Damn, those choirs are BEAUTIFUL. What's even more astonishing is that they aren't samples, but pure synthesis, just arrays of band pass filters. For me, those choirs are a sufficient reason to get an FS1R already.
Even though the FS1R has band-pass filters that you can use as a filter over a generated sound, the choirs are entirely built up using FM and formant synthesis, that's why you can create such complex results and get super detailed control over every small detail of the sound.
Demos of these voices are wonderful. Yes, this is now a kind of "holy grail" synth--out of reach for most buyers. One wonders now that Montage and MODX offer 8-op FM if a lot of the sounds that were only possible with the FS-1R can now be done with them---but still, even Montage does not offer the Formant synthesis and the combinations that this rare bird does. Thanks for doing such a fine job of showing us some of its potential.
I love mine. I bought the FS1R to compliment the Yamaha AN1X i also have. The FS1R is a BEAST. THICK dynamic bass. sparkling highs, warm mids... Through Formant shaping even throaty timbres come to life. The Fs1r has an evolving sound that is exceptionally expressive. I especially love my FS1R & AN1X & wouldn't give em up for the world. They each have their own flavor and place. There are synths like the FS1R the Korg Oasys, An200, XV-5080, JP8000, MS2000, OB-12, TG-77, etc.. that a lot of people sleep on though their each stunning in their own right.
@@EspenKraft I got one since 1998. Is one of my fav synths. Do you agree it has the worst ever user manual? 🤣It´s so bad that it took me one year to realice those small black buttons on the left of the screen were for real and not plastic taps to hide screws!
I sold these at a music store back when it was first introduced. I ended up buying the demo model after they discontinued it. I will NEVER sell this AMAZING synth module. It's so unique! Also, a guy made a software program to convert WAV files to formant sequences. I turned a recording of my voice into a formant sequence! It was very "vocoder" like but also different and unique! One of the most clean and lush sounding synths I've ever owned! Like I said... I will NEVER SELL IT!!!! NEVER!! I love my Yamaha FS1R!!!
This is the most beautiful Channel on TH-cam for me. I love the "Gears" from the 80's and 90's. Thank you Espen for this Channel, and please never stop it.
@@AndersEngerJensen oh I didn't mean like a bad thing I just meant that it was powerful I may have chose the wrong words, and I definitely understand about lgr I believe I went to go find something after he mentioned it
Espen, you really have a knack for knowing what kind of video snippets will work perfectly with your songs. Love the simple reflective moments of you, the night time driving, etc. Nicely done.
Ladies and gentlemen, can I have you your attention please...:) That got my attention when it I got it my FS1R during blowout sale. Still have it. I wish Yamaha will release a VST with an easy way to generate and use fseqs.
Programming the FS1R via the font panel is like painting the Sistine Chapel through a letterbox. I'm using the Sakura Editor with a Wacom tablet to programme this. It has become like fine art painting or sculpture with timbre. The two together work incredibly beautifully. The Sakura editor and FS1R with midi can sometimes be a bit fussy (on mac anyway). You will need to set the FS1R midi device number to Channel 1 and may have to try one or two different midi interfaces. PS. The picture of the FS1R on the loading icons in the Sakura Editor was created from an actual digital photo of my FS1R. I created new icons which I sent to Sakura..... a very feeble claim to fame when considerring the total genius of Sakura. Thank you so, so much Sakura. And many thanks too Espen, loving your work.
Thanks Espen for this wonderful video! I’m one of the lucky owner of a FS1R. It’s one of the most complicated menu driven musical instrument I’ve ever had. One of its hidden function is the different memory reformatting made to accept particular sys-ex dumps to generate formants. It can be programmed through SoundDiver or ancient softwares running under MacOS9 and earlier.
I still have my Yamaha MU100R in perfect working order, and the sounds in that are just so damn good - the 80s in a box. Great video again Espen. Thank you.
Sounds amazing. My personal backlog of Yamaha gear - PSS280 as a kid, TG300, DX27, SY35 (bought from Pato Banton), SW1000XG (the first person in the UK to get one), S90 mk1, DS55, P45. I used to work for Yamaha in he mid 90s and again in 2000. Great gear.
Wow your music is not just 80s it is now, it is You and You are here and now, your music is fresh and very lovely, it's like we can experience life in a different good way through the feelings and emotions that comes through your sound. Thank you Espen for making music and not choosing to give up somewhere along the line, you are a blessing to us. Thank you. I hope you receive all the goodness you put out into the world 100x back...... I speak happiness and peace over you.
I knew after coming back to this track multiple times it has the makings of a hit even today. You should release a full video for this on your channel.
