Thank you for getting around to reviewing this thing. Shame you couldn't fully restore it. And I said "FM-ish sounds" A DX7 it was far far from. Sorry it was so dirty, but it came out of the back of a closet, and it hey it gives something to put on your channel! Why give a donation when I can give CONTENT!
i want to see the videos made by the guy who lives across the street from 8bit guy, trying to figure out why his neighbor is always hosing off old electronics in his driveway and baking them in the sun.
The PSS-270 was standard issue for our music class in 90's UK. That demo song has caused many mental breakdowns and rage quits amongst music teachers. Thanks for the nostalgia-gasm. :-)
The PSR6 used Mendelssohn's "Spring Song" at a faster 3:4 timing...and it caused my family many headaches hearing it over and over again over when I heard lol. Funny enough I looked up the orchestral arrangement to Spring Song and played it in the background while watching this video as I was commenting....added a somewhat fun atmosphere to it.
Wow I had this keyboard when I was a kid. And I would never have remembered unless I saw this video. Even if it wasn't this exact keyboard, it must have been incredibly close because I remember ALL those sound synths. What a nostalgia trip. Thanks 8-bit Keys/Guy! Seriously, this was so much fun. Edit: Nope. It's 100% confirmed. When I heard you play the demo at the end, I knew for sure. I must have heard that demo a billion times when I was a kid. Oh man, what a trip!
I have actually restored a PSR-6 this afternoon. To remove the keys you need to take out the long pcb where this "not disconnectable" black wire is as well as the rubber connectors beneath them. You get access to various groups of keys that can be unmounted together and washed. Still, great video. Have a good day.
That keyboard may be kind of worthless, but it holds a VERY SPECIAL place in my heart. It was the FIRST keyboard I ever owned. Back in the late 80's, I was just beginning my very first actual musical recordings of tape experimentation (very musique concrete using multiple tape recorders and anything else I could find, crudely cutting tapes together to make rhythms and strange sounds) and that keyboard became an integral part of the setup. I still have those old tapes from back then and the sounds of "Accordion", "Comet", and "Glass Celesta" were all used heavily in those recordings. I kind of miss it and wish I still had it.
Honestly I really love the sounds of the YM2413 chip. It's FM synthesis in its most raw form, and just requires creativity on the composer's end. Kenseiden on the Master System really utilizes the chip well, as do Ys and Golvellius. I'd love to use this or the PSS-270 if I actually understood how to play keyboards in general.
Out of all my corny Goodwill finds, this one is by far my favorite (out of the full sized keyboard category). It may not be quite up to DX7 territory, but there's a distinct FM stank on it, and that makes the approximations of instruments far more charming and sonically pleasing than more 'accurate' sounds in later low-end synths. This one isn't just sitting on a shelf as a collector's item, it's what I sit down at when I try to work out a melody or chord progression, or even when get it in my dumb head I'll learn to play keys and not just noodle around... I love it.
Your videos gave me the "power" to restore my old PSR-210. To make a long story short: after some trouble, I managed to complete the task. I disassembled the complete device, didn't disconnected soldered cables, so I unscrewed also the speakers, to get rid of the small circut-board. I used a sheet of paper, drew boxes on it, where I put the screws. I named every box, so I couldn't mix up the screws. Then I disassembled the keys and gave them a slight rinse in the kitchensink, which was fairly enough, I polished them with a soft cloth afterwards and they do look fantastic. I gave the case a clean with the garden hose and that rinsed the dust and gunk from the years. I learned that my keyboard was made in 1993 from the markings on the case, the chips and circut-boards. When I reassembled the whole thing, I mixed up some screws nontheless, but after I disassembled it 3x, I figured every single screw and I had no one left over anymore. Then I remembered, that I forgot to connect the battery compartement, so that was a last, 4th disassembly... Before the restore, the keys were somewhat sticky, you could even hear them. After I was finished, the keys are completely silent and move totally smooth. I wouldn't have done this without your videos.
I don't have any sort of attraction to keyboards, nor do I have any musical talent, but I just LOVE watching him disassemble stuff, clean, fix, and restore, and put it all back together again.
The production quality goes up with every new video - I can't imagine the work that goes into resetting camera angles constantly and writing down markers in the recording when all you want to do is just disassemble and fix. Great job!
There's no doubt, it is time consuming. I've determined over the years that when I do a project on video it takes 3X to 4X as long as just doing it without videoing it.
BigBoy4884 Onkyo uses that connector in their receivers, too. (I have one. ) the only way I knew how to get them off was I clicked on this video to watch it and stumbled over this comment.
I favor this channel over 8-bit guys because I'm a musician and not so much a computer guy. PLEASE UPLOAD MORE CONTENT MAN!!! YOU'RE THE BEST AND NONE OF THE OTHER TH-camRS CAN MATCH YOU!!!
I had a PSR-6 when I was a kid and loved the demo. I'd leave it running in the background for an hour at a time while I played with toys or whatever. It picks a random instrument every measure or two, so it's never really the same demo. It wasn't until I got a Yamaha P-70 twenty years later with a few dozen demo songs (including the same one from the PSR-6) that I learned the name of the piece from the listing in the manual. It's Felix Mendelssohn's Song of Spring, Op. 62, No. 2. Someone posted a video with five minutes of the PSR-6 demo: th-cam.com/video/g-a2kLthRig/w-d-xo.html (You can get a much better idea of the random instrument changes there.)
