The Yamaha AN1x Synthesizer mailing list

Here you go.... I am basing my answers to you questions on the fact 
that I own the An1x (the earliser, keyboard version) and have tried 
out the An200 in the store as well as read many  reviews on it. I may 
make some mistakes but not major ones.

> 1. if you plug a midi keyboard into the yamaha an200 can you play 
it 
> just like any other synthesizer? or is there a looping proccess 
> involved? i read somewhere it has a sequencer.. what is that?

Yes you can play it like any other synthesizer. Bear in mind that it 
is 5 note polyphonic, so it best suited to analog type roles. (You 
won't be able to play piano pieces on it, due to the lack of 
polyphony, for example.) However the sounds are powerful.

You can use the onboard sequencer to make patterns and play those 
back, instead of, or in addition to what you play on a keyboard. A 
sequencer is a device which acts like a "piano roll in a player 
piano' it tells a synthesizer what notes to play at any point in 
time. You can use a computer based sequencer with the AN200 as well.


> 2. does anyone have any mp3s of the yamaha an200's sounds? i heard 
> two demos, but they were pretty lame and i didnt like the 
sounds..and 
> would anyone say its good for making eighties synth-popish stuff 
like 
> gary numan, depeche mode, the eurythmics or tears for fears used?

Well the AN1x has very similar sounds (as far as the analog modelling 
part of it is concerned). Keyboard magazine had an mp3 online for the 
AN1x. Here is the shortcut:

http://www.keyboardmag.com/db_area/sounds/an1x/an1x0.mp3

I think it is pretty decent at 80's synth pop. One of the chaps on 
this list...Synth72 .... made some 50 our sounds that were basically 
80's synth pop. 

> 3. can you make your own sounds with the an200, and if so, can you 
> program them so they will stay in the an200? And if you design your 
> own sound in the computer can you send it back to the an200?

yes, yes, yes. There are a couple of choices in software. You can 
download them and try them out, if you like. They are in 
the 'bookmarks section of the Yahoo groups site. The software I use 
is Gary Gregson;s AN1XEdit. It is truly excellent.

> Thanks in advance.. I know that was a lot to ask..

You are quite welcome. I think you will find this list to be friendly 
and eager to help.

Regards,

Jerry Aiyathurai

www.tuskerfort.com