The Yamaha AN1x Synthesizer mailing list

From: <tomfinegan@...>


--- In AN1x-list@egroups.com, "Peter Korsten" <peterk@i...> wrote:
> > on a rackmount that houses no less than eight of these PLG boards.
> Hm...i may be conservative, but the appeal of these PLG boards never
> reached me. I am not sure if i like them or not...But i don\ufffdt see no
> other advantage of eight AN-PLG boards in one rack than more voices
> at once with more patches (wohooo than you can play GM-Midi-
> files...whoa...great...not...duh  *G* SCNR...j/k)

I think the idea behind PLG boards is that you have more control of what you
want of your synth. If you look at the subject of our devotion, the AN1x,
it's a very nice synth, but it has quite a few features that not everybody
may need. Notably, the keyboard comes to mind. It's probably the best
keyboard in it's price range, but if you already have a couple of keyboards
or just not enough space, it may not be worth it. How many times have people
said: "I wish there had been an AN1r"? (As a matter of fact, Yamaha had
developed it, but then they canned the project.)

So now, for about one fifth of the price, you can buy haf an AN1x. For the
moment, the number of host platforms is limited (CS6x/r, S30/80, SW1000,
MU128), but such a rack would be *very* interesting to me. And we've seen a
number of members who only have the PLG version of this synth, so I suppose
I'm not the only one.

The AN1x isn't discontinued, it just looks different. :)

And the most interesting Yamaha synthesis techniques - virtual accoustic,
virtual analogue, frequency modulation - are all available as a PLG board.
And more can be expected - I've heard rumour of a FS1r-like board (but
remember, this is rumour).

> > I've also heard
> > rumours about a generic programmable DSP board.
> Figures...they want to compete (or have to??) with Creamwares Pulsar
> and Korgs OASYS.

Actually, the PLG system is Yamaha's answer to soft synths. Yamaha's
strength lies in mass-production, not so much in building top-end material.

Mind you, they're perfectly capable of that: the very expensive VL1, the VP1
which was six times as expensive, and recently the PM1D digital live mixing
console.

Considering the Korg OASYS, that started out as a beautifully shaped
keyboard (like a Trinity, but than silver with black and a huge ribbon
controller) that was announced three times, but eventually we only saw the
spin-offs: Prophecy, Trinity, Z1, and now the PCI card.

Personally, I doubt that Yamaha themselves will come out with this
programmable DSP card. It's not in their line, after all. You would need a
development system and a whole new infrastructure that they don't have, or
are willing to support.

> But if Yamaha is doing it, it will probably do the same (and more)
> for half of the price...:)...I love Yamaha...

That PM1D is very expensive - way over US$ 50,000 I think - but that's
comparatively cheap. :)

> Hm...a programmable DSP board...this could mean a modular synth by
> Yamaha...hehehe...i\ufffdll wait with the Elektra and watch what will
> happen 2001 or 2002.

What is this Elektra?

> Anyhow, thank you for the info, Peter. It\ufffds nice to have someone
> with "vitamine b" (as germans used to say) on the list.

Da bin ich nun doch gespannt was damit gemeint sei. :)

- Peter