Back in 1973, this beast redefined what a stage keyboard could do, blending organ-style grandeur with true analog synthesis—Yamaha's bold leap into polyphonic sound that left jaws on the floor for rock icons like Keith Emerson and Stevie Wonder.
Picture a triple-tiered setup with two 61-key velocity-sensitive upper and lower manuals, a 37-key pressure-sensitive solo keyboard, and a 25-note pedalboard, all perched on chromed pedestals totaling around 387kg. Eight polyphonic voices (up to 18 notes across keyboards) draw from dual analog VCOs per voice, shaped by a 2-pole VCF, ADSR envelope, and LFO, with group-controlled voltage for evolving, organic tones you edit via dedicated Tone Modules and a visual guide board. Controls hide in drawers—drawbars, ribbon controller, pitch bend, sustain, resonance, reverb levers, plus swell pedals and a knee lever—while valve-powered TX-II cabinets (up to four, 141kg each) deliver cathedral-like dispersion through multi-driver arrays.
Players still geek out over its lush, expressive depth that paved the way for the CS-80, though its sheer size and travel fragility spark tales of heroic roadie feats; a few note the fussy tuning needs from all those discrete boards, but that's the charm of vintage analog heaven.
