Less is more: Creating a song using only the Yamaha Reface CS
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- Опубликовано: 4 июл 2024
- In this video I'll show you the amazing versatility of the Yamaha Reface CS. I design all the sounds I need to build a complete track using only this synth.
For impatient people who want to hear the end result. It starts at 09:20
If you are interested in the patches created in this video, let me know in the comments. I don't mind sharing them with other Reface CS owners.
I use ctrlr.org/ to be able to store and recall sounds.
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The music that has been created especially for the videos here is available on bandcamp: estuera.bandcamp.com/releases 
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Which synth is your one stop shop ?
Mono: MonoLogue, Poly: MC-101
Great vid btw, love these one synth tracks, nice track too!
JDXi so quick to put down ideas and tweak with its inbuilt poly sequencer.
I agree I use to make all my music on the korg M1 still use it love the sounds I just included some soundtrack software
Great video
That would be my Access Virus TI
All of them
This is the best synthesizer related video on RUclips - it actually conveys a powerful message & focuses on the creative process, showing you what a beast of a synthesizer the Reface CS can be. Now I finally know that you don't need five racks loaded with synthesizers and three computers with DAWs on them to actually make music.
This is what happens when you know what you're doing. Excellent stuff.
I was about to sell my CS. But obviously i just didn't know how to use the dang thing! Its time to learn this!
This is such an excellent video because not only are you showing how much one can accomplish with a $300 instrument, but it’s just fantastic to see the variety of sound so you can get out of a classic synthesizer.
But that's just it. The REFACE CS is not considered.even a serious synth by too many. It garnered alot of dismissal.and hate upon its arrival in 2015.
They cried it did not have reverb. It did not have full sized keys. It did not have presets. It did not have user memory. It wasn't touch sensitive. It had no onboard sequencer. And this and that. And that and this.
All the time ignoring the most IMPORTANT things.
1--WHAT DID IT SOUND LIKE?
2--HOW VERSATILE WAS IT?
And on those two counts it's second to none. And thats why it's still being talked about and continues to be used by new people 7 years later. When many of its contemporaries. Which had all the things I afore-mentioned. Have fallen by the wayside. Because they do not have that SOUND. That wow factor when you hear them. They cannot go from a thumping kick drum to a huge vangelesque pad. In a handful of slider movements. See at the end of the day. The SOUND is all that really matters.
Very nice, I have a room full of synths but nothing that sounds that good. It’s the musician not the instrument here but point taken, get to know your gear better, we are lucky to live in an era where power is relatively cheap and the temptation is to throw money at what is essentially a lack of creativity or inspiration, gear lust is our enemy , but I always liked the sound of the CS but never bought one 😄 You sir could make music from a loaf of bread. Well done.
Hmm, this kind of makes want to try to make a drum kit out of bread :D
Bought one during lockdown. Looks like a toy but it's an absolute monster! The sound is amazing and the build quality is rock solid. Can't recommend it highly enough. Trouble is I now want to get the other three.
I have the reface dx and i love it. been thinking of picking up one of these to complement it
@@gizka6816 Definitely worth it if you can put up with having no presets. Just been listening to a bit of your ambient stuff. I like it. Will have a proper listen in a bit. We like that sort of thing here in Sheffield.
@@paulreynolds3582 glad you enjoyed!
Agreed if this had been full sized like a Juno 106 with patch memories. It would be considered a modern classic by now. Because the sound of this thing is OUT OF THIS WORLD.
@Brian Kelley I don't remember, I think like 300? I remember looking at one point and there were literally none in stock anywhere, except for one on reverb for which the seller was asking like 600. my advice would be to hold out until more come on the market
The best CS video I've seen by an absolute mile. Brilliant! Thank you!
Thanks :)
If I lost all my synths, the CS is the first I'd replace. So quick to dial-in great sounds and lots of fun. Great for scratch parts too where the synth I am going to use is slow to program and I don't want to lose the muse.
Also it sounds very analogue like the MicroKORG. In contrast the Boutique JP-08 has that digital sheen you get when you've applied too many generations of math to a 16-bit signal.
Fantastic video! The CS makes it into all of my songs. Such a beautiful sounding synth. Thanks for sharing. 😀
So much LOVE for these videos! I can't wait to dive back into my dream of creating such blissful music... Thank You Jonas!
My pleasure 😊 And hope you can make the dream come truev!