I had this keyboard as a kid. I just got another one recently from a goodwill in MN for $10. They said it didn't work and it was missing a button. But I powered it up fine and it works great. With the help of this video I took it apart, cleaned it up, and even found the missing button inside it. Looks almost new now. Thanks for showing the way! I plan to use this for some ambience; even the cheap sounds are awesome when run through a bunch of Earthquaker devices. 😁🎵
I love The 8 Bit Guy! The fact that someone puts so much time into restoring these old electronics is amazing! Thank you sir for your labor of love. I even bought one of your shirts that I wear proudly!
This is the keyboard I learned to play on as a child, I was about 7 years old. I used it for a few years up until my teens. I saved money for a year to buy the Roland D-20 keyboard. And my mind was blown away by the sound quality in that synth.
The other day I found a keyboard at a neighbor's curb that was going to be sent to the dump. I grabbed it because it looked like it was in working condition and it worked fine when plugging it in with a generic AC adapter. The keys were a little dirty, but other than that it was in great condition. The model in particular was the Yamaha PSR-290, which isn't even old enough to be considered a retro keyboard, and it's overall it's a decent pro-sumer keyboard.
This was my first learner keyboard, over 17 years ago. I was never too fond of it, and honestly can't say I am even after learning to enjoy FM. I have a ton of nostalgia for the demo song and the drums, but it's generally a boring keyboard without much character. And this coming from the guy who owns two Casio PT-1s. Edit: some of the sounds are surprisingly powerful.
I just picked up a Yamaha PS-400, along with its case, at a local goodwill today. I immediately thought of this channel, and thought it would be cool if a new video came out. Needless to say, my day has been made.
I always thought Casio just sounded so much better than Yamaha when it came to the sound quality on their 80's-era keyboards. Have fun with that Cat keyboard, and if you cant get good sounds out of it, please run over it with the streamroller!
Hi! I think that the connector at 1:30 need to push on the sides then pull the black cable. I use to repair VCR and they have connector like it. (Sorry for my english greetings from Argentina)
you mean push down from the top narrow ledge and and the wires pull off leaving the white holder, also i figured out how to repair a dead key if you want to know email bluenosegrass@hotmail.ca
THANK YOU for reviewing this!! it's been hard for me to find any videos about this keyboard online; it was the one my grandparents had, and I believe the first musical instrument i ever played--and then I went on to become a music major! i didn't have the foresight to hang on to it when my grandpa moved into a nursing home. this thing is so nostalgic for me; Comet was my favorite voice to play with as a kid, and i've been trying to find a recording of that first demo song for years. you rock!!
i also had this keyboard. was given to me by an aunt when she moved out of the city. was destroyed from being soaked in water after sandy hit Staten Island. loved playing on it.
I got one of these for free. Keys were covered in magic marker. and the entire thing had a layer of crusty dirt all over the surface. Managed to clean it up entirely and its made a nice addition to my collection.
I just discovered this today. I had this when I was a very young child. I still have no idea how. I got it at a yard sale in 1985 for like 15-20 dollars. Which makes no sense. But back in those days that type of thing would happen.
Loving the keyboard vids. I have never been able to play one or enjoyed playing one. But watching you repair them and then play them is amazing. The sounds just take me back to so many games I've played.
I had one of these as a kid. My uncle gave it to me when he got a higher end replacement in 1994. I doubt I would have the musical interest and aptitude I have today without this machine...nostalgia.
I actually owned one of these in 1980 and moved up from this to the PSR-20 which sounded pretty good then up to a lot of others and other brands. Came back to Yamaha about 20 years ago and presently play a PSR S770 which I really love. Thanks for the memories.
I remember my mom used to have a keyboard... I swore it was a Casio... but it might've been a Yamaha. It had a bunch of colorful buttons like this, but actually had more of them. It didn't have a screen either, and the speaker was up with all the buttons, not to the left/right of the main keys. I remember it had some really funky sounds and demos, it also had a metal bar to hold sheet music up, and she had a dust cover for it too. I have no idea what exact model it was... but I wish I could figure it out. It was all black / dark plastic on the outside. I also remember it having a MIDI (DIN) port(s?) on it too, but we never used that. I swear it must've come anywhere from the late 80s to mid 90s.
look in the old picture albums your mom probably made, if not there should be some box littered with old pictures where they just got too lazy to ever put them in an album :P thats the way I found out the old model we used to have 25+ years ago :)
I still have an old casio. We had a box, manual, power supply and dust cover for it, but we put it up for auction years ago. It didn't sell, but along the way the Auction house lost the power supply, and apparently threw out the box. Euugh. Figures.
Black Casio keyboard with color buttons, speakers AND midi? Well, you're having a lucky day, because there aren't many Casio keyboards from back in the day which fits that description. I think it's probably one of the keyboards from their 1989 Midi line: MT-240, MT-260, MT-540, CT-460, CT-640, ... They were all very popular back then. There is also the HT series, but those aren't very colorful keyboards. Nevertheless, they are the HT-700, HT-3000 and HT-6000. Good luck finding the correct instrument! Was it a smaller keyboard or a bigger one, by the way? That would narrow down the results quite a lot.
