"The Yamaha TG33 is a 32-voice programmable synthesizer module featuring AWM and FM synthesis under vector control. Many automatic vector ("dynamic vector") patches are offered in the presets, but the vector control joystick on this module allows real time manipulation of vector level and detune, allowing the user a high degree of expression. There are two preset banks of sounds, plus an Internal and a Multi bank, and the option of adding RAM cards for even more patch storage.
The TG33 is a fairly compact synth, and can be set up as a desktop module, or mounted in a rack with the included rack ears. On the MIDI side, in, out and thru are offered. There are two sets of stereo outputs to add your own effects on mix-down, but the unit also includes 16 types of digital effects on board.
"- circuit bent yamaha tg33 synth with vector joystick
-breakout box with 33 stackable banana jack patch points (white instead of the yellow as pictured above)
-2 switches- each switch activates 2 independant bends for a total of 4 switchable bends each of the switches patch point sections are color coded for ease of use
-8 banana patch cables
-replaced internal memory battery with a fresh battery and a battery clip.
-db25 connector cable from breakout box to synth (approximately 3 feet and black instead of the grey one above)
-db25 jacks on tg33 and breakoutbox
-orginal owners manual (original)
-cd-r of manual, many great patches, and editor program
-power supply included (north american supply only, international countries will need to supply their own adapters. the tg33 is regulated to handle anything from 9-12 volts dc with a positive tip)" video previously posted here):
circuit bent yamaha tg33 vector synth and akai ewi 4000s
"circuit bent tg33 vector synth with akai ewi. the dave smith evolver is used to filter and amplify the tg33 synthesizer only.
the vector synth features a db25 breakout box that connects to the tg33 unit. approximately half of the 300 or so waveforms are circuit bendable so it is possible to stack traditional synthesizer waveforms with voices that are circuit bendable allowing you to morph from the known to the aleatoric landscapes , weird tones, sounds, and patterns as well as the bizzare responses from a circuit bent synth.
i just got done bending it and this is my first run through after setting up a patch.. but once i get that vector remapped to pedal controllers, now we're talking."
"I made a little demo of the Yamaha TG33 FM / Waverom synthesizer. Unlike most of the TG33 demos I found on youtube, this one is definitely aimed at anyone making electronic music. For old synths like this the 'flicking through presets' style of youtube demo does little to show potential. So you won't hear any factory presets, all the sounds are programmed and 100% unique (oooh).
The major source of fun is the vector joystick, with which you can create evolving sounds that go from crunchy 12bit samples to clean sparkly FM tones. It's no powerhouse however, the FM is limited, there are no filters and the onboard effects are extremely limited. I don't mind any of that, in fact I think its charm is born from its limitations and as a result, it's pretty easy to program.
This piece was recorded in 3 takes. Everything you hear is from the TG33. The note sequences were programmed in a Sequentix P3 sequencer and looped. The development of sound is caused entirely by twiddling the TG33′s joystick and sometimes changing waverom and FM algorithms on the fly. The three takes (one drone and two melodic sequences) were then layered up in Ableton Live and some delay was added just for ambience.
The TG33 is a great little synth, and can be found for almost silly prices."
"- circuit bent yamaha tg33 synth with vector joystick (retains full functionality pre-bent when all bends are deactivated)
-breakout box with 32 banana jack patchbay which effects the awm waveforms
-4 switches activates 8 dedicated banana jacks located on side and back of box for switching
-8 stackable banana cords provided
-getlofi ltc1799 precision oscillator replaces internal clock frequencies for smooth pitch control of approximately 5+ octaves on any given note. (until the sound breaks into sound grains)
-1 switch selects precision oscillator or original fixed frequency clock
-1 fm/awm waveform glitch and resynthesis 4 position rotary switch with one center off-momentary on/lock on switch to activate rotary.
-replaced internal memory battery with a fresh battery.
-db25 connector cable from breakout box to synth
-db25 jacks on tg33 and breakoutbox
-1 vintage blue beehive lens with bright led lighting
-1 vintage milk glass lens with random slow phase lighting
-original owners manual
-bend diagram jpeg and tips and tricks sheet emailed to winner
-cd-r of manual, many great patches, and editor program
-power supply included (north american supply only, international countries will need to supply their own adapters. the tg33 is regulated to handle anything from 9-12 volts dc with a positive tip around 700 ma is best)
(check out video below)
this is probally my secret weapon of choice at the current moment. it's quite unique from other synthesizers and will reward those that take the time to program/tweak this thing.
although this isn't the most difficult synthesizer to program it will require the user to dig in a little bit and study the manual. the editor also accesses some very in depth synthesis options. vector synthesis is pretty straightforward and intuitive to work with but there are elements like assigning midi controls, selecting voices to work together, envelope shaping, indepndant lfos, sending sequences/controllers, and recording vector movements to really make the best of the possibilities. it's pretty simple to work with but has real power shaping sculpture.
