (can mod VCF, VCO, VCA, pwm) 1 resonant filter, switchable LPF/BPF/HPF (will not self-oscillate) 1 EG 1 VCA with EG depth, initial level pitch bend slider, non-spring loaded external input with variable trigger threshold (for triggering EG based on input source) white noise (noise and external are mutually exclusive) portamento (keyboard only, not external) pwm (no initial pulse-width setting, only LFO will modulate) Sequencer/Arpeggiator: no Keyboard/rack: 3-oct keyboard Known problems: Accessories: Related synths/gear: CS-15 is essentially two CS-5's in one Price range: very cheap Availability: somewhat rare (CS-15's more common) Comments: Strengths: the *resonant* bandpass and hipass filters are a great and unusual sound. Oscillator is quite stable. External input, especially through bpf/hpf is a unique tool. Weaknesses: no volume control. only the one EG to control *both* the filter and VCA (no 'gate on/off' option with the VCA). non-standard trigger input requires modification to work completely (s- trigger moog-style inputs work somewhat, but effect the EG in strange ways). Hz/volt cv means spending extra money on MIDI/cv interfaces or build your own. Overall: Even though there are severe limitations, the filters are killer. Simple synth, very easy to make modifications to. Other: Matt Haines haines@cloverleaf.com \co/ntrol-X \to /\abort / \transmission. I am NOT a Wack-A-Mole.