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

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  • Опубликовано: 10 сен 2024
  • I set a task for myself during lockdown to get the best out of all of the synths I have and took up the mantle with the notoriously difficult interface of the Yamaha TG500.
    There are no editors, barely any support on line, eventually I found some banks in sysex format and painstakingly compliled this bank.
    I was amazed at just how good this synth sounds once you get past the presets, what a powerfull synth this 1u rackmount is
    please feel free to add any comments
    If you like this video please subsribe to my channel for more videos just like this one

Комментарии • 88

  • @ToXball
    @ToXball 3 года назад +4

    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. 👌

  • @sauermusicDE
    @sauermusicDE 2 года назад +9

    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
      @jameshancox1  2 года назад +2

      You are correct, it has 2 parallel units

    • @madness8556
      @madness8556 2 года назад +1

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

  • @lovelost28
    @lovelost28 2 года назад +2

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

  • @ASH-ou4cg
    @ASH-ou4cg 3 года назад +2

    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
      @jameshancox1  3 года назад +3

      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
      @ASH-ou4cg 3 года назад +1

      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.

  • @skye6508
    @skye6508 2 года назад +1

    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
      @jameshancox1  2 года назад

      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

  • @79yank
    @79yank 3 года назад +4

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

  • @simonmatele4621
    @simonmatele4621 3 года назад +7

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

  • @mkiswatoo
    @mkiswatoo 2 года назад +3

    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
      @jameshancox1  2 года назад +2

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

  • @redmaskmcr5286
    @redmaskmcr5286 3 года назад +1

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

    • @jameshancox1
      @jameshancox1  3 года назад

      This synth really excels at this type of sound

  • @devingademan
    @devingademan 3 года назад +2

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

  • @ryanpeplinski1884
    @ryanpeplinski1884 11 месяцев назад +1

    Excellent demo!

  • @oupahens9219
    @oupahens9219 Год назад +1

    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
      @jameshancox1  11 месяцев назад

      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

  • @CharlieYoung-nn4dy
    @CharlieYoung-nn4dy Год назад +2

    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!

  • @looneyburgmusic
    @looneyburgmusic 2 года назад +1

    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
      @jameshancox1  2 года назад

      The sy77 was afm and the 99 was later

    • @looneyburgmusic
      @looneyburgmusic 2 года назад +4

      @@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

  • @jonathans8580
    @jonathans8580 3 года назад +1

    Wow Sounds Great for more Pad sounds

  • @jamed3189
    @jamed3189 2 года назад +1

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

  • @Hwral
    @Hwral 3 года назад +1

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

    • @jameshancox1
      @jameshancox1  3 года назад +1

      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
      @BobsBand 3 года назад +2

      @@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
      @jameshancox1  3 года назад

      @@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

  • @RunningonairMusic
    @RunningonairMusic 3 года назад +2

    A lot of these remind me of Jarre. Thanks.

  • @Schule04
    @Schule04 3 года назад +2

    Is the TG300 related to this? I guess not really

  • @someoneoutthereable
    @someoneoutthereable Год назад

    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
      @jameshancox1  Год назад

      I tried to email you, but the email bounced back

  • @doctorsynth1
    @doctorsynth1 3 года назад

    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
      @jameshancox1  3 года назад

      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
      @jameshancox1  3 года назад +2

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

    • @AdamTheAd-vanc3d
      @AdamTheAd-vanc3d 2 месяца назад

      ​@@jameshancox1Thanks for the tip

    • @AdamTheAd-vanc3d
      @AdamTheAd-vanc3d 2 месяца назад

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

  • @pepperparkffm
    @pepperparkffm Год назад

    Where can I buy these custom patches?

  • @Maryandme4550
    @Maryandme4550 3 года назад +1

    Will you share your sound bank? Its quite good!

    • @jameshancox1
      @jameshancox1  3 года назад +2

      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
      @Swanlord05 3 года назад

      Patch download?

  • @Bendy2K
    @Bendy2K 2 года назад

    So how did you actually program this thing?

    • @Bendy2K
      @Bendy2K 2 года назад +1

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

    • @jameshancox1
      @jameshancox1  2 года назад

      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
      @jameshancox1  2 года назад +1

      I may do, watch this space

  • @patrikknoerr9777
    @patrikknoerr9777 3 года назад +2

    My JV2080 sits and weeps.

    • @jameshancox1
      @jameshancox1  3 года назад +2

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

  • @torbenanschau6641
    @torbenanschau6641 2 года назад +4

    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
      @jameshancox1  2 года назад +3

      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
      @torbenanschau6641 2 года назад

      @@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
      @jameshancox1  2 года назад +2

      @@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
      @torbenanschau6641 2 года назад

      @@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
      @jameshancox1  2 года назад +4

      @@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

  • @GiveMeAnOKUsername
    @GiveMeAnOKUsername 3 года назад

    I thought the TG500 sounded better than the SY85.

    • @jameshancox1
      @jameshancox1  3 года назад

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

    • @GiveMeAnOKUsername
      @GiveMeAnOKUsername 3 года назад +1

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

  • @synthesizerhome2041
    @synthesizerhome2041 3 года назад +3

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

    • @jameshancox1
      @jameshancox1  3 года назад +5

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

    • @synthesizerhome2041
      @synthesizerhome2041 3 года назад +3

      @@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
      @jameshancox1  3 года назад +7

      @@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
      @FilipMilerX 2 года назад +3

      "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
      @self4autism333 7 месяцев назад

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

  • @GoodLuck-GoodLuck
    @GoodLuck-GoodLuck 3 года назад +1

    rompler

    • @jameshancox1
      @jameshancox1  3 года назад +9

      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
      @oupahens9219 Год назад

      Just like that JV1080.