PSS 790 Glitchout Circuit Bent

Yamaha PSS-790 released in 1988 - bent by SineHacker

WARNING the volume in this video may jump about and become LOUD at points, please take care of your ears and speakers

I picked this keyboard up remarkably cheap from cash generator yesterday as I was fixated on the vector joystick it had attached - which turned out to be a bit naff, but apart from that this is a great keyboard and it was a bargain, especially for the results I had when I opened it up. Battery acid had leaked everywhere from some batteries that had probably been left in there for a decade, but no damage was done to the circuitry, I soon found some great bends.

This keyboard is wicked! it warranted my first youtube post ever, possibly the first instrument I have modded that you can create a bizarre continuum of sonic madness without it ever turning into harsh white noise. It is great fun to play! also, possibly has the best demo song ever on a 80's keyboard ;)

Mods:

4 Sonic Chaos switches that do a variety of distortions, flanges/flutters, glitches and drones
4 Drum Manglers (also effects the voice sometimes) that effect the backing track by glitching/distorting and doing other things I don't have a good word for
2 Random/Glitch buttons which do something different everytime they are pressed, for as long as you press them, you get double chaos if you press them together
LED's attached to the speaker lines that flicker in response to changes in amplitude (not featured in the video as I'm using the phones out.)

I have a couple more bends that I want to do using some pots or possibly a photo resistor, but I'm a little short of supplies and wary of frying this beautiful monster I've created to death.

enjoy!

Think of a good name for this mod and post it in the comments :-)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• PSS 790 Glitchout
• Circuit Bent
• Hardware Hack
• Yamaha
• Circuit Bending
• Glitch
• Drone
• Noise
• SineHacker

[SineHacker]

I'm actually thinking of selling this now - so I can afford to buy another one, I had a brainwave last night like a jolt of lightning to the head and I've thought of a method a million times better of modding this - If anyone has an unmodded one they want to swap, I would happily do so!!

[BaumDerProllige]

Think of Buying a PSS 780 instead of a PSS 790. the 790 is complete the PCM version of the 780(FMsynth and PCMbeats) , i think it is a cool mix to bend, FM and PCM together in one Synth ...

[SineHacker]

PSS-790 has AWM not PCM, I will check out the 780 though cheers :-)

[SineHacker]

I just realised I have two PSS-780's :D

[BaumDerProllige]

you are lucky , i only have one. but one thing stops me from bending my pss780 : it was expensive ;)

[SineHacker]

I was given both of mine by friends, I am bending one for someone, I will post up the results when I am done if you like, I already found a number of similar bends to the 790

[SadBunnyNL]

Awesome! :) You really know how to abuse the machine. And indeed, the demo rhythms are wicked.

Keep up the chaos!

[stellarartwars07]

Someone ought to make a VST of the 790/590 - of all the PCM synths I've ever played this had the most character.

[Swenglish]

Nice bend. Really wish I had a PSS-790. I have the PSS-280 and the PSS-390. Might have a chance to get my hands on a PSS-680 if the seller responds. But the chance of finding a 790 (or 795 - does anybody know the difference between these two models?) in Sweden is probably tiny, unfortunately.

[DonChristo]

congratulations on this one! you actually made your synthesizer receive signals from outta space!

[Penguindog55]

A small part of it sounded alien and it made some sounds that are not preset in the sound pallette expanding the possibilities for creating original sounds.

[Penguindog55]

I dare you to set fire to a bottle of Bercardi.

[BaumDerProllige]

are you abled to connect the bent 780 via midi? i would be intrested if you could play midi data with the bent sounds ...

[BaumDerProllige]

Yes , please , i found only one other bent pss780 here on YT, but the presentation isn´t very good.

You do a great job.