Yamaha PortaSound MusicSTATION PSS-480 User Manual

INTRODUCTION
Congratulations
on
your
purchase
of
the
Yamaha
PortaSound
PSS-480!
You
now
own
one
of
the
most
sophisticated
portable
electronic
keyboards
available.
Controlled
by
an
advanced
microcomputer,
the
PortaSound
PSS-480
offers
far
more
musical
enjoyment
and
versatility
than
any
other
instrument
in
its
class.
In
fact,
it
gives
you
the
fun
and
functions
of
a
whole
host
of
digital
music
machines,
namely
...
®
An
electronic
keyboard
offering
100
high-quality
preset
voices
using
the
famous
Yamaha
FM
sound
source.
ө
А
digital
synthesizer
that
lets
you
alter
any
of
the
preset
voices
to
taste
and
save
up
to
five
of
these
edited
versions.
e
A
versatile
rhythm
machine
using
9
percussion
instru-
ments,
PCM
recorded
for
breath-taking
realism.
With
100
basic
rhythm
patterns
featuring
three
intros/fill-ins
and
one
ending
each,
you
have
an
amazing
400
rhythm
vari-
ations
at
your
disposal.
What's
more,
you
can
even
record
you
own
original
Custom
Drummer
pattern.
ө
A
sophisticated
automatic
accompaniment
system
giving
you
Single
Finger
Chords,
automatic
bass,
chords
and
orchestra,
automatic
Duet
and
orchestration
capabilities.
•
A
simple
but
very
useful
sequencer
offering
unique
mu-
sical
possibilities:
You
can
digitally
record
up
to
five
melodies
and
chord
progressions
each
and
play
them
back
any
time
at
the
touch
of
a
button.
€
A
highly
advanced
MIDI
controller
and
multi-timbral
MIDI
sound
source.
Used
as
a
controller,
the
PortaSound
can
play
a
number
of
external
MIDI
instruments
simul-
taneously
on
various
channels.
As
a
sound
source,
it
will
perform
several
voices
as
well
as
percussion
independently
at
the
same
time.
Read
this
manual
carefully
while
playing
your
new
Porta-
Sound,
and
you
will
be
able
to
make
full
use
of
its
many
fantastic
features
in
no
time.
ABOUT THIS MANUAL
One
look
at
your
new
PortaSound
PSS-480
tells
you:
this
is
an
advanced
instrument
with
a
great
variety
of
func-
tions.
Though
this
is
true,
don’t
let
the
large
number
of
buttons
fool
you
—
the
PSS-480
is
actually
very
easy
to
use.
As
you
can
see
from
the
INDEX
ILLUSTRATION
on
p.
6,
the
controls
are
all
organized
in
easy-to-understand
functional
groups.
Once
you
get
to
know
them,
you
will
have
no
trouble
operating
your
PortaSound,
making
it
do
exactly
what
you
want
it
to.
To
get
acquainted
with
your
new
keyboard
and
have
fun
with
it
from
the
start,
please
read
PART
I
first.
You
can
then
use
the
INDEX
ILLUSTRATION
to
look
up
information
on
buttons
or
functional
groups
you
are
especially
interested
in
right
away.
Otherwise,
continue
with
PART
II.
This
manual
is
structured
into
three
main
parts.
The
shortest
and
simplest
one,
PART
1
—
GETTING
TO
KNOW
THE
PSS-480,
gives
you
all
the
information
you
need
to
play
your
new
instrument,
making
use
of
its
most
basic
features.
It
also
shows
you
how
you
can
listen
to
the
pre-programmed
DE-
MONSTRATION
song.
The
functions
mentioned
shortly
in
the
QUICK
GUIDE
illus-
tration
of
PART
I
are
explained
in
greater
detail
in
PART
II.
Particularly
if
you
already
have
some
experience
with
digital
keyboards,
the
QUICK
GUIDE
will
enable
you
to
use
these
functions
immediately.
On
the
other
hand,
if
you
are
a
total
newcomer,
reading
the
next
part
will
make
operations
clearer
to
you.
PART
Il
—
BASIC
FEATURES
contains
a
systematic
overall
introduction
of
WHAT
YOUR
PortaSound
CAN
DO,
followed
by
detailed
explanations
of
most
PortaSound
functions.
It
tells
you
all
about
voice
and
style
selection,
effects,
the
Auto
Accompaniment
features
and
the
Song
Memory.
Each
section
starts
out
with
a
short
Overview
giving
you
a
general
idea
of
the
respective
functions.
You
can
then
try
them
out
right
away
by
following
the
steps
described
under
Operation.
Note
that
in
the
text,
bold
print
indicates
basic
operational
steps,
while
the
regular
print
below
it
gives
all
the
necessary
explanations.
Therefore,
you
can
simply
follow
the
instructions
in
bold
print
when
you
want
to
get
to
know
a
feature,
and
read
the
details
and
Points
to
Remember
later.
Finally,
PART
III
shows
you
how
to
use
those
ADVANCED
FEATURES
that
require
a
bit
of
specialized
know-how
—
the
Digital
Synthesizer
section
to
create
your
own
FM
sounds,
and
the
MIDI
functions
for
communication
with
other
MIDI
instruments,
sequencers
and
computers.

Yamaha PortaSound MusicSTATION PSS-480 Specifications

General

Number of Keys	49
Preset Voices	100
MIDI	Yes
Type	Digital Synthesizer
Preset Rhythms	100
Display	LCD
Sound Generation	FM synthesis
Outputs	Headphone, Line Out
Power Supply	6 x C batteries or AC adapter
Effects	Chorus