The SY22 is one of these digital synthesizers with a thin metallic sound. It uses a synthesis method known as vector synthesis (similar to that on the ProphetVS and Korg Wavestation) in which samples and FM sounds (adapted from Yamaha's DX line) are altered and combined using the on-board joystick to create new and often interesting sounds. Joystick moves can be recorded and repeated too, a feature rarely seen until the JP-8000 came!

There is no filter, no resonance, no ring modulator sand no sign of any arpeggiators or sequencers on-board. Although this is unfortunate, its strengths lie in its ability to record data manipulation in real-time and its multitimbrality - both of which lend themselves to creating some complex and cool sounds perfect for ambient, dub and industrial styles. It also has a drum kit sound set and simple built-in effects. A desktop module version of the SY22 is the TG33 which also has increased memory. The SY22 has been used by Moby, Skinny Puppy and Scanner.

Graham G

February 28, 2011 @ 5:13 pm

If you bought one of these and never experimented with sound editing, you'd be severely disappointed with all but a handful of the 64 preset sounds. There are one or two exceptions, such as the massive 'Matrix22'. Otherwise mostly poor.

Yamaha went out of their way to burden the machine with a very high number of 'novelty' preset sounds when what they should have done was provide core keyboard, brass, string and bass sounds in the unalterable preset memories and preload the 64 editable memories with the novelty sounds. But they didn't.

(Continued)

relic

January 7, 2011 @ 6:02 pm

wow..doing more with this synth then i thought could be done! some cool sounds can be made here! now i know how skinny puppy used it! and only for $100. so far the best buy for 2011. perfect for electro-industrial music!..well, i did some tricks with it that i think puppy did as well! if you find one used and your into writing industral, you better GRAB IT!

MusicIsLove

December 1, 2010 @ 6:28 pm

I own an SY-22 and back in the days I really tried to squeeze every sound out of it that it's capable to produce. To sum it up the SY-22 is an SY-77 made cheaper and cheaper until it was little more than a toy.

The combination of FM synthesis and samples is a good idea, but the SY-22 simply lacks sound quality. Two operators are to few and the lack of filters makes thick sound layers an impossible task for the Yamaha. The samples are low-rez, too, definitely not 44 kHz and I think only 12-bit.

It was fun using this synth, but it's possibilities are very limited. This makes the SY-22 a synth few will miss.

lc

May 22, 2010 @ 4:29 pm

Kinda cheesy but decent sounds. Worth it for the 61 keys, with aftertouch, and the basic FM/AWM combo.

(Thing is im stumped to how to save presets, and the velocity sensity is restricted to like 30-80 instead of 0-127?)

Noetic6

May 20, 2010 @ 6:21 pm

The Polish Band Closterkeller also uses one of these.

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