source file: m1442.txt
Date: Tue, 9 Jun 1998 15:01:00 -0400

Subject: Re: Sound-from-Scratch Microtunable Synth Recommendation?

From: wauchope@AIC.NRL.Navy.Mil

> Do any of you folks have recommendations for your favorite synthesizer
> capable of building sounds from scratch, and also having at least one
> user-specifiable completely arbitrary tuning table?

> jloffink:
> The only other real alternative is Yamaha's discontinued SY77, TG77 or SY99
> which featured their final and most powerful version of FM synthesis
> coupled with resonant filters. They had 2 global tables, floppy disk and
> cartridge storage.  I haven't demoed these keyboards, though.

I can vouch for the extreme versatility of the SY99, which I haven't
come close to fully exploring yet: 6-operator FM, 45 algorithms, 16 raw 
waveforms, independent envelopes on each operator; two resonant filters
and good effects unit; also sample playback and the interesting option
of being able to use a sampled sound as an FM modulator.

The cheaper SY/TG77 are basically the same but with fewer effects and
no sample RAM, along with a few other differences.  Used instruments
turn up regularly, in fact an SY77 was just advertised yesterday on
rec.music.makers.synth, which is where I found my '99 a year or so ago.

--Ken W.