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Untitled Document
The Yamaha YIS-503 is a
MSX-1 computer gifted for the music. Indeed it's possible to add a Synthesizer
module (SFG-01) which turns the YIS-503 into a real synthesizer with a FM sound
generator, 4 operators, 8 algorithms, 8 note polyphony and 46 presets sounds.
In fact it is the equivalent of the DX-9 synthesizer !
The Yamaha CX5M is just
a YIS-503 with a built-in SFG-01 Sound Generator module, a pseudo MIDI interface
and a black case instead of grey. Thus if you add the price of the YIS-503 (3400fr)
+ the SFG-01 (1350fr) + the MIDI Interface (1000fr), the CX5M is much more interesting
as he has everything integrated for 5100fr.
The CX5M was marketed mainly
as a Musical instrument just as the DX synthesizers for example, that explains
why its design is very close to the Yamaha synthesizers of that time (DX-7,
DX-9, DX-21, etc.).
Both computers can use special
Yamaha keyboards (YK-01, YK-10 or YK-20) to play the sound of the Sound Module
or to compose songs with special cartridges.
When you switch on a YIS-503+SFG-01
or a CX5M, you can type
CALL MUSIC at the Basic prompt to run a program stored in ROM enabling
you to play all the sounds of the module with the keyboard.
In a same way, if you have
the FM Voicing cartridge inserted, you can type CALL
FMV to run the progam to edit all the voices.
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THE CARTRIDGES
Here is the list of the
Yamaha cartridges that once were available :
| Catridge |
Program
name |
Description |
| YRM-101 |
FM Music Composer |
Music composition and
orchestration |
| YRM-102 |
FM Voicing Program |
Edition and creation
of the internal sounds |
| YRM-103 |
DX-7 Voicing Program |
Edition and creation
of the DX-7 sounds |
| YRM-104 |
Yamaha FM Music Macro |
BASIC commands to use
the Sound Module |
| YRM-105 |
DX-9 Voicing Program |
Edition and creation
of the DX-9 sounds |
| YRM-301 |
MIDI Recorder YRM-301 |
4 tracks real time
MIDI recorder |
| YRM-302 |
RX Editor |
Software manager for
RX Digital Rythm machines. |
| YRM-303 |
MIDI Macro & Monitor |
Used to display and
control MIDI messages |
| YRM-304 |
TX-7 Voicing Program |
Edition and creation
of the TX-7 sounds |
| YRM-305 |
DX-21 Voicing Program |
Edition and creation
of the DX-21 sounds |
| YRM-501 |
FM Music Composer II |
Music composition and
orchestration with disc support |
| YRM-502 |
FM Voicing program |
Edition and creation
if the internal sounds with disc support |
| YRM-504 |
Yamaha FM Music Macro
II |
Basic commands to use
the Sound Module, with disc support |
| YRM-506 |
FB-01 Voicing Program |
Edition and creation
of the FB-01 sounds |
All the YRM-1xx programs
have not any disc support, which means that you had to store on tape the voices
edited with the YRM-103 program for example...
All these possibilities
were perfect for musicians owning Yamaha musical systems, since you could edit
the voices of the famous DX-7 for example, directly and clearly on the screen
instead of the 2 lines of monochrome LCD screen of the DX-7.
With the FM Music composer
you had a real MIDI recorder at a time when it was not available so far on other
systems (unless you paid a very high price for specialised machines).
With the Yamaha FM Music
Macro you can control entirely the possibilities of the SFG-01/05 from the Basic
! Very powerful...
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THE SFG-01 SOUND MODULE
The drawbacks of the SFG-01
Sound Module is that it doesn't have a real MIDI interface. The MIDI plugs were
used to transmit voice datas from Yamaha music machines (Synth, rythm machines,
expanders,etc..) to the computer and vice-versa but wasn't able to interprate
NOTE ON commands for example. Thus it was impossible to control the SFG-01 and
the computer from another MIDI device... Hopefully, this was possible with the
SFG-05 sound module which was an advanced version of the SFG-01 with real MIDI
interface and disk support. This new sound module was built-in the CX5M II computers.
> THE CARD READER
This is an original extension.
You get a card reader with the cartridge in which you can pass magnetic cards
describing musical scores. Then the computer plays the tune and you have all
control over it (volume, voices, sustain, transpose,etc.). Fun !
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