Yamaha FS1R

With the FS1r you are forced to use you concentration and spend some time to get completely into the menu-setup and to understand the complexity of its synth-engine. But when you get there, you will certainly be pleased, coz it has a pretty good interface.
An computer-editor is easily found on the net, so if you find is hard to bite over - just get the editor.
The manual is ok and will come in handy in the beginning.
If you are not interestet in deep-programming I recommend you to buy something else.

With 32 polyphony you have plenty of capacity for big stringpad with long release times, but the FS1r cut 16 note away if you decide to use the onboard filter(a very good one). Actually I don't mind this coz 16 note polyphony is still more than most ofher "real" synth deliver. Talking about "real" synths - this is one of that kind. No samples - pure synthesis.
The heart of the FS1r is a very expanded DX/TX structure. The old DX-7 mark II or TX802 had a 6 (sinuswaves) x 16 operators(16 polyphony) voice structure.
The FS1r is with its 16 x 32 operators(32 polyphony) by far the most advanced FM synth you can get. In fact the 8 of the 16 oscillators in the algorithm can produce Sawtooth, Square, Reso and Formant waveforms
and the other unvoiced operators(as yamaha call them) can produce sinus waves and be noise generators. Now thats what I call insane!!
Every oscillator(operator) has its own AMP Envelope, pitchcontrols, keyscale, formantshaper, and so on - infact ist easier to say that FS1r is a giga-versatile modular synth.
Now if you think this is a FM synth well then you thought right, but with the new waveform-addition you actually has a analogsynth aswell.
There are 2 LFOs - LFO 1 is for Amp,Pitch,Freq, Filter-modulation.
LFO 2 is only for Filter-modulation.
Yamaha's FM-synth has never really harboured effect-units. But that was until FS1r's release.
It has 3 effectsprocessors - one especially for reverbs and delays. The two ofther effects has all kind of modulationeffect such as; chorus, flanger, symphonic (a genuine solina-type ensemble), phaser(super programmable smallstone phaser)distortion, rotary speaker and many more, plus even reverbs and delays too. outstanding!!
Well, this is some of the features found i FS1r - you really need to see it for youself - it rocks!

FS1r is a "real" synthesizer that produces its sounds all the way. Not at sample-playback-synth, which means that you woun't get a steinway out of it (though you might get a desent piano if you put in some programming time)- but it is possible to created realism and even true sounding acoustic instruments.
In the huge preset libary you will find a lot of the old DX-7, DX-7 II and TX802 presets which is welcomming cool stuff to have access to.

Now what can FS1r do; complete DX-series, TX-series and TX81z, super analog emulations with analog-like effects too(and more polyphony than most Analog-Modelling synths), a new breed of beautiful digital sound, Talking Formant with sampledumps-options(really cool new feature), Human Choirs and Choirs like Roland VP-330(but more versatile). Best of all - its processor is snappy like the AN1x(no sloppy envelopes) and it sounds wonderful, powerful, mysterious and everything else I can think of.

like a light tank.

There is a lot of editors and sampledump programmes on the net.
And FS1r reads DX-7 sysex.

Sometimes it happens that a synthcompany goes bananas - and that exatly what happend here. I mean all that extra power for less than the cost of an original priced DX-7 II or TX802.
If you own a DX-7 II or TX802 and buy a FS1r then remember not to sell you old DX/TX. Coz even though they are from the same FM family, things really never sound quite the same.

Awful. This thing has too many variable, and without a fair knowledge of FM synthesis is really difficult to obtain something useful. Going random is of no use. Using a computer based editor is a must, but do not resolve all. Presets are average, with some (expecially choir) really good, but this synth is capable of muc more.

Not bad. Formant Sequence is rarely used, so it's value isn't so high as publicized, but even using only the FM would give you grat sounds. The effect section is made by a reverb unit (also do delays), two multi effect (one to use as insert) and an EQ. Quality is quite good. Midi responds to the usual controller, incluse breath and aftertouch. An entire bank of presets (bank C) is projected to use with a midi guitar.

Here we are! This little thing sounds amazing. His force is in the choirs, evolving pads and strange FX. Quite good even the organs and the E-pianos, basses and bells have the usual FM punch. Real instruments, like acoustic pianos, brasses and strings are out of his capabilities. Mind me, this is a synth, not a rompler, so if you settle for a, say, synth brass, you're ok, but if you want a real orchestra, go buy a sampler. Sound quality is great. Use it as a complementary module, paired with a sampler or a high end rompler and you will have a firs class combo.

I have this for two months only, so I really don't know, but it's seems solid. Only the button feels is quite cheapy.
I probably use it in my next gig, with no backup (but with other synth in the line-up).

I didn't have to call Yamaha for the FS1R, but I have a Fazer, and the Yamaha Motors support is quite good. ;-)
The manual is worthless, 80ish stupid pages where should be 800 only for the FM synthesis...

Yeah, I will search another unit. I have wonderful computer based choirs, but I will not dare to use a PC on a gig, so the Yamaha will be my choir machine on stage.
Paired with my old JV-1080 and Proteus, the FS1R will buid up a really good sound texture. My genre is progressive rock, but this synth is good also fore more modern electronic stuff.

Presets are very good. Editing patches is very difficult. It will take me some years to really know this beast, but it will be worth the time.

Manual is Yamaha-like, what should one say ?

Polyphony enough. Very good built in effects. No samples. Pure FM.

One of the best synths ever built. Surprising fat basses, leads and also pads. Sounds very clean. It works especially for electronic music. Very good onboard effects.

One of the best synths I own. I am glad I could purchase one for ? 350. If you can find one, get it !!!!!!!

Solid built. Like a tank.

I don't know.

I would dfinately buy another one if I could find one.Iam playing for 30 Years. I did not expect that I would find a synth nowadays that fascinates me that much. It is a real treasure.