A true gem; perhaps the best FM synth ever made, and definitely one of the best digital synths! It’s my dream synth but that price tag has always been too high for me... I’d kill for a software emulation, unfortunately Yamaha doesn’t seem all that interested in the software market.
zdravkodimitrov MODX lacks formants and unvoiced operators. While FM-X is very similar to the synth engine contained into FS1R, the latter has a different complexity while, on the other hand, it lacks Motion Sequences. If Montage and MODX could load FS1R patches it would be a dream
@@digitalperformer7 Trust me, the complexity of FM-X , And Montage with 128 Polyphony Stereo FM synthesis with 88 Algorithms, 8 operators and 18 filters - you're gonna get MORE than enough to fiddle around with. Did you know that The Montage's FM-X was built on the FS1R? Yamaha specifically mentions this on their Montage page.
Whats magical about this synth, is apart from insane high def formant synthesis its how easy you can form different sounds and effects combinations just by editing on the fly, merging it with fm. Every preset voice by default sounds different in each program. 1000 voices multiply by 256 programs! Endless possibilities.
Hello Espen! I have a Yamaha FS1R and I love it! Together with EMU Morpheus and Korg Wavestation SR. My perfect trio controlled and sequenced by a Yamaha Motif XF8, Korg MicroX and Roland MC80 to make 80's sounds that I record on Tascam DP24 (Not DAW, old school).
I'm not sure how secret it is. Anyone who knows FM is aware this is the best FM synth ever made. It does everything and sounds amazing. Even the built in FX are insanely good.
Yes. But how many know FM? By an accident of circumstance, it so happened that my very first synth was a DX7. All I heard was, "impossible to program", "doesn't sound warm", "all it can do is that electric piano thing" and so on. Because I didn't have any analog synth knowledge to "unlearn", I approached the DX with a clean sheet of paper, as it were, and found its programming to be logical and straightforward, once one understood the principles behind FM. (Yeah, having the interface that the DX1 had would have been a lot better, but, hey, a DX1 cost, like, seven times as much!) I would start with the factory patches and then go from there to see where it led. I found it to be capable of a lot more than many gave it credit for. I have a DX5 even today and it is really an amazing synth. I am intrigued by the FS1R and keep looking to see if I can find one for a "reasonable" price.
Great video Espen. I remember playing with this synth in the store when it came out and to be honest I always though it was like a Yamaha Motif , However after watching your Video I didn't know it was an FM synth. The FS1R sounds Amazing. Is insane how expensive this Synth is now. I just saw one for 6K on ebay!! wow , I should have bought it when they were cheap.
Mine arrived in the mail today. Had a play through the presets and wow there are some lush sounds in there. The controls on the box are also easier to use than expected. One of the things I noticed when playing it was how well defined the sound is even at very low or very high octaves. I'll try make a recording of it sometime and post it.
Thank you for making a video of this lovely module. There are very few on TH-cam. I love that Hollywood preset, it reminds me of the sounds of 80’s action movies. You are right about the layout of the menus though, it is pretty easy to navigate once you get used to it.
This synth is gorgeous and I'm kicking myself for never getting it. Why didn't I? Virtual analog was all the rage and I just couldn't justify buying a sound module. 😭
yup, me too - they were quite cheap 10-15 years ago - but I was being tight and got a tx81z instead. Love the tx, but this thing is one of the pinacles of digital synthesis.
@@LondraCalibro9 At least the tx81z has that 'Lately Bass' patch that most other FM synths can't quite reach. I had an FS-1R, it was really good. Horrible to program without having a patch editor on the computer, but the first synth I had that was truly capable of creating those lovely vocal pad type sounds rather than relying on a sample. I got rid of it when I ditched all my hardware in favour of softsynths. I used to have a TG77 also, and a tx81z too. FM is awesome, in fact my first synth was a DX100, so I grew into FM in a big way. The reason I ditched all that and went to softsynths is because of the total nightmare trying to have more than one track on the go at the same time - i.e. which multi setups were on which synth and what effects it was all running through, and mixer settings etc. I much prefer to be able to press save and know that when I load I will be back exactly where I was when I left a track. Of course there's also the fact that if I want the equivalent of having 10 DX7s I can do it without spending a small furtune. But yeah the FS-1R was definitely one of the best sounding synths I had. It was one of the few I bought brand new too. I clearly sold up too early ... they're going for a small fortune now!
Again, a great video by The Espen! :) That's a beautiful piece of engineered equipment, with lots of beautiful sounds! Great demo song too! PSB'ish, though also upon further listening, perhaps also a bit of Depeche Mode there in the mix? Good stuff! :)
Thanks man! I can't really tell where influences come from because I never make my music setting out to mimic this or that, I just make what I feel os good music wrapped up in a sound and arrangement I instinctively feel is the right one. ;-)
Yamaha couldn't give these away and I was working for Roland Importers so I picked one up Sealed for $150 (Today's exchange rate) I wish I had kept it now. I got so many things while working there and wish I had kept them, Wavestation Keyboard and Rack,ff Ensoniq Rack Module, Yamaha TG-77 New (Last one in Stock at Yamaha Wholesalers, they couldn't give it away either), SY-77, Roland JP-8080, JV-1080/2080/5080, and many more. Picked up TX-81Z new for $50. Love FM. I have an ASR-10 I want to swap for an SY-77 or TG-77 but all the demand is not on our continent.