if designing from scratch is too much for you to deal with it still would be easy tweak or play many of the included patch banks straight and all patches will respond to circuit bending.. the synth also features a random vector voice create feature!!! the included backed up sound banks are really well designed and have alot of sounds to keep you busy. but. those without a decent midi controller, basic midi knowledge, basic synth design, tweaks, and assigning controls from menus, etc, this may not be a good synth to start with if you are starting out or don't work with midi, otherwise be prepared to meet a truly unique synth!! "nice to meet you" it says..
the synth works with 4 waveforms in the vector per note of polyphony (think 4 oscillators per note). 2 of which are fm, 2 are awm based sampled waveforms. the awm waveforms are bendable. so approximately half of the 300+ available waveforms are circuit bendable. each waveform is independantly circuit bendable with it's own response to the pressures of bending. what makes that interesting is that when you play with the vector you can assign the circuit bent waveforms to the vector and also assign waveforms that aren't circuit bendable to the vector to either stack voices or morph a voice from the strange abstract sounds and aleatoric responses of circuit bent synthesis into a more traditional synthesis by use of the vector joystick or by assigning the x-y grid to two midi controllers. you can also record exact movements in the vector into the voice's program everytime you trigger a note. either way the awm waveforms can be circuit bent or left alone. the circuit bends depending on how you patch the waveform can have subtle tonal results such as stutter, tonal variations to extremes of complete self composing glitches or dense walls of sound. there are too many results to try to describe here.
instrument has an added getlofi precision oscillator which controls the total pitch of the synthesizer. all midi functionality is retained in the tuned frequencies of the oscillator. the oscillator is on a switch with the original clock signal if the user should not want to use overall pitch control. pitch bend internally by midi and pitch bending on the precision oscillator are not unlike each other but they are certainly completely different then each other.
the instrument is completely stable. able to go to completely strange circuit bent sounds and back to normal without any hitches at all in the system or voices!!!
now here is where things get completely chaotic!!!!
4 fm/awm brain scramble bends are allocated on a rotary switch. the rotary switch is activated by a switch is a 3 way switch which can either disconnect the rotary,momentary snap connect or lock into position. each bend interacts with the others to push it different directions sonically. these bends are completely chance orientated but more often then not great new patches are made and mysterious soundscapes occur. a switch activation cycles through complete mutations to the fm sounds, sound patch restructing, auto accompainments, self compositions, bizzare playing responses in reaction to sent control data. each throw of the switch creates a new sound either slightly altered to extremely altered with often mysterious and good results. since these bends are chaotic i've kept them seperate from the awm extention box as the awm bends of this instrument is completely stable and will not alter the sound of the patch when bends are deactivated. the fm bends are chance orienated and often alterations are extreme which make it better for studio work. although with some careful fm waveform assignments to the vector. you can find fm waveforms which aren't quite as extreme and make more subtle alterations and bent sounds. you can then improvise with the circuit bent fm/awm waveforms with some planning in regards to creating your own unique patches or finding the best presets and saving them into internal memory.
when fm waveforms are bent they can still be bent further with another activation from the fm switches but will not return the original patch without a power cycle on/off on the instrument. when the instrument is booted up the patch returns to its original form and nothing is lost in memory.
db 25 connector is in what used to be the cartridge slot with industrial strength adhesive. the connector already fit in the slot pretty nicely but the industrial strength adhesive sets the connector in it permanetely and securely. since the cartridge slot is occupied that closes up the option for using memory cards. this shouldn't be much a problem since the cartridge is proprietary and finding the exact card is extremely difficult since they are extremely rare and if you do find one they're pretty expensive not to mention all the time you'll be spending on ebay trolling for one.
the unit however has internal memory for patch storage as well as the ability to dump and recive patches via sysex. the unit's memory back up battery was replaced with a fresh lithium battery and a battery clip easily located so it would be easy to replace the battery in the future by the user or any tech.. as is, the fresh battery should last from 5-10 plus years depending on the use of this machine. the battery should last much longer than that, the battery i replaced was the original and was working fine before replacing and that battery had lasted nearly 20 years!! also a pdf manual, patch editor and many banks of great professional patches are included on a cd-r with this auction. i can include some patch notes of my own to illustrate how to organize a patch notebook to facilitate bending patches based on this system."
circuit bent yamaha tg33 vector synth and akai ewi 4000s
"Yamaha TG33 synth demo -- playing relaxing ambient arpeggiator soundscape on TG33 tone generator synth from Yamaha.