My mom and I used to own both of these keyboards. She bought herself the one with the big keys (the PSR-6) and myself the one with the small keys (the PSS-270) as she was an adult and had a bigger handspan than I did - and then I promptly grew bigger hands than hers. I used to have a blast with them, but the strides that have been made since these were new are amazing. I remember being very fond of the pipe organ, the alpenhorn, and sine wave sounds. I also remember that these keyboards were the reason we bought universal adapters instead of having to deal with batteries all the time.
Great video! This keyboard is similar to the first one I had with full sized keys; the Yamaha PSR-11. It only had 16 sounds. That keyboard has since died, but I still have access to the sounds. Before moving away from my home town, to go to College, I sampled all the sounds from my various childhood instruments, using my Roland W-30. The best two were the Casio CT-670 & the Yamaha EL7.
I work with state of the art pro audio gear every day. Yet I LOVE to watch you play around with 8-bit toy keyboards from the 1980s. I don't know why, but it makes me feel warm inside. Thanks!
@@FrozenIceMan th-cam.com/video/0KQ7UTdadlY/w-d-xo.html&lc=Ugw708zQU-fvgh8QdaN4AaABAg.8Xx40uOa1cH8YBCWMAuSWD "Felix Mendelssohn's Song of Spring, Op. 62, No. 2" (from Songs Without Words; more often translated as Spring Song instead of Song of Spring but whatever) Now looking for the other one.
@@FrozenIceMan th-cam.com/video/0KQ7UTdadlY/w-d-xo.html&lc=Ugw708zQU-fvgh8QdaN4AaABAg.8Xx40uOa1cH8YBCWMAuSWD "Felix Mendelssohn's Song of Spring, Op. 62, No. 2" (from Songs Without Words; more often translated as Spring Song instead of Song of Spring but whatever) Now looking for the other one.
as a music student and a nerd I love your reviews of this old pieces of technology I'm 21 old guy and I love this kind of retro tech videos plz ! Still with this amazing job! Greetings from mexico !
On some of these keyboards would it be possible to swap diffrent chips out (like a later iteration or a non cost reduced version processor) or a diffrent rom chip to improve how they function?
Speaking as an independent musician, I don't think any of us would prefer to use something like this over a program like AdLib Tracker which is way more versatile. And also free.
I remember some local alternative bands in Kansas and Texas in the 80's and 90's used cheap Casio and Yamaha keyboards on stage. One even added a strap on his to make it kind of a keytar. And they ran the keyboards output through effects over the PA system or the guitar amps to beef up their sound.
Interesting to see the difference between the PSR-6 and my PSR-12. The YM3812 has some iconic sounds that I love recording in some of my music, but I will say I wouldn't mind having Comet in my arsenal. Yamaha always makes me buy their various models just so I can have one or two sounds I enjoy!
Oh, that's interesting! I owned a PSR-6 as a kid, but the demo on it was the one that this PSS-270 has. Maybe the person we bought it from had both and swapped out the chips at some point... I have so many fond memories with this keyboard though! My mom eventually sold it, and I've missed it ever since, so I'm so happy to see you do a video on one.
Always cool to see these restorations! Looking forward to that follow up video! I've seen that keyboard at Target and played around on it at the store, but the only real keyboard riff i can remember off the top of my head is Mongoloid by Devo so whenever I see a toy keyboard at the store I always play that and then my wife gives me half dirty look and half look of ironic appreciation.
That was actually a neat little tune. I had a PSR-12 back in the day. Shhh, I was in the Air Force way back then, and made a stand for it out of scrap 3/4" titanium tubing with black plastic caps for the ends and rubber feet. I also fashioned an aluminum banner plate/bracket that I painted black and stuck those giant sticky white vinyl letters you can buy to make a sign across it, saying "YAMAHA". When I sold it in a garage sale, I probably didn't mention that the stand was probably worth 20 times more than the keyboard. Maybe I did. It was a long time ago...
I have this keyboard and for someone who just tinkers around with basic keyboarding, it's not a bad one. I have had mine since 1992 and it still works just fine.
At around 11:00 you play a great song! I thought the sound was very familiar to the Panasonic FM-PAC, which was a very popular sound cardridge for the MSX system. So I looked it up, and it turns out that the FM-PAC has the exact same sound-chip as this keyboard. Never knew that it was also used in other products. Nice.
Wow, that thing where you hit the last 2 keys to enter test mode happened on my PSS-140 as a kid! I thought I broke it after discovering this by accident one day, and then I learned the value of "Did you try turning it off again?" for the first time.
I recently purchased a Guitar Hero controller that came with the first two games. When I tried to play on it, the green fret button would get stuck. That made the game unplayable. Long story short, I took it apart to fix it. Upon fixing the green fret, the red fret proceeded to get stuck. I'll make a video about it eventually, but that was one of the most aggravating things I've ever experienced.
I found one of these for $5 a few weeks ago and inspired by your videos I almost took it apart to do some retrobrighting on the keys but now I'm glad I didn't try it. Looks like it was not meant to be taken apart. Great video!
