Bought the CP and YC and they are incredible. It's amazing to have so many EP's and organs in my studio in such tiny packages. Quality instruments and worth every penny.
the looper is badly designed if you need live looping, it's hard to end the loop on beat (even with quantization on) because the slider switch has to "click" in the play position, and it often slips and goes to stop. They should have put buttons like on a normal looper. Also, they could have put a simple step sequencer like on Arturia Keystep. I find the looper useless and am about to return the CS to the shop and get a Roland JU-06a, which in my opinion is a much better option.
@@lit2021 Bad move. I can never understand people who are too lazy to just link it. To a hardware sequencer like I do to my QX5. Which has superior flexibility to any looper. For sound and versatility the reface CS is the BOSS..and blows everything else away.
Excellent sound, fun to use - it's my "go to" synth that I play whenever I want to focus on writing a melody instead of digging through menus on more complex synths. It's easily one of the most inspirational pieces of gear that I've bought in the last 10 years.
Agreed. I sold mine a couple years ago and have missed it ever since, despite getting a lot of more powerful pieces of gear. There’s just something special about it. I just ordered another one today and I’m excited for it all over again.
@@HotStrange Never sell this. Its so IMMEDIATE. Something nobody has brought to anyones attention yet. Is all these wonderful sounds come from just 17 parameters. I'm going to show in a tutorial in 2023. How you can go from say a KICK DRUM to big Vangelesque type pad in less than a minute. This is the true power of this gem. And the reason they didn't have to have any onboard user memories. I simply write down the settings with pen and paper (remember them) oldschool. If I want to SAVE the sounds for sequencing purposes as use no software I'm real oldschool. I do so to my Korg Microsampler. Another very underrated piece of kit. The two of them together..and magic happens as I will show throughout 2023.
Love my CS - great for Leads/Pads/Atmospheres! It has sooooo many sweetspots and is well-built. Downsizing home studio ... got rid of my Boutiques, Rocket, MiniNova, Volca Keys, MicroBrute and kept the CS. Highly recommended “first synth”. Also works as a great MIDI controller for my iPad synth apps(with midi-learn). Yes, Arp instead of Looper - but I use CS for leads/improv.
Great review. But it seems the FEG/AEG fader was overlooked. A common CS misconception is that it only has one ADSR response. But the FEG/AEG fader can vary the EG response to the filter and amp. At its extreme settings top or bottom, the full adsr is used for one destination and a gate is used for the other. Change the fader and the proportions change. But that’s not all! In sync mode, ADSR also plays a role in the pitch mod. So it’s quite possible from one ADSR EG to have three different EG responses simultaneously thanks to the “streamlined” minimalist interface. Don’t forget while some folks say there’s no mod wheel, every fader can be indexed by hand. Wiggling the FEG/AEG fader can produce a result not easily heard on other synths. Cheers!
I also noticed the that in FM Mode, FM amount is tied to the Envelope as well. Another favourite trick with my Reface CS is to set a very slow decay, and then play with the sustain slider - the sound will slope to the new sustain value at the decay speed! VERY well thought out architecture
My favorite thing about this is how streamlined the interface is. Much like the Minilogue, every parameter has a purpose and serves the instrument in a unique way. Also with the combo EG you can get a lot of subtle filter/amp modulations depending on where you put the slider, i.e. 70% filter and 30% amp gives the amp EG a very slight subtle modulation that I love. Amazing synth.
Best review of the CS on RUclips. Yamaha should put this on their site. Hope to see more hardware reviews like this. Since often a video is as close as we can get to the real thing in today's world, this kind of depth and detail by someone who really knows his stuff is very much appreciated. Another great video by Bo.
I've had a Reface CS for about a year and a half. The sound is great, especially the Multi-Saw oscillator! Quick tip. Use the looper while synced to a midi host and you can record phrases in a loop with as many bars as you like. This way I can get 4 bars from my Digitone, but longer chord progression with the Reface CS. Only downsides to this unit are no patch memory, no velocity, no on board reverb. Other than that it's a great synth! Love mine.
I'm certain it responds to velocity from the internal keyboard as well as external MIDI, though to volume only. It most definitely transmits velocity over MIDI too. The keybed is excellent. It's an excellent synth despite its limitations and it's actually hard to make it sound anything but great.
Lets put it this way. Had it been full size with at least 32 user programs. It would now be a legend. For sound its up there with the very best analogues.
I think Yamaha will do that in the near future. The Reface is like a first try in recreating great analouge synth sound and they are looking how the people are reacting. Now they know everybody love these things and maybe can even profit from all the reviews and ideas. Yamaha would be dumb if they decide not to make an affordable full size synth with some more features as the CS.
As a aspiring game developer, I love this synth because it is amazing for sound effects of all kinds, as well as for making music for games and I just absolutely love messing with sounds, which is why I went with the cs over the dx since you can customised the sounds and also use as a powerful midi controller with all the sliders.
I owned one of these for a long while. It’s great and my go to recommendation when someone asks for a cheap Poly. Surprisingly versatile and can get very warm and lush. I miss mine daily.
I bought this beast, partly due to this great episode. You broke it down it a way that was easy for me decide what this baby can do. No regrets. This synth should be a standard, not only for recording but for writing and brainstorming. Hearty thank you from Detroit.
The Reface series have one of the BEST keys you're ever gonna find on a synth-action keyboard. The velocity response is VERY expressive, keys don't wobble and the feedback is stellar! Great review Bo!
I was also pleasantly surprised by the quality and character of the CS. I've got a friend with a mountain of classic analog synths - even he couldn't deny it and picked one up. Definitely underrated!
Bought it month ago and I love it. Huge sound palette for an instrument like this, well thought-out interface and killer looks (imho the best looking synthesizer on the market, followed by minilogue). Looper is a nice addition. I posted few vids with reface recently, you can check them out. On a side note, I wish Yamaha would expand on this idea and build a full size synth to really bring the CS name back. Montage, or whatever it's called, doesn't excite me at all.
Another two years later it is still worth it! My favorite effect setting is distortion with both fader all the way down. It adds nice harmonics without sounding all distorted.
Great demo! One of the few really good ones out there that really showcase the CS's strengths IMO. Given the disclaimer that Yamaha is my favorite synth company and I'm probably very biased, I am a bit obsessed with the Reface series and will sing its praises anywhere. The form factor is PHENOMENAL. In my opinion it might be the best form factor ever made for a portable synth. (I say "portable" because I think rack modules are the best form factor for exclusively studio use.) There are very few other synths for any price that have a very convenient small size and weight, a chassis and keybed of such high quality (yes they're minikeys, but they are one of the best-feeling keybeds I've played in any size), battery power, AND built-in speakers...not to mention that the Reface speakers sound really good (unlike many built-in speakers on synths) and you can even buy extensions to play a Reface as a keytar. Finally, with the included splitter, they have real MIDI in and out (in addition to USB) which a lot of cheap synths leave out these days. All 4 of them sound awesome, and have really nice interfaces. I really can't think of a single downside. I wish Yamaha would make new Refaces and keep the line going, but it doesn't seem like they will. :(
My favourite of my synths. I've been using analogue synths since 1985 and I love how quickly you can get to get great sounds with the CS. The choices the designers made for the controls were excellent. The only thing I don't like is that with maximum length envelopes you can get notes cut off prematurely.
Thanks for the review and also a description of each OSC interaction with the LFO. I have this synth and have been learning new stuff on it all the time. There is some really cool sounds to be discovered in the texture and mod sliders!
I basically use this thing and the Reface DX exclusively when I record. It’s easy to make sounds but you still have an amazing range of sounds you can produce.
I recently sold my Reface CS. Always liked it but I had a lot of overlap in the studio. Still though, I'll tell anyone that I think it is a really excellent value. Can sound very big and is easy to work with. Well worth the average price of around $300 USD. I have the CP as well and I don't think I'll ever part with that one.
Never tried the CS but gotta agree with the CP :) the effects make it such a creative and playable keyboard. Have it at our office now for a while, my colleagues don't mind my randomly jamming on it as they do so as well sometimes :D
the reface series is really underrated. I have got a reface dx which is very good both as a standolone instrument (very nice interface for FM synthesis) and as a midi keyboard. Not only it as the finest (IMHO) keybed for a mini keyboard, but you can take advantage of the two surprisingly good tiny speakers with the audio input.
GreenHoleSun It’s nice to hear people are just stumbling into it. Make’s me think yamaha was just confident to not really do a lot of ads and let it just stand on it’s own. I really like they give you all the hands on control, be great if those are midi capable.
