Yamaha CS-01

The Yamaha CS-01 is a very easy synth to use. It's a great place to start for someone looking to get into synths.

The CS-01 looks like a toy, when I took this into the studio I got a very strange look from my friend. When I pluged it in the looks changed quick! I use this synth for bass mainly if your into Dubstep , Reggae , Dub Steppas or any bass predominant music then this is the synth for you! It's Deep , Dark , Warm , Thick and just down right crazy! I have yet to really find anything like it when it comes to bass.

Jah Shaka style!

Very reliable this synth is still going strong and I use it all the time! Not to mention it's very old..

My overall rating is a straight up 10 when it comes to bass.
This synth can do many things if in the right hands..
I like the fact that it looks like a toy but in all reality its deadly! If it was stolen I would search hi and low until I found another one. My overall sound would NOT be the same without my Yamaha Cs-01. I really wish Yamaha would remake this synth one day.

It is analog synthesis so it's not as simple as punching up a patch and twinkling the keys. That said, this is as simple as analog synthesis gets. Don't like the way it sounds? Move a fader until you do.

Bare-bones at best. You've got one VCO with a good variety of waveforms (triangle/square/PWM/noise,) one VCF (that doesn't self-oscillate GRRRRRRRR!!!) one VCA (with ASDR) and one LFO (triangle only.) No aftertouch, no touch-sensitivity....we're talking toy synth keys. It's a very basic monosynth. It is battery operated and it has an onboard speaker. I didn't think that would be important but I find myself just picking it up and taking it downstairs with me to doodle while watching TV.

You will look at this synth and immediate dismiss it as a toy. DON'T!!! This synth is the real deal. The pure tone of the VCO is strong enough to make up for the lack of modulation options. I really dig the pulse width modulation. Really thickens up the sound and will fool you into thinking you got a second oscillator beating against the first one. The white noise dials in snares and hi-hats very well. The leads are sweet, the basses deep...it's a utility player. Set the glissando to fast, triangle wave on the VCO and play octaves and you've almost got the TB303 sound. Literature sez the VCF is 12dB 2-pole but I've read elsewhere it actually 18dB 3-pole like the 303.

That said, it is very basic. If you are after experimental sounds you won't get them here. The LFO is so limited as to be almost laughable. It won't go slow, it won't sweep the filter with a wide enough range and it won't go fast enough either. The effect is also very subtle compared to the sort-of over-the-top modulation I'm used to from other analogs. I really miss the filter self-oscillating. The mark II adds fader control to the VCF resonance so maybe that model's filter will scream.

It's 20-something years old and works like it did brand new.

It is what it is. Simple analog synthesis in a small portable package. If I lost it I might save my $$$$ to buy something a little more flexible. That said, I would miss it something awful. It is a mighty synth in a toy's package.

No software, no presets, just fun! Since there are sliders and knobs for any existing parameter everyone with a little synthie expirience can start right away to play! Love on the first sight! By a braeth controller to use more than two hands:) (By the way, even if you need to repair your synth you want get lost, since yamaha printed many infos on the board)

The CS 01 is a monophonic pure analog synth. The keyboard is an easy to play(except you have fat fingers:)) mini kb without velocity sensitivity. There is a build in speaker and I use it with a solar Cell and 6 mignon acumulators in the park (to jam along djembe,didges and guitars). There is no midi (who cares, use doepfer equipment to expand). There is no on board sequencer or arp, but a parameter called glissando. If you play a note and then another one all notes between will be played. It is very funny to play around with this feature. the filter sounds good but the resonance can only be switched between hi res and lo:( (i read that the black and the red versions have sliders). All I can say is that this synth is a real electro live monster!

Classic monophonic electrik! I play mostly jazz with it. To enhance my sound range I route it throu an Zoom GFX-8 guitar FX. But the sounds you can do with the envelopes and wave forms are allready very mighty.

I can 100% depend on this machine. It even is most times stable tuned. The only shit happenig are empty pills. But just do it like me the "solar surfer" and power it with solar!;)

I saw it in the rain on a street market where many peopla sell elctric waste. It layed under a casio something for children and was all wet and dirty. The guy did really not know what he haves there so i got the price down from 5? to 50 cents (so CS means cent synth to me) at home I dryed opened and cleaned it (the kb contacts didnt work). And now I am a very happy cs one player:) I would by it again even for 100 or 200 euro.