This ambient chill-out / new age synthesizer music created using Yamaha TG33 vector synthesis, random arpeggiator, and Yamaha TG-33 reverb effects. The Yamaha TG33 is a great synthesizer for ambient music."
via this auction "Rare vector synth with a unique gritty aliasing sound together a similar grainy reverb. At the very foot of this page I have uploaded a Soundcloud demo of what it sounds - the TG 33 was recorded directly into an Akai z8 Sampler with no added effects.
With the advent of 'plugins' too many artists in the electronic field sound the same and so the search for unique, by-gone instruments continues. Here we have a TG 33 which was developed by the people left at Sequential Circuits who had joined Korg who were later takenover (briefly) by Yamaha. Dave Smith was behind the SY22/TG33 a sort of poor mans Sequential VS. The Sequential boys went on to develop the Wavestation for Korg however, that was a silky sounding synth that was very much of its era. The TG 33 on the other hand as this grainy, bitcrushed sound that is very of the moment - think Daft Punk Tron or Chiptune music.
It was released in 1990 (I was 10!)
What is good for? Metallic, droney strings and scraping sounds. Excellent for ambient sounds which would take ages to program on any other synth but with Vector you are mixing 2 synth engines ...its not just mixing
Features: TG33 has two synthesis engines: AWM (12-bit PCM) and CWM (2-Operator FM). This hybrid architecture is called DASS. There are two layering modes: 1PCM+1FM (32 polyphonic) and 2PCM+2FM (16 polyphonic). The Vector controls the mix balance and the detuning.
AWM section TG33 has 128 12-bit PCM waveforms in 1MB ROM. There is no filter, as is the case with lower-end PCM synths at that time. The LFO modulation is relatively fast. It can be used to imitate a kind of cross-modulation like Roland JV's FXM.
FM section TG33 uses 2-Operator FM with 8 basic waveforms. It can be only partially editable from the front panel. Users must choose one from 256 preset FM settings, and edit Amp Env, Brightness, LFO etc. As the AWM section has no filter, timbre motion should be created with this FM section.
Using SysEx, all the hidden parameters can be edited (see below). Vector
There are two Vectors; Level Vector and Detune Vector to control mix balance and the detuning. They can be controlled in realtime with the Joystick/MIDI CC or 50-step sequence for each. The vector sequence stops in the release segment.
16 FX types including reverb, short delay and digital distortion are available. There is no modulating effect like chorus."
Interesting rig. You'll find a picture of the back below with the TG33. This is the first post to feature the Hybrid Arts CPX computer module. Hybrid Arts also made the ADAP SOUNDTRACK SAMPLER ADAP-1. If anyone has any info on the CPX, feel to leave a comment. Curious if it's simply a computer with an editor for the TG77 and TG33, or it's own synth/sample playback module. Take a look at the back below. The Synthax RACKWare RG 124 appears to be the monitor for the system, and the Kawai MAV-8 is a midi patchbay.
It's interesting to see the TG77 and TG33 in a different enclosure.
YouTube via spunkytoofers "circuit bent tg33 vector synth with akai ewi. the dave smith evolver is used to filter and amplify the tg33 synthesizer only.
the vector synth features a db25 breakout box that connects to the tg33 unit. approximately half of the 300 or so waveforms are circuit bendable so it is possible to stack traditional synthesizer waveforms with voices that are circuit bendable allowing you to morph from the known to the aleatoric landscapes , weird tones, sounds, and patterns as well as the bizzare responses from a circuit bent synth.
i just got done bending it and this is my first run through after setting up a patch.. but once i get that vector remapped to pedal controllers, now we're talking."
"cross modulation between teenage engineering op-1 and a circuit bent yamaha tg33.
testing out some bends on the tg33 before shipping it out. more details on the flagship circuit bent spunkytoofers yamaha tg33: http://spunkytoofers.com/hottopic/?p=1222"
"Apple has just released iTG33 iPad editor, our dedicated iControlMIDI iPad editor for the Yamaha TG33.
The TG33 is a great sounding synth but very hard to program.
iControlMIDI for the TG33 implements all the Voice parameters including Vectors.
The TG33 can be edited using the following Pages on iControlMIDI: • Page 1: Common parameters and FX parameters • Page 2: TONE A parameters • Page 3: TONE B parameters • Page 4: TONE C parameters • Page 5: TONE D parameters • Page 6: VECTOR Level 1-7 parameters and VECTOR Level Speed parameter • Page 7-13: VECTOR Level 8-50 parameters • Page 14: VECTOR Detune 1-7 parameters and VECTOR Detune Speed parameter • Page 15-21: VECTOR Detune 8-50 parameters • Page 22: Common Name parameters
To offer a better workflow, iControlMIDI will: • iControlMIDI automatically enables the ENV parameters if ENV Type is equal to USER • iControlMIDI automatically disables the ENV parameters if ENV Type is different than USER • iControlMIDI automatically enables the TONE C and TONE D Pages and Vector X parameters if Configuration is equal to A-B-C-D • iControlMIDI automatically disables the TONE C and TONE D Pages and Vector X parameters if Configuration is equal to A-B"
"Yamaha TG33 synth demo -- playing relaxing ambient electronica music soundscape on TG33 tone generator synth from Yamaha.