This was my first keyboard. I had just started taking piano lessons about 20 years ago, and my dad bought me this from some now defunct department store (I wish I remembered the name). I didn't stick with piano long, and this keyboard was horrible to play, but I moved on to guitar, and still play that today. However, I dug it out of the attic maybe 10 years ago and tried to see about circuit bending it or getting cool sounds out of it and... well... it was just as bad as I had remembered. I'm not surprised the internals are so poorly put together. But, either way, thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Great video as usual. I got very excited to see this come in as a donation. My cousins had this kb when I was a kid. Nothing beats "when the saints go marching" played on the WAVES (sound 99)
I had an old Yamaha like that as a child in the late 80's! I don't remember what model it was but it looked more like the PSR-6. The demo tune was the same as the one that played on the PSS-270.
I still have one of these in my parent's home that was gifted to me by an uncle in the early 90's. What I learned after watching this video and not being a pianist nearly 30 years later is that it's not worth cleaning it off and getting it working again haha
My high school's music department had a whole load of PSS-270s at the disposal of students in the early 1990s. I didn't make much music on them, but it amused me greatly that the model's demo mode song was Just The Way You Are by Billy Joel :) I might have to find one on eBay for the sake of nostalgia ^^
Thank you for getting around to reviewing this thing. Shame you couldn't fully restore it. And I said "FM-ish sounds" A DX7 it was far far from. Sorry it was so dirty, but it came out of the back of a closet, and it hey it gives something to put on your channel! Why give a donation when I can give CONTENT!
Good choice. Besides, the money would probably go to buying a keyboard or something anyway. :D
I thought he seemed a bit ungrateful too
i want to see the videos made by the guy who lives across the street from 8bit guy, trying to figure out why his neighbor is always hosing off old electronics in his driveway and baking them in the sun.
Did you mean the obsolete geek?
YEAH!
and maybe when he does the video he can do it Steve Irwin "The crocodile hunter" style!
“guys, I think he’s crazy, he’s creaming a plastic cover with some sort of sunscreen.”
AcroGen and he's balding
he is 41/42
I don't even really like old keyboards. Why am I so addicted to these videos? He's pulling some witchcraft I swear it!
SarcasticDragon Gaming same tbh
aminulz being a nerd is cool now. And that's awesome.
SarcasticDragon Gaming same here I knew shit about music instruments but this guy has made me binge watch his whole 8 bit keys channel
ikr
Same. Videos are satisfying and interesting, yet I can't even play one.
The PSS-270 was standard issue for our music class in 90's UK. That demo song has caused many mental breakdowns and rage quits amongst music teachers. Thanks for the nostalgia-gasm. :-)
The PSR6 used Mendelssohn's "Spring Song" at a faster 3:4 timing...and it caused my family many headaches hearing it over and over again over when I heard lol. Funny enough I looked up the orchestral arrangement to Spring Song and played it in the background while watching this video as I was commenting....added a somewhat fun atmosphere to it.
Haha I remember years ago when my friends and I would play around with these Yamahas in middle school
Wow I had this keyboard when I was a kid. And I would never have remembered unless I saw this video. Even if it wasn't this exact keyboard, it must have been incredibly close because I remember ALL those sound synths. What a nostalgia trip. Thanks 8-bit Keys/Guy!
Seriously, this was so much fun.
Edit: Nope. It's 100% confirmed. When I heard you play the demo at the end, I knew for sure. I must have heard that demo a billion times when I was a kid. Oh man, what a trip!
same here wish i still had it
@@rickyseibert1707 I got mine in college (1989) and I still have it. I keep it in the original box, too, though that's gotten quite ragged now.
I have actually restored a PSR-6 this afternoon. To remove the keys you need to take out the long pcb where this "not disconnectable" black wire is as well as the rubber connectors beneath them.
You get access to various groups of keys that can be unmounted together and washed.
Still, great video. Have a good day.
I’m trying to restore one I got from my friend. Has some dead keys that I want to fix. Is the pan the green strip on the back of the keys?
And how did you get it out?
That keyboard may be kind of worthless, but it holds a VERY SPECIAL place in my heart. It was the FIRST keyboard I ever owned. Back in the late 80's, I was just beginning my very first actual musical recordings of tape experimentation (very musique concrete using multiple tape recorders and anything else I could find, crudely cutting tapes together to make rhythms and strange sounds) and that keyboard became an integral part of the setup. I still have those old tapes from back then and the sounds of "Accordion", "Comet", and "Glass Celesta" were all used heavily in those recordings. I kind of miss it and wish I still had it.
I’m really sick right now but videos like this makes it bearable. Thanks!
get well soon!
Henriko Magnifico get well soon!!!
Henriko Magnifico I'm sick too and I have Watched 8 bit guy all day
Honestly I really love the sounds of the YM2413 chip. It's FM synthesis in its most raw form, and just requires creativity on the composer's end. Kenseiden on the Master System really utilizes the chip well, as do Ys and Golvellius. I'd love to use this or the PSS-270 if I actually understood how to play keyboards in general.
