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  VSS-200 At a Glance
Click for larger view arrowReleased: 1988?  | Specifications
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David Waldman writes:
This is perhaps the strangest of Yamaha's portatone series, and definitely the rarest. I also own its little sister, the VSS-30, which surprisingly has a few features the VSS-200 doesn't, including a mini sequencer, vibrato, and ability to affect the instrument sounds without sampling them first.

However, true to their quirky nature, this latter feature is precisely what makes the VSS-200 so unique. You can capture any of the 100 (awful) onboard tones into the unit's sampler, and then run the resulting tone through the 9 DSP effects: loop, u-turn, reverse, FM, AM, fuzz, echo, level and pitch; many in combination. You may then layer as many additional sounds into the built-in microphone for some real fun grime cheez. Plus, there's a real ADSR that's fully adjustable.

Happily, there's no automatic power off like there is on the lesser models, so you need not worry about losing your sample after 7 minutes of non-use. Lots more fun than an SK-5, with many more options. Dunno if it can be easily circuit-bent though...

Case is handsome, functional, and easy to navigate. Overall, a lo-fi wet-dream come true. Worth looking out for. A nice addition to your dairy section.

Comments About the Sounds:
Harsh, noisy

(Thanks to David Waldman for this info.)
and David Waldman for the pic

Links for the Yamaha VSS-200

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