Hi David,
I´m no technician and have no schematics for the SS30 around but I would say it´s safe to assume that the SS30 makes use of custom component parts like the other Yamaha instruments from that era. To my (limited) knowledge the SS30 uses divide-down circuitry with two sets of top-octave generators which can be detuned against each other, plus an Ensemble section which tries its best to get close to the blurriness of the Solina but not quite making it. Also, the SS30 only has fixed settings for attack and sustain, both are not very useful so you have to use the SS30 with a volume pedal and some external delay line in order to "thicken" the sound a bit (Ultravox used an E1010 delay line, I think).
Like I said, it has absolutely nothing to do with the CS80 string presets. The CS80´s sound thin and weedy -- not very realisitc by any accounts -- while the SS30 has the same quality as a Solina/ARP String Ensemble, i. e. making synthesised strings sound as realistic as possible. Also, the SS30 has an airy quality to it (others would call it "thin" or "anemic") which the CS80 can only achieve with extensive EQ tweaking. All in all, as much as I like my SS30 (which was formerly owned by Barbara Dickson, btw) I always find myself using the VP-330´s strings (or those of the Korg PE-2000) a lot more often.
Being no tech, all potential failures I know of would be tantalum caps going bad so these should probably be replaced. As for the rest, I´d leave it untouched unless necessary.
HTH,
Stephen.
____________________________________________________________________
"Ambition makes you look pretty ugly, kicking squealing Gucci little piggy." (Thom Yorke/Radiohead -- "Paranoid Android")
Stephen Parsick live in concert: Bochum Planetarium (Germany), 13th of December, 2008, 08:00 pm.
Finally available: Stephen Parsick -- Traces of the Past Redux, reissued with three previously unreleased bonus tracks. For more info please check www.parsick.com
For legal downloads please check:
http://www.musiczeit.com/directory.php?artist=296&title=Stephen+Parsick ----- Original Message -----
From: David
To: Wavecomputer360
Cc: yamahacs80@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2009 9:25 PM
Subject: Re: [yamahacs80] SS30 Yamaha string synth vs CS-80 String presets
Stephen
Do you have any service tops to keep SS30 in good shape--any hard to
get I/Cs parts like in CS80
The SS30 has actually got 4 voice cards and two VCOs per card so I
think it is sort of a hybrid 4 voice poly with further divide down
circuitry?
This will link may be of interest to see the voice cards and to see
how well built the SS30
http://ss30m.blogspot.com/2004/10/pictures.html
cheers David
On 30/12/2008, at 7:48 AM, Wavecomputer360 wrote:
> Hi David,
>
> I use a Roland VP-330 Vocoder Plus for these typical "string
> synthesiser" sounds, plus these wonderful chorus sounds. As nice as
> the SS30 is, it´s got too many shortcomings to really make it my
> first choice, e. g. too short attack and decay times, ensemble not
> continuously variable, generator detune not effective enough. It´s
> certainly one of the nicest string synthesisers around but not the
> be-all and end-all.
>
> After all, I get the best results from layering sounds, for instance
> VP-330 strings with CS80 bass to get that full-bodied, meaty bass
> drone with a nice contrast in the treble range. A little bit of
> Prophet VS, Prophet 5, or Korg Wavestation adds further dimensional
> depth.
>
> Stephen
>
> __________________________________________________________
>
> "Ambition makes you look pretty ugly, kicking squealing Gucci little
> piggy." (Thom Yorke/Radiohead -- "Paranoid Android")
>
> Stephen Parsick live in concert: Bochum Planetarium (Germany), 13th
> of December, 2008, 08:00 pm.
>
> Finally available: Stephen Parsick -- Traces of the Past Redux,
> reissued with three previously unreleased bonus tracks. For more
> info please check www.parsick.com
>
> For legal downloads please check:
>
> http://www.musiczeit.com/directory.php?artist=296&title=Stephen
> +Parsick
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: David
> To: yamahacs80@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Sunday, December 28, 2008 11:18 PM
> Subject: Re: [yamahacs80] SS30 Yamaha string synth vs CS-80 String
> presets
>
> Hi Stephen
> What do you use for string wash's--the SS30 I bet?