@@ubiquitousreverser the reface project had great potential. My dream minikeyboard would have the sound engine, the sequencer and the drum machine of a Roland JDXI and the built quality, form factor, simple interface, keybed and portability( battery powered+speakers) of the reface series. You could have done serious things with that, an entire song with just one minikeyboard, from the start to the end.
I also have the reface dx and the keys are really awesome and i love evolving pads that you can make with it. I have found that the looper is extremely useless tho.
@@camilootero9706 yes, the looper is quite useless. If they added instead a simple sequencer and some kind of drum machine (as in the roland jdxi) it should have been much better
I was intrigued to see how bob eats a Yamaha CS, but then I saw it was you Bo. I think you answered the question yourself, yes. The only problem with the Reface CS was its price - as you said. Think you've put it on my shopping list.
I’d love to see Yamaha release a new line. Maybe the new CS could have an extra LFO, dedicated separate amp/mod envelope (with different routings), a few more oscillator types like wavetable, additive, and linear FM, onboard patch storage, and a sequencer. I would be all in on that for $500-$600. It just sounds too good not to build on this. Do the same with the DX (add a sequencer, 2 more operators, and a couple more parameters), and combine the YC and CP with full size keys, and you’d have a pretty decent upgrade to justify a higher price.
That is the difference between Roland and Yamaha...Roland constantly releases new versions of their classic synths and gets crap for that, while everyone gives Yamaha crap for NOT releasing new versions of their classic synths...
I've been playing the YC for a couple years and I'd love to see a slightly bigger (but still light) version maybe with a pedal keyboard input, an extra octave, and some presets. Cuz the unit itself is killer.
I use this synth for so many different songs. Its got alot of wiggle room for creating some trully inspirational sounds. Realizing this I started taking pictures of the slide placements anytime I happened apon something 2 interesting 2 forget(:
Yes, the original asking price was too much -- now it is a bargain and lots of fun to play despite its diminutive size. Personally, I like the looper just fine. Anyway, thanks for bringing attention to this often overlooked/dismissed synth.
I've had a CS Reface for a few years, used it on and off. Agree with everything in this video except the looper. Here's my 2 cents: It's terribly implemented if you're trying to use it like an audio looper or as a sequencer, but it has aspects of both. It records a loop of just the MIDI note messages, rather than audio, which you can layer an endless cluster of notes into. Because it's looping the MIDI pre-synth (the only fader that's recorded into the loop is the Octave), you can play with every other aspect of the synth, including the tempo at which the notes play back without altering pitch. Great for creating texture or pretending you're Terry Riley.
I recently picked up a reface dx, lightly used. It's reasonably easy to program and sounds great for pads. The looper is nice and I haven't struggled with timing it, though it's missing a handful of features that really should have been included. I think the biggest misstep yamaha made was the initial, exorbitant selling price. At their current street price, these things are awesome.
In my opinion the reface CP is the best of them. I use it as a beckup keaboard or if I want textures its effects actualy give it a more wide sound pallate than you might think. I looove putting it through my modular:) This thing actually saved me in a few gigs. Wish the reface series had more keys though. The CS never captured me... I mean there are so many good and cheap synths these days... And I can't stand those small keys :/
I agree. It's the one I bought. Seemed to be the one least compromised by the small form factor. I'm sure the CS and DX sound good but a synth with no mod wheel makes no sense to me. Only gripe with the CP is the occasional dead note if you don't strike the keys hard enough. Apparently the sounds require a minimum velocity of 2 to trigger but the keys can put out a velocity of 1. Not sure if this affects the others as well.
If this had an arp and latch it would make me love it 100x more. I still love it and it's one of my first synths. But man that would be sweet and seemingly easy to add?
Great demo! This is a very interesting synthesizer for the newer price point, as you say. It looks like a fun way to create sounds, but the one limitation is that it would probably be best used in the studio rather than at a gig if there is no way to save sounds -- you'd have to keep a notebook on the settings or how to program the sounds you want/need and hope it is simple or really practice using it. (For example, on the Korg Minilogue, it takes some practice to be able to replicate sounds -- it is not as simple as just turning the dials the same way they were, you sometimes have to do it in the right order -- but at least you can save your sounds on the Minilogue. That's important if you want/need a specific sound character for a particular song, or the song is built around that sound.) Love the synopsis at the end -- the "who is it for" section. I think it might be a synth for me, but like I said, more for studio unless I really practice using it and can get consistent results on stage. Even as a guitarist, I ban certain pedals from my pedalboard if they are difficult to work with on stage.
My very first real synth was the Yamaha CS01-II in the early 80's. Then when Yamaha came out with the CS1x in the 90's, that was my thing. When I heard originally that they made the reface CS, I just had to get one. So I got mine when they were a new model, with the higher price. Still love the thing, it sounds soo nice, I'm using it to play chords which sound like honey poured over my music... :) I'm also using the looper even on my live shows, I put the looper to play some chord progressions, sometimes a bit random if I use a different unsynced time for the looper compared to the rest of the music. And I like it. You can do a lot with it and I'll keep using it in my live setup also I'm pretty sure. I had the reface CS as a part of my every live show in 2018. And about the reface series, I have the CS, DX and YC myself, love them all. I was just playing the YC at the weekend in a live jam band with a lot of different musicians playing their instrumets and it was just so easy to take the reface with me to the location, carry it in a cloth bag and just take a keyboard stand and couple of wires with me. Easy to carry with... and play anywhere. and a very good demo from Bo. Like somebody noticed, you can do also some interesting stuff with the FEG/AEG-slider, to affect how the EG works (filter EG/amp EG).
I have been using this synth around 8 months now, and I am still getting new sounds out of it. It is a huge part of my portable setup, so I think it is definitely worth considering if you find a good deal. also it's battery powered and I think that's pretty fuccin cool
I picked up the CS and DX for poly. Both easy to use and do what I wanted, but I do think they were a bit pricey at first. They're cheaper now. If I compare them to my Blofeld for simple patches I'd say refaces sound better for some reason. I've messed about with them for a long time and they're still solid. Also got some good leads from my reface. The looper is stupid. I hook it to a DAW for sequences. I also like controlling the DX CC data in a DAW, you use it in another way
Wow it's actually cooler than I thought it was nice review. Not that you can compare an electric piano to a synth though I have the Reface CP and it's awesome for the music I do!
i am a drummer but i always loved synths, i was trying to decide between the Microbrute, the Minibrute, the Minilogue the XD and the MS20 mini, although i think those are pretty nice synths i think im going for the Reface CS for the fact that is polyphonic and that thing sounds amazing, maybe after this one i will get the MS20 mini just for the sake of having it
@@hyoonoot Wow things turned out a little different from what i was expecting, i got the MS20 mini instead and it is a badass machine on its own, analog to the core with the patches and the growly sound, i also was lucky enough to find a JUNO 60 for a fairly cheap cost and thats the one that inspired the Reface CS so i was not that far from what i predicted, only bad news is that needs some restoration there are some missing buttons but everything else seems to work just fine
I wish yamaha would release a desktop module or rack mount version of their reface keyboards. I love the idea of all of them but i don't need 4 different keyboards
I have a Reface DX (which I love, also I got introduced to synthesis through FM years ago.. started out hard :p) but this one has been on my radar for a while now. It also seems to be enjoying a bit of a resurgence lately with a couple of people mentioning it as one of their favourite and underrated synths. :) Great little synth!
My first hardware synth was actually a Alesis Micron (great VA synth!) but I got my first introduction to synthesis in general through FM7 in college and though that was how all synthesis worked >
@@biggrime Just be aware that the looper of the Reface CS sucks ass. aside from that it's a great unit to have, good sweetspot synth. But I'd rather have the Volca Fm tbh once you have the FM go through a reverb pedal it is insane!
My only complaint with the looper is that you can't change the sound from loop to loop without affecting the previously recorded loops. That would make it way better imo if you could say, lay down a drum beat, then make a nice bass line, and so on until you've composed a full composition, as this synth is extremely versatile and capable of all these sounds. Maybe this would be asking too much of a $300 synth? ...but then they were asking $500 at first.
Yamaha didn’t help themselves with the initial price, and some of them never got real drops (like the YC). Still, people hated on these left and right the first couple years. I admit, sometimes they sit in their cases and I wonder if I really need them, but I remember why when I sit down and realize I have been playing one and creating sounds/song ideas for a couple of hours while sitting right next to a Montage and a Moog.
