SS30

Back in 1977, this string synth arrived as Yamaha's wood-encased answer to the era's lush ensemble craze, using a divide-down organ-style architecture for true polyphonic fullness across all 49 keys—richer and more enveloping than the ARP Solina it often outshone.

Housed in a sturdy wooden cabinet measuring 960mm wide by 350mm deep and 162.5mm high at 20kg, it packs two oscillators per voice for violin, cello, and orchestral presets, with per-key VCA envelopes for responsive attack and decay. Controls are refreshingly simple up top: switches for tone selection, brilliance, volume, and dedicated knobs for chorus/vibrato depth plus mix—send violins to the ensemble effect for shimmer or cellos dry for punchy bass lines. A single stereo output delivers its warm analog glow, no filters or LFOs to complicate the pure string vibe.

Vintage players cherish its thick, organic timbres that cut through mixes effortlessly, though some note the orchestra effect can get noisy and the mono-leaning output wishes for modern mods. It's a hands-on joy for anyone chasing that '70s string magic without the fuss.