Yamaha CS80

So here is my story CS-80 story:

I had bought the CS-80 from someone who lives approx. a 2 hours drive away from Frankfurt, not too far, we put the machine in the back of a station wagon and I drove home. I had called up some friends because I needed help with the machine plus I wanted to invite everybody for dinner in a restaurant this evening to celebrate the event.

My studio is under the roof two stairs up. My friend helped me get the CS-80 out of the car, we carried it up the first staircase and then my friend started bitching it was too heavy and said there was no way he would carry it up another staircase. It took me a lot of talking to make him want to continue. The next staircase up and we are in my studio, but just before we could put the CS-80 on its stand, I slipped for no particular reason, a so called unforced error.

The machine came down and unfortunately there still was the little finger of my right hand. I don't want to go into the details here, but it is amazing just how much blood can come from just one finger. The finger looked really bad and I almost fainted. We put a lot of toilet paper around it and my friends drove me to a hospital. They went to the restaurant.

The tip half way ripped off, the nail just loosely attached, the first segment of the finger broken, I got x-rays, shots and stitches and by the time I got to the restaurant that night it was closing. I had one fast beer which given the fact I was high on medication anyway I probably should not have done. My friends drove me home.

I turned on the CS-80 and luckily it made some noises but that was all I was capable of doing. That night I slept on a mattress next to the CS-80 in the studio, or at least I tried to, my hand was pounding and I could measure my heart beat. The next I started playing the machine with my left hand.

And these days, whenever I look at my little finger, I think of this wonderful machine that I have back home.

Merry X-mas and a Happy New year to all of you
Worsel

I'm sorry about your finger (I'd heard a short version of the story before, but not in such detail), but I'm so glad and hapy for
you that my (formerly) CS-80 has found a good new home with you, after all.

So let me contribute the prequel of this CS-80's story. It probably fits with the time of year, Christmas season.

I wanted a CS-80 all my life, and finally there was this opportunity. Someone was offering a machine in the USA, the Dollar was low
compared to the Euro, and that was my chance to finally get one. I would never have bought if from a stranger, without references,
though. But happily, I learned that this particular CS-80 wasn't only just serviced by an old friend of mine in Chicago, but still
resided there in his workshop! So I had the best reference I could think of. My friend personally took care of the shipping. And
packing. He really went out of his way to help me get this beast savely shipped to Germany, against such obstacles as an ice storm
and an initially too small wooden crate. Thank you so much once more, my friend - I will never forget how you helped to make a dream
come true!

Meanwhile here in Germany, fate struck.
I got a terrible tinnitus, and when the CS-80 finally was here, I could not really enjoy it.
It was a strange feeling. I actually did some minor repair work (wires that have come loose from shipping it half around the world,
finding bad solder joints), tuned it, and had a wonderful near-pristine CS-80. But I didn't have ears to really enjoy it, anymore.

I have told the story before, elsewhere, so I'll keep it short. I experienced a miracle healing. My tinnitus went away from one
minute to the next, as a direct answer to a prayer to Jesus. Even though I have been some sort of Christian before, this experience
has completely changed my life. I had my full hearing again (and still have, two years later!), I had an encounter with God I had
never thought possible - and I had a wonderful CS-80 standing here!

But as the months went by, I noticed that what had once been the dream of my life, wasn't that important to me anymore. My
priorities in life have changed a lot. I intensified my work in our local church, and I started to spend praying for others in need,
for God to change their situation just as he did with my tinnitus. I was aware that a synth like a CS-80 needed a lot of attention -
taking care of it, replacing parts every few months - well: paying "service" to it in any sense of the word. And I decided I didn't
want to spend that amount of time and money for it for the rest of my life.

When I had helped Peter to load it into his car, and he was driving back to Frankfurt, I felt an odd mix of melancholy and relief. I
knew a new period of my life had begun - and with the departure of a former dream it had begun in earnest. I haven't felt a minute
of regret ever since, and I'm happy the CS-80 has found a new home where it is really valued.

JH.