Nothing I need but it is a good re-issue of some good digital synthesis on the go. Sounds like a lot of good tones that would go perfect to some Terminator or Night Of The Living Dead.
Awesome video review. The Yamaha Reface Series keyboards were incredible when they were released about 4 years ago, time flies by, well made, but kind of pricey, at $650 US, but now, about $360 US. I want them just as much now, and still intend to get the CP, YC, and DX in that order. The CS, not so much. The latter is best for those like you, really familiar with all the settings and adjustments in analog synth modeling, though I am not totally oblivious to that, just not my forte, and I already have a Roland JD-Xi, which is great. They have special carrying gig bags for these, as well as other brands. These are perfect for their size to be portable, built in speakers, and battery powered. The DX7 based DX is the digital synth variant and if course the CP fir electric pianos, and the YC for organs.
I strongly recommend the Dtronix DT-RDX controller for the Reface DX. It doubles the price, triples the fun and quadrouples the ease and speed of making your sounds.
Hi! I’m not sure if I should buy the Reface DX or the CS?? I’m a bass player and new to synths, looking for something versatile that I can add during my band’s live performances. I like that the CS has a looper, does the DX have one too? Any recommendations? Thank you :)
question! can you hook this up to a computer DAW (let's say, GarageBand) and play from the sounds there? if you can, could you also record the sounds from the keyboard itself onto there? I'm sort of still new to this 😅
I've had mine for several years now. If all my gear got destroyed it is still the first thing I'd replace. Not the most powerful synth I've got. Not the most versatile synth I've got. But it's still the quickest to a great sound so while I'm in a creative flow I can at least quickly throw in a scratch part so I don't lose the muse. When I'm not in a creative flow, its mojo gets me started.
It seems so easy to use. Honestly if you have a great expensive synth it often gets beat by this because this is just easier to use to get to sweet sounds. I am strongly considering getting this and this video helped. Great Vid!
After buying it myself, I'd say absolutely it's worth buying. It's so good for thick pads, jumpy leads, phat bases, and twinkling, sparkling bells, amongst other things like sound effects. It's an amazing synth, and the looper is good for short ideas and quick inspiration.
This is a very comprehensive review thanks for demonstrating it BTW now you’ve had it for some time have you managed to fit the battery lid on the correct way round ? 🤣🤣🤣🤣👍👍
I absolutely love the CS. It's featured in all of my 808 classic tracks covers. It absolutely nails that classic synth saw lead that is found in all the electro songs from the 80s. Peace \/.
I mostly like my CS, it's just such a shame that the CPU isn't fast enough to handle things like switching oscillator without going silent for 0.1 second or adding depth in the FX section without the Looper slowing down for a bit. Sometimes it also just doesn't play a note when it has long attack and release, it's not a polyphony issue as Yamaha keeps claiming (besides, it would cut off an older note, not ignore a new note, that's not how any of this works, Yamaha). There are some more bugs that would keep me from using it live. I do actually seem to be the only person who likes the Looper. I like recording a simple sequence 4 times in a row, adding a slow bassline, adding another melody or harmony on top and then experimenting with a lead on top. It can get a little crowded when it's all playing the same patch, but it's a fun and quick way to work on an idea. And that keybed is my favorite keybed I've ever touched. Not just my favorite Mini keybed.
I'd say it's still worth getting especially with Omnisphere 2.6 announced. The Reface CS is supported, with the hardware integration, as well as a handful of other synths!
I owned one in 2017, but the lack of storing sounds or loops is very annoying, so i gave it back ...the reface dx got storage...why not the cs....? the sound is really huge...
One functionality that it would be nice for them to add through their app is to have a two manual effect when you have two Refaces linked to your phone or iPad. Like to use a CP as a second manual under preset but playing the YC as a two manual organ with one set of drawbars. Or have a CP80 preset on your YC while real time modifying your Clav sound on the CP. Have the sound come out of all 4 speakers. Have combination presets for whatever pair you have, like Rd piano on CP combined with string synth sounds on a DX.
You can do that with midi, not sure about through the app though.....I can use my CP as a lower manual for my YC, and also change octaves on either one separately
Can the second keyboard play a different preset than the first? If the other keyboard was one preset and then the YC itself allowed control of its sound live while leaving the other one's sound alone, that would be nice.
Can the second keyboard play a different preset than the first? If the other keyboard was one preset and then the YC itself allowed control of its sound live while leaving the other one's sound alone, that would be nice.
Can the second keyboard play a different preset than the first? If the other keyboard was one preset and then the YC itself allowed control of its sound live while leaving the other one's sound alone, that would be nice.
@@davek12 unfortunately no....the preset of the host keyboard will be the same preset for both, the only way to achieve what you want is to have 2 of the same Reface models, because the Refaces don't have a upper/lower manual switch....but there is an app and website called soundmondo, made by Yamaha where you can save presets.
I love my CS it's a proper little BOC machine, I was actually hoping Yamaha was going to take this machine and expand it at some point, add a good sequencer, ability to use a chain of effects rather than just one, patch memory etc, I love such comments as "toy" and "thin" they have no idea what a great sounding synth this is. PS put “CS sea creatures” in youtube search for a lovely track(s) composed with the CS.
I've played on before and it actually sounds very very good! Maybe could use a little more heft but not a deal breaker. Perhaps I think a big issue is that we see "CS" and would kinda prefer like a Roland Boutique-style reissue of the CS80 which if I recall was kinda what it was marketed as. I think you mention it in your review that it appears toy-ish and underwhelming and I think that it doesn't have the street cred of something like an sh-01a which takes an existing legendary property and re-imagines it a tiny bit to make sense in the contemporary synth scene. Nevertheless, the more the price drops, the more appetizing it looks. And I sincerely hope you show us how it plays with your digitakt or hey, even your Octatrack. Surely some of those p-locks and sequencing options could really show us how well this piece can shine.
So Mr. Beats...I have this synth now and have been slowly playing with it and learning it. I keep it downstairs as my "noodle around" synth so if I feel like spending a couple mins making a sound, it's right there ready to go. I also used it as a noisemaker to make the sound of one of the ghosts in my new song "Ghosts." :D ... One thing you did not demo was the first slider in the envelope (EG) section. It is interesting you have one control that sort of mixes the amount of EG between the Amp EG and the Filter EG. You can radically change your sound by sliding it up toward the FEG so the filter gets more or less emphases over time (at least I think that's what's happening, the manual is not very good) ... It is definitely a synth that I want to master, and I think i could use it on a gig in practice because (although you cannot save sounds) you can write down your patches in your song chart (just like I write down any unusual pedalboard settings I have for guitar parts) and just dial them back in -- but again this will take some practice to make it right, and you have to be competent enough to make micro-tweaks during the song if needed. They do have a padded soft case for Yamaha reface models too... it is also worth mentioning (for those who care) that the sound engine digitally emulates certain types of analog synths (double sawtooth, double square wave, a ring modded wave of some unknown sort, oscillator sync of some unknown combination of two waveforms, and double sine wave a.k.a. FM). As such it has some limitations -- for example, you can't mix a sawtooth and a square wave like you can on a Korg Minilogue. That said, it is a valuable tool and could be a go to synth for someone who (if willing to accept the limits) wants an easy way to make a sound palette!
Thank you for your video! Is it possible to use it entirely as a midi controller ? Could all those sliders be usable for vst instruments?
5 лет назад+3
I agree with many here that the CS sounds great. I think like Bo that the looper is rather weird. Hard to operate. Generally I find the faders far too short. As well as their range. Never felt the need for patch memory. A very tweekable synth.
You sold me! Lol I've been interested in the reface series for awhile, but they were too expensive in the beginning... but now the price point makes a lot more sense. 👍 lol Just picked up a used one for $240. Great deal. Next... reface CP. 😉
@@BoBeats Nice! The DX seems great too. In fact, the entire reface line seems a lot more awesome all of a sudden... thanks to the lower price tag. Lol Good luck on your FM quest. 😎👍
Hi, you seem to be the right person to ask :) how do you think Yamaha Reface CS compares to the recent Arturia MicroFreak in terms of sound design versatility? They are equally priced now so... Thanks so much for your help!
