Yamaha Intros S30 Synthesizer

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February 24, 2000 - Yamaha Corporation of America, Pro Audio & Combo Division, Digital Musical Instruments, introduces the S30 Synthesizer at Winter NAMM 2000. Designed for the contemporary musician who needs S Series sonic power in a portable package, the S30 features a 61-note keyboard with aftertouch and an expandable synthesis engine. The unit has a manufacturers suggested retail price of $1295 and will begin shipping in March 2000.

"The S30s big brother--the S80--has quickly established itself as the market leader in the 88-note weighted-action synth market," stated Athan Billias, marketing manager, Digital Musical Instruments. "The S30 fits the needs of budget-conscious customers and users who already own a weighted-action controller, but want access to the great sounds of the S Series." The portable 61-key S30 features the identical synthesis architecture and sound banks of the S80, offering full 64-note polyphony, 64 multi-mode resonant filters and 24 MB ROM. On-board voices include 256 presets with stereo-sampled pianos, strings, brass, as well as a complete sonic palette of other high-quality sounds. Users can create their own sounds (including analog-style synth sounds) and store them in any of 128 user-voice memory locations. There are also 128 user-storable performances for layers, splits and multi-timbre sequencer setups.

A single plug-in expansion slot allows the S30 to accept Yamahas PLG Modular Synthesis Plug-in Expansion boards, which essentially adds new synthesizers and effects processors to the system. By adding a plug-in board, the S30 retains its 64-note polyphony while adding new sounds, effects, additional notes of polyphony and new synthesis technologies. Available boards include: the PLG150-DX, which provides a DX-7 compatible synthesizer on a card; the PLG150-AN, which features the analog physical modeling of the AN1x; and the PLG-150XG, featuring a 32-note polyphony AWM2 engine and full XG compatibility. A TO HOST interface, which supports both PC and Mac platforms, makes it easy to take advantage of the bundled XGWorks 3.0 Lite Sequencing and Editing software.

Four assignable data sliders and five assignable data knobs provide real-time control over MIDI parameters. An on-board song sequencer plays back Standard MIDI Files (SMF) from SmartMedia cards, which allow storage of up to 100 songsincluding keyboard setups and chained playback. Entire MIDI setups can be stored in 128 user-performance memory locations for instant recall, making the S30 a great tool for live performance.