Cool sounds... loved the didactics of your step by step process to create each and then also loved the final mix 👍👍👍
Thank you so much for sharing this project. There is so much to learn here for anyone interested in synth programming, song arrangement and production. All the best to you
My pleasure :)
Finally got Reface CS on the way - now I am re-enjoying this video for more inspiration.
This is amazing! All of this using just one synth 😲
Woooooouuuuuw!
I love it!
Well done!
Excellent video! I was shocked just how great the end result sounded.
Thanks ! ☺️
Those one song, one synth challenges are certainly fun. Nice job here!
So sick! I loved the CS when it came out. You’ve just confirmed what a great instrument it is.
It's the GREATEST. I cannot wait to show the world what I've pulled out if this AMAZING board. He is just scratching the surface here believe me. In 2023 I will raise the profile and must have factor of this little marvel. Like nobody has ever done.
You are a cool dude 😎 my guess is you love your 90’s dance stuff too. Love your channel! Thanks for being an inspiration
Very cool track, nice sounds and i like the punchy kick that translates very well on my system. 😎👍
Un zest de Reface CS, mixez le tout et obtenez une perle musicale !
A zest of Reface CS, mix it all up and get a musical pearl !!!
I was still puzzled by this serie that Yamaha had released, I had tested one in relatively bad conditions(a big brand that I would not advertise) and I came out quite dissapointed...
Thanks to your video, you made me change my mind and from now on, I would watch with kidness this "Reface" series !
Thank you again Jonas !!!
I can't wait to mess with my Reface CS again. It's packed away for moving right now, but once I'm in the new place, I'm definitely going to try to come up with some nice sounds on it. Thanks for your excellent and highly inspiring videos :)
wow like the ideas u put into these videos! any a very good result in the end!
Great Idea for a Video - Keep them coming player
I've had the YAMAHA CS for 1 year. Now I finally know what to do with it!!
Great tune, love it
This is so good! Love it! Subbed! 😊
So well done and nicely explained, thanks very much! 🙏
It’s rare you see a video with zero dislikes.. (at time of writing) that’s because there is nothing to dislike. One synth and a full track. You don’t need all the gear. Just the know how. I wish I had this knowledge. Very good 👍
brooooooo, you shouldn't have said anything! lol
I don't know why people get hung up on this. If someone dislikes a video it doesn't mean the video is bad, just that for w/e reason it was not unanimously loved. And that's just life, 100 percent of the world is not going to like the same thing. Also it doesn't hurt the video if it gets some dislikes, all interaction is positive on youtube in terms of promotion.
Granted, it is hard to find a reason to not like this video but don't let it bother you if someone doesn't.
"Don't need all the gear, just the know how" : perfect explanation of how making anything
One thing to dislike is the misleading title. He's not using JUST a reface CS, he's also using a DAW on a laptop.
Laptop 800eur DAW 300-500eur its not just a synth
Great sound design :)
This is quite impressive👌🏽
Very interesting demo. Beautifull music and very nice vidéo. Thks
Really effin cool DUDE!!!
Got this synth after a friend of mine showed me this video. Then he bought it. Then I bought it. I showed this to another friend and he insta bought it. Jonas' video had more impact than any Yamaha paid advertising lol. Thank you sir!
Haha nice 😁
It is a great little synth, I hope you're all enjoying it !
Great video. This was technically my first hardware synth. Super capable for such a simple interface. Yamaha if you're watching, please make a 61 full sized key version of this unit with more sliders and knobs!! (With patch memory)
They did years ago this CS is based on the same programming as the AN1X
@@jonathandent3445
The AN1X cannot sound as good as the REFACE CS. I owned one. And it always has that digital sound that you knew wasn't a real analogue. The REFACE CS has juicy filters that come as close to a CS10, Juno 106 or MOOG as is possible.
Plus the AN1X doesn't have more hands on sliders than the REFACE CS. And it was over laden with useless presets and confusing menus.
No the REFACE CS is a masterpiece. Yamaha kept it basic and simple to.keep the price DOWN. And gave it the most IMPORTANT attributes any great synth require.
GREAT SOUND AND VERSATILITY. I would rather take two minutes to write down the settings for an amazing sound. That will be used over and over.
Than press a save button for a so so sound that WONT. Understand that fast.
Amazing knowledge of synthesis.
You are a genius!
Thank you for this video Estuera 🙂
My pleasure :)
"Around the world, around the world.."
Seriously, nice vibe just to chiil out on holidays.Thanks Jonas
Lol I can totally hear it now in that bassline indeed 😅
@@Estuera Jonas.Many people would thank you for new classic trance tutorials.Will you make some soon?