@@BoBeats thanks! Although I have no problems calling myself a beginner in the synths world I'm really not scared of deepness, I'm a software developer so I think you can understand the nerdness involved in it :) What I'm really scared of is the lack of polyphony in the MicroFreak. I know polyphony is not always needed, that it depends on genres, and that I could always get around it by multitrack recording... but still, I don't know how to decide... I'd love to dive deeply into sound design, but then I want to be able to play those sounds too in a way that doesn't affect my creativity! What do you suggest? Buy both it's not an option currently 😅
@@BoBeats I also have two more polyphonic candidates in the same price line to throw in the dish: Novation Mininova and MicroKorg. What do you pick now among these fours - Reface, MicroFreak, Mininova, MicroKorg? :) Remember, keywords are: versatility (in sound design) and polyphony (possibly). I think after this I won't bother you again :)
alfiozzz oh I would still say Freak. The micokorg is also great but not as fun to program. Less hands on. Much more menu diving. Freak is actually very versatile for sound design
I'm reminded of an interview I saw a long time ago with Vince Clarke. He'd had an opportunity to work with a Fairlight on Erasure's 2nd or 3rd album or somesuch. He said he felt intimidated by a system with such enormous capabilities and potential, and that after that experience, he went back to his much cheaper synths. If memory serves, he said something about not wanting his gear to know more about music than he. Seeing what the CS can do inside of its limitations, I can relate =)
I love analogue synthesizers especially the original CS line. ( I have the CS01) I also love small/compact keyboards so I was all set to love the Yamaha Reface CS but, well, I just don't. I can't put my finger on it but there's just something lacking. It sounds to digital or processed or something. It's more like an updated version of the ol' Yamaha PSS 480, almost FM sounding instead of the big lush sounds you get from the vintage CS synths. The physical design is quite beautiful.
lo-fi ROBOT Boy I have to disagree. I have tried so many synthesizers. I worked an audio electronic repair shop for three years repairing synthesizers and tube amps. I have tried many synthesizers, from your standard Juno’s to to the elusive older oberheims. I’ve only had the pleasure of trying a few mono Yamaha analog synths from the 70’s and 80s. I recently got back into synthesizers I have tried just about every new synth on the market. I have found that this re-face is one of the most lush, warm, smooth, and subtle synthesizers I have found. It has his limitations and it probably doesn’t compare well two older and analog synths but it’s definitely the least sounding digital synths along with the jp-08. I currently don’t own either but I might pick up a reface cs again the future.
@@BigBadWolf.............. Good to hear. As with all synths, if you like the way it sounds, great! For me, it just isn't quite there when compared to other newish instruments. The Microbrute and some of the Volcas offer more appeal for me. But I always go back to the ol' analogue beasts and little cheap 80's FM synths. Each to their own.
Theres NO other keyboard on the market that has more than four notes of polyphony, runs on batteries, has built in speakers, and has a usable amount of keys (3 rows). So the CS is AWESOME because of all that, regardless of how it sounds. And how does it sound? Well, its analog modeling, which I despise, but thats what you have to get if you want all the features mentioned above, and it has some CS80 sounds (I've owned a CS50), but basically its just the base waveforms that sound CS80ish. Overall, it doesn't have that great sound that makes aCS80 great and most of it's wave forms are too similar to each other, but like I said, until something better comes around, this will be my synth that sits next to me on the couch. oh and even tho the recording feature is impossible to loop perfectly, it is GREAT for just recording one long playset and then jamming with the CP next to it. ...OH and line in for jamming with youtube vids. Win win win win win. ....side note, the yamaha CP is one of the greatest keyboards ever made. Sounds incredible and has all the killer portability (couch) features. and I own a vintage Clavinet, Rhodes, and Wurlitzer. The Reface series is a dream come true. Wish there were more companies trying a synth with ALL the features the CS has.
A few weeks ago I bought an ASM Hydrasynth Explorer after considering one of these - in the UK the Explorer is only £100-150 more than the CS, and you do get so much more for the money. But for my first 'proper' synth, I feel a bit overwhelmed by the Explorer, and it's not as 'hands-on' as I had hoped. I am not regretting my purchase, and ultimately I intend to upgrade on to a Hydrasynth Deluxe, but I'm wondering if I really should've initially invested in one of these instead. Maybe I'll try pick a second-hand one up on eBay.
The main issue with the Reface series is that Yamaha priced them too high when they were new and even now...There are much better alternatives for that price or for a 100 bucks more, which pushes these back even further.
Could you give an example? I own CP and before I got it, I searched for alternatives but I didn't come across any. The ones I came across were said to be allow 4 voice polyphony or less.
I sold my CS about 2-3 years ago and I’ve missed it every day since. One of my biggest synth regrets. So I went ahead and ordered another since they seem to be hard to come by now. I think these will sell for a lot of money one day, but I’ll never know because I’ll never sell mine again.
Works great with an old electone console organ (me15). The drum machine operates the looper, looper feeds back into the organ to play its sounds, sound through the speakers controlled by the pedal, plus two keyboards and a set of bass pedals. tons of fun. yamaha should have released an additional patch/loop memory unit and a full size keyboard that these could slot into. I used the YC at a few gigs too, great sound especially the leslie effect.
Bought the CP and YC and they are incredible. It's amazing to have so many EP's and organs in my studio in such tiny packages. Quality instruments and worth every penny.
The looper is awesome. For people who prefer melody and chord progressions and not just blops and blips it’s extremely useful and fun.
the looper is badly designed if you need live looping, it's hard to end the loop on beat (even with quantization on) because the slider switch has to "click" in the play position, and it often slips and goes to stop. They should have put buttons like on a normal looper. Also, they could have put a simple step sequencer like on Arturia Keystep. I find the looper useless and am about to return the CS to the shop and get a Roland JU-06a, which in my opinion is a much better option.
It’s nice to have it for sure, just wish it had more features than just a basic loop. Also custom instrument presets to switch faster..
@@lit2021 But NOBODY buys this powerful little synth for the looper.
@@lit2021 the looper is fine, you just need practice, what the synth lacks in features it makes up with fun and playability with no menu diving
@@lit2021
Bad move. I can never understand people who are too lazy to just link it. To a hardware sequencer like I do to my QX5. Which has superior flexibility to any looper. For sound and versatility the reface CS is the BOSS..and blows everything else away.
Excellent sound, fun to use - it's my "go to" synth that I play whenever I want to focus on writing a melody instead of digging through menus on more complex synths. It's easily one of the most inspirational pieces of gear that I've bought in the last 10 years.
Agreed. I sold mine a couple years ago and have missed it ever since, despite getting a lot of more powerful pieces of gear. There’s just something special about it. I just ordered another one today and I’m excited for it all over again.
@@HotStrange
Never sell this. Its so IMMEDIATE. Something nobody has brought to anyones attention yet. Is all these wonderful sounds come from just 17 parameters. I'm going to show in a tutorial in 2023. How you can go from say a KICK DRUM to big Vangelesque type pad in less than a minute. This is the true power of this gem.
And the reason they didn't have to have any onboard user memories. I simply write down the settings with pen and paper (remember them) oldschool. If I want to SAVE the sounds for sequencing purposes as use no software I'm real oldschool. I do so to my Korg Microsampler. Another very underrated piece of kit.
The two of them together..and magic happens as I will show throughout 2023.
@@fender1000100hi, what kind of notations do you use to right now exactly the settings?
I'm getting mine soon, I wanna do it the old school way too.
Glad you did a full video about the reface CS. One of the best music purchases I ever made.
Love my CS - great for Leads/Pads/Atmospheres! It has sooooo many sweetspots and is well-built.
Downsizing home studio ... got rid of my Boutiques, Rocket, MiniNova, Volca Keys, MicroBrute and kept the CS.
Highly recommended “first synth”. Also works as a great MIDI controller for my iPad synth apps(with midi-learn).
Yes, Arp instead of Looper - but I use CS for leads/improv.
A simple synth great for leads, a great first synth, sounds like my Yamaha CS-01!
how much is a new one?
Alexis Less than $300 in US
@@onlytiesto1 I've seen it on sale new at £259 which is the price they should have set at launch. Not sure how much in dollars or euros.
I have it too and for arp I control the CS from my Arturia keystep to add arp and sequencer ,opens up the synth a lot.
Great review. But it seems the FEG/AEG fader was overlooked. A common CS misconception is that it only has one ADSR response. But the FEG/AEG fader can vary the EG response to the filter and amp. At its extreme settings top or bottom, the full adsr is used for one destination and a gate is used for the other. Change the fader and the proportions change. But that’s not all! In sync mode, ADSR also plays a role in the pitch mod. So it’s quite possible from one ADSR EG to have three different EG responses simultaneously thanks to the “streamlined” minimalist interface. Don’t forget while some folks say there’s no mod wheel, every fader can be indexed by hand. Wiggling the FEG/AEG fader can produce a result not easily heard on other synths. Cheers!
