Yamaha CS-15

The Yamaha CS-15 is a Monophonic analog synthesizer produced by Yamaha from 1979 to 1982.[4]

Yamaha CS-15
Dates1979-1982
Price£799 GBP
$999 US
Technical specifications
PolyphonyMonophonic
Timbrality2 part [1]
Oscillator2 (Pulse, Saw Down, Sine, Square, White Noise)
LFO1 (triangle, saw and S&H waveforms)[2]
Synthesis typeAnalog[3] Subtractive
Filter2 (12dB Slope (2-pole), Band Pass, High Pass, Low Pass, Resonance)
Attenuator2 (ADSR)
Storage memoryNone
EffectsNone
Input/output
Keyboard37 keys[1]
Left-hand controlPitch bend
External controlCV/gate

In the CS series, the CS-5, CS-10, CS-30 and CS-30L were similar in sound, structure and design (the all had similar black casing). The 5 and 10 had a single oscillator and one multimode (lowpass/bandpass/highpass) filter, whereas the 15/30/30L had two oscillators that could be routed in various ways through two multimode filters.[5]

Architecture

It features two voltage-controlled oscillators, two 12 dB/Oct multi-mode Voltage-controlled filter (Low-Pass, High-Pass or Band-Pass), two ADSR envelopes and a Low-Frequency Oscillator. It also features a White noise and an external-in for processing other sounds.[6]

The CS-15 offers a great flexibility with various routing possibilities to the filters and envelopes. You can, for example, rout VCO 1 to both VCFs and the VCFs to any of the envelopes positive or negative voltage.

It's actually a duophonic / bitimbral synthesizer but you have to connect it two separate CV/Gate controls (Hz/V like Korg synthesizers not V/Oct) to play the extra voice.

Yamaha CS-15
Yamaha CS-15

Notable users

The CS-15 was used by several bands in the early 1980s. The Human League made prominent use of the instrument on their album Dare.[6] Marillion used a CS-15 on their first full-length album, Script for a Jester's Tear.[7] It was also used by Astral Projection, Somatic Responses, The Moog Cookbook, and Vince Clarke (of Erasure).[2]

Boyd Jarvis, a producer and early pioneer of house music, started out with a CS-15 as his first synthesizer.[8][9]

See also

References
  1. SynthArk, Designed by www.1234.info / Modified. "CS-15". www.synthark.org. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  2. "Yamaha CS-15 | Vintage Synth Explorer". www.vintagesynth.com. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  3. "Yamaha CS-15 Synthesizer". Encyclotronic. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  4. "Top Ten Most Underrated Synths - Page 9 of 11 - Attack Magazine". Attack Magazine. 2012-09-19. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  5. Vrazo, Matt (2019-07-12). "Yama-huh? Esoteric design aspects of Yamaha CS synths (Part 1)". GreatSynthesizers. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
  6. "Top Ten Most Underrated Synths". Attack Magazine. 19 September 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  7. Script for a Jester's Tear (Media notes). EMI Records. 1983. EMC 3429.
  8. "Boyd Jarvis". jahsonic.com. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
  9. "Boyd Jarvis (uncut): An interview by Matt Anniss". Innate. 2018-03-11. Retrieved 2023-02-23.


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