My gear:

Nord electro 61 ( I love it)+ Hammond Leslie + Reu?enzehn preamp
Yamaha S 30
Wavestation SR
Roland MVS 1
Waldorf Microwave 1
Korg MS 2000 R
Roland JX 10
Korg DW 8000
Lexicon LXP 5

I am using a PC editor for programming the FS1R. If you are familiar with FM synthesis, it is not that difficult diving into it. It's an 8 operator (+8 unvoiced operators) FM synthesizer with 4 voices.

I haven't read any manual and was away with it within 10 min. Without a PC editor, it's almost impossible programming it in an efficient way.

So the FS1R is one of the most advanced FM synthesizers. The possibilities are almost unlimited. Plus you get an extra filter and effect to play with.

The formant sequence stuff is just a gimmick to me. The real power lays in the expanded synthesis.

I don't think it was a smart move to start using formant all over the place. Why didn't yamaha just stick with operators/carrier/...?

The sounds in this synthesizer are unmatched. At least when you start programming it yourself. The presets are mediocre (off course except the EP's).

Very dependable. Althought the buttons feel cheap. But I never touch the buttons. Everything is done via the PC editor.

I wouldn't want any other FM synth. I compared it to a DX7, but there is just so much more power in a FS1R.

I'm child of vst world so having hardware synthesiser was something new to me. I don't have clear opinion on ease of using fs1r. Just let me say the thing is reasonable yet because of its vast capabilites better find externall editor. For preset browsing and making few changes it is ok.

Many said enough, unfortunately fs1r starts showing its age. No usb, no spdif, only four parts (when using in "perfomances" typically only one) and only one insert effect. For 1998 it was great perhaps, today it isn't sufficient. Using fs1r for more parts will need bouncing or... more fs1rs.

We have 2005 year now and on its synth merits fs1r is awesome. I was using many soft synths before and fs1r is superior to most of them. This is not a "rompler" and if you want realistic acoustic pianos, drums and the like better look everywere.

So for what fs1r is good? Choirs, organs and pads. For them this synth is very hard to beat especialy for choirs as its formant capabilities allows even to recreate human speech. I found also basses and leads to be strong point of fs1r. Other sounds are also intriguing, I liked especialy guitars, flutes and synth drums.

I'm talking here about factory presets. Because fs1r is a synthesiser its sonic palette can be extended. There are inside 88 algoritmhs for fm plus formants sequences so capabilites are vast.

Metal casting, nothing to worry however audio connectors are plastic.

I bought fs1r because I needed a hardware sound module. For reharsals, for practicing in the morning, for just having something different. I wasn't disappointed. Fs1r can sound totally awesome especially using perfomance as "combi" when up to four timbres can be used to make composite sound.

So what are the cons?

- only midi connectors for computer connection
- not enough multitimbrality
- not enough memory for user presets (especially using formant sequences)

I don't know if I would buy fs1r again. Perhaps "rompler" like motif rack could be serve me better. However having the fs1r for some time now I found myself using it more and more. It's pity that Yamaha didn't take concept of fs1r further.

My guess is that Yamaha's patent lawyers wanted something (anything!) with FM in it a few years ago to hold on to the patents. They went to Engineering who said hell yeah we can come up with an updated FM synth module. Luckily, no one went to Marketing and got their almost always wrong opinion. And thus the FS1R was dumped into the stores with no fanfare, no support, and an absolutely brilliant sound generation capability. Of course, this being Yamaha, they just had to throw in several what-the hell? design features to maintain their record of near-misses! This is one of the finest REAL synthesizer modules to be released in the last decade. No crappy VA, no soon-to-be-obsolete samples, just an FM synthesizer that we all wanted back in the eighties updated to 2020! The presets are - of course - presets, the usual mixed bag of crap and beauty that were designed to hint at the sonic possibilities. Forget the FS1R Formant stuff, it is mostly just another weird effect in practice (run it thru a vocoder instead). However, editing patches on this little beast has three strikes against it: (1) FM synthesis is not the easiest or most intuitive synthesis method, (2) the usual rack-mount tiny screen with high data density to puzzle over, and (3) the Yamaha manual which is long on what each function does but not what to do with it. Screw that and get an editor program. If you are impressed at all by the presets, wait until you play with the editing....

Features listed elsewhere in these reviews by people with more time than I. The ployphony cut in half by using the filter is one of those classic Yamaha weird design issues that no one else on the planet would ever have considered and made me nervous about whether Yamaha under-designed the CPU for this thing (a la the EX-5). So far, it seems to do just fine with or without the filter kicked in (and you will want it in!), but it is one of several units I make music on, so I am not stressing it with dense midi streams on every channel. The additional Algorhtyms, the main filter and the somewhat cheesey effects (reminds me sometimes of my old REX-50 or SPX-90 units)are still very welcome additions to the traditional FM architecture, and the additional midi control capabilities is outright wonderful to a guy who spent years hunched over a DX-7 display trying to get some life into it's mono sound! There's supposed to be some software out there to cobble up your own formants for the FS1R, but I really don't think much of this feature, but that's about it when it comes to expansion capabilities. But of course you have access to tens of thousands of high (to very low!) quality DX-7 patches on the Internet that can be used by the FS1R. And isn't more/new sounds the purpose of most expansion features? Note the DX-7 patches will sound a bit different coming out of an FS1R due to much cleaner electronics, stereo outs, fx, etc, etc. I have ponged patches between my crusty old DX-7, a TX-802 module and the FS1R evaluating the sonic differences. I'll take the FS1R, thank you!

Anyone seeking acoustic emulations on the FS1R either is too young to remember FM synthesis (which owned the airways back in the eighties) or too brain-damaged to recall that FM - while theoretically able to come close to some acoutic instrumentation waveforms - is best at percussive, bass and metallic timbres. Regardless, go for it! Just don't expect an all-in-one-box or that perfect grand piano sound! I prefer to layer FM with analog (and sometimes samples) to get composite sounds that are breath-taking. The FM adds bite to attacks, odd texture, and fascinating intermodulations to the mix. An example is string ensembles with FM providing the rosiny bite in the attack, samples providing the basic framework of the sound, and analog adding the background meat to the tone. FM descended originally into too many samey e-piano and bass tones, but the FS1R gives the necessary up-dates (e.g., the filter) to blow that limitation wide open.