----- Original Message -----
From: "PeterB" <slipperysoles@...>
To: <yamahacs80@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, December 26, 2009 12:36 PM
Subject: [yamahacs80] My CS-80 story


So here is my story CS-80 story:

I had bought the CS-80 from someone who lives approx. a 2 hours drive away from Frankfurt, not too far, we put the machine in the
back of a station wagon and I drove home. I had called up some friends because I needed help with the machine plus I wanted to
invite everybody for dinner in a restaurant this evening to celebrate the event.

My studio is under the roof two stairs up. My friend helped me get the CS-80 out of the car, we carried it up the first staircase
and then my friend started bitching it was too heavy and said there was no way he would carry it up another staircase. It took me a
lot of talking to make him want to continue. The next staircase up and we are in my studio, but just before we could put the CS-80
on its stand, I slipped for no particular reason, a so called unforced error.

The machine came down and unfortunately there still was the little finger of my right hand. I don't want to go into the details
here, but it is amazing just how much blood can come from just one finger. The finger looked really bad and I almost fainted. We put
a lot of toilet paper around it and my friends drove me to a hospital. They went to the restaurant.

The tip half way ripped off, the nail just loosely attached, the first segment of the finger broken, I got x-rays, shots and
stitches and by the time I got to the restaurant that night it was closing. I had one fast beer which given the fact I was high on
medication anyway I probably should not have done. My friends drove me home.

I turned on the CS-80 and luckily it made some noises but that was all I was capable of doing. That night I slept on a mattress next
to the CS-80 in the studio, or at least I tried to, my hand was pounding and I could measure my heart beat. The next I started
playing the machine with my left hand.

And these days, whenever I look at my little finger, I think of this wonderful machine that I have back home.

Merry X-mas and a Happy New year to all of you
Worsel




------------------------------------

Yahoo! Groups Links

Wow, that is horrible.
There is a reason why this is a man's synth. You past the test. Congratulations.
:)

To: yamahacs80@yahoogroups.com
From: slipperysoles@...
Date: Sat, 26 Dec 2009 11:36:16 +0000
Subject: [yamahacs80] My CS-80 story




























So here is my story CS-80 story:



I had bought the CS-80 from someone who lives approx. a 2 hours drive away from Frankfurt, not too far, we put the machine in the back of a station wagon and I drove home. I had called up some friends because I needed help with the machine plus I wanted to invite everybody for dinner in a restaurant this evening to celebrate the event.



My studio is under the roof two stairs up. My friend helped me get the CS-80 out of the car, we carried it up the first staircase and then my friend started bitching it was too heavy and said there was no way he would carry it up another staircase. It took me a lot of talking to make him want to continue. The next staircase up and we are in my studio, but just before we could put the CS-80 on its stand, I slipped for no particular reason, a so called unforced error.



The machine came down and unfortunately there still was the little finger of my right hand. I don't want to go into the details here, but it is amazing just how much blood can come from just one finger. The finger looked really bad and I almost fainted. We put a lot of toilet paper around it and my friends drove me to a hospital. They went to the restaurant.



The tip half way ripped off, the nail just loosely attached, the first segment of the finger broken, I got x-rays, shots and stitches and by the time I got to the restaurant that night it was closing. I had one fast beer which given the fact I was high on medication anyway I probably should not have done. My friends drove me home.



I turned on the CS-80 and luckily it made some noises but that was all I was capable of doing. That night I slept on a mattress next to the CS-80 in the studio, or at least I tried to, my hand was pounding and I could measure my heart beat. The next I started playing the machine with my left hand.



And these days, whenever I look at my little finger, I think of this wonderful machine that I have back home.