Yep, that's a very powerful feature of this synth. Another example of the great design choices they made.
I also noticed the that in FM Mode, FM amount is tied to the Envelope as well. Another favourite trick with my Reface CS is to set a very slow decay, and then play with the sustain slider - the sound will slope to the new sustain value at the decay speed! VERY well thought out architecture
My favorite thing about this is how streamlined the interface is. Much like the Minilogue, every parameter has a purpose and serves the instrument in a unique way. Also with the combo EG you can get a lot of subtle filter/amp modulations depending on where you put the slider, i.e. 70% filter and 30% amp gives the amp EG a very slight subtle modulation that I love. Amazing synth.
Best review of the CS on RUclips. Yamaha should put this on their site. Hope to see more hardware reviews like this. Since often a video is as close as we can get to the real thing in today's world, this kind of depth and detail by someone who really knows his stuff is very much appreciated. Another great video by Bo.
Cheers Rick!
Agreed. I’ve been going back and forth about getting one. This video is the only one that really went in depth into every feature
I've had a Reface CS for about a year and a half. The sound is great, especially the Multi-Saw oscillator! Quick tip. Use the looper while synced to a midi host and you can record phrases in a loop with as many bars as you like. This way I can get 4 bars from my Digitone, but longer chord progression with the Reface CS. Only downsides to this unit are no patch memory, no velocity, no on board reverb. Other than that it's a great synth! Love mine.
I'm certain it responds to velocity from the internal keyboard as well as external MIDI, though to volume only. It most definitely transmits velocity over MIDI too. The keybed is excellent. It's an excellent synth despite its limitations and it's actually hard to make it sound anything but great.
lack of reverb has been the only problem for me -- and, tbh, the lack of patch memory. but so good
Lets put it this way. Had it been full size with at least 32 user programs. It would now be a legend. For sound its up there with the very best analogues.
PROJECT DX Truth. Another Yamaha legend. But it would also cost twice as much then.
I think Yamaha will do that in the near future. The Reface is like a first try in recreating great analouge synth sound and they are looking how the people are reacting. Now they know everybody love these things and maybe can even profit from all the reviews and ideas. Yamaha would be dumb if they decide not to make an affordable full size synth with some more features as the CS.
I bought it for the super saw since my JP8000 had too many issues so I had to sell it.
@@michaelmcclelland2080
Be worth it for that rich warm sound.
I love my Reface CS. The poly mode sounds great..I basically never take it out of it.
As a aspiring game developer, I love this synth because it is amazing for sound effects of all kinds, as well as for making music for games and I just absolutely love messing with sounds, which is why I went with the cs over the dx since you can customised the sounds and also use as a powerful midi controller with all the sliders.
The Mopho/Mopho x4 is also really good for game sounds. It can do 8-bit chiptune sounding stuff even though it was never meant to.
You can customize the sounds of the DX also, arguably more so than you can on the CS.
I owned one of these for a long while. It’s great and my go to recommendation when someone asks for a cheap Poly. Surprisingly versatile and can get very warm and lush. I miss mine daily.
I bought this beast, partly due to this great episode. You broke it down it a way that was easy for me decide what this baby can do. No regrets. This synth should be a standard, not only for recording but for writing and brainstorming. Hearty thank you from Detroit.
The Reface series have one of the BEST keys you're ever gonna find on a synth-action keyboard. The velocity response is VERY expressive, keys don't wobble and the feedback is stellar! Great review Bo!
from what i heard, the synth isnt velocity-sensitive tho?
I was also pleasantly surprised by the quality and character of the CS.
I've got a friend with a mountain of classic analog synths - even he couldn't deny it and picked one up. Definitely underrated!
Bought it month ago and I love it. Huge sound palette for an instrument like this, well thought-out interface and killer looks (imho the best looking synthesizer on the market, followed by minilogue). Looper is a nice addition. I posted few vids with reface recently, you can check them out.
On a side note, I wish Yamaha would expand on this idea and build a full size synth to really bring the CS name back. Montage, or whatever it's called, doesn't excite me at all.
Quantized looper would be great
I've considered this synth for a while, I bought the Reface DX and absolutely loved it, this review didn't exactly lessen that feeling =)
You are expressing my exact experience.
1 year later and same
I have it, it is terrific!
Another two years later it is still worth it!
My favorite effect setting is distortion with both fader all the way down. It adds nice harmonics without sounding all distorted.
Great demo! One of the few really good ones out there that really showcase the CS's strengths IMO.
Given the disclaimer that Yamaha is my favorite synth company and I'm probably very biased, I am a bit obsessed with the Reface series and will sing its praises anywhere. The form factor is PHENOMENAL. In my opinion it might be the best form factor ever made for a portable synth. (I say "portable" because I think rack modules are the best form factor for exclusively studio use.) There are very few other synths for any price that have a very convenient small size and weight, a chassis and keybed of such high quality (yes they're minikeys, but they are one of the best-feeling keybeds I've played in any size), battery power, AND built-in speakers...not to mention that the Reface speakers sound really good (unlike many built-in speakers on synths) and you can even buy extensions to play a Reface as a keytar. Finally, with the included splitter, they have real MIDI in and out (in addition to USB) which a lot of cheap synths leave out these days.
All 4 of them sound awesome, and have really nice interfaces. I really can't think of a single downside. I wish Yamaha would make new Refaces and keep the line going, but it doesn't seem like they will. :(
Been contemplating getting one of these for a while now. This has made the decision way easier. Thanks Bo. Keep up the good work.
Same!
I feel very strongly about letting kids learn on "real synths". They can do it! Great showcase of the highly underrated CS.
Good to hear you're positive about the build quality, ordered a Reface CP and am still waiting for it to arrive. Also 13.01 dat patch
My favourite of my synths. I've been using analogue synths since 1985 and I love how quickly you can get to get great sounds with the CS. The choices the designers made for the controls were excellent. The only thing I don't like is that with maximum length envelopes you can get notes cut off prematurely.
Wow I love the sound and simplicity of this synth!
Thanks for the review and also a description of each OSC interaction with the LFO. I have this synth and have been learning new stuff on it all the time. There is some really cool sounds to be discovered in the texture and mod sliders!
Best demo hands down...this is the way everyone should demo. Push this pull that...with brief explanation.
I basically use this thing and the Reface DX exclusively when I record. It’s easy to make sounds but you still have an amazing range of sounds you can produce.
This was my first hardware synthesizer i got and it has served well. It has a very unique sound and its limitations makes it a different beast.
What do you have now ?
I recently sold my Reface CS. Always liked it but I had a lot of overlap in the studio. Still though, I'll tell anyone that I think it is a really excellent value. Can sound very big and is easy to work with. Well worth the average price of around $300 USD.
I have the CP as well and I don't think I'll ever part with that one.
Its a cheap way to get a supersaw and to get AN1X flavor.
Never tried the CS but gotta agree with the CP :) the effects make it such a creative and playable keyboard. Have it at our office now for a while, my colleagues don't mind my randomly jamming on it as they do so as well sometimes :D
the reface series is really underrated.
I have got a reface dx which is very good both as a standolone instrument (very nice interface for FM synthesis) and as a midi keyboard.
Not only it as the finest (IMHO) keybed for a mini keyboard, but you can take advantage of the two surprisingly good tiny speakers with the audio input.
GreenHoleSun It’s nice to hear people are just stumbling into it. Make’s me think yamaha was just confident to not really do a lot of ads and let it just stand on it’s own. I really like they give you all the hands on control, be great if those are midi capable.
@@ubiquitousreverser the reface project had great potential. My dream minikeyboard would have the sound engine, the sequencer and the drum machine of a Roland JDXI and the built quality, form factor, simple interface, keybed and portability( battery powered+speakers) of the reface series. You could have done serious things with that, an entire song with just one minikeyboard, from the start to the end.
I also have the reface dx and the keys are really awesome and i love evolving pads that you can make with it. I have found that the looper is extremely useless tho.
@@camilootero9706 yes, the looper is quite useless. If they added instead a simple sequencer and some kind of drum machine (as in the roland jdxi) it should have been much better
i would say, its pretty overrated;)
I was intrigued to see how bob eats a Yamaha CS, but then I saw it was you Bo. I think you answered the question yourself, yes. The only problem with the Reface CS was its price - as you said. Think you've put it on my shopping list.