Out of all my corny Goodwill finds, this one is by far my favorite (out of the full sized keyboard category). It may not be quite up to DX7 territory, but there's a distinct FM stank on it, and that makes the approximations of instruments far more charming and sonically pleasing than more 'accurate' sounds in later low-end synths. This one isn't just sitting on a shelf as a collector's item, it's what I sit down at when I try to work out a melody or chord progression, or even when get it in my dumb head I'll learn to play keys and not just noodle around... I love it.
Your videos gave me the "power" to restore my old PSR-210. To make a long story short: after some trouble, I managed to complete the task.
I disassembled the complete device, didn't disconnected soldered cables, so I unscrewed also the speakers, to get rid of the small circut-board. I used a sheet of paper, drew boxes on it, where I put the screws. I named every box, so I couldn't mix up the screws. Then I disassembled the keys and gave them a slight rinse in the kitchensink, which was fairly enough, I polished them with a soft cloth afterwards and they do look fantastic. I gave the case a clean with the garden hose and that rinsed the dust and gunk from the years. I learned that my keyboard was made in 1993 from the markings on the case, the chips and circut-boards. When I reassembled the whole thing, I mixed up some screws nontheless, but after I disassembled it 3x, I figured every single screw and I had no one left over anymore. Then I remembered, that I forgot to connect the battery compartement, so that was a last, 4th disassembly... Before the restore, the keys were somewhat sticky, you could even hear them. After I was finished, the keys are completely silent and move totally smooth. I wouldn't have done this without your videos.
I don't have any sort of attraction to keyboards, nor do I have any musical talent, but I just LOVE watching him disassemble stuff, clean, fix, and restore, and put it all back together again.
The production quality goes up with every new video - I can't imagine the work that goes into resetting camera angles constantly and writing down markers in the recording when all you want to do is just disassemble and fix. Great job!
There's no doubt, it is time consuming. I've determined over the years that when I do a project on video it takes 3X to 4X as long as just doing it without videoing it.
8-Bit Keys hey there, are you gonna be uploading more often on this channel soon?
noobmanpie don't think he gets the time if he is uploading on his main as well
David, you press straight down on that white keyboard connector. I'm a Yamaha service tech, and I am very familiar with the connector.
BigBoy4884 Onkyo uses that connector in their receivers, too. (I have one. ) the only way I knew how to get them off was I clicked on this video to watch it and stumbled over this comment.
Thank you!
I favor this channel over 8-bit guys because I'm a musician and not so much a computer guy. PLEASE UPLOAD MORE CONTENT MAN!!! YOU'RE THE BEST AND NONE OF THE OTHER TH-camRS CAN MATCH YOU!!!
I just love the way this guy is so organized and neat with his stuff.
OMG this is the one I had as a kid growing up. Thank you so much!!
The PSR-6's demo tune sounds like a song that would be in Super Mario World.
More like Mario Paint...
Darkavatar Sure, you're right
Sounds to me like a random Bossa Nova, the way Japanese appear to think it sounds like.
I had a PSR-6 when I was a kid and loved the demo. I'd leave it running in the background for an hour at a time while I played with toys or whatever. It picks a random instrument every measure or two, so it's never really the same demo.
It wasn't until I got a Yamaha P-70 twenty years later with a few dozen demo songs (including the same one from the PSR-6) that I learned the name of the piece from the listing in the manual. It's Felix Mendelssohn's Song of Spring, Op. 62, No. 2.
Someone posted a video with five minutes of the PSR-6 demo: th-cam.com/video/g-a2kLthRig/w-d-xo.html (You can get a much better idea of the random instrument changes there.)
Nicholas Piegdon The fact that it randomly changes the instruments just makes the demo more interesting and unique.
I had this keyboard as a kid. I just got another one recently from a goodwill in MN for $10. They said it didn't work and it was missing a button. But I powered it up fine and it works great. With the help of this video I took it apart, cleaned it up, and even found the missing button inside it. Looks almost new now. Thanks for showing the way!
I plan to use this for some ambience; even the cheap sounds are awesome when run through a bunch of Earthquaker devices. 😁🎵
Before watching the 8-bit keys videos I had no interest in keyboards and now I want one. This channel is really inspirational.
OMG!!!! THE CAT KEYBOARD!! I LOVE THAT THING!
the meowsic keys :-D
I love how soothing your videos are. Listening to this while doing homework. :)
I love The 8 Bit Guy! The fact that someone puts so much time into restoring these old electronics is amazing! Thank you sir for your labor of love. I even bought one of your shirts that I wear proudly!
This is the keyboard I learned to play on as a child, I was about 7 years old. I used it for a few years up until my teens. I saved money for a year to buy the Roland D-20 keyboard. And my mind was blown away by the sound quality in that synth.
The other day I found a keyboard at a neighbor's curb that was going to be sent to the dump. I grabbed it because it looked like it was in working condition and it worked fine when plugging it in with a generic AC adapter. The keys were a little dirty, but other than that it was in great condition. The model in particular was the Yamaha PSR-290, which isn't even old enough to be considered a retro keyboard, and it's overall it's a decent pro-sumer keyboard.
Nice find! :D
Same 1st demo song as the PSS-270! th-cam.com/video/zGTAOmBQZLA/w-d-xo.html
This was my first learner keyboard, over 17 years ago. I was never too fond of it, and honestly can't say I am even after learning to enjoy FM. I have a ton of nostalgia for the demo song and the drums, but it's generally a boring keyboard without much character. And this coming from the guy who owns two Casio PT-1s.