Merry X-mas and a Happy New year to all of you

Worsel



















[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hah hah.. what a great story man...
Sorry about your finger, i once dropped an Elka Synthex on my small toe,
similiar pain to your finger i would imagine >.<
Enjoy it... :)

> So here is my story CS-80 story:
>
> I had bought the CS-80 from someone who lives approx. a 2 hours drive away from Frankfurt, not too far, we put the machine in the back of a station wagon and I drove home. I had called up some friends because I needed help with the machine plus I wanted to invite everybody for dinner in a restaurant this evening to celebrate the event.
>
> My studio is under the roof two stairs up. My friend helped me get the CS-80 out of the car, we carried it up the first staircase and then my friend started bitching it was too heavy and said there was no way he would carry it up another staircase. It took me a lot of talking to make him want to continue. The next staircase up and we are in my studio, but just before we could put the CS-80 on its stand, I slipped for no particular reason, a so called unforced error.
>
> The machine came down and unfortunately there still was the little finger of my right hand. I don't want to go into the details here, but it is amazing just how much blood can come from just one finger. The finger looked really bad and I almost fainted. We put a lot of toilet paper around it and my friends drove me to a hospital. They went to the restaurant.
>
> The tip half way ripped off, the nail just loosely attached, the first segment of the finger broken, I got x-rays, shots and stitches and by the time I got to the restaurant that night it was closing. I had one fast beer which given the fact I was high on medication anyway I probably should not have done. My friends drove me home.
>
> I turned on the CS-80 and luckily it made some noises but that was all I was capable of doing. That night I slept on a mattress next to the CS-80 in the studio, or at least I tried to, my hand was pounding and I could measure my heart beat. The next I started playing the machine with my left hand.
>
> And these days, whenever I look at my little finger, I think of this wonderful machine that I have back home.
>
> Merry X-mas and a Happy New year to all of you
> Worsel
>
>

I bought my first CS-80 back in 1986 for the princely sum of £250GBP. I heard about it from another keyboard player who had been to a studio and they told him it was for sale. I had to go collect it from a music shop in Manchester. It was in their repair shop - although when I got it home all that was wrong with it was a voice was silent and it turned out to be some 'un-informed tweaker' had turned down the VCA presets on an M board! Soon after I had a fault with a fuse blowing. Couldn't work it out - very intermittent it was. Turned out every time I pressed a certain Bb, the fuse blew. A tantalum cap on one of the TSB boards. Never had a problem since up until just recently when I noticed that one of the filter EG chips wasn't working on an M board. Got a new one (thanks Kent) but still haven't changed it. Was about to do it when I had the roof leak this past couple of weeks. It's all moved out now so I'll tackle that when the weather improves and there is no more chance of it dripping in again.

Then, my second CS80 was a pure luck thing - about a year and a half ago I was out on the street near my house talking to a chap at a nearby metal-working shop about a trailer he wanted me to list on eBay for him, when a guy walks past and asks me: "Are you Tom?"... I said Yes, he replied - "Wanna buy a CS-80?".

I nearly fell over...

It was in a new music venue that was being kitted out not far from my house and it had belonged to Barclay James Harvest, the 70's prog band. I went to look at it, it was in a bit of a state, or at least looked it, with all this white powder inside on the metal work. One voice wasn't working, all others way out of tune with one particularly bad one that I hoped would 'pull in'.

Pointing out all the problems - I offered him £500 there and then. All the bits were there, pedals, lid, stand music rack. But he wanted £4000... I waited a few weeks, chewing it over and then I heard that a chap I was playing in a band with (at the time) knew the guy selling it and that he ..."owed him a few favours..." with his help I finally managed to get it for £1300GBP.

I couldn't believe that there was another CS-80 in town, let alone just about 100yards from my house. The tolex is pretty good on it, apart from where they drilled a hole in the side to put a different power connector on. I've rewired it a normal mains lead and have a piece of tolex to cover the hole with. The voices were fixed and then I set about doing the TSB board cap mod. Right after doing it I had a massive after touch problem which turned out to be broken wires. Many thanks to guys on this list for all their help on that one!

In the past month or so I have re-capped and re-chipped both power supplies and tuned them both up. There is a small level setting on one of the M boards that needs doing on this second 80, and then I will tweak the tuning again on both of them.

Funny how you can seem to go without noticing a small thing like a level difference (which probably was there all along) and then once you notice it, it stands out and bugs the hell out of you. And sometimes these things are only apparent on certain patches as well.

Anyway, it all keeps me busy and I just love playing them. One upstairs and one down. I am never too far from a CS-80...;^)

Cheers and a Happy New Year to all.
TOM