Synths don't come easier to use than this. No need for a manual at all. Nice sliders and reliable switches.

A well specified mono synth. The pwm control is a strength. Good white noise effects. I've owned both the mk1 and 2. Many say that the resonance slider on the mk2 makes a big difference. It doesn't. A lovely intuitive synth. The built in speaker is a nice touch. A totally portable unit. Battery powered as well. Take and use anywhere!

Great lead and bass sounds. Noise effects are also a strength. It makes all the analogue sounds you want and need. Saves dragging around big, old, unreliable monos to gigs. Much more powerful than it looks. Good sound quality.

Totally reliable. You would have to give one serious abuse to break it. Great to gig with. Is there a more reliable synth?

Yamaha are pretty good. I've used them for technical support on other synths, but never for a break down. I can't imagine any one using them for support on the CS-01. They never break down. If you do break one it probably isn't financially viable to send it for repair.

A great idea. One of my fav. synths. Not much to compare it with. A much better proposition than a wasp, gnat, micokorg, DX100 etc. The CS is a powerful little unit which is easy to live with. You can live without the breath controller. The strap is a good idea. You can strut about the stage like a lead guitarist. Much lighter than a SH 101. A good talking point. I have owned a few over the years. I've bought them for a few quid and sold them on for just a few quid more. I've noticed that prices have gone mad and that they don't come on to the market as often as they did. You can occasionally pick them up cheaply at car boot sales and garage sales..or used to be able to. Mine came boxed with the strap and breath controller. I've never fancied using the controller. It's got teeth marks! Some sellers think it's a lame home keyboard. How wrong could they be!

All the controls are self-explanatory and intuitive, once you've noodled around with it for a while.

The pitch bend and mod wheels seem oddly placed at first, until you realize that this baby was meant to be strapped on, guitar-style. Held in this manner with your left hand, the wheels fall naturally underneath your 1st and 2nd fingers.

The mini-sized keyboard can be a blessing or a curse, I suppose. While it may plague fat-fingered players, it also enables the rest of us to span greater intervals than we could with a full-size keyboard... something that could be employed to musical advantage.

We're talking plain-vanilla, single-oscillator, monophonic, capabilities here, but what it does, it does very, very well. You'll read comments below about its lead and bassline capabilities, but I was also quite fond of the white-noise generator. In fact, I sampled a CS01 filter sweep into a much newer sampler once, just because nothing else at my disposal came close to touching it, and there wasn't room in the submixer for another instrument.

I had two minor gripes about this instrument's controls when I bought it. First, the spring-loaded pitch-bend wheel worked in ONE DIRECTION ONLY (up, fixed at one octave). Second, the resonance control on my unit was a two-position high/low switch, not a continuous slider (maybe addressed in later production runs?). Given the overall affordability and size of this axe at the time, though, I forgave Yamaha for these.

The portamento is quantized to half-steps, rather than smoothly continuous. At high rates, this is undetectable, but lends itself to quirky, creative uses at lower speeds.

The lack of touch sensitivity is more than made up for with the inclusion of the breath controller input (originally intended for use with Yamaha's BC-1). Properly configured, you can achieve controllable dynamics and/or timbre variation. I seem to remember reading that this was the first mass-produced keyboard synth with a breath controller input, as it preceded the DX7 by several months. The BC-1 was an extra-cost accessory at the time, but the synth is really incomplete without it.

There is a slight noise floor issue at very high volumes, but nothing that a noise gate couldn't fix, if your needs are that picky.

One of the prompts is "Would you use it on a gig without a backup?" Yes, I DID. Many, many times. It never failed me.

After 17 years, the rotary power/volume control has grown noisy. Probably nothing a little cleaning wouldn't fix.

Even when it was new, my BC-1 breath controller always needed a healthy, forceful "pre-blow" to knock the moving parts inside loose before a performance. They tended to stick when not used for a day or so.

None ever needed. The instrument was well designed and superbly executed.

Yamaha/my local dealer sure milked the accessory market at the time. Every little thing was extra cost. The cool, padded parachute-material soft case (with a carrying/performance strap), the breath controller (with its own matching, tiny soft case), even the AC adapter... I believe they collectively added up to $100, above the cost of the synth itself.

