Yes, knobs are back in style
with the Yamaha CS1x, a real-time synthesizer featuring analog-like voice editing
control, but at a remarkable price ($799.95 mfg list) that will appeal to first-time
buyers, desktop music hobbyists and serious amateurs. In short, the CS1x takes
the best of analog simplicity of use, natural interactivity, thick sound, and
knobsand combines it with the best of digitalreliable pitch, plenty of memory,
one-touch setting reconfigurations, hundreds of voices, MIDI, etc.. The result
is a powerful interactive experience in which users can simply turn knobs to control
the sound in real time without steep learning curves, complex operations, or pages
and subpages of hidden menus. And being that it's digital, data can be easily
saved for future use.
"The CS1x has a very high initial fun factor," said Avery Burdette,
product manager at Yamaha. "For example, when you turn it on, the first sound
is a drum kit with the arppegiator already programmed, so that you simply press
keys on the keyboard, and it immediately responds by playing an extremely funky
and addictive rhythm. This is just one of 256 performance experiences that makes
the CS1x so engaging. If a musician is looking for the best first synthesizer
to buy, we believe this is it. With it, they can learn more about how synthesizers
work than from any other similarly-priced instrument on the market today."
An important feature on the CS1x is a "Scene Controller," which allows
instant and dramatic shifts to be created in the atmosphere and timbre of the
sound.
Other notable features of the 61-key, 32-note polyphonic Yamaha CS1x include 480
normal voices and 11 drum kits for Yamaha XG format music production and playback;
128 preset Performance programs, many of which are suited for Dance and Techno
music, as well as 128 user Performance program memories; 30 versatile arppegiator
six real-time control knobs (including two assignable knobs) which provide intuitive
voice editing control over up to 4 voices; versatile arppegiator functions, and
a TO HOST serial computer interface. There is even a Line Input for adding accompaniment
or sampled sound; for example, from the Yamaha SU10 Sampling Unit or QY22 Music
Sequencer, which can be conveniently placed on the built-in shelf atop the CS1x.
