The CS6x has extra facets than any old Yamaha handle Synth, with a variety of polyphony, real‑time controllers, onboard outcomes, and basic sampling. You may healthy PLG expansion cards, giving you access now not simplest to sparkling sounds, however additionally different forms of synthesis.
As we journey out of the grotty ancient 20th century and into the vibrant new 21st, we're no longer all living in multiplied Jetsons pod properties and using to work in Futurama air vehicles, however the world has damaged out within the color of sci‑fi, silver. Glittering millennium‑silver merchandise adorns the shops, and it's fitting increasingly viable to equip the studio to in shape — at the least, except we all get a bit bored stiff of silver.
Yamaha embraced the theory of the silver synth of their remaining handle Synthesizer, the CS2x, and are sticking with it for the latest within the family unit, the CS6x and its rackmounting sibling, the CS6R. The £1299 CS6x inhabits the core floor between price gadgets such because the £599 CS2x and do‑it‑all workstations equivalent to Korg's Triton and Yamaha's EX5, which approach the £2000 mark. Its specification is terribly invaluable: sixty one‑key aftertouch‑delicate keyboard, 64‑be aware polyphony, sixteen‑half multitimbrality, outcomes, arpeggiator, MIDI‑file playback potential, simple sampling, computer interface, an audio enter which may access the synth's effects (see the 'want input' container), and the means to accept up to two optional interior boards from six available (see the 'increasing Universe' field). You could see colorations of Roland's JV‑series devices during this closing characteristic, but Yamaha go further, in that four of the boards o ffer different synthesis systems to the CS6x proprietor, instead of quite simply offering new waveforms.
SmartMedia playing cards (a 4Mb card is supplied) are used for storing additional sounds, and samples may also be created with the 'Phrase Clip' sampler. this is no longer most desirable, however the synth ships with a utility called Card Filer, which enables such records to be swapped between card and computing device. Connectivity is pretty first rate: the average stereo audio output is augmented by means of two particular person outs, and there are 4 sockets for foot controllers, plus a breath‑controller socket. other facets include pitch‑bend and modulation wheels, plus a ribbon controller and a set of precise‑time manage knobs, which can be used for short sound enhancing.
Like its predecessors, the CS1x and CS2x, the 6x is aimed at producing chart and membership fabric, whereas also being a typical‑goal instrument in disguise — it does a particularly good job for the dance‑inclined, but do not write it off if dance is rarely your cup of fashion designer energy drink. Its 384‑Voice sound memory aspects numerous greater generally relevant Voices alongside the snappy, spacey, synthy ones, and because it's completely programmable there may be much scope for customisation. similarly, although the CS6x's actual‑time manage knobs are most likely what the dance market needs, everyone likes physical controls, whatever thing their musical direction.
Yamaha's tried‑and‑proven AWM2 sample & Synthesis system is used to generate the CS6x's sounds. This formulation has been discussed in quite a few past reviews, so we are going to be brief right here.
A single CS6x Voice — or patch — is made up of between one and four 'facets', each and every of which includes a waveform chosen from 479 on board. each factor can be passed via a synthesis gadget comprising resonant filter, Envelope mills for amplitude, filter and pitch, and a Low Frequency Oscillator. Drum Voices are just a little different, gathering as much as seventy three individual waveforms (assigned to MIDI observe numbers) in a equipment. each and every drum waveform can entry all of the CS6x's synthesis parameters. outcomes are chosen as a part of a Voice, however the two insert outcomes can, usefully, be enabled per‑point. each and every point additionally has an EQ part.
An instrument aimed at the dance market may stand or fall on the satisfactory of its filter. The CS6x's multi‑mode equipment is interestingly a brand new design developed especially for the instrument, and Yamaha are rightly proud of it — it's heat and rich or squelchy and biting each time it has to be, and offers a dizzying range of diversifications. Low‑pass, excessive‑circulate, band‑flow and band‑reject forms are all available, with LP, HP and BP coming in a number of flavours and 'digital' or 'analogue'‑style diversifications. The low‑move filter type is specifically well‑specified, being purchasable in 1‑pole (6dB/octave), 2‑pole (12dB/octave), 3‑pole (18dB/octave) or four‑pole (24‑dB/octave) versions.
another aspect within the success of a complete sound is smartly‑implemented envelope generators — these govern how a sound develops hobby and complexity over time, which is crucial for a repetitive fashion akin to dance. No issues on that ranking here: the CS6x's EGs are smartly detailed, with multiple stages yielding as a whole lot complexity as you may desire, however for quickly programming they will also be handled as basic attack‑decay‑preserve‑free up EGs, the use of the quick edit knobs. enhancing would have been even more speedy, despite the fact, if Yamaha had supplied some preset envelope forms, as discovered on their older SY85 laptop.
