Yamaha DS55

via this auction
" * It's a second-generation 4 Operator FM synthesizer.
* It has 61 full size, velocity sensitive keys.
* It's closest relatives are probably the DX11, V50, and DSR-2000.
* It has MIDI in, out, and thru, and is multi-timbral.
* It has 1/4" jacks for L and R output, and a separate headphone output.
* Also has volume pedal, sustain, and breath controller inputs!
* Can run off batteries or the included wall-wart power supply.

The manual can be downloaded here

Now, here's where things get interesting. While it does not have full sound editing capabilities, it does have the "Quick Edit" FM editing features found on the later DX synths. It also has a simple digital delay effect, to which you can make small adjustments to the delay time. It does have patch storage, and communicates via SYSEX.

The best part: the synthesizer is patch compatible with (from what I can tell) ALL 4OP FM synths! That means you can load up the Lately Bass preset from the DX100, and have a full keyboard to play it (and a digital delay). You cannot load full libraries - only one patch at a time (there are a couple of models with full library compatibility, I believe, the DX11 being one of them). There's plenty of software on the Mac and PC to let you do this, and it wasn't too much trouble for me to use it in that fashion."



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