And when it does, it’s richer than what you’d get from a DX. I played one for a few minutes once at the home of a collector. That was what really stood out to me. The DXano sound was incredibly rich and full.
your channel is just an endless array of beautiful sounds i never tire of. i hope to produce/reproduce tracks like you do someday - probably with a much more limited amount of sound choices and whatnot but i just HAVE to make music like this for myself!
I used to have a Yamaha TG500 module. That thing was a BEAST, relatively easy to use. It had twice the polyphony of the SY85 and despite only being an AWM2 synth engine, had really nice filters and FX.
I’ve never used one, but I can imagine like most yamaha fm synths they’re not so complicated for sound design once you put in the work. Yamaha are like that, seem so complicated at first, but make a lot of sense once you’re familiar. I’ve always wanted a fs1r
You know, as much as I like your reviews, they always have a negative effect on the used gear market. That is for the buyer, ..me :-). Seriously, great work though! Love your content.
@@mrz80 There's a difference between selling price and asking price. Asking prices are indeed crazy, but a realistic selling price is more around €1000.
bought one back in 2001 when nobody wanted them for 300 clams. an amazingly deep beast of a box, but massively frustrating to make sounds on. wish i still had it
wow very interesting tones from this synth indeed. Beautiful I should say. I didnt actually know it had 8 operators either. and theres that rare but huge controller for it.
There's a couple of these on both Reverb and eBay going for around $2300 give or take. Wish I had known about this awesome synth back when they came out. I wonder if a modern day Yamaha MODX with its 8 operator FM would eclipse the warmth and sonic character of this 1U wonder. Thanks for sharing and such a great 80's feel in your demos. Best
Mr. Kraft, you have cost me some serious money! On hearing this video I went out and paid a ridiculous price for an FS1R.... and I will never regret it! All the things that people say they hate about it are the things I love - it's crystalline and icy cold. I'm in love. Oh, and now I'm addicted to shoplifting - not a sentence I thought I'd hear myself say!! haha Thank you for all you do for those of us out in synthland - many people love what you do and I hope that the comments from us serve to dilute the haters a little bit. :)
1. Wonderful song. 2. Great demo of FS1r. I'm surprised by a couple of things. I'm only listening on my laptop with headphones, but the effects sound surprisingly high-quality for a late-90s edition synth. Secondly, aside from the wonderful FM, the filter sounds amazing. That rich filter sweeps over the pad at about 10:03, with the resonance going into self-oscillation at 10:12 is really impressive.
Wow, thats some module! Also - a great smooth song, and indeed a very nice music video scene from inside the car in the night. Found your Spotify account. Now I will add Shoplifting to my favourites, and share it with my kids, so they learn to enjoy real music :-)
Hey, awesome Niklas, thank you very much! My own kids are pretty much fed up with my music, but they do know the value of good 80s pop! Tackar så mycket! :)
The FS1R seemed to get good reviews when it came out and you could buy them quite inexpensively for a long time. Unfortunately those days are over, these little modules are very expensive now!
I owned one of these, and it did indeed sound fantastic. Why did I sell it? It was all but impossible to program. And I came into using it as a DX5 user who learned to program FM in pretty good depth. I'm hoping Yamaha, Sequential, someone, anyone, makes a similar version to this, a true FM synth, 6-8 operators, various waveforms, user defined algorithms, formant, a filter, effects, etc. The digital tech is there, and nothing that doesn't pretty much exist tech wise. HOWEVER, it needs to be made with a heap of buttons, sliders, knobs, plus probably a touch screen, so it can be programmed. Otherwise, it's just going to be used for presets, or waiting for experts to sell programs. This would kill it, making it little different than VSTs.
I have one in mint condition... recently got an iPad editor for it. Now I just got to create some original patches - or tweak some, mostly to enable breath control.
I had a chance to buy an FS1R when it was first released, as I worked in a pro music store at the time. I stupidly passed on it even though I liked it, and of course it goes for crazy money these days on Ebay.
Excellent synth! I have one too. In truth, Yamaha revived about 2/3 of the FS1R in the Montage as FM-X, but they left out the best part, the Formants for some reason. I can still do more with the FS1R than I can with my Montage.
I have one some time ago... I love it... So unique... No one want it when he come out... Now have mad quotation... I see mad prices!!! The lowest one at 900 euros to 2800!!! That's crazy... At 15.34 i use this sound on one my demo!!! One of the best vocals ever heard...
I got one of these for a few hundred quid in the early noughties :-) I knew it was a gem then and I just hope it never stops working. I had a fright when I thought it had but it was just the backup battery. I'd rather have an FS1R synth than 100s of gigabytes of sample based sounds.
