SY20

Back in 1982, this synth marked Yamaha's final bow to pure analog before the DX7 ushered in the digital FM era, and it was crafted exclusively for the Japanese market as a hands-on learning tool for synthesis basics.

Its single analog VCO mixes sawtooth and square waveforms with pulse-width modulation and white noise options, spanning octaves from 2' to 32', while the VCF delivers resonant low-pass or dual band-pass modes with cutoff, resonance, and full ADSR envelope for sculpted tones. The VCA mirrors that ADSR control for amplitude shaping, and a versatile LFO modulates pitch, filter, or amplitude independently; extras like portamento, sustain, transpose (notched in half-steps), and brilliance add glide and expression. Built sturdy at 11 kg with a slim 777 x 326 x 102 mm footprint, 44 aftertouch-sensitive keys, and a foot pedal input, sections switch on/off for preset blending or full manual tweaking from its logically grouped panels—Japanese labels included.

Owners cherish its smooth, fat tones reminiscent of Yamaha's CS series but with unique filter character and layering potential, calling it intuitive and surprisingly versatile despite the rarity.