Trend price : 50-100€
The TX16W is a pretty old 12-bits rackmount sampler with disk storage.
NOTICE: This review is based on Typhoon Swedish OS that improves original function,
Company: Yamaha
Model: TX16W
Class: Module sampler
Rackmount: 2 units
Display: 2 x 40 lines LCD
Dates: 1988
Country: Japan
Weight: 7 Kg
Dimensions: 372 (w) x 480 (h) x 94,5 (d) mm
Polyphony: 16 voices
Multitimbric: 8 parts
S.Resolution: 12 bits
S. range: 16-50 khz
Filter: digital 17 models
LFO: 2 modulators
Envelope : 2 EG
Memory: 1,5 up to 6 mb
Sequencer: none
Sync: none
Effect: none
Storage: DD 720 kb
Midi: IN / OUT / THRU
CPU: MC68000
DAC: BB PCM56P
OS: latest Typhoon
Demo: 1
Video: 1
Review: 1
DOWNLOAD: user manual - 30 mb of free TX16 sound collection -
Overview
main panel features 8 push buttons and 12 numeric pads.
Front panel terminal connectors:
-
headphones
-
footswitch input
-
sample input
Back panel terminal connectors:
- Midi interface
-
main osignal ut
-
8 mono AUX
OS
original Yamaha TX16W OS from 1988 is sluggish and painful, then in 1993 a skilled 3-rd part company developed a far better OS TYPHOON 2000.
This review is based on Typhoon.
Voice
CPU Motorola 68000 (+sub 6809) manages 16 voices polyphony at 12 bits resolution.
Basic sound hierarchy
is the WAVE (sample) grouped in VOICE (patch) and then VOICES are layered to make a PERFORMANCE.
Sampling
the IC YM-2409 handles various sampling modes:
-
mono at 16 / 25 / 33 / 50 kHz
-
stereo only at 33 kHz
Performance
engine manages up to 8 groups (parts) each with individual
-
volume gain
-
Midi channel
- keyboard zone assign
- transpose semitones
Filter
17 digital models at 2/4 poles with resonance PEAK including;
-
lowpass
-
highpass
-
bandpass
-
notch
Envelope
each group features 2 EGs:
-
AEG1 is hardwired to amplitude (4-segments+2 levels)
-
AEG2 is mainly used for matrix routing (3 segments + 3 times)
LFO
2 bipolar modulators for each group with 5 waveforms (noise, saw, sine, square and triangle) with retrig and sync options.
Each LFO modulates 14 possible destinations.
Memory
-
1.5Mb of sample data can be expanded to 6
Review
OK: matrix programmation/ filter / Typhoon OS
NOT : memory / limited / interface
"Can be grunge, dark and low-fidelity. 12 bits helps, modulations matrix can make some great edit (typhoon)!
OK it's obsolete but synth geeks should consider it at depreciated low-price !"
Text , review, special demos copyright polynominal.com / Eric Pochesci