Bob eats :-)))))
@@flyingJoe And the best part is that "Bob Eats" is a real channel.
The DX is clearly my fav. Very versatile, I love the programmation with lots of possibilities. Took it for my son but ... I use it most of time :D
Just add reverb and/or delay to season the sound, to make the Reface CS sound huge or futuristic! ;-)
I’d love to see Yamaha release a new line. Maybe the new CS could have an extra LFO, dedicated separate amp/mod envelope (with different routings), a few more oscillator types like wavetable, additive, and linear FM, onboard patch storage, and a sequencer. I would be all in on that for $500-$600. It just sounds too good not to build on this. Do the same with the DX (add a sequencer, 2 more operators, and a couple more parameters), and combine the YC and CP with full size keys, and you’d have a pretty decent upgrade to justify a higher price.
they won't,they released the MODX it has all the goodies and the price is right.
T.I.N Mateus and it’s physically huge which is moot to this post
That is the difference between Roland and Yamaha...Roland constantly releases new versions of their classic synths and gets crap for that, while everyone gives Yamaha crap for NOT releasing new versions of their classic synths...
I've been playing the YC for a couple years and I'd love to see a slightly bigger (but still light) version maybe with a pedal keyboard input, an extra octave, and some presets. Cuz the unit itself is killer.
Z Clef Music Have you seen the new YC61? Really interesting, but a bit pricey.
The sounds this this produces are amazing. If only it had a noise generator, this would be off the charts.
FM engine features noise
I use this synth for so many different songs. Its got alot of wiggle room for creating some trully inspirational sounds. Realizing this I started taking pictures of the slide placements anytime I happened apon something 2 interesting 2 forget(:
Yes, the original asking price was too much -- now it is a bargain and lots of fun to play despite its diminutive size. Personally, I like the looper just fine. Anyway, thanks for bringing attention to this often overlooked/dismissed synth.
I've had a CS Reface for a few years, used it on and off. Agree with everything in this video except the looper. Here's my 2 cents: It's terribly implemented if you're trying to use it like an audio looper or as a sequencer, but it has aspects of both. It records a loop of just the MIDI note messages, rather than audio, which you can layer an endless cluster of notes into. Because it's looping the MIDI pre-synth (the only fader that's recorded into the loop is the Octave), you can play with every other aspect of the synth, including the tempo at which the notes play back without altering pitch. Great for creating texture or pretending you're Terry Riley.
I recently picked up a reface dx, lightly used. It's reasonably easy to program and sounds great for pads. The looper is nice and I haven't struggled with timing it, though it's missing a handful of features that really should have been included. I think the biggest misstep yamaha made was the initial, exorbitant selling price. At their current street price, these things are awesome.
thank you Bo, I have been checking out this synth for a while now. I like the diverse sonic palette of that gear, cheers :)
this is a sweet little package of 0:14 1970s dreamy trippy heaven!
In my opinion the reface CP is the best of them. I use it as a beckup keaboard or if I want textures its effects actualy give it a more wide sound pallate than you might think. I looove putting it through my modular:) This thing actually saved me in a few gigs. Wish the reface series had more keys though.
The CS never captured me... I mean there are so many good and cheap synths these days... And I can't stand those small keys :/
I agree. It's the one I bought. Seemed to be the one least compromised by the small form factor. I'm sure the CS and DX sound good but a synth with no mod wheel makes no sense to me.
Only gripe with the CP is the occasional dead note if you don't strike the keys hard enough. Apparently the sounds require a minimum velocity of 2 to trigger but the keys can put out a velocity of 1. Not sure if this affects the others as well.
It's dx or cs for me. I'm likely going with the cs because of how simple it is... And the epic pads!
If this had an arp and latch it would make me love it 100x more. I still love it and it's one of my first synths. But man that would be sweet and seemingly easy to add?
Great demo! This is a very interesting synthesizer for the newer price point, as you say. It looks like a fun way to create sounds, but the one limitation is that it would probably be best used in the studio rather than at a gig if there is no way to save sounds -- you'd have to keep a notebook on the settings or how to program the sounds you want/need and hope it is simple or really practice using it. (For example, on the Korg Minilogue, it takes some practice to be able to replicate sounds -- it is not as simple as just turning the dials the same way they were, you sometimes have to do it in the right order -- but at least you can save your sounds on the Minilogue. That's important if you want/need a specific sound character for a particular song, or the song is built around that sound.) Love the synopsis at the end -- the "who is it for" section. I think it might be a synth for me, but like I said, more for studio unless I really practice using it and can get consistent results on stage. Even as a guitarist, I ban certain pedals from my pedalboard if they are difficult to work with on stage.
Seems like there are editor/librarians for this model these days.
My very first real synth was the Yamaha CS01-II in the early 80's. Then when Yamaha came out with the CS1x in the 90's, that was my thing. When I heard originally that they made the reface CS, I just had to get one. So I got mine when they were a new model, with the higher price. Still love the thing, it sounds soo nice, I'm using it to play chords which sound like honey poured over my music... :) I'm also using the looper even on my live shows, I put the looper to play some chord progressions, sometimes a bit random if I use a different unsynced time for the looper compared to the rest of the music. And I like it. You can do a lot with it and I'll keep using it in my live setup also I'm pretty sure. I had the reface CS as a part of my every live show in 2018. And about the reface series, I have the CS, DX and YC myself, love them all. I was just playing the YC at the weekend in a live jam band with a lot of different musicians playing their instrumets and it was just so easy to take the reface with me to the location, carry it in a cloth bag and just take a keyboard stand and couple of wires with me. Easy to carry with... and play anywhere.
and a very good demo from Bo. Like somebody noticed, you can do also some interesting stuff with the FEG/AEG-slider, to affect how the EG works (filter EG/amp EG).
Just bought one yesterday. I’m very excited!!
What are SINTHS? I’m new here...
Noir Et Blanc Vie Welcome to Sweden
Troll!!!?
;)
@@matszh I can't wait to move there and be with my true love ❤
Why do you ask, here? We don´t know. We only talk about synths...
actually this is a short name for sinthoholics
THANK YOU so much for this. Ordered one of these today!!!
I have been using this synth around 8 months now, and I am still getting new sounds out of it. It is a huge part of my portable setup, so I think it is definitely worth considering if you find a good deal.
also it's battery powered and I think that's pretty fuccin cool
I picked up the CS and DX for poly. Both easy to use and do what I wanted, but I do think they were a bit pricey at first. They're cheaper now. If I compare them to my Blofeld for simple patches I'd say refaces sound better for some reason. I've messed about with them for a long time and they're still solid. Also got some good leads from my reface. The looper is stupid. I hook it to a DAW for sequences. I also like controlling the DX CC data in a DAW, you use it in another way
Wow it's actually cooler than I thought it was nice review. Not that you can compare an electric piano to a synth though I have the Reface CP and it's awesome for the music I do!
2:04 no stairway denied
Best comment ever
Proper lolled
I just bought a Yamaha Reface CS after watching Doctor Mix's video on it. Your video just reinforced my decision.
Thats one of the greatest synth reviews ever filmed
I bought my CS today lmao
i am a drummer but i always loved synths, i was trying to decide between the Microbrute, the Minibrute, the Minilogue the XD and the MS20 mini, although i think those are pretty nice synths i think im going for the Reface CS for the fact that is polyphonic and that thing sounds amazing, maybe after this one i will get the MS20 mini just for the sake of having it
Do you regret it?
@@hyoonoot Wow things turned out a little different from what i was expecting, i got the MS20 mini instead and it is a badass machine on its own, analog to the core with the patches and the growly sound, i also was lucky enough to find a JUNO 60 for a fairly cheap cost and thats the one that inspired the Reface CS so i was not that far from what i predicted, only bad news is that needs some restoration there are some missing buttons but everything else seems to work just fine
I wish yamaha would release a desktop module or rack mount version of their reface keyboards. I love the idea of all of them but i don't need 4 different keyboards
Adore my CP, and cool to use the brilliant sounding hidden piano (sound test mode).
I’d always recommend people to save a little more and buy an An1x for the full Yamaha VA experience.
Magical synth, that one.
I love my an1x. Sounds great
How much is that one?