My FS1R is in the home studio between sibling TG-77 and TG-500 modules and will stay there. To be honest, I wouldn't recommend gigging with this thing as it does seem a bit flimsey, particularly for a Yamaha product which are usually real reliable. Inparticular the front panel knobs seem quite fragile and could be easily snapped off. However, it is a Yamaha so it should last longer than me.

Well, Yamaha support is better than some and worse than some. If it isn't the latest thing, it gets forgotten about quickly. I've not had to deal with Yamaha about the FS1R but have had many dealings with them in the past. Recommend you ignore the nitwits that answer the phones (if you get a human!) who only know what they were couched about the latest big thing, and get to the real technical people or storeroom folks - they do know what they're talking about!

This is one I'd have to replace if lost - it is just too sweet! As it is now long discontinued, I'd have to prowl the Usual Suspects for a replacement, and not a lot of these come up used!

Yes, the Yamaha's manual could be better, but thats the case with every Yamaha product I've bought - and most of my studio is Yamaha based because they really know how to build musical instruments. The fact is, its easy to use FS1R;s huge and unusual bank of Presets. This alone makes it worth the money. If you want to edit them, get the fantastic shareware available on the internet. If all the talk about operators and formants boggles your mind, start with something easy....eg the simplest algorithms can be thought of as a 4 oscillator analogue synth.

Nothing touches this for versatility, it can do anything that could be expected of a sound module and loads you would never expect.

Awesome all round. Some beautiful presets, good quality FX to tweak, responds to all manner of midi controllers and has 4 assignable controllers waiting for you on the front panel. Being FM, midi can create staggering morphs in the FS1R, you'll never want to be seen sweeping your sampler's cutoff after this.

Built like a battleship

Never had support on the FS1R so I can't give it a 10, but Ive found Yamaha UK very helpful for other stuff so 8. Make sense ?

My main source of stock sounds is a (Yamaha) S+S master keyboard, the S80 which I like very much. But for inspiration, wierdness, distinctive sounds and the downright unexpected I always play around with the FS1R if there is an excuse. Well priced #270 ($400) just because its unique and will probably never be repeated, but throw in all the above and its a must have. Get one now! I would try to replace mine if it was stolen (can't imagine it ever breaking).

A little bit difficult instrument, however you can overcome this problem with sounddiver software or you can use free Fs1r Editing software from internet. Also, simply doing knob works are not impossible to make ur imaginable sounds.

Well built unit. Big screen. Knob-feel is good. Output is damm good. Don't think that this is the latest version of DX-7. This is a quite advanced FM machine with 32 voice polyphnies.

SOUNDS r GREAT!
Now, I can understand why many users of FS1r are so pumped with THIS!
VERY CLEAN, FAT, MELTING, CRYSTAL, METALLIC, QUIET, etc.
You can create any sounds what you want with FS1R. FORMANT function is unique function which enable to create Human voice. I bet FS1R will be one of the best Vintage gear in a few year. (Already? maybe..)

LIVE GIG, RECORDING, etc..
Any use possible.

I believe YAMAHA is the most professional company which support world wide customer servie. I've never problem with FS1R, so I don't know how they work for customer yet. However, you can get free Sounddiver program for FS1R by contact to YAMAHA.

I strongly recommend GET THIS if you want to be a professional and Creative musician. That's all.

I don't know if ease of use could apply. There's too much power here for it to really be easy, unless you use this as a preset machine. You can, because it ships with about 2000 presets (1000 of which are DX7 banks). The manual is poor: it goes through the features and says "it does this and this", but doesn't explain anything about how to do this and this. That's bad when we're talking about a new and undocumented type of synthesis. It's not like we have our experience with Moogs to fall back on, this is very different. There's an incredible amount of power in this thing, and manipulating that with a dozen or so buttons is not for the faint of hearted, so be comfortable with that up front. The interface of this thing really isn't bad, it just isn't enough. Sound Diver helps. I get the impression that executives decided they'd spent enough money and weren't going to provide amenities like more front-panel controls or software editors.

Polyphony: 32 voices, cuts to 16 in certain situations. Well, that's fine, because this is anything but a workstation. This is for basses, pads, solo sounds, basically flavoring. It has a pretty useful, even imaginative, array of effects. There's an input for a wind controller, and an entire bank of patches designed to take advantage of that. I always like to see some kind of external storage for patches; here it's called "sysex". That's really not bad, though; since it's completely backward-compatible with the DX-family, there are thousands of patches out there. And you'll never need a ROM card to take advantage of them. When it comes to features, the bottom line is that this synth is the feature.

Think of this as an FM synth on steroids. It does everything they did, adding a new type of synthesis of its own, with better outputs. This thing is freaking huge. It can imitate natural instruments convincingly, it can make pads from outer space, it can make basses like volcanoes. It goes way beyond what the DXs could do. This is one of those instruments that can really give you an individual and unique voice.

Haven't gigged with it, but it feels very solid.

My only contact was to ask for a copy of Sound Diver. Their response was, "What is your address?". Very friendly, I thought, but doesn't necessarily say how helpful they might be if there really were a problem. What the hell- these things are long out of warranty, anyway.

If this were stolen? There's nothing else like this and I've got to have it.

This thing IS easy to use if you have a little patience and a little knowledge. The key is experimenting with ONE variable at a time. Use the manual to try and get a grasp of how the parameters relate to what you are adjusting and then star tweaking. If you start with a basic sound you will easily be able to tell how it is being affected, then you can apply and build on this. The interface is a little intimidating at first but once you use it for a couple of hours it becomes second nature. The menu system kind of reminds me current cell phone/pda interfaces. This synth really rewards you for spending time with it. Where other synths reveal there shallowness after repeated use, this one just starts opening up to you. All of sudden you are using this as an INSTRUMENT, not a tone bank and thats when you start to get really inspired.

