Yamaha PSS-480 - Part 2: The Music Station

In this video I will have a look at the accompaniment section, the custom drummer, the sequencer and the midi functions of the Yamaha PSS-480.

You can buy a full album I made with the PSS-480 on Bandcamp.
The download also includes 100 synth banks for the PSS-480 (watch part 3 for more details)

00:00​ Rhythm Machine
01:17 Chord Modes
02:52​ Duet Effect
04:23 Styles
10:02 Custom Drummer
17:21 Chord Banks
20:55 Melody Banks
28:11 Parameter Changes
29:54 Mono Mode
30:41 Sustain
31:10 Midi Mode 00
33:57 Midi Sync
35:54 Midi Mode 99

[and]

The percussion was very exciting in 1988, most of us could only afford something like the Boss Dr. Rhythm at the time, Yamaha revolutionised it!

[Gluttonite]

Love me those older keyboards. Couldn't afford them as a kid so now I buy up as many different models as possible.

[astrostufftomtrubridge]

Probably 4 years late but hey I've watched all your videos after recently re using my original Casio VL1 bought at 18yrs of age early 80s, now at 62 I have just ordered the old Yamaha PSS 480 purely for the features and fun ways you have utilised this iconic device, and it's my era😂, thanking you for all your amazing content and insights..Atb Tom👍😊..

[balazstorok]

i am simply unable to get used to producing videos of this quality in series. Those carefully selected spotless color backgrounds for every single synths, the sound quality, the lighting, the content... Mind blowing!

[m]

WOW. Your videos are truly astounding on many levels: artistic, communicative, visual, technical, consistent, educational, entertaining; to name a few. The fact you published the first of this series just a week after my 480 arrived is simply icing on the cake. If there's anyone at the top of my list of artists / producers to support, it has to be you. Keep up the excellent work

[chrisjackson]

Your work is unparalleled 👏, without your expertise 99% of users will only use 1% of these instruments capabilities 😁, very entertaining and informative 🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹

[frogprnce]

OK... as of the first video, you have had me amazed. I have owned a Yamaha PSS-480 ever since I walked into our local K-Mart and plopped down my saved paper route money for it in 1987....


and I didn't know or appreciate half of what it could do or be used to achieve. I found your PSS-480 songs on SoundCloud several years ago, was amazed, bought the album, got the downloads. So awesome to look for you on Youtube and get to see all this! Words don't do it justice, man, this is just straight-up awesome talent. Gonna start playing around with everything you've covered and see what I can come up with on my own today.

[talahamut]

I was blown away by how "real" the drums sounded on it back then! :P

[thailifemark]

not only are you very knowledgeable about the specifics of producing sound, but you're a great musician!

[MarkoProximo]

You can clearly hear the “Funk 3” style in Queen’s “Invisible Man” around 3:50. Not sure if they used this exact model, but definitely something from that era.

[junema]

My mind is blown, you always show the best these keyboard arranger functions have to offer. I need to start learning how to do this with my 480!

[dendord]

Coming back to this video after getting a Behringer neutron to finally crack into the sequencer functions of this keyboard and I've gotta say, its a fantastic pairing. The neutron is a great monosynth in its own right and the PSS works well as a handy midi controller thanks to the full-size ports at the back - still blessing the guys at yamaha who decided to chuck midi functions into a toy piano in the 80s!

A big plus is being able to push audio through the neutron's input jack, so that means when I'm done recording analog basslines with the neutron I can switch to the PSS and have the polyphony to play smooth FM pads and process the yamaha's sound with the neutron's lush analog filter along with resonance, LFO, overdrive, and delay. Hell, even the 480 drum loops can sound like a gritty daft punk beat with enough modulation haha.

I haven't touched the sequencer in the 480 since owning it as I found it easier to push midi into it using FL studio and a usb cable, however getting the neutron made me decide to try the fully "dawless" looping experience and this video is a great reference. I found running two seperate melody banks through a mono synth gives very cool portamento effects - perfect for some TB-303 style slides. :))

Once again big thanks for putting together the PSS 480 video series, still can't believe I managed to snag the 1980's equivalent of a Korg volca FM crossed with an Arturia keystep for only £20!
PS. Your video on the behringer CAT was a fun watch too, although I went with the neutron because of the patchbay. Would recommend taking a look at that synth if you haven't yet, might not be exactly "toy keyboard video" material but I'm certain you'd have fun with it if you got your hands on one.

[Syntheus]

Got one of these arriving today. Can't wait.

[MattGreerMusic]

Funk 3 was my absolute jam of jams when I was a kid on this thing.

[Windowserrorsong]

You made this little keyboard sound SO GOOD. An absolute vibe.

[kgbstudio]

that melody in 32:52 .... excellent video as usual, makes me inspired to make some stuff with my pss680

[regortex]

10/10 I’ve been jamming on the PSS units for about 2 years, my faves are the 480 and the 36. Excellent work hear, incredibly thorough and well produced. The narration is ridiculously good.

[marcbrasse]

My special recomendation: The PSR-36. Ful size keys, MIDI and a "programmable" synth as well. OK, you can't save sounds and it's editing is not stepless but if you tweak the hell out of it in real time it can even sound like a PPG 360 Wavecomputer! :-)

[JendrossekSip]

Yes, more love for the PSS-480. It's really a great machine. You showed a combination of things i did not know yet. The FM functionality is a thing by itself already but also the midi functionality and programmable options are great. The custom drummer is also great. I think the options and complexity are way beyond a 'toy' keyboard, i start to wonder if they just added the speakers to disguise it. I have checked other keyboards in the same category from many brands but i cannot find anything that is comparable except for other PSS models. Looking forward to the rest of the series.

[pianokeyjoe]

My good sir! You did a great job in explaining all the features and showcasing the power of this little beast! Thankyou!. I did all my pro work with this keyboard when I was a teen back in the early 1990s and it was my only keyboard! Kudos on a job well done!!