The CS6x's point‑certain LFOs (for producing vibrato and tremolo effects etc) are basic however ample, providing a choice of three waveforms — triangle, sawtooth and rectangular — plus pace, Depth and Key Sync parameters. although, a very subtle LFO is purchasable for every entire Voice, and this provides MIDI sync and further waveforms, including pattern‑and‑cling waves if you think the want for them — and they are advantageous, especially for in‑tempo, bloopy results when the LFO is assigned to the filter.
When the mandatory elements were combined in a Voice — layered, or keygrouped and speed‑split if preferred — an impact medication can also be delivered, a preset microtuning alternative chosen, and arpeggiator parameters set for that Voice if the arpeggiator is being used.
The subsequent programming level is the efficiency (there is no 'aggregate' mode as such), which may also be used either as a sixteen‑half multitimbral setup, for taking part in MIDI sequences from a connected sequencer, or to create refined collections of layered or split Voices for actual‑time playing. The committed Layer mode means that you can group up to 4 Voices on one MIDI channel, and nonetheless use the last CS6x materials to add sequenced backing. there is extra sophistication and adaptability in master Keyboard mode, which makes it possible for seamless integration of exterior MIDI contraptions right into a CS6x performance. These points reveal the thought that Yamaha have put into making the CS6x a efficiency synth. There are not one of the performance compromises of the CS1x and 2x (where one effective main synth Voice is augmented by a collection of generally preset GM/XG sounds) which some users locate demanding. With the CS6x that you may pretty a lot have any sound on the instrument anywhere you need it.
As you can infer from the above, there are some gigantic differences between the 6x and its two predecessors, and programming it is not somewhat the identical. Even those regular with Yamaha devices may additionally locate the process not as intuitive because it may well be. It could have helped if Yamaha had retained the editing matrix of the 1x and 2x — which organized parameters in a entrance‑panel X/Y grid — due to the fact that this as a minimum made it very clear which parameter was being selected at any time. The CS6x's small two‑line x 40‑persona reveal is never actually satisfactory given the synth's complexity, and it be all too easy to wander away in nested pages.
The service provider of parameters does not all the time seem logical, both, notwithstanding Yamaha have offered handy shortcuts involving the soft‑knobs below the reveal and the patch‑choose buttons to the appropriate of the front panel (some of which jump to parameter companies in Voice‑edit mode). These shortcuts mean you can without delay get out of any lifeless‑ends you might stray into. additionally on the plus side, those now not needing in‑depth programming will manipulate with the 'brief edit' alternate options provided by using the eight leading manage knobs: they're deploy to edit filter cutoff and resonance, EG attack, decay, preserve and liberate, plus reverb and refrain send amounts. The gentle knobs additionally alter a handful of person‑definable parameters per Voice or efficiency.
Yamaha have an in depth background in consequences processing, so CS6x results have an excellent pedigree. In apply, they sound high-quality and are comprehensively editable. Two global and two 'insert' processors are on present, insert processing permitting points in a Voice, or Voices in a performance, to obtain their personal treatment. notwithstanding there are simplest two insert consequences, it is possible to route more than one element, or Voice, through both or both of them.
Our leading reservation on the results entrance is that the international processors are a little bit restrained: one provides reverb on my own (albeit with 12 varieties), whereas the 2d, dubbed 'chorus', offers 23 modulation and extend treatments. it might be more beneficial, most likely, if each world processor become a true multi‑results device, able to producing more than a few general outcomes — for times if you really would really like two different reverb remedies, as an instance.
