The CS1x is Yamaha's first Analog Emulation performance keyboard for electronic and dance musicians (the CS line is back!). It's a digital synthesizer that emulates analog style, sounds and controls. All controls and parameters are real-time and MIDI controllable. As well as a superb set of quality synth bass, pads, voices, leads and arpeggiated sequences there are plenty of amazing drum sounds also with analog sound and control.

Some of the coolest features of the CS1x aimed at dance musicians will provide you with instant sonic gratification and hands-on real-time tweakability. There are 6 knobs for envelope attack, release, filter cutoff, resonance and 2 are assignable knobs. Two scene memories will remember the current state of the envelope and filters as set by the control knobs so they can instantly be recalled and you can even use the Mod-wheel to morph from one scene into the other, very cool! Scene Memory data is also stored with your synth patches. Built-in digital effects are great but the Arpeggiator steals the show with 30 inspirational patterns suited for techno, house, basslines and basic arpeg. patterns.

Plenty of memory (128 preset, 128 user) and MIDI control make the CS1x perfect for both live and studio use. Control the synth, arpeggiator and editing through MIDI control. The CS1x only has limited multitimbrality in which, when hooked up to a sequencer, MIDI channels 5-16 offer plain old Yamaha XG synth sounds but MIDI channel 1 holds the CS1x's main sounds and effects. It's already being used by Underworld, Bushflange, Jamiraquai, Skylab2000, Somatic Responses, and David Bowie.

relic

December 20, 2010 @ 6:27 pm

so you know..the an1x, cs1x, cs2x all have a kind of dim display. it will look brighter depending on the angle you are playing / sitting at. i just got a mint cs1x for only $100 because GC thought the display was going dead!...lol. i knew it was fine and talked them down $75...:) what a deal!!!! great pads and strings on this synth!

Alex

December 10, 2010 @ 9:33 am

I play a cs1x live most weeks - it handles horn and synth sounds for our ska band! Not really what it was conceived for but it was cheap and its light to lug about. In a mix its bright, even sharp. Its channel on my submixer needs a lot of the top taken out of it. Presets are slathered in reverb as always, but other than that very playable. Shame about the external PSU but otherwise a good cheap workhorse.

Rasmus

December 7, 2010 @ 4:44 am

Alex, if you do so, please let us know. I'm currently looking into buying one.

alex

October 19, 2010 @ 8:32 pm

Actually writing that has made me decide to go back to it and explore programming it in more depth than the few tweaks I've done in the past. Maybe I can even create a patch without arp timing drift on filter sweep, who knows.

alex

October 19, 2010 @ 8:28 am

Bought one new, but it's main use was touring OS (light for its size) and as a controller. Mainly my taste – I find the patches a bit 'trance-o-matic'. Never fully explored programming it because I get more joy from one of my other boards. Some useful sounds; "Scenes" function has potential; but two big flaws: 1) arpeggiator timing drifts if you do a filter sweep. 2) filter sweeps are clunky – you can hear the steps. Also: many standard patches are oversensitive to velocity; FX thin and characterless. The upside is if you want big pillowy pads, a couple of good leads, and a shortcut to lots of familiar, bright and brash late 90s sounds it’s great. It has has an entertaining ease of use, and I agree, the arpeggiator slowed down is very cool. Super reliable too. But no way is it vintage/analogue but that’s not what it’s for. If you like it's (very specific) sound it will serve you well, as long as you don't want to sweep filters.

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