Yamaha Pss-100 portasound

This multipulse squarewave synth keyboard from 1989 has wonderful C64 homecomputer sounds, including some of the famous arpeggiator timbres those are missing on most other squarewave keyboards. Although this is not a SID Station and has no filter, it is one of the most versatile and interesting sounding squarewave instruments and (like MC-3) basically a "must have" for a real squarewave lover.


The PSS-100 was the more advanced sister model of the Yamaha PSS-80 (see there) and shares most of its features, but additionally has each 16 preset sounds and rhythms and a more advanced sequencer that can be played to. Fortunately the PSS-100 is not really rare and still occasionally appears on eBay. Don't be confused by the terms "voice variator" and "digital recorder" on the control panel; this is not a sampler.
(Note: This keyboard sounds great, but don't buy one of these so far your only intention is to get a keyboard with faithfully imitated natural instrument sounds. Remember, this is a squarewave instrument and though many of its sounds sound not even remotely like what is written on its buttons, though bought with wrong expectation it may disappoint you.)

different main features:

16 preset sounds {clarinet, trumpet, sax, piano, honky- tonk piano, electronic organ, accordion, vibraphone, guitar, rock guitar, tremolo guitar, banjo, mandolin, violin, fantasy, ufo}
16 preset rhythms with interesting percussion {8 beat, rock 'n' roll, hard rock, slow rock, 16 beat, funk, rhythm & blues, ballad, swing, country, samba, bossa nova, tango, march 1, march 2, waltz}
sounds & rhythms selected through buttons {"a", "b", "c", "d", "1", "2", "3", "4"}
LED display (2 digits)
volume control (5 steps, reduces bit resolution badly)
advanced sequencer {reset, rewind, stop, play, fast forward. record}; polyphonic record of all sounds, modelled after a cassette recorder (with battery backed- up memory)
multi- chip hardware:
CPU "Yamaha XF852AD, 3A1Y0RH98P, 8M2" (64 pin DIL)
IC "Sanyo LC3564PL, 15 8AR50" (28 Pin DIL)
IC "YM3427, 8Y 30 69 F" (16 pin DIL)
IC "Sanyo 8K4, LB1214" (16 pin DIL)
demo button (long medley of different musics)