Yamaha Portasound VSS-200 Digital Voice Sampler

Yamaha Portasound VSS-200 Digital Voice Sampler keyboard (1988)

The VSS-200 is the big sibling of the smaller but somewhat better-known VSS-30 (as used by Sigur Rós and others). The sampler section has a number of effects, including fuzz, echo, frequency modulation, amplitude modulation, and an ADSR envelope. You can also sample the keyboard's own preset FM sounds internally and apply the effects to them.

All sounds you hear in the track were made using the VSS-200 sampler or its factory sounds and were recorded to a DAW, where compression, EQ, and reverb were added as required. Individual drum hits were sampled from the VSS-200 and sequenced in the DAW.

Samples used in the track are listed below:
RX11 Snare Hi Tune 5 (layered with VSS200 snare)
RX11 Snare Hi Tune 2 (in the middle section)
Internal voice 05 Bass Clarinet sampled and FM effect added (2)
Internal voice 08 Bowed Bass sampled and Fuzz and AM effect (6) added
Internal voice 97 Wind Bell sampled and FM (3), and Echo (2) effects added
Sampled guitar licks with added Echo (9), FM (1) and Fuzz
Sampled PSS-580 voice 58 (edited)

Music: "Auto King" (C) Copyright 2020 Alfonse

ALFONSE

[janpolak]

I didn't even know that Yamaha released such a gem back then :)

[rancidstain]

Best demo of any of the VSS videos. Great job!

[mikerpenny]

Nice! The brass and sampled guitar sounds are great.

[Mr..i]

I use to have 1 when I was at school in 1990

[JellyMonster]

Why don't they make stuff like this anymore? Cheap keyboards these days are all basically the same. Good song, thanks.

[mkiswatoo]

That clarinet bassline is groovy! Good tunbe.
I'm not a big fan of FM sounds but this keyboard seems to be great fun.

[RaptureMusicOfficial]

I had a VSS-30 in 80s and 90s! The VSS-200 is a VSS-30 on ecstasy! :) But it also sounds like a PSS-140! :)

[evive]

Massive!! I'm going to buy one of those tomorow and it has a built in "user-mod" that allows to reduce the speed of the sample and also a photo-sensor to alter the speed of the playback based on light.

(it was modded with a LTC1799 circuit)

(you can also use the synth in its original form with no issue!) all of that for 200$ cad

[Gerald_Daniel]

If cheap gear can sound like that what would present "professional" instruments sound like?. I'm sure manufacturers were interested in someone like you.

[bobsburgersfan]

Another one for my thrift hunt-down list

[mikedeto]

Hi Alfonse! Brilliant song using this keyboard! I have a question...I’m owner of a PSS780 and I have possibility of buying an VSS200. You know if the internal sounds of the VSS are quite different from the ones of the VSS? It’s clear for me the sampling features of the VSS, but I would like to know also how are the internal sounds! Thanks for sharing this and other videos!

[zackhartmann]

which portasound is best: vss-200 or pss-680