Yamaha CS01 and MR10 - Analog single oscillator keyboard and drum machine 

These videos about retro synths and keyboards seriously made me consider buying one and learning basic keyboard skills. Whenever you play soundtracks from old games, it just sounds divine.

I loved the "stepped" glide on the CS...I used it for the lead melody on a big label release!

5:44 It's because there's a zero missing. It's a Yamaha YM10150D, Key Code Tone Generator. It's a hybrid between analog and digital. The "base" signal is digital, and the modifications are based in analog circuits.

8bit keys - one off those channels which videos gets instant thumbs up even before watching. Just to be sure that you won't forget about it. :)

is it just me or did the ending kind of feel abrupt?

This is probably the only channel that I watch every video of. I can't quite put my finger on why. I don't even play piano. Guess you're just that good, Dave

This keyboard is like Yamaha's answer to the Roland SH-101

"Okay lets add some decay" *adds release*

I always get super excited when i see a notification for one of your new videos, keep up the great work!

I love the tracks you guys compose. Hits the nostalgia sweet spot. 👍🏻

I still have mine, in black with the strap, case, and breath controller BC01 (which I can use on my DX7 too). It was so light and portable, a very useful bit of kit.

I like the intro used in this episode. Its the best rendition of your original intro

Thank you so much for making new DOS-era music (it's not always made by you but hey, thank you for helping to keep it alive).

Finally a synthesizer.

Looks like a great instrument for introducing someone to basic synthesis.

Did you know that when you press more than one Rhythm Select buttons on the MR-10 (and they actually stay down, sometimes they wont stay locked if you press more than one) you get a strange mixture of the rhythm styles you selected, which results in some quite interesting combinations... :)

Dude, I love your videos. The CS01 is one of my favourite synth, especially since I added the Highly Liquid MIDI interface. It has a great 303-ish quality for sequenced bass-lines but also excels at buzzy lead parts. The PWM is awesome. As always, great video. CHeers!

these frequencies with headphones shake my brain. at 2:40

Oh wow I used to have both of these back in the 80s! Thanks for sharing this 😀

The composed music for the upcoming C64 game you making is awesome!!! And BTW those analogue drum samples are smezing.

This little guy is pretty rad. Nice and simple. I personally love the Korg MS-20 Mini but I love seeing these old keyboards and what synth sounds they adopted. Cool to see that this little thing has just about all the parameters you'd have on a real deal synth.

Wow, I wasn't aware of those cheap analogues from Yamaha, I'm glad to see new sonic territories explored on the channel. The sounds are raw, but it's a retro delight. Great vid as usual!

I've just ordered an MR10, the snare sounds incredible, can't wait!

I really enjoyed the song at the end! The PWM wave sounds awesome. I've been after one of these for a while.

I love this little keyboard, man! Some great sounds in a small form! I will look out for one!

The Yamaha CS01 is one of my favourite instruments. I have the mk II-version which I purchased brand new in 1984 myself. I have played it on stage and in the studio and it is one of the greatest monosynths and at least my favourite. I have also several other ones, even the modern ones like the Korg Monologue (which is also great) and many virtual analogue ones (like Waldorf Rocket, Yamaha reface CS, the Roland boutique series etc etc), but for me the CS-01 is much more important. Too bad you didn't cover much the stuff what makes it so great, the square wave with open filter and no use of the EG isn't really what the CS01 is about, it's the PWM with it's dedicated own second LFO, it's the filter and the EG. The mk II version has even better filter with self oscillating. And it's very good also for making percussion and drum sounds... but for that you need the self resonating 24dB mkII filter. I've been planning to do a video about the CS01 mk II because there doesn't seem to be a good one in RU-vid... It was my school to sound synthesis, and the foundation of my own current over 25 synth collection...

Awesome demo 😎🎹 I’ve recently saw and heard about this synthesizer and I was really impressed with the sound quality. Especially since I’m a huge Yamaha fan. With that being said, I bought a Yamaha reface cs a couple years ago and I am very pleased with my purchase.