Great track with only one synth, thumb up!
Well done!
Very nice!
fantastic
Love this music !!!
Great little synth. I keep it on my desk all the time because it's tiny, poly, versatile and straight to the point. It's robust enough that I let my 5 year old play with it (built-in speakers are a great idea). If only they had dropped the wonky looper and brought in a second enveloppe, it would have been near perfect.
I know Yamaha is reading along here (they are sharing this video on their site) so maybe we should start campaigning for a full size Reface CS.
As already has been said by Marc in this comments section:
- Double the LFO, Osc, filter and envelope section
- Add an arpeggiator and/or sequencer
- Make the keyboard full size and add velocity and aftertouch (and maybe a ribbon controller while we're at it)
(If they could make it analog I'd also not complain...)
just... WOW!!! kind of magic!
Thanks 😊
I love my Reface CS. But now I need to sample it and use it even more!
Brilliant
Nice work
Great job man!
Thank you !
Those zooms on keys! 👏
I must say it does that CS-80 lead sound really well, I'm impressed. I am actually considering getting it now if I have some spare cash lying around.
Hope you'll have a lot of fun with it :)
love the Kerbal t-shirt ^^ !
Very nice
It's true , in the other persons comment , this guy could make music from a loaf of bread. I have a Yamaha CX 1 and a Yamaha sampler a digital mixing desk ect yada yada.
But its complicated and you get really rusty if you don't constantly us it.
Even if I spent big money and ate beans for months to buy a flashy synth , I would still be missing the loaf of bread 🍞 to sound like this guy.
My equipment still works 15 year later but I am struggling to revive what little talent I had outside initially being a banging house Dj late 80's.
Geting old sucks . Being mediocre sucks even more 🤣
Thanks for the Trax !
Getting older is inevitable but you're never to old for music. Imo the most important thing is to enjoy the process of creating music and consistently keep on creating and especially finishing new things. Allow yourself to create 'bad' or 'mediocre' music. It's all a part of the process of getting better.
Very Kool!! I just did the same thing last week with a ArturiaMicrobrute and a 1010music Sampler. Made big polyphonic stereo patches by recording 3 samples panning 2 left and right and a big low end center, added percussion from the synth and a couple of leads. Since the sampler is polyphonic I was able to play chords from a monophonic synth. One synth, one sampler with individual outputs and effects processing and I had a self contained hardware rig for making complete songs. The other kool part of your video is the Yamaha CS; it is the next synth on my list, been waiting 3 years to buy it.
I can certainly recommend the CS. Its a very musical synth and it should go quite well together with the MicroBrute, expanding your sound palette.
I have a minibrute 2s and want a 1010music sampler, thinking of the bitbox micro, nice to hear of success with a similar setup before i commit
I bought a reface cs not long ago... and this has just blown my fuckin mind! Amazing.
bruh... that stereo bass certainly got my attention.
Super leuke video bro!
Dank je ☺️
Bravo man...really well done. It's the man and not the gear...at least at the more cases...\\\
I just got one of these little things a month ago. It is a very easy to make (and recreate) interesting analogue synth sounds on it so I love it!!! The only drawback that I see is that you can't save your patches, except by writing the settings down. it also lacks a sequencer so you will need and external one if you want to quantize, etc. It is a great addition to my studio and a very inexpensive price!! The way you layer it, it might be nice to have a second in module (for live performance) -- if it were available.
Agreed. Such a versatile synth that is basically one big sweet spot !
There is actually a way to save patches (if you are using it in combination with a daw). I made a video to show how I do this: ruclips.net/video/8M5eKqy0850/видео.html
Your the man.
This is such a great tutorial with a real-life example! I'm getting my Reface CS this weekend.
Would you mind dropping a link to somewhere I can listen to more of your jams like the one at the end of this video? It's just such a great beat to relax my mind while I work today ❤
Thanks for an amazing video! 🙌🏻
i enjoy your videos
The higher frequency level on the bass made it sound like early 2000 beach sound.
Great🎉
This may have already been said but Yamaha needs to hire you for demos my man
Late update. It's been a few months but finally got my Reface CS for my birthday - I treated myself. Now to use this as my template for making a nice techno or house mashup. Thanks
Enjoy !
A video which warms my heart. It's almost a lost art to work this way. I also still do and although I use a lot more stuff I also regularly use such reduced approaches. If you start with your own set of essentials it is possible to create your own world of sound. That is where music with real character starts.
