Back to the Future - Vintage sounds from Yamaha’s new reface mobile keyboards

Music instrument company Yamaha unveiled their reface range of mobile mini keyboards at the legendary Abbey Road's Studio 2. A new range of four draws inspiration from Yamaha's most famous and influential vintage keyboards: the DX7 synthesizer, CP70/80 stage piano, YC combo organ and CS-Series synthesizers, that fuelled the sounds of countless Top Ten hits during the 1970s and 1980s. Now reface brings Yamaha's 40-year heritage to today’s musicians and producers at a much more affordable price than in the 1970s.

• reface DX redefines the iconic DX7, first launched in 1983, with retro 80s sounds.
• reface CS contains an infinite and complex analog/digital sound palette emulating the legendary CS-Series synths made famous by artists including Stevie Wonder.
• reface CP reprises Yamaha's famed 70s stage pianos featuring a wide range of vintage piano sounds complemented by a variety of effects.
• reface YC brings classic 60s transistor-to-tonewheel organ sounds.

“reface series pays tribute to some classic Yamaha instruments and brings their legacy sound to a new generation of music makers,” said Chris Irvine from Yamaha Music Europe.

Multi instrumentalist and producer Claudio Passavanti from Sunlighsquare was asked to produce a ten minute suite for the event. He said, “The CP delivers great Donald Fagen like Rhodes, the YC is for instant Brian Auger joy with its hugely flexible Hammond sound. You can get that signature synthetic electric pianos from Dave Grusin's "Sticks & Stones" with the DX, and pretty much any analogue synth you can think of with the CS, wether you're thinking or Kraftwerk or Chick Corea. I have been using them on my new 7 inch single 'Super People / Papa Was a Rolling Stone' and I'm using them to produce a few deep / afro house tracks coming up in the next few months.”