Vintage Synth Explorer

Yamaha • TQ-5

The TQ-5 was an entry level FM Workstation in a keyboardless, sparsely decorated desktop unit. It takes after the smaller line of FM synthesizers like the DX-100, DX-21, DX-11, TX81Z, and FB-01. These featured 4 FM operators per voice, and 8 voices of polyphony. And like the latter three, 8-parts multitimbrality was featured. The TQ-5 also had easy "Quick Edit" keys to access some basic parameters for instant tweaks. The TQ-5 was capable of many of the good (and the bad) sounds FM synthesizers made.

The TQ-5 featured built-in digital effects and an 8-track sequencer (with 8 song capacity) rounding out the "workstation" aspect of this machine. Designed for use as a stand-alone FM workstation or as a MIDI module, the TQ-5 was poised to bring high-end FM sounds to entry-level users. Unfortunately it was released in 1990 when the DX and FM synthesizers were no longer the "in" thing in the market, so the TQ-5 tanked. Really low second hand prices help it to retain its original purpose...to provide an FM workstation for entry-level for musicians on a budget.

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Posting Rules: Please keep your comments relevant! Do not post requests for help, do not use for sales, do not post unless you have something interesting to say about this instrument, or we may delete your post.

 

sargetech

Posted 351 days ago

I still have mine,got it new in 1990 from Sam Ash in NYC. I have made some totally Weird sounds with it, there is nothing like it on the planet, and the battery still has power after 18years, I have opened it up to check out the battery compartment and it's soldered to the Board, Now worries because when it dies I can hack it without destroying the unit,,But if it ain't broke!! Don't Fix it.... Peace to all..

scaldor

Posted 431 days ago

great design!
cant find anything like this today

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