I'm crossing my fingers on this video before I proceed. I really like most of your stuff when you are thoughtful and fact driven. But I know branching out can be a tough road. I give you props for having the courage to make something like that AI video, maybe if we can find a balance between that and the 8-Bit guy we love it will be a big hit!

That's a pretty amazing control system. Brilliantly simple.

This truly is the best intro of any series I've ever seen

Happy to know you're still alive! I've watched your awesome airguns channel a lot and thought the worst since it's been two years

The CS-01 is a great little synth! I used it in several tracks. Mine had a midi-kit in it(midi-in).The space of the midi-kit was on the place of the external speaker, so I had no external speaker.Not so long ago I swapped it for 3 big scale-model cars, this in order to complete the other swap that day: my Jen SX-1000 for the Moog The Rogue. I like your channel! Greetz from East-Flanders(Belgium). Jason

Yep, I'm a subscriber now. One video was all it took. :) Of course, I'd already subscribed to your other channel recently as well. This video really made me smile, when you were playing the tunes.

Your videos make me happy!

I never saw a CS01 demo before - Thanks!

I have the CS01 and bought it new back in the 80's. I have the breath controller and strap buttons for it too. Still have the original box and owner's manual as well.

I have a Yamaha DX21 and would love to see a video where you explain how fm synthesis works.

I loved this thing as a kid😍 Will probably get one soon👍🎶🎹 Thanks for great content! Cheers from Stockholm🇸🇪

Oh the memories! :-)) The keyboarder of my very first band (We all were 13) had a black CS01 for a little while, before moving on to the Korg Poly800 (in the 'swapped' colour scheme for the keys). And I remember trying out the MR10 I had spotted in the window of the tiny music store in the town we all lived in back then. Exciting times! :-)) Thank you for the flashback! :-)

Digging both instruments as well as the final tune. Can't wait for the game's release!

Got mine and the predecessor to the drum machine you showed that was even simpler back when they were new in 1982. I did a lot of Home recording with both of those using a echo unit and a chorus unit with them. The breath controller did some very interesting sweet effects when you used it but it really wasn't that useful it was more useful with my dx21. I did use the CSO one on stage with the band and often use the glissando effect on there which was my little cheat that made it seem like I was playing things a lot faster. I've actually recreated Keith Emerson's end solo from lucky man using that little unit. Watching all your videos makes me want to clean it up because it's never had more than just occasional wipes with baby wipes ever since I got it still works after all these years. The original wall that came with it long since died but it works well on six double a batteries.

I can't get over how much like the PC speaker that setting sounds. Amazing...

The CS01 is one of my favorite synths of all time simply because it's so simple but at the same time sounds so beautiful in its own way. For all of you who have one and don't get it to sound as awesome as you want, run it thru a looping envelope or a gated sequencer (so it "cuts" the sound) and maybe even with a delay or a reverb to make the sound bigger, I use to run it thru my Electribe AE-1 for distortion, delay, "gating" and extra filter. The pulse-with modulation is great for deep bass and leads sounds while the rest is mostly good for more chiptune-style sounds. For added expression you can use the breath-controller input to control the filter and volume, in that way the triangle is great for softer sounds as well. For the rev1 (as the one in the video) there is a pot on the PCB under the cutoff slider where you can change the resonance of the filter - it can sound really aggressive but it is easy to drive it out of control. Some ppl modify the rev1 by wiring one of the breath controller inputs to control reso. It is a small and simple synth but it is possible to get it to sound raw and aggressive and useful for 8-bit style music as well.

The synth looks cool!

damn dude, thanks for doing these videos, they make me understand the world of electronic instruments in a much more easy and funny way, greetings from argentina!

Love all your videos!

Awe man! Sounded like you were about to break into some Strange Brew music from the skating scenes. Awesome.

That is the cutest little drum machine I have ever seen!

If you connect the CS01 to some FX pedals, this should get some awesome results!

This sounds absolutely lovely. That evil-sounding modulated bass at 2:40 wouldn't sound out of place in an 80s soundtrack.