Taking a step back and focusing on just one instrument really unlocks one's creativity.
@@Estuera Absolutely! I recently finished a project in which I "only" used a Yamaha CS70M and a SK50D (sorry if that makes anyone drool) and overdubbed these in 2 single go runs. So basically 2 guys with 2 such sets could have done it all live. Hell, I didn't even listen to the first session when I recorded the second one. Still it sounds quite a bit like real music after some finetuning. :-) The results can be downloaded here: brassee.com/electronicmusic.html#tesseract
Hahah :D 'Only' a CS70M
Going to check out your link ! :)
A part of me really wants to buy a CS50, I've spotted it here and there and its the only member of the big CS monsters that still seems to be a little bit affordable. Who knows, maybe I'll do that if this channel ever hits 100K members to celebrate
@@Estuera Don't underestimate the CS70M. It is probably cheaper to get then a CS50 (still) anyway. For most people it would actually be the better choice then an early CS poly. It's much more stable and dependable and has all the features that became common after the Prophet 5. I might be sounding like a snob but what can most people do with poly AT and a ribbon (although I find them indispensible myself)? OK, you have to work a bit harder on a CS70M to make it sound sweet but as soon as you understand the programmable LFO with ring mod etc. you'll love it! :-)
It seems that the CS50 and CS70M are going for about the same rates. For some reason I was thinking the 70 would be a lot more expensive.
It's a very interesting synth to say the least although I think _if_ I would every get one I would still go for the CS50 as it more or less half a CS80.
But I wouldn't mind having them both :D (I just heard my wallet cry in the distance)
Wow!
This is a really good tutorial, you get alot of mileage out of that yamaha.
The YAMAHA CS REFACE. IS A WOLF IN SHEEPS CLOTHING. It's super awesome in the right hands. You can Make killer synth pop with just it on it's own.
wow!
I like reface cs, no menu diving lfo or osc edit, and whats i really love is fx and onboard speaker..
Great job! You're making me want to hook up my Reface CS again!
Want to hook it up again? It should always be the flagship in your setup. It's the greatest analogue based synth of ALLTIME. If people don't realize that yet. Many will by the time I get through in 2023
@@fender1000100 I mean, it's nice, but it's not analog (it's VA), and I do kinda like my Virus TI2 KB, Novation Supernova 2 KB, Yamaha AN1x, Virus Polar TI2, Roland V-Synth KB, Nord Lead 2X KB, Yamaha CS6x w/PLG-150AN, Korg MS-2000, Korg Radias, Waldorf Blofeld, JP-8000, SH-32, Virus Snow, Gaia, Korg Triton w/EXB-MOSS, Novation KS5, AN200, Virus Rack, Nova DT, X-Station 61, Alesis Fusion, and Waldorf Q just a little bit better (and those are just the VA / analog modeling synths).
But yes. It's a really nice little VA synth. Though, the lack of onboard patch storage, the non - MIDI based phrase recorder, the filter / amp ADSR structure, and the battery choice (AA batteries shouldn't be used for this kind of power demand...they burn out too quickly) are all negatives. Still, the rest of the features and sound make up for a lot of that.
@@mc2engineeringprof Glad you got that off your chest and now the world knows...
@@mikethompson3305 I'm pretty sure you're about the only one who knows to be honest.
Wow megawow
I am DEF getting my hands on a CS.
The bassline made me think of Around The World by Daft Punk. Not too shabby.
Nice tune bruh. At this point then we only need a free VST synth to do it all. The thing about having different synths is about getting inspired as different synthesizers have different ways to manipulate sounds. Twisting different knobs achieving completely different sounds with the minimum effort. I've done it though, writing music with only one synth, it's viable and enjoyable but then you'll crave for more :) like having one guitar to do it all, different guitar, different sound, different mood, different inspirations.
Wonderful new channel...subbed.
Thanks and welcome :)
🖤
Very helpful to learn the capabilities of the CS in a practical application. I just got one as a gift, not sure if it has the functions I want tho.
Not sure what exactly you are looking for but do not underestimate this synth. If you need any pointers or want to know if something can be done with this device feel free to ask.
Fantastic process. The bass is incredible. I would love to do the mixes like you ... Clean, great energy, very analog like and everything has it's place, somehow separated ... Don't you have a course how to mix in Cubase and HW, please?
Very good video. Very good teacher. Who extracts at least the 50% of the power of their gear?....
