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Yamaha CX5M

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Yamaha CX5M Music Computer set

Yamaha CX5M is an MSX-based personal computer, specializing in music and sound production. It was originally released as the CX5 in 1983,[1][2] before being upgraded to the CX5M in 1984. The CX5 was a YIS-303 MSX computer with a built-in SKW-01 sound module,[2] while the CX5M was a YIS-503 Diabolik MSX computer with a built-in SFG-01 FM Sound Synthesizer Unit sound module.[3][4][5] The CX5M was marketed as an electronic musical instrument,[3] and was one of the most anticipated electronic music products of 1984.[4]

It expands upon the normal features expected from these systems with a built-in eight-voice FM synthesizer module, manufactured by Yamaha Corporation,[6] along with a MIDI interface.[7][4] It came with graphical music software for digital synthesis and a sequencing,[7][4] capable of synthesizing and sequencing sounds and rhythms,[8] with its internal FM synthesizer or external MIDI devices.[7] It provided synthesis, composition tools, and a 4-track MIDI sequencer, available on different cartridges.[9]

The SFG-01 FM Sound Synthesizer Unit, released in 1983,[5][10] uses several chips, including a Yamaha YM2151 FM sound chip, YM3012 stereo DAC, YM2210 MIDI communications chip, YM2148 keyboard scanning chip,[4] and YM2148 MIDI UART.[10] It also has stereo audio outputs, an input for a purpose-built four-octave keyboard, and a pair of MIDI Input/Output ports. It had limited MIDI support on the original CX5M model,[4] with only management of data from a Yamaha DX7 digital synthesizer. The YIS-303, CX5, YIS-503 and CX5M computers could be upgraded with the SFG-01 FM Sound Synthesizer Unit II sound module, released in 1984,[10] featuring an upgraded Yamaha YM2164 sound chip[10] and full MIDI support, which could be used for normal MIDI. The SFG-05 module came integrated with the second CX5M revision, the CX5M II.[3]

Specification

The CX5M was built to the MSX standard, which included slots for inserting programmed cartridges. These extended the machine's capability, accepting a range of games, office applications and so on. Yamaha produced a range of cartridges including a programmer for Yamaha's DX range of FM keyboards and a real-time sequencer. Two of these, the Voice Editor and Music Composer, allowed the user to program a bank of 48 sounds for the CX5's own built in synthesizer and to sequence up to eight channels of music, controlling the built-in module or external instruments via MIDI, in step-time using a musical-stave input screen.

Yamaha SFG-01
FM Synthesizer Unit (internals):
8ch 4op FM sound chip YM2151 was used for multitimbral sounds and composite sinusoidal modeling (CSM) singing voice.

Three versions of the CX5M were released. The first contained as its FM module the SFG-01, which could not receive external MIDI note information; it required a proprietary keyboard and only used its MIDI port was an output to send data to Yamaha's then-flagship DX7. The second version, the CX5M II (or CX7M/128 in Japan[11][12]), upgraded the FM system to the SFG-05, which supported MIDI input and thus allowed the internal FM synth to be played by any external MIDI keyboard. There was also a later CX5M II with some smaller differences.[13]

Yamaha FB-01 FM Sound Generator and a headphone on it

Later, Yamaha released the Yamaha FB-01 MIDI module, which was effectively an SFG-05 in a standalone, portable case.[14] The FB-01 was released in 1986.[15]

Software

Music software were released on MSX cartridges, including:[3][4]

  • YRM-101 / YRM11: FM Music Composer
  • YRM-102 / YRM12: FM Voicing Program
  • YRM-103 / YRM13: DX-7 Voicing Program
  • YRM-104 / YRM15: Yamaha FM Music Macro
  • YRM-105: DX-9 Voicing Program
  • YRM-301: MIDI Recorder YRM-301
  • YRM-302: RX Editor
  • YRM-303: MIDI Macro & Monitor
  • YRM-304: TX-7 Voicing Program
  • YRM-305: DX-21 Voicing Program
  • YRM-501: FM Music Composer II
  • YRM-502: FM Voicing program
  • YRM-504: Yamaha FM Music Macro II
  • YRM-506: FB-01 Voicing Program

Notes

  1. ^ Martin Russ, Sound Synthesis and Sampling, page 85, CRC Press
  2. ^ a b Yamaha CX5, Old Computers
  3. ^ a b c d YIS-503 / Diabolik, Old Computers
  4. ^ a b c d e f g David Ellis, Yamaha CX5M, Electronics & Music Maker, October 1984
  5. ^ a b Yamaha SFG-01, MSX Resource Center
  6. ^ "Yamaha CX5M Music Computer". SonicState.com.
  7. ^ a b c Yamaha CX5M Music Computer Flyer, Yamaha
  8. ^ Helen Casabona, David Frederick, Advanced MIDI Applications, page 15, Alfred Music
  9. ^ Happy birthday MIDI 1.0: Slave to the rhythm, The Register, August 2013
  10. ^ a b c d Yamaha SFG, MSX Resource Center
  11. ^ "CX7M/128 (discontinued)" (in Japanese). Yamaha. — for details, see CX7/128.
  12. ^ "CX7/128 (discontinued)" (in Japanese). Yamaha.
  13. ^ Eirik Lie. "CX5M FAQ". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  14. ^ FB-01 is an independent Z80 microprocessor system that sends and receives data from YM2164. Mages; et al. (May 2010). "Yamaha FB-01".
  15. ^ Yamaha FB-01, Vintage Synth Explorer

References

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