Wow...i own one and didn't realize how people are paining real bucks for these...I use it mainly for Sub Bass type sounds, FM type bells and of course the choirs...but for crystall E piano type sounds this Synth is unbeaten. I bought mine in Berlin, Germany from a guy that couldn't use it or was to lazy to learn how to program it..dirt cheap. Together with my Yamaha EX5, Korg Wavestation EX & my most used Synth...the Fs1r is a dream for Sub Bass / Drum & Bass type sounds that breach thru every track/mix without having to compress/maximize/Eq...it was ridiculously underrated even in Europe. Mainly because people in the Electronic music scene were buying Virtual Analogs...Yamaha An1x, Clavia Norld Lead, Roland Jp series, Novation Supernova etc...I went the other direction...I bought the EX5 mainly for the FDSP...i prefer FM Synthesis and Wavetable synthesis....but yeah, the Fs1r has the most pristine sound that i could imagine. I want the Yamaha VP1...(;
That rubber bass from your shoplifting demo song carried over to all Yamaha's XG modules. I never really liked the sound much but I remember it from my SW1000XG card and S-YXG50 and 100 softsynths.
One of the best-sounding digital synths ever. Truly a shining gem of FM, and more.
In a parallell universe, Mr Kraft is the third member of Pet Shop Boys.
Came here to say something similar
Yes!!
You mean Neil Tennant doesn't live in Norway with an attic full of synths making TH-cam videos about them?
I thought it was Pet shop boys
I think he don't like the comparison...
Damn, those choirs are BEAUTIFUL. What's even more astonishing is that they aren't samples, but pure synthesis, just arrays of band pass filters. For me, those choirs are a sufficient reason to get an FS1R already.
Even though the FS1R has band-pass filters that you can use as a filter over a generated sound, the choirs are entirely built up using FM and formant synthesis, that's why you can create such complex results and get super detailed control over every small detail of the sound.
Demos of these voices are wonderful. Yes, this is now a kind of "holy grail" synth--out of reach for most buyers. One wonders now that Montage and MODX offer 8-op FM if a lot of the sounds that were only possible with the FS-1R can now be done with them---but still, even Montage does not offer the Formant synthesis and the combinations that this rare bird does. Thanks for doing such a fine job of showing us some of its potential.
Cheers!
The 80s and 90s are still alive in your music ... It's like listening to songs from Pet Shop Boys that I never heard ... thanks.
Thank you! :)
yeah you got me trying to work out which Pet Shop Boys track it is.
"I enter the store, slick as a ferret" - that, sir, is genius! Love your reviews, your tracks and your attitude. Thanks!
Many thanks man! ;-)
Espen Kraft will never admit that 80's musik and musikal instruments will never die as my self too.Its kinda sentimental and nostalgic.
This module is on another LEVEL for those in the know.
I love mine. I bought the FS1R to compliment the Yamaha AN1X i also have. The FS1R is a BEAST. THICK dynamic bass. sparkling highs, warm mids... Through Formant shaping even throaty timbres come to life. The Fs1r has an evolving sound that is exceptionally expressive. I especially love my FS1R & AN1X & wouldn't give em up for the world. They each have their own flavor and place. There are synths like the FS1R the Korg Oasys, An200, XV-5080, JP8000, MS2000, OB-12, TG-77, etc.. that a lot of people sleep on though their each stunning in their own right.
We thought we've known (if not own) all great synths that existed, but the FS1R went under the radar. Thanks for the great video!
Thanks!
@@EspenKraft I got one since 1998. Is one of my fav synths. Do you agree it has the worst ever user manual? 🤣It´s so bad that it took me one year to realice those small black buttons on the left of the screen were for real and not plastic taps to hide screws!
I sold these at a music store back when it was first introduced. I ended up buying the demo model after they discontinued it. I will NEVER sell this AMAZING synth module. It's so unique! Also, a guy made a software program to convert WAV files to formant sequences. I turned a recording of my voice into a formant sequence! It was very "vocoder" like but also different and unique! One of the most clean and lush sounding synths I've ever owned! Like I said... I will NEVER SELL IT!!!! NEVER!! I love my Yamaha FS1R!!!
Nevaaaaa 🔥🔥🔥🔥 haha i got one also
Best i can do is 50 bucks and im taking a huge risk - also i need to frame it.. what what, sorry wrong channel
What is the software that you use for making FSeqs?
Good to hear someone loyal to his love ...
think twice, they go for 4-5000 bucks on ebay as we speak...
Long life to this incredible synth, one of the best digital ever made! Love Yamaha FS1R
This is the most beautiful Channel on TH-cam for me. I love the "Gears" from the 80's and 90's. Thank you Espen for this Channel, and please never stop it.
