I remember reading an academic study of Japanese corporate culture in the period from the 1950s to 1980s. There was a lot of investment in what western companies would probably call "blue sky thinking", where research and development teams were encouraged to come up with new ideas that may not of had an immediately obvious market potential. I suspect that this keyboard, with it's unusual printer feature, was a result of this culture. The nearest thing I can think of in the west is Rank Xerox's PARC, where concepts like the graphical interface for computers and many others were first tested.
This looks cool. I see potential for DIY project here - take cheap MIDI controller, Raspberry Pi, cheap thermal printer, throw in some Python code to glue it together and tada - MP-2 is here.
Absolutely astonishing . Yamaha was always my keyboard of choice. Especially the PSS-480. It was my first MIDI keyboard. It was an amazing little unit with full 16 channel midi control and playback. 12 note poly too. Many of my first musical compositions were made using the little keys. (1989)
It was a pleasure to be of help! Wonderful video. That error of combined 3/4 and 4/4.. who finds stuff like that! That's one of the many reasons to tune in to your channel. The included sticker was a cheeky Photoshop by myself, probably it never existed in English.
You're right, it would look so different today. Not only it would only take DRMd paper (with rfid tags) but it would error out if it detected an attempt to transcribe a popular song.
One of the few channels that I stop everything to watch a new video as soon as possible. I told my girlfriend excitedly and she misunderstood the name as "Kink on Keys" and I'm still laughing. By your influence I got my beloved MT-68 in January and now the PSS-A50 on Black Friday.
I have this keyboard. And extra paper and printer pens. Thankyou, now I know what is going on with my unit and can rest easy to repair the printer issues though.. honestly I do not need the printer.
Leave it to Mr. Keys to find a keyboard i've never heard about in my life, and I'm a collector of these (sort of). Your videos are always inspiring and I can't wait for the next one!
Was looking for demos of this earlier this week, with no useful results. Then i see this in my subs today! Awesome to see the printer in action. Thanks a bunch!
This printer reminds me of the plotter for the Sharp PC-1500 (a pocket computer), of the same area (ca 1982). The pens were expensive too. Edit: seeing the mention of "tandy tech", the Sharp PC-1500 was also sold as Tandy TRS-80 Pocket Computer (re-badged) in North America...
A nice video again ! Thanks ! Most of the chips on the front panel board are logic chips, flip flops for exemple. They are used to « read » the buttons and switches.
Pure Faszination ... Offensichtlich von KeenOnKeys beim Restaurieren, Reparieren und Filmen ...-... und bei uns - beim Zuseher. Fesselnd... und die Hintergrundmusik - Toll gemacht !!! Wer ist da nicht begeistert, wenn der Drucker wieder Noten ausspuckt - fantastisch !!!
Like you pointed out the printer functions was way to limited to be any usefull, and the cost was just not worth it for the limited score functions, but as a curiosity of that early programming in an 8bit cheap cpu that is able to record music and print out a somewhat usable score it is actually quite an achievement. Even a decade later with Atari programs like Cubase Score the functions of analyzing a midi file and show it in score view was still not much better in giving a usable score for printout, You had to edit the score manual in the program to get an easy to read score layout. The normal Portatone models was actually not that bad for what they cost, even they still sounded a bit cheapish. The actual quality of their build was quite good compared to today. And the automatic was on par with the also analog Electone Organs. It was first with the introduction of the more advanced digital PSR models that the automatic got more sofisticated. I remember winning a Portatone in the very early 80's in one of Yamaha's local Electone Festival competitions, and I actually used it on top of my C-55N Electone just for fun. My guess is that Yamaha just dropped the idea of more models of this kind because they didn't sell. Like said it was just much faster and cheaper to buy some blank notation paper and write your things down with a pencil.
Great video, and fascinating little keyboard! I can't help but wish that Yamaha made a cross between the MP-1 and the PC-100, where you could print your own PC100 "Play Cards" to load back in your own songs at a later date. I know that the PC-100 used magnetic tape on the Play Cards, but still, being able to print your own Play Cards would be awesome, along with printing out the actual music too!
I love Yamaha and their willingness to do these kinds of things. Sometimes it doesn’t work so well, like this. And sometimes it does, like the silent guitars. I want to get one of those so I can learn guitar without annoying anyone, but I feel like a refresh is needed and it could be imminent. Maybe learn keyboard first.
My Sony photo printer uses an ALPS printing mechanism which are the same as the ones used in Kodak and Canon photo printers. The entrance of the print ribbon on each brand of printer is keyed so you can only use the corresponding brands replacement ribbon which are not cheap.
I'm shocked that it's got a little pen inside it. I'd have designed it to have a receipt printer inside that uses thermal paper. Maybe that technology was still under some sort of patent, or hadn't come out at the time.
I love old Technics stereo equipment especially the highly sought after turn tables, I did not know they made keyboards if you could review a Technics keyboard it would be greatly appreciated. Love the channel and always great to see a new video from you
I use a Technics electric piano with weighted keys in my living room. It's sounds aren't great so it's hooked up to an old computer with a better piano VST, but the action feels good enough for a synthesizer player like me, and it looks nice in room.
Oh wow, the printout is actually really good! I recognised it as a plotter right away, but was still a little dubious about the stepper resolution. But I shouldn’t have been - ALPS stuff is pretty much all quality. It does take a while but it looks really nice! I like how it does one bar at a time. And you could of course cut the strip up to paste onto a page, telegram style, if you wanted to keep it in a folder or book. Like you said, not so useful with MIDI transcription, but a neat concept nonetheless.
WOW, for the 535 quid i would definitely go for great sounding PS-55. Funny that Casiotone MT 65 were half of the price of PC100, but now it's much more expensive and wanted. Voices aged much better than on Yamaha pc 100.
A Keyboard that are writing Notes while you Play!? 😲 What for Rare and unknown Keyboard Exist. What more to know... It Exist, my Broder has a Keyboard, that have a Diskette on the Keyboard In-Build! Maybe also, that are Writing Notes, but on a Diskette? Don't know...🤔
Consider that many people use calculators, but only specific jobs actually require a printing calculator. I've had plenty of calculators myself (mostly scientific and programmable) but never had a printing calculator. This keyboard is the music equivalent of the printing calculator :D It probably tries to fill a niche, or it's there for the wow factor. My 12 year old self would definitely be amazed had I seen one of these in 1982. But then again I didn't start playing until 1989.
@@KeenOnKeys Don't know. You should ask at the Vintage Computer Forums (now the Vintage Computer Federation Forums). I believe they're the ones who developed the retr0bright process, and at the very least, they have a lot of experience with it.