Don't let its toylike, "Casio PortaTone" looks, or its tiny speaker fool you... this diminuitive synth was designed for serious live performance. One of the clues to this is the output jacks (line and headphone). They are both 1/4", not 1/8" as you might expect.

Today, this would be a superb vehicle for teaching the basics of traditional analog synthesis. It's also a fun, battery-powered travelling companion. But its true calling is on stage, sounding forth all those warm retro sounds. And for heaven's sake, don't forget the breath controller!

Completely Intuative

It does it's job brilliantly - easy to operate, beautiful glissando,
and breadth controller takes it to the dimension of a real
instrument.

Georgous classic Yamaha CS sound. I have two CS80's, a CS40M
and a CS70M and this is as strong.

The breadth controller, the VFC Cutoff brought down, means you
the timbre completely from breadth - amazingly expressive. Only
the VL1 competes.

the sawtooth waveform is that classis IG integrated IC used in all
the CS range. It is unique. A fixed frequency component ( a flaw
in the sawtooth) is the reason is sounds so sweet. Fabulous

no problems

Yamaha Ireland had 4 of these, _BOXED_, and pristine new, in their
store rooms, and i bought the lot for #30 each - in 2001 !!

That's service.

a true musical instrument - with the emphasis on playing - couldn't
as for more.

Simple really, since it was my first synth it took me a while to get used to all of the synth's functions but after 2 days it felt right at home.

Ok, youve got ure basics here really. The best waveforms are PWM (pulse width modulation), Saw and sine. The filters are an odd thing at times, but they do the job for those 'reso' basses. Best feature is putting the modulation to the VCF, and then putting it on any waveform (preferrably PWM) to get sonme wierd synth sounds.

Its basic, and it does the job for simple lead lines, no pads here im afraid, its only a mono. However, i hardly ever use this synth on its own, i run it through my Boss-SP 303's effect section to get some really f**ked up sounds. Try filtering the PWM and putting through a ring modulator to get that really deep, throaty, 'talk box' sound. I would recommend putting this synth through a FX unit :)

It lasts forever when you put new batteries in and ive got mine on around 4-8 hours a day. However be careful, one time a battery exploded inside and i hade to take it's cover off. Could have been caused by over heating. But none the less its been totally fine!

Never had to deal with the blokes

Put it through an FX unit and mess around with it as much as you want, i wouldnt trade it for the world...except maybe a whole day with Aphex Twin :p anywyz, toodle pip

No presets, just knobs and sliders clearly laid out. Any sound you need is just a few seconds of tweaking away. If you need a manual to operate this, then that reflects on you, not the synth!

It's a monophonic analog performance synth, so no remote control or sequencing is possible. It has a VCO with 6 waveforms including square, pulse, saw, triangle, noise PWM (with its own triangle LFO), a triangle LFO switchable between the VCO and VCF, an ADSR that modulates the VCF and VCA., and separate controls for Breath control of the VCF and VCA. I've looked under the cover (see more about this later!) and it has 3 identical polystyrene caps near the filter chip, so probably a 3 pole 18dB lowpass VCF. Yamaha, along with Korg, were the main adherents of the Hz/V system in analog synths, which meant that while their synths had much better tuning stability by avoiding the temperature sensitive exponential converters found in Moogs, Rolands, etc, they had limited modulation routings since mod sources had to be multiplied, not added. This little baby is a prime example-tuning is very stable, but mod options are limited-ie the LFO can't modulate both the VCO and VCF simultaneously, and the filter does not follow the keyboard (a bit like the TB-303). Moreover the portamento is not a true portamento-it steps through the intervening notes so that a "staircase" effect may be heard on the slower portamento settings.
The portability is one of its best features. It may look like a toy, but having a "real" synth that can be carried under the arm, and be switched on and used without warmup time, a wall socket or external amplifier is great. It also runs for ages on a single set of AA cells-no power-hungry microprocessors here!

