Modified Yamaha CS01 CS-01 Analog Synth

This is a brief video demo of a modified Yamaha CS-01 Mk1 battery-powered analog synth. I'm not going through the internal speaker here, but rather using the line-out to a Roland MicroCube amp.

The mods are:
1) expanded resonance and continuous control of the resonance
2) VCA drone mode

Except for the fact that the breath controller will no longer work on this unit (how many folks actually use it anyway?), both are 'non-destructive' mods, which means you can return to stock functionality if you want.

The 12dB low-pass filter on the CS-01 isn't terribly stable at high resonances, which is probably why Yamaha kept the stock setting to be a bit tame.

I make some odd comments here: why am I calling the footages "high sounds?" Please ignore some of the rambling!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• analog
• synth
• synthesizer
• resonance
• VCA
• modified
• circuit
• bent
• bending

[Holzopel]

Hi, I also have the silver one, which has 12dB. seems to be state variable filter, cause opening the Reso-path (I substituted the switch with a 15mm-fader froma casio) this will increase very high. maybe limiting with parallel diodes will help. Put also a Sub-osc by 4024chip into. theres space on pcb for a extra noise gen, so I can mix wave and noise for flute sounds. No chance for CV-ctrl. I had a MIDI-AVR-project playing the 6x6-kbd-matrix, but my programmer didnt finish after getting money

[rolandsh1000]

wow - those are some great mods! hadn't thought about the parallel diodes on the resonance. I didn't do a subosc, but I octave-dropped my other CS01 by an smt 4013 divide-by-2 on the DTG's clock. I noticed the PCB space for the noise source, which in later models was incorporated into the DTG. one thought on MIDI: I don't like coding much, but since the DTG runs on a ~580kHz clock, you could implement V-Hz MIDI using an AVR. you could even do REAL glide then!!!

[rolandsh1000]

ah, you have the 24dB filter version - nice! that was the inspiration for modifying the resonance to be continuously controllable on this one.

[gtristdan]

I finally found a CS01 on Ebay, GREAT small synth with great analog sounds and great for recording with!..

[prizrenka17]

cool synth

[jonlawsb]

no - I never recorded them - (I was a trusting youth...)

[he214ab]

funny hack

[blauwolfenduro]

thnx 4 vid

[blauwolfenduro]

@jonlawsb ddo you know the serial numbers of your stolen gear?

[jonlawsb]

Mine was stolen in a break-in in 1990 along with my SH-101, VL-1 and MT40. They only left my Korg Polysix 'cos it was too heavy :- (

[eonz8]

where is R39 on the PCB?

i've looked all over the breath control "vcf" area and could not find anything...

[rockgod111]

inorite? i borrowed one off my school for the holidays.

i dont want to give it back!

[ColaberMilk]

this is such a nice little synth, I wish I could get one, though no one wants to give it up.

terrible existance