Many thanks for saying Miklos! :)
As if these weren't expensive enough, now you post a video!! XD
I'm gonna buy up all FS1R's that have left. 😉
seriously the espen kraft effect is devestating
just wanted to say the same :D
Sine Nomine It’s the same with The 8-Bit Guy, Techmoan and LGR. ;)
@@AndersEngerJensen oh I didn't mean like a bad thing I just meant that it was powerful I may have chose the wrong words, and I definitely understand about lgr I believe I went to go find something after he mentioned it
Espen, you really have a knack for knowing what kind of video snippets will work perfectly with your songs. Love the simple reflective moments of you, the night time driving, etc. Nicely done.
Hey, thanks for saying. Highly appreciated! :)
Ladies and gentlemen, can I have you your attention please...:) That got my attention when it I got it my FS1R during blowout sale. Still have it. I wish Yamaha will release a VST with an easy way to generate and use fseqs.
Programming the FS1R via the font panel is like painting the Sistine Chapel through a letterbox. I'm using the Sakura Editor with a Wacom tablet to programme this. It has become like fine art painting or sculpture with timbre. The two together work incredibly beautifully.
The Sakura editor and FS1R with midi can sometimes be a bit fussy (on mac anyway). You will need to set the FS1R midi device number to Channel 1 and may have to try one or two different midi interfaces.
PS. The picture of the FS1R on the loading icons in the Sakura Editor was created from an actual digital photo of my FS1R. I created new icons which I sent to Sakura..... a very feeble claim to fame when considerring the total genius of Sakura. Thank you so, so much Sakura. And many thanks too Espen, loving your work.
Thanks! :)
Thanks for showing off this synth, this was a great demonstration
Cheers!
Best £99 I have spent in a music shop clearance sale in 2002!
Missed out on the CS80 for £300 (complete with stand) in 1989...
Thanks Espen for this wonderful video! I’m one of the lucky owner of a FS1R. It’s one of the most complicated menu driven musical instrument I’ve ever had. One of its hidden function is the different memory reformatting made to accept particular sys-ex dumps to generate formants. It can be programmed through SoundDiver or ancient softwares running under MacOS9 and earlier.
Thanks! And thanks for sharing, hidden functions is always interesting to hear about. :)
AWESOME demo! This, the EX5R, Fantom XR, & Kawai K5000R are on my hit list.
Cheers!
I still have my Yamaha MU100R in perfect working order, and the sounds in that are just so damn good - the 80s in a box. Great video again Espen. Thank you.
Me too. I love it - I don't think it gets talked about much.
Dnaldoog it’s amazing isn’t it? I daren’t think about the day it finally dies. I hope it lasts longer than me.
Sounds amazing. My personal backlog of Yamaha gear - PSS280 as a kid, TG300, DX27, SY35 (bought from Pato Banton), SW1000XG (the first person in the UK to get one), S90 mk1, DS55, P45. I used to work for Yamaha in he mid 90s and again in 2000. Great gear.
That Choir pad left me BREATHLESS.
Wow your music is not just 80s it is now, it is You and You are here and now, your music is fresh and very lovely, it's like we can experience life in a different good way through the feelings and emotions that comes through your sound. Thank you Espen for making music and not choosing to give up somewhere along the line, you are a blessing to us. Thank you. I hope you receive all the goodness you put out into the world 100x back...... I speak happiness and peace over you.
Thank you for saying this Sean, I appreciate it very much. Love and peace! :)
Incredible synth! And the demo song! The excitement of the unexpected chords in the part C!!
Cheers!
"Shoplifting in my Home town" -- You and your FS1R can make even petty crime sound amazing! :-) Great arrangement!
Thanks! :)
@@EspenKraft That was a great title for a song. The song was superb. Going back to re-listen!
2 people objected to the Espen Kraft effect on eBay prices😵
I got mine last year. It was not cheap, but it is pristine and really adds some special sounds to the synth stash
I knew after coming back to this track multiple times it has the makings of a hit even today. You should release a full video for this on your channel.
Thanks for the advice. I will take it into consideration. ;-)
A true gem; perhaps the best FM synth ever made, and definitely one of the best digital synths! It’s my dream synth but that price tag has always been too high for me... I’d kill for a software emulation, unfortunately Yamaha doesn’t seem all that interested in the software market.
A MODX comes close, and the price is reasonable.
zdravkodimitrov MODX lacks formants and unvoiced operators. While FM-X is very similar to the synth engine contained into FS1R, the latter has a different complexity while, on the other hand, it lacks Motion Sequences. If Montage and MODX could load FS1R patches it would be a dream
@@digitalperformer7 Trust me, the complexity of FM-X , And Montage with 128 Polyphony Stereo FM synthesis with 88 Algorithms, 8 operators and 18 filters - you're gonna get MORE than enough to fiddle around with. Did you know that The Montage's FM-X was built on the FS1R? Yamaha specifically mentions this on their Montage page.
@@TommyHelgevold But it is missing those differentiators. There are some very cool patches using the pieces Yamaha left out of the MODX.