As has already been said this synth has a powerful architecture, you just have to power through the interface.

one word.......bass

no problems

customer what? FS1who?

In order to pay for school I sold all my equipment over the course of several months (sniff sniff)

sherman filterbank
sp-808
mc-505
quasimidi sirius
tr-909
tb-303 w/ devilfish mod
fs1r
yam a3000
rm1x
ens dp4

The fs1r was the LAST thing to go...and it will be the first thing I will buy when I start putting together another studio.

Well, yes, the manual is terrible, the user interface convoluted... its all been said below.

There is no machine on the planet that sounds like this. That is why each and every FS1R goes through about 3 owners until it finds its spiritual home. Do you see a lot of these on the second-hand market?. No way!. I drove two hundred miles to buy mine second-hand, and I would do that again if necessary.

What is unique about this piece of kit is

(a) the tremendous power and flexibility of the synth engine
(b) it is sample-free and each sound can be made beautifully responsive in ways no sample playback machine can ever match.

It is particularly wonderful for guitar sounds - acoustic, electric, you name it, just about any stringed instrument you can imagine can be created. And they respond beautifully, every note is different, not a plastic replica like a sample.

The three onboard effects processors are superb and incredibly flexible, the amp sims, overdrive and compression are very useful and the pitch shifter creates beautiful shimmering sounds far more delicate than a mere chorus effect could ever produce.

The formant stuff is pretty much just a gimmick; think of this unit as a modular synth with 32 voiced oscillators, a further 32 unvoices oscillators, a bunch of filters and incredibly flexible control routing, with enormous realtime control potential, and with essentially zero latency.

I don't know why Yamaha didn't market this thing properly, or why they didn't produce more decent patches for it. But as a completely unique musical instrument, the FS1R is without equal.... I can sit and jam for hours with a growing selection of patches that are utterly mine, not some sample I downloaded - and tailor them precisely the way I want.

Built like a tank.

Hmm.. I suspect Yamaha aren't the best. Roland set a standard for customer service and support that is really hard to match.... Yamaha seem to want to forget anything that they no longer make.

oh god, if it were lost/stolen I would be scouring eBay etc. for another one. Hopefully that will never happen

From Presets to deep programming, I can handle this beast. There was a steep curve but it was worth it and it is not really that bad. Understanding the concept is the hard part.

Others covered it and the synth will never get outmoded like the more modern synths that is being released nowadays.

This unit can sound like an angel to beast. Impossible to describe.

Built like a tank! I can smash this at Sadam's face and this will still run. Solid plate at all four sides, top and bottom.

Never dealth with them using this unit.

Best bang for the buck. I bought 2 without hesitation right after this was discontinued. I should have bought 8. What else can I say. This is the best you can ever find into a synth. I am not selling this so please do not contact me. Someone who steals this will be hunted and chopped to pieces.

As far as programming goes, this thing gets a 1. A bazillion poorly documented parameters, 15 buttons, cryptic naming. There is some 3rd-party editors that make the job easier, but they're still not very clear. Using the presets is quite easy, unless you change the MIDI channel you want to use from one. Then it takes squirreling around in those menus (and manual), you just about have to guess to figure out what's going to make it play. This is really the weakest feature and is probably what killed this unit from being wildly popular (which it now has cult status!)

Really good, 32 voices, each with 8 voiced and 8 unvoiced operators. Good effects. Strange 360 degree knobs that are assignable, but default to fun things.

Prepare to be blown away. This thing is unbelievable in it's range, it's clarity, it's abilities. I think this area due to the interface is still wide open uncharted territory and what's available on the web has just scratched the surface.

So far it's not glitched. I've argued with it about MIDI controllers, but once you get that worked out-- it stays on course. Really Yamaha has never let me down in the reliability department.

Since it's discontinued, I'd give it a zero

I'd go nutz if this thing were lost. I'd definately be scouring the ethernet for a replacement. As far as programming, I've not really gotten very far, but I've turned my 3-year old loose on it and if I could just get the controls long enough to save her work...

Now if it just had a decent editor.....

I am not sure what software version this synth is on, but since Yamaha is not supporting it with os updates I dont think that will matter much. The presets on this synth are mostly cheese, however you can import dx patches and have lots of options with those. Programming this synth from its front panel is a menu laden chore, it gives me a headache to be honest. However, I have found emagics sound driver works well for me when programming this machine. A neat shortcut to take is to find a dx patch, or just one of the preset ones on the fs1r and program it by reverse enghineering that patch,perhaps messing with the envelopes, filtering, and algorithms. Doing this can get you the results you need and save a lot of time. Since this was my first FM synth, this has been the easiest way for me to get good results. Also, there are fs1r tutorials on the web:
http://www.geocities.com/rcstrange2000/FS1R.htm
I give this baby a 6 because there are so many parameters, its humbling.

As stated this synth has 32 voices, 16 when the filter is used. Its effects are good. It has 8 operators, and 8 unvoiced operators. 4 parts multi timbral. It has fseq's which can sort of mimmick vocalesque phrases. This synth packs quite a punch when you dig into it. Oh yes, it also has 88 algorithms.

This is where the fs1r stands out. This synths sounds are pure and forceful. It can sound very smooth and warm, almost analogish, and it can sound really cold and crystally, or straight up harsh and noisy. It can do a lot of pads, bass's, leads etc. I think the range of sounds this machine has the potential to produce far exceeds the range of sounds which are actually cool to listen too. Without a tasteful programmer you'll have enough glassy cheese happening to provide for the arrangements of a Lionel Ritchie comback album(make that a double album).
Compared to a dx7 this baby is pristine, sophisticated, and rich in flavors. Its a 10. This is about the future, not the past and not about the dx7.

It is a little 1 rack unit tank. I would deploy this in any war on ____. This is the heavy artillery. I have even played football(both american and european styles) with the fs1r, and while I walked away with a few scars the fs1r worked superbly afterwards.