This relaxing ambient chill-out / new age synthesizer music created using Yamaha TG33 vector synthesis, random arpeggiator, and Yamaha TG-33 reverb effects."
"The TG33 sound module is a slightly enhanced key-less version of the SY22. It is a digital synthesizer that employs frequency modulation (FM) synthesis combined with low-fi (12-bit) AWM ROM samples. However, this machine is not low quality (especially for the electronica-oriented musician). Its preset sounds are a bit thin, however using the joystick controller you can manipulate and combine the 12-bit samples with the any of the 256 FM vector voices. This gives it a range of tone and sound that is as dynamic and mysterious as other vector synths such as the Korg Wavestation and ProphetVS.
Also available is a drum kit, effects, 16-part multitimbrality for layering sounds and 32 note polyphony! Definitely a powerful little beast that can create pretty nice sounds with lots of motion and character. With its wide range of sonic possibility, the TG33 has what it takes to create unique sounds that will keep you and you're music sounding a little different from the rest!"
31 videos at the time of this post showcasing various synths. Note the list is out of order for whatever reason. You can use the controls in the player above to get to what you want. Be sure to read the list below. You don't see demos for some of these synths that often. Each (synth and demo) have something different and interesting to offer. Don't miss the formant demos of the FS1R. That's the actual synth engine - no samples.
Playlist:
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #30: E-MU Morpheus - Song 1
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #29: Bastl Instruments XOR - Song 1
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #28: Technics WSA1- Song 3
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #25: SM Pro Audio V-Machine - Song 3
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #21: M-Audio Venom - Song 2
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #18: Bastl Instruments Kastle - Song 1
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #16: Modal Craft Synth - Song 2
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #7: Yamaha FS1R - Song 1
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #17: Kawai K5000R - Song 3
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #12: Ensoniq Fizmo - Song 3
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #6: Korg Wavestation SR - Song 3
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #2: Yamaha TG33 - Song 2
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #X1: Bastl Instruments MicroGranny 2
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #27: Technics WSA1- Song 2
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #24: SM Pro Audio V-Machine - Song 2
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #20: M-Audio Venom - Song 1
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #19: Bastl Instruments Kastle - Song 2
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #15: Modal Craft Synth - Song 1
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #14: Kawai K5000R - Song 2
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #11: Ensoniq Fizmo - Song 2
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #9: Yamaha FS1R - Song 3
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #4: Korg Wavestation SR - Song 1
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #3: Yamaha TG33 - Song 3
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #26: Technics WSA1- Song 1
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #23: SM Pro Audio V-Machine - Song 1
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #22: M-Audio Venom - Song 3
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #13: Kawai K5000R - Song 1
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #10: Ensoniq Fizmo - Song 1
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #8: Yamaha FS1R - Song 2
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #5: Korg Wavestation SR - Song 2
Best Ambient Synth Shootout #1: Yamaha TG33 - Song 1
Tg33 by pss790 by spunkytoofers "circuit bent yamaha tg33 being controlled by a self composing yamaha pss790's bent midi out data. it was recorded direct with one patch, live with no overdubs and effects. one patch being vector controlled through the piece."
Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
via this auction
Not the best pic, but check out the rack ears on the front.
"It is very, very, very rare to see a TG33 with the rack ears for rack mounting....they can be attached in different ways to put the unit at the angle you prefer. Yamaha doesn't make the rack ears for these anymore and they are included for your convenience !
HUGE SOUND LIBRARY -
I'm including a CD with a huge sound library with an editor and librarian. I'm also including a USB to MIDI cable so you will be ready to rock. The CD also includes the manuals you need should you have any questions.
STUDIO SOUND CARD INCLUDED!!!!!
You'll have even more sounds from this card, instantly available without having to load them. The sounds can be played directly off the card.
DETAILS -
The TG33 has 127 sampled sounds & 255 FM sounds. This synthesizer will actually make sounds for you !!!
Here's how....you can set the synthesizer to "grab" either 2 random elements (1 sample & 1 FM) or 4 random elements (2 samples & 2 FM). When you are in this mode, every time you press the YES button, you get different random elements layered on each other instantly. When you have hear a combination you like, store it and you can play it anytime you want. You can also use the vector joystick to balance between the sounds or to detune the sounds. Vector joystick movements can also be recorded and become part of the sound !!"