Like the TB-303, this is an abject failure at producing simulations of "real" instruments, but a really distinctive instrument in its own right. The filter and choice of PWM or saw makes for some wicked snarling bass sounds (have a listen to the Beastie Boys' Paul's Boutique for examples), and sweeping the filter can send your speakers to the great reconer in the sky if you're not careful. The leads can really bite as well. On the technical side, there can be a bit of digital noise from the keyboard scanning is slightly audible at times, and while the VCF does have a slew limiter that can cover the "zipper" noise of the portamento (see above), it does affect the attack of the VCF a wee bit. For its size the inbuilt speaker is excellent, with good bass and power handling capacity. Overall, the sound is great gutsy analog and will remind you of why people still prefer the real thing to digital simulations.

It's very solidly made, and nothing runs hot or overheats. As for capacity to take punishment-I once dropped mine face first into a puddle of muddy water, immersing the keys and getting the speaker cone soaked. After rapidly disassembling it, cleaning it where possible and leaving the parts to dry for two days. I reassembled it and it's worked perfectly since (it did have to rattle some dust out of the speaker...). If it can survive that.......

I've never tried to get it repaired, but I wouldn't imagine the specialised Japanese amplifier chips etc wwould be too easy to find if they blew.

It was worth every dollar I paid for it in 1999. I would describe this as a toy in the best possible meaning of the word-it is instantly gratifying, a pleasure to use, nothing about it is tedious or frustrating, and it stimulates your imagination. I wouldn't need the excuse of theft or loss to buy another for the same price. (but preferably one in the grey casing to complement my black one...

This was one of the first synths I had used(early 80s). I bought it new and did'nt bother with the manual as it was so simple to create sounds on I did'nt need it. No presets or memories and creating patches is straight forward.

It's monophonic and the keyboard although small, feels good to operate, better than a Casio CZ 101. No MIDI. It has a headphone jack and line out, Don't judge it by it's built-in speaker as this does'nt do it justice. Through headphones or an amp it sounds great. Basic features are fine although, a breathe controller is good for expressiveness. The two wheels are a bit hard to control while playing (not precise enough). Watch out for loose battery covers, I've seen CS-01s with these missing.

I've had a few monosynths and the CS-01 has a warmth that my Roland SH101 does'nt. It has to do with the filter, I can't explain it. The bass sounds are full and rich for such a cheap synth. The breathe controller alone was worth the purchase price.

I've had this synth for nearly 20 years and it just keeps going. I look after it but, have never had it serviced. I use it as a lead synht on stage and know that it won't die on me.

I've never had to call on the company so, I can't comment.

I think that the CS-01 is a great first synth and a good intro to understanding sound creation. It is still a favourite of mine. It's so simple and great for creating lead or bass sounds. Don't expect weird and wacky sounds to eminate from it as that is not its role. I have a fair bit of analogue/monophonic stuff, Roland SH101, MC202, TB303, Moog Prodigy, MG-1 and find that the CS-01 has a place amongst it. If I found another one I would definately buy it. The CS-01 has lots of character and I'd love to have a spare if ever my original one broke down.

My little CS01 is a Mark 1 version - the kind with just a "Low" or "High" switch for resonance. This makes it even easier to use, although to be realistic, replacing it with a slider wouldn't suddenly kick the synth into the realms of rocket science. The sliders are very straightforward; this is probably the easiest synth to use I've ever had, largely due to its simplicity. It loses one point because the mini keys may be a tad fiddly for larger hands.

Reading the list of questions we're given to prompt us above the text input box, I find myself smiling wryly: Polyphony? Nonexistent; it's a monosynth. Keyboard action? It exists. Effects, MIDI, sequencer? (Insane laughter follows.)

Despite this, you have to judge the features by what type of synth it is, its age, and its price and level of complexity. The little synth has a breath control input, which can lead you to play with the modulation in ways you may not otherwise have done. It also has a couple of strap buttons, for attachment of a guitar strap that will make you look really, er, "cool" on stage (a matter of taste, no slight to my esteemed co-reviewer who likes this option ;) ).

Against this, of course, the synth IS very limited in what features it has. It lacks even some features you'd find on its rivals of the time, such as CV/Gate sockets (no external control for this one; it's eitehr a MIDI retrofit, or sampling it). It doesn't even have a slider for resonance (you get a 2-position switch, basically on or off). However, the synth is cheap and cheerful, so it gets an okay score here. Oh, you can power it by batteries as well, whatever use that is. The output is a single mono jack, or a headphone jack.