The Insert processors offer greater abilities, youngsters, once again, both don't seem to be identical. Insert 1 presents 24 cures, together with choruses, tremolos, distortion and compression, nonetheless it's handiest after we reach Insert 2 that the chances develop into really wonderful. There are 92 choices right here, including essential chains (compressor + distortion + prolong, as an instance), pitch‑transferring, and some actually weird munging techniques inherited from the A3000 sampler: Beat trade, start, Lo‑Fi, Low decision, Digital Turntable, Auto Synth and Tech Modulation. All do something drastic — distorting sound in selected methods, decreasing its obvious pattern price, or chopping it up into delayed and pitch‑shifted sections, as an instance — though you have no concrete conception of what is going to occur when you beginning editing these effects, since the guide doesn't handle what their parameters truly do
aside from this minor gripe (and wishing that the international outcomes have been a little bit more refined) there's little to bitch about right here. it be price noting that the audio output of the total synth, outcomes and all, can also be recorded as a Phrase Clip, potentially liberating up effects for further usage. Yamaha have supplied an effect bypass swap, too, which can also be useful all the way through editing.
The basic sampling provided by using the Phrase Clip section is a great addition on a synth reminiscent of this. while it's no longer a full‑blown sampler such as that offered by Korg's Triton, it provides plenty of room for snatches of audio, drum loops and what have you ever in its (unexpandable) 4Mb of RAM. In complete 256 Clip slots are provided, and there's a 2Mb limit on particular person Clip measurement.
exterior audio can also be recorded by means of the audio inputs from very nearly any source — line, mic or guitar. The greatest disappointment right here is that recorded audio is always mono, despite the fact that there are two inputs; a stereo supply attached to both inputs at the identical time is summed to mono. As mentioned prior, the output of the synth itself can also be sampled, but this, too, is summed to mono. Clips are assigned to keys and arranged by the consumer into Kits, four of which can be found, but there isn't a keygrouping — it's not viable to automatically or effectively assign a single Clip to a number of keys and play a tune with it. The most efficient which you could do is manually assign the clip to each key on your 'keygroup' and in my view tune it to produce the desired outcome.
Clip‑modifying alternate options are fairly a great deal the equal as for a Voice — filter, EGs, effects, arpeggiator, and the like. just a few actual pattern‑manipulation amenities are also obtainable, together with looping, normalisation, frequency conversion (halves sample expense, and for this reason sample size), and a pair of procedures ported from the A3000, particularly Loop Divide and Loop Remix. both are most welcome: the former divides a Clip into equal chunks and remaps them to consecutive keys, while the latter chops up, reverses and reassembles a Clip. The user doesn't have a lot control over both method — Loop Remix, for instance, has just two restricted parameters — however the results can be wonderful. believe of it as a randomiser that just occurs to work by way of slicing your Clip up — but the Clip isn't overwritten and the effect at all times comes out the same size as the long-established. are attempting layering drum patterns with their remixed o ffspring!
extra mileage can also be had from Clips courtesy of so‑referred to as model Settings; each Clip can have up to eight different sets of playback parameters (birth point, loop, reverse mode, and so on), which prolong a Clip's usefulness without consuming greater RAM. here is fairly like the sub‑tone idea of Roland's sampler family unit.
As already outlined, the premier approach of transferring samples between the synth and a laptop is by means of Card Filer. The an awful lot slower MIDI sample Dump can ship samples to the CS6x, but they cannot be transferred out the usage of the same formula. The synth's RAM is unstable, so keep Clips to a SmartMedia card earlier than switching off.
no longer tremendously for a contemporary efficiency synth aimed toward the dance market, the CS6x has an arpeggiator, plus a MIDI‑file playback sequencer.
The MIDI‑sync'able arpeggiator is most advantageous, with 128 patterns starting from typical arpeggiator fare to immediate sequences — bass strains, dance‑vogue phrases, and drum patterns. You can't create custom arpeggio patterns, however the preset ones can also be modified with a handful of person controls together with notice range and price, gate time, velocity response, and observe order.
consistently, a playback sequencer like the 6x's could be used via gigging musos to play industrial MIDI files reside, but this may no longer happen within the case of the CS6x, specially because in its unexpanded state the synth is resolutely not generic MIDI‑suitable. besides the fact that children (and this shows again how Yamaha have sought to make the 6x effective to a much wider range of people), with the optional XG board put in it could be a GM synth, and gigging musos could play back their GM/XG MIDI information off SmartMedia cards.