Ummm??? Yamaha's free fseq editor was nice(for mac). This synth was made in limited quantities, so I am just thankful it exists. Its manual is horrible though, one of the worst I have encountered. I havent contacted their support beyond that, there are no yamaha run support sites for this synth since its really a niche product. So, what you see at yamaha's site, and whatever their service staff can help you with is what you get.

If this were lost or stolen, first I would take a deep breath. You see, this synth can suck you in. Successful programming of this synth will render you a peaceful state of zenlike bliss. I would say that going from this synth to most other synths will give more instant gratification, yet lack the deep fulfillment of this baby's powerful oscillator section, its 8 operators could even lead one to a feeling of synth megalomania.
I also own a micro Q, Roland mks 80, emu esi 2000, doepfer ms 404, kawai sx 240, and yamaha rm1x. This little puppy has those special sounds which stand out from the rest and I value it dearly. It compliments my other synths superbly.
I have considered selling it though, so as to fund the purchase of a synth such as the nord modular. But, I have kept it, and it has been rewarding. I dig the fs1r.

Not the easiest, but then again not too bad unless you want to go deep into programming...then you need sound diver for sure.

UNBELIEVABLE!! Almost too much in one rack-space. I wont go into details cuz others have covered it well.

Oh my God!! This this is to DIE FOR!! I did not know such magic devices were available to my hands. AWESOME sound!!!

Rock solid Yamaha style.

ok, here's where we have a problem........but hey, its typical

The FS1R is very hard to find. Most owners will not part with it ever......and for avery good reason. This may be the most powerful monster I have ever touched and I own a ton of gear. ;}

"Ease of use" is an expression that doesn't seem to have existed in the vocabulary of the guys who cunstructed this Synthesizer. Without a dedicated software editor like Souddiver this box is degraded to a preset synth because you simple won't edit the sounds! Believe me, you CAN dive into the subsubsubmenues, but YOU WON'T!!!
The manual is a big freaking joke! This synth deserves a 1000 page dissertation!

Read elsewhere for the Specs!

Most of the non-DX7 presets are pretty useless to me. They make you go "ohhh, ahhhh! What a strange sound!" but you won't use them because they're silly and MUCH TOO strange! The synth engine is without one of the most versatile out there. I bought my FS1R mainly to do vocal sounds, but they're horribly implemented! No macros that allow you to quickly create a vowel or consonant sound, you got to have data about human formant frequencies ready to do anything reasonable! Didn't have the time or patience to do this.
Some preset choirs are nice, basses might be interesting for house and techno.
I found the dynamics of the sound very difficult to tame, hade to make extensive use of the onboard compressor.
About the filter: it's quite nice but not nearly analog to my ears.
The effects are pretty decent.
Dynamic playing via aftertouch etc. and maybe breath controller is extensive.

Had it for 2 months without any problem.

It's nonexistent. Yamaha have abandoned this product!

I used my FS1R on 5 or 6 tracks before I sold it. It was no fun to use and totally destroying my intuitive workflow. With this box it's impossible to create a sound you have in your mind from scratch without ending up in a totally different area.
For people who have enough time and determination to spend hours in front of their PC tweaking the hundreds of parameters to create unusable weirdness, go buy this box!

All I can say is: No wonder this box was a flop!

Ay-yi-yaih!! This thing is impossible!! Not made for anyone who is not a very serious programmer (like me). Major headache!!
You gotta be a computer wizard for this one.

Features are in there, but deeply hidden in navigating nightmare.
Couldnt find most of em at all.

Sounds pretty good if you can get the damn thing to work right, but a little wierd and spacey for me....not my thang at all.

Looks pretty solid, and handsome too, most yamaha stuff is ok

Yamaha.....doesnt really give a hoot.....hey they are #1!! That's what they told me....after wanting to charge me for assistance with this beast.....very disappointing indeed.....they could care less. SELL SELL SELL $$$$$$!!!!!

Well, I got it on blowout for $349, and kept it for a year. Has to be the most convoluded un-user friendly device I have ever touched.
Been a musician for 40 years. This thing was worthless to me.
Sold it to a guy, who used it for like 3 days and then he sold it too.
That about sums it up. For a computer geek, it might be a whole different story, I dont know and I dont care!!! Good riddance!!!!!!!

The FS1R is a pain in the rear to navigate and program from front panel, but do-able with a little patience. Presets sound fantastic although I could have done without most of the silly spoken word phrases and wierdo sound effects. Patch editor definitly recommended if you seriously want to unleash the power of the synth engine in the module. Manual is a nuisance at best.

32-note polyphony (cut in half if you use the filters). Sophisticated effects engine with a ton of digital effects modulation and filters although I don't particulary care for the reverb tails that much (too grainy). The parameter knobs are handy, and MIDI implementation is flexible - realtime MIDI control is pretty decent.

Outside of very silky and punchy FM sounds, the pads that can be generated in this machine are absolutely fantastic, and very Korg Wavestation-ish in the way they can evolve over a long period of time. The acoustic sounds and voices on the other hand are generally are mediocre at best from a realistic standpoint, but on the other hand, they are really cool from a synthetic point since the synth is very responsive to realtime velocity and pressure changes (and realtime controllers assigned to levers, mod wheels, etc.) and affords them a uniqueness of thier own. In general the FS1R has a very powerful and expressive sound in every way.

Works fine. Typical Yamaha build.

Online support is pretty decent - dunno about human support.

The FS1R is a very deep synth, and a programmer's dream once you get past the unwieldly front panel access (software editor/librarian is a must). This thing is irreplaceable. I would definitly get another one if I lost it. I won't get into comparisons with other Yammie synths as plenty have been made already, but I will say that the FS1R by itself holds its own and then some. My FS1R coupled with my Wavestation SR is absolutely deadly for making stellar pads and other breathtaking background/effect type of sounds - needless to say I'm glad I have both of these synths at my disposal. I really wish this thing had a play single mode, as it would make it a little easier to audition/edit individual sounds on the fly, plus a bigger display for the endless parameters this machine has for editing. It's too bad Yamaha gave up so quickly on it - they really had a winner if they had just further improved the user interface and the polyphony in a next generation model, and come up with a better way to access the FSEQ's. It's also ironic that the Wavestation suffered the same fate as the FS1R in earlier days. Who knows, maybe the next time someone comes out with a killer synth they'll market it a little more wisely.

my opinion is you should use with sounddiver etc.toget that unbelieveable power out of that sytnh

more than enough presets,good effects,32 voices

the sound this thing is able to is so amazing. i own a virus b,nord 2,prophecy too,but believe me this thing can sound like non off them
can.bass, fx, ep,pads killer drum n bass subbasses,any sound you can make with synths above,is no problem for the fs1r and much,much more.