> String No 2 preset on CS50/60/80 records really well----I like the
> sound better than the strings on my old ARP Omni 2 and JP8
>
> David
>
> On 29/12/2008, at 8:34 AM, Wavecomputer360 wrote:
>
> > They´ve got nothing in common. It´s like comparing a Mini Moog with
> > a, say, Vox Continental. A totally different sound generation,
> > completely different signal paths... all the SS30 and the CS80 have
> > in common is a very high standard of engineering and build quality.
> >
> > I´ve got both of them here, SS30 and CS80, and they couldn´t be more
> > different timbrally. I for one would never use a CS80 for string
> > washes.
> >
> > Stephen
> >
> > __________________________________________________________
> >
> > "Ambition makes you look pretty ugly, kicking squealing Gucci little
> > piggy." (Thom Yorke/Radiohead -- "Paranoid Android")
> >
> > Stephen Parsick live in concert: Bochum Planetarium (Germany), 13th
> > of December, 2008, 08:00 pm.
> >
> > Finally available: Stephen Parsick -- Traces of the Past Redux,
> > reissued with three previously unreleased bonus tracks. For more
> > info please check www.parsick.com
> >
> > For legal downloads please check:
> >
> > http://www.musiczeit.com/directory.php?artist=296&title=Stephen
> > +Parsick
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: David
> > To: yamahacs80@yahoogroups.com
> > Sent: Sunday, December 28, 2008 7:02 PM
> > Subject: [yamahacs80] SS30 Yamaha string synth vs CS-80 String
> presets
> >
> > Which brings me to question is the SS30 strings nicer than CS-80
> > strings?
> > I use Strings 2 preset on my CS-50 all the time and it beats for
> > example my old ARP Omni 2 strings, Ro;and RS 202 strings hands down
> >
> > David
> >
> > On 29/12/2008, at 6:58 AM, David wrote:
> >
> > > On the actual track Vienna Ultravox used an SS30 Yamaha string
> synth
> > > and a Roland CR-78
> > > David
> > >
> > >
> > > On 29/12/2008, at 12:57 AM, Tim Siefkes wrote:
> > >
> > >> This has been a very interesting thread! I'm learning a few
> that I
> > >> was
> > >> not aware of. For me, I'd have to echo what David Rogoff said
> about
> > >> the
> > >> first UK LP "practically a CS80 demo". That was the album that
> > got me
> > >> hooked and made me decide I HAD to get one of these beasts!
> > >>
> > >> One more I'd add to the list that I don't think that I've seen
> > >> mentioned
> > >> yet... (apologies if it has...) is "Vienna" by Ultravox. I saw
> them
> > >> in a
> > >> small club here back in about, oh 1981 or 1982, and they
> performed
> > >> most
> > >> if not all of the "Vienna" album. Billy Currie had a CS-80, an
> ARP
> > >> Odyssey (his signature sound), the CP-30 piano, another string
> > >> machine
> > >> (ELKA?) and what else I can't remember right now. He used his
> CS-80
> > >> quite a bit. Two tracks that come to mind are "Mr. X" and
> "Western
> > >> Promise" where he uses what sounds like the "Funky" presets in a
> > >> percussive manner with a bit of echo. I think he's also uses the
> > >> CS-80
> > >> low strings as the descending cello counter line underneath the
> > >> violin
> > >> solo in the title track.
> > >>
> > >> Recommendation - if you should decide to get this album, try and
> > find
> > >> the edition with the original European track sequence, which
> makes
> > >> for a
> > >> much better listening. The album SHOULD start with (the
> > instrumental)
> > >> "Astradyne" which is also how they opened their concert. The U.S.
> > >> release starts with "Sleepwalk", a bit of a hit single for them
> at
> > >> the
> > >> time but the LP lost some flavor when they re-sequenced it that
> > >> way, IMHO.
> > >>
> > >> -Tim S.
> > >> <Twin Cities, MN>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> >
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
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