Yamaha CS-01 crap or analogue goodness?

i was looking around for a cheap little analogue synth and these are usally pretty inexpensive. but are they even worth buying?

I've got one but it doesn't do much but sounds pretty good when you use the audio out to a mixer and add some chorus and delay. The keys are very small but playable. The PWM is to die for though. Makes some great samples to use as is, modify and mix with other synths.

Steve

I used to have one. Sold it for $65 when the Yamaha FB-01 came out.

It is the one keyboard that I regret selling.

Raymar is right- the PWM is great.

Personally, I would buy one if I could get it for

How much would you pay?

It's very limited, can't be MIDIed, no CV and has those stupid minikeys...at current prices I just don't see the appeal.

If you want a vintage analog there's much better choices out there.

With some of the trimpots tweaked on the circuitboard, the freq. and cutoff goes to 25 rather than 10. You can make the CS01 scream like mad and retarded pig if you want to.

CS01 MkI can easily be changed to mkII if you are willing to sacrify the panel and drill some holes. I decided to move the filter section to the left side with the pitch and modwheel and change to rotating pots for playability.

Midi fitting cost you about 100-150$ and involves some soldering me thinks.

///j

It definitely has the sweetest PWM sounds I've ever heard. I think for using live, it's really cool looking and well mine has pegs on the side to strap it on like a guitar strap.

I paid close to $200 for my CS01 mk2. But it is the green lettering on black and has the expanded filter. I've heard the CS01 filter is a tad weak, but the mk2 has a really strong filter.

I think it's a cool little board and compliments really any kind of setup you have. So to answer your ?, the analog sound you get from it is quite powerful for such a small instrument. And for some reason I really like the look of it.

jomany, do you have any resources for information on on the trimpot adjustments?

I bought my CS-01 brand new when ever they came out - Early 80's - and still love it. Would be cool to pimp it up a bit.

You are quite right, the mkII has a 24 db filter and the mkI a 12db. Biggest difference though is the hi-lo cutoff switch on the mkI. Changing that to a pot makes one helluva difference.

If you want to adjust the trimpots it can easily be done by removing the cover and start adjusting. From what i can recall the trimpots on the circuitboard was labeled. Maybe the whole sections were labeled but still, it is simple. Make sure to use a pencil or something to mark up the original settings. Going back to the factory settings (as if you ever wanted to ) without them can be a bitch. Cranking up the levels still makes it possible to adjust the tonal quality to more normal settings but i find the original linear pots to be somewhat unprecise/unpredictable and their min-max distance a bit short and difficult to adjust.

If you want to do the "physical" tweaks I can get back with som pics of my modded CS01.

Mind you I havent done the midifix, I just know it can be done.

Cheers

///j

Yes, the CS01is limited, but good... it is not crap. There is not much else for $200 that is true analog...and small.

Wait, wait, you're saying the CS01 can be modded to have midi??? Do you have any resources on the net for that?

This thing has a breath control input.

How does the breath control work- is it outputting a voltage, or is it just a resistance source?

In either case, it wouldn't be too tough to plug in other modules instead of a breath controller.......

As far as I know it basically acts like any other controller, in that it changes the voltage across it by changing resistance. The difference with the BC-1 (which I still have even though I sold my CS-01, I use it with the DX11 now) is that rather than changing resistance by turning a knob, you're changing it by varying the air pressure on a sensor.

Voltage=current x resistance, so a change in resistance gives a proprtionate change in voltage; this is how analogue controls work, the difference being what you do to make the change, whether it's turning a knob, pressing a key, applying air pressure, or changing light levels (you can get light-dependent resistors too).

http://highlyliquid.com/cb/019/

Bought a CS01 as my first synth a few

months ago. Love its portability to death,

but have been a bit mod hungry as of late.

Any pics / info would be much appreciated,

particularly with regards to changing the

MKI's cutoff switch to a pot/slider...

Justin

SWEEEEEEET! Thanks for that!

I wonder how much that costs?

And here is another one:

The Kenton Socket Kit

http://www.kentonuk.com/kenton/socket_inh/cs01-3inh.html

http://www.kentonuk.com/kenton/socket_inh.shtml

Pricey it is though....

///j

That is quite expensive, close to $300 for the mod. The other one is much cheaper although it's nice to know it's out there.

Hmm, where did you find the price for that?

I am sure I've seen another kit a few years ago that was supposed to work with a huge amount of analogue gear, albeit in different configs. No boxes was needed, all you needed to do was to drill a hole for the DIN socket. About $100US.

Can't remember the name of that company. I'll try to dig it up...

///j

What a coincidence...i was just tooling around with one of these yesterday...i was mightily impressed.

Here it is.

http://www.synhouse.com/midijack.html

CS01 is not listed but the company states, in the FAQ, that the midijack II works with all CS synths. At the bottom of this list it says "and many more!"

So, perhaps this little thing would work. if someone decides to try or are willing to dig up any info about the Midijack working with Yamaha CS01 then please post the results here at HC

From Synhouse...

The MIDIJACK II adds MIDI to hertz-per-volt analog monosynths. The MIDIJACK II is designed to be compatible with the following Hz/volt analog monosynths:

Korg 770

Korg 900-PS Preset

Korg M-500 Micro Preset

Korg M-500SP Micro Preset

Korg Mini Korg

Korg MS-10 (may also use the Original MIDIJACK)

Korg MS-20 (may also use the Original MIDIJACK)

Korg MS-50 (may also use the Original MIDIJACK)

Korg Synthe-Bass

Korg X-911

Moog Taurus I Bass Pedals

Paia 2720

Paia 4700 Series

Yamaha CS5

Yamaha CS10

Yamaha CS15

Yamaha CS15D

Yamaha CS20M

Yamaha CS30

and many more!

Sweet! I could get my Monopoly modded for a minimum. That's great.

I wonder, does these midi jacks allow your synths to be controlled by CCs? For things like Filter cutoff.

I think it's only note on - note off.

///j

It's a good little basic analog, but the prices on these are pretty ridiculous lately....tack on the cost of midi kit, and you may as well just pick up a used Doepfer MS404 or Technosaurus Micron.

If this is note on and note off, then for the CS01 it's worth it, but for all the other synths that have CV input control, it's probably better and cheaper to buy a CV to midi convertor. Then you'd be able to use the convertor for all the old analogs that only have CV input.

Besides the CS01, I don't see the advantage of midifying other analogs, when it's more practical to buy a CV to midi convertor. That is, if the midi kit only allows Note on and Note off.