Yamaha Reface

Yamaha Reface is a series of four synthesisers manufactured by the Yamaha Corporation. Released in the summer of 2015, the series is inspired by the company’s previously released synthesisers.

The Reface series at the 2016 NAMM Show

Release

The Reface series was announced on 7 July 2015 through an online event.^[1][2] The day before, the announcement was mistakenly leaked by Yamaha through a Korean website.^[3] The Refaces were later showcased at Studio 2 of London's Abbey Road Studios for a press release.^[4]

Design

Each keyboard measures 530 millimetres (21 in) x 175 millimetres (6.9 in) x 60 millimetres (2.4 in) and weighs 1.9 kilograms (4.2 lb).^[5][6] The Reface series uses Yamaha's velocity sensitive "High Quality Mini Keys", the same keys as those of Yamaha's Motif XF.^[7][8][9] Each keyboard has three octaves (37 keys)^[10][5] and can interface with MIDI.^[11] The Refaces have two watt speakers (in stereo), audio inputs and audio outputs.^[12] After their announcement, the Refaces drew comparisons to both the Roland Aria series and Korg's Volcas due to their affordability and inspiration taken from their respective companies' previously released synthesisers.^[13] In 2016 Yamaha released both a web app (Soundmodo) and a mobile app to facilitate sharing and saving of preset sounds on the Refaces.^[14][15]

Models

 

The CS-80: an inspiration to the Reface CS

• Reface CP - an emulation of vintage electric pianos. The CP has six sound models taken from Yamaha's CP4 stage piano: a Rhodes Mk.1, a Rhodes Mk.2, a Wurlitzer, a Clavinet, a Yamaha CP80 and a toy piano.^[9] The keyboard has a maximum polyphony of 128 notes. The Reface CP also has an effects engine that includes drive, phaser, tremolo, delay, reverb and chorus effects.^[12]
• Reface CS - a virtual analogue synthesiser inspired by Yamaha's CS-80 syntheseser.^[9] It is capable of standard subtractive synthesis as well as frequency modulation (FM), ring modulation and oscillator sync. The CS has a maximum polyphony of eight notes and also includes an effects section consisting of delay, phaser, chorus and distortion.^[12]
• Reface DX - a four operator FM synthesiser with 12 FM algorithms.^[16] The synthesiser takes inspiration from Yamaha's DX series of synthesisers, which included the DX7 and DX100 among others.^[13] The DX has a looper section (running at 120 beats per minute with a maximum length of 10 minutes)^[5][16] and contains two effects blocks. Each can contain a selection of effects including wah-wah, flanger, phaser, chorus, delay, reverb, and distortion.^[12] The DX has 32 slots of patch memory.^[9]
• Reface YC - a combo organ. The YC has five organ models: a Hammond B-3, a Yamaha YC-45D, an Ace Tone organ, a Vox organ and a Farfisa organ.^[9] The YC has nine drawbars to control the organs sound and has a maximum polyphony of 128. An effects block is also present on the YC; it includes a distortion, reverb and a Leslie rotary speaker emulation.^[9][12]

Reface robot

At the 2017 Superbooth music technology show, Yamaha showcased a robotic controller for the Reface CS called the Reface Robot. The robot was built in collaboration with the Fukuoka-based design company Anno Labs.^[17][18] The Reface Robot is made up of two aluminium sections, with robotic arms controlling the individual sliders and pots of the CS. The odd appearance of the Reface Robot was highlighted by Mixmag, who stated that "it looks like an army of robot toothbrushes cleaning a synth".^[19]

Awards

• 2015 Wired Gear of the Year award.^[6]
• 2015 MusicTech Gear of the Year award.^[20]

References

1. "Yamaha launches Reface synth line". Fact Magazine. 7 July 2015. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
2. "Yamaha's Reface mini keyboards put classic sounds in compact instruments". Engadget. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
3. "Yamaha Leak Entire Line of Reface Synths; Here They Are". CDM Create Digital Music. 6 July 2015. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
4. "Yamaha Reface – Hands On". MusicTech. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
5. "Yamaha Reface Series". www.soundonsound.com. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
6. "WIRED UK". December 2015. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
7. Jenkins, Mark (2019-06-18). Analog Synthesizers: Understanding, Performing, Buying: From the Legacy of Moog to Software Synthesis. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-429-84437-9.
8. "Yamaha announce new Reface synths". www.soundonsound.com. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
9. "Yamaha Reface synths reviewed!". MusicRadar. 4 January 2020. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
10. Rogerson, Ben (7 July 2015). "Yamaha Reface: CS, DX, CP and YC mini keyboards revealed". MusicRadar. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
11. John, Preshan (1 November 2015). "Review: Yamaha Reface Mini-Keyboards". audiotechnology.com. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
12. "Products of Interest". Computer Music Journal. 40 (2): 89–100. 10 June 2016. doi:10.1162/COMJ_r_00378. ISSN 1531-5169. S2CID 49745620.
13. Wilson, Scott (8 July 2015). "Yamaha Reface: Everything you need to know". Fact Magazine. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
14. Vincent, Robin (11 January 2016). "Yamaha Soundmondo Gets Reface Synths Sharing Sounds". gearnews.com. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
15. "Sharing sounds with Soundmondo makes the Yamaha Reface range all the more enjoyable and couldn't be easier". MusicRadar. 11 December 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
16. "Yamaha Reface". MusicTech. October 2015. pp. 62–72.
17. "MIDI and Robots Part 2- Super Booth 2017". The MIDI Association. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
18. Vincent, Robin (20 April 2017). "Superbooth 2017: What's Yamaha inventing with the Reface Robot?". gearnews.com. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
19. "Five of the best music tech oddities". Mixmag. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
20. "MusicTech Gear of the Year". MusicTech. December 2015. p. 9.