As the title asks- do Yamaha have a synth that contains all the Reface models/engines?
I’ve just picked up a Reface CP to add to the DX I already had, and it’s great… but, I find that I keep them housed out the way and control them from my Arturia KeyLab mk2 most of the time, to give me a wider keybed… which got me wondering about a synth/module that could do all the Reface modules but with more editing depth??
There isn’t as far as I know. I’ve thought about getting the YC61 because it has an FM engine, organ and pianos. So that’s almost 3 refaces. But the editing on the FM side isn’t very deep and the e-pianos aren’t the same as the CP. But probably close enough.
No idea, but I love my CP and YC. I can see why you’d want that.
I recently bought a midi merger box so I can use both my Take 5 and Grandmother to control one Reface with both keyboards, sort of like having a two manual organ setup or a Rhodes with a Rhodes Piano Bass or something (as the Grandmother is above the Take 5 on my synth stand).
Yes, the CP is particularly good… Yamaha nailed it with the feel and choice of controls/layout… I wonder how much of that would go if you lost that physical interaction which a workstation synth would lose…?
If they could put together a desktop box without the keybed that had the Reface CP engine and an acoustic piano in, I’d be all over it like a rash.
Or even just the Reface line reissued as 1u rack units or Roland Boutique size boxes.
It seems really strange to me that Yamaha don’t really play in the space at the moment and let Roland and Korg get the whole market.
A Yamaha groovebox with all the Reface engines would be a huge hit.
I would love something like this. I have the cs and it’s great. I really want both the cp and yc too.
I’d say the Opsix, although it’s from Korg.
Sounds great, can import DX7 presets. Maybe someone made rhodes piano presets for it. Can do subtractive synthesis. And a lot more.
On the other hand, nobody likes the Opsix’ keyboard, so you’d Chopsix and still use KeyLab I’d guess 
I remember hearing that Yamaha trademarked the name AN-X so that sounds like a virtual analog big brother to Reface CS may be on the way. It would be great if they include FM synthesis.
Probably a stupid question, but you know about the secret acoustic piano on the CP, right? It’s surprisingly useable.
The CP is one of the rare pieces of gear I sold and ended up rebuying. It’s so good. The only other thing I can remember doing that with is a Fender reverb tank.
I have and had so many piano modules, plug-ins and VSTs but still think the Reface CP is unbelievably good. Sold it but maybe I’ll buy it again
I know about it, yes… I don’t often use acoustic piano sounds though tbh, I’d be more likely to use the CP voice on it.
I’m eyeing up the CS too…
sound quality, key bed and construction of the YC61 are really amazing.
the sound engines are different to the refaces (I have the yc and the dx),
but its a lovely instrument to play.
sound quantity could maybe look a bit limited, but every single sound of it is stellar.
and it has some great features - like direct connection to iPad/iPhone over usb so you can easily embed any of the the iOS synths, samplers…
Oh man, looks and sounds great. If I had the space I’d be all over that!
The opsix is a really great synth. It can easily do the same kinds of sounds that all of the refaces can but, based on the short time I’ve had mine, I’ve yet to get more than “pretty close” to the authenticity of the various epiano and combo organ patches I’ve heard from the cp and yc. That’s not to say that it can’t or that I haven’t liked the ones I’ve come up with, I still need to put more time into it. Obviously it’ll do anything the DX does and it does a good va like the cs (though the ui experience is pretty different).
I agree with the complaints about the keybed. It’s one of the worst I currently own but it’s usable. By contrast, the refaces have fantastic keybeds if you can hang with minis.
The four Refaces are inexpensive and small and hackable, so it would be fun to cut up a CS, CP, YC and DX and put their front panels, behind a keybed with splits, and a small mixer, and have all four in one.
As far as Yamaha making a single keyboard with these four sorts of engines, i don’t think they do – for instance the Genos has an amazing amount of stuff, but i don’t think it has something closely equivalent to each of these four sound engines. Nor the Montage.
But if we’re allowed Korgs, then the Nautilus has equivalents for the four sound engines and then some among its nine.
CP : SGX-2, EP-1
YC : CX-3
CS : MS-20EX, PolysixEX, AL-1
DX : MOD-7
plus :
STR-1 --physical modeling
HD-1 – PCM
The Kronos 61 has 3 times more engines, 2 times the weight, a little more than half the keys, double the polyphony and costs 3 times the price of total of 3 Refaces (CP, CS, DX). Unfortunately, there is no mini version of those Korg engines. That works be nice idea.
In the virtual analog realm, the Hydrasynth Explorer is certainly a more powerful and only slightly more expensive option than the Yamaha Reface CS. It is even competitive with the bigger ones in that domain: Korg, Roland, Nord, Yamaha, etc.
They aren’t that cheap over here in Japan. They’ve gotten quite a bit more expensive than when they first came out. I’m not sure about the rest of the world. They are also harder and harder to find used. It took me forever to find a used YC. New stocks have also been very low in Japan, and they weren’t available for a long time (I thought they had been discontinued until they popped back up in low quantities at a much higher price).
All the Refaces in the US went up to $450. That’s quite a leap for DX and CS.
That’s interesting given someone just recently forwarded me this article about the Japanese vintage synth market.