Vangelis - Yamaha CS80

[typeanoise]

there is one on ebay for 12,000.00

[MegaRoutier]

Great, great, great!

[gavincurtis]

I have an itch to watch Carl Sagan's Cosmos again.

[navalverde12]

Aparently he claims to have written the chariots of fire theme in 1- to 15 minutes

[kz1000ps]

I love how that one red light makes what we're seeing virtually as epic and otherwordly as what we're hearing.

[Neuronaluniverse]

You like cs80' sound!!!! very nice sound ,realy.in this case you have to hear NEURON....welcome to neuronaluniverse'channel

[anonymusum]

... what a poser......

[DjaveBikinus]

Vangelis' mind = 011100001010100001101010100011­000101010000111101010001011110­101010101010011

[eddievhfan1984]

@DjaveBikinus No, that kinda relationship with a synth is more personal... besides, the CS-80 is analog, not digital.

[DjaveBikinus]

@eddievhfan1984 Ahh thanks, that explains the mix-up in the jewelers the other day, I asked for a watch and he said "Analogue?" to which I replied "No, just a watch"

[eddievhfan1984]

@DjaveBikinus LOL But yeah, Vangelis is a great composer because he was able to take synthesizers and treat them like symphonic instruments, as well as radical soundscaping tools. While the right technology can help bring forth the purest form of the composer's idea, the composer must still think of it (and someone must perform it, unless you know how to). Analog/digital/hybrid means nothing unless it resonates within you.

[funkhausen]

One of a kind and a great inspiration! 

[explosivehotdogs]

I've posted a link to the full track on soundcloud... look for username 'gestures' because youtube won't let me post a link. *grumble*

[DuaLeaD]

I just got my new Dave Smith Prophet '08...It's got a 100% analog signal path. I will let you guys know how it goes and if I can get it to sound close, you can expect a video posted.

[Solaris1992]

He is a genius.

[def0rm0]

this sound is just incredible. blade runner was an amazing movie...but without his score, i wouldn't have been as moved.

[Pittermilk]

This Behemoth weights 100 kgs???

[raffjones]

I had the great pleasure of spending a week with a CS-80 over in David Holmes's studio working on a film... it was absolutely hands-down the best synth I have ever played. So alive, so beautiful and other-worldly. I would love to buy one, of course, but somehow I don't think that's gonna be so easy.

[drkschneider]

i go to get a cup of tea and my minimoog is out of tune, par for the course old boy. it's just a matter of tuning it every 15 minute, a minute price to pay considering the heart stopping beauty of real voltage , its a true instrument just like the CS80 and no one can do it better than our man there with the beard .. absolute legend

[pmgodfrey]

Always will be a "real" synthesizer. Even though the new ones can emulate approximate sounds - it's all done digitally.

If Yamaha made a new CS80 just like they did back then, they could easily sell for over $10,000 each and people would buy them up like hot cakes.

[neolojism]

Yeah, all the people with $10k in their back pockets.

I reckon it would cost more than that anyway. There are a lot of components in a CS-80, just the BOM alone would drive the price well above that.

[noddyspuncture]

@neolojism My CS80's cost me £250 and £1300 respectively. But that was just luck... you need luck on your side and keep an eye open...;c)

[Apathesis0]

Yamaha needs to reissue this badass synth.

[josephjester]

The cheaper alternative is simply to buy Arturia's CS-80V softsynth plug-in. Not exactly the same, I know, but a heckuva lot cheaper.

[georgemargaris]

yes I have nearly all Arturia plugins, and they have put a lot of attention to the detail. It is recommendable.

But what I would like to have is at least a MidiController Keyboard that looks more or less the same like the CS80. So that you could use the VST-Plug-in the same way, with the same "musicality" and "handling" as the original.

I wish there were customized MIDI-Controller-Keyboards for all the oldschool Synths... ok, have to build one my self...

