Yamaha SY99

The Yamaha SY99 is a synthesiser combining frequency modulation synthesis (branded as Advanced FM) and sample-based synthesis (branded as Advanced Wave Memory 2) and the direct successor to Yamaha's SY77/TG77. Compared to the SY77, it has a larger keyboard at 76 keys instead of 61, a larger ROM with more in-built AWM samples, the ability to load user-specified AWM samples into on-board RAM, an upgraded effects processor (based upon the Yamaha SPX900 rather than the SPX50 or SPX90), and several other enhanced features.

Specifications

 * Date produced: 1991
 * Polyphony: 16 notes ("Elements") of AFM + 16 notes (Elements") of sample-playback (AWM2)
 * Voice Architecture: Each voice can have up to 2 AFM (6-operator) Elements polyphonically, or 4 AFM (6-op) Elements monophonically, plus up to 2 AWM Elements
 * Filter: 2 multi-stage, time-variant, with resonance and self-oscillation per Element
 * Sequencer: 16 tracks, ~27,000 note capacity, 99 patterns, up to 10 songs (cf. the SY77's single song only and ~16,000 notes)
 * Effects: 2 internal digital effects processors with 63 types of effects, derived from Yamaha's popular rack-mounted processor, SPX900
 * Keyboard: 76 notes with velocity and channel aftertouch, which can be zoned along with pitch-bend to affect only specific keys (unlike on the SY77)
 * Memory: 128 preset patches and 128 user patches, 16 preset multi-patch setups (up to 16 voices each) and 16 user multi-patches, 512kB of RAM as standard for user-loaded AWM samples or MIDI data recording from/to connected devices
 * Expandability: 5 rear-mounted slots for SYEMB05 memory modules of 512kB each, up to a total of 3MB RAM with standard hardware. The final firmware revision, v1.57, supports up to 8MB of total RAM, a capacity that so far has only been reached by Musitronics' now-discontinued 5 MB upgrade board coupled with the full complement of 5 SYEMB05 modules (2.5MB) and standard RAM (0.5MB).
 * Control: MIDI in, out, and thru; pitch wheel; 2 modulation wheels; enhanced functions as a master keyboard when compared to the SY77, etc.

Demo song
"99 flavors", an instrumental song by Chick Corea from his Beneath the Mask album, is named after the SY99; the sequenced version was included on an accompanying floppy disk as a factory demo song.

Notable users

 * Brian Eno
 * Chick Corea
 * Front 242
 * Jean Ven Robert Hal
 * Patrice Rushen
 * Toto
 * Vangelis
 * Thomas Darnal
 * Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble
 * Masato Nakamura