N/A

its one of the best synths,i ever heard.

listen on: http://www.mp3.com/djjb

I don't know what software version i have, but if it is the very first it's really really great. The presets are simply wonderful, covers all from analogue pads to hammer pianos. Editing patches is easy if you use knobs and you know what you are doing, but it is very long... The manual is good, but the one from my Roland Jx-305 is much more detailed. There is some webs helping in this way.

I have never used more than 12 or 14 voices at the same time so having 32 voices is really good for me, but i think i will never use them all. The FX section is the very best i have heard anywhere, magnificient (bravo Yamaha!). No expansions but there's no need for that. Full midi implementation. The sounds cover every style and with more than 1,100 presets i don't think you won't find the sound you're looking for. 512 user programs.

Sounds are the best i have ever heard anywhere. This guy has the most super-powerful synth engine ever made. There is more than 3,000 parameters in a program and more than 12,000 in the performance mode. 16 operators and 16 lfo's with 88 algorythms make every sound possible. When you hear pianos from this Yamaha you won't ever want to buy a real piano. They are incredible good. Brasses that beats every analog synth, superpunch basses, clear drums, heaven pads... It responds to velocity and aftertouch like nothing i have taken my hands on (and i have played Snova2, K2500 and Waldorf Q). Expressiveness is simply heaven in your hands.

Hej, it's a Yamaha! Iron case, no plastic anywhere except the knobs. Very reliable.

Never tried to call Yamaha.

I have had it just three days. It's simply incredible. I don't know that i will buy any other synth ever, and if it happens it will be another fs1r, to have 8 part FM multitimbrality. So very powerful... so very expressive... sounds from Heaven in my hands...

I bought this over a year ago, despite reading on the Net about how hard it was to program. Yes, it does go to oceanic depths as far as creating new sounds but just tweaking the existing ones (and there are loads) is easy. Time consuming for sure because it is all button pushes and so on, but even before you get involved in the depths of the sound mangling menus system you can still come up with some pretty radical stuff. So, it's easier than you might have been led to believe to edit, but to get to grips with its full potential is a different story

I'm not even sure about the polyphony or multi-timbrailty and it isn't an issue because I have other gear and anyone buying it would obviously be of the same view? It is discontinued so expansion is nil. The FX section is excellent. I also have a Waldorf XT and the FX on that are shocking in comparison. The FX here can make a great difference to the end result and I haven't made a patch yet that doesn't employ them. I'm not saying that they are up there with top of the range outboard gear but they are still a powerful tool in the sound shaping capabilities of this thing. Overall the features are too numerous to mention. I've had this thing for over a year and still haven't got halfway to exploring its full depth. You can layer up to four sounds, each of which you can mess around with to a ridiculous degree. You don't have to be a mathematical genius to realise the potential this allows

The 80's synth sounds seem to be coming back into fashion so you are sorted there without even editing the hundreds of presets, but that would be a criminal waste of your time and money. Excellent FM style basses are a cinch. Classic DX style organs and bells ditto, but once you layer sounds and get into the editing you can come up with some incredible stuff. It depends on your skill and/or patience. Don't wory too much with the formant business that this thing was "sold" on because that isn't it's great strength. I haven't even got into the real guts of it's sound manipulation possibilities yet but have still come up with some fantastic pads, silky strings, thumping basses, and all manner of weird synth noises. The potential is enormous. It just depend son how much time you have to spare, bearing in mind that it involves a lot of button pushing and diving in and out of menus. Overall it seems sonically immense but bear in mind that it will always sound digital. This is no bad thing it's just that you may want some analogue warmth to go with it, depending on what sort of music you are creating. It works for anyone doing dance music, downbeat, ambient or experimental music for sure.

I use it for home studio only so I can't say what it would be like on the road. Yamaha seem pretty solid. Enough people ride their bikes at breakneck speed so I assume their synths are pretty roadworthy too. The unit itself seems sturdy enough.

Couldn't tell you. I haven't exactly punished it in the time it has been in my possesion.

If it was stolen and my insurance money came back with the dollar then I probably would get another one. It is a pain to program but I strongly suspect that no other current synths could come up with the sort of sounds this thing can. I also have a Waldorf XT. I'm not trying to compare them but I have got a greater variety of sounds out of this thing. I'd say that if you get hold of one, then dedicate some time to play around with it and create the sounds you want. If you are in the middle of a sequence and want a quick sound to add to your song that isn't already there, then forget it because by the time you get something you may well have lost the flow of whatever you were working on. But if you have already got that sound onboard then chances are it will be a beauty. What do I wish it had? Lots of knobs and sliders of course! But it doesn't. It's still great though. I don't have a great deal of free time to play around with it right now. Anyone who does is in for a treat.