To begin with, the bad news: the synth has no velocity sensitivity, aftertouch, effects, etc. And I shouldn't really have to say this, but I'll say it just for the less quick amongst us who still believe the 70's hype: DO NOT BOTHER WITH THIS, OR ANY OTHER ANALOGUE SYNTH FOR REALISTIC SOUNDS. That's what samplers (and S+S synths) are for. I'm afraid the days of Juno brass and Jupiter piano being "realistic" are long gone, my friends. ;)

Now, onto this synth's forte: simple-but-strong analogue sounds. It has saw, triangle, square, "frozen pulse" (uneven square), and a nice PWM (with dedicated speed control) as its basic waveforms. The filter is quite nice, despite the poor resonance control. The (single, shared)envelope is certainly usable, and the modulation is fairly nice-sounding, if basic. There are some nice sounds to be had from this synth. I'm particularly fond of the PWM sounds (growling basses and singing high leads). In addition, this synth responds particularly well to outboard effects, largely due to the PWM giving the FX a lot of frequencies to work with. Not hugely flexible, but nice.

This is a very, very reliable little synthesiser, again because of its simplicity; there isn't much to go wrong. On mine, the glissando slider is more a switch; either "glissando" or "no glissando". Apart from that, it performs flawlessly, despite being not that many years younger than me...

Yamaha UK can supply photocopied manuals for this synth, and they were very helpful, though Yamaha-Kemble's phone system is a little irritating. I shall award this rating based on that one incident, as I haven't had much else to go on ...

This is a decent little synth for the money. They tend to go for more in the UK than the US (the US music industry is still slow to catch onto the demand for old analogues), so across the pond it would be even better value. It works particularly well as a source of sounds for your sampler, which you can then further mangle. It is easily the best analogue synth at the (average) selling price. The only gripe is no CV/Gate, but realistically, I'm happy with my little Yamaha.

Simple monophonic analog single oscillator synth with minikeys and
strap on pegs if you want. Very easy to learn. One hour fooling around will get you there. The real power of the synth is in the breath controll. Get a breath controller and contro filter and amplitude and you will see what it is good for...very expressive.

no nothing....just breath control and a cool portamento. Great octave control from low low bass to very high pitched sounds. Has 5 wave settings and panel control. no patch memory. Closer to a SH101 or
SC Pro-1 without the seqencer/arpegiator but add breath control.

Great analog sound for such a itty bitty synth. The breath controller
lets you bring the volume and filtering up and down...very expressive and unique sonding.

Had it for over 10 yrs. Still working.

Yamaha is a big company but I don't expect any support for this little guy.

I would miss this little guy. The ability to play a lead line with
breath control is unique. Excellent capability for low price. If you
need a lead synth and have $100 bucks...pick one up and don't forget
to get the yamaha breath controller. You won't regret it.

Very easy to get sounds quickly. Great for live playing. I've never seen the manual, but I don't think anyone would really need one.

It's a little monophonic analog keyboard. Very easy to play because it's got mini-keys. The best part, though, is that you can strap it on for super cool mobility. The pitch and mod wheels are very easy to use from a standing position, as well. It's a sort of one-trick pony, because it has no sequencer, effects, MIDI, or anything fancy like that. However, it's the best at making those hard to find Atari 2600 sounds. It's even got a built in speaker!

For such a small keyboard, it has an impressive range of sounds. There are five different wave forms, each with its own personality. You can get everything from mellow sounds, to in your face 80's analog lead tones. Surprisingly, the bassy sounds you can get with this board are pretty good. I use it for pop-rock music, but I could see it working in dance.

This is probably the most reliable analog board I've ever played. It's so simple to set the sounds, and since there are few sliders, you can find your sounds easily. I would definitely play with it live!

I would buy five of these if given the money to do so! I love it because when I play with my band, people come up to me afterwards and say "what was that little thing you were swinging around?" It looks cool, it's light, it sounds great, and it's just so easy to get great sounds! The only thing I could wish for it was that the pitch wheel was a little less extreme. It's a small wheel, and it goes an octave range. It's tough to get it to go to the right note. Other than that, it's perfect for that wicked keyboard solo! Just imagine how cool you'll look with one of these babies strapped around your neck! Best of all, they're totally underated, so you can get them for $60 or so. If you see one, pick it up, and you won't regret it.