Yamaha TG-500
Tone Generator (1992)

Upgraded Yamaha SY-85 rackmount module version adding double polyphony and a bigger ROM wavetable with 50 new PCM samples.

RACKMOUNT single rack unit.
The main panel features 24 X 2 lines display, 1 knob and 12 buttons

Back panel terminal connectors:
- Midi interface
- main out
- 4 assignable AUX.

Front panel terminal connectors:
- headphones
- 2 card slots for data and PCM.

 

TECH main core is the HD6475328CP12 (h8/532 family) synthesis based on rompler 16 bits AWM2 advanced wave memory II (mainly IC YMW266-F) manages 64 voices polyphony ; relative DAC is a Burr-brown PCM56P + Ym3029 IC. A TG voice is composed by 4 PCM sample layers each with individual settings:

- volume gain - analog out assign - pitch tuning - stereo panning position - velocity switch - keyboard zone assign - effect amount

WAVETABLE MB ROM contains 294 PCM samples at 16 bits resolution into 2 PCM banks A/B
and 16 sound categories for quick retrieval: acoutsic piano, other keyboard, brass, wind, strings, acoustic guitaris, electric guitar, bass, follk- ethnic, synth, choir, tuned percussion, drums, sfx and basic oscillator waveforms.

- P1 PCM bank: 244 samples same from Sy-85 workstation - P2 PCM bank: 50 new samples. hear piano EP SAMPLE

 

 

EXPANSION the wavetable can be expanded using some cards usually set of PCM+DATA. PCM cards are compatible with 16 bits yamaha machines inlcuding : Sy-55 / Tg-55 / Ry-30 / Sy-99/ Sy-77 / Tg-77.

ID n. card name Publisher pic SY8501 2 Jazz & Funk Yamaha SY8502 2 Rock & Pop II Yamaha X SY8503 2 Ethnic Sounds Yamaha Metrasound 1 / Metrasound X Pro-rec 1 / Pro-rec X

SAMPLE-IMPORT internal 512kb of non-volatile RAM can be expanded up to 3 MB using custom SYEMB06 memories. Up to 64 samples can be loaded by Midi dump and directly available in the waveform table under a special category.

hear SAMPLE imported from Atari ST speech synthesizer

PERFORMANCE the MULTIMODE manages up to 16 parts with individual

- volume gain mix - stereo panning - pitch tuning - effect balancing amount - aftertouch can be assigned to LFO pitch/amplitude/filter, filter cutoff and EG Bias.

FILTER single resonant digital filter and 4 preset modes:

- lowpass sets at 2 or 4 poles mode - highpass - bandpass - band reject hear filter sweep

LFO a single delayed modulator (shapes are triangle, upsawtooth, sinewave, down-sawtooth, square and S&H with variable phase attac.) and 3 destinations:

- amplitude - pitch - filter cutoff hear lfo

ENVELOPE system features 3 EGs:
- EG pitch: 4 segments + 4 times + 1 rate scaling with sensibility level
- EG amplitude: 5 segments + 2 times + 4 levels scaling
- EG filter : segments + 7 times + 4 levels scaling.

EFFECT double DSP in serial or parallel mode for a total of 90 editable effects presets including: reverb, flanger, exciter, EQ, delay, phaser, Leslie and ring modulator.
hear flanger effect

EDIT classic programmers are:

- Soundiver (commercial PC/MAC) - Take500 (Atari ST) PIC - Galaxy Plus Editors - VED (commodore Amiga) PIC - Midiquest (commercial PC/MAC)

 

MEMORY:
- 256 ROM voices
- 128 ROM performances
- 128 RAM voices
- 64 RAM performances
- 0KB sample RAM factory.
Sound ram doubled if yamaha MCD64 memory card is fitted
Sample ram can be upgraded by 512Kb for each memory boards SYEMB06 for a maximum of 1024 Kb.

- LEFT - BATTERY REPLACEMENT soldered CR-2032 3V Battery + 1 Cr for each extra SYEMB06 - - click to enlarge picture -

VST PLUGIN / SAMPLED VERSION there are some free and commercial samples set:

Martin 78

FREE samples DRUM SET

 

RELATED FAMILY

	SY-85 workstation differences: - Sy85 has real-time sliders - half polyphony - 6Mb ROM (sys85) instead of 8mb (tg500) - built-in Sample ram for SY85 - disk drive for Sy85 - 2 card slots instead of 4 - less patch ROM/RAM
	RM-50 Very close to Tg500 structure but dedicated to DRUM samples with analog triggers. Use same sample ram boards.

AUDIO DEMO

TG500 factory demo1 TG500 factory demo2 TG500 factory demo3 piano: ragtime piano: pure plastic EP: tines EP: rhodes Clavinet: D6 funk Organ: cheap sixties Organ: church register Vintage: brassy Vintage: african brass Vintage: dusty transitor Vintage: poly synth Choir: mellow Choir: paddy Choir: air Bass: like a DX7 Bass: slap Brass: kinda Guitar: ultima stones

Synth: time Synth: delay Synth: resonance Synth: old CBM64 Synth: LFO style Synth: voice Pad: aztech Pad: slow Pad: orbit Pad: filter EG Pad: evolving Pad: flanged Pad: short decay Pad: epic Pad: digital hope Pad: morning pad Pad: ambient 1 Pad: ambient 2 Pad: ambient cymbal Pad: panning pad Pad: choired

SAMPLE: imported Atari speech Drum: kit standard Percussion: ethno Percussion: bronx FX1 FX2 FX3 FX4 FX5 FX6 FX7 EXTRA Sy 85 factory demo 1 EXTRA Sy 85 factory demo 2 EXTRA Sy 85 factory demo 3 EXTRA Sy 85 factory demo 4 EXTRA Yamaha demo disk 1 EXTRA Yamaha demo disk 2

VIDEO SELECTION Sounds Pads demo