I bought the FS1R about a month after it came out, excited about the prospect of making FM sounds again. I had previous experience with the TX-802, so again, the thought of transfering my patches into a newer, cleaner sounding machine was very appealing. Little did I know I'd have to do this one patch (voice) at a time... When the evening was over, I'd ported everything over, but nothing sounded quite the same; for one, the FS1-R converted 6-op FM voices to 8-op, which is an improvement, but my performance settings (microtonal etc.) on the TX-802 had made a big difference which did not transfer well to the FS1-R. Still, being able to add 8 noise operators and formant filtering to dry voices made this problem insignificant.
Editing the FS1-R is a convoluted process which is almost impossible to achieve without a software editor. Being a PC user, I had to live with the unit's tiny backlit display for months before the option became available, and by then I'd gotten pretty cosy with the machine.
Once you strip away the performance parameters (Stacked voices + various controllers), the filters (LPF, BPF, HPF) and the effects (2 post, 1 insert + extra EQ, you're left with the nucleus, a dry 8-op FM voice. This where you get into familiar territory, with the added formant parameters and the eight noise operators.
You also get a generous set of (88) algorithms which if you're like me and like to hear how a patch sounds with every algorithm, should make for some interesting evenings spent clicking through the various possibilities. I didn't spend as much time with the actual manual as I did looking over the very complete MIDI implementation "booklet" included with it, as I was writing my own FS1-R patch editor for the Doepfer Regelwerk.
I decide to abandon the task after having saved 28 banks of 24 faders, basically the equivalent of rebuilding the front panel interface of the FS1-R with a machine featuring an even smaller display.

I was also quite annoyed at the fact that you can't get rid of some the presets. How about more RAM and less ROM next time...
Also frustrating was the limited number of user locations for homemade formant sequences, the fact that you NEED a software editor
to make your own. The onboard sequences are IMHO passable at best, not finding much use for the ridiculous "Shoobee-doowaa" and "Brand New from Yamaha" FS. However, a bit of clever tweaking can disguise such sonic monstrosities (sorry about the rant) and yield interesting results. I really enjoy the fact that you can sychronize the FS to various MIDI clock divisions.

THE Polyphony on this unit falls prey to its complexity, meaning the more you tax the machines processor, the less voices you get. A filtered "Performance" has only 16 notes, whereas a non-filtered one has 32. The unit is only 4 part multi-timbral, but doing so thins out the units rich sound. This is clearly an instrument designed to be played or sequenced one sound at a time.
As usual, Yamaha have given the user a comprehensive array of MIDI control sources and destinations. As I stated before, a complete Sysex booklet is provided along with the manual, making it easy to
create an editor or whatever else you may want to do with this top-secret information...

The onboard effects sections, which I briefly mentioned earlier is nothing short of amazing. I own a Yamaha 01v mixer and its effects don't even begin to touch what can be done within the FS1-R. The amp simulators and incredible Phasers (12 stage etc.) have real depth and the reverbs are lush and free of metallic overtones. I do wish you could sync the lot to MIDI, but I guess that would be asking a wee bit much, considering the strain the dsp chip(s) must be under to deliver the said lushness of the reverb, or am I wrong in my assumptions?

This unit, despite its convoluted interface and strange limitations, does offer some of the best synth sounds I have hear this side of analogue modulars. If the FS1-R were a modular system, it would occupy several walls of the studio, so we'll forget about the shortcomings and get on with the praise.
Having been a fan of "Detune" since the Korg DW8000 came out, I was greatly surprised at how amazingly warped and weepy I could make my pads sound, and the effects allowed me to recreate analogue like dirt on sounds I would have otherwise had to tweak for hours.
Being a fan of the Korg PS-31oo triple bandpass filters (later made available on the MAM RS-3 Resonator), I was impressed by the possibility of stacking several bandpass filters to create the voice like timbres I'd been experimenting with on weaker systems for years.
I also got a kick out of tweaking the unit's four control knobs; opening and closing filters on a DX-7 voice within the unit itself without the use of hardware controllers or external processing being a rewarding experience for anyone having had to "disguise" FM instruments for the past decade.
I recommend this instrument to anyone interested in the science of sound, and to anyone interested in creating sounds that make shivers run down your spine. You needn't have 32 voices of polyphony when you can change the composition of the earth's atmosphere with only one note.

Like all Yamaha products, the FS1-R is very solidly built. I would like to recommend you bolt down the pots for the four control knobs though, just to be on the safe side, beacuse you're likely to tweak the hell out of this machine.

I've never daelt with Yamaha directly, and I doubt I ever will for two reasons:
1- When something breaks at my house, I replace it because I have no time to wait for repairs.
2-Yamaha units are very reliable. I have never had one fail on me yet.

If someone stole my FS1-R, I would be heartbroken. If it were broken, I'd replace it, or maybe buy something more powerful... Wait, I don't think there is yet... Not on the hardware front anyway...
You can hear the FS1-R (shameless plug) on my "Sawdust, Sinedust, Squaredust" album, by visiting http://www.davidkristian.com

This is tough category to answer. If you just want to plug it in, and play the presets, then it's very easy to use, but you'll be missing the point and the best part of this machine. The presets sound fantastic. Full, clean, complex and interesting sounds with a lot of movement in them. Editing from the front panel without a patch editor is about 10 times worse than on the original DX series, so you now how bad that is. The patch editors by both Sound Diver and MIDI Quest are both quite good for this unit. The manual is about par for Yamaha.

See detailed reviews below.

The sounds on this instruments are fantastic. The presets showcase some of the things that FM excels at such as EPs, bells, percussive sounds, etc. WHat I didn't expect were great, warm pads, or evolving textures. It blends and complements my other keyboards (Nord Lead 2, Roland JP-8080, Roland D-50, Yamaha P-200, Hammond B-3) very well. The true power of this machine is in its capability for new sound creation. I used to have a Yamaha TX-802, and despite patch editors with random patch generators, etc., I always felt all the sounds sounded alike. The thing I like about this machine is that it can make sounds I've not heard on the other typical synths out there, and each sound had a unique quality (personality) to it. I never was a big fan of FM synthesis, but this unit has certainly changed my mind.

It's a Yamaha, and outside of the CS series, I never had one crash.

For a big company they've been great. Maybe I've been lucky, but try to reach Roland. I believe all their employees have been replaced by cyborgs.

This is one synth that will remain in my rack for a very long time. I have a feeling that this will become a very sought after synth in the near future. Check out the web support for this unit!