DEXED, maybe? It's pretty much the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink FM soft synth
Whats magical about this synth, is apart from insane high def formant synthesis its how easy you can form different sounds and effects combinations just by editing on the fly, merging it with fm. Every preset voice by default sounds different in each program. 1000 voices multiply by 256 programs! Endless possibilities.
Great demo song! That thing sounds really magnificent!
Thanks! :)
Hello Espen! I have a Yamaha FS1R and I love it! Together with EMU Morpheus and Korg Wavestation SR. My perfect trio controlled and sequenced by a Yamaha Motif XF8, Korg MicroX and Roland MC80 to make 80's sounds that I record on Tascam DP24 (Not DAW, old school).
Nice setup! :)
Beautiful track. Those bells you played on that module are crystal rays of light.
Thanks!
My favorite synth of all time
Incredible sounding synth, I want one 😍
16:29 This Relaxxx patch was used in some BR3 Space Night music in the 90s (German TV).
I'm not sure how secret it is. Anyone who knows FM is aware this is the best FM synth ever made. It does everything and sounds amazing. Even the built in FX are insanely good.
Yes. But how many know FM? By an accident of circumstance, it so happened that my very first synth was a DX7. All I heard was, "impossible to program", "doesn't sound warm", "all it can do is that electric piano thing" and so on. Because I didn't have any analog synth knowledge to "unlearn", I approached the DX with a clean sheet of paper, as it were, and found its programming to be logical and straightforward, once one understood the principles behind FM. (Yeah, having the interface that the DX1 had would have been a lot better, but, hey, a DX1 cost, like, seven times as much!) I would start with the factory patches and then go from there to see where it led. I found it to be capable of a lot more than many gave it credit for. I have a DX5 even today and it is really an amazing synth. I am intrigued by the FS1R and keep looking to see if I can find one for a "reasonable" price.
Great video Espen. I remember playing with this synth in the store when it came out and to be honest I always though it was like a Yamaha Motif , However after watching your Video I didn't know it was an FM synth. The FS1R sounds Amazing. Is insane how expensive this Synth is now. I just saw one for 6K on ebay!! wow , I should have bought it when they were cheap.
Thanks! 6K is if course just a fantasy price. No one will pay that for one. ;-)
Wow - You've done it again - I swear you're reading my thoughts.. I love this synth..
That Breathy patch !! Wow
Mine arrived in the mail today. Had a play through the presets and wow there are some lush sounds in there. The controls on the box are also easier to use than expected. One of the things I noticed when playing it was how well defined the sound is even at very low or very high octaves. I'll try make a recording of it sometime and post it.
Hi! Thanks for your video! I‘ve got an FS1R since around 2000 and enjoyed seeing your review/demo a lot! Cool song btw. 😁
Thanks! :)
Thank you for making a video of this lovely module. There are very few on TH-cam. I love that Hollywood preset, it reminds me of the sounds of 80’s action movies. You are right about the layout of the menus though, it is pretty easy to navigate once you get used to it.
Thanks for watching! :)
I've wanted one of these for a long time. I'm an FM junkie as well as hardware junkie. Toxic 2 and 3 can't compete with this thing.
The song is hilarious, just WTF, irresistible to listen to!
16:45 I love this groove here. I will use it as my ringtone.
This synth is gorgeous and I'm kicking myself for never getting it. Why didn't I? Virtual analog was all the rage and I just couldn't justify buying a sound module. 😭
yup, me too - they were quite cheap 10-15 years ago - but I was being tight and got a tx81z instead. Love the tx, but this thing is one of the pinacles of digital synthesis.
@@LondraCalibro9 At least the tx81z has that 'Lately Bass' patch that most other FM synths can't quite reach. I had an FS-1R, it was really good. Horrible to program without having a patch editor on the computer, but the first synth I had that was truly capable of creating those lovely vocal pad type sounds rather than relying on a sample. I got rid of it when I ditched all my hardware in favour of softsynths. I used to have a TG77 also, and a tx81z too. FM is awesome, in fact my first synth was a DX100, so I grew into FM in a big way. The reason I ditched all that and went to softsynths is because of the total nightmare trying to have more than one track on the go at the same time - i.e. which multi setups were on which synth and what effects it was all running through, and mixer settings etc. I much prefer to be able to press save and know that when I load I will be back exactly where I was when I left a track. Of course there's also the fact that if I want the equivalent of having 10 DX7s I can do it without spending a small furtune. But yeah the FS-1R was definitely one of the best sounding synths I had. It was one of the few I bought brand new too. I clearly sold up too early ... they're going for a small fortune now!
