Yamaha PSS-390 Mini FM Synthesizer // FREE GIFT for VINTAGE MOTEL CUSTOMERS

Yamaha PSS-390 (nice FM synthesizer with realtime sliders)

This is definitely one of the most exciting Yamaha PortaSound keyboards, because this instrument from 1990 features an FM synthesizer that is controlled in a very simplified way through 7 sliders.

Any of the built-in 100 preset sounds ("voices") can be modified by them, and also 2 sounds can be layered (one of them optionally modified) by the "dual voice" feature to create thicker sounds or a chorus effect. Although the 7 sliders provide not remotely full control over all parameters of the FM synthesis process, they permit to create a great variety of interesting sounds, including bizarre and harshly distorted tekkno ones, because the remaining parameters are taken from the preset sound that is used as a template, and the sounds can be easily tweaked in almost realtime. This keyboard was first released in 1989 as Yamaha PSS-380 with slightly different case colours (boring black buttons).

The PSS-390 uses 4 operators for many of its sounds 

main features:

• 49 midsize keys
• 2 built-in speakers (stereo)
• 100 preset sounds ("voices")
• FM "digital synthesizer" controllable through 7 digital slide switches {spectrum, modulation, attack, decay, release, vibrato, volume} with each  8 step resolution.
• synthesizer on/ off button (switches back and forward between modified and unmodified sound).
• dual voice button to layer 2 voices (1 of them can be modified by sliders, select twice the same sound = chorus effect)
• 100 preset styles  (i.e. rhythms with very richly orchestrated accompaniment)
• 2 fill-ins + ending for each style
• accompaniment mode switch {normal, single finger, fingered, auto bass}
• 2 tempo buttons (40..240 BPM)
• 2 transpose buttons (-12..+12 semitones)
• simple sequencer "song memory" with 3 select buttons for 3 independent "songs".
• FM sound is up to 9 voice polyphonic and very similar like OPL2 (i.e. like PC SoundBlaster FM, but with grittier envelopes and great digital zipper noise during timbre fades) but can do stereo panning effects.
• PCM rhythm (uses sampled percussion)
• accompaniment volume slider (6 steps)
• volume slider
• complex multi-chip hardware:
• • CPU= "HD63A01Y V5" (XG315D00) (64 pin DIL | likely Hitachi)
  • sound IC= "YM7129" (18 pin DIL | OPK2)
  • ROM= "531000CPB029" (XG314B00) (32 pin DIL?, 128 KB)
  • SRAM= "TC5564APL-15"? (32 pin DIL, 8 KB)
  • amp IC= "AN7148"
• demo button (a well known latin/ fusion song)
• jacks for line out, AC adapter