[neolojism]

Cheaper to re-house an old controller. The yamaha sy-77 and 99 have the nice synth action. Getting a poly-aftertouch weighted action might be hard though (roland a-80?)

[georgemargaris]

It will happen. This instrument has so much value and impact, so many keyboarders say that.

It is like the rhodes piano, which recently got reproduced again, in mint condition and some improvements.

It will happen. It MUST! Yamaha is not stupid.

[Apathesis0]

Seriously. It's quite sad an improved version of the CS-80 never came out. Yamaha could make a killingI've been considering an Alesis Anromeda for a month or so now, but I keep reading about reliability issues and software bugs and strange clicks on real bassy stuff, which is unfortunate because what I've heard sounds amazing.

[8462995]

Exactly... even if this thing cost around 10,000! I'll try to buy one of the worlds most Legendary Synth... cause' the sound it produces is absolutely Priceless...

[illumination2006]

@Apathesis0 yes!

[HolyKatana]

@Apathesis0 Nobody could afford it, I guarantee.

[iammagyar]

@Apathesis0 i feel like analog is making a comeback but i ALSO feel like we will never see the CS-80 in this original incarnation ever again. :/ it wasnt a big seller then so i doubt they would even bother with a re-release :(((

[erdavis7]

This is the best of his recordings imo.

Amazing improv.

[erdavis7]

Or maybe I just haven't been listening to the right songs. Did he do any songs similar to this? Maybe in his early music?

[riazomonero]

Marvellous sounds.

[donpedro2222]

This is just fantastic. CS-80 must be the coolest synth ever built.

[robertbowen]

his improvising on the extra-long multi-octave ribbon pitch bender reminds me why I've been wondering for decades why this wasn't built into every machine that was ever made since the cs80

it's such an obvious and intuitive device, and vangelis has mastered it in such a musical way - yet nothing else has ever incorporated it

(shakes head)

[josephjester]

You mean kind of like using a guitar tremolo bar to do nothing but *gasp* dive bombs?

[omissis75]

Looks like a Roland Promars

[scanner1978]

otro genio (o mejor dicho, EL GENIO) haciendo de las suyas...

[polysmart]

What's the name of the small monosynth which he uses for arpeggios, sitting on top of the CS80?

[juno6]

It´s a Roland System-100, and it´s not an arpeggio, it´s a sequence from it´s step sequencer. Cheers.

[polysmart]

Thanks.

[larbredevie08]

Vangelis was composing at that right moment!! No words.

[VUZOOKA]

vangelis, the master blaster of synthesizers!

[andrewman12]

Most overlook that Tommy Mars of Frank Zappa Band played the CS-80.

[Meteotrance]

another great ambient artist that was huge influence is Klaus Shulz from Tangerine Dream, and also Keith Emmerson, or the japanese from YMO use the CS-80.

[pmgodfrey]

He was so far ahead of his time... And even still, this old, wonderful, vintage synth sounds great.

His work........his legacy will never die.

[ltrombini]

Amazing! The best feeling of sound....

[BaseMosquito]

Try THOR in Reason and you will see.

[mattedj]

He's friggin good! It has that charm of the first synths sounding as futuristic as possible

[WolfgangAmadeusF]

Indeed

[joncosm]

Vangelis is the master !!!!!!!!

[dimitrisdrs]

Γεια σου ρε Βάγγο!!!

[teknobeam]

Beautiful soundscape. There are no rules, and like snowflakes, never two possibilities identical when it comes to electronic music. For me it's not about the gear, it's about what you do with the gear you have

[kfrausto]

Well said, teknobeam.

But really, these old analog monsters have a tone which simply cannot be replicated by today's softsynths. The companies try, but they fail.

[RediForKing]

You are totally right. I used to play a lot of soft synths and i wasn't satisfied at all. The sound is really cold and quiet. Now after having the korg oasys i can feel how a real synth should sound. That's a totally different feel than playing a soft synth, because you can't really play a soft synth , you just get the sound. A funny thing which happens to me is, when I start a softsynth and I forgot how bad they actually sound I get disappointed again and again.