Of path, the typical non‑GM‑appropriate dance musician may additionally use the playback sequencer on stage. Sequences created with a pc kit, say, the use of the CS6x as sound supply, would should be saved as MIDI information and downloaded to SmartMedia. as soon as the sequences had been on the card, the playback sequencer could be used to create a series of as much as a hundred steps, each and every of which would be assigned a chain, a performance, and a tempo.
Staying with MIDI for a second, the 6x's spec is comprehensive. Notes generated via the arpeggiator and movements of the front‑panel knobs are all transmitted over MIDI, and the synth accepts direction from exterior MIDI controllers.
The sound of the CS6x is contemporary and quite beautiful, with a refreshing lack of buzzy waveform loops. We hear that Yamaha created lots of new samples for the synth: the effort has paid off.
it's a huge reduction now not to need to scroll through yet another collection of GM patches. having said that, if you need typical, non‑synth, non‑dance fabric, or not it's right here: there are some brilliant orchestral string sections, remarkable basses, purposeful winds, decent organs, and pleasant electric pianos. no longer so notable are the acoustic pianos: there's whatever thing faintly unnatural about them — to these ears, as a minimum. however, for people that demand extra on the piano entrance, one of the crucial non-compulsory plug‑in boards simply occurs to be a excessive‑quality piano set...
On the basically synth facet, you get the works: squelchiness, fatness, TB303‑ness, trouser‑flapping bass‑ness... you identify it. artful programming skill that individual Voices can produce rather advanced consequences — the trick is to preserve the keys held down so that you hear a Voice's full building. but when you're drawn to basically expansive, evolving, involving soundscapes, check out the Performances, the majority of which can be layered/split collections of Voices for real‑time enjoying. Some additionally make a good stab at growing 'speedy tracks', paying homage to those discovered on Korg's Z1, by way of layering arpeggiated drums with different Voices. a part of our opinion of a brand new synth is formed by way of even if or no longer we create a new song with it — and with the CS6x, we did! there's occasional intrusion with the aid of zipper noise when the real‑time controllers are being used — reminding us that here's, after all, a digital instrumen t — however on the entire, the vibe is first rate and the sound is notable.
The CS6x is Yamaha's most individual synth for some time. although it borrows ideas from other quarters, Yamaha have completed numerous borrowing from their personal roster, in addition to including new points. And, as is almost always the case with Yamaha devices, there are loads of aspects here for the cost. The 6x ratings excessive as a performance keyboard — it has the entire right knobs, and the four foot‑controller sockets are a real bonus on a mid‑priced instrument. The sampling facility would not rival a full sampler, however within reason easy to use and boasts some fabulous processing equipment.
Soundwise, the synth hits the spot, and is capable of being reasonably inspiring. it be possibly what the CS1x and CS2x may still have been the first time around — a real synth, usable multitimbrally, with none hint of GM. (The optional board slots, of path, imply that you could add a hint of GM if this is your poison, in addition to having access to diverse synthesis techniques.) The 6x's styling, with all its silver splendour, is sharp, so it appears the part for dance artists, and it has a more expensive believe than the 2x (smartly, it's more expensive!). £1299 is a good way from the frankly bargain £599 of the 2x, and whereas a price of around £a thousand would have made the 6x an analogous bargain, it is still round £500 under the next stage of computer‑status devices in the marketplace. The facilities of the latter class, primarily their characteristic‑packed sequencers, are doubtless overkill for americans with a laptop sequencer at home, so an instrument just li ke the CS6x strikes the appropriate stability.
in their normal efficient manner, Yamaha have regarded at the interesting promoting points of their competition and made certain their new instrument matches or exceeds them, but the CS6x is more than just a collection of the correct facets for the time. all of it hangs together remarkably well, is largely a pleasure to use, and would slot beautifully into many a setup for stage and/or studio.
As mentioned broadly speaking textual content, the CS6x can host up to two non-compulsory boards. Six are at present purchasable, with fees that make them a very attractive approach of having access to in reality new synths. fitting a synth board additionally provides additional Voice reminiscence slots.
We have been supplied with the PLG150AN AN1x board to try — the equal one which Martin Walker reviews as a soundcard daughterboard on page 206 of this concern. fitting it changed into a doddle — the plate on the bottom of the synth is without problems removable, the usage of a coin if fundamental. besides the access plate for plug‑in boards, there may be a curious blanking panel at the rear of the synth. what will fill the space is not clear yet, but for those who're routing audio to the outputs all the way through programming, the choice of individual outputs 3‑6 is offered moreover the synth's main stereo and two individual outs. without doubt, a distinctive‑output board of some variety is on the cards. The Yamaha US net web page is also bandying about words like "Firewire". Draw your personal conclusions!