Again, a great video by The Espen! :) That's a beautiful piece of engineered equipment, with lots of beautiful sounds! Great demo song too! PSB'ish, though also upon further listening, perhaps also a bit of Depeche Mode there in the mix? Good stuff! :)
Thanks man! I can't really tell where influences come from because I never make my music setting out to mimic this or that, I just make what I feel os good music wrapped up in a sound and arrangement I instinctively feel is the right one. ;-)
Yamaha couldn't give these away and I was working for Roland Importers so I picked one up Sealed for $150 (Today's exchange rate) I wish I had kept it now. I got so many things while working there and wish I had kept them, Wavestation Keyboard and Rack,ff Ensoniq Rack Module, Yamaha TG-77 New (Last one in Stock at Yamaha Wholesalers, they couldn't give it away either), SY-77, Roland JP-8080, JV-1080/2080/5080, and many more. Picked up TX-81Z new for $50. Love FM. I have an ASR-10 I want to swap for an SY-77 or TG-77 but all the demand is not on our continent.
Top 10 gems I regret selling. Amazing module.
Sounds so great - doesn't have that usual "Oh that's FM synthesis" sound but it can do that if you want it to as well.
And when it does, it’s richer than what you’d get from a DX. I played one for a few minutes once at the home of a collector. That was what really stood out to me. The DXano sound was incredibly rich and full.
Love butter has been pouring out of my speakers for the last 20+ minutes . NICE1 ESPEN .
Cheers!
I have one of these units and I love it! Weird old thing and I'll never sell it.
your channel is just an endless array of beautiful sounds i never tire of. i hope to produce/reproduce tracks like you do someday - probably with a much more limited amount of sound choices and whatnot but i just HAVE to make music like this for myself!
Many thanks!
I used to have a Yamaha TG500 module. That thing was a BEAST, relatively easy to use. It had twice the polyphony of the SY85 and despite only being an AWM2 synth engine, had really nice filters and FX.
My best ever music store gift was being given a very early vox continental organ...... and 400 quid..... for an sy85
This was one i wanted to get since they were going dirt cheap in the 90's. A real 'secret' synth, and those who knew, knew...
wow Espen! great demo..some favs @10:21 classic DX @12:49 @14:24 lush@15:34 @16:30 @25:29
Thanks Nik! :)
I'm keeping my eyes open for one of these...ive been a formant freak ever since phonem phantastic
I’ve never used one, but I can imagine like most yamaha fm synths they’re not so complicated for sound design once you put in the work. Yamaha are like that, seem so complicated at first, but make a lot of sense once you’re familiar. I’ve always wanted a fs1r
Edit* I now own a FS1R 😊
I had the A3000. What a drag to edit. Always lusted after the FS1r but they were very expensive then as they are now.
Excellent video.
FM synthesis is so cool.
Cool shoplifting song too.
Many thanks man! :)
That one had completely escaped me. Amazing sound!
Those tubular bells made me shiver... 😊
You know, as much as I like your reviews, they always have a negative effect on the used gear market. That is for the buyer, ..me :-). Seriously, great work though! Love your content.
A negative effect on the buyer, but not sp much for the seller.. ;-) Thanks!
These things are selling in the neighborhood of $2k on Reverb. OUCH. :P
@@mrz80 There's a difference between selling price and asking price. Asking prices are indeed crazy, but a realistic selling price is more around €1000.
bought one back in 2001 when nobody wanted them for 300 clams. an amazingly deep beast of a box, but massively frustrating to make sounds on. wish i still had it
So now we know why Neil Tennant wore big coats!😁
He probably stuffed a lot of beer and cigs in there, and maybe a loaf of bread too 😂
Haha!
Petshoplifting
Yes, yes we know!)
wow very interesting tones from this synth indeed. Beautiful I should say. I didnt actually know it had 8 operators either. and theres that rare but huge controller for it.
There's a couple of these on both Reverb and eBay going for around $2300 give or take. Wish I had known about this awesome synth back when they came out. I wonder if a modern day Yamaha MODX with its 8 operator FM would eclipse the warmth and sonic character of this 1U wonder. Thanks for sharing and such a great 80's feel in your demos. Best
Cheers!
Yamaha definitely need to revisit this and add it to the Montage
FMX engine includes spectral formants. see tutorials on yamahasynth.com
Mr. Kraft, you have cost me some serious money! On hearing this video I went out and paid a ridiculous price for an FS1R.... and I will never regret it! All the things that people say they hate about it are the things I love - it's crystalline and icy cold. I'm in love. Oh, and now I'm addicted to shoplifting - not a sentence I thought I'd hear myself say!! haha Thank you for all you do for those of us out in synthland - many people love what you do and I hope that the comments from us serve to dilute the haters a little bit. :)
Thanks! If you have the money and want something, just get it. The FS1R has some unique sounds you want get anywhere else. ;-)
Thanks for this Demonstration Espen - just bought one for 700€ ... I‘m now a very happy Owner 😀😀😀
My pleasure and congrats! :)
Late 90s synths and samplers were really cool
1. Wonderful song. 2. Great demo of FS1r. I'm surprised by a couple of things. I'm only listening on my laptop with headphones, but the effects sound surprisingly high-quality for a late-90s edition synth. Secondly, aside from the wonderful FM, the filter sounds amazing. That rich filter sweeps over the pad at about 10:03, with the resonance going into self-oscillation at 10:12 is really impressive.
