The CS-30 is a large, knob infested, black analog synthesizer with traditional features. It is a monophonic synth with extensive analog control and shaping. It has two oscillators with separate outputs, two voltage-controlled resonant filters, two voltage-controlled amplifiers and three envelopes. It also features a ring modulator, external audio triggering and a simple but useful 8-step sequencer for use as a sketch pad, pattern or arpeggio effect. The CS-30 does not have any on-board effects, memory nor MIDI. Although the CS-30 is just a monophonic synth with a short 44 note keyboard it offers a lot of programming flexibility, and plenty of knobs. It's used by 808 State.

crome

May 24, 2012 @ 3:45 pm

Lovely and strange synth. Can be totally out of control and mellow and gentle same time. Very nice dual 12db filter indeed. But i feel, you really must push hard to start to love it. Confusing most of the time, quite miss and hit. Share same components as mighty CS80, but its sound unique. Well call me simple, but i prefer more straitghtforward synths than this sleeping beauty. One day maybe we meet again and it fits more :).

smoinync

May 8, 2012 @ 11:50 pm

Mine is 30 with an L. It contains so many knobs to tweak which mostly causes me a confusion. It's one of the great synth from the old days. However I wish i could trade with one that has sequencer on it.

Kevin R. Marshall

February 29, 2012 @ 7:34 am

FYI: to any who are looking for a CS-30 in mint condition, mine is for sale at http://www.houseofsynth.com/vintage-yamaha-cs30-cs-30-analog-monophonic-synthesi zer-for-sale

gridsleep

February 3, 2012 @ 7:09 pm

Actually, I'd love to have both. The sequencer on the 30 is mucho frio, but still the extra modulation controls on the 30L turn mono power into an art form. It may be quirky, and it may be a quirk in my imagination, but the CS-30s are my favorite analog synthesizers. I love the annies, all of them, but these are the ones I'd love to have, hands down. It's a bit like loving the 1950's era VW beetles. They aren't powerful or impressive or sexy, but darn it, they are a car's car. And the CS-30s are a synthesizer's synthesizer. Nuf sed.

gridsleep

January 31, 2012 @ 2:23 am

How many keyboards from back in that day came with built in sequencer? The MS-20 has an external one, but built in? Can't think of another off the top of my head beside the Triadex Muse. Which I would also love to have, had I an extra grand lying about.

Hey! VSE! How about making these Comments editable? So we can edit the most recent one we made to add new thoughts, instead of having to create a new one and pushing the whole comment stack down? That would be a great help.

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