Edit: some of the sounds are surprisingly powerful.
I just picked up a Yamaha PS-400, along with its case, at a local goodwill today. I immediately thought of this channel, and thought it would be cool if a new video came out. Needless to say, my day has been made.
What a nice gift for getting through school today.
I always thought Casio just sounded so much better than Yamaha when it came to the sound quality on their 80's-era keyboards. Have fun with that Cat keyboard, and if you cant get good sounds out of it, please run over it with the streamroller!
why
For the record man Casio did not sounded better than Yamaha.
Hi! I think that the connector at 1:30 need to push on the sides then pull the black cable. I use to repair VCR and they have connector like it. (Sorry for my english greetings from Argentina)
hey!, im from Argentina too, ah por que hablaba en ingles xd
Me too, and i also saw those connectors when i repaired some music equipment.
you mean push down from the top narrow ledge and and the wires pull off leaving the white holder, also i figured out how to repair a dead key if you want to know email bluenosegrass@hotmail.ca
THANK YOU for reviewing this!! it's been hard for me to find any videos about this keyboard online; it was the one my grandparents had, and I believe the first musical instrument i ever played--and then I went on to become a music major! i didn't have the foresight to hang on to it when my grandpa moved into a nursing home. this thing is so nostalgic for me; Comet was my favorite voice to play with as a kid, and i've been trying to find a recording of that first demo song for years. you rock!!
I do love the warm, soft sound of the YM2413.
The YM 2413 was used for the FM Expansion Module for the Sega Master System In Japan Only. I would recommend listening to some of the soundtracks.
Dynamite Headdy No wonder it sounds similar!
It sounds similar to the VRC7 chip, too.
I will say this again go listen to some of the soundtracks and compare it to how it sounds on here.
Only Lagrange Point used VRC7
TastySnax12 - That's because it's a derivative of it. The main differences are that it only has 6 channels instead of 9 and has no rhythm channels.
Yay, another FM synthesis related video :)
i also had this keyboard. was given to me by an aunt when she moved out of the city. was destroyed from being soaked in water after sandy hit Staten Island. loved playing on it.
OMG!!! This is the EXACT keyboard my parents bought for me when I was like 8 years old!!! The entirety of the early 90's just hit me full force!!!!
Back to the good old Intro. Video also contains nice music. I'm I'll.
Time to watch this video! :D
a new video? sleep can wait😂
I got one of these for free. Keys were covered in magic marker. and the entire thing had a layer of crusty dirt all over the surface. Managed to clean it up entirely and its made a nice addition to my collection.
I just discovered this today. I had this when I was a very young child. I still have no idea how. I got it at a yard sale in 1985 for like 15-20 dollars. Which makes no sense. But back in those days that type of thing would happen.
another great video, I love the music u played. can't wait to see your cat video review :D
7:04 Old mac sound of death
Was trying to find my Yamaha PSR-6 model from google, but then i remembered this channel. Thank you!
Loving the keyboard vids. I have never been able to play one or enjoyed playing one. But watching you repair them and then play them is amazing. The sounds just take me back to so many games I've played.
Love the tune @ 10:54
I just noticed, is there a reason the 8-bit keys t-shirt is missing a black key?
Yes
Yes, it was a prototype t-shirt, a beta version...
I had one of these as a kid. My uncle gave it to me when he got a higher end replacement in 1994. I doubt I would have the musical interest and aptitude I have today without this machine...nostalgia.
I actually owned one of these in 1980 and moved up from this to the PSR-20 which sounded pretty good then up to a lot of others and other brands. Came back to Yamaha about 20 years ago and presently play a PSR S770 which I really love. Thanks for the memories.
I remember my mom used to have a keyboard... I swore it was a Casio... but it might've been a Yamaha. It had a bunch of colorful buttons like this, but actually had more of them. It didn't have a screen either, and the speaker was up with all the buttons, not to the left/right of the main keys. I remember it had some really funky sounds and demos, it also had a metal bar to hold sheet music up, and she had a dust cover for it too. I have no idea what exact model it was... but I wish I could figure it out. It was all black / dark plastic on the outside. I also remember it having a MIDI (DIN) port(s?) on it too, but we never used that. I swear it must've come anywhere from the late 80s to mid 90s.
wow, looking it up now... it might've been a Casiotone. Surprised by how quick I found it this time... previously I couldn't find anything.
look in the old picture albums your mom probably made, if not there should be some box littered with old pictures where they just got too lazy to ever put them in an album :P
thats the way I found out the old model we used to have 25+ years ago :)
I still have an old casio. We had a box, manual, power supply and dust cover for it, but we put it up for auction years ago. It didn't sell, but along the way the Auction house lost the power supply, and apparently threw out the box.
Euugh. Figures.
I remember that one. It had some letters in the name, then a dash, and then a number... ending with a zero, I think.