Elmo Sexwhistle the CS is great, too. Especially if you can snag a used one for $250ish
I have the CS1x. I bought the wrong one. I still love it though
I have a Reface DX (which I love, also I got introduced to synthesis through FM years ago.. started out hard :p) but this one has been on my radar for a while now. It also seems to be enjoying a bit of a resurgence lately with a couple of people mentioning it as one of their favourite and underrated synths. :) Great little synth!
My first synth was an SY77! I don't regret it one bit.
My first hardware synth was actually a Alesis Micron (great VA synth!) but I got my first introduction to synthesis in general through FM7 in college and though that was how all synthesis worked >
Bought mine about a year ago and I have no regrets, pairs really well alongside a volca Fm and Sample :)
I was thinking about replacing the volca fm and akai mpk with this. Seq with mpc live in stand alone for mobile setup. Think that's a mistake?
@@biggrime Just be aware that the looper of the Reface CS sucks ass. aside from that it's a great unit to have, good sweetspot synth.
But I'd rather have the Volca Fm tbh once you have the FM go through a reverb pedal it is insane!
My only complaint with the looper is that you can't change the sound from loop to loop without affecting the previously recorded loops. That would make it way better imo if you could say, lay down a drum beat, then make a nice bass line, and so on until you've composed a full composition, as this synth is extremely versatile and capable of all these sounds. Maybe this would be asking too much of a $300 synth? ...but then they were asking $500 at first.
Yamaha didn’t help themselves with the initial price, and some of them never got real drops (like the YC). Still, people hated on these left and right the first couple years. I admit, sometimes they sit in their cases and I wonder if I really need them, but I remember why when I sit down and realize I have been playing one and creating sounds/song ideas for a couple of hours while sitting right next to a Montage and a Moog.
Sometimes it is all about how accessable something is
Nothing I need but it is a good re-issue of some good digital synthesis on the go.
Sounds like a lot of good tones that would go perfect to some Terminator or Night Of The Living Dead.
Awesome video review. The Yamaha Reface Series keyboards were incredible when they were released about 4 years ago, time flies by, well made, but kind of pricey, at $650 US, but now, about $360 US. I want them just as much now, and still intend to get the CP, YC, and DX in that order. The CS, not so much. The latter is best for those like you, really familiar with all the settings and adjustments in analog synth modeling, though I am not totally oblivious to that, just not my forte, and I already have a Roland JD-Xi, which is great. They have special carrying gig bags for these, as well as other brands. These are perfect for their size to be portable, built in speakers, and battery powered. The DX7 based DX is the digital synth variant and if course the CP fir electric pianos, and the YC for organs.
Another price drop recently, under $300 US
I strongly recommend the Dtronix DT-RDX controller for the Reface DX.
It doubles the price, triples the fun and quadrouples the ease and speed of making your sounds.
Great review and has absolutely confirmed my want and need for this bit of kit! Thanks! Keep up the great work!
Just an update, I’ve ordered and it will be with me on Friday! Woohoo! Haha! 😂
Hi! I’m not sure if I should buy the Reface DX or the CS??
I’m a bass player and new to synths, looking for something versatile that I can add during my band’s live performances. I like that the CS has a looper, does the DX have one too?
Any recommendations? Thank you :)
That's a cool demo - thanks a lot 👍.
I have all 4 instruments of the reface series. They are excellent 🤩
question! can you hook this up to a computer DAW (let's say, GarageBand) and play from the sounds there? if you can, could you also record the sounds from the keyboard itself onto there? I'm sort of still new to this 😅
@@anethanguySorry, I have no experience with this. I just play the instruments via built-in speakers or headphones. I do not do any recordings.
WOW!, you pulled a rabbit out of that hat! Very nice sounds! This is great for people who can actually play piano, as opposed to me!
Excellent review Bo
I've had mine for several years now. If all my gear got destroyed it is still the first thing I'd replace. Not the most powerful synth I've got. Not the most versatile synth I've got. But it's still the quickest to a great sound so while I'm in a creative flow I can at least quickly throw in a scratch part so I don't lose the muse. When I'm not in a creative flow, its mojo gets me started.
Yamaha and Bo Beats. A great combo!!
It seems so easy to use. Honestly if you have a great expensive synth it often gets beat by this because this is just easier to use to get to sweet sounds. I am strongly considering getting this and this video helped. Great Vid!
After buying it myself, I'd say absolutely it's worth buying. It's so good for thick pads, jumpy leads, phat bases, and twinkling, sparkling bells, amongst other things like sound effects. It's an amazing synth, and the looper is good for short ideas and quick inspiration.
The flanger can make for some very trippy leads
This is a very comprehensive review thanks for demonstrating it BTW now you’ve had it for some time have you managed to fit the battery lid on the correct way round ? 🤣🤣🤣🤣👍👍
I absolutely love the CS. It's featured in all of my 808 classic tracks covers. It absolutely nails that classic synth saw lead that is found in all the electro songs from the 80s. Peace \/.
I mostly like my CS, it's just such a shame that the CPU isn't fast enough to handle things like switching oscillator without going silent for 0.1 second or adding depth in the FX section without the Looper slowing down for a bit. Sometimes it also just doesn't play a note when it has long attack and release, it's not a polyphony issue as Yamaha keeps claiming (besides, it would cut off an older note, not ignore a new note, that's not how any of this works, Yamaha). There are some more bugs that would keep me from using it live. I do actually seem to be the only person who likes the Looper. I like recording a simple sequence 4 times in a row, adding a slow bassline, adding another melody or harmony on top and then experimenting with a lead on top. It can get a little crowded when it's all playing the same patch, but it's a fun and quick way to work on an idea. And that keybed is my favorite keybed I've ever touched. Not just my favorite Mini keybed.
The CPU is the reason it does not have patches....it couldn't handle it.
I'd say it's still worth getting especially with Omnisphere 2.6 announced. The Reface CS is supported, with the hardware integration, as well as a handful of other synths!
In what way is it supported? Could you explain to me what this software does?
I have a reface CS and I'm curious
@@erikpoephoofd the reface control panel controls the sound attributes of the patch youre playing in omnisphere
I owned one in 2017, but the lack of storing sounds or loops is very annoying, so i gave it back ...the reface dx got storage...why not the cs....? the sound is really huge...
Huh, didn’t even know about this synth. Suddenly fairly interested in it...
Soooo to answer your question, ITS DEFINITELY WORTH STILL GETTING! Great video and demo!!!
One functionality that it would be nice for them to add through their app is to have a two manual effect when you have two Refaces linked to your phone or iPad. Like to use a CP as a second manual under preset but playing the YC as a two manual organ with one set of drawbars. Or have a CP80 preset on your YC while real time modifying your Clav sound on the CP. Have the sound come out of all 4 speakers. Have combination presets for whatever pair you have, like Rd piano on CP combined with string synth sounds on a DX.
You can do that with midi, not sure about through the app though.....I can use my CP as a lower manual for my YC, and also change octaves on either one separately
Can the second keyboard play a different preset than the first? If the other keyboard was one preset and then the YC itself allowed control of its sound live while leaving the other one's sound alone, that would be nice.
Can the second keyboard play a different preset than the first? If the other keyboard was one preset and then the YC itself allowed control of its sound live while leaving the other one's sound alone, that would be nice.
Can the second keyboard play a different preset than the first? If the other keyboard was one preset and then the YC itself allowed control of its sound live while leaving the other one's sound alone, that would be nice.
@@davek12 unfortunately no....the preset of the host keyboard will be the same preset for both, the only way to achieve what you want is to have 2 of the same Reface models, because the Refaces don't have a upper/lower manual switch....but there is an app and website called soundmondo, made by Yamaha where you can save presets.
Great review! Can you use the cs with a sustain pedal?
Tim Taler yes
I love my CS it's a proper little BOC machine, I was actually hoping Yamaha was going to take this machine and expand it at some point, add a good sequencer, ability to use a chain of effects rather than just one, patch memory etc, I love such comments as "toy" and "thin" they have no idea what a great sounding synth this is. PS put “CS sea creatures” in youtube search for a lovely track(s) composed with the CS.
I've played on before and it actually sounds very very good! Maybe could use a little more heft but not a deal breaker. Perhaps I think a big issue is that we see "CS" and would kinda prefer like a Roland Boutique-style reissue of the CS80 which if I recall was kinda what it was marketed as. I think you mention it in your review that it appears toy-ish and underwhelming and I think that it doesn't have the street cred of something like an sh-01a which takes an existing legendary property and re-imagines it a tiny bit to make sense in the contemporary synth scene.