A pleasant CD‑ROM assortment of software for pc and Mac users ships with each and every CS6x. A Voice editor/librarian (however no performance editor, regrettably) is provided for both structures, as is the card Filer utility mentioned frequently assessment. computing device users benefit from XGWorks Lite, offering basic sequencing functions and a plug‑in gadget that accommodates editor add‑ons for the CS6x's non-compulsory boards; these editors are also blanketed. There is no equal of the latter for the Mac, although XG Editor and VL Editor for the Mac are protected. These will also be used to edit the XG and digital acoustic boards. curiously, Yamaha's AN1x editor for Mac will work with its PLG‑board equal, although a committed Mac editor for the board will also be impending. (be aware that installed boards can also be edited the use of the synth's entrance‑panel controls.)
One excellent true‑time play characteristic that the CS6x shares with the CS1x and 2x (albeit in a slightly distinctive implementation) is its Scene system. once a Voice is created, it's viable to create two lots of settings of selected front‑panel controls and store them as Scenes. These Scenes are then recalled by way of two dedicated buttons, a facility which is amazing for making speedy sound alterations. furthermore, turning the Scene manage knob morphs between both Scenes — an outstanding function.
in addition to getting used for sampling true‑world sounds, the CS6x's 'advert' enter enables external audio to be routed in the course of the synth, as a part of a performance. One use for this characteristic is routing the output from a further synth, sampler or sub‑mixer throughout the 6x. once so routed, the audio can be effected, panned, levelled and EQ'd. Yamaha even provide a group of preset impact and EQ configurations tailor-made for distinctive audio sources — as an example, guitar‑amp simulation outcomes for guitar enter. nonetheless, the advert enter would be much more effective in commonplace if it have been stereo.
based on Yamaha, the CS6x is able to being 20‑part multitimbral, but this fact wants extra examination. For a delivery, they're counting the audio input as one half, so we would be inclined to disallow that (even though the input's confined parameters — including impact routing — may also be managed by way of MIDI). This leaves 19 parts. the first sixteen are easy — they are the standard sixteen components of multitimbrality you'd expect from any contemporary synth. Yamaha then add a component for the Phrase Clip part and one each for the two possible plug‑in boards. besides the fact that children, or not it's no longer obvious how these are accessed independently of the main sixteen ingredients. In a efficiency, each additional half will also be assigned a MIDI channel, however reputedly at the price of MIDI channels used by using one of the vital main 16 materials. here is particularly irritating when the use of a laptop; we anticipated that once the CS6x became interf aced to our Mac by way of OMS there can be a way of addressing MIDI channels 1‑16, plus the Phrase Clip and the plug‑in sections, making a 19‑part performance. This does not appear to be the case. somewhat, a efficiency can have up to 20 materials, including the audio input, but you still simplest have 16 MIDI channels to play with. The best manner all 19 (or 20) materials can play without delay is if a few of them share a MIDI channel. there's an exception: setting up the XG plug‑in board motives the CS6x to grow ingredients 17‑32. We weren't able to are attempting this board, however presumably special drivers will enable an connected laptop to tackle the added channels.
There are a few other oddities when it involves using Performances with PLG boards. for instance, the AN1x board has its own arpeggiator, which can also be fun — or not it's feasible to make use of the CS6x's arpeggiator to arpeggiate that on the board! however, in efficiency mode, there is no effortless means to show the AN arpeggiator off — you must go in and really edit the linked voice. additionally, a monophonic PLG board Voice (AN1x voices can also be monophonic or up to 5‑note polyphonic) continues to be monophonic in a efficiency: turning the mono/poly half parameter on or off has no effect. in all probability these are only little bugs that may also be mounted in an replace.
execsThe execs outweigh the cons in the case of this attractive instrument, which may still discover a equipped market, and not simply in dance tune circles. an outstanding guess for both studio and stage use.
suggestionsCS6x £1299; CS6R £999. costs consist of VAT. See the 'increasing Universe' field for expenditures of the not obligatory growth boards.
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