Thanks! It's definitely glossy and "high end" sounding in many ways.
That breathy pad is everything oh my god!
Wow, thats some module! Also - a great smooth song, and indeed a very nice music video scene from inside the car in the night. Found your Spotify account. Now I will add Shoplifting to my favourites, and share it with my kids, so they learn to enjoy real music :-)
Hey, awesome Niklas, thank you very much! My own kids are pretty much fed up with my music, but they do know the value of good 80s pop! Tackar så mycket! :)
The FS1R seemed to get good reviews when it came out and you could buy them quite inexpensively for a long time. Unfortunately those days are over, these little modules are very expensive now!
Oh shit, it's på Norsk! *Subscibed* Sounds amazing!
Thanks! Takk så mye :D
That Cine Sweep reminded me of some Phil Collins tune. Gave me goosebumps
I owned one of these, and it did indeed sound fantastic. Why did I sell it? It was all but impossible to program. And I came into using it as a DX5 user who learned to program FM in pretty good depth.
I'm hoping Yamaha, Sequential, someone, anyone, makes a similar version to this, a true FM synth, 6-8 operators, various waveforms, user defined algorithms, formant, a filter, effects, etc. The digital tech is there, and nothing that doesn't pretty much exist tech wise. HOWEVER, it needs to be made with a heap of buttons, sliders, knobs, plus probably a touch screen, so it can be programmed. Otherwise, it's just going to be used for presets, or waiting for experts to sell programs. This would kill it, making it little different than VSTs.
I got the Modx6 to get over the Fs1R which I didn't buy when I saw a cheap used sale years ago.
I have one in mint condition... recently got an iPad editor for it. Now I just got to create some original patches - or tweak some, mostly to enable breath control.
A great intrument. Thanks for this video!
I bought one of these when it closed out, many many years ago.
It's worth much, much more today, and I'll never sell it.
Much enjoyed, you take great care with your sounds, and we listeners appreciate that. Another big 👍.
Thanks! :)
I had this beast for many years, great sounding although I barely used it and ended up selling it. Do I regret selling it ? Yes.
Duuude, that demo song and sound, perfect!
Many thanks!
I had a chance to buy an FS1R when it was first released, as I worked in a pro music store at the time. I stupidly passed on it even though I liked it, and of course it goes for crazy money these days on Ebay.
Really great review - thanks!
Cheers!
Excellent synth! I have one too. In truth, Yamaha revived about 2/3 of the FS1R in the Montage as FM-X, but they left out the best part, the Formants for some reason. I can still do more with the FS1R than I can with my Montage.
I have one some time ago... I love it... So unique... No one want it when he come out... Now have mad quotation... I see mad prices!!! The lowest one at 900 euros to 2800!!! That's crazy... At 15.34 i use this sound on one my demo!!! One of the best vocals ever heard...
I’ve seen 6,000USD! www.ebay.com.au/itm/Used-YAMAHA-Sound-Source-Module-FS1R-With-Power-Cable/324147997930?hash=item4b78b9ecea:g:~cAAAOSwlM1eprj4
your song is fabulous, regardless of what sound module was used!
Awesome, thanks! :)
Very underrated professional Espen Kraft ....
I got one of these for a few hundred quid in the early noughties :-) I knew it was a gem then and I just hope it never stops working. I had a fright when I thought it had but it was just the backup battery. I'd rather have an FS1R synth than 100s of gigabytes of sample based sounds.
Fitting that there's a patch called JMichel... I could have sworn I heard some familiar formants on Jarre's Métamorphoses album.
Wow...i own one and didn't realize how people are paining real bucks for these...I use it mainly for Sub Bass type sounds, FM type bells and of course the choirs...but for crystall E piano type sounds this Synth is unbeaten. I bought mine in Berlin, Germany from a guy that couldn't use it or was to lazy to learn how to program it..dirt cheap. Together with my Yamaha EX5, Korg Wavestation EX & my most used Synth...the Fs1r is a dream for Sub Bass / Drum & Bass type sounds that breach thru every track/mix without having to compress/maximize/Eq...it was ridiculously underrated even in Europe. Mainly because people in the Electronic music scene were buying Virtual Analogs...Yamaha An1x, Clavia Norld Lead, Roland Jp series, Novation Supernova etc...I went the other direction...I bought the EX5 mainly for the FDSP...i prefer FM Synthesis and Wavetable synthesis....but yeah, the Fs1r has the most pristine sound that i could imagine. I want the Yamaha VP1...(;
Fabulously. Thank you for this video.
Thanks!
Thank you for video and presentation !Love your channel !!!
Man those are some crazy good patches
That rubber bass from your shoplifting demo song carried over to all Yamaha's XG modules. I never really liked the sound much but I remember it from my SW1000XG card and S-YXG50 and 100 softsynths.