Nevertheless, the more the price drops, the more appetizing it looks. And I sincerely hope you show us how it plays with your digitakt or hey, even your Octatrack. Surely some of those p-locks and sequencing options could really show us how well this piece can shine.
I'd like one and I will buy one on the strength of this video.
So Mr. Beats...I have this synth now and have been slowly playing with it and learning it. I keep it downstairs as my "noodle around" synth so if I feel like spending a couple mins making a sound, it's right there ready to go. I also used it as a noisemaker to make the sound of one of the ghosts in my new song "Ghosts." :D ... One thing you did not demo was the first slider in the envelope (EG) section. It is interesting you have one control that sort of mixes the amount of EG between the Amp EG and the Filter EG. You can radically change your sound by sliding it up toward the FEG so the filter gets more or less emphases over time (at least I think that's what's happening, the manual is not very good) ... It is definitely a synth that I want to master, and I think i could use it on a gig in practice because (although you cannot save sounds) you can write down your patches in your song chart (just like I write down any unusual pedalboard settings I have for guitar parts) and just dial them back in -- but again this will take some practice to make it right, and you have to be competent enough to make micro-tweaks during the song if needed. They do have a padded soft case for Yamaha reface models too... it is also worth mentioning (for those who care) that the sound engine digitally emulates certain types of analog synths (double sawtooth, double square wave, a ring modded wave of some unknown sort, oscillator sync of some unknown combination of two waveforms, and double sine wave a.k.a. FM). As such it has some limitations -- for example, you can't mix a sawtooth and a square wave like you can on a Korg Minilogue. That said, it is a valuable tool and could be a go to synth for someone who (if willing to accept the limits) wants an easy way to make a sound palette!
@Ian Whetstone I love deck savers...agree completely!
Thank you for your video! Is it possible to use it entirely as a midi controller ? Could all those sliders be usable for vst instruments?
I agree with many here that the CS sounds great. I think like Bo that the looper is rather weird. Hard to operate. Generally I find the faders far too short. As well as their range. Never felt the need for patch memory. A very tweekable synth.
The looper is great for weird drones and experiments though. Especially since it syncs to midi.
Thanks for this vid - this is far more versatile than I thought...
You sold me! Lol I've been interested in the reface series for awhile, but they were too expensive in the beginning... but now the price point makes a lot more sense. 👍 lol Just picked up a used one for $240. Great deal. Next... reface CP. 😉
I want the DX one. I am on a bit of a FM path
@@BoBeats Nice! The DX seems great too. In fact, the entire reface line seems a lot more awesome all of a sudden... thanks to the lower price tag. Lol
Good luck on your FM quest. 😎👍
@@BoBeats I just picked up a used one off reverb for $200. should be possible to grab one for not too much these days. :)
Hi, you seem to be the right person to ask :) how do you think Yamaha Reface CS compares to the recent Arturia MicroFreak in terms of sound design versatility? They are equally priced now so... Thanks so much for your help!
Freak is much deeper. And CS much more beginner friendly
@@BoBeats thanks! Although I have no problems calling myself a beginner in the synths world I'm really not scared of deepness, I'm a software developer so I think you can understand the nerdness involved in it :) What I'm really scared of is the lack of polyphony in the MicroFreak. I know polyphony is not always needed, that it depends on genres, and that I could always get around it by multitrack recording... but still, I don't know how to decide... I'd love to dive deeply into sound design, but then I want to be able to play those sounds too in a way that doesn't affect my creativity! What do you suggest? Buy both it's not an option currently 😅
alfiozzz i would go for the freak actually :-)
@@BoBeats I also have two more polyphonic candidates in the same price line to throw in the dish: Novation Mininova and MicroKorg. What do you pick now among these fours - Reface, MicroFreak, Mininova, MicroKorg? :) Remember, keywords are: versatility (in sound design) and polyphony (possibly).
I think after this I won't bother you again :)
alfiozzz oh I would still say Freak. The micokorg is also great but not as fun to program. Less hands on. Much more menu diving. Freak is actually very versatile for sound design
I'm reminded of an interview I saw a long time ago with Vince Clarke. He'd had an opportunity to work with a Fairlight on Erasure's 2nd or 3rd album or somesuch. He said he felt intimidated by a system with such enormous capabilities and potential, and that after that experience, he went back to his much cheaper synths. If memory serves, he said something about not wanting his gear to know more about music than he.
Seeing what the CS can do inside of its limitations, I can relate =)
100% less is more. ignites creativity
I love analogue synthesizers especially the original CS line. ( I have the CS01) I also love small/compact keyboards so I was all set to love the Yamaha Reface CS but, well, I just don't. I can't put my finger on it but there's just something lacking. It sounds to digital or processed or something. It's more like an updated version of the ol' Yamaha PSS 480, almost FM sounding instead of the big lush sounds you get from the vintage CS synths. The physical design is quite beautiful.
lo-fi ROBOT Boy
I have to disagree. I have tried so many synthesizers. I worked an audio electronic repair shop for three years repairing synthesizers and tube amps. I have tried many synthesizers, from your standard Juno’s to to the elusive older oberheims. I’ve only had the pleasure of trying a few mono Yamaha analog synths from the 70’s and 80s. I recently got back into synthesizers I have tried just about every new synth on the market. I have found that this re-face is one of the most lush, warm, smooth, and subtle synthesizers I have found. It has his limitations and it probably doesn’t compare well two older and analog synths but it’s definitely the least sounding digital synths along with the jp-08. I currently don’t own either but I might pick up a reface cs again the future.
@@BigBadWolf.............. Good to hear. As with all synths, if you like the way it sounds, great! For me, it just isn't quite there when compared to other newish instruments. The Microbrute and some of the Volcas offer more appeal for me. But I always go back to the ol' analogue beasts and little cheap 80's FM synths. Each to their own.
Theres NO other keyboard on the market that has more than four notes of polyphony, runs on batteries, has built in speakers, and has a usable amount of keys (3 rows). So the CS is AWESOME because of all that, regardless of how it sounds. And how does it sound?
Well, its analog modeling, which I despise, but thats what you have to get if you want all the features mentioned above, and it has some CS80 sounds (I've owned a CS50), but basically its just the base waveforms that sound CS80ish. Overall, it doesn't have that great sound that makes aCS80 great and most of it's wave forms are too similar to each other, but like I said, until something better comes around, this will be my synth that sits next to me on the couch. oh and even tho the recording feature is impossible to loop perfectly, it is GREAT for just recording one long playset and then jamming with the CP next to it. ...OH and line in for jamming with youtube vids. Win win win win win.
....side note, the yamaha CP is one of the greatest keyboards ever made. Sounds incredible and has all the killer portability (couch) features. and I own a vintage Clavinet, Rhodes, and Wurlitzer. The Reface series is a dream come true. Wish there were more companies trying a synth with ALL the features the CS has.
I'm still waiting on the Reface XG.
A few weeks ago I bought an ASM Hydrasynth Explorer after considering one of these - in the UK the Explorer is only £100-150 more than the CS, and you do get so much more for the money. But for my first 'proper' synth, I feel a bit overwhelmed by the Explorer, and it's not as 'hands-on' as I had hoped. I am not regretting my purchase, and ultimately I intend to upgrade on to a Hydrasynth Deluxe, but I'm wondering if I really should've initially invested in one of these instead. Maybe I'll try pick a second-hand one up on eBay.
The main issue with the Reface series is that Yamaha priced them too high when they were new and even now...There are much better alternatives for that price or for a 100 bucks more, which pushes these back even further.
Could you give an example? I own CP and before I got it, I searched for alternatives but I didn't come across any. The ones I came across were said to be allow 4 voice polyphony or less.
Maybe in synth area (I’m no expert here) but CP and YC have no competition really. And they sound even better than software instruments
I sold my CS about 2-3 years ago and I’ve missed it every day since. One of my biggest synth regrets. So I went ahead and ordered another since they seem to be hard to come by now. I think these will sell for a lot of money one day, but I’ll never know because I’ll never sell mine again.
Works great with an old electone console organ (me15). The drum machine operates the looper, looper feeds back into the organ to play its sounds, sound through the speakers controlled by the pedal, plus two keyboards and a set of bass pedals. tons of fun. yamaha should have released an additional patch/loop memory unit and a full size keyboard that these could slot into. I used the YC at a few gigs too, great sound especially the leslie effect.
What would you recommend - is there another at skmilar or less price point? I want to go for it but not sure if there’s other out there