Black Casio keyboard with color buttons, speakers AND midi? Well, you're having a lucky day, because there aren't many Casio keyboards from back in the day which fits that description. I think it's probably one of the keyboards from their 1989 Midi line: MT-240, MT-260, MT-540, CT-460, CT-640, ... They were all very popular back then. There is also the HT series, but those aren't very colorful keyboards. Nevertheless, they are the HT-700, HT-3000 and HT-6000. Good luck finding the correct instrument! Was it a smaller keyboard or a bigger one, by the way? That would narrow down the results quite a lot.
His neighbours probably think he has a screw loose because he constantly washes electronics and leaves them out in the sun.
Haha I hadn't tought about that but it's so true.
Sometimes they even catch him on all fours, massaging cream unto his electronics, in his driveway
My mom and I used to own both of these keyboards. She bought herself the one with the big keys (the PSR-6) and myself the one with the small keys (the PSS-270) as she was an adult and had a bigger handspan than I did - and then I promptly grew bigger hands than hers. I used to have a blast with them, but the strides that have been made since these were new are amazing. I remember being very fond of the pipe organ, the alpenhorn, and sine wave sounds. I also remember that these keyboards were the reason we bought universal adapters instead of having to deal with batteries all the time.
Great video! This keyboard is similar to the first one I had with full sized keys; the Yamaha PSR-11. It only had 16 sounds. That keyboard has since died, but I still have access to the sounds. Before moving away from my home town, to go to College, I sampled all the sounds from my various childhood instruments, using my Roland W-30. The best two were the Casio CT-670 & the Yamaha EL7.
The demo tunes sound a bit like super mario bros 3
SLEEEP CAN WAIT
I work with state of the art pro audio gear every day. Yet I LOVE to watch you play around with 8-bit toy keyboards from the 1980s. I don't know why, but it makes me feel warm inside. Thanks!
I'm not that much into keyboards, but the "Demonstration" button on this one was always fun to listen to for me.
12:05
Elevator music
are you sure? it sounds so familiar..
frozeniceman It's a classical piece.
Captain? we need a name
@@FrozenIceMan th-cam.com/video/0KQ7UTdadlY/w-d-xo.html&lc=Ugw708zQU-fvgh8QdaN4AaABAg.8Xx40uOa1cH8YBCWMAuSWD "Felix Mendelssohn's Song of Spring, Op. 62, No. 2" (from Songs Without Words; more often translated as Spring Song instead of Song of Spring but whatever)
Now looking for the other one.
@@FrozenIceMan th-cam.com/video/0KQ7UTdadlY/w-d-xo.html&lc=Ugw708zQU-fvgh8QdaN4AaABAg.8Xx40uOa1cH8YBCWMAuSWD "Felix Mendelssohn's Song of Spring, Op. 62, No. 2" (from Songs Without Words; more often translated as Spring Song instead of Song of Spring but whatever)
Now looking for the other one.
Laughed out loud when he decided not to remove the switches one at a time
Efficiency is a key aspect during disassembling, to get it cleaned as fast as possible. XD
(Yes that was a pun)
Yeah I cracked a smile at that too
That was great
as a music student and a nerd I love your reviews of this old pieces of technology I'm 21 old guy and I love this kind of retro tech videos plz ! Still with this amazing job! Greetings from mexico !
Love your channel so much!
specially the restoration ones, from gritty to neaty... it's really satisfying!!!!!! ☺
6:16 I know I've heard that music somewhere. Ultima?
Yep! Ultima 6
Sounds like hero quest theme song from Amiga
th-cam.com/video/lDB7f1KQCRg/w-d-xo.html
He did a video on the song earlier
th-cam.com/video/OcbeBtO7LLk/w-d-xo.html
Darkavatar this one is Stones, not the intro
If that toy keyboard has a microphone, will that mean that you'll singing in the next video?
That would be quite interesting. Singing at a creepy smiling piano-teethed cat.
That would be quite interesting. Singing at a creepy smiling piano-teethed cat.
That would be quite interesting. Singing at a creepy smiling piano-teethed cat.
TH-cam thought your comment was so good it sent it 3 times. XD
Bubble and ghost are the best patches on this thing. I love this keyboard.
Happy videos for my father who passed away.thanks.
Glad that I downloaded Chrome, I come to your videos in an instant and being early to watch your lovely videos.
Keep it up, David. ^w^
sponsored by chrome
yep
i had chrome for like 2 days, was glad to be back on firefox :)
Nice try, Google shill. (/s)
raafmaat same
On some of these keyboards would it be possible to swap diffrent chips out (like a later iteration or a non cost reduced version processor) or a diffrent rom chip to improve how they function?
Andrew Singleton probably not unless they are compatible with each other, but even then it would be unlikely
I really like the piece of music at @6:34. I heard it before in a review and fall in love for it. Thanks for playing it again :D
Honestly, your song makes the PSR-6 sound like a decent keyboard. I always thought my PSR-6 sounded like garbage. You did an awesome job with it.
...If you where a poor musician in the 80s and all you had was this keyboard.. would one have been able to make it by with this...?
Depends on how good you are at making do with what you have. Memorable melodies and creative usage of instruments can carry you a long way.
yeah, as long as you had some sort of tape deck (would have been fairly common back then)
even today for independent musicians and game developers that are going for a retro theme
Speaking as an independent musician, I don't think any of us would prefer to use something like this over a program like AdLib Tracker which is way more versatile. And also free.