At 5:44 from what I looked up, that YM1015 chip is a "Key Coder Tone Generator". Awesome video. Been binge watching your channels haha.

Yay, keep them vids comming. Please do more soldering work on both channels.

That Yamaha MR-10 is a rare drumcomputer. I will check Ebay now. greetz

The CS-01 sounded very much like a C64. :) .. and I got to love the drummachine! Like a poor man's 606 :)

Hot damn I love this channel. I am simultaneously jealous and inspired.

I bought one of these recently. love it.

My Dad had an MR-10. I hadn't thought about that thing in years. It amuses me seeing it because I would play with it every chance I got. Pretty clearly separates me from my Dad in terms of where our interests lie since he's a drummer and I have owned and used numerous synthesizers and drum machines.

Speaking of analog I got to play with a TR-808 for awhile. Loved it. And any music containing it.

This thing sounds really good.

amazing vidéo as usual !!!

I loved this synth.

Picked up one identical to this one for $20 at a pawn shop in 1994. Still have it and play it. Yamaha also made a updated version a year or so later with variable resonance and other colors. It was part of Yamaha's "Producer Series" That included the synth, drum machine and a multi port headphone mixer-amp introduced in 1981 or 82. Running it through some effects like chorus and phase shifter and it gets even cooler.

Wow. I want one of these. I love the sound

I just screamed out yeyyyyyy when i saw the notification for this...

the last video with this intro, long live this intro!

This was my dream keyboard at 12 yo. Thanks for this!

Great bass sounds

Dope review I need 1 of those

Awesome song I love synth and drum machines.

I should be studying for a test, but... new 8-bit keys video!

hahaha oh you just had to play the Space Quest theme when demoing the square wave :D I'll be whistling that all day now!

Random fact: Sawtooth wave is still used in certain music genres. Deadmau5 uses it very often with applied low-pass filter (example - Imaginary Friends)

Nice program. Ah, the CS01 Thing I had one years ago, regrettably sold it but now the 2nd hand price in England is CRAZY! A 10 x increase from £20 to over £200!!!!! Keep on programming!

The Music for your game is awesome c:

as always a nice video, thank you!

Fun little synth! You should demonstrate the breath control function. You'd have a lot of fun with it!

Pretty interesting to note that Yamaha home keyboards of that period (PS 1, 2 and 3) also has very detailed labelling on the PCB. Even though they were small, they were not mere toys.

I like the song, and that's a fun little keyboard.

2:36 DAT SOUND! I love it!

I like the intro of 8 bit guy and it interested me

Cool stuff!

The Yamaha proprietary custom "mystery chip" Yamaha YM1015 is the combined key tracker and oscillator of the synth, i.e. the actual device generating the sound of the synthesizer, which then goes thru the filter and EG circuits. The chip died once on my own personal CS01 mkII, but back then it was luckily still possible to order a replacement by an official Yamaha synth service shop.

cool as always

Cool video!

I still have mine since 1982, and it still works haha

Interesting set of instruments there. I wish they made similar things nowadays for cheap, but I haven't really found anything. Also, these old synthesizers keep their value pretty well.

Nice unit!

I recently got the Yamaha reface CS which reminds me alot of this, except it isn't held like a guitar and is much newer(released 2015). It sounds similar as it is a virtual analogue synthesizer and has 37 minikeys with a plastic shell making it also look like a toy when it is actually a professional synthesizer. It packs a punch in it's sound. Plus the 8 voice polyphony is nice.

That song sounded amazing holy crap

Great music there!

Do you have any knowledge about the Generalmusic S3 Turbo? I have recently found one and know nothing about it.

That drum machine reminds me of the units you used to see built into old home organs.

That song reminds me of an early Amiga game - really enjoyed it :)

Love the pulse wave at 2:40 !!

You had me at the Space Quest theme.

always wanted a cs01 :)

MR10 rocks!!! Try pushing multiple rhythm pattern buttons down at same time!!

I'd like to buy one of those, it sounds great.

really like this one

I remember when those were released as a set with a mixer and monitors too.