Yamaha GX1
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| Yamaha GX-1 by Yamaha | |||
| Synthesis type: | Analog Subtractive | ||
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| Polyphony: | polyphonic 8 voices |
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| Timbrality: | 4 | ||
| Oscillators: | 2 per voice | ||
| Filter: | 1 2-pole low-pass filter | ||
| Attenuator: | 2 envelope generators | ||
| LFO: | 1 | ||
| Keyboard: | 2 x 61-key, velocity, aftertouch 37-key, velocity, aftertouch 25 pedals |
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| External control: | None | ||
| Produced: | 1973 - 1977 | ||
| Original price: | $60,000 | ||
The Yamaha GX-1, along with its predecessor, the Electone GX-707, was an analog polyphonic synthesizer developed by Yamaha as a test bed for later consumer synths. The GX-1 had two full-sized velocity-sensitive manuals (5-octave 61-note keyboards), a shorter but full-width monophonic pressure-sensitive manual (3-octave 37-note keyboard), a 25-note pedalboard, a "relative" ribbon controller (zero modulation was wherever you placed your finger first. The modulation value rose and fell as you moved your finger left and right), two "swell" pedals and a springloaded knee controller. It had at least eight voices, plus one monophonic voice. Each poly voice had two analog voltage-controlled oscillators, a 2-pole low-pass filter, at least one (poly-mod) voltage-controlled low-frequency oscillator, and at least two envelope generators. The different keyboard's voices could be coupled together like an organ (there are "stop" pistons between manuals), so that sounds could be layered. The monophonic voice could also be layered onto the polyphonic voices, as the top note. The synth was programmed via a bunch of miniature sets of controls hidden in drawers and panels on the instrument. There were also rows of Yamaha 'drawbar' sliders and some buttons above the middle manual.
The GX-1 console weighs 300 kg. The pedalboard and stand add 87 kg, and each of its tube-powered speakers, four of which can be connected to the GX-1, weighs 141 kg (Which together, equals 528 kg, or 1,164 lb).
The GX-1 cost $60,000, and was premiered in the US in 1973 at the NAMM convention. The exact production number is unknown, but supposed to be two-digit, and at least 13 GX-1s are known to exist outside Japan. Probably, the majority of GX-1s never left the country of their origin.
Some of the people to use it extensively were Keith Emerson, John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin (who later sold his to Keith Emerson as a spare instrument), Stevie Wonder (who is said to have bought two, one of which is on display at Madame Tussaud's in Las Vegas), Benny Andersson of ABBA (This GX-1 is now located at Roth Händle studios in Stockholm), Hans Zimmer (who bought Keith Emerson's old GX-1) Rick van der Linden of Ekseption, and Richard D. James (Aphex Twin).