I remember some local alternative bands in Kansas and Texas in the 80's and 90's used cheap Casio and Yamaha keyboards on stage. One even added a strap on his to make it kind of a keytar. And they ran the keyboards output through effects over the PA system or the guitar amps to beef up their sound.
Thanks for bringing back the old intro music
Interesting to see the difference between the PSR-6 and my PSR-12. The YM3812 has some iconic sounds that I love recording in some of my music, but I will say I wouldn't mind having Comet in my arsenal. Yamaha always makes me buy their various models just so I can have one or two sounds I enjoy!
Oh, that's interesting! I owned a PSR-6 as a kid, but the demo on it was the one that this PSS-270 has. Maybe the person we bought it from had both and swapped out the chips at some point...
I have so many fond memories with this keyboard though! My mom eventually sold it, and I've missed it ever since, so I'm so happy to see you do a video on one.
Always entertaining to see how you manage to pull out something you can qualify as music of these oldies.
Always cool to see these restorations! Looking forward to that follow up video! I've seen that keyboard at Target and played around on it at the store, but the only real keyboard riff i can remember off the top of my head is Mongoloid by Devo so whenever I see a toy keyboard at the store I always play that and then my wife gives me half dirty look and half look of ironic appreciation.
I've been waiting for this! :D
I have a soft spot in my heart for this one, it's been the one I've had since I was like 14.
this guy is the man...love how meticulous he is bravo...
That was actually a neat little tune. I had a PSR-12 back in the day. Shhh, I was in the Air Force way back then, and made a stand for it out of scrap 3/4" titanium tubing with black plastic caps for the ends and rubber feet. I also fashioned an aluminum banner plate/bracket that I painted black and stuck those giant sticky white vinyl letters you can buy to make a sign across it, saying "YAMAHA". When I sold it in a garage sale, I probably didn't mention that the stand was probably worth 20 times more than the keyboard. Maybe I did. It was a long time ago...
I have this keyboard and for someone who just tinkers around with basic keyboarding, it's not a bad one. I have had mine since 1992 and it still works just fine.
this guy is excellent reviewer, touches all KEY areas (pun intended)
your meticulous attention to detail is amazing to watch. Great job.
At around 11:00 you play a great song! I thought the sound was very familiar to the Panasonic FM-PAC, which was a very popular sound cardridge for the MSX system. So I looked it up, and it turns out that the FM-PAC has the exact same sound-chip as this keyboard. Never knew that it was also used in other products. Nice.
Your smile ☺ when you mentioned the newer toy keyboard at the end. That must have a nice story attached to it.. can't help to listen to it.
WHOA! I just restored my old PSR-3! What timing!
i bought one of these thrifted but in good working condition from my job today and i’m really excited to play around with it :)
Wow, that thing where you hit the last 2 keys to enter test mode happened on my PSS-140 as a kid! I thought I broke it after discovering this by accident one day, and then I learned the value of "Did you try turning it off again?" for the first time.
I recently purchased a Guitar Hero controller that came with the first two games. When I tried to play on it, the green fret button would get stuck. That made the game unplayable. Long story short, I took it apart to fix it. Upon fixing the green fret, the red fret proceeded to get stuck. I'll make a video about it eventually, but that was one of the most aggravating things I've ever experienced.
I understand nothing about electronics but I could watch your videos all day. (I actually did once!)
Thanks for your hard work.
I found one of these for $5 a few weeks ago and inspired by your videos I almost took it apart to do some retrobrighting on the keys but now I'm glad I didn't try it. Looks like it was not meant to be taken apart. Great video!
We had one of those growing up, amazingly simple but good little thing
The classic intro returns
This was my first keyboard. I had just started taking piano lessons about 20 years ago, and my dad bought me this from some now defunct department store (I wish I remembered the name). I didn't stick with piano long, and this keyboard was horrible to play, but I moved on to guitar, and still play that today. However, I dug it out of the attic maybe 10 years ago and tried to see about circuit bending it or getting cool sounds out of it and... well... it was just as bad as I had remembered. I'm not surprised the internals are so poorly put together. But, either way, thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Great video as usual. I got very excited to see this come in as a donation. My cousins had this kb when I was a kid. Nothing beats "when the saints go marching" played on the WAVES (sound 99)
I had an old Yamaha like that as a child in the late 80's! I don't remember what model it was but it looked more like the PSR-6. The demo tune was the same as the one that played on the PSS-270.
God I miss my PSR6 now, this was nostalgic
This guy has got some weird charm, and i love it im gonna be subscribed forever
I feel we're getting closer the point where you restore and review my beloved PSS 680 😍
I've waited so long for a new episode! Thank you so much for always creating awesome video :)
I still have one of these in my parent's home that was gifted to me by an uncle in the early 90's. What I learned after watching this video and not being a pianist nearly 30 years later is that it's not worth cleaning it off and getting it working again haha
My high school's music department had a whole load of PSS-270s at the disposal of students in the early 1990s. I didn't make much music on them, but it amused me greatly that the model's demo mode song was Just The Way You Are by Billy Joel :)
I might have to find one on eBay for the sake of nostalgia ^^
Heh, Dave, I love it when you play that Spelunker theme music! But what was even more fun was listening to you play this new song you wrote! Good job!