Еее, мой лайк по счету 1000 :)
I do something very similar with Cubase's "retrologue 2" plug in. I used to have lots of hardware synths, I got rid of them, bought a few vsts, now I hardly ever use anything other than retrologue.
It's true in that it makes the artist really work at both, the sound and the creativity.
In the end its indeed all about what you are doing , not what you're using to do it. (And the retrologue 2 is a very nice synth, been using it quite a lot myself :) )
@@Estuera I was "lucky" enough to really mess up installing the presets so every sound is totally from scratch.
But I've done this kind of before with a jv1080 also. Amazing synth and incredibly versatile once you get into the operating system. You're right, it's about one's own creativity. The synth is just a tool at the end of the day.
Great video. Cheers.
When you use once synth in this way, do you sample one note of the sounds into your DAW and then play them in the DAW? Are you recording each track with it's sound separately then starting again for the next sound/track?
The way it is done in this video is that I recorded the parts (usually 8 bars or less) in midi. Bounced those to audio in Cubase and used those recordings as building blocks for the track.
In the Casio SA-1 video I made I did it the way you described because that 'synth' doesn't have any MIDI or sequencer on board. I played every part live and recorded and layered the tracks in the DAW (the traditional multitrack method)
I really love this. What are you using for those reverbs?
This is the same principle as the One Synth Challenge on KVR.
It's hip n jivey.. oh my gawd.. where's Bret Weir?? Need to get a CS for sure while I wait for the behringer DS-80 :)
Wow great composition
Can you do some sci-fi like Major Tom coming home or Kids in America?
This synth is ao dope. When i sokd one almost almost all my synths this one i kept. And before i sold my prophet rev2 i compared the basic sound of both and the osc of the cs sounts almost the same. And amazing sound engine and maybe the most analog sounding va i ever had. But i leanrd again some new trickts with white noise and the kicks....i would wish they would bring out a version with memory and a little bit bigger and i am sure it would be a top seller
Oh yes, make it full size . I'd say double the osc, filter and envelope section. Add a ring modulator.
And polyphonic aftertouch 🤩
@@Estuera bouble osc even not necessary its fat anyway. But an arp would be my biggeat wish
Great stuff! Whats with that CS plugin shown at 0:38? Where can I get that? Cheers
I recently made a video about it: ruclips.net/video/8M5eKqy0850/видео.html
You can get ctrlr here: ctrlr.org/
And the Reface CS panel I used in the video here: ctrlr.org/69236/
The Reface CS is an excellent synth and doesn't get enough love, IMO. I know it's an analog modeling synth and not an actual analog synth but it fits in/stands out along with all my true analogs. Maybe that's part of why it carves out it's own space so well. The filter is just great, somewhere between a Moog ladder and an SEM. I believe it's modeled off an 18 db filter so that would help explain the character. The filter doesn't self oscillate but it still sounds extremely musical. Looks like you stayed away from mono (legato) sounds. Leads are decent on the CS, but with a touch of glide, the bass emulation of a 303 is almost possible. No onboard memories can be a bit of a pain without an iPad/iPhone/computer to save/recall, but unless you're just starting out, it's probably not your only synth.
Having said that, you've just shown that it certainly could be your only synth if need be ;) Well done!
Thanks :)
The filter does self oscillate btw and it perfectly tracks the keyboard ;)
@@Estuera My mistake. You're correct it does self oscillate. It could be the 18db character or that it's virtual but to my ears it sounds best just before that self oscillation threshold. The CS is an awesome synth, but the self oscillation is probably the only sound design feature I stay away from. I'll stick to my other analog polys for that, along with mono/unison sounds. This does mono sounds, but they don't stack voices like other unison analog synths. Neither issue I would classify as a fault. It is virtual after all, and considering the size of the control panel, they jammed an incredible amount of flexibility in sound design. It's far deeper than at first glance and whoever designed the interface did an incredible job. Been too long since I took it out of it's case. I'll have to break it out this evening.
future classic. Get it new well you still can 🤑
Nice track!! I assume you did sequencing melodies on the Cubase right? Was it with a specific plugin, or just putting them in the grid by hand? Cheers!
Sequencing was done in cubase.
Some parts played in 'live' others sequenced with midi.
In both cases recorded to a cubase audio track. Arranged the audio tracks afterwards.
No special plugins needed.
You make FM synthesis seem simple, lol
This reminds me very much of Maddslinky's Compuphonic. I guess it was made on a Jupter4 ;)
Love it! Can you share this track somehow? On soundcloud for example
It might be a good idea to setup a soundcloud with the tracks I created for this channel.