pjd (06/21/82)
Yamaha CE-20 Preset FM digital synthesizer.
List price: $1495.
Keyboard: 4 octaves (49 keys), touch sensitive, 7 note polyphonic.
Solo voices: Piccolo, flute, oboe, saxophone, violin, cello,
contrabass (bowed), contrabass (plucked), trumpet (jazz),
trumpet (concert), electric bass, electric bass (treble funk)
Polyphonic voices: Horn, brass, strings, B-3 organ, electric
piano, harpsichord.
Controls: Pitch, volume.
Effects: Portamento, ensemble (chorus), vibrato (rate, depth, delay),
brilliance.
Comments:
This is a preset, smaller version of the Yamaha GS-2 digital synthesizer.
It is quite compact and should stack easily either other keyboards. The
case is plastic unlike the other Yamaha instruments which use wood.
The CE-20 is bested suited for contemporary (jazz, rock, whatever) music.
I was a little disappointed in the sound quality given all the hoopla
surrounding digital FM synthesis. However, it is fair superior to any
analog imitations. The touch sensitive keyboard makes this axe playable --
without it, you would never be able to get the articulations that are
so necessary for imitative synthesis. (In other words, don't expect to
play the CE-20 like an organ and expect to sound like Isaac Stern.)
The portamento control is a modulation wheel, placed at the left hand
side of the keyboard. The glide can be changed quickly and should be
useful for tuned pitch bending.
If you're with me so far, here are some additional notes on the voicing.
Piccolo: Excellent.
Flute: Fair.
Oboe: Good.
Saxophone: Good. I haven't been able to symthesize a good sax
on my PRO-ONE after a lot of fooling around.
Violin, cello: Both good with authentic bowing effects. Touch
sensistivity really adds some emotion to these voices.
Contrabass (bowed), contrabass (plucked): Impressive. These
will be real "lease breakers."
Trumpet (jazz), trumpet (concert): Excellent. Touch sensistivity
permits some interesting effects.
Electric bass, electric bass (treble funk): Pretty hot, jazzers.
Horn: Beautiful. Very much like a French horn.
Brass: Move over Prophet-5.
Strings: Somebody finally out did the Arp Omni-2.
B-3 organ: Yep.
Electric piano: An attempt at a Rhodes. Don't through out your
piano, yet.
Harpsichord: Good. Does not sound like filtered square waves.
The plucking effect sounds quite good.
paul "dr. funk" drongowski at utah-cs