Yamaha revive the YC organ

New drawbar-driven YC61 modelling organ harks back to the Combo organs of the 1970s

The new YC61.

Yamaha are promising over 75 new products at NAMM, most of them are as-yet unconfirmed. However, one we do know about that is likely to be of keen interest to SOS readers is the new YC61 Stage Keyboard, a hardware drawbar-driven, organ-focused keyboard based on Virtual Circuitry Modelling (VCM) technology, with a 61-note waterfall keyboard and a modelled rotary speaker.

The YC61s inviting top panel, with plenty of grabbable controls for real-time sound adjustment on stage.

A clear call-back to the YC range of 1970s Yamaha Combo organs in a rugged, lightweight package (around 7kg), the YC61 offers control over classic drawbar organ features such as drawbar leakage, key click, and note percussion. As the form suggests, most of the basic sounds are organ-oriented, but apparently other classic keyboard sounds are included, amongst them sampled acoustic and electric pianos, strings, brass and analogue synth tones. Theres also built-in processing including delay, chorus and distortion.

You wont be in any doubt as to where the drawbars are positioned, even on a darkened stage...

The keyboard is clearly aimed at live use, with plenty of top-panel LED-backlit real-time tone-shaping and effects controls lit up by LEDs, and of course those semi-transparent drawbars, which allow the segmented, colour-adjustable LED backlighting to shine through, giving instant visual feedback of the drawbar positions even on the darkest stages (see above and below). But we reckon this one might prove quite popular in studios too...!

...and the colour scheme is variable too.

The new YC61 is expected to ship in late Spring and will retail for $2499 in the USA£2015 in the UK. Therell be a review in SOS as soon as possible.

https://uk.yamaha.com

LINK:	https://www.soundonsound.com/news/yamaha-revive-yc-organ...
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