This is a heavy-duty, real synthesizer, with no samples, that is for serious synth users only. The presets on the FS1R are on the whole quite good, I'd say. They pretty much run the gamut from stellar electric pianos to analog-style synth leads and washes, to atrocious, though still cool, emulations of acoustic instruments (like FM trumpets and saxes). There are some spectacular evolving pads that flutter in and out with shimmering harmonic overtones, thumping FM basses, and unbelievably complex and sinister noises that come out of this thing, and the unit responds to all kinds of realtime controllers.

There is a tremendous learning curve to overcome, especially if you've never used an FM synthesizer er "tone generator" before, and the formant shaping capabilities only exacerbate the curve. Generally, the OS is pretty clumsy; it can be very difficult to find what you are specifically looking for without wading through dozens of screens. Some functions are pretty straightforward, such as the effects system, but others are incredibly, incredibly complex. The manual is much too sparse and provides a lot of detail on some elements of the synth's operation while barely providing others with so much as a brief mention. The bottom line is unless you already know FM synthesis or are of the hardcore techie type (reluctantly I place myself in the latter category I suppose), you may find this module the most difficult to learn machine that's out there. It's easily one of the deepest synths ever made, and if you can figure it out, it will become your favorite very quickly.
Overall Rating: 6

-32 note polyphony, (if the filter is used, this number drops to 16-- (it would take a long time to describe why this is the case)
-4 part multitimbral
-4 outputs
-the effects: The effects are superb IMHO in both sound quality, flexibility, and power. The effects system consists of send/return-based reverb and variation, an insert processor, and a dedicated 4 band EQ. There are about 15 reverb effects, including delays, 40-some variation effects, and a similar number of insert effects. The reverbs are surprisingly good (they are much better than those on my Yamaha A3000 sampler, strangely), and offer more parameters to tweak than most standalone reverb units; the delays are ok to my ears, but don't sound "dry" enough to my ears but offer outstanding parameter control (delay times of up to about 1300ms are supported); the other effects are almost universally very good, particularly the distortion and overdrive effects.
-no expansion capabilities
-multimode resonant filters (1 per voice--lowpass 12dB/oct, 18dB, 24db/oct, bandpass, highpass, and band eliminate)
-the FS1R's midi implementation is absolutely fantastic, with a very complex and powerful modulation matrix. By default, many parameters are already mapped to MIDI CCs; the four knobs on the front panel can function as assignable midi controllers and send data out the MIDI OUT port.

Just remember, this synth was not designed to emulate acoustic instruments. It's obviously great for techno, trance, breakbeat, ambient, and sound design/whatever, but rock musicians might dig it for its electric pianos.

The sound quality is simply outstanding IMHO, with a very nice clarity and sparkle to the high-end. It definitely does not sound analog though; it's definitely very digital-sounding. Based on comments on the FS1R mailing list, the D/A converters are at least 20 bit, and possibly 24 bit.

As I said before the onboard effects are some of the best I've ever used on any synth or sampler.

The FS1R responds very well to any kind of midi controller you can throw at it, and you can have a great time tweaking the preset sounds with midi CCs. The filters are surprisingly good, but they're not spectacular by any means; still you can manage some pretty convincing analog emulations.

The FS1R is very well constructed; even the four controller knobs seem to be solid, parting from Yamaha's 1990s tradition of crappy, cheap-feeling knobs and sliders (e.g. A3000, 01V, etc.). Nevertheless, Yamaha has the best reliability record in the business, so I would definitely go without a backup. That said, the FS1R does get very hot after it has been left on for a short time, so if you plan to leave yours on for a long time it might be a good idea to leave some space in your rack underneath it.

The FS1R was discontinued in early 2000 (when I bought mine new in July, they were very hard to find in the U.S.) and Yamaha does not offer much support at all for discontinued products. The FS1R is in some ways an unfinished product though, because it is impossible to edit formant sequences on the module itself. From what I understand, they promised an OS update but it never came, which seems to be typcial of Yamaha's incomplete late 90s products (especially the EX series).

This is a very unique piece of gear, and prices seem to be heading north on the used market. There's never been a synth that sounds remotely like it, and it's an excellent 2nd or 3rd synth. It is definitely not intended to be a do-everything machine like a Roland Super JV of course. It's incredibly powerful, difficult to use, but great-sounding module. It would be nice to be able to edit formant sequences on the module itself, but apparently it may be possible to do this from computer editing software . . . If it were stolen I would definitely buy another one, but it might be hard to find another one though. It's very inspirational, some say one of the most ever, and definitely should be checked out. I feel sorry for the suckers who paid $1000 for this thing though when it first came out, b/c it was blown out for $399 in March. By the time I found a new one, prices were starting to rise though as mentioned above.

Difficult to use, Editing patches is also hard, editor is easier, prests are a matter of personal taste, manual short and bad.
And this comes from a DX7 user of 15 years standing.
There are to many unnescessary editing levels.

Polyphony is 32, 16 if you use the filter, I will say that the effects are very good in variety and qaulity, espescially reverbs, all are easy to edit, no expanssion capabillity, exellent midi spec all the ussual plus more, no sequencer.

This is not an imitative synth, this could be used in any situation,
effects are good, lots of dynamic control, modulation matrix is wonderfull for realtime control of virtually any parameter.

Usual Yamaha build, on board transformer, IEC lead.

Yamaha are very good here in England, Good old Dusty!

The only thing about this thing, is the fact that it has a very digital sound, transfering my DX7 sounds into it results in a colder sound, the DX7 is much dirtier and hence warmer, what is this obssession with high sampling rates etc, 16 is more than enough and more often sound worse. I am used to analogue synths but got fed up giving hundreds of pounds to ripoff repair companys so have replaced most of them with current synths, Ok they are not going to give you exacly the same sound, but the reliability is worth it, the FS1R is suited to the ambient/experimental music that I am involved in, it can produce sounds that are very unique, and can breath new life into my DX sounds, I can do with this module what it took a rack full of gear to acheive before I brought it, the sound is the only thing, maybe I will get used to it, the on-board EQ helps here though, I am going to buy a TX816, I will see how much I use the FS1R after I get it, That will determine if I keep it or not. Long live FM.