[Wraithgoddess]

Hey thats ok. Arturia does a fantastic job. Remember your playing it through modern technology where this is not. Lots of different between bits and bytes and analog 1970 systems.

They all work fantastic in my opinion, and computer processing is top notch these days, not if the soft synths could catch up with that.

I like it all! and the Cs80 is my fav machine ever, unfortunately can't afford a real one.

[nickeax]

The Oasys is a soft synth. :-)

[snevelin]

Indeed, same goes for many hardware virtual analogue synths. Basically soft-synths in DSP chips.

[mtc3000]

The funny thing is, in the beginning Vangelis hated synths, and refused to play them. I guess it all worked out, eh?

[oS2006DE]

Yeah, well he hated mellotrons and refused to play them....said they sounded "dead" (part of the charm, really) and never ended up releasing anything played on one.

Then again, you can't get that kind of flexibility out of a mellotron. Not by a LONG shot! Cool vid!

[synthisist]

Fantastic stuff

Aftertouch directly in the keys

Good sounds

etc

etc

etc

[armalyte]

it IS a roland system 100...he only used the sequencer and the keyboard though.

that reminds me...MY FULL SET of system 100 needs a bit of a service. years of gigging etc have takne their toll on the tuning a bit

[romeropablo]

The two keyboards of all times: MOOG and this Yamaha CS80. So old...so powerfull...

[lasercaution]

According to ELSEWHERE's Vangelis site under "Other Music", where we are told that this song is not obtainable simply because it's an improvisation for a Spanish Television show called Musical Express in 1981 somewhere. However it sounds like an unpolished version of "Spiral". VANGELIS: The King of the Yamaha CS80.

[nmarcel]

Inmortal genius!

[rg2027x]

what synth is he using for the arpeggiations :o?

[Gazdatronik]

looks like a roland system 100

[4darin5]

Blows my MIND!!! everytime he touches the CS80. No one compares!! and its not just the CS80, every instrument he lays his hands on turns to gold.

[thiagotecnico]

SOOOOOO WARM SOUND

[drchepa]

those were the years....that sound TODAY is imposible to find, but fortunately we've got mr. papathanisou!

[moondog33]

do a google search for 'podtube' , that will convert from utube to your ipod

[kfrausto]

Is there somewhere I can get the whole thing? I REALLY want to put this track on my ipod, no matter the sound quality.

[U5096]

this song was a random improvisation he made for a tv show in 1981 to demonstrate the Yamaha CS80, apparently he used certain elements of it on one of his later albums

[brokhere2]

i have an awful lot of albums of vangelis, i`m possibly the biggest fan :), but i never heard that song on any album i got, nor did i find it on whatever compilations (i assume some albums weren`t available in germany at all, or not in that form) ... on which album is that song? i`d love to get it!

[joncosm]

hey brokhere2, it isn't anywhere simply because he was improvising...right from his mind and soul to his fingers !!!

[argyess]

This was totally improvised which goes to show even when making up music on the spot, Vangelis still sounds awesome!

[tonsokubaba]

I actually have an old mp3 version of this entire song (goes on for about 6 minutes and has this same sound quality). It's not the best one of the lot, I am a huge fan myself, but definitely a fun one to have, for completion. I think I downloaded it in '97 from some random site, during that old day when filesharing was still in the future! Look around, it might still be here somewhere. It was called livenemo.mp3.

[kfrausto]

Someone please say what Vangelis song this is! Please!

[JamesBrommage]

The Music God, playing the greatest synth ever!!

[kfrausto]

Wow. Absolutely SICK. Vangelis is the man, and the CS-80 is the greatest synth ever. Stunning.

[BlueNocturne]

What was he playing in this? It sounds really familiar..

[rustyanalog]

Id love to see this whole clip, i was enjoying it so much.